Physics Doctoral Work
Browse by
Recent Submissions
-
Investigation of 2D polymer thin films in 3D structures involving Crumpling, Origami, Kirigami and Adhesion
(North Dakota State University, 2024)This dissertation delves into the fascinating world of thin films and their ability to transform into three-dimensional (3D) structures. One can simply crush a sheet of paper into a ball to make a 3D object a faster, yet ... -
Applying theoretical frameworks from cognitive psychology to assess faculty professional development and student reasoning in physics
(North Dakota State University, 2024)Understanding human behavior and reasoning is essential for developing successful instruction. Discipline-based education researchers have examined how students learn, informing the development of successful instructional ... -
Biophysical Characterization of Living Cells and Membrane Receptors by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
(North Dakota State University, 2021)Cellular biomechanics and cellular communication via receptor-ligand interactions play an important role in controlling cell development and maintaining cellular functions. Atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) technique has ... -
Lattice Gas and Lattice Boltzmann Methods for Fluctuating Systems, Barrier Coatings, and Overrelaxation
(North Dakota State University, 2022)In the field of computational fluid dynamics, lattice gas and lattice Boltzmann methods are powerful simulation methods derived from kinetic theory. These methods are renowned for their simplicity of implementation and ... -
Fundamental Studies of Interfacial Forces Acting on Thin Films
(North Dakota State University, 2021)A thin film is a material that is many orders of magnitude thinner than it is long or wide. They are commonly found in many forms and have been adapted to a wide variety of uses. The art of origami uses thin films(sheets ... -
Osmotic Swelling Behavior of Ionic Microgels
(North Dakota State University, 2020)This dissertation studies the thermodynamic and structural properties of aqueous dispersions of ionic microgels – soft colloidal particles composed of cross-linked polymer gels that swell in a good solvent. Starting from ... -
The Thiol-ene Encapsulation and Photo-physical Characterization of Colloidal Silicon Nanocrystals Synthesized with Si6H12 Using Non-thermal Plasma Reactor
(North Dakota State University, 2021)Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) are nanometer-sized semiconducting materials. Their small size endows them with unique photophysical properties. Efficient photoluminescence (PL) from silicon nanocrystal (SiNC) composites has ... -
Single-Molecule Studies of Intermolecular Kinetics Using Nano-Electronics Circuits
(North Dakota State University, 2020)As science and medicine advance, it becomes ever more important to be able to control and analyze smaller and smaller bioparticles all the way down to single molecules. In this dissertation several studies aimed at improving ... -
Multi-Scale Simulation Methods of Crosslinked Polymer Networks and Degradation
(North Dakota State University, 2018)Crosslinked thermoset polymers are used heavily in industrial and consumer products, as well as in infrastructure. When used as a protective coating, a thermoset's net-like structure can act as a barrier to protect an ... -
Properties of Reinfoced Carbon Nanotube and Laser-Crystallized Silicon Films
(North Dakota State University, 2016)Flexible electronics are anticipated to be one of the next technological advancements of electronic devices. The enhanced durability, light-weight nature, and conformity of flexible electronics are desired properties in a ... -
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Modeling of Mixed Lipid Membranes and their Interaction with Macromolecules
(North Dakota State University, 2015)Mixed lipid membranes play a crucial role in numerous cellular processes and pharmaceutical applications. Fully understanding the interactions between membranes and biomacromolecules is not possible without gaining insight ... -
Fluctuations in the Lattice Boltzmann Method
(North Dakota State University, 2012)The implementation of fluctuations in the lattice Boltzmann method has made significant progress in the last 10 years. The significance of incorporating noise to all non-conserved degrees of freedom was a significant recent ... -
Electrostatic Interactions at Dielectric Interfaces: From Colloids to Membranes
(North Dakota State University, 2017)In this thesis we have investigated electrostatic interactions at dielectric interfaces using theoretical models based on the non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann theory and its extensions. We have focused on three major topics: ... -
A Numerical and Analytical Analysis of the Physics of Phase-Separation Fronts
(North Dakota State University, 2012)My dissertation is an investigation into the basic Physics of phase separation fronts. Such phase-separation fronts occur in many practical applications, like the formation of immersion precipitation membranes, Temperature ... -
The Nature of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube-Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells
(North Dakota State University, 2015)Since their inception in 2007, nanotube-silicon heterojunction solar cells have experienced rapid improvement due to the diligent work of several research groups. These devices have quickly reached a point where they might ... -
Buckling Instabilities of Nanoscale Polymer Films and Colloidal Particle Layers
(North Dakota State University, 2015)Nanoscale polymer films have numerous potential applications such as protective coatings, flexible electronics, energy harvesting devices, and drug delivery systems. For realization of these potential applications, the ...