62nd Annual STS (2002-2003)
Finalists
Matthew Douglas Apau Jachowski

HAWAII
Matthew Douglas Apau Jachowski, 17, of Pukalani, investigated two methods for estimating the initial orbit of an asteroid or other celestial body for his Intel Science Talent Search project in earth and space sciences. By analyzing the errors in the calculated orbits of two asteroids, 2 Pallas and 13 Egeria, Matt compared the accuracy of the Laplacian and Gaussian methods for determining their expected orbits. He believes that the accuracy of Laplace's method depends on the timing and uniformity between observation intervals, while Gauss's method depends on the asteroid's position during observation. His work suggests the possibility of developing error correction techniques for both methods. First in his class at Maui High School in Kahului, Matt enjoys cross country, track and swimming and is first chair euphonium in the symphonic band. He has earned numerous honors in science on both the local and national level and volunteers in the Haleakala National Park and "A Keiki's Dream" program. Matt plans to study physics at Stanford University in preparation for a career in research. He is the son of Douglas Jachowski and Dr. Maile Apau Jachowski.