Physics students at Otterbein are encouraged to participate in research with a faculty member, which, depending on interests, may start as early as the freshman year. Physics faculty members are active in a variety of experimental and theoretical areas.
On this page:
Recent Projects
Links below go to Honors and Distinction theses in the Otterbein Digital Commons. * indicates winner of annual best Honors Thesis award.
2023:
- Cole Benishek and Christian Robinette: Design and Construction of a demonstration Tesla Coil.
- Gabriel Jennings: Electromagnetic wave propagation through periodic slat structures.
- Ben Giera and Braden Keck: Thermal Characterization of Thermoelectric Materials, in collaboration with Lake Shore Cryotronics.
2022: Michael Colley: Electromagnetic bound states and duality on the light front
2021: Ryan Bosworth: Magnetic Susceptibility of Lithium Bismuthate Glasses
2020:
- Olivia Smith: Examining the Hepatic Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanofiber in Male Sprague Dawley Rats (interdisciplinary)
- Alexander C. Clevinger: Constraining Neutron Star Nuclear Equations of State Based on Observational Data
2019:
- Heather Tanner: Characterization of Rock Muons in the MINERvA Detector
- Bradley Goff: Long-Lived Scintillation Light from Cosmic Ray Muons in a LArTPC *
2018:
- Tyler N. Thompson: Visualizing Quantum Dynamics*
- Keegan Orr: A pressure-tuned Fabry Pérot interferometer for laser frequency stabilization and tuning
- Brad Goff, Heather Tanner: Analysis of light production by cosmic-ray muons, detector and physics effects in MicroBooNE data
- Jiyu Li: Visualization of Cosmic Ray Tracker data in MicroBooNE
2017:
- Michael A. Highman: Implementation And Characterization Of A Magneto-Optical Trap*
- Brad Goff and Heather Tanner: Electric field simulation; Bubble formation in liquid Argon; Analysis of MicroBooNE data
2016:
- Evan M. Heintz: Using Precise Measurements of Muon g-2 to Constrain New Physics*
- Brad Goff, Isabella Majoros, and Peter Watkins: Analyzing the long-term behavior of the MicroBooNE detector, with Online Monitor tools as well as Michel electrons
- Michael Highman, Keegan Orr: Building a Magneto-Optical trap
2015:
- Philip G. Kellogg: Analysis of the Energy Spectrum of Michel Electrons In MicroBooNE
- Benjamin D. Graber: Measuring the Hyperfine Splittings of Lowest Energy Atomic Transitions in Rubidium*
- Peter Watkins and Isabella Majoros: Commissioning the MicroBooNE detector
- Tyler Thompson: Cold Ion Traps
2014:
- Philip Kellogg: Calibration of the MicroBooNE detector with Muon Decays
- Peter Watkins: Construction and operation of a Remote Operations Center for the MINERvA experiment
- Ben Graber: Measurement of the hyperfine energy splittings in the 5P_{3/2} manifold of levels in rubidium
- Michael Highman: Design and construction of an ultrahigh vacuum system for cold atom experiments
In addition to work at Otterbein, students also regularly participate in NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates programs around the nation and the world. Recent examples include:
- BYU
- University of Utah
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- University of California at Davis
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland (LHCb Collaboration)
Students have also participated in research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy, Argonne National Laboratory, the McNairs Scholars Program at the University of Maine, and the summer research program at the Kent State University Liquid Crystals Institute.
Theory Group (Profs. David Robertson and Uwe Trittmann)
Development of computational methods and tools for precision calculations of particle properties in quantum field theory, most notably for theories involving “supersymmetry,” a symmetry relating particles of different spins that may be an integral part of the most fundamental theories of physics. Such tools are needed and used in the analysis of ongoing experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.
Variational methods in strongly interacting quantum systems, in particular as an approach to understanding and modeling the structure of hadrons and nuclei.
Work on the “light-cone” formulation for quantum field theory, as a basis for the development of new non-perturbative methods of calculation in strongly interacting systems. This approach involves formulating quantum field theory on a null plane, which can lead to certain dramatic simplifications. Current work is focused on detailing the relation between the light-cone and standard “equal-time” formulations, and studying the approach in low-dimensional test models.
Quantum mechanical wavefunction of a bound state of strongly interacting particles in two dimensions, as a function of the momentum fractions of the particles. It is highly symmetric and shows how momentum is distributed among the constituents.