Lucas Illing, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor Curriculum Vitae E-Mail: illing {at} reed.edu In 1990, after the wall came down and I could finally visit my relatives in the "West", my uncle gave me a copy of J. Gleick's book, Chaos: Making a New Science. Ever since, I have been interested in and studied the complex behavior of nonlinear dynamical systems.
Lauren Shareshian, M.A. in Mathematics: Research Assistant Nonlinear dynamics of coupled delay systems.

Greg Hoth

Thesis: On the dynamics of coupled optoelectronic oscillators

Sam Spencer

Thesis: Mode-locking a HeNe laser

Matthew Jemielita

Bifurcations and modeling of a pulsed opto-electronic delay system.

Greg Hoth

Reed College Science Research Fellowship: Dynamics of cross-coupled opto-electronic delay systems.

Adarsh Pyarelal

Chaotic dynamics and bifurcations of the Malkus Water Wheel.

Kevin J. Lynagh

Reed College Melon Foundation Opportunity Grant: Nanopore Sequencing

Rachel Fordyce Thesis: Chaotic Waterwheel Experimental implementation of the chaotic Malkus waterwheel, a mechanical device whose dynamics are modeled by the famous Lorenz equations. The observed dynamical behavior in both the chaotic and periodic operating regime is analyzed qualitatively using phase space plots and spectra.
Cody Myers Thesis: Monochromatic Plane Waves in a Corrugated Tube System Experimental and theoretical study of acoustic transmission properties of a corrugated tube. As with many periodic systems, there are band gaps for the acoustic wave propagation through the corrugated tube, i.e. large ranges of incident sound frequency over which there is virtually no sound transmission.

Matthew Jemielita

Reed College Science Research Fellowship: Bifurcations of a pulsed opto-electronic delay system

Christopher May

Chaos synchronization of mutually coupled opto-electronic devices.

Seth Terashima

Chaos and bifurcations in the electronic "Rulkov" circuit.

Drew Atwater Thesis: A Brief Study of Thermoacoustic Cooling Experimental and theoretical study of a thermoacoustic engine, a device where sound from a speaker is used to establish and maintain a temperature difference across a stack inside a pipe.
Christopher May Thesis: Feedback, Synchronization, and Communication in Chaotic Time-Delay Opto-Electronic Feedback Circuits Feeding back an amplified output signal of a nonlinear device to itself can result in self-sustained oscillations. Here, the nonlinearity is an integrated opto-electronic mach-zehnder modulator and the oscillations can be periodic or chaotic, depending on the feedback strength. Synchronized chaotic oscillations are achieved by coupling two such devices, which then are utilized for communication. Conference Presentation: Chaos Synchronization and Communication using Optoelecronic Time-Delay Feedback Circuits, 10th Annual Meeting of the Northwest Section of APS, Portland, OR, May 16-17, 2008 (poster). Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Vol. 53, Num. 6, C1.00006
Erin McCowen Thesis: Bioconvection: The Effect of Density on Wavelength Bioconvection of Bacillus subtilis, a phenomenon where the interplay of active upward swimming of the bacteria, gravity, and fluid dynamics result in spontaneous pattern formation.