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Please fill in this form by Feb 14th 2024
| Professor | Project Title | Project Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wijngaarden, William Van | Studies of How Clouds Affect Radiative Transfer through Earth’s Atmosphere | Supervisor: William Van Wijngaarden Lab Website: https://www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/faculty/william-van-wijngaarden/ Contact Info: wavw@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project title: Studies of How Clouds Affect Radiative Transfer through Earth’s Atmosphere Project Description: This study will look at how radiation is transferred from the Earth’s surface through a cloudy atmosphere to space. The effect of changing greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, has been calculated for the case of a clear sky. Work is underway to extend these calculations to consider scattering by clouds. Student Responsibilities: The student would be exposed to extensive programming using MATLAB and gain background in various numerical approximations Desired Background/Skills: A background in computer programming is essential. |
| Hall, Patrick | Studying outflows from near black holes | Supervisor: Patrick Hall Lab Website: http://www.yorku.ca/phall/HOME/astro.html Contact Info: phall@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project title: Studying outflows from near black holes Project Description: Quasars are disks of matter around supermassive black holes in galaxy cores. My research group has access to large database of spectroscopy and photometry of quasars from the SDSS survey. We are modelling the emission from quasars to compare to the predictions of models of disks and their outflows. Student Responsibilities: Work with Prof. Hall and his group on scientific programming using MATLAB and Python, compile and analyze scientific results, and contribute significantly to writing up the results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Desired Background/Skills: has taken undergraduate astronomy courses, has some experience in MATLAB or Python |
| Harris, Deborah | Measuring Neutrino Interactions with the MINERvA Data | Supervisor: Deborah Harris Lab Website: https://www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/faculty/deborah-harris/ Contact Info: deborahh@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project Description: The MINERvA experiment has recorded over million-event samples of neutrino and antineutrino interactions in a fine-grained well-understood detector composed primarily of plastic scintillator augmented by thin passive targets of iron, lead, carbon, and water. The collaboration is preparing a public release of its data and a simulation of the data, and the Undergraduate Research project will be to exercise the prototype version of this “Data Preservation” product to contribute to an antineutrino cross section measurement. These cross section measurements are important inputs to long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, which need accurate models of both neutrino and antineutrino interactions to correctly interpret their data and measure oscillation probabilities as a function of neutrino energy. Student Responsibilities: The student will exercise a new Data Preservation Package that the MINERvA collaboration is assembling for broad use within the field of particle physics. The student will work to extract an antineutrino cross section on hydrocarbon scintillator using this package, and may also contribute to data and simulation processing associated with producing this package. Desired Background/Skills: Python, C++, PHYS 4040 or its equivalent |
| Hessels, Eric | EDMcubed: how big is the electron’s electric dipole moment | Supervisor: Eric Hessels Lab Website: http://edmcubed.com Contact Info: hessels@gmail.com Number of Positions: 2 Project Description: The student will participate in a major initiative at York University (EDMcubed, which stands for Electron Dipole Measurement using Molecules in a Matrix) in which the electric dipole moment of the electron will be measured to unprecedented precision. The measurement takes advantage of the large electric field that an electron experiences inside of a polar molecule (BaF in this case), and takes advantage of the large number of these molecules that can be embedded into a cryogenic sample of solid argon. The electron’s electric dipole moment is key to understanding the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe. Student Responsibilities: The student’s research will focus around designing, planning and building and optimizing one of the systems needed to make the measurement. Several systems are required, including a cryogenic system, a vacuum system, a molecular ion beam system, a magnetic field system, a radio-frequency system, and an optical detection system. The student will focus on one of these systems, but the choice of which one will be made based on the progress EDMcubed in the intervening months, and in consultation with the student. The student will take away valuable experience in design, building and testing a complex scientific apparatus, as well as being part of a very exciting and high-profile research effort. Desired Background/Skills: Successful progress towards an undergraduate degree in physics. |
| Kannan, Rahul | The role of Pupulation III stars in high redshift galaxies | Supervisor: Rahul Kannan Lab Website: https://www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/faculty/rahul-kannan/ Contact Info: kannanr@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project Description: New JWST results show an abundance of luminous massive galaxies that seem to be in tension with current models of galaxy formation. One possible solution to this problem is the idea that these high-redshift galaxies are dominated by metal free Population III stars that have Initial mass functions skewed to the high mass end. This reduces the mass to light ratio, providing a possible solution to this tension. In this project we will look at simulations that model Population III stars in a cosmological setting and try to understand how prevalent these stars are and evaluate if their contribution can be large enough to modify the UV luminosities of the observed high-redshift galaxies. Student Responsibilities: The student will be responsible for analyzing data from state-of-the-art large-scale cosmological simulations, writing simple code to plot the results and write up them up. Desired Background/Skills: Background in Physics, some experience with Python and an interest in Astrophysics. |
| Kumarakrishnan, Anantharaman | Experimental Atomic Physics with Homebuilt Laser Systems | Supervisor: Ananthraman Kumarakrishnan Lab Website: http://datamac.phys.yorku.ca Contact Info: akumar@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 2 Project Description: My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto- locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention. Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include: 1) Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision 2) Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers 3) Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes 4) Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales Student Responsibilities: My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto-locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention. Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include: (1) Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision (2) Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers (3) Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes (4) Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales Desired Background/Skills: Introductory courses on electromagnetism (PHYS 2020), Optics (PHYS 2060), Modern Physics (PHYS 3040), aptitude for experimental physics and data analysis |
| Lewis, Randy | Theoretical particle physics on quantum computers | Supervisor: Randy Lewis Lab Website: https://www.yorku.ca/lewisr/ Contact Info: randy.lewis@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project Title: Theoretical particle physics on quantum computers Project Description: The standard model of elementary particle physics is a quantum field theory. Strongly interacting quantum field theories can only be solved by computer simulation. There is a hope that quantum computers will bring new opportunities in this research area. Various possibilities are being explored. Student Responsibilities: Practical tests will be performed by writing computer codes and running them on IBM quantum computers. Because today’s quantum hardware is noisy, emphasis will be placed on algorithms for error mitigation.. Desired Background/Skills: An understanding of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. The ability to write programs in python. |
| Mermut, Ozzy | Biophysics/Biophotonics – various projects | Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut Lab Website: https://omermut.lab.yorku.ca/ Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project Title: Biophysics/Biophotonics – various projects Project Description: There are various biophysics projects in our lab. Please drop by my office Petrie room 244 to discuss Student Responsibilities: Biophotonics research Desired Background/Skills: Ideally the candidate would have some background skills in one of: 1) Biophysics, 2) Optics and photonics 3) Electronics 4) Chemistry – Synthesis or DFT 5) Computational Applied Math |
| Mermut, Ozzy and Pietro, Bill | MiBAR Lab | Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut & Bill Pietro (Chemistry) Lab Website: https://omermut.lab.yorku.ca/ Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 1 Project Description: Azobenzene molecules are nature inspired biological mimics for a variety of important natural photochromes in vision. For example, photo-responsive Retinal is the chemical basis of visual phototransduction involved in visual perception through the eye, and is responsible for signaling that enables vision. The geometric photo-induced isomerization of mimetic azo-benzene molecules are therefore important to study in a variety of biophysical phenomena and to develop new sensors for emerging new biophotonic phototherapies for devasting visual diseases and cancer. In this project, the goal is to build on our library of synthesized molecules by synthesizing new derivatives of these biomimetic azobenzene photo-switches and to determine their physical-optical properties (specifically rate constants, and relative activation energies) through density functional theory calculations of these newly synthesized derivatives. The transdisciplinary nature of the project, supervised by Prof. Mermut, implicates a highly collaborative environment wherein this NSERC USRA project the student is co-supervised by Prof. Pietro (York U), and performed in collaboration with Prof. Barrett (McGill). Student Responsibilities: Depending on the students’ background, the NSERC USRA student in this project shall be responsible for either synthesis and spectroscopic optical characterization of four azobenzene molecules OR density functional theory modeling calculations (DFT) of four candidate photo-switches. In either case the NSERC USRA student’s primary role is to determine the relatives rate of the photo-switches, dihedral angles implicated in the geometric photo-isomerization and the relative changes in activation energies. Specifically, the dihedral angle studies will lead to the determination of activation barriers, so one can calculate relative kinetics of the molecules. The NSERC USRA student will conduct photo-switching experiments for optical characterizations with the synthesized molecules in our labs and data analysis to determine photo-switching rates. Depending on the skill set of the candidate, the chemistry or biochemical physics NSERC USRA student should have some background or be comfortable with relatively simple organic synthesis and/or DFT computational modeling. Desired Background/Skills: Organic synthesis and/or DFT computational modeling. |
| Radics, Balint | Neutrino oscillation with alternative parametrisation | Supervisor: Balint Radics Supervisor’s email bradics@yorku.ca Department Physics & Astronomy Number of positions 1 Project Description Recent results in neutrino oscillation experiments point to a non-trivial neutrino/lepton flavor mixing model in Nature. The origin of neutrino flavor mixing matrix elements is unknown, and not all the values are precisely measured. But there are theoretical ideas to explain the general structure of the mixing matrix. In this project, the student would implement these theoretical neutrino mixing matrix parameterizations in code and try to compare these models to existing data as an alternative model of Nature. Student responsibilities The student would implement the proposed neutrino flavor mixing matrix parameterizations in code. He then will validate the implementation by trying to fit them as alternative models to a simulated neutrino oscillation dataset. Finally, the student will try to use existing data from a neutrino oscillation experiment and compare this alternative mixing matrix model to the data and conclude on the validity of the model. The student will summarize his work in a 10-15 page report. Desired background/skills Undergraduate students in physics, mathematics, or computer science. Prior courses in particle physics or statistics are an advantage. Good programming experience in python or C++, and some familiarity with the Linux operating systems are needed for this project. |
| Tulin, Sean | Dark matter and the first minihalos | Supervisor: Sean Tulin Lab Website: http://www.yorku.ca/stulin Contact Info: stulin@yorku.ca Number of Positions: 2 Project Description: Small dark matter structures (minihalos) provided the gravitational seeds for the first stars in the Universe to collapse and ignite. This research will study how dark matter’s microphysical properties, such as its possible interactions and forces, can impact the structure of minihalos and the formation of the first stars. A goal of this research, which is theoretical and computational in nature, will be to perform simplified simulations of star-forming gas collapsing in minihalos. Student Responsibilities: Student will assist with developing theoretical ideas related to hydrodynamical equations for gas and dark matter evolution in the early Universe. Student will write, run, and debug Python code for implementing these ideas, based on an existing codebase. Student will work in a collaborative and vibrant team environment and will be expected to contribute to group activities, such as giving presentations and sharing results with the team. Desired Background/Skills: Prior experience in Python, or enthusiasm for learning Python if no previous experience. |
| Zylberberg, Joel | Using ensemble methods to improve sleep-stage inference from brain signals in Parkinson’s disease patients | Prof. Zylberberg is involved in a clinical study to develop adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation implants for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). These implantable devices apply electrical pulses to the brain to mitigate the motor symptoms of PD, and the adaptive device being studied uses algorithms (developed in Prof. Zylberberg’s lab) to infer the person’s sleep state from electrical signals recorded by the implanted electrodes. These algorithms work fairly well on the patients for which data was provided to train the algorithm, but do not always generalize well to new patients. To improve this generalization, the USRA student will implement an ensemble approach: using bootstrap aggregating (bagging), she will generate multiple training datasets, by drawing from the existing patient dataset with replacement. Each training dataset will be used to train a different neural network (NN) algorithm. After training, to infer sleep stages on new data, the data will be passed through each of these different NNs, and their outputs will be averaged together to yield the ensemble output. We hypothesize that this ensemble will generalize better than our current approach, that uses a single NN instead of the ensemble. The anticipated performance gain should arise because each member of the ensemble should make different kinds of errors in inference: by combining outputs from the members, any uncorrelated errors can be “averaged away” to yield more robust inference. This effect is known as the “wisdom of crowds”. |