Summer Scholars Program
Physics Department
2010 Volunteer Faculty Mentors:
Dr. Paul Angiolillo
Exploring Exotic Materials with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Numerous genera of the Mollusca and Cephalopoda biomineralize calcium carbonate into two polymorphs: aragonite and calcite. This lab has recently undertaken projects to explore mineralized calcium carbonate in both extant and extinct species. In particular, the radiation-induced defects in calcite and aragonite in extinct species is not only interesting from a physics viewpoint but may be used to glean information about the organisms age and ecology. In extant species, these biomaterials exemplify physical characteristics such as strength and toughness that warrants further study to gain a deeper understanding of inorganic/organic composites.
Microscopy studies of the re-entrant glass transition
Glass is a phase in which the molecules of a substance display slow dynamics - as in a solid - but have no long range order - as in a liquid. This ambiguity is only the first point of interest in a field, which to this day still holds many mysteries. We use colloidal suspensions as a model system to learn more about the nature of glass and the glass transition.
Kinematics of a sphere moving through a non-Newtonian liquid
Non-Newtonian liquids behave much differently than normal liquids such as water. Non-Newtonian liquids are fluids whose viscosity changes with the mixing rate. A prime example of this is cornstarch, ketchup or shaving cream. We study how spheres of various sizes and shapes move through such liquids.