Ms. Carolyn Beaumont, a senior at the Potomac School, won 5th place in the prestigious 78th Regeneron Science Talent Search. During the summer of 2018, Carolyn worked with GL staff members George Cody and Bjorn Mysen on a science project designed to shed light on the molecular details of how water interacts with silicate melts. Toward this goal, Carolyn learned how to run all aspects of the experiment, including learning how to operate a piston cylinder pressure apparatus that generates pressures on the order of 1.5 GPa and temperatures in excess of 1400°C. Carolyn used molecular spectroscopy, including Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to obtain a detailed molecular information on her glass samples. Carolyn will be attending Harvard University in the fall where she plans to study either mathematics or physical sciences. Congratulations! Carolyn Beaumont in front of her poster
