Student Research in Physics
One of the distinctives of the IWU physics department is the ability to offer several opportunities for students to participate in scholarly research with faculty. Below are projects in which our students have participated in since 2017. Below is a brief description of their research participation, and further down are links to all of their research posters which summarize their work, and a listing of professional conferences our students have participated in.
Recent IWU Students and their research projects
James Boone (’19) worked in summer 2017 with Dr. Warren Rogers, testing various Monte-Carlo simulation packages for use in MoNA experiments. In summer 2018 with Dr. Steven Smith, helping set up and diagnose vacuum chamber equipment and electronics for the X-ray fluorescence laboratory.
Andrew Wantz (’20) worked in Summers 2017 and 2019 with Dr. Warren Rogers analyzing a large dataset for neutron scattering characteristics in plastic scintillator from an experiment done at Los Alamos National Laboratory conducted in 2016. He presented the results of this research at the Fall 2017 meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society in Pittsburgh, PA in October 2017. In summer 2018 he participated in the summer 2018 NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program at TUNL (Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory). He worked primarily on Rutherford Backscattering experiments, and presented his research at the Fall 2018 Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society on the Big Island of Hawaii in late October.
Nathan Kitzmiller (’19) worked in summer 2017 with Dr. Scott McCullough in computational biophysical simulations.
Justin Hazel (’20) worked in summer 2018 with Dr. Scott McCullough in computational biophysical simulations.
Zachary Faitz (’20) worked in summer 2018 with Dr. Scott McCullough in computational biophysical simulations.
Jeremy Hallett (’22) worked in summers 2019, 20, and 21 with Dr. Warren Rogers. In 2019 he worked on the design and construction of a mounting platform for 16 neutron detectors in preparation for a planned neutron scattering experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which involved numerous simulation calculations. In 2020 he worked on a software filter designed to filter 2-neutron events from background produced by 1-neutron scattering in the MoNA array He presented his work at the Fall 2020 conference for the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society in New Orleans, LA (meeting held remotely). In 2021 he worked on simulation and development of the next-generation neutron detectors for the MoNA collaboration, looking for ways to use proton scattering in the detectors to assist with multi-neutron filtering. He presented his work at the Fall 2021 conference of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society in Boston, MA (meeting held remotely).
Andrea Munroe (’23) worked in summers 2020 and 21 with Dr. Warren Rogers
Derick Flores Madrid (’24) worked in summer 2022 with Dr. Warren Rogers
Jenna Smith (’23 Taylor University) worked in summer 2022 with Dr. Warren Rogers
Student research posters:
Summer 2017
James Boone – Test of Monte Carlo Simulation for MoNA Neutron Detectors
Andrew Wantz – Neutron Scattering in MoNA Detector Bars for Comparison with Simulation
Nate Kitzmiller – Parameterizing Docking Candidates to Evaluate Binding Affinity for SHP2 in silico
Summer 2018
James Boone – X-Ray Fluourescence of Cometary Gases to Model Solar Wind-Comet Interactions
Andrew Wantz – Developing a Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry Station for TUNL (summer 2018)
Justin Hazel and Zachary Faitz – Parameterization, Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Generated Binding Affinity for SHP2 in silico
Summer 2019
Jeremy Hallett – Preparation for the Dark Scattering Experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Andrew Wantz – 2-Neutron Simulation for the Development of Causal Gates
Summer 2020
Jeremy Hallett – Development of a Multi-Neutron Filter
Andrea Munroe – Non-Linear Behavior in Plastic Scintillator Neutron Detectors
Summer 2021
Jeremy Hallett – Cluster Production in MoNA Through Charge-Exchange
Andrea Munroe – A Multi-Layered Approach to Multi-Neutron Filtering
Summer 2022
Derick Flores Madrid – Analysis of Neutron Scattering Interactions in Plastic Scintillators
Jenna Smith – Neutron Dark Scattering Analysis
National Conference presentations
James Boone: Fall 2017 Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), Pittsburgh, PA
Andrew Wantz: Fall 2017 Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), Pittsburgh, PA
Andrew Wantz: Fall 2018 DNP meeting of the APS in Hawaii
Jeremy Hallett: Fall 2020 DNP meeting of the APS in New Orleans, LA (remote meeting)
Andrea Munroe: Fall 2020 DNP meeting of the APS in New Orleans, LA (remote meeting)
Jeremy Hallett: Fall 2021 DNP meeting of the APS in Boston, MA (remote meeting)
Andrea Munroe: Fall 2020 DNP meeting of the APS in Boston, MA (remote meeting)
Derick Flores Madrid: Fall 2022 DNP meeting of the APS in New Orleans, LA
Jenna Smith: Fall 2022 DNP meeting of the APS in New Orleans, LA
