New goals

Alright, so I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks, but I am here now. I am meeting weekly with my Prof. Satchi. He decided I need to have some concrete goals for this semester, especially because I am taking research for units. Meaning I MUST accomplish things this semester. The main component I am working on, as of recently, is a basic PPT, which is an overview of the entire research project as a whole, what I am doing right now and where the research can/will go. 

Another main goal for this semester is to complete my first 2 chapters (introduction & literature review) of my thesis. The introduction I can do from a proposal I wrote a summer back and the literature review should not be that difficult. Yet so far I am focusing on is the PPT, because Prof. Satchi wants me to present it to my group! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! This terrifies me! I have not presented research since my last year of undergrad, which was 3 years ago! But either way I need to start practicing some time right? 

I will return on Friday for a PPT and research meeting update.

"We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand." ~ Eric Hoffer

It's a new semester

The fall 2011 semester has arrived!! With it comes new deadlines, goals, and stress. Stress is going to be a definite part of my semester. Anyway, I had my first couple of research meetings with Prf. Satchi and I created an excel sheet for all the things I need to start working for and aiming to finish by the end of the semester. For example, the introduction and literature review chapters of my thesis paper, the MATLAB code, and a presentable PPW.  I for sure need to get those thesis chapters finished! I want to have the MATLAB code more than halfway done too. The presentable PPW I need to have done in a couple of weeks :/ I've got a lot to do.

Today, I am working on the PPW. Wish me luck on getting all this done! I will check in by the end of the week!! Try to have a happy Monday! :) 

"The nature of reality is this: it is hidden, it is hidden, and it is hidden." ~ Rumi

Day 32

Good afternoon, I was unable to come into school last week because my car was in the shop. However, I reached the end of the homogeneous precipitation stage of the paper, which is great, but, I've got some errors at the very end. These errors are similar to the ones I fixed before using the commands that I am using now. So, I need to figure out how to fix these same errors without using the commands I am using now, because the commands I am using now are what fixed the errors to begin with. Back to square one with error fixing. That's what I will be working on tomorrow and the next day until all errors are fixed! 

Here goes nothing!

"Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind" ~ Marston Bates

Day 31

As you know for the past few days, I've been vehemently trying to fix some errors that MATLAB is giving me. There was no difference today until EUREKA!!! I FIXED MY ERROR...by completely scrapping what I was doing. I searched and searched and found a different way to solve differential equations. So the reason why I didn't not blog a second time yesterday is because I couldn't fix my errors BUT I did fix them today!!! 


Case in point I can now move ahead with the other differential/integration equations! SO HAPPY! Therefore, I will get back to it and I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend!!!


"While with an eye made quiet bu the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of things."~Wordsworth

Day 29 & 30

For the past 2 days I've been trying to fix the errors I am receiving when running my code. So far, I haven't fixed them, which is a real drag. I've tried using the inline command, creating a function and using the dsolve command to solve the integration symbolically but nothing has worked yet.


Right now, I am trying to fix the error I receive from using a function. I have deceased the number of errors to just one, which is good, but I do not know how to fix it. Therefore I must search online to see if I can dig something up.


I will return later today....

Day 28

As I stated yesterday I would be looking into the ode solvers that MATLAB employs. I've begun to utilize the ode solver and inline command in my program. I've come up with a few ERROR lines:

??? Error using ==> inline.feval at 26

Too many inputs to inline function.

Error in ==> odearguments at 110

f0 = feval(ode,t0,y0,args{:});   % ODE15I sets args{1} to yp0.

Error in ==> ode15s at 228

[neq, tspan, ntspan, next, t0, tfinal, tdir, y0, f0, odeArgs, odeFcn, ...

I've been spending my time looking up how to fix these errors and testing the solutions out on my own code. I receive similar errors; therefore, more digging on how to fix these errors is necessary. Also I will ask Prof. Graham for a little help too.


"Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind."~ Marston Bates

Day 26 and 27

I'm back from my birthday celebration/vacation and back to business. I met with Prof. Graham.  I told him I am solving the equations using the symbolic solver. He stated there is an easier way. For the nucleation and growth section under homogeneous precipitation I can use the cumsum command, which I implemented. So that is one section changed. 


Next for the growth and coarsening part under homogeneous precipitation he stated I use the ode solver, which I have never used before. I'm using The Intro to MATLAB for Engineers to help me with the ode solver. I've started to input that into the code and so far so good. I'm not sure if I need to separate variables to use the ode, but Prof.Graham stated that I need to; therefore, I am trying to separate the variables of the equations first. I'm having a bit of difficulty, but I'm sure that's from not using my brain for the past 2 months.


Lastly, I am getting the computer I use in the lab updated, so new windows, MATLAB (which is essential), FEMAP etc. I'm really excited because everyone in the lab either got new computers or got it updated and mine never got updated. I decided to get it done before school starts, which I think is a good idea. Especially if other students may need it. 


Anyway, I will be returning tomorrow morning to continue this work. 


"Being a scientist means living on the borderline between your competence and your incompetence. If you always feel competent, you aren't doing your job." --- Carlos Bustamante

Day 23, 24, 25

OK so all diff and int commands were established in the first 3rd of the program. I'm still trying to figure out this iteration loop until time converges. Prof. Graham is now back in town, so we are trying to work out a good meet time. 


I think the program is coming together (very) slowly but surely :) I'm off to enjoy the rest of my birthday week!! Until later.... 


"To know the history of science is to recognize the mortality of any claim to universal truth."  ~Evelyn Fox Keller

Day 22

I realized that my blog titles (you know the day #'s) is not accurate haha. But it doesn't matter that much I'm guess as long as I blog...right Prof Satchi?

Today I started implementing syms and diff commands. I ran the code, which worked, but I noticed one of the derivations returned a  zero, which isn't supposed to happen. The equation is:

This is how all the equations are in the Growth & Coarsening section of the paper.Thanks to a colleague of mine he helped me realize the simplest thing I overlooked. And it's called an INTEGRAL!! Wow. Duh Gabi. I've got to take the integral. That was the LARGEST BRAIN FART OF MY LIFE!! 


So now I'm going to use the int command and iterate t until convergence. 


See you tomorrow!


"Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men." ~Jean Rostand

Day 21

There is good good news and possibly good news. I'll divulge the good good news first.


Out of the 7 new articles I've found that referenced Deschamps only one paper clearly contains similar equations. Modeling of whole process of ageing precipitation and strengthening in Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloys with high Cu-to-Mg mass ratio  by the Hou et al group.  The similarity of equations seems to be traced back to the Kampmann and Wagner group. This information is GREAT because now I know where Deschamps is getting their equations. Also the Hou paper gives FULL REFERENCES! As in includes titles of the articles, which is fabulous considering the last Kampmann paper I received was in GERMAN!! That's right...German. And the paper is 91 pages long. So, thank God I found it in English thanks to Hou. THANK YOU HOU!!

I've asked for the paper through Inter-library Loan, which I hope to receive by next week. The Hou paper is exactly what I am doing except with a different alloy.  Hou is Al-Cu-Mg-Ag, while I am working with Al-Zn-Mg-Cu. The group stated that the results from their model in comparison to experimental data is in "good agreement", and they included the numbers! I am taking this as good news, because that may mean that once I get this program running the model will hopefully agree with Al7075 numbers.

Now for the possibly good news. 

I know for a fact that I can use the syms, diff and subs commands, because a colleague of mine did the same with a code of his. I don't think I can do the entire code like this but I feel good knowing I can do some of the code like this. The difficulty I am coming up with is the iteration loop over time until it converges. I'm not sure when it converges (obviously), and I'm having difficulty writing the loop! There is something I am missing, but I'm not sure what it is. So, now is the time to get out my MATLAB for Dummies book. That's what I am going to do now.

I got a hold of Prof. Graham :) BUT he is in the Netherlands :/ I'm jealous not going to lie, but I digress. Even though he is in the Netherlands; he stated that he would be back next week. So, I will be trying my best to figure out this iteration/subs loop business until he returns to town.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday evening and a GREAT weekend!!!

"The scientist, by the very nature of his commitment, creates more and more questions, never fewer.  Indeed the measure of our intellectual maturity, one philosopher suggests, is our capacity to feel less and less satisfied with our answers to better problems." ~G.W. Allport

Day 20 -- Still the same, minus the bad day

I am feeling a bit more confident today. Prof. Graham aka MATLAB GENIUS is on board with helping me on my program, which is GREAT because I'll be able to bounce ideas off of him. AND he is the perfect person to break MATLAB down, because he does so in the type of English I can understand.

Also, I uncovered some very recently published articles that reference the Deschamps article to possibly shed light on how other research groups are fairing with this specific topic. I've got about 7 articles to read and Thank GOODNESS they are under 10 pages each :) 

I've also checked out some books on Numerical methods for MATLAB in case I must use them in my program, which I hope Prof. Graham can help me with too. 


Will post later...

"A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales." ~ Marie Curie

Day 17, 18, 19 -- There are good days...and then there are bad days

Again I haven't blogged every time I do research like I am supposed to, but here I am now! 

So, I've recently met with Prof. Satchi and we discussed how to input most of the equations in this program. He stated I will need to use numerical methods, which I do not know much about. Case in point a trip to the school library will be useful and a discussion with a Professor of mine is much needed. Most of the equations are differential equations, which can be solved by MATLAB using the syms, diff and subs commands. However, most of these equations are based off a previous equation, meaning I solve for one variable, which is then used in the next equation so on and so forth. Also, I want to increment certain variables until I reach convergence. My question is am I able to bypass numerical methods and use the aforementioned commands and increment all at the same time.

I'm going to be honest with you...I am really lacking confidence in myself right now. Programming and MATLAB are NOT my strong suit, but I do know that I cannot give up simply because this is difficult. I knew this project wasn't going to be easy when I discussed it with Prof. Satchi and now is DEFINITELY NOT the time to quit.

I have a few days over a month to get this programming up and running. Therefore, I will shove these feelings into the back of my mind, get the help I need and push forward.  Ergo, I will be back tomorrow and everyday after until I graduate: one day at a time. I leave you with something a bit uplifting....ENJOY!

"Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'Streetlight people"
~JOURNEY

Day 16

Happy Monday!

I made progress but I hit a road block. There is an equation I am not sure how to input nor am I sure how to solve by hand. Therefore, I am set to figure this out with the help of my research adviser.

So I press onward and leave you with a wonderful author.

"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Day 15

Good Afternoon,

All of the equations are in the MATLAB now. Since I figured out what is given and what's found I have to go back and input the derivatives and the integrals, which I found to be implemented using the "diff" and "int" commands. However, I also discovered that I need to use the "syms" command.

Therefore, the next significant destination point is to input all 3 of these commands into the MATLAB program .

I hope everyone has a GREAT independence day weekend and I'll let Pierce close this session out :)

"It is the man of science, eager to have his every opinion regenerated, his every idea rationalized, by drinking at the fountain of fact, and devoting all the energies of his life to the cult of truth, not as he understands it, but as he does not yet understand it, that ought properly to be called a philosopher. " ~Charles Peirce

Day 13 & 14

Once again I didn't blog last week when I should have; therefore I blogging now. I am 3 equations away from the end of the MATLAB program. From there I need to figure out how to do derivatives and integrals in MATLAB.


Since Friday (June 17) I have not done much of anything. I had oral surgery to remove all 4 of my wisdom teeth. Warning to all of you that have not had this surgery....the recovery sucks more than the surgery does. Just a warning but I digress.


So, hopefully later today will be another blog about the absolute finishing of the program and the uncovering of the secrets of MATLAB!


I hope everyone is a having a GREAT FIRST DAY of summer!!! Yahoo (can you tell I am excited)!! I leave you in the capable hands of Mr. John Dewey.


"Scientific principles and laws do not lie on the surface of nature.  They are hidden, and must be wrested from nature by an active and elaborate technique of inquiry."  ~John Dewey

Day 9, 10, 11 &12 -- MATLAB (still...)

So, I forgot to blog the past 3 days, but I am back now. I've finished precipitation on dislocations and am in the process of programming the precipitation hardening model. I've decided to insert all the equations into the MATLAB program, then go back and administer derivatives and integrals for the equations that need it. 

At the moment I am in the particle spacing section of the paper. I came across Freidel statistics, and to be honest I have NO IDEA what Freidel statistics are. Therefore, I am looking him up in papers, books,  journals etc. Self teaching is what Graduate school is mainly about right?? Well, it's a big part of grad school at least but I digress.

I am still chugging away. Learning at every step. While I am doing this MATLAB program, I am adding things to the PP presentation, which really helps me to understand each section better.

That's all I have right now, therefore I leave with you with Mencken.

"Science, at bottom, is really anti-intellectual.  It always distrusts pure reason, and demands the production of objective fact."  ~H.L. Mencken

Day 8 -- MATLAB

Today is/was the second day of working on the MATLAB program. It was rather difficult to focus today and I don't know why, but it was. I finished nucleation/growth and half of growth and coarsening. 

I realized most if not all the equations are integrals, which I have not dealt with in MATLAB, so, this will be more of an adventure than I expected. Either way this WILL get done by the end of June!

Hasta manana!

"Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party."~Jimmy Buffett

Day 7 - - Matlab/Master Eqns

After a very long hiatus, which was not to my research advisor's liking, I am back to blogging my research. I finished the PPT of the Deschamps's model a few months ago. I started to research the equations and variables slowly but surely; however, on my path to discovery I hit a few road blocks. I was unable to find some equations due to not being able to find the articles and/or the articles were in different languages. Therefore, I have moved on to programming the model into MATLAB.  As I go through each step I am finding what is given, calculated, and unknown (unknown unknowns and unknown knowns). My professor and I enjoy that Cheney joke, but by going through this paper via MATLAB I now understand what Cheney was getting at.

Anyway, I'm just starting this and the goal is to have it completed no later than June 27, which is optimistic but I have a feeling I can make that deadline :)

Until next time...

"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing."  -Wernher Von Braun

Day 4 5 & 6--Master Equations

My PP is officially filled with all the important equations. To be honest I finished this last friday (March 25), but I completely forgot to blog about it.

Now the next step is to determine the physical/chemical meanings of each variable/equation.

The real learning begins tonight......

Day 3 -- Master Eqns

Ok, so I've decided that I will put all the equations in the PP before breaking them down physically.

It seems in the Deschamps's paper some equations are changed/altered from other equations from cited works. Therefore, I think it's best to put the lay of the land first (the eqns) then go back and break them down physically and by each component.

A downside about the Deschamps's paper(s) is there is NOT a nomenclature section in either parts of the papers, which is rather frustrating because I have no idea what things are before i read the papers. Meaning I have to search between both papers to figure out what each variable means, and most of the time it is not clearly stated, causing me to then search for the  cited material. Then once I find (if i can find) the cited material I can figure what Deschamp'ss means, but sometimes variables/equations are different. For example, there is an equation in Deschamps's paper, which is from a different paper (the original paper). The original paper's equation is different from Deschamps's equation...NOW i have to figure out how Deschamp's got his equation, what his symbols mean, how they differ from the original paper's equation. It's a mess.

Case in point I will insert all of the equations into the PP first, then I will hash out physical meanings, variables, equations etc, which takes up most of my time...trying to figure out what things mean. Essentially, I'm learning, which is the ultimate goal of all this education right. However, I never realized how long it takes to put equations into PP, and my PP is going to be the longest PP in Microsoft PP history :)

Until next time. 

Day 2--Master Eqns

I stated in my previous post that homogeneous precipitation is half way done, which is incorrect. I meant to say thermodynamics is halfway done. At the moment, thermodynamics and nucleation & growth are done. I decided to focus on getting the eqns into the PP and adding the physical meaning to each equation after all have been inserted into the PP. Or maybe not...I'm not sure how I should do this yet. But the PP is progressing.

That is all for today.

Day 1--Master Eqns

I started a power point (PP) presentation gathering all the equations of the Dechamps et al. Precipitation Kinetics Model. The PP is separated 3 main sections: homogeneous precipitation, precipitation on dislocations and precipitation hardening. Each section has its own set of governing equations. Each governing equations has certain variables and describes a specific process in the model. Therefore, it is my job for this presentation to figure out the knowns and unknowns of each equation, while describing what the equations mean physically.

I'm having a little bit of difficulty with the thermodynamics, but I am searching for the root paper and have found it at school. So, I will find that tomorrow morning.

There are 3 different books I am using to help me learn the physical meaning of all these equations.

1. The Science and Engineering of Materials by Donald R. Askeland. 2nd Edition

2.Growth and Coarsening: Ripening in Material Processing by L. Ratke & P.W. Voorhees

3. Kinetics of Materials by R. Balluffi, S. Allen, & W. Carter.

First section of homogeneous precipitation is half way done, but i need to understand what is physically happening. Hence I need to find the Aaronson article.