I have been studying the rudimentary tendencies of plasmas. Now I will be working under Cheryl Johnson, an undergraduate senior, taking data for a distribution of Xenon-Argon Plasma.
Before I can take the data, I have to make the probe I'll be inserting into the Plasma. The probe is just a Langmuir probe - essentially a wire sticking into the plasma. Once made, I can stick it on a shaft that will adjust how deep it sticks into the plasma. The voltage difference tells us the electron temperature and ion density and some other data based on known distributions... I think.
Specifically, I'm not sure exactly what data I'll be looking for, so since Monday, I've been looking at Principles of Plasma Diagnostics by Hutchinson to prioritize my data and understand what characteristics are needed for the probe. If there are specific trends I want to find, some design elements might compromise that data. Pretty nifty.
Thanksgiving is getting in the way, but I'm looking forward to a 4 day break. Vincent has also been around the last couple of days, so instead of going to the lab, we've been exploring.
21 November, 2007
17 November, 2007
Langmuir Probes
After a month of studying the kinetic theory of vacuum pumps and pressure, Dr. Roger McWilliams, my research professor, has prescribed the study of Langmuir probes, which detect electron temperature and ion density in plasmas. Since looking at the vast amount of information related to the probes, I've been more subject to the futility of my ignorance. This futility, paired with Rebecca's encouragement, sparked the start of this blog. If nothing else, this journal can serve as a record of my goals set and accomplished. In explaining what I've learned, I'll demonstrate my understanding? Maybe I might even be encouraged (hopefully not the opposite) by my progress. In any case, it'll be good entertainment.
I have become a big fan of my intro to existentialism class. So far we've studied Kierkegaard, Kafka, Nietzsche, and Sartre. Before this class, my impression of existentialism was that is promoted nihilism and the pointlessness of life. Happily, its the opposite. In some form or other, every existentialist we've studied has only offered a style of thinking which encourages self-fulfilment. Nietzsche through the Übermensch, Kierkegaard through the Night of Faith, Sartre through renunciation of bad faith, Sartre through... becoming a giant bug?
In any case, I decided to try to use some of the general ideas of existentialism as a tool for efficiency. I started writing down all my goals, long and extremely short. Moreover, I started writing down the qualities I saw in my utopian self, my idea of my transcendence. Then, renouncing all laziness, I worked on this list as one would a todo list.
Man, its hard! With the arguable exception of working out every day, only my mental strength could be a barrier to accomplishing my goals. Yet after a few days of making sure everything I did was accomplishing something, I was exhausted. It was dumb, like a skinny kid working out really hard one day and feeling the effects of it the next, and consequently swearing never to work out again. My behaviour has been sinusoidal since.
This morning I wrote down my todo list again, but in two sections.
1. Things I Should Do (the capitals make it look cool) and
2. Things I Can Do
What I have in mind is that I can start slow. Do the things I should do, then do what I can do, without making the same mistake the overzealous skinny kid does when he decides he wants to be strong and muscular. As time goes on, I'll learn to do more of the things I can do without feeling exhausted.
Hopefully. I can already tell I'll laugh at this in a couple of years.
I need to go and add "write to blog bi-weekly" to my list.
I have become a big fan of my intro to existentialism class. So far we've studied Kierkegaard, Kafka, Nietzsche, and Sartre. Before this class, my impression of existentialism was that is promoted nihilism and the pointlessness of life. Happily, its the opposite. In some form or other, every existentialist we've studied has only offered a style of thinking which encourages self-fulfilment. Nietzsche through the Übermensch, Kierkegaard through the Night of Faith, Sartre through renunciation of bad faith, Sartre through... becoming a giant bug?
In any case, I decided to try to use some of the general ideas of existentialism as a tool for efficiency. I started writing down all my goals, long and extremely short. Moreover, I started writing down the qualities I saw in my utopian self, my idea of my transcendence. Then, renouncing all laziness, I worked on this list as one would a todo list.
Man, its hard! With the arguable exception of working out every day, only my mental strength could be a barrier to accomplishing my goals. Yet after a few days of making sure everything I did was accomplishing something, I was exhausted. It was dumb, like a skinny kid working out really hard one day and feeling the effects of it the next, and consequently swearing never to work out again. My behaviour has been sinusoidal since.
This morning I wrote down my todo list again, but in two sections.
1. Things I Should Do (the capitals make it look cool) and
2. Things I Can Do
What I have in mind is that I can start slow. Do the things I should do, then do what I can do, without making the same mistake the overzealous skinny kid does when he decides he wants to be strong and muscular. As time goes on, I'll learn to do more of the things I can do without feeling exhausted.
Hopefully. I can already tell I'll laugh at this in a couple of years.
I need to go and add "write to blog bi-weekly" to my list.
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