Physics Colloquium 2024, Advanced Major/Honours Presentations II

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Presentation
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Nasso Family Science Centre, Room 3046
Small and Ultra-Small Angle Neutron Scattering Studies of Commercial Cheese Products
Bryanna Smith

Commercial cheese is a widely consumed and diverse dairy product that is enjoyed by many. While most people can recognize the distinct qualitative features of cheese such as its taste, smell, or texture, it is lesser known that complexities in its structure dictate these characteristics. Understanding this relationship is important for many sectors of industry and would be beneficial knowledge for consumers. In this study we employ ultra-small angle and small angle neutron scattering techniques spanning a q-vector range of 10-5<q<2×10-1-1 to survey structural characteristics across a variety of commercial cheeses. In the low q-range we find scattering intensities (I(q)) with power law behaviour having exponents between 2.7 – 3.7, and in the high q-range the cheese varieties show a feature consistent with short-range ordering with repeat distance between 195 – 653 .

 

Measurement of Upsilon (3S) Mass with the BaBar Detector
Sara Sullivan

At the core of scientific curiosity lies the inquiry into the universe’s fundamentals, with the prevailing Standard Model detailing elementary particles, their properties, and interactions. However, observed violations in conservation laws during particle collider experiments necessitate a deeper investigation. Focusing on BaBar’s Υ(3S) data, this research seeks potential candidate events indicating invariant mass while comparing real experimental data and generic MC data sets. The investigation concentrates on electron-muon pair events, specifically the interaction Υ(3S) → e±μ∓. Data analysis preformed utilizes pre-selected data to enhance candidate identification, as well as defining limitations on particle parameters that pertain to the interaction of interest. Using the measurement of Υ(3S) data, potential candidates are discovered in relation to a specific quantum number violation known as lepton flavour violation.