Projects - Undergraduate
This
section contain some of the various projects and
assignments from my undergraduate degree.
Report on Nuclear Waste
I researched the physics behind the hazards of nuclear waste. The American Physical Society report by Moniz et al. published in Review of Modern Physics 50, S1-S185, January (1978) was used as a basis to start from.
Abstract:
Write-Up:
Uranium Critical Mass
I used a Monte Carlo simulation that was scripted in Python to calculate the critical masses of uranium spheres of various enrichments. The results were fairly accurate with better results being obtained than the first estimates from experimental evidence of the critical mass by researchers in Los Alamos.
Abstract:
Write-Up:
Scripts:
Discrete Logs
This was my undergraduate research project for my mathematics major. Cryptographic systems are based on mathematical problems that are considered hard to solve. Examples of these are factoring large numbers into prime factors and finding discrete logarithms in cyclic groups. I looked at some of the possible methods to calculate discrete logs. I also scripted them in Python to gain an understanding of how they work.
Abstract:
Write-Up:
Scripts:
Report on Nuclear Waste
I researched the physics behind the hazards of nuclear waste. The American Physical Society report by Moniz et al. published in Review of Modern Physics 50, S1-S185, January (1978) was used as a basis to start from.
Abstract:
The physics behind the nuclear
waste problem is looked at. This includes how, why and where nuclear
waste comes from. The reasons that it is dangerous, how long these
dangers could last is also looked at, as well as current and possible
future solutions.
Write-Up:
pdf
Uranium Critical Mass
I used a Monte Carlo simulation that was scripted in Python to calculate the critical masses of uranium spheres of various enrichments. The results were fairly accurate with better results being obtained than the first estimates from experimental evidence of the critical mass by researchers in Los Alamos.
Abstract:
A Monte Carlo simulation was
done on the neutron interactions in a sphere of uranium. The simulation
takes as inputs the composition of the sphere as well as the mass, and
returns the criticality factor. Using
cross-section data from JEFF3.1 evaluated nuclear data files and
estimations of the energy changes in the interactions of neutrons and
uranium nuclei an algorithm was developed to simulate the neutron
interactions and thus determine the criticality factor for a given mass
and composition. For a 93.8% enriched uranium sphere of
density18.750g/cm3 we find a critical mass of 52.184 ± 0.549 kg.
This value corresponds well to those that are experimentally obtained.
Write-Up:
Scripts:
Discrete Logs
This was my undergraduate research project for my mathematics major. Cryptographic systems are based on mathematical problems that are considered hard to solve. Examples of these are factoring large numbers into prime factors and finding discrete logarithms in cyclic groups. I looked at some of the possible methods to calculate discrete logs. I also scripted them in Python to gain an understanding of how they work.
Abstract:
Public key cryptosystems that are
based on discrete logs in cyclic groups are described. A mathematical
look at the the 'square-root', O(sqrt N), methods of attack are looked
at to find discrete logs. These include finding discrete logs by Shanks
Baby-Step Giant-Step algorithm, the Pollard-Rho algorithm and the
Pohlig-Hellmann algorithm.
Write-Up:
Scripts: