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David Jefferies - MSc project suggestion 2004-2005


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Chaotic flickering in fluorescent lamps

The student is asked to acquire experimental time series for voltage and light output on a flickering fluorescent lamp: to develop a mathematical model for the chaotic flicker.

Machine dependent encryption.

The student is asked to investigate machine dependent rounding processes in various kinds of processor, and applications to processor-dependent encryption. The student is also asked to investigate other processor-dependent computation scenarios.

Agent-based models of impacting systems

The student is asked to develop a simple agent-based model for chaotic scattering of balls on a pocketless billiard table.

EMC problems in multi-wire harness situations.

The student is asked to study the propagation of excitations on an N-wire harness such as might be used in an aircraft, where the transmission line modes have differing propagation velocities.

Simulation of trapping in double well oscillator dynamics.

In this project, a program is written to simulate the dynamics of an electronic double well harmonic oscillator. In particular, conditions for entering a trap in the motion are to be investigated by numerical experiment.

Slow wave structure antennas

A literature search of slow wave structures used in antenna design is first made. Examples are constructed and measured. Slow wave structures are typically periodically loaded transmission line or single wire or plates.

Ultrasonic data communications between neighbours using the household water supply.

This idea is for short range ultrasonic data communications between close-spaced houses in a street, by bolting transducers onto the incoming rising cold water main. The student investigates the link budget and the practical aspects of this scheme, and determines a specification and constructs a demonstrator.