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Blue Mosque, Istanbul
No full texthttps://digital.kenyon.edu/arthistorystudycollection/2788/thumbnail.jp
GOLIATH: A new Ligo Glitch MLA Architecture
No full textLIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, detects gravitational waves by measuring distortions in spacetime from merging black holes or neutron stars. However, the detector’s extreme sensitivity makes it susceptible to non-astrophysical noise sources, producing loud transient signals known as glitches. Auxiliary sensors, which record environmental and instrumental conditions, provide a rich source of information that can be used to predict and classify glitches. Noise events range in cause and morphological shape, and have been categorized by the Gravity Spy project. These glitches complicate gravitational-wave searches, making it crucial to identify and mitigate them. This summer, I worked on developing GOLIATH, a multi-stage machine learning framework designed to improve glitch classification and prediction. GOLIATH (Glitch Observation using Labeled Inputs and Auxiliary Training Heuristics) preprocesses large glitch type-labeled datasets by integrating Gravity Spy classifications of glitches with auxiliary channel data to train multiple individual artificial neural networks to be “experts” in a specific glitch type. In this poster, I will present the design of the GOLIATH pipeline and preliminary results comparing GOLIATH’s performance against existing MLAs such as TITAN and GIANTS. Future work will involve improving the generalization of the model by modifying training techniques
Modulus Decay with an Axion Field
No full textIn the early moments of the universe, during an epoch known as cosmic inflation, the energy density of the Universe was dominated by the inflaton field. This field is much more massive than the particles we encounter today, so there may have been fields, such as cosmological moduli fields, that were dominant in the Universe’s energy density between inflation and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN). After inflation, the Universe is cold because all of the energy is in the homogenous mode of the inflaton field. If the modulus field remains dominant at the time of BBN, it will be an obstacle to the creation of particles. This is the cosmic moduli problem, and we resolve it by examining processes of modulus decay. We investigated this by evolving field equations over time in a numerical simulation, and observing whether energy left the modulus field and went into non-zero modes of another field, the axion field. Modulu
Synthesis and Characterization of γ-Alkanoyl-ε-caprolactones
No full textγ-Alkanoyl-ε-caprolactones can be used to make biodegradable polyesters.1 They are seven-membered lactone monomers with a second ester moiety on the five position. The R group on this exocyclic ester may allow for polymers with tunable degradation properties. Herein we disclose the unambiguous assignment of 1H and 13C NMR spectra from our small library of these compounds; a probable determination of ring conformation followed from NOESY experiments
Ha Giang’s Double Loop: Social Media and Adventure Travel
No full textAdventure tourism has rapidly transformed the Ha Giang Loop—a famous motorcycle route in northern Vietnam known for its spectacular landscape, winding roads, and ethnic villages—into a popular backpacker destination, driven largely by post-pandemic social media exposure. The question this research aims to answer is, “To what extent do social media, marketing, and peer networks serve as a feedback loop in influencing travelers’ decisions and experiences on the Ha Giang Loop?” Using a mixed-methods approach consisting of surveys with 61 travelers, a content analysis of 100 social media posts, and qualitative interviews with tourists, tour operators, and online communities, the research finds that visitors are predominantly young Western backpackers who discovered the Loop through friends or social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Their main motivations are scenery and social interactions. Despite high satisfaction and strong recommendations, qualitative data highlight concerns over overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and limited cultural engagement. These findings raise critical questions about the Loop’s long-term sustainability under mass tourism pressures
Stand Your Ground Laws Protect White, but not Asian Defendants
No full textThe Stand Your Ground (SYG) law proposes to remove the duty to retreat before using deadly force in situations where individuals believe they are in imminent danger. No research to date has explored the possibility that protections offered by SYG laws in self-defense cases disproportionately extend to White defendants more than to Asian defendants.To examines how SYG legal instructions interact with defendant and victim race to influence juror decisions, a total of 360 U.S. citizen participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 2 (SYG Instructions: present vs. absent) × 2 (Defendant Race: White vs. Asian) × 2 (Victim Race: White vs. Asian) between-subject design. Participants read a summary of a self-defense mock trial and rendered a verdict and a series of case judgments. There was a significant indirect effect of SYG instructions on diminished guilt judgments via increased perceptions of the defendant\u27s reasonable fear - but only when the defendant was White and not when he was Asian
