University Calendar

Senior Experience Seminar Series in Physics - 2025

Keegan Mencke
Looking into the Atomic Nucleus: Analyzing Nuclear Physics Data using a Neural Network
Nuclear scattering experiments are one of the best ways to understand underlaying proton structure. Connecting experimental results to proton structure is quite complicated, like trying to understand the shape of water in a water bottle by breaking it apart. My project uses several neural networks in sequence to aid in data analysis of these experiments.

Joey Davis
Sonoluminescence: A Computational and Experimental Approach to Making a Bubble Glow
Sonoluminescence, the emission of light from a cavitating bubble, is a striking phenomenon on its face. The exotic physics at play can be understood (up to a point) with numerical solutions to ODEs. In this talk, we explore these numerical solutions to the radius and internal temperature for a bubble undergoing cavitation in the pressure range of sonoluminescence, and how we can compare these solutions to empirical data.

Subin Han
Plasma Wakefield Acceleration: Laser Pulses and the Interactions with Plasma
Electrons are typically accelerated by applying a potential difference. This method quickly encounters power constraints as higher electron energies are attempted. Another improved approach to electron acceleration is via plasma wakefield acceleration. Here, a laser pulse propagating through a plasma creates plasma waves by pushing electrons out of its way (the ponderomotive force). As these waves develop, they are able to trap electrons within a cavity and guide them to relativistic speeds. In my presentation, I discuss how I use OSIRIS, a particle-in-cell plasma simulation software, to recreate and observe this phenomenon.

Location:	Youngchild 121
Contact:	Matthew Stoneking matthew.r.stoneking@lawrence.edu
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