Images of Research: More than Meets the Eye

To showcase the diverse research taking place at the U of S, a photography and imaging contest was launched called Images of Research. U of S students, staff, faculty and alumni were invited to submit visual depictions and brief descriptions of their research, scholarly, or artistic work.

By University Communications Apr 20, 2015

Following a review of nearly 90 submissions by multidisciplinary judging panels, winners were selected in four categories, plus one category voted on by the public.

Here are the winning photos in the More than Meets the Eye category.

1st place (pictured above): "Plasma Chamber Music" by Adam Vigneron (Engineering alumnus). A highly symmetric pressure chamber is the serene setting for highly asymmetric plasma physics research. This vessel, found in the basement of the Physics building, is filled with gases at low pressures to mimic the conditions found in the upper atmosphere. The gases are heated by a large coil at the top of the chamber until they enter the fourth state of matter: a plasma. Now that the experiment is underway, the little probe on the right of the image plays a big role. This Langmuir Probe is used to profile the electrical characteristics of the plasma. From these currents and voltage, the density and temperature of the plasma electrons can be determined. This provides physical insight with a staggering number of applications; among them are telecommunications, satellite services, and the scientific understanding of the aurora and atmosphere. Science is truly a beautiful thing.

2nd place: "Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Connor Brenna (undergrad student in medicine). A pair of embryonic Zebrafish appear to contemplate their contribution to science while under microscopic observation. Involved in research on the formation of bone, these fish offer insight into how manipulations of cellular communication can be used to encourage bone development. Bone is stained red, and cartilage blue, to illuminate differences in bone quantity between fish subject to varying experimental treatments at different points in time.