Past completed projects:
A short compilation of some neat stuff I've done. More to come!
Compton polarimetry at Jefferson Lab:
As part of the Hall A Compton team, I study the interaction of an electron beam with a (circularly) polarized laser beam. This process is called Compton Scattering, which can be interpreted by analyzing properties of the backscattered photon as it travels through a PbW04 scintillator crystal into a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The results allow us to calculate two important quantities: the Compton scattering asymmetry and the polarization of the initial electron beam.
Most of my lab notes are kept electronically in this eLOG.
Some of the more interesting plots I've made in ROOT/C++, using Compton scattering data:
- Comparison of positive/negative helicity asymmetries, for different Accumulators and different runs
- Output of script used to view preliminary results of a given run
Additional software and simulation packages I've worked with:
- Python 3
- ROOT/C++
- GEANT4, a particle generation package for high energy physics
- KASSIOPEIA, a particle tracking package for neutrino physics
- Fortran 95
- Arduino (C)
Additional hardware projects:
Laser Cutter
Though this project was done for partial fulfillment of a course grade (CMU's CS15-112), I was motivated to go beyond the scope of the class and create something that would have a hardware component to compliment the software techniques we were learning.
Documentation:
Please contact me if you would like to see the code.
Holography
Set up and "recorded" holograms with a HeNe laser, and developed the films using wet lab techniques. Experimented with different conditions (exposure times, angles, optical path length differences, developing times, etc.) to create the most high-resolution images.
Hologram ray diagram notes.
Top down view of optics table setup.
Solutions for developing the film.
Developed film.
The "staging area": filled with white, non-reflective objects for laser light to scatter off of.
View through developed film: image reconstruction using same HeNe source laser.
Machining
Basic knowledge of machine shop safety and tools. Experience using mill, bandsaw, and drill press. Worked with aluminum, hardened steel, and acrylic. Helped manufacture parts for scientific instrumentation (hadron calorimeter, "HCal") to within ~1/1000" precision.
Posters & Presentations:
LED Calibration/Testing
Short, 6-month project to characterize the cross-talk between lit LEDs on an array. Used to determine settings allowing the array to act as a calibration device for the aforementioned HCal.
View poster here.