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CASPER Newsletterwinter2003 Astrophysics & Space Science Theory Group Astrophysics & Space Science Theory Group Early Universe Cosmology & Strings Group Early Universe Cosmology & Strings Group Hypervelocity Impacts & Dusty Plasmas Lab Hypervelocity Impacts & Dusty Plasmas Lab Space Science Lab Space Science Lab CASPER Adds Anzhong Wang, Meihong Sun, and Tibra Ali CASPER Promotional Video and Brochure Three new scholars join the CASPER faculty, bringing with represents an outgrowth of his thesis entitled “M-theory on seven them such diverse research interests as critical phenomena, black holes, manifolds with fluxes.” The first of Dr. Ali’s two current research projects string theory, turbulent boundary layers, and Contour Dynamics. is in collaboration with Dr. Gerald Cleaver. Dr. Ali and Dr. Cleaver are The long-awaited CASPER video is now available in several formats for Newest to Baylor is Anzhong Wang who holds his doctorate from the attempting to find an M-theoretic formulation of the heterotic free informational and recruiting purposes. CASPER contracted with KWBU University of Ioannina in Greece. His extensive teaching and research fermionic string theory that Dr. Cleaver and his collaborators have to produce the digital promotional video with footage from all areas of experience includes appointments in Brazil, Greece and China. He is been working on for a number of years. currently working on three different research topics. Dr. Wang’s first Additionally, Dr. Ali is working on M-theory as it relates to the CASPER endeavor. The video was distributed to every high school area of interest concerns critical phenomena, the phenomena exhibited the seven manifolds of G2 holonomy. In recent years String/M-theorists within a six country area and highlights CASPER research, REU, RET, near the threshold of black hole formation during gravitational collapse. have realized that by compactifying eleven-dimensional M-theory on and High School scholars summer research programs as well as the im- Dr. Wang has been working in this area for several years, and this year seven dimensional manifolds (as long as the manifolds have G2 mensely popular CASPER Physics Circus. Short versions of the video (2003) has constructed analytical solutions that represent such a critical holonomy) one can get semi-realisitic physics in four dimensions. This specific to the different areas are available on our website. collapse. He is also investigating the problem by focusing on is a relatively new field since it has been only recently that the existence observational consequences of critical collapse in astrophysics, of manifolds with G2- holonomy (called G2 spaces) has been proved. (www.baylor.edu/CASPER) employing data from several international gravitational-wave detectors. Finally, Dr. Meihong Sun joins the CASPER faculty from Another area of interest for Dr. Wang is in brane-world scenarios. the Engineering department, where she is an Assistant Professor. She Brane-world scenarios were first proposed in 1998/99 and are designed received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University and her M.S. from Physics Circus T-Shirts on Sale to solve several outstanding problems, such as, the hierarchy and the University of Iowa. Dr. Sun’s extensive research experience has cosmological constant problems. According to these scenarios, our four- included such areas as mixing and entrainment into a turbulent Please contact Amy Skaggs at 710-3763 to or- dimensional universe is actually a surface (3-brane) embedded in a boundary layer and the interaction of a columnar vortex with ambient higher dimensional spacetime (bulk). Dr. Wang is primarily interested axial flow. Her current research includes modeling of transport and der your CASPER Physics Circus t-shirt! Sizes: in gravitational collapse on 3-branes and perturbations of cosmological mixing processes in turbulent boundary layers; coupling between small S, M, L, XL, XXL, and XXXL models of branes. Finally, Dr. Wang is also researching black holes and and large scale structures in turbulent boundary layers; and scaling of their formation—a topic which has attracted a lot of attention recently entraiment in turbulent boundary layers. Dr. Sun is working with For more information, check out the Physics in gravity-gauge theories of TeV gravity. CASPER’s theory group to explore the modeling of plasma sheaths in Circus Website. In addition to Dr. Wang, the CASPER faculty has added a astrophysics and complex plasmas. Front Back postdoctoral research assistant, Dr. Tibra Ali. Dr. Ali recently finished CASPER is pleased to welcome its new members to the team. http://www3.baylor.edu/physicscircus/ his doctoral defense at Cambridge University. His current research INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics & Engineering Research P. O. Box 97310 Research Updates Baylor University Fall Seminars & Conferences Waco, Texas 76798-7310 Personnel Updates www.baylor.edu/CASPER Physics Circus Main Office Hypervelocity Impacts & Dusty Plasmas Lab, CASPER Summers 2003 and Space Science Lab CASPER Outreach (254) 710-3763 (voice) (254) 867-3167 (voice) Promo Video & T-Shirts for Sale (254) 710-7309 (254) 867-DUST (fax) Anzhong Wang Tibra Ali Meihong Sun 12 Volume V • No. 1 • Winter 2003 CCCASPASPASPERERER RRResearchesearchesearch UpdatesUpdatesUpdates CCCCASPASPASPASPERERERER OutreachOutreachOutreachOutreach Recent CASPER Recent CASPER Congressman Edwards’ Sons Visit Physics Circus Publications Proposals & Awards Garrison and John Thomas, young sons of Waco’s tiative on CASPER’s behalf a cost-up to GEAR “Parameter Space Investigations of Free Fermionic Heterotic Models,” G. Cleaver, Complex Plasma Diagnostics US Congressman, Chet Edwards, accompanied UP to provide additional funding for scholarships, published in the proceedings of the First International Conference on String Principal Investigator Proposal Investigation, Technical, Cost and their grandmother, Pat Wood, on a visit to the physics circus growth and a broadened GEAR UP Phenomenology, 2003 Management Plan Submitted in Response to a NSF Project Director CASPER Physics Circus. Congressman Edwards’ summer technology camp. Garrison and John Tho- “NAHE-Based String Models with SU(4)xSU(2)xU(1) SO(10) Subgroup,” G. Request (November, 2003) support of CASPER has been consistent mas enjoyed the Circus as well as a behind the Cleaver, A. Faraggi, and S. Nooij, submitted to Physical Review D, 2003. Summer Undergraduate Research Experience “Coagulation in Dust Clouds Immersed in Transient Plasma Environments,” L. Principal Investigator Proposal Investigation, Technical, Cost and throughout its short history, with his latest ini scenes tour of the Physics Circus Science Theatre. Barge, L. Matthews, and T.W. Hyde, submitted for publication in Advances in Management Plan Submitted in Response to a NSF REU Program Space Research, 2003. Announcement (September, 2003) “Effects of the Charge-Dipole Interaction on the Coagulation of Fractal Aggregates,” CASPER STC Proposal Lorin Matthews and T.W. Hyde, accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Principal Preproposal Investigation, Technical, Cost and Management Plasma Science, 2003. Plan Submitted in Response to a NSF Science & Technology Center “The Dispersion Properties of the Out of Plane Transverse Wave in the 2D Coulomb Program Announcement (June, 2003) Crystal,” Ke Qiao and Truell W. Hyde, Physical Review E, Vol. 68, No. 4, pp. Laser Interface for Colloidal Plasmsas 046403, 2003. Proposal submitted to Texas Space Grant Consortium in response to the “Charged Grains in Saturn’s F-Ring: Interactions with Saturn’s Magnetic Field,” 2003/04 Undergraduate Student Researchers Program for Ms. Katy Polk L.S. Matthews and T.W. Hyde, accepted for publication in Advances in Space (February, 2003) • FUNDED • Research, Vol. 68, No. 4, pp. 046403, 2003. String / M-Theory “Digital Imaging and Analysis of Dusty Plasmas,” C.M. Boesse, M. K. Henry, T.W. Proposal submitted to Texas Space Grant Consortium in response to Hyde, and L.S. Matthews, accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research, the 2003/04 Graduate Student Researchers Program for Mr. Ben 2003. Dundee (February, 2003) • FUNDED • “Finite Coulomb Crystal Formation,” J. Vasut, T.W. Hyde, and L. Barge, accepted Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) for publication in Advances in Space Research, 2003. Agent Water Contamination Removal Technologies “Dust Grain Orbital Behavior Around Ceres,” R.C. Nazzario, T.W. Hyde, and L. (Baylor Project Director for Collaboration with Advanced Concepts and Barge, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 31, No. 12, pp. 2591-2597, 2003. Technologies International, LLC)) Congressional Cost Up Issue (May, CASPER Senior Research Technician, Mike Cook John Thomas works the Foucalt pendulum while his “Dusty Plasma Correlation Function Experiment,” B. Smith, J. Vasut, T. Hyde, L. 2003) • FUNDED • explains gas pressure to Garrison and John Thomas grandmother and Jerry Reay (CASPER’s Director of Matthews, J. Reay, M. Cook, and J. Schmoke, accepted for publication in Ad- Gear-Up Waco Edwards. Lab Operations) look on. vances in Space Research, 2003. Congressional Cost Up Issue (May, 2003) • FUNDED • “Numerical Simulations and Analysis of Thermally Excited Waves in Plasma Crys- Quantum Optics Initiative tals,” K.Qiao and T.W. Hyde, accepted for publication in Advances in Space Principal Investigator Proposal Investigation, Technical, Cost and Man- Research, 2003. agement Plan Submitted in Response to a Request from the Office of “Gravitoelectrodynamics
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