January 15, 2015

Summer Research Experience Opportunities

Physics & Astronomy

January 15, 2015

Benefits of Participation in Summer Research

• Experiencing the rewards of designing a project, making discoveries, and sharing your findings

• Increasing your ability to think, learn, and work both independently and as part of a team

• Applying concepts learned in course-work to “real-life” situations

• Strengthening your oral and written communication skills

• Sharpening your critical thinking, problem solving, and data analysis skills

• Developing a close working relationship with a faculty mentor

• Preparing for graduate school

• Traveling to conferences, making connections, and working with people who share your interests

• Publishing your work

• Enhancing your resume

• Participating in and contributing to the life of your chosen field

• Getting a head-start on your senior thesis project

January 15, 2015

Opportunities

• Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) sites

• On-campus research with faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy

January 15, 2015

REU Sites

• NSF REU sites are listed at:– http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=69

• Application deadlines vary from site to site but many of them are soon, so get started now

• Compensation– Amount varies from site to site

– Stipend + housing (may be combined or split)

– Travel expense (usually compensated)

January 15, 2015

Partial List of REU Sites

● 2015 SPS Summer Internships — Applications Due February 1!!! http://www.spsnational.org/programs/internships/?dm_i=1ZJP,345C2,E7HN8S,B637N,1

● 2015 REU Program in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Maria Mitchell Observatory

● Arecibo REU 2015 http://www.naic.edu/reu_program.html

● 2015 REU in the Department of Astronomy of Cornell University http://astro.cornell.edu/specialprograms/reu/

● Yale CRISP REU programhttp://crisp.yale.edu/education/crisp-research-experiences-undergraduates-reu-program

● REU program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Experimental and Computational Materials Research https://www.uab.edu/cnmb/research-experiences-for-undergraduates/application-process

● REU at Northwestern University in Materials Science http://www.mrsec.northwestern.edu/content/educational_programs/reu.htm

● REU program at Ohio Wesleyan University in scientific computation http://reu.owu.edu

January 15, 2015

On-campus

• Approach faculty and convince them to take you as a student

• Apply for a Union College Summer Research Fellowship

– Apply online at : http://muse.union.edu/undergraduate-research/summer-research/

– Application deadline is February 13th

– Prepare a research proposal (faculty will help you)

– Prepare a resume

• Compensation

– 8 weeks = $3800

– 6 weeks = $2850

– 4 weeks = $1900

– Housing available for $75/week

January 15, 2015

On-campus

• Approach faculty and convince them to take you as a student

• Apply for a Union College Summer Research Fellowship

– Apply online at : http://muse.union.edu/undergraduate-research/summer-research/

– Application deadline is February 13th

– Prepare a research proposal (faculty will help you)

– Prepare a resume

• Compensation

– 8 weeks = $3800

– 6 weeks = $2850

– 4 weeks = $1900

– Housing available for $75/week

January 15, 2015

Prof. Samuel Amanuel

• Thermodynamics of nano scaled materials

• Mechanical Properties of polymer nanocomposites

• Coffee Project: Thermal and molecular vibrations

• 1-3 students

Nano scaled materials and properties

January 15, 2015

Prof. Greg Hallenbeck

• Radio observations of nearby galaxies as part of the ALFALFA project

• Much of my research involves looking at resolved studies of selected galaxies from ALFALFA, as well as development of data analysis software

• Possible summer research projects include:

– Developing methods for automating source extraction

– Searching for evidence of multiple phases of HI in the interstellar medium

– Finding ways to minimize the impact of radio inteference (RFI)

• All projects involve programming in python or IDL

• 1-2 students, depending on funding

Astronomy

January 15, 2015

Prof. Rebecca Koopmann

• Optical and radio observations of nearby galaxies, including work on the ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) project using the Arecibo Observatory 305-m telescope near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the world's largest single-reflector telescope.

• The ALFALFA project is a search for emission from neutral hydrogen (HI) in other galaxies. Possible summer research projects include analysis of ALFALFA and optical images of galaxies in groups, analysis of optical images to determine star formation properties, and design of outreach tools to communicate galaxy science to secondary school students and the public. Most projects will involve programming in python or IDL. A summary of recent student projects at this page: http://minerva.union.edu/koopmanr/research.html.

• 2-3 students, dependent on funding: apply to college program, apply to ALFALFA undergrad grant (competition among ~19 schools)

Astronomy

January 15, 2015

Ion-Beam Analysis Lab

• Ion-beam analysis of– Atmospheric aerosols

– Soil samples

– Lake sediment samples

– Coffee beans (with Sam)

• Development of an external beam facility

• ~ 4 students for 6 weeks

Profs. Scott LaBrake and Mike Vineyard

January 15, 2015

Prof. Jonathan Marr

Development of Labs Using the New Haystack 37-meter Radio Telescope

This summer, I can use the assistance of one or two students in making observations with the

MIT Haystack Radio Observatory (located in Westford, MA) as development of undergraduate radio astronomy labs. MIT’s Haystack Observatory has recently finished the complete reconstruction of their large radio telescope (37-meters in diameter). Some of the available observing time will be devoted to an NSF education initiative. As part of that education initiative, I will devise and test-run some observations using this state-of-the-art professional telescope that can be conducted as labs for undergraduate astronomy courses. For example, one lab is the observation of emission by ammonia molecules in a disk of molecular gas known to be orbiting the Galactic center – this is similar to the observations that first yielded evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Labs that we determine to be successful will be listed (with instructions) both on the Haystack Observatory web page under suggested projects, as well as on the labs web page that will accompany a new radio astronomy textbook to be published this year (by Marr, Snell, and Kurtz).

Radio Astronomy

January 15, 2015

Prof. Chad Orzel

• Quantum Optics: Continue work on using parametric downconversion to produce pairs of photons that can be used to do experiments probing the dual particle and wave nature of light. This involves work with lasers, optics, single-photon detectors, coincidence counters, and computer data acquisition.

• Optical Tweezers: Using a tightly focused laser beam to trap and manipulate microscopic objects, and study their motion and interactions. Involves the use of lasers, optics, and MATLAB programming to do data acquisition.

• 1 – 2 students

Atomic physics

January 15, 2015

Prof. Gary Reich

• How many ways can you draw a cluster of three atoms in a square crystal lattice? Answer: 6. Here are 3 of them. Find the others

• How many ways can you draw a cluster of 100 atoms on a square lattice? • Answer – not known.• Mathematical calculations in statistical mechanics are often easy to understand but

difficult to do. For example, to model the behavior of certain kinds of magnets as they undergo a transition from non-magnetic to magnetic behavior, it is necessary to know the number and distribution of various configurations of atoms, like the ones above. Computer simulations involving multiple processors may the best way to get estimates for these distributions. The project is a mixture of math, physics, and computer programming.

• High-Speed Photography (suitable for freshman or sophomore)• I would like to generate a collection of high speed video clips of familiar phenomena

that might be of interest for introductory classes: for example, flipping a fried egg, or the reversal of a “tippy top.” The project involves taking, analyzing, and organizing high-speed video clips.

Statistical Mechanics & High-Speed Photography

January 15, 2015

Prof. Francis Wilkin

• Possible projects include:

– Modeling of astrophysical shock waves due to stellar wind collisions

– Study extrasolar planet transits

– "Terraforming Earth"

• 2 – 3 students

Observational Astronomy