Quick Update

I had Prof. Satchi print out the 115 pg reference paper because I was getting tired of going back and forth in the paper on my computer. It's sooo much easier to have it on paper. Si I am reading that. Also, I looked up another important reference paper, which i found out SDSU had in its periodicals and microfiche department. However when I looked at it the article was in GERMAN! which is not so great. A librarian came to help me find a copy in English, but there isn't any at all. I'm thinking I will get the paper anyway just to look at the equations, but I'm not sure how it will go.

Either way I will continue to work on this list of equations and variables. Hope everybody has a great weekend!!!

"Endow scientific research and we shall know the truth, when and where it is possible to ascertain it; but the counterblast is at hand: 'To endow research is merely to encourage the research for endowment; the true man of science will not be held back by poverty, and if science is of use to us, it will pay for itself.' Such are but a few samples of the conflict of opinion which we find raging around us." ~ Karl Pearson, The Grammar of Science (1892)

Lots of equations with more parameters

Good Morning!! Last week I posted about parameters within the Deschamps equations that were not all described in the paper. My first idea was to go through previous/post Deschamps papers, but I realized that Deschamps did not invent the equations in the paper. All of the equations are/should be referenced in his paper. Therefore, I started picking through the references. I'm not very far yet because I do not have all the references related to the equations yet, but I am working towards that. One of the initial equation reference papers is 115 pages long! I will be going through it all day. Prof. Satchi wants me to go through all the equations figure out which constants are what. Are they calculated? Are they given/material constants? Are they fudge parameters, if so how were they determined? I will be making a master list of all of this.

I finished my single slide power point. I have not practiced giving the 30 second presentation. I'm definitely not ready for that at all. 

So for the next week I will be devoting all my time to the equations and their constants!

"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

Research Meeting Follow up

As I stated in my last post I am having difficult finding constants used in many of the Deschamps equations. I will be looking through other papers he has published after this paper until now. Hopefully, I will find something if not I will search through other papers citing the Deschamps paper. So what I am going to do is define all terms, see which i have and don't have and search from there. If after all that I am completely unsuccessful, I will email the Deschamps research group and pray they answer my questions. Hopefully they will because then I can conclude my MATLAB code and see if I can replicate their research.

I've been working on the literature review, which is coming a long nicely, but I also need to work on a single slide presenting my research. Prof.Satchi stated I need to develop an hour presentation, 30 minute presentation and a 30 second presentation. The 30 mins I could do now, but very roughly! The single slide is part of my 30 second presentation. My first draft of my slide is VERY wordy...too wordy if you ask me. So I'm working on that this week also.

Lastly, I will re-examine the physics behind all the main equations and must understand the phase diagrams of aluminum. 

Recapping: single slide, MATLAB code constants and phase diagrams. Those are the things I will be working on for the rest of this week. Have a happy Wednesday!

"If all people are unique, and if they are constantly changing each and every day, then all one can say about any social research finding is that it applied to that group of people on that given day, and given the propensity of humans to be different and to change, then it is unlikely that one would get the same results if one were to repeat the study."~Wayne Dyer

Good Morning all.

As you can see by my lack of posting until now is a direct result of my research taking a back seat to my classes last semester, which will not be happening again. So on ward with the research....

I am about 85% finished with the MATLAB code;however, there are a lot of constants that are necessary to run the code, which I cannot seem to locate within the Deschamps paper. I thought all the constants would be in the paper, but I guess not. These constants are material particular so maybe I can look up the material they are using and obtain the constants that way. If I am unable to find them, I'm not sure what I will do. Maybe use the material that my research is focused...I don't know. I will worry about that when I get there.

The next order of business is my thesis. The introduction is started and needs much work. I decided to get a head start on the literature review, which is much more difficult than I anticipated. Also I had no idea that I had amassed such an enormous amount of research papers, books and other theses. It's crazy how many papers I have. Anyway, I siphoned through them and figured out, which papers are the most relevant to my topic. Now it is time to start writing paragraphs for each paper. 

Today, I am working on finding the Deschamps material constants and the literature review.  The search for the material constants is not getting very far though since I am unable to find them in the paper like I stated previously.

Last order of business is this blog. I will be posting every time I work on research and after my weekly meetings with Prof. Satchi.

Hope everyone has a GREAT monday!! :)

"Science too often trivializes the profound, answering questions that are very different from the ones that were asked.  To formulate a question suitable for scientific research too often requires us to forget what it was that we really wanted to know." 

~ Earon Davis

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