Comps, honors papers, and prize-winning works of the Physics and Astronomy Department are featured here. All works have been self-submitted by the student authors. Descriptive information about each work is available to search or browse. Access to the full text of the works is limited to current Carleton affiliates with faculty permission. Learn more about how to submit your work and how to request access to the full text of works.
In addition to this digital archive, physical copies of the Physics and Astronomy Department comps from 1978 to 2013 are available at Gould Library.
Submissions from 2017
Yuan Shen Li, Physics (PHYS) 2017, An Introduction to Free-electron Lasers
Alphonso Gaston Cera Lopez, Physics (PHYS) 2017, Inventing the Universe of Matter: An Account of the Origin of the Elements by Astrophysical Nucleosynthesis
Moses Misplon, Physics (PHYS) 2017, Closing loopholes in experimental Bell tests
Alexander Christopher Newkirk, Physics (PHYS) 2017, The Evolution of C:The Development of the Modern Understanding of Light Speed
Joshua Bowman Ruebeck, Physics (PHYS) 2017, Quantum Communication, Shannon Theory, and Error Correction
Adam Alexei Rutkowski, Physics (PHYS) 2017, Physics of Fusion Energy
Submissions from 2016
Kathleen I. Casados, Physics (PHYS) 2016, Exploring the Physics of Diamonds and Their Applications
Natasha Alexis Flowers, Physics (PHYS) 2016, The Origins of the Cosmic Microwave Background
Berit Hansen Goodge, Physics (PHYS) 2016, Micro-scale Energy Generation
Brandon Michael Hagans, Physics (PHYS) 2016, Spacecraft Propulsion
Adam John Lacroix, Physics (PHYS) 2016, An Analysis of Space Elevator Physics
Nathaniel Allen Strauss, Physics (PHYS) 2016, The Thermodynamics of Black Holes: Energy and Quantum Mechanics in Spacetime
Hayden Phillip Tornabene, Physics (PHYS) 2016, Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry: Why is there something and not nothing?
Mason Fobes White, Physics (PHYS) 2016, The Physics of Self-Driving Cars
Jordan Michael Zoellmer, Physics (PHYS) 2016, The Global Position System: An Introduction to the Background and Physics
Submissions from 2015
Brian Isaac Charous, Physics (PHYS) 2015, The Physics and Design of Antennas
Ross James Jennings, Physics (PHYS) 2015, The Formation of Planets
Melody Paz Judilla, Physics (PHYS) 2015, Explosions in Space: Core-Collapse Supernovae
Stephen Erwin Kuenstner, Physics (PHYS) 2015, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Ben Emery Levy, Physics (PHYS) 2015, Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Lightning Strikes on Aircraft
Shail Maharshi Mehta, Physics (PHYS) 2015, An Analysis of the Physical Principles Underlying Limb Prosthetics and Associated Control Mechanisms
Andrew Davis Polasky, Physics (PHYS) 2015, The Physics of Weather Prediction
Carolyn Raithel, Physics (PHYS) 2015, The Astrophysics of Cosmic Rays
Tenzin Rigden, Physics (PHYS) 2015, Physics of Non-Volatile Digital Data Storage Technologies
Christopher Gorman Winter, Physics (PHYS) 2015, A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS: Particle Detectors at the Large Hadron Collider
Submissions from 2014
Scott Steven Dossa, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Interpretations of Gravity
Emily Jean Luebker Fairfax, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Flying Behind Enemy Lines: Stealth Aircraft Technology of the U.S. Military
Nicholas Henry Herringer, Physics (PHYS) 2014, The Physics of Photography
Duncan Krisa, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Physical Implementations of Digital Logic
Marty Jelin Schwarz, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Nature As Clockmaker
Anne Pender Sledd, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Ultraslow and Stopped Electromagnetic Waves: The Cheater's Guide to Going Faster Than Light
Yan Sun, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Nuclear Fusion
Jackson Tears, Physics (PHYS) 2014, The Colliding Universe
Laura Rose Wadleigh, Physics (PHYS) 2014, Information Theory in Physics
Submissions from 2013
Matthew Charles Adams, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Flipping Bits and Spinning Disks: The Physics of Computer Memory
Tom A. Callister, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Spacecraft Propulsion
Andrew Alan Chael, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Cosmology and the Cosmic Microwave Background
Julian Ray Childs-Walker, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Humpback Whales and Sharks: An Exploration of Biomimicry
Alexander Kyle Chin, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Organic Electronic Devices
Morgan Kay Dixon, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Antimatter
Peter Duggins, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Physics of Fusion Power
David Roger Miller, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Vision
Rachel Elizabeth Osofsky, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The First Three Minutes of the Universe
Charlotte Rose Pfeifer, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Spider Webs
Aurora C. Roth, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Ice Fishing for Neutrinos: The Physics of Neutrino Telescopes
Ryan William Skinner, Physics (PHYS) 2013, Imaging the Earth with Synthetic Aperture Radar
Derek James Turner, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Medical Imaging: X-ray and MRI
Andrea Vang, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Comets
Taylor Ann Want, Physics (PHYS) 2013, The Physics of Waste Management
Submissions from 2012
Dustin James Anderson, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Plasmas and the Sun
Colleen Marie Barr, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Soil Erosion
Ross William Cawthon, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Shape of the Universe
Benjamin Witte Cerjan, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Snow
Michael William Coughlin, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Earth Energy Dynamics
Louisa Eberle, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Physics of Butterflies
Valerie Kristen Fox, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Exploring Venus
Kiyota Christopher Gomi, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Physics of Baseball
Kevin M. Hallman, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Limit of Moore's Law: Transistor Scaling in the 21st Century
Traci Lin Johnson, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Type Ia Supernovae
Samuel Steven Keller, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Wireless Energy Transfer
Micah Reed Koller, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Fundamentals of Neutron Star Formation, Structure, and Composition
Minty Kunkel, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The History and Physics of the Point-Contact Transistor
Kyle Morgan Leichter, Physics (PHYS) 2012, Advanced Prosthetics
Min Yao Lim, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Physics of Food & Cooking: A Discourse on Three Courses
Emily Brook Petroff, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Physics of the Interstellar Medium
Sarah Catherine Cederberg Schlotter, Physics (PHYS) 2012, The Making of Wootz Steel and Damascus Blades
Submissions from 2011
Jacob Lee Anderson, Physics (PHYS) 2011, The Physics of Baseball
Ryan Joseph Babbush, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Quantum Molecular Dynamics
Narula Bilik, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Laser-Based 3D Printing Technology
Sophie Maya Bushwick, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Graphene
Elizabeth A. Cannon, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Plug-In Vehicles: The Future of Transportation
Bradley John Eckelmann, Physics (PHYS) 2011, The Problem of Radiation Exposure in Manned Space Missions
David Matthew French, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Accretion onto Supermassive Black Holes: Fuel for Quasars
Jennifer Marie Goetz, Physics (PHYS) 2011, The Ocean in Motion: Circulation, Mixing and Climate
Alex Hand Kinsey, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Flexible Electronics
Michael Phan Knudson, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Solar Cell Function and Efficiency Considerations
Nathan Kenneth Lysne, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Branching Out, On the relationship between physics and biology as investigated through trees
Claire Elizabeth Murray, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Planetary Nebulae: A Study of Morphology
Peter Andros Rose, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Electromagnetic Cloaking
Laurel Schmidt, Physics (PHYS) 2011, How many protons does it take to turn on a light bulb?
Brian Howard Schuster, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Lightsails: Traveling the Cosmic Ocean
Michael John Servis, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Brownian Motion in Astrophysics
Matthew S. Strongin, Physics (PHYS) 2011, The Prospects and Physical Constraints of Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage
Thomas Adam Sullivan, Physics (PHYS) 2011, The Physics of Spacecraft Propulsion
Shao Min Tan, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Falling Through Spacetime: A Study of Black Holes
Christopher Daniel Wilen, Physics (PHYS) 2011, Free Electron Lasers: Imaging the Ultra Small and Ultra Fast
Submissions from 2010
Cory Pate Barnes, Physics (PHYS) 2010, The Action Principle: An Exlporation into the Mathematical Framework of the Universe
Grace Allsman Elwell, Physics (PHYS) 2010, The Physics of Superheroes: How to Choose a Good Superpower
Ben P. Haynor, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Limits on the Computational Power of Nature
Samuel A. Kanner, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Current Issues Facing the Wave Energy Industry
Andrew Corby McClung, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Information, irreversibility, and the thermodynamics of computation
Anna Jolene Mork, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Molecular Electronics: Exploring the Limits of Small
Katherine Alexis Perry, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Superfluid Helium-3
Callie Jenna Sand, Physics (PHYS) 2010, The Evolution of a Megastructure: Skyscrapers and the American Way
Michael Jared Sanders, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Water Erosion of Topsoil: Fundamental Physical Concepts
Chelsea Phipps Scott, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Glacier dynamics: Using velocity and temperature profiles to understand climate fluctuations
Joseph Karl Swiggum, Physics (PHYS) 2010, Out of Silence: Sound Film Technology of the 1920s
Submissions from 2009
Elliot Bartis, Physics (PHYS) 2009, Physics and applications of pyroelectricity
Thomas Brenner, Physics (PHYS) 2009, The fundamentals of solar cells
Mikael Brucker, Physics (PHYS) 2009, Designing appropriate technology for the developing world
