Blog 10: Senior Project Update

Independent Component: I will be taking my final for Physics 132 on Thursday. In addition, I am starting to build a Cloud Chamber as extra credit. Professor Sean Carroll at Caltech gave me the idea.

Research: I read this article a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, the LHC has observed particles called B mesons decaying into two particles called muons. These are ordinary particles, nothing special, but this decay hasn't been observed before. If supersymmetric particles are supposed to exist, this decay should happen way, way more often (so far, for every billion times they see a B meson decay, they only see it happen this way three times.) Ah, woe for my supersymmetric heart! But fear not, Professor Clifford Cheung of Caltech says this is not the end and does not rule out supersymmetry. I shall not abandon my science project because of this news.
(One of the Professors quoted in the article said the discovery was "really putting our supersymmetry colleagues in a spin." Heh. It's funny because particles have spin...sparticles have 1/2 spin...that's what makes them sparticles...I'm going to stop now.)

Proof: Well, shoot. Here is a picture of me watching "How the Universe Works" for more research.

Good on you, David Spergel.


The Cosmic Microwave Background. This is part of radio and television static. When you hear static you are listening to something that is ~14 billion years old!

Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

Topic: Particle Physics

Driving Problem: The Minimal Supersymmetric Model describes 5 physical Higgs Bosons, the lightest being very nearly Standard-Model like and relatively easily located by particle accelerators. Such a particle has been discovered with a mass of 125 GeV. Unfortunately, this so severely constrains the mass spectrum of superparticles it is likely neutralino-only cold dark matter cannot exist.

"...However, the recent evidence from Atlas and CMS on a light Higgs scalar with mass m_h\simeq 125 GeV highly constrains the superparticle mass spectrum, which in turn constrains the neutralino annihilation mechanisms in the early universe. We find that stau and stop co-annihilation mechanisms -- already highly stressed by the latest Atlas/CMS results on SUSY searches -- are nearly eliminated if indeed the light Higgs scalar has mass m_h\simeq 125 GeV. Furthermore, neutralino annihilation via the A-resonance is essentially ruled out in mSUGRA so that it is exceedingly difficult to generate thermally-produced neutralino-only dark matter at the measured abundance."

-Baer, Howard: Vernon Berger and Azer Mustafayev. "Neutralino Dark Matter in mSUGRA/CMSSM with a 125 GeV Light Higgs Scalar." Cornell University Library, 17 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.4038

Hypothesis: A mixed-higgsino state is the best candidate to describe the Cold Dark Matter in the universe. 

This problem is extremely complex and very multilayered-first of all, I will be looking for the best Cold Dark Matter model using this 125 GeV Higgs (this is an actual finding from the Large Hadron Collider.) I am going by the Minimal Supersymmetric Model and the Minimal Supergravity Model, not the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Model (in which case the answers would be very different.) I will be using, obviously, data on the Higgs and the top quark from various particle accelerators to find the rough mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle and I will check my answers with various similar studies from other scientists. Then, once I have built my Cold Dark Matter model, I want to construct a hypothetical device to find the sparticles involved. I will research different existing experiments, compare the data they have on WIMP candidates, decide whether to make a direct/indirect detector etc. and go from there. My experiment will be almost purely mathematical. 

Category: Physics 

Blog 9: Working EQ and Possible Answers

(Well, it's late. Oh joy.)

My working EQ during the presentation was "What is the most important unsolved problem between quantum and relativistic physics?"

This is way, way, way too general. All the answers I've found could have essential questions of their own. Now, my topic is technically particle physics, so I'm narrowing down the scope of my EQ considerably, likely to just the Standard Model and just one problem. For instance, if I were to pick quantum gravity, I would have an EQ such as this-"What experiment could most likely uncover the graviton and how?" Or something. I don't know yet. I think it will likely be something about my science project.

So far, I've found quantum gravity, vacuum energy, and the lack of a GUT (Grand Unified Theory) or  a TOE (Theory of Everything) to be the best possible answers. So currently physics has no toes or guts. (Bad pun is bad.)

Blog 8: Rough Draft of Presentation 1

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ds0nboOl_7Ok4Vbcu4Z-L1lgDhaFVAf7Fdwjw-oNI6U/edit

Google docs formats things strangely...

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

Currently, I am taking Physics 132 at Cal Poly Pomona with Professor Jamshid Armamd, as well as the corresponding activity class, 299A, with Linda Shareghi. This is what I plan on using for my 1st independent component. The 132 class meets every Tuesday/Thursday from 2:30 to 3:45, and the activity class meets every Friday from 1:00 to 2:50, to this will more than satisfy the 30-hour work requirement. 

Since this is a foundational physics class, this will help me make sure I am completely comfortable with the basic physical laws so I can tackle the more complex problems in my working EQ, what is the most important unsolved physics problem? For example, we recently covered basic laws of gravity and orbits in class-one of the possible answers to my EQ is a theory of quantum gravity. I can now use my foundational knowledge of these basic laws of gravity and work them into relativity and try and visualize a way in which they could work at the subatomic level. 

I'm not saying this class will make me discover the answer to life, the universe, and everything (which is 42, of course,) but it will certainly help give me a solid foundation to move ahead in the world of physics. 

Blog 6: Second Interview

I will be asking questions along these lines-

How did you find your "niche" in theoretical physics?
Why did you choose to be a theorist instead of an experimentalist?
How does the theory department at Caltech work? Are you split up by discipline-do you only work with the particle physicists? Do you only take on grads and postdocs?
What is your favorite project you are working on right now? Any ones from the past you are particularly proud of?
What sorts of projects have you worked on with the rest of the Caltech theory department?
Does all your work or the work of the department have to be taken to Switzerland* to be tested? If so, do you find it frustrating that the United States has not developed a similar project?
How is working at Caltech different than working at another research institution?

*Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. Currently there is nothing comparable-the United States shut down its particle accelerator, Tevatron, last year due to budget cuts. I fear that science in America is on a very steep decline.

Blog 5a: Science Fair Problem Statement

Project Topic: Theoretical particle physics (simply an excuse to say the word "quark" as much as possible.)

Problem 1: Are supersymmetric (SUSY) particles solid candidates for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles?) WIMPs are important to us because they may help us understand what dark matter is. SUSY particles are also very important, as they pose possible solutions to imbalances in the Standard Model, such as the hierarchy problem.
Problem 2: If so, what would be the most effective way to find them? Many physicists dismiss the idea of supersymmetry because they have not been found in the Large Hadron Collider yet. However, I do not believe the Large Hadron Collider is equipped to find such particles, as SUSY particles should not interact in the way normal Standard Model particles do (i.e., a squark, or supersymmetric quark, should not behave the same way a normal quark does. It has its own spin, its own mass, etc.) and we already know the LHC is not equipped to find WIMPs (other experiments are attempting it, but the data they have produced thus far is conflicting.)

(Confession-supersymmetry is an excuse to say the word "squark" as much as possible.)

Blog 4: Project Reflection and Working EQ

1: Two great things have happened thus far: the first is that I have established contacts and mentorship opportunities at one of the best research schools in the world-Caltech. The second is that I will soon have the opportunity to talk to a string theorist, which I am very excited for.

2: The Cosmic Landscape by the illustrious Leonard Susskind has been tremendously helpful-Susskind goes over a variety of interrelated topics and also relates physics concepts to fields outside the realm. The book is very clear and uses a lot of examples for very complex topics, which will be helpful when I give my two hour.

3. So far, what has worked the best for me is using primarily print resources for my research. Books work the best as it is very easy to find the content one is looking for, and they are much, much more detailed than most Web articles, which are typically too simplified to be helpful in is topic. I will be looking into science journals to help me along as well.

4. What hasn't worked is the note taking and the Working Bibliography. I am finding the WB to be very confusing due to the way I have gone about conducting my research. In addition, as I am not generally a note-taker, I can't seem to find a note-taking style that fits the requirements and will actually be helpful for me. So far, I am finding the notes to be a distraction and a waste of time.

5. The first question is a possible EQ question-what is the most important unsolved physics problem? Pursuing that will help me narrow down the field and get to a good place at the end of the year. I hope this project will lead to my writing (and perhaps publishing) my first paper. It's doable-Albert Einstein was also 17 when he published his first paper. Not that I'm comparing myself to Einstein. I can actually comb my hair. Well, I am really looking forward to talking to Professor Vatche Saharkian (the string theorist) from Harvey Mudd. Also there is a Nobel Prize winner (David Politzer) at the theory department at Caltech. I will try to sneak my way into a conversation with him when the school year starts.

Blog 3: Interview Preparation

I plan on interviewing Professor Mark Wise, or, if he is still out of town (a.k.a. tunneling through spacetime,) one of his colleagues from Caltech. I first contacted Professor Wise after reading the Caltech faculty page because I found his focus to be similar to my interests. Also, Caltech is where I will be doing at least part of my service learning.

I'll probably ask the following questions-

Physics is a pretty broad topic. How did you find your niche within the field?
What would you recommend for an aspiring physics major?
What do you believe is the single most important discovery in physics to date and why?
What do you believe is the most important unsolved problem in physics and why?
What did you think about the Higgs Boson announcement this summer?

Blog 2: Topic Choice

The late, great discoverer of quantum theory Max Planck once told a renowned physics professor that he wished to pursue the subject to "understand." Is this not true of all of us? We all desire understanding. It is, in part, what makes us human. It has allowed us to improve ourselves as we further our knowledge. I, like all people, am interested in understanding. I am also driven to contibute my own knowledge to that pool. This is why I have such an interest in theoretical physics and is why I have chosen it as my senior project.

People have often seemed to have a problem with my interest in and knowledge of the hard sciences. I attribute this to the fact that there are precious few women in physics, and that being an intelligent woman is often not considered (by girls and boys) to be an attractive quality. With my senior project, I plan on improving as an iPoly "citizen" by improving the iPoly community and the attitude toward science (especially amongst girls) as a whole. I would like that to be my footprint, since right now I'm just the girl who argues with the teachers.

Unfortunately, physics is often extremely difficult for laypeople to understand, and very difficult for physicists to explain it in a way that is not intimidating and does not involve a lot of seemingly arbitrary math. I think I intimidate people sometimes because I use big words and talk about a lot of broad subjects. I used to think it was funny that people were intimidated by me, but now I don't think it's so funny. With my senior project I aim to learn a way to truly help people understand. We need more laypeople who are scientifically literate (especially if they choose to go into politics or law) and I believe I could then apply the technique to helping people learn about a variety of topics I consider important.

I need to learn too though. Science is an excellent vehicle to bulk up confidence in variety of subjects, especially math, which I am not too confident in because I never had a really good teacher. My project is something I am interested but I feel will also allow me to gain more confidence in my math abilities going into college.

Finally, while my interest is in theoretical physics, not experimental physics (people are almost always exclusively one or the other) I do plan on using this as a vehicle to help me understand the technological side of physics, such as in early-Universe computer simulations or large particle detectors. I think with a respectable knowledge in experimental physics I will become a much better theorist and a more practical one.

Summer Mentorship Component

Literal (Know)Judge Daniel Lopez, West Covina Criminal Court
Phone: (626) 813-3216
Hours: 4

My duties at the courthouse were merely to observe court proceedings. In between hearings, the Judge and I would discuss current issues in the field of criminal law and he would walk me through the life of a criminal court justice.

(Interpretive) 
After some thought, I decided definitively that if I were to pursue law, I would pursue civil law. After witnessing a real criminal court in action, I understood that such a focus is not for me. This was truly the most important thing I got out of the experience. It helped me to see and understand my career desires and goals in a way that was not so abstract. It also made me legitimately question whether law was right for my Senior Project or for my life after school at all. I love the law-I know a lot about it, I admire it, I think I would be a good defender of it. But I also realized I wanted to step out of my comfort zone a little bit.

Literal (Need to know)
My experience raised the following questions-
1. Would I truly be a good criminal lawyer with my temperament? That is a very serious job.
2. Am I just choosing this topic because I know a lot about it?
3. Am I just choosing this topic because it'll easier than Bill Clinton for me to get service learning?
4. Am I just taking the easy way out? What kind of a person am I??

(Applied)
In the end, I decided that my senior year was not going to be about me taking the easy way out. So I did a complete, total shift in topics-I decided to pursue physics. One cannot simply get tired of physics, I decided.

Literal (Part II)
Unfortunately, one cannot simply get service learning in the summer in the field. I spent nearly all summer trying to contact professors-I live just minutes away from Caltech, so I tried the head of the physics department, Professor Kenneth Libbrecht. Nothing. I tried another professor, Marc Kamionkowski from the Astrophysics department. Nothing. It would appear they do not check their email during summer break.

I also live quite close to JPL, and know several people who work there. Unfortunately, they are mostly engineers and not quite in my field of interest. Several said they would contact me if they found a suitable person, but have yet been unable to do so, as I caught them in a busy summer.

I tried the head of the physics department at Cal Poly, Professor Steven McCauley. He did respond after a few days, confirming my fears-no one is around during the summer. By then, I had just returned from a trip and it was really too late. He gave me the names of two professors he recommends, Professor Alexander Rudolph and Professor George Rainey. I contact them both, but since it took Professor McCauley five days to respond I do not expect them to respond for a bit. This is all quite tragically frustrating for me, you must understand.

Applied (Part II)
I plan on strolling up to the Cal Poly physics department the first day of school (after I try calling the professors) and seeing if anyone is there to give me an audience. In my experience as a Young Scholar the professors at Cal Poly have always been nice to me. I will likely do my mentorship hours up there, as the program is quite extensive and respected. If for some reason that doesn't work out, I will be marching over to Caltech and hoping for an audience there (after I call of course. I did try calling in the summer but they have all disappeared, off into the hidden dimensions of space for the summer.)

Interpretive (Part II)
I think you ask for service learning because often the abstract picture in your mind is not the way it is in real life. Seeing something in action can radically change your perspective, and suddenly what you thought you wanted isn't anymore (as evidenced by my courtroom experience.) This is important, because I truly believe your Senior Project should be about something you know you won't get bored of or burn out halfway through. I saw this happen quite a bit with my senior cohorts last year. I am determined that this be a year I can be proud of (much like the planned "summer of George" on that one Seinfeld episode, only I will actually follow through.)

I hope you will understand why I could not complete my service learning this summer. I will gladly add the 6 unfinished hours to the 50 and pray I won't be judged too harshly. No body would give Einstein a job at first either. Only they weren't on summer break tunneling through space-time, they were just anti-Semetic. So I suppose I don't have it all that bad.