High precision optical cavity length and width measurements using double modulation

We use doubly phase modulated light to measure both the length and the linewidth of an optical resonator with high precision. The first modulation is at RF frequencies and is set near a multiple of the free spectral range, whereas the second modulation is at audio frequencies to eliminate offset errors at DC. The light in transmission or in reflection of the optical resonator is demodulated while sweeping the RF frequency over the optical resonance. We derive expressions for the demodulated power in transmission, and show that the zero crossings of the demodulated signal in transmission serve as a precise measure of the cavity linewidth at half maximum intensity. We demonstrate the technique on two resonant cavities, with lengths 16 m and a 4 km, and achieve an absolute length accuracy as low as 70 ppb. The cavity width for the 16 m cavity was determined with an accuracy of approximately 6000 ppm. Through an analysis of the systematic errors we show that this result could be substantially improved with the reduction of technical sources of uncertainty

Characterization of thermal effects in the Enhanced LIGO Input Optics

We present the design and performance of the LIGO Input Optics subsystem as implemented for the sixth science run of the LIGO interferometers. The Initial LIGO Input Optics experienced thermal side effects when operating with 7 W input power. We designed, built, and implemented improved versions of the Input Optics for Enhanced LIGO, an incremental upgrade to the Initial LIGO interferometers, designed to run with 30 W input power. At four times the power of Initial LIGO, the Enhanced LIGO Input Optics demonstrated improved performance including better optical isolation, less thermal drift, minimal thermal lensing and higher optical efficiency. The success of the Input Optics design fosters confidence for its ability to perform well in Advanced LIGO

Gravitational Wave Astrophysics: Instrumentation, Detector Characterization, and a Search for Gravitational Signals from Gamma-ray Bursts

In the coming years, the second generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors are widely expected to observe the gravitational radiation emitted by compact, energetic events in the nearby universe. The field of gravitational wave astrophysics has grown into a large international endeavor with a global network of kilometer-scale observatories. The work presented in this thesis spans the field, from optical metrology, to instrument commissioning, to detector characterization and data analysis. The principal results are a method for the precise characterization of optical cavities, the commissioning of the advanced LIGO Output Mode Cleaner at the Hanford observatory, and a search for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts

Illustrating adolescent awareness: Teaching historical injustices and promoting agency through picture books in secondary classrooms

Picture books, often marketed to and written for young children, are typically thought of only as tools to inspire early literacy. They rarely make their way into secondary lesson plans, and with their seemingly simple illustrations and text, they are mostly deemed (socially, if not academically) inappropriate for accomplished readers. This thesis explores the advantages of including picture books when teaching four young adult texts: Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising (2000), Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (2005), Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (2014), and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (2003). Picture books can serve as valuable companions to anchor texts such as these because they help develop critical thinking skills and invite students to analyze the illustrations. Additionally, when teachers include anchor texts to help connect themes of acceptance and social awareness, picture books encourage adolescents to be more hopeful and empathetic and to recognize and seize their agency against contemporary injustices

Pop Rocks and Persistence: Finding the Women in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security

One hundred years after the ratification of the 19th amendment, women in the United States continue to face societal and institutionalized biases that can undermine the success of women everywhere. This is especially true when it comes to leadership in the U.S. government. And while the number of women serving in state and federal legislatures has increased, the number of women leaders in the foreign policy and national security establishment continues to be lacking. As I progressed in my International Relations degree, it became apparent that I was most frequently learning about men, from men, and then I asked: where are the women in U.S. foreign policy and national security (FP/NS)? Over the last three months, I have interviewed fifteen women from various FP/NS backgrounds and degrees of experience to understand their time in the field and how their identities as women impacted their work. The decades-old networks of aging, white men who have held, and continue to hold, the majority of positions across the foreign policy establishment and have created a culture where women must work harder than the men around them in order to advance. In addition, almost all reported casual sexism and discrimination in the workplace. But, small steps have brought greater numbers of women into the field. While support from career service members and both male and female mentors have helped increase the numbers of women in FP/NS, the fraternal cultures of the institutions women serve has prevented the diversity the establishment needs so the decision-makers are more informed and better represent the country they serve

Projects in Geospatial Data Analysis: Spring 2016

This document contains semester projects for students in CSCI 4380/7000 Geospatial Data Analysis (GSA). The course explores the technical aspects of programmatic geospatial data analysis with a focus on GIS concepts, custom GIS programming, analytical and statistical methods, and open source tools and frameworks

Structural Analysis Across the Northeast Boundary of the Taconic Allochthon, West-Central Vermont

The Taconic Allochthon is an elongate belt of Cambro-Ordovician, argillaceous sediments with lesser occurrences of calcareous and siliceous lithologies. These lithologically distinctive strata lie tectonically juxtaposed over a coeval medial-Ordovician carbonate shelf sequence. This geometry resulted from an arc-continent collision in which a westward-migrating arc (Ammonoosuc Volcanics) collided with an eastern North America passive margin and the accumulated accretionary prism of the forearc region was thrust onto the passive continental margin. The present thesis examined the structural sequence at the north end of the Allochthon and the continuity of this sequence into the adjacent Parautochthonous Shelf strata. Structurally, the study area is quite complex and at least five phases of deformation can be distinguished. In the study area, two slaty cleavages were found. The earliest (S2), newly discovered during this research, strikes E/W and lies axial planar to the isoclinal, recumbent Ganson Hill Syncline. This is in turn transected by the NE-trending, regional slaty cleavage (S3) which is well known from the western Taconics. This later cleavage is that slaty cleavage dominant in outcrop and shows a similar orientation for both the Allochthon and Parautochthon. The slaty cleavage in the Shelf Sequence, however, has not been modified by later folding as has the Allochthon fabric. In the Allochthon, the crenulation cleavage (S5) is best developed near thrust zones although a weak crenulation lineation is present in nearly every outcrop in the study area. The NE-trending crenulation folds range from open to fairly tight, the latter being most common near thrusts. They are ubiquitously south-plunging with few exceptions. The late crenulation cleavage is nearly absent within the Parautochthon. At only three places a weak crenulation cleavage was found within the carbonates. Coupled with the observations from within the Allochthon, this suggests that many of the late crenulation-age imbricate thrusts within the Allochthon sole or flatten to the Basal Thrust (Giddings Brook Fault) of the Allochthon. An anomalous crenulation cleavage fabric is typically found in fault zones which developed synchronously with the crenulation F5 folding. This anomalous discrete crenulation cleavage (named here S4) post-dates the slaty cleavages (S2 and S3) and is generally transected by the NE-striking crenulation cleavage (S5), The anomalous E/W striking fault zone cleavage (S4) has an orientation normal to the fault plane or shear surface and the intersection lineation lies parallel to the transport direction as defined by chloritic and quartzose slickensides. The magnitudes of strain associated with the Ganson Hill early slaty cleavage (S2), the regional slaty cleavage (S3) and the crenulation cleavage (S5), were determined for a small number of localities using buckled quartz veins, reduction spots, and a combination of the t’ alpha method and buckled veins, respectively. The early slaty cleavage (S2) shows a 74% shortening, the late slaty cleavage (S3) shows 68-72% shortening and the crenulation strain (S5) shows a variable shortening magnitude of 27-45% normal to the respective cleavages. Microstructurally, the rocks of the Allochthon study area show all gradations of cleavage morphology due to varying proportions of silica and pelitic material. Slaty cleavage commonly appears as a differentiated layering or an anastamosing network of aligned phyllosilicates. The crenulation cleavages show a diversity of morphologies ranging from a discrete to a zonal fabric. New mica growth is typically seen in the cleavage domains. Microstructure of the Parautochthon is monotonous and cleavage is defined by stylolitic opaque seams and a weak grain shape foliation. In these rocks, mechanical twinning is present but evidence of recrystallization/recovery textures is common. Fault rocks from the Allochthon show microstructures indicative of complex growth patterns during deformation of quartz fibers and chloritic gouge material, in an environment dominated by high shear strains. Many specimens allow determination of shear sense by the geometry of cleavage rotation and the geometry of shear surfaces, analogous to those found in ductile shear zone

Complications and dosing frequency of 5% imiquimod for genital warts in a young man

A clinical decision report using: Fife KH, Ferenczy A, Douglas JM Jr, et al. Treatment of external genital warts in men using 5% imiquimod cream applied three times a week, once daily, twice daily, or three times a day. Sex Transm Dis. 2001;28(4):226-231. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007435-200104000-00007 for a patient with genital warts and an unstable social support network