Physics & Astronomy Summer Internship Program

Introduction

Research internships are an extremely important factor in successful graduate school applications in the sciences, and as such are the first step toward a successful career. However, research internships in physics and astronomy are primarily limited to the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs hosted by large public universities and funded by the National Science Foundation, and such internships have become extremely competitive in recent years. Very few small colleges have both the facilities and funding to provide these career-advancing research internships for their students. Faculty at small colleges have similarly limited opportunities to secure funding for their research, making it more difficult for them to remain current in their fields. Without such continuing scholarly activity, it becomes difficult for faculty to offer engaging research experiences for their students, and this furthermore impacts their professional satisfaction in remaining at an undergraduate-focused institution.

To achieve and maintain our goal to become the premier Catholic liberal arts college in the US, Benedictine College must, for the sake of our students, provide competitive research opportunities and retain outstanding faculty. Recent investments in our equipment and facilities, such as the construction of Daglen Observatory, and the addition of new faculty with exciting research programs, now make it possible for us, with the generous support of our alumni and donors, to offer a summer research internship program that is competitive with the experience gained by students at larger institutions.

Summer 2020 Astronomy Internship

Through the generosity of Dr. Joe ’69 and Mrs. Frankee Daglen ’69, the Physics & Astronomy Department was able to offer an 8-week summer research internship in astronomy, with funding for one faculty member and two students. This allowed timely and engaging astronomical research to be conducted on campus at Daglen Observatory, an opportunity available at very few liberal arts colleges in the country. The program culminated with the student interns writing a draft scientific article to be submitted for peer-reviewed publication in the near future. The students speak highly of the experience they gained through this opportunity:

“I gained a more refined education on the skills I had formed years before. This internship has helped me understand what my strengths are and what I need to improve on regarding research and data acquisition. Although I have worked at the observatory before, it was never at the level that it was at this summer. I believe this internship will be very beneficial to students.”

“The summer internship provided me with a relatively consistent involvement to that of a professional within the occupational area of an astronomer. I obtained a significant amount of knowledge, given the amount of time, over a diverse range of topics from conceptual astronomy to more refined writing techniques to use in a scientific paper. This entire experience helps to expand my resume as well as provide vital practice within a specific field whilst remaining remarkably engaging.”

Program Objectives

1. The students will gain an advanced understanding of the principles of experimental physics, computational physics, and/or observational astronomy. They will achieve mastery in conducting taking experimental data, with the goal of being able to work unsupervised.
2. The students will become proficient in processing and analyzing research data.
3. The students will become proficient in reading scientific journal articles at a level appropriate for advanced undergraduates. They will be able to demonstrate understanding of the articles through summary, and be able to conduct a literature search.
4. The students will gain experience in scientific writing. They will write a research article, and will submit it to a peer-reviewed journal.
5. The students will compose a conference poster or talk, and gain experience in giving scientific presentations at a regional or national conference.

Proposed Research Projects

Dr. Ryan Maderak

RV Tauri stars are radially pulsating, late spectral type variables that are interpreted as representing the brief post-Asymptotic Giant Branch / pre-Planetary Nebula phase of low mass stars. Their pulsational periods range from 30 to 150 days, and their defining characteristic is a double-peaked light curve, with alternating deep and shallow minima. Despite decades of research (including by Benedictine Professor Emeritus Dr. Scott Baird), the exact cause of the alternating minima is not yet fully understood. Possibilities include having resonances between different pulsational modes, with multiple atmospheric layers in motion, or pulsational variation combined with periodic obscuration by a surrounding dust disk. A better understanding of these stars could give us insight into the late stages of stellar evolution.

Due to the long periods of RV Tauri stars, very few spectroscopic surveys thoroughly covering a full pulsation cycle exist, making this an area ripe for investigation. To better understand these stars, we will conduct a spectroscopic monitoring program, in order to examine the pulsational behavior of the atmospheres of these stars, and to examine the effects of any circumstellar material. This will be complemented by simultaneous photometric data, used to examine the light curve and to examine any shifts in the overall spectral energy distribution that occur due to pulsation and circumstellar material.

Dr. Max Sayler

This summer the physics and engineering department are collaborating to get an intense short-pulse laser system (on the order of 10 Watts and 100 fs) up and running. This will provide students the opportunity to learn and apply their optical knowledge. Further, this apparatus, when running, will allow for interesting studies over a broad range of topics, including probing molecular dynamics and optical properties of various crystals. We will also be exploring these processes using theoretical and numerical approaches.

Additionally, (COVID-19 dependent) there will be a measurement campaign at the JRM Laboratory at Kansas State University. This campaign will focus on the measurement of laser-induced fragmentation of simple molecules and consist of three parts. First, we will discuss the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to contribute to the measurements. Second, we will participate in a measurement at KSU for approximately 1 week. Third, we will analyze the collected data and prepare the details for publication. This will give participates the opportunity to experience and contribute to research in a large laboratory setting.

Dr. Georgiy Shcherbatyuk

The proposed research involves the development of Luminescent Solar Concetrators (LSCs) – devices used for concentrating solar energy. They consist of a transparent (glass or polymer) matrix doped with luminescent species (LS) that absorb solar radiation and then re-emit it at longer wavelengths. Majority of the emitted light is trapped inside the matrix by total internal reflection until it reaches the edge of the matrix where it can be collected using a photovoltaic (PV) cell (figure 1). Originally proposed in the late 1970s, these devices saw limited development due to fast photo-degradation of luminescent dyes used as luminescent species. In the last 35 years the development of stable dyes, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and perovskite materials have revived interest in these devices. While LSCs are unlikely to replace conventional PV cells for energy harvesting, they can be used in areas where partial light transmission is desired – such as windows or tinted blinds. The simplicity of physics behind LSCs make it an excellent topic for introduction to hands-on research as well as education and outreach. The development of LSCs is an interdisciplinary task involving synthesis of luminescent species and their integration in a polymer matrix, characterization of optical and electronic properties of LSs and how they change from synthesis to the final device, creation of computer simulations to optimize the LSC geometry and long term stability studies of the final device.

Dr. Christopher Shingledecker

Many of the most spectacular images taken using the Hubble Space Telescope have been of a type of interstellar region known as a molecular cloud. These regions are interesting, in part, because they are the “nurseries” where stars and planets are born. Molecular astrophysics (astrochemistry) is the study of the molecules that comprise these regions. These molecules are interesting, in part, because they represent the best way to understand what these clouds are like when we observe them, what happened to them eons ago, and what the might look like eons into the future.

The Shingledecker group is focused on answering the questions (1) “Which molecules comprise interstellar nebulae?”, (2) “How did they form?”, and (3) “What do they tell us about the past, present, and future of the cosmic cloud?” To address these questions, students will work with a team of scientists at Harvard, MIT, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and the University of Virginia, who together comprise the members of the GOTHAM project. Students will have the opportunity to work with observational data taken using the Green Bank radio Telescope – the largest steerable structure on land – which helps us answer question (1). To answer questions, (2) and (3), students will use leading-edge computer models to simulate millions of years of cosmic evolution in a matter of minutes. Using these kinds of programs will also equip students with valuable experience in, e.g., programming and data visualization.

Funding Opportunities

The program will run for 8 weeks, from approximately the first week of June through the last week of July. Students will also be expected to present their research at a regional or national conference. Each faculty member funded will have two students, allowing for a collaborative relationship between students, which is the key to encouraging the students to develop mastery and confidence, and furthermore is critical to ensuring that the goals of each project can be achieved within the 8 – 10 week program. To make this internship competitive with REU programs, we propose the following funding for faculty and students:

• Faculty Stipend: $8000
• Student Stipend: $4000 x 2 students = $8000
• Total per project: $16000

In order to ensure both the immediate and long term impact of this program, which is key to the future success and competitiveness of the Physics & Astronomy Department, we are seeking funding for both the upfront costs of the first few summers of the program and for an endowment to fund the program long term.

Student Application Process

Students will submit a resume summarizing their qualifications and relevant experience, and an essay discussing their educational and career plans and how the internship will advance them toward their goals. Students should indicate the project they would prefer to work on and explain how that particular project will advance their educational and career goals. Students will also request two letters of recommendation from outside of the Physics & Astronomy department. The deadline for submission will be the Friday before Spring Break by 5:00pm. In addition to the aforementioned application materials, students will also be evaluated based on grades and seniority.

Program Evaluation

Faculty will prepare a formal review of the program for donors and administrators, based on their evaluation and on student responses to an exit survey. The review will determine which aspects of the program were successful, which should be improved, and will propose changes for the following year.

In addition, attendees at the conferences where the students present their work will be invited to evaluate student posters and presentations, to independently evaluate the proficiency of the students and the work done. These evaluators will be invited to submit a brief written evaluation.