Browse real student projects, abstracts, and awards.
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Gravity and expansion shapes the universe into a vast cosmic web of empty regions (voids), flat sheets (walls), thin threads (filaments), and dense clusters. While filaments and clusters are…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Electromagnetic forces inside matter are fundamental in condensed matter physics but there are multiple theories that describe them and it is yet to be determined which theory is correct. Th…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Black hole X-ray binaries contain a black hole that accretes gas from a companion star, producing bright X-rays. By fitting the X-ray spectra with astrophysical models, we can estimate key p…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Kerr black holes, or rotating black holes, are central to understanding spacetime curvature around massive rotating bodies; the Penrose process offers a theoretical framework for extracting…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
This study elucidates the physical mechanisms behind the self-stabilizing behavior of liquid-filled eggs, which suppress motion more effectively than solid-filled ones. Although this phenome…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Graphene has been proposed as a hydrogen storage medium capable of alleviating the concerns that come with other forms of hydrogen storage. However, current studies rely on pristine graphene…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
This study examines the dynamics of a spinning pencil cap on a smooth surface—a motion commonly observed during childhood play. As the cap spins about its axis, it simultaneously traces a ci…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Motion-induced quicksand, or secondary rheology, refers to the sinking of an object into dry sand fluidized by distant movement in the same granular medium. In granular environments like des…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Light pollution is a growing societal issue with at least 80% of the world's population encountering reduced night sky visibility due to urban skyglow. As well as scattered light emanating f…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Wildfires pose significant threats to ecosystems and communities worldwide. While visible flames can be readily captured, the underlying thermofluidic processes governing atmospheric fire sp…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Arterial stenosis, the narrowing of arteries by plaque buildup, is the primary cause of cardiovascular diseases. Diseased arteries often contain multiple or non-uniform stenoses, so clinical…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
The purpose of this study is to derive formula of self-force acting on an infinite uniform sheet charge in 1D electrodynamics and verify it through 1D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. If…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Every day, without realizing it, we live immersed in environmental radioactivity, a natural and generally harmless phenomenon. In the past, its strong correlation with meteorological variabl…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Photonic devices—engineered systems composed of metal-dielectric nanostructures—provide a powerful platform for manipulating and probing the quantum properties of light. These systems suppor…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
The assembly of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) is commonly attributed to hierarchical mergers at low redshift, yet the mechanisms governing their early-universe growth remain poorly quant…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
This project aimed to produce a Type II superconductor through substitution doping of Zirconium (Zr) into the crystalline structure of Tantalum Chromium Phosphorus (TaCrP), which has never b…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Aerodynamics is heavily dependent on the four main forces of flight, weight, lift, thrust, and drag. Drag heavily impacts the aerospace industry's ability to create faster and more effective…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Binary neutron star (BNS) mergers emit gravitational waves and eject neutron-rich matter, powering a short-lived infrared transient known as a kilonova. Immediately after the merger, the hyp…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Vertical vibration can levitate a liquid layer above an air cushion. As the driving acceleration increases, the system transitions through three regimes: Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the l…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
This project evaluated the ability of laboratory-scale permanent magnets and a battery-powered electromagnet to generate magnetic pressure and compared their capacity to approach the pressur…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Purpose: Entanglement determines how quantum information is stored and processed, but measurements impact entanglement behavior in open quantum circuits. This project studies entanglement ph…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
IC 4634 is a planetary nebula with a striking double-S shape, whose curved arcs and distant knots preserve a record of its outflow history. This study presents the first 3D morpho-kinematic…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Diving beetles (Dytiscidae) are among the most well-adapted freshwater insects. A previous study on variations in the length between the point of maximum width of the elytra and the tip of t…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Current drug design methods treat proteins as rigid structures, failing to capture functional high-energy states. This contributes to 40–50% of clinical-stage drug failures. Mapping continuo…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Purpose: Oil spills cause severe damage to marine life and ecosystems. In this research, we attempted to develop an efficient method that can control oil film movement and therefore manage o…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
This project develops a first principles framework linking molecular-scale randomness to macroscopic fluid behavior through coarse-grained velocity fields. Modeling molecular collisions as a…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of vision impairment particularly in low-income regions, due to limited access to diagnostic systems. Current assessment tools including pho…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Prior to the first unambiguous discovery in 2011, circumbinary planets (CBPs), planets orbiting two stars or eclipsing binaries (EBs), were considered unlikely to exist due to the perturbati…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Reconciling general relativity and quantum field theory remains a central challenge in physics. Hawking radiation, a quantum effect where black holes emit radiation, provides a natural testi…
ISEF · 2026
Physics and Astronomy
Current exoplanet detection relies on identifying periodic transit dips in stellar light curves, explicitly searching for the geometric signature of a planet crossing its host star. This pro…