/sci/ - Science & Math

>>6418345
we all do bro.

>>6368076
I'm currently neck deep in "Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion" by Chen, which is the best text I've come across so far. I've also heard good things about "Introduction to Plasma Physics" by Gurnett, which I've got on order actually. You should also look at picking up a nice introductory text on fluid dynamics ("Fundamental Mechanics of Fluids" by Currie is a good one). Nearly all the equations and phenomena you run into in plasma physics are similar to those in normal fluid dynamics, just with the added complexity of electromagnetic effects.


>>6368092
Have fun, but be careful - I've heard it's very easy to get injured on those flights without proper precautions. A researcher in our department was doing an experiment on one of those flights a few years back and they hadn't thought to put foam covers on any of the sharp corners of the instrument and he ended up taking a hit just above the eye.


>>6368093
Yes, different ions have different EIC spectra, and we can even identify multi-species plasmas using EIC waves since the spectra simply superimpose on one another.

Unfortunately this doesn't always work out so nicely. During one of our recent experiments we wanted to see if it was possible to produce semi-stable negatively ionized CO2 using a process called electron attachment (it's exactly what it sounds like). We saw a noticeable dropoff in the electron density, which seemed to confirm we were producing the negative ions, but we had failed to take into consideration that Cesium, which we use to produce our plasma, has almost exactly three times the mass of CO2 - so all of the peaks in the spectra from CO2 wouldn't have been visible anyways.

If we have time this Spring we'll switch over to Potassium and give it another go.


>>6368100
First author! Congrats!

>>5962128
>>5962785
Been doing some digging and these are the best choices of what I've been able to find so far.

CS2 is the better of the two it seems - its structure and bond types are nearly identical to CO2, Sulfur and Oxygen are both chalcogens, CS2 and CO2 have very similar ionization potentials, bond energies, etc (within a factor of two for the most part).

The biggest obstacle seems to be that CS2 is a liquid at room temp so we may have to tweak our distribution system, maybe build some kind of boiler that we can stick in between the source and the regulators connected to the needle valve. I'd also need to do some digging to see what kind of availability and costs are involved for CS2 vs acetylene.


At any rate, I'm meeting with my prof tomorrow morning so I'll mention it to him. I'll mention acetylene as well. Thanks for your help guys.

>>5699188
Try to answer people's questions as best you can and if you can't, never be afraid to say "I don't know."

>>5504689
No problem, hope you enjoy them - also keep an eye out for some of the films coming out this Summer.

Again, off the top of my head:
Riddick
Elysium
Gravity
Oblivion
The Forever War

all sound pretty good

Not too mention plans to re-release Jurassic Park in theaters (which is one of those films you really ought to see on the big screen if you've never had the chance).

>>5504689
No problem - also keep an eye out for some of the films coming out this Summer.

Again, off the top of my head:
Riddick
Elysium
Gravity
Oblivion
The Forever War

all sound pretty good

Not too mention plans to re-release Jurassic Park in theaters (which is one of those films you really ought to see on the big screen if you've never had the chance).

>>5057873
Before going into physics and astronomy I was actually a film student. It was a long time before I discovered my passion for science, but I've never regretted making the decision to pursue it. The things you learn change the way you perceive the world, the work is challenging but satisfying, and the people you meet are great.

Which isn't to say I've fallen out of love with my old pursuits. I still find ways to apply some of the skills I developed as a film student, I still write, and I'm still close with many of the friends I made in that life.


Life is not a linear path, and almost never ends up going according to plan. There's no law that says a microbiologist can't animate, or an artist can't write software, or a string theorist can't act. Find things you're passionate about, do what you love, and make a life out of it.

>>5024286
Very nice! That's some great work! I hadn't considered the possibility that the individual stacks could be restricted to same denominations.

>>5024415
Good catch, that also makes a huge difference.

>>5024286
Very nice! That's some great work!

Splendid news, looks like it's going to the best choices too:

SpaceX is going to be finished with man-rating Dragon in another year or two, Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser is already going through drop tests, and Boeing's CST-100 is supposedly coming along nicely as well. Here's hoping nothing comes of the rumors about Congress wanting to force a down-select.


... now if we could just get rid of the SLS.

Were you always in engineering or did you start out in something different? (ex. Physics, CS, Mathematics, etc) I'm working on physics and astro for undergraduate studies aerospace is something I've given thought to for grad school in a couple years and I'm curious how brutal that transition would be.


Also - congratulations on getting so far in such an awesome field of work.

1. Go to office hours. Go frequently, come with good questions, take notes. Even if you think you have a clear understanding of the material, sit down and think of some questions you could ask your professor about recent lectures or even upcoming chapters. You'll pick up as much information, if not more, as you do in lecture and that'll go a long way towards helping you work through harder homework assignments. (Plus, it shows your professor that you're making a real effort to succeed in the class and that will usually help your final grade)

2. Read the text and review your notes frequently. Look over the section your lecture is going to cover the evening before the lecture, and again the evening after. Reading it before the lecture means you'll be better prepared for the material and are less likely to get lost in the material during lecture, reading it after allows you to make sure you understand the material and, if not, gives you an opportunity to come up with questions for office hours (see #1)

>>4595606
I literally can't describe how happy I am you showed this to me. I've already set a course for calculus, and I'm going to spend the summer on this. Live in the knowledge that there's a good chance you just put another person on the road to becoming a scientist.

Hopefully this cheers everyone up