Light and Bio Physics

Chair: Dr. Heather Whitney, The University of Chicago

Reading the light produced by krypton

Alondra Azpeitia, Joliet Junior College

At the Argonne National Laboratory Trace Radioisotope Analysis CentER (TRACER), Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) uses krypton dating to determine the age of water samples ranging from 10 to 230,000 years old using laser cooling and trapping techniques. This requires understanding how to interact with the atoms. As part of the Argonne summer Bridge internship, I analyzed the fluorescence spectrum of krypton to learn about isotope shifts. Using AI-coding tools, I analyzed collected krypton fluorescence data and created a graphic user interface (GUI) to connect directly to the lab system. This GUI enabled the collection of new Magneto Optical Trap (MOT) fluorescence data from both a photodiode and a camera simultaneously. The data extracted isotope shift measurements were then compared to literature values. 

Designing & Simulating a TD-UHD Micro-DOT System to Predict Image Resolution Improvement Upon Existing Systems

Cemantha Hearing, Oswego High School

Brain activation imaging is an essential component of developing effective treatments for patients affected by neurological conditions. A biomedical imaging system that is currently being used to image brain activation is that of diffuse optical tomography (DOT). DOT, a biophotonic imaging system, has the unique ability to preserve naturalistic environments due to its lightweight structure, but fails at producing high-quality images. To supplement this issue, ultra-high density (UHD) DOT and time-domain (TD) DOT systems have been created with the ability to improve the quality of brain activation images. Although components from both TD-DOT and UHD-DOT systems combined with the use of microtechnology would theoretically allow for a DOT system with optimized image quality, such a system has not yet been designed. Thus, a TD-UHD Micro-DOT was simulated for imaging metrics using NeuroDOT in order to determine whether or not the system’s predicted metrics improved upon current systems. In this study, predicted mean full width at half maximum (FWHM) and localization error values of the hypothetical system were compared to existing values of high-density (HD) DOT and time-domain (TD) DOT systems to place the hypothetical system within the context of existing technology. It was found that the hypothetical system was predicted to possibly improve in areas of image resolution upon both HD-DOT and TD-DOT systems but was not predicted to improve upon the HD-DOT system in terms of localization error. These findings imply that the TD-UHD Micro-DOT system design must be improved in order to reduce localization error before it is built.

Impact of Epigenetic Modifications on DNA Structure Formation 

Daniela Avramovich, Loyola University Chicago

Single-molecule imaging provides a powerful approach for the biophysical characterization of DNA molecules. The human genome contains domains of repetitive DNA content. A particular repeat motif, termed the CAG trinucleotide, exhibits a propensity for expansion that can induce neurodegenerative diseases. Under certain conditions, these CAG repeat domains can form non-helical structures, such as hairpins, that disrupt normal DNA processing. Epigenetic modification of DNA is a natural biological process that alters the DNA composition without disrupting the underlying sequence, and higher methylation levels are observed for CAG disease states. The effect of methylation on the structure-forming capabilities of the CAG repeats remains unknown. Using single-molecule, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, imaging of individual CAG-rich, DNA molecules in real time show the stochastic formation of the hairpin structure. The systematic incorporation of methylated cytosines throughout the hairpin reveals how the location of this epigenetic modification within a hairpin-forming sequence can alter the energetic stability and kinetic behavior to promote formation of these aberrant DNA structures and potentially the disease state.

Particle Physics

Chair: Dr. Ryan Hooper, Lewis University

NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance (NOvA) Experiment

Ava Berios, Loyola University Chicago

Neutrinos are among the most abundant particles in the universe, a billion times more abundant than the particles that make up stars, planets and people. Unimaginably large numbers of neutrinos from the first moments of the universe are still present today. Though a trillion naturally occurring neutrinos from the sun and other bodies in the galaxy pass through us each second, they interact so rarely with other particles that they are very difficult to detect. That is why researchers strive to create intense beams packed with as many neutrinos as they can produce and to build large, precise detectors that can spot them when they interact. 

The goal of the Experimental Neutrino Detector (END) project is to develop a complete baseline system capable of detecting and distinguishing a beam of neutrinos generated at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) from the cosmic background neutrinos and other noise sources in shallow bodies of water. END will place underwater neutrino detectors on the lakebed in the path of the Fermilab neutrino beamline as it passes through Lake Superior near Two Harbors, Minnesota, on its way north to previously established neutrino detector sites at Soudan (Lake Vermilion) and Ash River, Minnesota.

How the Electron-Ion Collider will Explore the Physical Nature of the Universe

Leonardo D’Andrea, University of Illinois Chicago

Protons and Neutrons make up nearly all visible matter in the universe, yet the internal force dynamics holding them together remain incompletely understood. Scientists probe these atomic structures using Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS), a process where high-speed electrons break up atomic nuclei, producing directional sprays of particles known as jets. These experiments will take place at the Electron-Ion Collider, a next generation facility under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Electron Proton/Ion Collider (ePIC) collaboration is currently simulating and building an experiment that will operate in the mid 2030s. Our study analyzes Transverse Energy-Energy correlators (TEECs) to track how energy is transferred between particles during these collisions to map out forces between particles. These studies allow for the establishment of essential baseline models for future Electron-Ion Collider Measurements.

Chair: TBA

Modeling the Formation of Quasi-Stars from Supermassive Stars 

Claire Campbell, Illinois State University

Recent James Webb Space Telescope observations of early-universe supermassive black holes (SMBHs), such as little red dots (LRDs) like the 10^6.3 solar mass MoM-BH*-1, motivate work studying their early-time growth pathways. As typical stellar core collapse and subsequent accretion is too limited to form an SMBH within a Hubble time, direct collapse of supermassive stars (SMSs) into quasi-stars has been proposed as an alternative formation mechanism. We model the growth and transition of SMSs to SMBH seed-forming quasi-stars using the stellar evolution code MESA. Following observations by V. Kokorev et al. (2026) of enhanced aluminum in LRDs, we use a 52-isotope network to study the nucleosynthesis of 27Al in SMSs and its subsequent presence in quasi-star atmospheres. Our results place reasonable constraints on SMBH seeds formed via direct collapse. We also find significant aluminum formation in the SMS core, which is transported to the surface via convection after the central collapse and during the quasi-star phase.

A Geometric Pathway to Lorentz Spinors 

Zachary Gunther. Illinois State University

Geometric algebra provides a natural extension of vector geometry that unifies rotations, boosts, and spinors within a single geometric framework. Starting from rotations in physical space, rotors emerge as the fundamental objects encoding orientation and transformation. This structure extends seamlessly to spacetime, where Lorentz boosts appear on equal  geometric footing with spatial rotations. Within this language, spinors arise as concrete geometric entities associated with mass and motion rather than abstract algebraic constructs. The Lorentz spinor is introduced to establish the geometric foundation for a constructive formulation of relativistic quantum theory and, ultimately, particle physics.

Chair: Dr. Brian Cannon, Loyola University Chicago

Structural investigation of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks in Electrochemical Capacitors 

Adam Makhlouf, Lewis University 

Electrochemical capacitors have gained popularity in recent years for their potential to increase the competitiveness of green energy. The energy storage devices, also known as supercapacitors, store energy by mobilization of polarized charges at the electrochemical double layer, surface bound faradaic interactions, or through both electrochemical double layer and faradaic interactions. It is important to incorporate redox active materials with high surface areas to maximize both electrochemical double-layer capacitance and faradaic charge storage. Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs) are porous coordination networks that are comprised of metal oxide clusters coordinated with organic linkers. Though MOFs are highly porous materials, the metal oxide nodes inhibit the ability of the MOF to efficiently transfer charges at the metal centers. Conductive polymers, like polyaniline (PANI), are often introduced to MOFs to increase conductivity. It has previously been reported that PANI can be covalently bonded to MOFs to increase charge transfer efficiency. Redox-active MOFs of the same organic ligand were covalently anchored onto graphite-PANI electrodes. The procedure was repeated for several different MOFs, including NH2-MiL-101(Fe), NH2-MiL-101(Cr), and NH2-MiL-53(Fe). The resulting composite materials were characterized using XRD analysis, BET surface area analysis, and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of each electrode was investigated using Cyclic Voltammetry and Galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. The structure and morphology of the electrodes were determined with SEM imaging, EDS analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy. 

Converging diffusion coefficient analysis in molten salts 

Amanda Anderson,  Lewis University 

Molten salts enable efficient operations of industrial-scale pyroprocessing, molten salt reactor, and electrometallurgical systems due to their thermal stability, wide electrochemical windows, and energy storage capabilities. However, in situ monitoring of the evolving salt composition in these systems is needed to ensure that the salt does not corrode its containment system or accumulate impurities over time. While the inherent electrolytic nature of these salts readily allows for characterization using electroanalytical methods, precise knowledge of the diffusion coefficients of dissolved analyte species is needed to ensure accurate measurements. A variety of techniques within the literature can be used to determine diffusion coefficients, such as cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometry. Although these techniques should produce identical values, technique-dependent factors have led to a surplus of contradicting and unreliable datasets. To resolve these discrepancies, we have augmented these experimental approaches with updated models that properly account for non-idealities that are typically ignored in molten salt systems. Using this approach, we have confirmed the efficacy of the electroanalytical techniques to measure consistent diffusion coefficients in molten salts using the model system of LiCl-KCl containing FeCl2. These results will help to enable optimized operations of molten salt systems and provide the backbone for future multimodal monitoring tools. 

Engineering Novel Si-MOF Hybrid Photocapacitors for Green Energy Storage 

Javier Romero, Lewis University 

The integration of energy harvesting and storage into a single monolithic device represents a critical frontier in sustainable electronics. The photocapacitor is a new type of device that integrates light-harvesting components (such as silicon-based solar cells) with capacitive materials (such as supercapacitors) to enable highly efficient, self-powered energy storage. This proposal focuses on developing a novel class of silicon-MOF hybrid photocapacitors designed to overcome current limitations in energy density and interfacial charge transfer. Specifically, it will explore integrating silicon-based materials with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF) hybrid electrodes, leveraging previous results showing that polyaniline (PANI) can covalently anchor high surface area MOF to graphite, generating high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The porous MOF architecture serves as a high-capacity medium for effective charge storage, while the silicon provides efficient light harvesting capabilities. To characterize device performance, an experimental platform was developed to measure photovoltage and photocurrent under controlled illumination. Instrumentation was optimized using an optical chopper and a cooling stage to minimize thermal effects and improve measurement accuracy. A cooling stage and optical chopper were added to eliminate heat in the system to best receive data. This research provides a robust framework for developing the next generation of self-charging power units.

The Wolfram Language for Mathematics

Adam Copeland

Abstract: The Wolfram Language is a powerful environment for exploring, teaching, and doing mathematics. This talk provides an introduction to its core capabilities, including symbolic computation, numerical methods, visualization, and interactive programming. Through a selection of mathematical examples, participants will see how the Wolfram Language can streamline calculations, support mathematical discovery, and create engaging computational demonstrations for research, education, and problem solving.

This workshop is confirmed. Details coming soon.

The Music and Physics Connection

Gordon Ramsey

There is a wonderful connection between music, physics and mathematics. All three elements are required to make the music we all love. This workshop will help you understand this connection at a fundamental level, while seeing some of these elements at work. As a bonus, I will discuss some of the careers that physics graduates can pursue, both in general and specifically, in relation to music and acoustics.

Are you interested in careers in aviation? Or just interested in how an airport works? Lewis University boasts its own functional airport. Join us for a tour of the airport and airplanes.

Additional Discussion with Physics Graduate Students

Moderated by Katie Gifford

Panelists Ziana Benjiman, Jasper Bradford, David Imig, Miles Knudtson, Io Kovach, and Suhas Sheikh.

There will be a short panel discussion with graduate students during the main activities for the day. This panel discussion will be more be close and personal.

Creating a Mentorship Network

Eduardo Alejandro

Abstract: Mentorship is an essential component of success and perseverance in many fields, including STEM careers. This interactive workshop will equip participants with a practical framework for building a “mentorship network” rather than relying on a single mentor. Participants will learn where to find mentors, how to initiate and sustain productive mentoring relationships, and how to navigate common challenges. Through hands-on activities, participants will leave with an actionable plan and ready-to-use scripts for building the mentorship network they need to thrive in the sciences.

Exploring Cosmic Rays
Kenneth Cecire
Students will explore cosmic rays by working in groups with small, portable cosmic ray detectors. They will explore a suite of activities that includes measurement of beta radiation, determination of the direction from which cosmic rays come, and relating the angle of acceptance to the cosmic ray rate.

The Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics
Kenneth Cecire
Participants will be introduced to World Wide Data Day (W2D2), coming up on November 10, 2026, and related data analysis. For W2D2, students make hands-on measurements of the directions of muons coming out of proton collisions in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Combining their results, they can draw conclusions about the performance of the detectors and the nature of the particle interactions. To get more precise results, students then use a python notebook to make a deeper, more statistically significant analysis with a much larger set of the same sort of events. NOTE: This workshop is designed for teachers, professors, and pre-service teachers (those students who want to make a career in Education)

QuarkNet Teacher Workshop
Kenneth Cecire
Teachers will explore QuarkNet activities they can use to introduce particle physics concepts to high school students at almost any level. With “Shuffling the Particle Deck”, teachers can make a basic introduction to the particles that comprise the Standard Model. In “Rolling with Rutherford”, students learn how indirect evidence, probability, and statistics are used by particle physicists to make measurements of the tiniest particles. They will also be able to explore the QuarkNet Data Activities Portfolio to find other useful and interesting ways to connect the physics students learn in school to the forefront of research. NOTE: This workshop is designed for teachers, professors, and pre-service teachers (those students who want to make a career in Education)

Purposeful Affirmations—Building a Supportive Classroom with STEP UP Everyday Actions
Red Lhota

Abstract:The workshop will introduce participants to the STEP UP Everyday Actions Guide for building classroom and community spaces that include all students, and focus on Purposeful Affirmations, using videos of a high school physics teacher’s classroom as case studies for the workshop participants to discuss both what they observe in the video and their own experiences in teaching. Teachers will develop their toolkit for recognizing students both inside and outside of class, supporting them in taking on new opportunities, and nurturing relationships through one-on-one interactions. We will be talking about strategies from the Everyday Actions Guide that can be implemented across different levels of teaching, experience, topics, and classroom sizes, so come discuss no matter your level of experience or where you are teaching.

Learning Outcomes: After this workshop, you should be able to:
Identify the impact of purposeful affirmations in a classroom
Discuss the role of the instructor in building a supportive classroom environment
Implement one or more components of purposeful affirmation in your teaching setting

NOTE: This workshop is designed for teachers, professors, and pre-service teachers (those students who want to make a career in Education)

Workshop Confirmed. Details coming soon.

Workshop Confirmed. Details coming soon.