Fusor Team Wins CPS Plasma Excellence Award at Intel ISEF

PPlalassmama PPageage Published by the Coalition for Plasma Science, Vol.16., No.1, July 2013

Fusor Team wins CPS Plasma Excellence Award at Intel ISEF Phoenix, AZ – “It’s not getting any eas- tion to see if it is ier,” CPS Chair Lee Berry acknowledges spherically symmet- with a smile. Berry, who has helped to ric with reference to select and present the CPS Award for the central focus, as Excellence in Plasma Physics at the Intel expected. International Science and Engineering Fair Mounting neu- since 2005, noted that there are now more tron-sensitive plastic eligible projects with increased plasma- slides and bubble related content, and that the quality of the detectors around the work continues to set new standards. This fusor, the team dis- year three students from Washington state covered that neu- won the admiration of the CPS judges, tron flux was higher earning the Plasma Excellence prize of at the front and rear $1500 for their research on a table-top of the device, lower fusion device. on the sides and Winners Jake Hecla (Aviation High top. These findings School, Des Moines), Raymond Maung would suggest that (Kentwood Senior High School, Coving- some neutrons may ton) and Rian Chandra (Capital High be produced outside Raymond Maung (left), Jake Hecla and Rian Chandra impressed the CPS School, Olympia) all belong to the North- the central plasma, judges with their project, Anisotropic Emission of Neutrons from a west Nuclear Consortium, a small group challenging current Farnsworth IEC Fusion Reactor. Photo/Lee Berry of students with a passion for nuclear assumptions about physics. Hosted by Microsoft IT Program the way fusors work. Although the team across features of the cars, placed them in Manager Carl Greninger, the group built a has only begun this investigation, they a small wind tunnel, then measured the Farnsworth type inertial electrostatic plan future experiments to test new force of drag with the discharge turned on fusion reactor, or “fusor,” in his garage in hypotheses. Besides receiving the CPS award, and off. He hypothesized that a high-volt- 2011. Hecla, Maung and Chandra decided this team also received the Intel Physics age DC field would provoke a significant to examine the reactor’s neutron produc- and Astronomy 2nd Award of $1500. electromotive force on the air particles Lee Berry and between the electrodes, reducing the fellow judge Seth observed drag. He concluded that the coro- Dorfman, a Post- nal discharge had a significant effect on the Doc at UCLA, drag coefficient of an object, and that it selected fifteen can- could be used to modify the path of air didates for the CPS over an object, consequently reducing drag. award. One favorite A third project, presented by Aric Floyd project, from of Hawken Upper School (Gates Mills, Matthew Ho of OH) used microplasmas, a unique class of High Technology atmospheric-pressure plasmas, to process High School in Lin- nanomaterials. It is the first project to syn- croft, NJ, explored thesize iron oxide nanoparticles using such the effect of coronal a medium. The judges were impressed discharge on the with his hard work and originality. Intel force of drag against was also impressed, awarding him a pinewood derby Chemistry 4th Award of $500. cars. Ho placed The other candidates, listed below, Matthew Ho experimenteted with Pinewood Derby cars for his project varying high voltage attest to the range and creativity of this Analysis of Drag Reduction from Air Ionizatino due to the Corona Discharge DC electric fields year’s plasma projects. Effect. Photo/Lee Berry

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Eric Floyd’s project, Synthesis Problem Solving Chaos: Dominic Yurk, of Size- and Phase-Con- Robert L. Paschal High School, Fort trolled Iron Oxide Nanopar- Worth, TX. ticles via Continuous, Atmos- AAPT and APS certificate of honorable pheric Pressure Microplama, mention. demonstrated a unique way to synthesize iron oxide particles. Effects of an Outer Grid on Inertial Elec- Photo/Lee Berry trostatic Confinement Fusion: Jonathan Morrell, Fremont High School, Plain City, UT.

Solar Tsunami: A Study of the Correla- tion Between Coronal Mass Ejections and Extreme Ultraviolet Waves: Kayla Ishida, Waimea High School, Waimea, HI.

Sunspots: Solar Flare Prediction through Predicting Earthquakes by Monitoring Creating PEAS: Portable Elemental Utilization of the Maunder Butterfly Pat- the Electron Content of the Ionosphere: Analysis System – Developing and Imple- tern: Kelly Schmidt, Elko High School, Nicolas Marone, Aviv Rabinovich, Ort menting a Novel Cold Cathode Source: Elko, NV. Henri Ronson, Ashqeion, Israel. Jennifer Csele, Notre Dame College American Geosciences Institute 3rd School, Welland, Ontario, Canada. Experimental Study of the Shape of Plas- Award ($250); China Association for Sci- European Organization for Nuclear ma Discharge in the Air: Michal Dorko, ence and Technology (CAST) Award Research - CERN – (All-expense paid Sasa Havrillova, Gymnazium svateho ($3000); Sigma Xi, The Scientific trip to see CERN); Google Thinking Big Tomasa Akvinskeho, Kosice, Slovakia Research Society, Honorable Mention. Award; West Virginia University Renew- able Tuition Scholarship Award. Silicon Coating Deposition in Magnetron Stoichiometric Laser-Induced Breakdown Discharge on Various Surfaces: Ilya Spectroscopy (LIBS) Analysis for Simple Ablation Resistance and Performance of Evseev, Sergei Kurochkin, State Educa- and Cost Effective Production of Optical Metals in Magnetoplasmadynamic Appli- tional Budge Institution Lyceum 1511 at Quality Ceramic Yttrium Aluminum Gar- cations: Michael Sherburne, Andres Artze, National Research Nuclear University. net (YAG): Matthew Chun, Jericho High James W. Robinson Junior Secondary School, Jericho, NY. School, Fairfax, VA. Intel Engineering Materials and Bioengi- Alcoa Foundation “Using Metals” 3rd neering 4th Award ($500). Award ($1000)

Farnsworth Fusor: Michal Racko, Jozef Apparatus and Analysis Techniques for Lettrich Secondary Grammar School, Miniature Pulsed Plasma Sources: Adam Martin, Slovakia. Bowman, Montgomery Bell Academy, Intel Physics and Astronomy 3rd Award Nashville, TN. Each year more than 1,500 high school students ($1000); United Technologies Corpora- Intel Engineering Electrical-Mechanical from about 70 countries, regions, and territories tion Award ($3000 in shares of UTC Award ($500); National Aeronautic and display their independent research at the Intel common stock). Space Administration 3rd Award ($1000). ISEF. Photo/Lee Berry