Through grants from the National Science Foundation in 1996 and more recently through the CCLI (Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program-Adaptation and Implementation Program) in 2005, Grant no. 0511514, the NJIT Department of Mathematical Sciences has developed an Undergraduate Computing Laboratory to be used in conjunction with a Capstone Course. The Capstone Course is required of all those graduating with a degree in mathematical sciences with a concentration in applied mathematics. The course provides an opportunity for students to synthesize the knowledge gained during their undergraduate experience by combining mathematical modeling, theoretical and computational analysis, and physical experiments with communication teamwork skills.

Facilities

The Capstone Lab currently contains significant amount of hardware and software that can be used to carry out numerous experiments.  In particular, this equipment includes the following experimental and computing equipment that allows for analysis and experiments involving:

• mechanics (mass-spring systems, etc.);
• electrostatic set-ups that can be used to illustrate solutions to problems of potential theory;
• a Hele-Shaw cell that can be used to illustrate fluid flow past obstacles;
• a goniometer allowing for measuring shapes or hanging and sessile drops and films;
• a laser setup illustrating the methods of geometrical and physical optics;
• a high speed camera (up to 20,000 frames per second) that can be used for a number of different experiments;
• a microscope that is particularly useful for the experiments involving microfluidics.

Past Capstone Projects

• The Shape of a Soap Film in an Electric Field (Spring 2009, Booty)
• Topology and Granular Materials (Spring 2009, Kondic)
• The Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction (Spring 2008, Young)
• Simulations and Experiments with Evaporative Drops (Spring 2007, Kondic)
• Shape and Break-up of a Pendant Drop (Spring 2007, Kondic)
• Instability of a Fluid Strip (Spring 2007, Kondic)
• The Belousov-Zhabotinsky Chemical Reaction (Spring 2005, Petropoulos)
• Classical Mechanic and Rigid Body Motions (Spring 2005 and Spring 2006, Goodman)
• Ripple tank Demonstrations of Linear Wave Phenomena (Spring 2004, Booty)
• Hele-Shaw flow past obstacles (Spring 2003, Goldman)
• Thin Film Flow (Spring 2003, Kondic)
• Hele-Shaw flow past obstacles (Spring 2002, Kondic)
• Saffman-Taylor Instability in Hele-Shaw flow (Spring 2002, Kondic)
• Instabilities in the flow of thin films (Spring 2001, Kondic)