Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Social Behaviors Of Modern And Indigenous Peoples Impacting The Ecology Of The Amazon Rain Forest In Brazil, Josef W. Schaffer

Earth and Soil Sciences

Human induced disruption of the environment is prevalent in every culture. In Brazil, the effects of massive deforestation have become apparent since the nineteen eighties. However, along with deforestation, and a coinciding loss in an economic resource for the country, is a significant loss of natural habitat and species extinction. The Amazon in Brazil contains a large proportion of the world’s species diversity that is threatened by the socio-economic activities of modern Brazilian culture. Historically and presently, indigenous groups have contributed to insignificant levels of ecological disruption and are themselves threatened by the activities of modern Brazilians. The effects of …

Creation Of Soil Liquefaction Susceptibility Maps For San Luis Obispo & Marin Counties Using Geographic Information Systems., Amelia M. Lowman

Earth and Soil Sciences

Liquefaction of soils in response to earthquake shaking is a pressing issue in the state of California. Using Geographic Information Systems, Geological and lithology layers, along with criteria in order to separate out the data into four risk categories, a liquefaction risk assessment map was created for San Luis Obispo and Marin Counties. The accuracy of these maps was then assessed using liquefaction occurrences for San Luis Obispo County, and it was determined that while the map is somewhat accurate, in order to obtain a greater amount of accuracy and increase the usefulness of these maps, more data would need …

An Evaluation Of Potential Technologies For A Web Based Development Environment For Cs1 Students, Manuel Garcia

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The goal of this senior project was to design a web-based integrated development environment that would incorporate Web-CAT. Web-CAT is an automated testing tool designed by Stephen Edwards at Virginia Tech University, to help beginning students learn test-driven development. This tool runs on a server where a professor assigns usernames and passwords to students so they can submit code. This program can assist professors in grading, and students in showing errors in code. The development environment design waskept simple to create less confusion for beginning programming students. This development environment will be online to give all students universal access and …

Development Of Regional Hydraulic Geometry Curves For The Santa Cruz Mountains, Sarah Howell

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

This study was conducted to develop regional hydraulic geometry curves for the Santa Cruz Mountains that could be used in stream related and/or engineering projects. Data used to form these curves was collected from the USGS and by conducting stream geometry surveys. The resulting regional curves had high R² values ranging from .82 to .92. Compared to other regional curves in nearby areas, the Santa Cruz Mountains regional curve equations have higher exponents, meaning bankfull channel measurements increase at faster rates as drainage areas increases. Further measurements and analysis should be done before applying these curves to project sites.

The Malawi Project: From Conventional To Holistic Decision Making, Grace Wetmore

Animal Science

How the Cal Poly Malawi Appropriate Technologies Team, and other development groups, can use Holistic Management to aid developing countries in an effort towards a sustainable future.

Constructing A Magneto-Optical Trap For Cold Atom Trapping, Eric S. Muckley

Physics

A magneto-optical trap, or MOT, is a device that traps atoms between three pairs of opposing perpendicular laser beams for cooling the atoms to temperatures near absolute zero. The MOT uses Doppler cooling and a magnetic quadrupole field to trap the atoms; in our case, Rb87 atoms. In the future, the MOT will be used in experiments pertaining to the advancement of quantum computing. In this paper, I explain some of the processes required for construction and operation of the MOT.

The Greenhouse Effect: Common Misconceptions And Effective Instruction, Trevor W. Strickland

Physics

This study is an extension of the research of Dr. John Keller. It attempts to identify common student misconceptions regarding the greenhouse effect and investigate instructional methods of teaching the greenhouse effect. Dr. Keller developed a test, known as the Greenhouse Effect Concept Inventory (GECI), designed to measure a student’s understanding of the greenhouse effect. A central goal of this project is to investigate the effectiveness of this concept inventory at measuring differences in student knowledge of the greenhouse effect. In addition to the Cal Poly student population that participated in this research, we will be looking at the population …

Developing A B-Jet Tagging Algorithm For Alice: Lessons From Cdf, Paul Chester-John Carlson

Physics

This paper compares the detectors and algorithms developed and used at both A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) and the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). We found that the detectors share many similarities in data collection and analysis methods and that by adapting algorithms that have been tested and used at CDF, ALICE could augment its existing algorithms. The algorithms formed from this adaptation will help ALICE isolate b-jets quickly and explore the quark-gluon plasma, ultimately expanding our understanding of the strong nuclear force and its role in the evolution of our universe.

Evaluating Head Gestures For Panning 2-D Spatial Information, Matthew O. Derry

Master's Theses

New, often free, spatial information applications such as mapping tools, topological imaging, and geographic information systems are becoming increasingly available to the average computer user. These systems, which were once available only to government, scholastic, and corporate institutions with highly skilled operators, are driving a need for new and innovative ways for the average user to navigate and control spatial information intuitively, accurately, and efficiently. Gestures provide a method of control that is well suited to navigating the large datasets often associated with spatial information applications. Several different types of gestures and different applications that navigate spatial data are examined. …

Automation In Cs1 With The Factoring Problem Generator, Joshua B. Parker

Master's Theses

As the field of computer science continues to grow, the number of students enrolled in related programs will grow as well. Though one-on-one tutoring is one of the more effective means of teaching, computer science instructors will have less and less time to devote to individual students. To address this growing concern, many tools that automate parts of an instructor’s job have been proposed. These tools can assist instructors in presenting concepts and grading student work, and they can help students learn to program more effectively. A growing group of intelligent tutoring systems attempts to tie all of this functionality …

A Neural Network Approach To Border Gateway Protocol Peer Failure Detection And Prediction, Cory B. White

Master's Theses

The size and speed of computer networks continue to expand at a rapid pace, as do the corresponding errors, failures, and faults inherent within such extensive networks. This thesis introduces a novel approach to interface Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) computer networks with neural networks to learn the precursor connectivity patterns that emerge prior to a node failure. Details of the design and construction of a framework that utilizes neural networks to learn and monitor BGP connection states as a means of detecting and predicting BGP peer node failure are presented. Moreover, this framework is used to monitor a BGP network …

Theory Of Transient Streaming Potentials Associated With Axial-Symmetric Flow In Unconfined Aquifers, Bwalya Malama, Kristopher L. Kuhlman, André Revil

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

We present a semi-analytical solution for the transient streaming potential response of an unconfined aquifer to continuous constant rate pumping. We assume that flow occurs without leakage from the unit below a transverse anisotropic aquifer and neglect flow in the unsaturated zone by treating the water-table as a moving material boundary. In the development of the solution to the streaming potential problem, we impose insulating boundary conditions at land surface and the lower boundary of the lower confining unit. We solve the problem exactly in the double Laplace—Hankel transform space and obtain the inverse transforms numerically. The solution is used …

Effects Of Composted And Raw Manure And Ammonium Sulfate Applications On The Chemical Properties Of The Soils At Chorro Creek Ranch, San Luis Obispo, Ca., Renee Nall,, Craig Stubler, Christopher Appel, Tanner Campbell, Jose Gomez, Nathan Lurie, Russell Morgan, J. J. Scurich

Earth and Soil Sciences

The majority of agricultural systems, especially large-scale, require inputs of nutrients. In addition, many large scale dairies produce vast quantities of waste that can be potentially recycled as nutrients. This study was conducted to determine the differences in properties of soils amended with manure, compost, and fertilizer, and to assess implications of using animal waste products for forage crop fertilization. Forage crops, wheat, barley, and oat mix have been grown on the Chorro Creek Ranch part of Cal Poly farmland, for 15 years. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer has been applied at a rate of 200 lbs/acre/year for the past 4 years. …

The Lick Agn Monitoring Project: Broad-Line Region Radii And Black Hole Masses From Reverberation Mapping Of HSs, Misty C. Bentz, Jonelle L. Walsh, Aaron J. Barth, Nairn Baliber, Vardha N. Bennert, Gabriela Canalizo, Alexei V. Filippenko, Mohan Ganeshalingam, Elinor L. Gates, Jenny E. Greene, Marton G. Hidas, Kyle D. Hiner, Nicholas Lee, Weidong Li, Matthew A. Malkan, Takeo Minezaki, Yu Sakata, Frank J.D. Serduke, Jeffrey M. Silverman, Thea N. Steele, Daniel Stern, Rachel A. Street, Carol E. Thornton, Tommaso Treu, Xiaofeng Wang, Jong-Hak Woo, Yuzuru Yoshii

Physics

We have recently completed a 64-night spectroscopic monitoring campaign at the Lick Observatory 3-m Shane telescope with the aim of measuring the masses of the black holes in 12 nearby (z < 0.05) Seyfert 1 galaxies with expected masses in the range ~10⁶-10⁷ M _☉ and also the well-studied nearby active galactic nucleus (AGN) NGC 5548. Nine of the objects in the sample (including NGC 5548) showed optical variability of sufficient strength during the monitoring campaign to allow for a time lag to be measured between the continuum fluctuations and the response to these fluctuations in the broad Hβ emission. We present here the light curves for all …

The Lick Agn Monitoring Project: Photometric Light Curves And Optical Variability Characteristics, Jonelle L. Walsh, Takeo Minezaki, Misty C. Bentz, Aaron J. Barth, Nairn Baliber, Weidong Li, Daniel Stern, Vardha Nicola Bennert, Timothy M. Brown, Gabriela Canalizo, Alexei V. Filippenko, Elinor L. Gates, Jenny E. Greene, Matthew A. Malkan, Yu Sakata, Rachel A. Street, Tommaso Treu, Jong-Hak Woo, Yuzuru Yoshii

Physics

The Lick AGN Monitoring Project targeted 13 nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies with the intent of measuring the masses of their central black holes using reverberation mapping. The sample includes 12 galaxies selected to have black holes with masses roughly in the range 10⁶-10⁷ M _☉, as well as the well-studied active galactic nucleus (AGN) NGC 5548. In conjunction with a spectroscopic monitoring campaign, we obtained broadband B and V images on most nights from 2008 February through 2008 May. The imaging observations were carried out by four telescopes: the 0.76 m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, the …

Galaxy Zoo Green Peas: Discovery Of A Class Of Compact Extremely Star-Forming Galaxies, Carolin Cardamone, Kevin Schawinski, Marc Sarzi, Steven P. Bamford, Vardha N. Bennert, C. M. Urry, Chris Lintott, William C. Keel, John Parejko, Robert C. Nichol, Daniel Thomas, Dan Andreescu, Phil Murray, M. Jordan Raddick, Anže Slosar, Alex Szalay, Jan Vandenberg

Physics

We investigate a class of rapidly growing emission line galaxies, known as ‘Green Peas’, first noted by volunteers in the Galaxy Zoo project because of their peculiar bright green colour and small size, unresolved in Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging. Their appearance is due to very strong optical emission lines, namely [O iii]λ5007 Å, with an unusually large equivalent width of up to ∼1000 Å. We discuss a well-defined sample of 251 colour-selected objects, most of which are strongly star forming, although there are some active galactic nuclei interlopers including eight newly discovered narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. The star-forming Peas …

Implementation Of Sustainable Management Practices At Two California Central Coast Vineyards And Their Effects On Soil Fertility, Dawn M. Stimson

Master's Theses

Implementation of Sustainable Management Practices at Two California Central Coast Vineyards and Their Effects on Soil Fertility

Dawn Michelle Stimson

“Sustainable agriculture” has gained increased popularity in recent years. This study was conducted to determine the effects of sustainable management practices on soil fertility at two California Central Coast vineyards. The effects of cover crops (Erosion Control Mix - blando brome [Bromus hordeaceus], hykon rose clover [Trifolium hirtum All.], and zorro annual fescue [Vulpia mourns]), green waste compost (Forest Blend), and reduced tillage on soil fertility were investigated in San Luis Obispo, California on a clay and sandy loam soil. …

Acid Rain: The Effects, Torrey Mortimer

Social Sciences

In a world experiencing increasing population, urbanization, and developing nations looking to compete on a global market with post-industrial nations, the effects of acid precipitation require greater consideration. As the world’s energy demand rises, and with the cheapest and most abundant source of energy being coal, the occurrence of acid precipitation is on the rise.

The goal of my project is to research and report on the effects of acid deposition on humans, animals and the environment that surrounds them. When I have completed my project, I hope to be able to explain the impacts that acid deposition has on …

Assessing The Merits Of The Ctbt, David W. Hafemeister

Physics

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the nonproliferation regime have been weakened; perhaps no other issue demonstrates this as dramatically as the status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the ratification of which the U.S. Senate rejected in October 1999. Despite the U.S. rejection, the test ban has strong international support—the most recent vote to promote the CTBT in the UN General Assembly passed overwhelmingly, with 175 votes to 1 (the United States) and three abstentions. The Obama administration favors U.S. ratification of the CTBT, but this is no guarantee that Washington will ratify the test ban. …

Altruistic Task Allocation Despite Unbalanced Relationships Within Multi-Robot Communities, Ryan Morton, George A. Bekey, Christopher M. Clark

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Typical Multi-Robot Systems consist of robots cooperating to maximize global fitness functions. However, in some scenarios, the set of interacting robots may not share common goals and thus the concept of a global fitness function becomes invalid. This work examines Multi-Robot Communities(MRC), in which individual robots have independent goals. Within the MRC context, we present a task allocation architecture that optimizes individual robot fitness functions over long time horizons using reciprocal altruism.

Previous work has shown that reciprocating altruistic relationships can evolve between two willing robots, using market-based task auctions, while still protecting against selfish robots aiming to exploit …

Fire On The Landscape: Current Policies And A Changing Climate Lead Toward Higher Costs, More Severe Wildfire, Christopher Dicus

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Challenges To Educating The Next Generation Of Wildland Fire Professionals In The United States, Leda N. Kobziar, Monique E. Rocca, Christopher Dicus, Chad Hoffman, Neil Sugihara, Andrea E. Thode, J. Morgan Varner, Penelope Morgan

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Over the last 20 years, the duties of US fire professionals have become more complex and risk laden because of fuel load accumulation, climate change, and the increasing wildland-urban interface. Incorporation of fire use and ecological principles into fire management policies has further expanded the range of expertise and knowledge required of fire professionals. The educational and training systems that produce these professionals, however, have been slow to organize an updated and coordinated approach to preparing future practitioners. Consequently, aspiring fire professionals face numerous challenges related to scheduling conflicts, limited higher education programs in fire science, lack of coordination between …

Investigation Of Mlb Data With Multivariate Statistics, Vincent Milano

Statistics

A statistical study was performed in order to explore the relationships of the offensive player statistics for every player in the 2008 Major League Baseball season. The purpose of the study was to explore various multivariate statistical methods within the data set.

The offensive variables in the study are: games, at-bats, runs, hits, singles, doubles, triples, homeruns, extra base hits, runs batted in, total bases, walks, strikeouts, stolen bases, times caught stealing, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging percentage, and batting average. All variables are season totals except for onbase percentage, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, and batting average. …

Galaxy Zoo: ‘Hanny's Voorwerp’, A Quasar Light Echo?, Chris J. Lintott, Kevin Schawinski, William Keel, Hanny Van Arkel, Nicola Bennert, Edward Edmondson, Daniel Thomas, Daniel J.B. Smith, Peter D. Herbert, Matt J. Jarvis, Shanil Virani, Dan Andreescu, Steven P. Bamford, Kate Land, Phil Murray, Robert C. Nichol, M. Jordan Raddick, Anže Slosar, Alex Azalay, Jan Vandenberg

Physics

We report the discovery of an unusual object near the spiral galaxy IC 2497, discovered by visual inspection of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) as part of the Galaxy Zoo project. The object, known as Hanny's Voorwerp, is bright in the SDSS g band due to unusually strong [O iii]4959, 5007 emission lines. We present the results of the first targeted observations of the object in the optical, ultraviolet and X-ray, which show that the object contains highly ionized gas. Although the line ratios are similar to extended emission-line regions near luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN), the source of …

Input To The Nas Ctbt Study, David Hafemeister

Physics

No abstract provided.

De Vries Behavior In Smectics Near A Biaxiality Induced Smectic A - Smectic C Tricritical Point, Karl Saunders

Physics

We show that a generalized Landau theory for the smectic A and C phases exhibits a biaxiality induced AC tricritical point. Proximity to this tricritical point depends on the degree of orientational order in the system; for sufficiently large orientational order the AC transition is 3D XY-like, while for sufficiently small orientational order, it is either tricritical or 1st order. We investigate each of the three types of AC transitions near tricriticality and show that for each type of transition, small orientational order implies de Vries behavior in the layer spacing, an unusually small layer contraction. This result is consistent …

Complete Findings: Survey On Public Opinions And Attitudes On Outdoor Recreation In California: 2009, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Mike Chrisman, Ruth Coleman, William W. Hendricks

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

A Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) is required of every state in order to be eligible for grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. The LWCF Act requires the SCORP to include the following: a) the name of the state agency with authority to act for California in dealing with the Secretary of the Interior for the purposes of the LWCF Act, b) an evaluation of the demand for and supply of the outdoor recreation resources and facilities in the state, c) a program for the implementation of the Plan, d) certification by the governor that ample …

Toward Automating Requirements Satisfaction Assessment, E. Ashlee Holbrook, Jane Huffman Hayes, Alex Dekhtyar

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This paper introduces the automation of satisfaction assessment: the process of determining the satisfaction mapping of natural language textual requirements to natural language design elements. Satisfaction assessment is useful because it assists in discovering unsatisfied requirements early in the lifecycle when such issues can be corrected with lower cost and impact than later. We define the basic terms and concepts for this process and explore the feasibility of developing baseline methods for its automation. This paper describes the satisfaction assessment approach algorithmically and then evaluates the effectiveness of two proposed information retrieval (IR) methods in two industrial studies - one …

Ctbt Evasion Scenarios: Possible Or Probable?, David W. Hafemeister

Physics

No abstract provided.

Contributing Efforts In The Search For Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, Laura Christine Sparks

Physics

Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) will be part of the next generation of detectors used to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). Located in Assergi, Italy at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), CUORE will be a large cryogenic bolometer composed of 988 tellurium dioxide (TeO2) detectors with a total mass of 750 kg, and will search for 0νββ in 130Te. As the experiment will monitor the extremely rare event of 0νββ, all factors contributing to background need to be minimized to effectively increase the sensitivity. I assisted the LNGS researchers over the summer of 2008 by …