The nEXO group at Skyline College had another fruitful summer. While Simon Herrmann, Phone Thant Myo, and Eslin Villalta continued the work they had started during the 2023-2024 academic year, Dasha Baitazarova, Tin Htoo, and Aryanna Mendoza joined the group and started working on their projects. Meanwhile, Codie Lai took a break from his work on nEXO to complete a summer internship at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
In addition to their Skyline College mentors, Emilie Hein, Marco Wehrfritz, and Polin Yadak, the students were supported by their mentors at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Sander Breur, Brian Lenardo, Brian Mong, Astrid Anker, Glenn Richardson, and Miao Yu.
Throughout the summer, students participated in workshops, which helped them gain the knowledge they needed to be successful with their projects. They learned about Python and the physics of nEXO, and they discussed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in STEM under the guidance of Emilie Hein and Polin Yadak. They completed technical workshops led by Marco Wehrfritz, who taught them about soldering, 3D design and printing, circuit design, electronics, and more.
The group attended the nEXO Collaboration meeting at Stanford University on July 19 and 20. Emilie Hein facilitated a workshop on imposter syndrome. She presented, alongside Simon Herrmann, Tin Htoo, and Phone Thant Myo, an update on the nEXO program at Skyline College, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s RENEW program, highlighting the wonderful contributions students had made.
Finally, the summer program concluded with final presentations from all the students, who shared their experiences and hard work with the community. The students described their experiences with nEXO this summer in their own words below.
Aryanna Mendoza: “Hello, my name is Aryanna Mendoza, and I’m currently in my fourth year at Skyline College. This summer, I was part of the nEXO internship program, where we focused on honing our physics, engineering, and other skills. Through the workshops nEXO provided, I gained experience in soldering, 3D printing, and coding with Arduino and Python. We worked on building LED flashlights and cosmic watches. I also worked on a project involving a MUX waveform injection test. With the help of nEXO and my mentors at SLAC, I advanced my soldering skills and deepened my understanding of how low temperatures affect electronic performance. My project involved testing segmented sensor modules with custom readout chips called CRYO ASICs in cryogenic environments. To do this, I had to test these sensors using a custom “pulser box” and PCB in a cryogenic chamber at -110°C. To efficiently manage signal routing, we used multiplexers (MUXs). I plan to continue with nEXO this fall semester to draw conclusions from my summer project and explore where it will take us.”
Dasha Baitazarova: “Hi, my name is Dasha, and I am a sophomore at Skyline College. I am planning to transfer this year. This summer, I was a trainee for the nEXO internship program, which helped me enhance my problem-solving skills and confidence in the STEM field. Mentors at Skyline provided valuable workshops that improved my knowledge in soldering, 3D printing, designing schematics, and programming Arduino. I learned how to use Node-RED, the Modbus protocol, and JavaScript for my project. I applied these skills to document the Modbus serial communication protocol, Node-RED libraries, and recipes for parsing Modbus variables on GitHub Wiki pages. I will continue working on my project for nEXO during this academic year and developing solutions for controlling a Xenon Recirculation pump system.”
Eslin Villalta: “This summer, I had the opportunity to work with the nEXO group, diving deep into data analysis and problem-solving. My work primarily focused on troubleshooting experimental setups and interpreting complex data, which allowed me to develop a strong understanding of the challenges in cutting-edge physics research. One of the highlights was working on my Front-End Motherboard (FEMB) and contributing to data noise analysis, where I applied skills like soldering, Arduino programming, KiCAD, and 3D printing. These projects enhanced my technical abilities and taught me the importance of attention to detail and perseverance in research. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue exploring the intersection of computer engineering and physics, as these experiences have inspired me to pursue further studies and contribute to innovative solutions in the field.”
Phone Thant Myo: “Hello, this is Phone Thant Myo. I am currently an electrical engineering student at Cal Poly SLO. I spent three years at Skyline College and last year at nEXO. Last summer was exceptional as I got to work at SLAC to develop NodeRed code for pump control, NodeRed code for multi-sensor circuits, and a few projects for radon counter luggage. nEXO was a great opportunity and experience as I got to implicate what I’ve known, from class to physical projects. This experience allowed me to develop multiple skills that will greatly help my academic and career path.”
Simon Herrmann: “Hi, I’m Simon, a Mechanical Engineering Student who’s completed three years at Skyline College and is transferring to UC Irvine in the fall. This summer marks my last semester participating in the nEXO program. I spent my time primarily working on two projects: creating a Fuzz Button Assembly and developing an Automatic External Source Deployment System. Creating the Fuzz Button Assembly involved designing a PCB and an interposer to house an electrical connector called Fuzz Buttons. This aimed to test the effectivity of Fuzz Buttons vs a traditional Sub-D 50 connector for application in the nEXO Detector. The other project I worked on was building a standalone benchtop setup to calibrate electronics and let us see if the External Source Deployment System can be automated. Some skills I will take with me from this program to UCl include SolidWorks, KiCAD, Soldering, Mechanical Design, Microcontrollers, NodeRed (JavaScript), and Python. I look forward to seeing my peers and co-workers at SLAC continue my work from where I left off in the coming semesters. Furthermore, I’m excited to present my work on the Automatic External Source Deployment System at the October 2024 SACNAS DISTEM Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Thank you to Skyline and SLAC Staff for making this program available for students myself to grow and gain crucial research experience.”
Phone presents the nEXO Collaboration meeting at Stanford University; Photo credit: Eslin Villalta
Tin Htoo: “My name is Tin, and I’m a third-year physics student planning to major in physics after I transfer. This summer, I’ve been with the nEXO program, where I’ve designed an electronics system using PMTs (Photomultiplier Tubes) to detect infinitesimal amounts of radiation. Through this project, I’ve learned how to analyze electrical signals, understand the role of statistical analysis in particle physics, automate data collection using Raspberry Pi, and handle high-voltage equipment safely. The nEXO program has been an invaluable experience for me to apply what I’ve learned from the classroom to experimental work. It also allowed me to bridge the gap between theoretical and experimental knowledge, which is useful for a future physicist. In addition, I will be presenting my summer research project at the SACNAS conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in October.”
Overall, the summer program was a rewarding and enriching experience. The students once again showed us the amazing work they are capable of doing, and we are excited to see what they will do next. This Fall 2024, Phone and Simon are transferring to Cal Poly SLO and UC Irvine, respectively. Congratulations! The group is also happy to welcome Codie Lai and Valeria Zarco back. They also shared their updates below.
Codie Lai: “Greetings everyone! My name is Codie. I am a third-year Skyline College student studying mechanical engineering who will rejoin the nEXO program for the Fall 2024 and coming Spring 2025 term. I took a brief hiatus from the program during Summer 2024 to intern at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through the Community College Internship (CCI) program. While there, I helped with researching the mechanical strength of cables used to build electromagnets for particle accelerators. Since the program’s conclusion, I have learned a great deal and experienced a lot when I was over in Berkeley. I am excited to rejoin the nEXO program here at Skyline College. I have been with the program since Summer 2023, and ever since joining it, it has provided me with experiences I will not forget and connections I will cherish. I plan on applying the technical skills and experiences I have acquired while at Berkeley to the projects I will be working on for nEXO and more! I am excited for what is to come this semester!”
Valeria Zarco: “Hello everyone! My name is Valeria Zarco, and I am a returning Electrical Engineering student at Skyline College. After taking a transformative gap year, I’m thrilled to rejoin both as a student and as a nEXO intern. During this time, I had the opportunity to assist the Exhibits Manager at the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco, providing technical support for electronic projects to enhance the exhibits. Working in an environment with a shared interest in electronics further reinforced my desire to be part of a like-minded community. That’s one of the reasons why I’m excited to be a nEXO intern again this Fall 2024 semester. Being a part of the nEXO program in Spring 2023 proved to be an incredibly supportive experience, providing me with valuable guidance and multiple learning lessons that still influence me today. As a result, I’m eager to contribute even more to nEXO this year. Thank you all for reading this. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with familiar and new faces, and I hope you all have a wonderful semester!”
The Skyline nEXO group is looking forward to an exciting Fall 2024! They will attend the 2024 SACNAS NDISTEM Conference in Phoenix, AZ, and Phone and Simon will present at Science in Action (TBD but most likely November 5).
We want to express our gratitude to the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory mentors, Sander Breur, Brian Lenardo, Brian Mong, Astrid Anker, Glenn Richardson, and Miao Yu, who have supported students by providing projects, expertise, and guidance over the summer and beyond.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (Office of Nuclear Physics), under Award Number DE-SC0024677.
Article by Dasha Baitazarova, Simon Herrmann, Tin Htoo, Aryanna Mendoza, Phone Thant Myo, Codie Lai, Eslin Villalta, Valeria Zarco, Emilie Hein, Marco Wehrfritz, and Polin Yadak
