CSSF Project Listings: 2013
Physics & Astronomy

Senior Division

S1801

Xavier Aguilar, Grade 11
Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal
Advisor: Mr. Riccardo Magni
School: Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County

S1802

Anna Z. Baney, Grade 11
Investigating UVA Radiation on the Chemical Properties of Sunscreen
Advisor: Mr. Andrew Kempiak
School: Technology High School, Rohnert Park, Sonoma County

S1803

Carolyn Donohoe, Grade 11
Jonathan C. McDowell, Grade 11
Trampolines: Force and Compression
Advisor: Mr. Kenneth Nadeau
School: Carlmont High School, Belmont, San Mateo County

S1804

Kishan M. Ghadiya, Grade 10
Sunspot Cycles
Advisor: Mrs. Crystal Neptune
School: Stockdale High School, Bakersfield, Kern County

S1805

Kyle A. Groves, Grade 10
The Consequences of Light Pollution and How Filters Can Limit Its Effects in Astronomy
Advisor: Mr. Philip Deutschle
School: Salinas High School, Salinas, Monterey County

S1806 — Second Place

Michelle Guo, Grade 11
Andrew J. Zhang, Grade 10
The Distribution of [C/Fe] Ratios in Milky Way Dwarf Spheroidal Satellites from Medium-Resolution Spectroscopy
Advisor: Dr. Evan Kirby
School: Harker (The) School, San Jose, Santa Clara County, Irvington High School, Fremont, Alameda County

S1807

Rahul V. Joshi, Grade 9
Harika S. Kalluri, Grade 9
Car Seats and Damage Control: Finding the Optimal Distance that a Car Seat Should Be Placed from a Crumple Zone
Advisor: Mr. Doug Miller
School: Evergreen Valley High School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1808 — Honorable Mention

Jay G. Kamat, Grade 11
Alex Nagase, Grade 11
Exploring the Effect of Water Hardness on the Mpemba Effect
Advisor: Dr. Mary Anne Plano
School: Homestead High School, Cupertino, Santa Clara County

S1809

Justin G. Lee, Grade 12
Sound Resonance: How Wood Properties Affect Sound
Advisor: Mr. Kenneth Nadeau
School: Carlmont High School, Belmont, San Mateo County

S1810 — First Place

Jamie R. Lesser, Grade 12
Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulation on Atomic Diffusion on a Cu-Sn Surface
Advisor: Mr. Peter Starodub
School: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles County

S1811

Vinson Luo, Grade 11
Relativistic Ray Tracing: Using Ray Tracing to Simulate the Appearance of Objects in Relativistic Situations
Advisor: Mr. Tim Smay
School: University High School, Irvine, Orange County

S1812

Marc J. Matossian, Grade 11
The Physics of Operating a Negative Corona Discharge
Advisor: Mr. Mark Michail
School: A.G.B.U. Manoogian Demirdjian School, Canoga Park, Los Angeles County

S1814

Rayna M. Rampalli, Grade 11
Looking for Another World? Rapid Inference Model for Exoplanets as Super Earths or Hot Jupiters
Advisor: Dr. Kerri Cahoy
School: Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, Sacramento County

S1815 — Third Place

Sara K. Simpson, Grade 11
Modeling Parameter Sensitivity of Nonlinear Oscillators with Fitzhugh Nagumo Equations
Advisor: Ms. Lara Dickens
School: Henry (Patrick) Senior High School, San Diego, San Diego County

S1816

Adam C. Stephens, Grade 10
It Is a Bird! It Is a Plane! No, It Is a Film Canister Rocket
Advisor: Mrs. Marsha Morris
School: Vanden High School, Fairfield, Solano County

S1817 — Honorable Mention

Caitlin E. Thompson, Grade 12
Bio-Inspired Design of a Dew Catcher Based on Nanotechnology
Advisor: Mr. Joe Mello
School: Carmel High School, Carmel, Monterey County

S1894

Elizabeth G. Thomson, Grade 10
Allyn M. Tolosa, Grade 10
Extinguishing Fire Using Sound Energy
Advisor: Mr. Woodward Maxwell
School: Ventura High School, Ventura, Ventura County

S1895

Diego M. Kress, Grade 10
Sean P. Williams, Grade 10
Quantum Levitation
Advisor: Ms. Karen Reynosa
School: Ventura High School, Ventura, Ventura County

S1896

Blake A. Bergstrom, Grade 11
Visual and Photometric Classification of a Sample of Low to Intermediate Redshift Galaxies in the COSMOS Field
Advisor: Mrs. Michele Hampton
School: King (Martin Luther, Jr.) High School, Riverside, Riverside County

S1897 — Honorable Mention

Ezra B. Creighton, Grade 10
Making a Four Stroke Engine Run on Water, Instead of Gasoline
Advisor: Mr. James Creighton
School: Monarch Academy, Moreno Valley, Riverside County

S1898 — Fourth Place

Roshan J. Plamthottam, Grade 11
The Self-Assembly of Diamagnetic Materials Using a Magnetic Field
Advisor: Mr. William Schlegel
School: Upland High School, Upland, San Bernardino County

S1899

Jessica L. Cao, Grade 11
Austin K. Ha, Grade 11
Cameron K. Khansarinia, Grade 11
The RC Time Constant: Developing and Optimizing a Three-Dimensional Tracking Interface
Advisor: Mr. Peter Lum
School: Centennial High School, Corona, Riverside County