Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 9 No. 1 (2015)

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https://hdl.handle.net/1794/23454
Cover art by Basil Price

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    GPU-Imogen: An Astrophysical Hydrodynamic Code Built for Graphics Processing Units
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Brown, Isaac; Wolken, Tom
    We describe Graphics Processing Unit-Imogen (GPU-Imogen), an astrophysical hydrodynamics computer code, developed by Erik Keever and Scott Ernst. GPU-Imogen uses the Harten-Lax-van Leer-Contact (HLLC) fluid scheme to simulate the compressible Euler equations (equations governing a fluid with no viscosity or heat conduction). The fluid scheme is performed on the GPU, with the possibility of parallelization to multiple GPUs per node and/or GPU clusters. We describe the fluid scheme and GPU parallelization to understand the robustness and efficiency of the code. Benchmark tests of one-, two-, and three-dimensional problems are provided to verify robustness. User friendly features of GPU-Imogen are also explored. GPU-Imogen is shown to be a strong choice for an astrophysical hydrodynamics code.
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    The Question of Divine Omnibenevolence: What does the Hebrew Bible Reveal about Yahweh's Nature
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Faris, Jonathan
    The portrayal of God in the Hebrew Bible as a whole is overwhelmingly positive. However, this perception of the Hebrew Bible God, also known as Israel’s patron deity, Yahweh, changes upon further examination of certain biblical passages that appear to portray a malicious, exceedingly violent Yahweh. These passages have caused significant debate among interpreters, with some defending his behavior while others cast Yahweh in a malevolent light. However, these questionable narratives can be better understood by a rather integral thread woven into the fabric of biblical tradition: Yahweh’s covenantal relationship with his people. This unique relationship between patron god and people sets Israel apart from other ancient Near Eastern civilizations that had moody, passionate gods, such as Egypt and Babylonia. Yahweh made several covenants with the chosen people, and despite the Israelites’ consistent, flagrant violations of the relationship as well as his being devoid of obligation to the group he voluntarily delivered from slavery in Egypt, he maintained his side of the covenant. This faithfulness exemplifies his emotional investment in his people, which manifests itself in divine pathos. Likewise, Yahweh shows care and protection for the Israelites, often in the form of Yahweh voluntarily coming down to earth to act (sometimes violently) on behalf of Israel. When morally ambiguous passages are viewed in light of these biblical contexts, we can attain a more comprehensive view of Yahweh that affirms his omnibenevolence.
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    Guest Editorial
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Reasoner, Karl
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    Adamov's Alienation Effect: Showing the Absurdist Slant of Epic Theatre Aesthetic
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Maurer, Nicholas
    Epic Theatre and Absurdism could not be further apart. Epic Theatre was constructed in order to teach audiences morality, while Absurdism asserts that the world is deprived of morality and meaning. The contrast between styles can be seen by comparing the work of Bertolt Brecht to Samuel Beckett, figureheads of these two movements. Although these styles seem to originate from two separate schools of thought, they actually exist under the umbrella of modernism, and their connection is exemplified by the works of Arthur Adamov, who used Brechtian theory for his absurdist plays. Most notably, Adamov borrowed Brecht’s alienation effect. In his plays Professor Taranne, Paolo Paoli, and Ping Pong, Adamov adapted Brecht’s alienation effect in order to allow the audience to remove themselves from the exaggerated, absurd plot of the play. Instead of showing morality, this effect allows the plays to be more humorous than if an audience was to become invested in the onstage plight.
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    Searching for the Nearest Extragalactic Binary Black Hole: A Spectroscopic Study of NGC 4736
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Gustafsson, Annika
    Maoz et al. (1995,1996) concluded that the nearby galaxy NGC 4736 is in the late stages of a merger event. After further investigation, Maoz et al. (2005) observed variability in the nuclear region of NGC 4736, revealing a second unknown source of radiation in the nucleus. Since merging systems are an ideal location to search for binary black holes (BBH), we hypothesized that the second source could be a second black hole, making this a potential BBH system. Observational evidence for the existence of BBH remains sparse, even though BBH are predicted by many theories. To date, only NGC 6240 (Komossa et al., 2003) and Arp 299 (Ballo et al., 2004) have been discovered as merging galaxies with two active galactic nuclei (AGN). In 2008, NGC 4736 was observed with the Gemini-North telescope. We can classify the nature of the unknown source by looking at the optical line ratios following Ho et al. (1997). High signal-tonoise spectra of the unknown source displayed strong emission of [SII] and [NII], but extremely weak [OIII] emission. The unknown source has a calculated [NII]/[Hα] ratio of 1.37 and an upper limit of 0.6 for the [OIII]/[Hβ] ratio. Placing the unknown source on the BPT-NII diagram (Baldwin et al., 1981), we tentatively conclude that it is a second black hole potentially making NGC 4736 the nearest BBH system. The result will enable future observations of a low-luminosity system in extremely late stages of merging, which will be a significant step forward in validating models of galaxy mergers and AGN activity that further our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
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    Xylaria Primers for Phylogenetic Reconstruction
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Ly, Alicia
    Xylaria is a genus of Ascomycete fungi that is comprised of an estimated 400 species. These species are important to the ecosystems in which they inhabit because they contribute to the decomposition of wood, which recycles lignin and cellulose. Though the morphological traits of this genus have been widely studied over the years, their molecular phylogenetics have not been extensively explored due to the historical unavailability of species genomes. Now that complete genomes have become available, there have been an increasing number of ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence studies in recent years. However, ITS is too variable to consistently construct accurate phylogenetic trees, so Xylaria phylogeny is still being researched. This study explores the use of single-copy genes as an alternative to ITS methods. Here we present three primer pairs for different single-copy genes for use during future phylogenetic evaluation of Xylaria. These primers, Splicing Factor PRP43 F1054/R1691, MCM5 F409/R1059 and 40S Ripro S3Ae F47/R605, are more reliable than ITS sequences for deeper levels of analysis due to less variability in their sequences. This study focuses on Xylaria, while utilizing related species within in the Xylariaceae and Sordariaceae families, providing a promising start to the complete reconstruction of the Xylaria phylogenetic tree.
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    Letter from the Editor
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Grealish, Aidan
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    Sexuality, Gender, and US Imperialism after Philippine Independence: An Examination of Gender and Sexual Stereotypes of Pilpina Entertainment Workers and US Servicemen
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Santos, Paulla
    This paper examines the continuation of United States imperialism in the Philippines after Philippine Independence in 1946 through the gendered and sexual stereotypes of US men and Philippine women. These perceptions of the women as submissive and dependent were constructed through women’s interactions with US military men, who were present due to growing US concern of eastern communist influence in the second half of the 20th century. Evidence from these rest and recreation areas near the bases during this time suggests US servicemen were seen as powerful and wealthy, while the Philippines appeared submissive and dependent on US power, as represented by Philippine women’s behavior towards the servicemen. The Philippine presidencies of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino also transformed identities particularly of Philippine women. These ranged from the support and promotion of Pilipina entertainment workers to condemning and imprisoning them. However, this paper illuminates instances of Pilipina agency that show how many Pilipinas were not simply victims to US power within these entertainment districts, but also sought employment opportunities in order to benefit from the circumstances created by US presence and provide for themselves, their families, and their country. This paper then connects the events around US military bases at that time to present-day stereotypes associated with Asian-born women married to US men in the United States, as well as the current discussions of reopening of the US military bases in the Philippines.
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    Artist's Statement: "Line"
    (University of Oregon, 2015) Price, Basil