Category Archives: Advanced EM

Advanced Electromagentism (Phys 341)

Proposal

Using Scratch Programming and Mathematica, I hope to model, investigate and illustrate the manipulation of electromagnetic waves and how this differs with respect to liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display panel (PDP), and cathode-ray tube display (CRT) screens. I shall focus on polarization and the control of polarization effects for each screen and how these differences manifest with regards to our perception of light. Although one potential hurdle could be difficulty in selecting a proper method of investigation, I aim to develop this analysis based on my own calculations and personal observation.

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Blog Proposal

Electrodynamics is concerned with answering a simple question: what is the force exerted on a test charge Q by some arbitrary configuration of charge? Griffiths does not achieve the equation that truly answers this until the tenth chapter; while powerful, the relationship is complex. My goal is to explore this overarching equation and the ideas directly preceding it, including the Liénard-Wiechert Potentials, Jefimenko’s Equations, and retarded time. In order to deal with the five dimensional nature of these equations I will make heavy use of Mathematica’s plotting and manipulation functions. My hope is to generate a number of graphical representations of these functions, some with simplifying assumptions made, and thereby expose their physical significance.

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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The magnetic field and radio frequency pulses generated in an NMR spectrometer will be modeled, and their effects on atomic nuclei will be studied.  Mathematica, Excel, Wolfram Alpha, and the NMR software Topspin are the computational tools most likely to be used.  The book “NMR Spectroscopy Explained” by Neil E. Jacobsen will be used as the primary theoretical tool.  Visual pieces will include a model of the magnetic field inside an NMR, a model of a radio frequency pulse, and one or more spectra of an as-yet-undetermined molecule that will be used to explain the physics behind the NMR process.

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Second Harmonic Generation

My research project is modeling Second Harmonic Generation. It is a process by which photons from a laser beam are mixed in a nonlinear medium and the output photon has double the energy and frequency and half the wavelength. I will model the conversion efficiency, and the different types of phase matching. Second Harmonic Generation relates to certain topics in our course such as chapter 9 of Griffiths on absorption and dispersion of EM waves and topics from chapter 11 on radiation. Applications of frequency mixing are found in the use of radio waves in extending the tunable range of shorter wavelengths.

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Induction generators: efficiency and applications

My work will focus on AC induction generators: exploring current designs and how to make them more efficient.  This offers a great deal of potential for modeling as there are many variables involved: rotor and stator size, slip, and materials to name a few.  This is a field that is currently quite popular due to the ongoing energy crisis, and the applications are ubiquitous.  To the extent that my work will explore specific applications of induction generators, I will be examining their use in harnessing wind power: specifically the unique restrictions that turbines and other types of casings impose.

Research questions will concern the effects of many different variables on overall efficiency, including magnet type, wire material, slip, and rotor/stator rotation frequencies.

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