CSSF Category Awards: 2015
Physics & Astronomy

Senior Division

Awards Ceremony photo to come

S1707 — First Place

Shashank Dholakia, Grade 10
Shishir Dholakia, Grade 10
A Search for Exoplanets in Open Star Clusters Using a Novel Photometric Algorithm for the "Crippled" Kepler Mission
Advisor: Mr. Cory Dobos
School: Wilcox (Adrian C.) High School, Santa Clara, Santa Clara County

S1711 — Second Place

Kyle A. Groves, Grade 12
Advanced Warning for Solar Flares: Utilizing Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances to Detect and Measure Solar Flares
Advisor: Mr. Philip Deutschle
School: Salinas High School, Salinas, Monterey County

S1720 — Third Place

Anchit Narain, Grade 11
Topological Insulators: An Analysis of the Electron-Phonon Coupling Constant of Bi(2)Se(3) Using ARPES Data
Advisor: Dr. Gey-Hong Gweon
School: Clovis North High School, Fresno, Fresno County

S1724 — Fourth Place

Julienne Sauer, Grade 10
Quantum Locking Aircraft: Towards the Development of Magnetically Assisted Landing and Take-off Systems via Flux Pinning
Advisor: Ms. Annie Nguyen
School: Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon, Contra Costa County

S1710 — Honorable Mention

Raymond U. Gilmartin, Grade 11
Characterization of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions for Next-Generation Energy-Efficient Memory Technologies
Advisor: Mr. Xiang Li
School: South Pasadena High School, South Pasadena, Los Angeles County

S1712 — Honorable Mention

Matthew M. Hase-Liu, Grade 10
A Novel Study on the Improvement of Electronic Transport Characteristics in a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell
Advisor: Mr. Jason Lee
School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Santa Clara County

S1718 — Honorable Mention

Sydney L. Marler, Grade 9
The Effects of Interstellar Medium on the X-Ray Spectral Characteristics of Gamma Ray Bursts
Advisor: Mr. Chris Ostermann
School: Burroughs (Sherman E.) High School, Ridgecrest, Kern County

S1726 — Honorable Mention

Ethan M. Uetrecht, Grade 10
Assessing the Practicality of Asteroid Deflection Strategies Using Simulation
Advisor: Mr. Peter Starodub
School: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles County

S1727 — Honorable Mention

Zoe Zawol, Grade 9
The Effect of Strong Magnetic Fields Caused by Broadcast Antennas on the Local Cosmic Ray Flux
Advisor: Ms. Mary Hines
School: Pasadena High School, Pasadena, Los Angeles County