Dhumal Aturaliye -- Diode Laser Spectroscopy of Rubidium

Dhumal built a stabilized diode laser to investigate small details in the atomic structure of rubidium. The laser was stabilized using a temperature servo, a precise current controller and a diffraction grating. It was also necessary for Dhumal to work in an air conditioned environment, so that his laser would be stable enough to probe nuclear size effects, and then influence of spectial relativity on the atomic structure. Such subtle effects shift the atomic energy levels by between 0.001% and 0.0001%, and Dhumal's laser could detect this shift.

Vinny Cordero -- Isotope Separation Using a Mass Spectrometer

Vinny resurected the physics department's mass spectrometer. Using the fact that singly charged ions (atoms with one electron removed) of different mass are deflected by different amounts when they move in a strong magnetic field, one can distinguish different isotopes of a given element. During the atomic bomb project, mass spectrometers were used in the final stage of separation of the uranium 235 bomb material from the much more abundant U-238. Vinny became an expert at plumbing and could detect the leaks in the vacuum system from the sucking noises they make.

Chris Fortune -- Digital Audio Amplifiers

Chris worked with audio amplifiers that have digital inputs and outputs. The main problem he tackled was to build an amplifier that measures the output wattage of the amplifier and displays it on a digital display. This involved building two sub-circuits, one of which measured the voltage drop, and one of which measured the current. These numbers were then multiplied and sent to a digital display. He explored how noise could best be minimized and what the power limits were of such audio amplifiers.

Jim Porter -- The Time Evolution and Revival Structure of Quantum Wave Packets

Localized quantum wave packets are the closest to classical objects in quantum mechanics. Jim studied the time evolution of quantum wave packets for four systems: the free particle, simple harmonic oscillator, infinite square well, and hydrogen atom. Generic features for the collapse and revival structure of these wave packets were examined analytically and numerically.

Josh Radoff -- Radiological Physics

Josh worked on an independent internship in the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He assisted a radiological physicist with work on patient studies, research, and teaching. He worked on image enhancement and noise reduction for CT, mammography, cardiac and vascular angiography, and general radiology. Specifically, he worked on trying to find the proper formula for obtaining a high quality image while providing as safe an environment as possible for the patient and technicians.

Julie Rentz -- Construction of a Wavemeter for Measuring Laser Wavelengths

Julie built a wavemeter, a device which mesures the wavelength of laser radiation to phenomenal accuracy. For instance, the human eye can distinguish seven wavelengths (red - violet) in the visible spectrum. In contrast, the wavemeter is able to distinguish at least a half million different wavelengths (colors) in the visible spectrum! Julie used the machine shop skills she picked up at Dartmouth to build most of the hardware herself, and became an expert at "doing things with mirrors".

Mike Rosenthal -- Optoelectronic Devices in GaAs MESFETs

Mike did an internship at MIT's Microsystems Technology Labs. The group there is researching integrating Optoelectronic devices in GaAs MESFET devices. MESFET stands for Metal Semiconducting Field Effect Transistor. Mike did some electrical characterizations of some chips that they have designed and then characterized optical inputs and outputs. The group has been integrating optical components into chips for use mainly in parallel processing. The computing is done electrically and then the signals are sent optically. It's a "best of both worlds" situation. Mike did much of his work on an HP4150 which is used for semi-conductor measurements.

Ben Waite -- Development of the Atomic Bomb

Ben examined how the atomic bomb was developed. He investigated the scientific theories behind the bomb, the governmental policies involved, and how the scientific community pooled its resources during World War II to produce the bomb. The differences between the early atomic bombs and the nuclear bombs we possess today were examined as well.