Problems with MoSi{sub 2} include low-temperature fracture toughness, high-temperature creep resistance, and ``pest`` phenomena. Oxygen introduced by powder processing may be the cause of some of these problems. This study led to the following conclusions: Supplied powders have significant oxygen present prior to processing (up to 2.5 %), in the form of silica on the surface. This oxygen contamination did not increase by exposure to air at room temperature. An improved powder processing method was developed that uses glass encapsulation. Analysis of microstructures created from powders that contained 4900 to 24,100 ppM oxygen showed that the silica was transferred to the fully dense MoSi{sub 2} as SiO{sub 2} inclusions. A method of producing MoSi{sub 2} with less oxygen was attempted.

A series of six nitroxide spin-labeled psoralens were designed, synthesized and tested as probes for DNA dynamics. The synthesis of these spin-labeled psoralen derivatives and their photoreactivity with double-stranded DNA fragments is described. The spin labels (nitroxides) were demonstrated to survive the uv irradiation required to bind the probe to the target DNA. EPR spectra of the photobound spin-labels indicate that they do not wobble with respect to the DNA on the time-scales investigated. The author has used psoralen modified DNA as a model for the study of DNA repair enzyme systems in human cell free extracts. He has shown that damage-induced DNA synthesis is associated with removal of psoralen adducts and therefore is {open_quotes}repair synthesis{close_quotes} and not an aberrant DNA synthesis reaction potentiated by deformation of the DNA by adducts. He has found that all DNA synthesis induced by psoralen monoadducts is the consequence of removal of these adducts. By the same approach he has obtained evidence that this in vitro system is capable of removing psoralen cross-links as well. Reported here are synthetic methods that make use of high intensity lasers coupled with HPLC purification to make homogeneous and very pure micromole quantities of furan-side monoadducted, cross-linked, and …

Bacteria induce the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the laboratory and in nature by altering their chemical environment. Geologists are recognizing the possibility that bacterially induced precipitates may form significant mineral deposits, unfortunately, there are currently no sound criteria by which they can be recognized in recent sediments, or in the rock record. Cultures of aerobic and facultative bacteria from cyanobacterial mats on Andros Island, Bahamas, and Baffin Bay, Texas, induced the precipitation of calcium carbonate under controlled conditions. Crusts, the largest features formed, are composed of 5--200{mu}m diameter bundles which are, in turn, composed of numerous individual crystals. The smallest observed features are 0.1--0.4{mu}m spheres and rods which comprise some individual crystals and crystal bundles. Crystal bundles resembling rhombohedra, tetragonal disphenoids, tetragonal dipyramids, and calcite dumbbells appear to be uniquely bacterial in origin, and they have all been observed in recent sediments. Swollen rods, discs, curved dumbbells, and 50--200{mu}m optically continuous crystals resembling brushes may be uniquely bacterial in origin, however, they have not been reported by other laboratories nor observed in natural settings. Presence of any of these forms in recent sediments should be taken as strong evidence for bacterial influence. Spheres and aragonite dumbbells have also been …

The perturbed particle transport coefficients were determined for a range of plasma conditions in the Alcator C tokamak, a component of the Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX), from analysis of density perturbations created in gas modulation experiments. Density measurements from a 15 chord far-infrared interferometer were sufficiently detailed to allow radial profiles of the transport coefficients to be resolved. Gas modulation experiments were carried out on plasmas over a range of relatively low currents and a wide variety of line-averaged densities, including values near the Greenwald density limit. With this technique the perturbed diffusion coefficient D and the perturbed convection velocity V can be determined simultaneously. Measured profiles of D rise toward the outside of the plasma column in a manner generally similar to those determined previously for {chi}{sub e,HP} from sawtooth heat pulse propagation. Values of D are typically smaller than those of {chi}{sub e,HP} given for the same line-averaged densities by a factor of 2-5. Diffusion coefficients from a series of discharges at constant current showed little variation with density through most of the saturated ohmic confinement regime. At the Greenwald density limit threshold a dramatic increase occurred in both the perturbed convective and diffusive transport coefficients in the …

In this work, a measurement of the strong coupling constant {alpha}{sub s} in e{sup +}e{sup {minus}} annihilation at a center-of-mass energy of 91.6 GeV is presented. The measurement was performed with the SLD at the Stanford Linear Collider facility located at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California. The procedure used consisted of measuring the rate of hard gluon radiation from the primary quarks in a sample of 9,878 hadronic events. After defining the asymptotic manifestation of partons as `jets`, various phenomenological models were used to correct for the hadronization process. A value for the QCD scale parameter {Lambda}{sub bar MS}, defined in the {sub bar MS} renormalization convention with 5 active quark flavors, was then obtained by a direct fit to O({alpha}{sub s}{sup 2}) calculations. The value of {alpha}{sub s} obtained was {alpha}{sub s}(M{sub z0}) = 0.122 {plus_minus} 0.004 {sub {minus}0.007} {sup +0.008} where the uncertainties are experimental (combined statistical and systematic) and theoretical (systematic) respectively. Equivalently, {Lambda}{sub bar MS} = 0.28 {sub {minus}0.10}{sup +0.16} GeV where the experimental and theoretical uncertainties have been combined.

We have measured the transverse momentum spectra 1/p{sub T} dN/dp{sub T} and rapidity distributions dN/dy of negatively charged hadrons and protons for central {sup 32}S + {sup 32}S interactions at 200 GeV/nucleon incident energy. The negative hadron dN/dy distribution is too broad to be accounted for by thermal models which demand isotropic particle emission. It is compatible with models which emphasize longitudinal dynamics, by either a particle production mechanism, as in the Lund fragmentation model, or by introducing one-dimensional hydrodynamic expansion, as in the Landau model. The proton dN/dy distribution, although showing no evidence for a peak in the target fragmentation region, exhibits limited nuclear stopping power. We estimate the mean rapidity shift of participant target protons to be {Delta}y {approximately} 1.5, greater than observed for pp collisions, less than measured in central pA collisions, and much less than would be observed for a single equilibrated fireball at midrapidity. Both the negative hadron and proton dN/dy distributions can be fit by a symmetric Landau two-fireball model. Although the spectrum possesses a two-component structure, a comparison to pp data at comparable center-of-mass energy shows no evidence for enhanced production at low p{sub T}. The two-component structure can be explained by a …

The development of a versatile picosecond ultraviolet/vacuum ultraviolet temporal spectrometer and its potential use for measuring internal energy redistribution in isolated molecules are described in detail. A detailed description of the double-pass Nd:YAG amplifier and the dye amplifiers is given with the pulse energies achieved in the visible, ultraviolet, and vacuum ultraviolet. The amplified visible pulses are shown to be of sub-picosecond duration and near transform limited. The instrument`s temporal response ({le}10 ps) is derived from an instrument limited measurement of the dissociation lifetime of methyl iodide at 266 nm. The methyl iodide experiment is used to discuss the various sources of noise and background signals that are intrinsic to this type of experiment. Non-time-resolved experiments measuring the branching ratio and kinetic energy distributions of products from the 193 nm photodissociation of cyclopentadiene and thiophene are presented. These studies were done using the molecular beam Photofragment Translational Spectroscopy (PTS) technique. The results from the cyclopentadiene experiment confirm that H atom elimination to yield the cyclopentadienyl radical is the dominant dissociation channel. A barrier of {ge}5 kcal/mol can be understood in terms of the delocalization of the radical electron of the cyclopentadienyl fragment. A concerted elimination yielding cyclopropene and acetylene was …

Senior colloquium written by a student in the UNT Honors College discussing Greek sculpture and architecture as filtered through the Fauve, Constructivist, Dada, and Pop artistic movements. The author takes examples of Grecian sculpture, recreates them in each of the other styles, and discusses the results.

Previous research has shown that accountants may be inadequate moral reasoners. Concern over this trend caused the Treadway Commission (1987) and the Accounting Education Change Commission (1990) to call for greater integration of ethics into the student's training. Ponemon and Glazer (1990) found a difference in cognitive moral development (CMD) between accounting students at a public university and a private university with a liberal arts emphasis. This study expands Ponemon and Glazer's research by examining two liberal arts universities, one a private, secular institution and one a Catholic institution. The primary research question asks if Catholic university accounting students manifest greater CMD growth than secular university accounting students. Additionally, this study examines and compares the priority that accounting students from the different institutions place on ethical values versus economic values. It was expected that Catholic university accounting students would manifest both greater CMD growth and a greater concern for ethical values over economic values when compared with non-Catholic university accounting students. The study utilized a two-phase approach. In the first phase, an organizational study of two institutions was made to determine how each strives to integrate moral development into their accounting students' education. In the second phase, lower-division and senior …

Working directly on affine Lie groups, we construct several new formulations of the WZW model, the gauged WZW model, and the generic affine-Virasoro action. In one formulation each of these conformal field theories (CFTs) is expressed as a one-dimensional mechanical system whose variables are coordinates on the affine Lie group. When written in terms of the affine group element, this formulation exhibits a two-dimensional WZW term. In another formulation each CFT is written as a two-dimensional field theory, with a three- dimensional WZW term, whose fields are coordinates on the affine group. On the basis of these equivalent formulations, we develop a translation dictionary in which the new formulations on the affine Lie group are understood as mode formulations of the conventional formulations on the Lie group. Using this dictionary, we also express each CFT as a three-dimensional field theory on the Lie group with a four-dimensional WZW term. 36 refs.

The dynamics of several elementary chemical reactions that are important in atmospheric chemistry are investigated. The reactive scattering of ground state chlorine or bromine atoms with ozone molecules and ground state chlorine atoms with nitrogen dioxide molecules is studied using a crossed molecular beams apparatus with a rotatable mass spectrometer detector. The Cl + O{sub 3} {yields} ClO + O{sub 2} reaction has been studied at four collision energies ranging from 6 kcal/mole to 32 kcal/mole. The derived product center-of-mass angular and translational energy distributions show that the reaction has a direct reaction mechanism and that there is a strong repulsion on the exit channel. The ClO product is sideways and forward scattered with respect to the Cl atom, and the translational energy release is large. The Cl atom is most likely to attack the terminal oxygen atom of the ozone molecule. The Br + O{sub 3} {yields} ClO + O{sub 2} reaction has been studied at five collision energies ranging from 5 kcal/mole to 26 kcal/mole. The derived product center-of-mass angular and translational energy distributions are quite similar to those in the Cl + O{sub 3} reaction. The Br + O{sub 3} reaction has a direct reaction mechanism similar …

Crosswell electromagnetic measurements are a promising new geophysical technique for mapping subsurface electrical conductivity which can provide information about the subsurface distribution of water, oil or steam. In this work the fields from a low frequency vertical magnetic dipole have been examined from the specific point of view of their application to the determination of the conductivity of a layered medium. The source and the receiver were placed inside two separate boreholes. The range of penetration of such a crosswell system for typical earth resistivities and for currently available transmitter and receiver technologies was found to be up to 1,000 meters so problems in ground water and petroleum reservoir characteristics can be practically examined. An analysis of the behavior of the magnetic fields at the boundary between two half-spaces showed that the horizontal magnetic field component, H{rho}, and the vertical derivative of a vertical component, {delta}H{sub z}/{delta}z, are more sensitive to conductivity variations than H{sub z}. The analysis of derivatives led to the concept of measuring the conductivity directly using a second vertical derivative of H{sub z}. Conductivity profiles interpreted from field data using this technique reproduced accurately the electrical logs for a test site near Devine, Texas. It was …

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Theoretical electronic structure techniques are used to analyze widely different systems from Si clusters to transition metal solids and surfaces. For the Si clusters, first principles density functional methods are used to investigate Si{sub N} for N=2-8. Goal is to understand the different types of bonding that can occur in such small clusters where the atomic coordination differs substantially from tetrahedral bonding; such uncoordinated structures can test approximate models of Si surfaces. For the transition metal systems, non-self-consistent electronic structure methods are used to understand the driving force for surface relaxations. In-depth analysis of results is presented and physical basis of surface relaxation within the theory is discussed. Limitations inherent in calculations of metal surface relaxation are addressed. Finally, in an effort to understand approximate methods, a novel non-self- consistent density functional electronic structure method is developed that is about 1000 times faster than more sophisticated methods; this method is tested for various systems including diatomics, mixed clusters, surfaces, and bulk lattices.

The potential risk of lung cancer has evoked interest in the properties of radon decay products. There are two forms of this progeny: either attached to ambient aerosols, or still in the status of ions/molecules/small clusters. This ``unattached`` activity would give a higher dose per unit of airborne activity than the ``attached`` progeny that are rather poorly deposited. In this thesis, a system for determining unattached radon decay products electrical mobility size distribution by measuring their electrical mobilities was developed, based on the fact that about 88% of {sup 218}Po atoms have unit charge at the end of their recoil after decay from {sup 222}Rn, while the remainder are neutral. Essential part of the setup is the radon-aerosol chamber with the Circular Electrical Mobility Spectrometer (CEMS) inside. CEMS is used for sampling and classifying the charged radioactive clusters produced in the chamber. An alpha- sensitive plastic, CR-39 disk, is placed in CEMS as an inlaid disk electrode and the alpha particle detector. CEMS showed good performance in fine inactive particles` classification. If it also works well for radon decay products, it can offer a convenient size distribution measurement for radioactive ultrafine particles. However, the experiments did not obtain an acceptable …

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon and related materials have been applied to radiation detectors, utilizing their good radiation resistance and the feasibility of making deposits over a large area at low cost. Effects of deposition parameters on various material properties of a-Si:H have been studied to produce a material satisfying the requirements for specific detection application. Thick(-{approximately}50 {mu}m), device quality a-Si:H p-i-n diodes for direct detection of minimum ionizing particles have been prepared with low internal stress by a combination of low temperature growth, He-dilution of silane, and post annealing. The structure of the new film contained voids and tiny crystalline inclusions and was different from the one observed in conventional a-Si:H. Deposition on patterned substrates was attempted as an alternative to controlling deposition parameters to minimize substrate bending and delamination of thick a-Si:H films. Growth on an inversed-pyramid pattern reduced the substrate bending by a factor of 3{approximately}4 for the same thickness film. Thin (0.1 {approximately} 0.2 {mu}m) films of a-Si:H and a-SiC:H have been applied to microstrip gas chambers to control gain instabilities due to charges on the substrate. Light sensitivity of the a-Si:H sheet resistance was minimized and the surface resistivity was successfully` controlled in the range of 10{sup …

This paper presents a review of the Direct Stator Flux Field Orientation control method. This method can be used to control an induction motor`s torque and flux directly and is the application of interest for this thesis. This control method is implemented without the traditional feedback loops and associated hardware. Predictions are made, by mathematical calculations, of the stator voltage vector. The voltage vector is determined twice a switching period. The switching period is fixed throughout the analysis. The three phase inverter duty cycle necessary to control the torque and flux of the induction machine is determined by the voltage space vector Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique. Transient performance of either the flux or torque requires an alternate modulation scheme which is also addressed in this thesis. A block diagram of this closed loop system is provided. 22 figs., 7 tabs.

The dynamics of inelastic and reactive collisions in atomic beam-surface scattering are presented. The inelastic scattering of hyperthermal rare gaseous atoms from three alkali halide surfaces (LiF, NaCl, GI)was studied to understand mechanical energy transfer in unreactive systems. The dynamics of the chemical reaction in the scattering of H(D) atoms from the surfaces of LIF(001) and the basal plane of graphite were also studied.

Conversion reactions of hydrocarbons over Pt-Re model catalyst surfaces modified by sulfur and alumina have been studied. A plasma deposition source has been developed to deposit Pt, Re, and Al on metal substrates variable coverage in ultrahigh vacuum without excessive heating. Conversion of n-hexane was performed over the Re-covered Pt and Pt-covered Re surfaces. The presence of the second metal increased hydrogenolysis activity of both Pt-Re surfaces. Addition of sulfur on the model Catalyst surfaces suppressed hydrogenolysis activity and increased the cyclization rate of n-hexane to methylcyclopentane over Pt-Re surfaces. Sulfiding also increased the dehydrogenation rate of cyclohexane to benzene Over Pt-Re surfaces. It has been proposed that the PtRe bimetallic catalysts show unique properties when combined with sulfur, and electronic interactions exist between platinum, rhenium and sulfur. Decomposition of hydrocarbons on the sulfur-covered Pt-Re surfaces supported that argument. For the conversion of 1-butene over the planar Pt/AlO{sub x}, the addition of Pt increased the selectivity of hydrogenation over isomerization.

This thesis describes a measurement of the heavy-ion induced electromagnetic dissociation of a 120 MeV/A {sup 238}U beam incident on five targets: {sup 9}Be, {sup 27}Al, {sup nat}Cu, {sup nat}Ag, and {sup nat}U. Electromagnetic dissociation at this beam energy is essentially a two step process involving the excitation of a giant resonance followed by particle decay. At 120 MeV/A there is predicted to be a significant contribution of the giant quadrupole resonance to the EMD cross sections. The specific exit channel which was looked at was projectile fission. The two fission fragments were detected in coincidence by an array of solid-state {Delta}E-E detectors, allowing the changes of the fragments to be determined to within {plus_minus} .5 units. The events were sorted on the basis of the sums of the fragments` charges, acceptance corrections were applied, and total cross sections for the most peripheral events were determined. Electromagnetic fission at the beam energy of this experiment always leads to a true charge sum of 92. Due to the imperfect resolution of the detectors, charge sums of 91 and 93 were included in order to account for all of the electromagnetic fission events. The experimentally observed cross sections are due to nuclear …

The first part of this thesis presents a first-order pseudopotential calculation at T=O of the total energy of small sodium clusters of size N<800. The calculation is based on a local-pseudopotential scheme and local-density correlation and exchange. A temperature-size (T-N) phase-diagram is then derived using the T=O results and Lindemann`s criterion for melting. The phase-diagram contains three regions of stability: (1) a liquid (jellium) phase at temperatures above the melting line T{sub M}(N) where cluster-stability occurs at electronic magic numbers: (2) a phase related to complete geometrical shells of body-centered-cubic structure at temperatures below the melting line; and (3) a close-packed structure at very low temperatures and sufficiently large N. The melting line drops to T{sub M}(N)=O for N<65, where electronic magic numbers are stable even at T=O. The phase diagram reduces asymptotically to the known phases of sodium as N{yields}{infinity}, including the known martensitic transformation at T{approximately}5 K. The second and the last part of this thesis consists of a study of small-cluster many-body systems by means of an on-site ``local`` chemical potential which allows the continuous variation of local electron-density. This method yields a criterion to distinguish particular features of a small cluster that are likely to survive …

All models of lasing action require knowledge of the physical parameters involved, of which many can be measured or estimated. The value of the terminal level lifetime is an important parameter in modeling many high power laser systems since the terminal level lifetime can have a substantial impact on the extraction efficiency of the system. However, the values of the terminal level lifetimes for a number of important laser materials such as ND:YAG and ND:YLF are not well known. The terminal level lifetime, a measure of the time it takes for the population to drain out of the terminal (lower) lasing level, has values that can range from picoseconds to microseconds depending on the host medium, thus making it difficult to construct one definitive experiment for all materials. Until recently, many of the direct measurements of the terminal level lifetime employed complex energy extraction or gain recovery methods coupled with a numerical model which often resulted in large uncertainties in the measured lifetimes. In this report we demonstrate a novel and more accurate approach which employs a pump-probe technique to measure the terminal level lifetime of 16 neodymium-doped materials. An alternative yet indirect method, which is based on the ``Energy …

We introduce several ways in which approximate flavor symmetries act on fermions and which are consistent with observed fermion masses and mixings. Flavor changing interactions mediated by new scalars appear as a consequence of approximate flavor symmetries. We discuss the experimental limits on masses of the new scalars, and show that the masses can easily be of the order of weak scale. Some implications for neutrino physics are also discussed. Such flavor changing interactions would easily erase any primordial baryon asymmetry. We show that this situation can be saved by simply adding a new charged particle with its own asymmetry. The neutrality of the Universe, together with sphaleron processes, then ensures a survival of baryon asymmetry. Several topics on flavor structure of the supersymmetric grand unified theories are discussed. First, we show that the successful predictions for the Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrix elements, V{sub ub}/V{sub cb} = {radical}m{sub u}/m{sub c} and V{sub td}/V{sub ts} = {radical}m{sub d}/m{sub s}, are a consequence of a large class of models, rather than specific properties of a few models. Second, we discuss how the recent observation of the decay {beta} {yields} s{gamma} constrains the parameter space when the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of …

Genetic algorithms (GAs), global optimization methods that mimic Darwinian evolution are well suited to the nonlinear inverse problems of geophysics. A standard genetic algorithm selects the best or ''fittest'' models from a ''population'' and then applies operators such as crossover and mutation in order to combine the most successful characteristics of each model and produce fitter models. More sophisticated operators have been developed, but the standard GA usually provides a robust and efficient search. Although the choice of parameter settings such as crossover and mutation rate may depend largely on the type of problem being solved, numerous results show that certain parameter settings produce optimal performance for a wide range of problems and difficulties. In particular, a low (about half of the inverse of the population size) mutation rate is crucial for optimal results, but the choice of crossover method and rate do not seem to affect performance appreciably. Optimal efficiency is usually achieved with smaller (&lt; 50) populations. Lastly, tournament selection appears to be the best choice of selection methods due to its simplicity and its autoscaling properties. However, if a proportional selection method is used such as roulette wheel selection, fitness scaling is a necessity, and a high …