Capstone Project

Over the course of the last two semesters, I've been working hard to complete an Honors Senior capstone project to graduate with University Honors. My goal: to create a design and a report for the construction of a rainwater harvesting structure out at ACU's Rhoden Farm. It will provide demonstrations to visitors of the Farm, showing what the Ag Department is doing here and abroad promoting rainwater harvesting, and provide an outlet for future students to do research the various components of such a system and how they affect efficiency. Now I'm finally done, the report is printed, bound, signed, and turned in. It was a big weight off my shoulders.

Here's some excerpts from my report:

Overview
In our lifetimes, we could very well see the use of water become the biggest concern in our management of resources, greater even than our country's dependence on oil. Water shortages nationally and internationally are affecting farmers' ability to produce crops, cities' distribution of needed water to residents, and even how individual families are able to cook, clean, and satisfy their thirst. One of the ways to combat a lack of water is to capture, store, and make use of rainwater.

I have worked with the Agricultural and Environmental Science Department over the past year to provide a design for the construction of a rainwater harvesting (RH) structure on the grounds of the ACU Rhoden Farm. The structure's purpose will be three-fold. First, to educate and train students and agricultural missionaries on the different components of a RH system and the variables that can affect its overall efficiency. Second, in order to provide a demonstration to the Farm's visitors of a RH system similar to what is being implemented by agricultural missions supported by ACU. Finally, to facilitate research as a way to improve upon the technology being implemented at different sites and increase knowledge of the feasibility of such systems in areas ranging from West Texas to Honduras.

This has been a great model of engineering work that I will be doing in the future. Many engineers are employed as designers and consultants on a project, providing knowledge and expertise. They create the plans for the construction of a building, bridge, or road based on physics and engineering principles, catering to the desired needs of the client or purpose of the intended project. Then either they or the company would hire contractors for the actual construction. My role in the implementation of this RH structure at the ACU Farm is to serve as designer and adviser. My plans and report will be taken and used by the Farm to construct the actual structure in the near future.

Christ-Centered Engineering
As a physics major and a future engineer, it excites me to be able to apply the knowledge I've gained while an undergraduate to a real life problem with an attainable solution. Our modern society often focuses too much on ``high'' technology, especially with recent advances in genetic engineering, exploration of the solar system, and computer technology. Yet this focus takes our attention away from providing for peoples' basic human needs, clean drinking water in particular. By being willing to apply both physical and intellectual effort to what might be hastily dismissed as ``low'' technology, ``the impact of even the provision of a simple household rainwater system [could] be dramatic.''

Rainwater harvesting has a rich history all over the world dating back thousands of years. Many different cultures have captured rainwater for a wide variety of purposes, many of which are still in existence today. Recently, it has become a more viable option for domestic use due to the rise of impervious roofing materials, lower cost of tank design, increased demand in rural areas, and the failure of traditional systems. RH is also seeing a revival as people learn about the inherent quality of rainwater and seek to reduce the waste of our current systems.

There is also an inherent Biblical aspect of rainwater harvesting. Designing and constructing efficient harvesting systems here in the United States and overseas will meet people's physical needs, show the love of Christ through our actions, and open the door to reaching people's spiritual needs as well. It is a great example of vocational mission work in action.

The Agricultural and Environmental Science Department has made a recent push for undergraduate research at ACU focused on increasing farm and ranch production, especially in third world countries. They have implemented some rainwater harvesting systems on existing buildings with the intent of using them to water livestock and raised bed gardens. My project is going to enable them to look more in depth at the variables inherent in a RH system and how they can be manipulated to maximize efficiency.

Finished Paper...?

PHYS 491, or Quantum Mechanics is an upper level course taken by all physics majors here at ACU (and even some crazy Math majors...). As per University requirements, each degree plan has to have a "writing intensive course" where the students have to write a 750-1000 word paper taking a persuasive or analytical stance on a currently debated issue in the subject. Unfortunately for us all currently debated issues in QM are so far over our heads at this point that to express any of the ideas in a non-technical paper would be impossible. So we're cheating a little bit and just finding some topic in QM that would be interesting to write about. My topic is Quantum Computers.

For a brief foray into the realm of Quantum Mechanics, let's consider an example. Let's say that my paper can be in one of two states, completed or not started. Classically speaking (as opposed to Quantum-ly) the paper must exist in one state or the other. However, in QM it exists in both states at the same time. There is a certain probability that it is completed and a certain probability that it is unfinished represented by some probability distribution function. It's not until you "probe" the particle (in this case, my paper) that the wave function "collapses" into a certain state.

So as I sit here in total procrastination mode, I find myself justifying the avoidance of my paper based on the fact that it is already finished. Never mind the probability of that particular state being the one that I will find when I actually go and open the document happens to be extremely low...

Laser Research

ACU's Undergraduate Research Festival has been in full swing with poster sessions presented by various students from departments all over campus. It will conclude with more student presentations, a banquet, and a key-note speaker Monday. I feel very fortunate to be studying at an institution that strongly supports research at the undergraduate level, its not exactly something that happens at every university. The physics department itself has done a great deal paving the way for the rest of the student body. We've always had an incredibly strong representation at area and regional conferences, doing work in particle physics at national labs that is usually reserved for doctoral candidates.

I never took advantage of the opportunity to do summer research while here at ACU, mostly because I felt like I had a better offer working for the Engineering Department of the Flathead National Forest back home in Kalispell. Thankfully my friend Nathan and I were able to do some work outside of class in the Optics laboratory as part of a Honors Contract. The picture above is us presenting our poster last Wednesday.

Nathan and I, along with 4 others, were in an Optics course together which had a lab component to it. For our final projects in the lab, we had the opportunity to construct tunable, infrared diode lasers over the course of the last 6 weeks of the spring semester 2009. After much toil none of the three groups finished their respective lasers. However, Nathan and I really wanted to finish two lasers for the department so as to facilitate the assembly of a magneto-optical trap (MOT).

You are probably wondering, "What's a tunable, infrared diody-thingy and how does it make a trap?" We purchased diode lasers, which are a little smaller than the size of a pencil eraser, from a manufacturer and built an apparatus to hold it and make it easier to use. The diode uses semiconducting technology to produce light when a current is put across the leads, emitting them from a small aperture. The light coming from this little hole has a big divergence (meaning it spreads out really fast) and a range of frequencies of light, all in the infrared (meaning they're "too red" to see with the naked eye). Our apparatus solves the former by putting a lens to focus the light down to a usable beam and the latter by using a reflection grating to set up some optical feedback thus locking in a desired frequency. Now, I appreciate you've suffered through my "geek speak" here long enough so I won't go into greater detail here. Just think about us having the ability to control the output frequency of light with some external controls.

Our goal was to complete the two lasers and be able to use them in a MOT, another larger assembly of optical components used to trap and "cool" atoms. Some experiments with MOTs have been able to cool atoms very near absolute zero where all atomic motion stops. When it's this cold, "temperature" is essentially the internal vibrational energy of the atom. Although we were unable to finish the lasers and see the MOT constructed ourselves, we laid some important groundwork for students to follow behind us. As I mentioned earlier, many ACU students are able to pursue research at big national labs, but having some optical research capabilities on campus is exciting.

Putting the Nose to the Grindstone

You've all heard the saying "Necessity is the mother of all invention"? Well it seems like my mantra these days goes more like "Deadlines are the begetter of all productivity." I have come to find out that I dabble in procrastination more than I'd like to admit and log term projects are the bane of my existence. I always have these grand aspirations of starting a project like a term paper way in advance and followed by dreams of finishing it a week before the due date. Unfortunately, I have yet to actually do this, more often than not staying up super late the night before the deadline.

During the past couple of weeks, this semester's long-term obligations have started to catch up with me and I'm having to juggle the daily grind of studying for tests and finishing homework with working on these other major projects. Oh well, I'll just have to suck it up and get down to business. The next couple of weeks leading up to the end of the semester (and the end of my undergraduate experience) will look something like this:

Bodies (and Stomachs) in Motion

I just got back from an all expenses paid trip with the Honors College to the "Bodies in Motion" (check out their website, there is a lot of information available) exhibit in Dallas. I had some clue what I was getting myself into, but was almost overwhelmed by the actual exposition. The exhibit shows human bodies preserved so they don't decay as an educational tool for the public. As you walk through the location, the displays take you through the various systems of the body: skeletal, muscular, respiratory, etc. It's like walking into a human anatomy textbook! For a geek like me, I saw the opportunity as a treasure chest of knowledge just waiting to be dug through. My plan was to read every display and listen to each station on the audio tour, but there was so much to absorb that by the end I was grateful there were the actual body parts there to look at, I couldn't read any more.

I have heard of some controversy regarding the exhibit itself. Some of you reading this blog might have a negative view toward displaying the deceases humans in this way. My view point of the idea is positive for two reasons:

1. First, medical doctors and students look at similar cadavers to gain knowledge and training for their work. I see this as an opportunity for the general public to have access to an exciting learning tool. I can read about the body in a book and see pictures galore, but to see what's actually inside of your own body is indescribable. For instance, I would be looking at a display of the muscles in the shoulder and involuntarily find myself moving my arm around and flexing my own shoulder to try and "feel" what I was seeing. It also seemed as if everyone viewing the exhibit had some connection to the displays: one lady had broken her shoulder and could see what she was rehabbing (Mom, you could have appreciated that one...)
2. Secondly, I found it inspiring to be looking at the human body, the pinnacle of God's creation, in a totally new way. Everything was completely exposed in all its glory. The subtle intricacies of the individual systems were highlighted and I felt like I can appreciate human life better.
   

After the exhibit, we were treated to possibly the best mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at. The restaurant is called La Familia and is native to the DFW area for over a decade. The atmosphere is amazing and lucked out and beat the early dinner rush, being the only group in the restaurant for a good portion of our meal! As you walk in you are professionally greeted with a handshake and a "Welcome!" The walls are all covered in old family photographs of the owner, Al Cavazos. They claim to prepare all their food fresh daily and I'd believe it: their salsa especially was out of this world, just make sure to hold off enough until your actual meal arrives. The main entrees were light and savory, not bogged down with a lot of cheese and grease that you often experience at similar establishments. Besides the food, the service was extremely friendly and personable, not to mention prompt. We even had a conversation with Al himself and he told us stories of some of the pictures on the walls and shared the history of the restaurant. To sum up, if you are ever traveling through Ft. Worth with a hankering for some grub, this is the place to go.