CSSF Project Listings: 2014
Physics & Astronomy

Senior Division

S1801

Vikram A. Balaji, Grade 9
Resonance in Different Materials
Advisor: Ms. Colleen Kelly
School: Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, Sacramento County

S1802 — Honorable Mention

Namrata R. Balasingam, Grade 11
A Kinetic Monte Carlo Study of the Scalability and Variability of the Forming Voltage of Transition Metal Oxide ReRAMs
Advisor: Dr. Dipu Pramanik
School: Mitty (Archbishop) High School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1803

Vikas C. Bhetanabhotla, Grade 12
Identification of Satellite Galaxies around Milky Way Galactic Analogs Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Advisor: Dr. Risa Wechsler
School: Harker (The) School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1804

Nithin Buduma, Grade 10
Evaluation of Anisotropic Kondo Systems CeNiSn and FeSi as Topological Insulators Reveals Anomalous Transport Behavior
Advisor: Dr. Arthur Ramirez
School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1805 — Honorable Mention

Cameron Chaffey, Grade 10
Alien Atmospheres: Searching for Exoplanet Bow Shocks
Advisor: Mr. Dana Hagen
School: Torrance High School, Torrance, Los Angeles County

S1806

Jennifer J. Choi, Grade 9
How Do You Frustrate Total Internal Reflection? The Mysterious Evanescent Wave
Advisor: Mr. Robert Nguyen
School: Oxford Academy, Cypress, Orange County

S1807 — Fourth Place

Ezra B. Creighton, Grade 11
Engineering an HHO System to Safely Run a Four Stroke Engine with Water (HHO), Part 3
Advisor: Mr. Michael Bell
School: Monarch Academy, Moreno Valley, Riverside County

S1808

Shaiann M. Edmondson, Grade 10
Will the Gas Pass?
Advisor: Mr. Earl Edmondson
School: Vanden High School, Fairfield, Solano County

S1809

Kishan M. Ghadiya, Grade 11
Does Jupiter Harm or Protect the Earth?
Advisor: Mrs. Crystal Neptune
School: Stockdale High School, Bakersfield, Kern County

S1810

Gwendolyn R. Gilbert-Snyder, Grade 10
Discovering the Magnus Effect by Rolling Spheres through Resistant Fluids
Advisor: Mr. Robert Fabini
School: El Cerrito Senior High School, El Cerrito, Contra Costa County

S1811 — Second Place

Michelle Guo, Grade 12
Andrew J. Zhang, Grade 11
Stellar Isotopic Abundances in the Milky Way: Insights into the Origin of Carbon and Neutron-Capture Elements
Advisor: Dr. Evan Kirby
School: Harker (The) School, San Jose, Santa Clara County, Irvington High School, Fremont, Alameda County

S1812

Rui Ji, Grade 10
Projectile Motion
Advisor: Mr. John-Emmanuel Shirajian
School: Ribet Academy, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

S1813

Amely Joly, Grade 10
Allô? Is Anyone on the String?
Advisor: Mr. Julien Astruc
School: French American International School, San Francisco, San Francisco County

S1814

Hayato S. Kato, Grade 9
Control of a Free Swinging Pendulum by the Force Created by Rotor Inertia
Advisor: Mr. Tom Shrake
School: University High School, Irvine, Orange County

S1815

Minkyung Kim, Grade 10
Speed of Waves on Strings
Advisor: Mr. John-Emmanuel Shirajian
School: Ribet Academy, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

S1816

Madeline M. Liao, Grade 9
Magnetic Fields on Mars and Beyond
Advisor: Mr. Richard Kinney
School: Buchanan (Floyd B.) High School, Clovis, Fresno County

S1817

Michael M. Lu, Grade 11
Is There an Absolute Hot?
Advisor: Mr. Guy Rowe
School: Developing Virtue School, Ukiah, Mendocino County

S1818

Nayeli Martinez, Grade 11
Exposed: A Study of the Effectiveness of Waterproof Sunscreen
Advisor: Mr. Riccardo Magni
School: Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County

S1819

Daniel C. Moon, Grade 11
YBCO Superconductor Magnet Repulsion Force: Vortex/Flux Pinning in Type-II Superconductors
Advisor: Mr. Craig Carlyle
School: Moorpark High School, Moorpark, Ventura County

S1820 — Honorable Mention

Aaron C. Ray, Grade 11
Temperature Dependence of the Indirect and Direct Bandgaps in TlBr from Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy
Advisor: Dr. Nancy Haegel
School: York School, Monterey, Monterey County

S1821

Manjit Ruprem, Grade 9
Scientific and Technical Study on Dependent Factors for Wireless Power Transfer
Advisor: Mr. Richard Kinney
School: Buchanan (Floyd B.) High School, Clovis, Fresno County

S1822

Vidur Sanandan, Grade 12
Structural Parameters and Comparisons of Galaxies and Galactic Field Depths
Advisor: Dr. Tomer Tal
School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1823 — Third Place

Julienne Sauer, Grade 9
Quantum Locking: Applications towards Controlled Frictionless Spatial Motion
Advisor: Ms. Katherine Huang
School: Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon, Contra Costa County

S1824

Manan A. Shah, Grade 9
A Study of the Effects of Solar Flares on the Magnetosphere of the Sun and the Propagation of Solar Pressure Waves
Advisor: Mr. Chris Spenner
School: Harker (The) School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1825 — First Place

Connor E. Tom, Grade 11
Time-Resolved Optical Study of the Surface States of the Topological Insulator Bi(2)Se(3)
Advisor: Dr. Harry Tom
School: North (John Wesley) High School, Riverside, Riverside County

S1826

Samantha I. Wathugala, Grade 12
Dependence of Silica Sol-Gel Thin Film Material Properties on Fabrication Methods
Advisor: Mr. Peter Starodub
School: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles County

S1899

Isfar S. Munir, Grade 12
The Relationship between Air Properties and the Deflection Experienced by an Electric Arc, Year 2
Advisor: Dr. Randy Harris
School: Tracy Joint Union High School, Tracy, San Joaquin County