Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2024 (published on Mar 19, 2024)
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“Maupertuis's Principle and Its Analog in Quantum Mechanics”

As part of his Honors Physics class at LaGuardia, student Miguel Posada has established a correspondence between Maupertuis's principle in classical mechanics and the variational principle in quantum mechanics. By highlighting the similarity between these two principles, Miguel demonstrates a non-trivial internal connection between the quantum and classical realms. His research offers a unique perspective on the origin of the well-known variational principle in quantum mechanics.

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2024 (published on Mar 19, 2024)
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“April 8th, 2024: Great Solar Eclipse”

In his lyrical exploration, LaGuardia student Amaru Alzogaray captivates us with the profound beauty and celestial majesty of the upcoming total solar eclipse. Traversing through history, science, and the raw emotion evoked by this astronomical event, Amaru paints a vivid tapestry of the eclipse's path across North America. From the anticipatory dance of shadows to the surreal daylight darkness, his narrative invites readers to witness the sun and moon's breathtaking pas de deux against the backdrop of a starlit sky.

This article is a poetic homage to the awe-inspiring power of nature and the celestial events that connect us across time and space.

Cover Image: Total Solar Eclipse, 2017 | Roman Senkov

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2023 (published on May 22, 2023)

“Unveiling Stellar Dimensions: An Exploration of Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs”

LaGuardia scholars Camille Enderlin and Lenin Nolasco illuminate the elusive dynamics of stellar dimensions, defining a typical Neutron Star's radius as approximately 10 km and a White Dwarf's as approximately 8,000 km. Their work unravels the intricate balance between gravitational and Fermi-Gas pressures, offering fresh perspectives on these celestial bodies.

Cover Image by Nidhi Yashwanth, from Pixabay

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2023 (published on May 22, 2023)
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“Finite Element Analysis and Theoretical Analysis of a Composite Cantilever Beam Subjected to Temperature Change”

In this research, Oscar J. Rivera, a student from LaGuardia, under the guidance of Dr. Yves Ngabonziza, eloquently demonstrates the interplay between temperature and the structural integrity of composite cantilever beams. Using Finite Element Analysis, Rivera explores thermal stresses, strains, and displacement, presenting a compelling case for selecting composite materials with comparable coefficients of thermal expansion and Young's modulus to ensure enhanced stability in extreme thermal conditions.

Cover Image by Oscar J Rivera

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2022 (published on Feb 14, 2022)
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Grad MAP - Winter Workshop, University of Maryland

LaGuardia students Daniel Gallego, Edda Hobuss, and Layla Xholi participated in a week-long workshop organized by the University of Maryland called GRAD-MAP. During this intense week, they had the chance to meet great physicists, tour labs and observatories, be introduced to Python, and gain some research experience. In this article, they share their experience and invite students to apply to this interesting program.

Cover: Image of an asteroid captured by NASA (Photo: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL).

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2022 (published on Feb 14, 2022)
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Lagrange Points in Binary Star Systems

This work was done by LaGuardia students Daniel Gallego and Layla Xholi as a part of the Honors “General Physics I” class, Fall 2021.

The authors studied Lagrange points and tried to locate them in any given binary star system. The obtained equations were applied to both a Sun-Earth-Moon scenario as well as a binary star system. Using Python they mapped the potential energy of various binary systems with different mass ratios and identified their respective Lagrange points.

Today the Lagrange points of our Earth-Sun system are of special interest as the point furthest from the Sun, also known as L2, hosts NASA's newest and most powerful James Webb Telescope.

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #3 2021 (published on Dec 06, 2021)
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“A bit of Mathematics, Physics and Magic” by Dr. Tao Chen and Dr. Roman Senkov

If it is possible to write rhymes with equations and formulae then this article written by LaGuardia professors Tao Chen and Roman Senkov is a poem full of wonderful mathematical tricks and true magic. You will learn how to calculate infinite series, continued fractions, nested roots and more.

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2021 (published on Feb 25, 2021)
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Orbital Decay of a Massive Black Hole

by LaGuardia Honors students Charles Lee-Georgescu and Ahn Vo

Ever wonder how long it takes for a massive black hole to spiral into the center of a galaxy? The authors of this article take a close look at the effects of dynamical friction on orbital decay to see how estimations like this are made.

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2021 (published on Feb 25, 2021)

“EXTRA! EXTRA! LIFE ON MARS?” by Amaru Alzogaray

The article tells the story of the most advanced scientific rover ever built, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, that has just landed on the Red Planet. This is an ambitious mission that links the fields of astronomy, physics, geology, chemistry, and biology.

Cover Image: this high-resolution image shows one of the six wheels aboard the rover. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #2 2020 (published on Jul 23, 2020)
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A Journey into Solar Energy

by Dr. Małgorzata Marciniak

Research on the efficient geometry of flexible solar panels initiated in 2016 was sparked by a question posed by two students in Calculus 3.

Interested in this research? Please contact Dr. Marciniak at mmarciniak@lagcc.cuny.edu

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #2 2020 (published on Jul 23, 2020)
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Computer Modelling of Physical Systems

from Planetary Rings to Diffusion and Brownian Motion

Five interdisciplinary research projects conducted by students in Spring 2020 Honors College Physics II and Computer Science classes and supervised by Dr. Doyel Pal and Dr. Roman Senkov.

Cover Image © NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2020 (published on May 27, 2020)
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Why I Chose Physics as a Major

by Karamoko Soumahoro

Karamoko is a former LaGuardia student who changed his major to physics. After graduating from LaGuardia he went to Stony-Brook University where he received a Bachelor's degree in physics.

Ad Astra Newsletter: Issue #1 2020 (published on May 27, 2020)
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Atomic Nuclei and Pairing Correlations

by LaGuardia students Josselyn Velasquez and Bai Huang

This research project was done as a part of Honors "College Physics I" class.