{"686913":{"#nid":"686913","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Advik Vira","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in\u0026nbsp;Physics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics\u0026nbsp;Thesis Dissertation Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvik Vira\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor: Dr.\u0026nbsp;Phillip First, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERadiation Effects, Dust Dynamics, and Petrology of Lunar Materials: Insights from Computational Modeling and Electron Microscopy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDate:\u0026nbsp;Friday, January 9, 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETime:\u0026nbsp;1:00 p.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation: Howey N201\/202\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVirtual: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/meetup-join\/19%3ameeting_MjE4ZDFjMTgtNzkzZS00NDVmLTliYzMtNjA3ZThjYjA3Yjkz%40thread.v2\/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2274cf42b1-779d-4bd7-9055-aeb5648fd36b%22%7d\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/meetup-join\/19%3ameeting_MjE4ZDFjMTgtNzkzZS00NDVmLTliYzMtNjA3ZThjYjA3Yjkz%40thread.v2\/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2274cf42b1-779d-4bd7-9055-aeb5648fd36b%22%7d\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoin the meeting now\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \/\u0026nbsp;Meeting ID:\u0026nbsp;257 608 916 303 99 \/\u0026nbsp; Passcode:\u0026nbsp;EU3d59hS\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Zhigang Jiang, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Thomas M. Orlando, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Frances Rivera-Hernandez, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Shaheen A. Dewji, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Artemis missions are a bold return to the Moon\u2014not as fleeting explorers, but as long-term residents. Establishing a sustained lunar presence introduces both new scientific opportunities and engineering challenges, demanding innovative solutions to problems first identified during the Apollo era. Protection against the harsh radiation environment and mitigation of dust adhesion are critical for survival on the Moon, necessitating the use of robust radiation shielding and electrodynamic dust shields. This thesis focuses on two fundamental questions. First, what is the optimal distribution of thermalization and capture elements within a shielding material to shield astronauts from relentless radiation? Second, what are the physical processes that govern the accumulation of charge on lunar grains, leading to the pervasive lunar dust that threatens both equipment and human health? We address these questions through Monte Carlo simulations of particle transport in materials, ultimately identifying an optimal configuration for thermalization and capture elements and characterizing charge accumulation within the microcavities that form in dust grains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, over 50 years have passed since the last Apollo missions, and modern instrumentation now enables a far more detailed re-examination of Apollo samples. Such analyses will not only deepen our understanding of the Moon\u2019s geological history but also directly inform the selection of samples returned in upcoming missions. Using high-resolution electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy, we investigate a lunar mare basalt and find that the ilmenite is enriched in Ti, beyond the end member of the conventional solid solution series. This requires a change in the oxidation state of Ti,\u0026nbsp; confirming a longstanding hypothesis regarding the Moon\u2019s highly reducing environment and allowing us to estimate the oxygen fugacity during crystallization. Our work underscores how carefully selected lunar specimens can provide critical constraints on the geological formation and evolution of the Moon.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERadiation Effects, Dust Dynamics, and Petrology of Lunar Materials: Insights from Computational Modeling and Electron Microscopy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Radiation Effects, Dust Dynamics, and Petrology of Lunar Materials: Insights from Computational Modeling and Electron Microscopy"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 20:07:54","changed_gmt":"2025-12-16 20:08:39","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-01-09T13:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-01-09T15:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-01-09T15:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-01-09 18:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-01-09 20:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-01-09 20:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey N201\/202","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}