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Submitted to Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis. The gas model of neutron thermalization for a general moderator mass was studied by formulating the thermalization process as an integral equation. The relation of the model to the slowing-down theory was investigated. A discussion of the theory of scattering cross sections for neutrons is presented. The Wigner-Wilkins model was considered for moderator atoms of the same mass as the neutron. The analysis was extended to the case of a gaseous moderator with atoms of general mass. (M.C.G.)

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Off-line experiments indicated that fluorides of As, Se, Br, Kr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Sb, Te, I and Xe could be volatilized, but except for Br, Kr, I and Xe, none of these elements were observed after mass separation in the on-line experiments. The results of the on-line experiments indicated a very low level of hydride contamination at ambient temperature and consequently, uranium tetrafluoride replaced uranyl stearate as the primary gaseous fission product target. Possible reasons for the failure of the heated target system to yield non-rare gas activities are discussed and suggestions for designing a new heated target system are presented.

Solid-state electrochemical techniques are applied to the Ga-In-Sb-O system to measure some thermodynamic properties important for the analysis of solid-liquid phase equilibria in these important semiconductor materials. The standard Gibbs energies of formation of the most stable oxides of gallium and of indium are determined with a high-temperature solid-state electrochemical cell utilizing calcia-stabilized zirconia as the solid electrolyte and a (CO + CO/sub 2/) gaseous mixture as the reference electrode.

Lateral changes in geology pose a serious problem in data interpretation for any surface geophysical method. Although many geophysical techniques are designed to probe vertically, the source signal invariably spreads laterally, so any lateral variations in geology will affect the measurements and interpretation. This problem is particularly acute for controlled source electromagnetic soundings because only a few techniques are available to interpret the data if lateral effects are present. In this thesis we examine the effects of geological contacts for the time domain electromagnetic sounding method (TDEM). Using two simple two-dimensional models, the truncated thin-sheet and the quarter-space, we examine the system response for several commonly used TDEM sounding configurations. For each system we determine the sensitivity to the contact, establish how to the contact anomaly may be distinguished from other anomalies and, when feasible, develop methods for interpreting the contact geometry and for stripping the contact anomaly from the observed data. Since no numerical models were available when this work was started, data were collected using scale models with a system designed at the University of California at Berkeley. The models were assembled within a table-top modeling tank from sheets or blocks of metal using air or mercury as …

Results are reported from a streamer chamber experiment performed at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to study the production of the phi (1020) in OZI-allowed and forbidden processes in ..pi../sup +/p interactions at 16 GeV/c. Production properties of the anti K*/sup ./(896) are also studied and discussed.

The feasibility of calculating Wagner self-interaction parameters from binary phase diagrams was examined. The self-interaction parameters of 22 non-ferrous liquid solutions were calculated utilizing an equation based on the equality of the chemical potentials of a component in two equilibrium phases. Utilization of the equation requires the evaluation of the first and second derivatives of various liquidus and solidus data at infinite dilution of the solute component. Several numerical methods for evaluating the derivatives of tabular data were examined. A method involving power series curve fitting and subsequent differentiation of the power series was found to be the most suitable for the interaction parameter calculations. Comparison of the calculated self-interaction parameters with values obtained from thermodynamic measurements indicates that the Wagner self-interaction parameter can be successfully calculated from binary phase diagrams.

Energy curves are determined for the lowest singlet and triplet states of the HNO molecule. The geometry is varied in that the hydrogen moves through 13 positions around the NO core to describe the isomerization reaction HNO yields HON. Quantitatively determined are the stable and metastable equilibrium positions in both states, the energy differences between these two equilibrium positions and between the two states, and the barriers with respect to isomerization. The calculations are carried out using a novel configuration interaction approach called the Full Optimized Reaction Space method, which involves multiconfigurational self-consistent field calculations as an integral part. In order to interpret the bonding changes occurring during the reaction, a novel type of orbital is developed and calculated. These are called Directed Localized Reaction Orbitals. With their help it proves possible to give an interpretation of the isomerization in terms of concepts which fit chemical intuition.

The problem of transient droplet vaporization in a hot convective environment is examined. The main objective of the present study is to develop an algorithm for the droplet vaporization which is simple enough to be feasibly incorporated into a complete spray combustion analysis and yet will also account for the important physics such as liquid-phase internal circulation, unsteady droplet heating and axisymmetric gas-phase convection. A simplified liquid-phase model has been obtained based on the assumption of the existence of a Hill's spherical vortex inside the droplet together with some approximations made in the governing diffusion equation. The use of the simplified model in a spray situation has also been examined. It has been found that droplet heating and vaporization are essentially unsteady and droplet temperature is nonuniform for a significant portion of its lifetime. It has also been found that the droplet vaporization characteristic can be quite sensitive to the particular liquid-phase and gas-phase models. The results of the various models are compared with the existing experimental data. Due to large scattering in the experimental measurements, particularly the droplet diameter, no definite conclusion can be drawn based on the experimental data. Finally, certain research problems which are related to the …

A unique phonon progression in the phosphorescence spectrum of pyrene-PMDA (Py-PMDA) in naphthalene-PMDA (N-PMDA) is reported. Calculations of the electron-phonon coupling strength parameter for the ground and excited states indicate strong coupling for the fractional CT contribution of Py-PMDA to the observed phosphorescent state. Model calculations indicate that the observed low frequency phonon mode corresponds to a low energy rotation of the rigid guest complex and not a symmetric donor-acceptor stretch. The unusual reduction of the phonon mode frequency in the excited ground state is explained in terms of a contracted complex that can more easily rotate in a larger cavity. A brief phonon progression is also observed for the mixed crystal A-PMDA in N-PMDA. For both mixed crystals, Py-PMDA in N-PMDA and A-PMDA in N-PMDA, the energy spacing between the zero-phonon vibrational bands in the mixed CT crystal phosphorescence spectrum are very similar to those obtained from the phosphorescence spectrum of the pure donor in a rigid matrix. There is a large blue shift between the origin band of the mixed CT crystal phosphorescence spectrum and the origin band of the pure donor phosphorescence spectrum for the A-PMDA mixed crystal, but not for the Py-PMDA mixed crystal. The structureless …

Feasibility of using a low pressure glow discharge as an ion source for the mass spectrometric determination of trace elements in aqueous media was investigated. A cryogenically cooled hollow cathode ion source was developed to analyze aqueous samples without external preconcentration. Aqueous solutions containing seventy elements were analyzed and the detection limits, sensitivity factors, and linear regression correlation coefficients were determined. A standard test solution of trace elements in water was analyzed and the concentrations of trace elements were calculated using the sensitivity factors determined previously. The results compared favorably within the error limits predicted by the semiquantitative survey methods used. Tap water and natural lake water samples were examined and minimal interference effects due to organic compounds and biological compounds were noted. A research ion optical system (RIOS) was developed as a flexible mass analyzer for the development of new ion sources. The RIOS is a double focussing mass analyzer designed utilizing the Mattauch-Herzog geometry with externally adjustable slit assemblies.

MINOS, the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search, is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory. The experiment uses a neutrino beam, which is measured 1 km downstream from its origin in the Near detector at Fermilab and then 735 km later in the Far detector at the Soudan mine. By comparing these two measurements, MINOS can attain a very high precision for parameters in the atmospheric sector of neutrino oscillations. In addition to precisely determining {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} and {theta}{sub 23} through the disappearance of {nu}{sub {mu}}, MINOS is able to measure {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub sterile} by looking for a deficit in the number of neutral current interactions seen in the Far detector. In this thesis, we present the results of a search for sterile neutrinos in MINOS.

High resolution, proton decoupled {sup 13}C nmr are observed for a series of neat nematic liquid crystals, the p-alkoxyazoxybenzenes, and a smectic-A liquid crystal, diethylazoxydibenzoate in a magnetic field of 23 kG. The (uniaxial) order parameters S = <P{sub 2}(cos{theta})> are found to be about 0.4 and 0.9 for the nematic and smectic-A phase respectively at the clearing points. The order parameter increases with decreasing temperature in the nematic phase but is constant, or nearly so, with temperature in the smectic-A phase. In the nematic series studied, the ordering exhibits an even-odd alternation along the series and qualitative agreement with a recent theory due to Marcelja is found. In both phases, the spectra show that the molecule rotates rapidly about its long axis. Tentative conclusions about molecular conformational motion and {sup 14}N spin relaxation are presented for both nematic and smectic-A phases. In the smectic-A phase, the sample is rotated about an axis perpendicular to H{sub 0} and the resulting spectra are discussed. The theory of observed chemical shifts in liquid crystals is treated in an appendix. Equations are derived which relate the nmr spectra of liquid-crystals to the order parameters. A model for the smectic-C phase due to Luz …

The authors present precision measurements of the direct CP violation parameter, Re({epsilon}{prime}/{epsilon}), the kaon parameters, {Delta}m and {tau}{sub S}, and the CPT tests, {phi}{sub {+-}} and {Delta}{phi}, in neutral kaon decays. These results are based on the full dataset collected by the KTeV experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory during 1996, 1997, and 1999. This dataset contains {approx} 15 million K {yields} {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} decays and {approx} 69 million K {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decays. They describe significant improvements to the precision of these measurements relative to previous KTeV analyses. They find Re({epsilon}{prime}/{epsilon}) = [19.2 {+-} 1.1(stat) {+-} 1.8(syst)] x 10{sup -4}, {Delta}m = (5265 {+-} 10) x 10{sup 6} hs{sup -1}, and {tau}{sub S} = (89.62 {+-} 0.05) x 10{sup -12} s. They measure {phi}{sub {+-}} = (44.09 {+-} 1.00){sup o} and {Delta}{phi} = (0.29 {+-} 0.31){sup o}; these results are consistent with CPT symmetry.

The top quark was discovered in 1995 at the Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). One way to confirm if the observed top quark is really the top quark posited in the Standard Model (SM) is to measure its electric charge. In the Standard Model the top quark is the isospin partner of the bottom quark and is expected to have a charge of +2/3. However, an alternative 'exotic' model has been proposed with a fourth generation exotic quark that has the same characteristics, such as mass, as our observed top but with a charge of -4/3. This thesis presents the first CDF measurement of the top quark's charge via its decay products, a W boson and a bottom quark, using {approx} 1 fb{sup -1} of data. The data were collected by the CDF detector from proton anti-proton (p{bar p}) collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV at Fermilab. We classify events depending on the charges of the bottom quark and associated W boson and count the number of events which appear 'SM-like' or 'exotic-like' with a SM-like event decaying as t {yields} W{sup +}b and an exotic event as t {yields} W{sup -}b. We find the p-value under the Standard Model …

Rapid solidification of novel mixed rare earth-iron-boron, MRE{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (MRE = Nd, Y, Dy; currently), magnet alloys via high pressure gas atomization (HPGA) have produced similar properties and structures as closely related alloys produced by melt spinning (MS) at low wheel speeds. Recent additions of titanium carbide and zirconium to the permanent magnet (PM) alloy design in HPGA powder (using He atomization gas) have made it possible to achieve highly refined microstructures with magnetic properties approaching melt spun particulate at cooling rates of 10{sup 5}-10{sup 6}K/s. By producing HPGA powders with the desirable qualities of melt spun ribbon, the need for crushing ribbon was eliminated in bonded magnet fabrication. The spherical geometry of HPGA powders is more ideal for processing of bonded permanent magnets since higher loading fractions can be obtained during compression and injection molding. This increased volume loading of spherical PM powder can be predicted to yield a higher maximum energy product (BH){sub max} for bonded magnets in high performance applications. Passivation of RE-containing powder is warranted for the large-scale manufacturing of bonded magnets in applications with increased temperature and exposure to humidity. Irreversible magnetic losses due to oxidation and corrosion of particulates is a known drawback …

MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search), is a long baseline neutrino experiment designed to search for neutrino oscillations using two detectors at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, IL (Near Detector) and Soudan, MN (Far Detector). It will study {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub {tau}} oscillations and make a measurement on the oscillation parameters, {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} and sin{sup 2} 2{theta}{sub 23}, via a {nu}{sub {mu}} beam made at Fermilab. Charge current neutrino interactions in the MINOS detectors are of three types: quasi-elastic scattering (QEL), resonance scattering (RES) and deep inelastic scattering (DIS). Of these, quasi-elastic scattering leaves the cleanest signal with just one {mu} and one proton in the final state, thus rendering the reconstruction of the neutrino energy more accurate. This thesis will outline a method to separate QEL events from the others in the two detectors and perform a calculation of {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} and sin{sup 2} 2{theta}{sub 23} using those events. The period under consideration was May 2005 to February 2006. The number of observed quasi-elastic events with energies below 10 GeV was 29, where the expected number was 60 {+-} 3. A fit to the energy distribution of these events gives {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} = 2.91{sub -0.53}{sup +0.49}(stat){sub …

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Transition metal silicides are being considered for future engine turbine components at temperatures up to 1600 C. Although significant improvement in high temperature strength, room temperature fracture toughness has been realized in the past decade, further improvement in oxidation resistance is needed. Oxidation mechanism of Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-based alloys was investigated. Oxidation behavior of Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-based alloy strongly depends on the atmosphere. Presence of Nitrogen alters the oxidation behavior of Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3} by nucleation and growth of nitride subscale. Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3.2} and Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3}C{sub 0.5} alloys exhibited an excellent oxidation resistance in nitrogen bearing atmosphere due to limited dissolution of nitrogen and increased Si/Ti activity ratio. MoSi{sub 2} coating developed by pack cementation to protect Mo-based Mo-Si-B composites was found to be effective up to 1500 C. Shifting coating composition to T1+T2+Mo{sub 3}Si region showed the possibility to extend the coating lifetime above 1500 C by more than ten times via formation of slow growing Mo{sub 3}Si or T2 interlayer without sacrificing the oxidation resistance of the coating. The phase equilibria in the Nb-rich portion of Nb-B system has been evaluated experimentally using metallographic analysis and differential thermal analyzer (DTA). It was shown that Nb{sub ss} …

This thesis is focused on an inclusive search of the t{bar t} {yields} E{sub T} + jets decay channel by means of neural network tools in proton antiproton collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). At the Tevatron p{bar p} collider top quarks are mainly produced in pairs through quark-antiquark annihilation and gluon-gluon fusion processes; in the Standard Model description, the top quark then decays to a W boson and a b quark almost 100% of the times, so that its decay signatures are classified according to the W decay modes. When only one W decays leptonically, the t{bar t} event typically contains a charged lepton, missing transverse energy due to the presence of a neutrino escaping from the detector, and four high transverse momentum jets, two of which originate from b quarks. In this thesis we describe a t{bar t} production cross section measurement which uses data collected by a 'multijet' trigger, and selects this kind of top decays by requiring a high-P{sub T} neutrino signature and by using an optimized neural network to discriminate top quark pair production from backgrounds. In Chapter 1, a brief review of the Standard Model of …

A measurement of the top quark mass in t{bar t} {yields} l + jets candidate events, obtained from p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron using the CDF II detector, is presented. The measurement approach is that of a matrix element method. For each candidate event, a two dimensional likelihood is calculated in the top pole mass and a constant scale factor, 'JES', where JES multiplies the input particle jet momenta and is designed to account for the systematic uncertainty of the jet momentum reconstruction. As with all matrix elements techniques, the method involves an integration using the Standard Model matrix element for tt production and decay. however, the technique presented is unique in that the matrix element is modified to compensate for kinematic assumptions which are made to reduce computation time. Background events are dealt with through use of an event observable which distinguishes signal from background, as well as through a cut on the value of an event's maximum likelihood. Results are based on a 955 pb{sup -1} data sample, using events with a high-p{sub T} lepton and exactly four high-energy jets, at least one of which is tagged as coming from a …

A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson was carried out in WH {yields} {ell}{nu}b{bar b} process in p{bar p} collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV, where W, H, {ell}, {nu}, b and p denote either a W{sup +} or W{sup -} boson, Higgs boson, lepton (electron or muon), neutrino, bottom quark and proton, respectively. The data were collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab from February 2002 to August 2004. The corresponding integrated luminosity is 319 pb{sup -1}. We select events containing a single high-p{sub T} electron or muon, a large imbalance of the total transverse energy from a neutrino and two b quark jets. The main backgrounds are the W + light flavor/gluon jets and W + heavy flavor jets processes. Requiring the secondary vertex b-tagging enables us to reject the W + light flavor/gluon jets events effectively. After all event selections, they observe 187 events which is in agreement with the Standard Model background expectation of 175.2 {+-} 26.3 events, and there is no significant excess originating from the Higgs boson in the reconstructed dijet invariant mass distribution. They thus set a 95% confidence level upper limit on the production cross section times …

The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) is a two detector long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to study the disappearance of muon neutrinos. MINOS will test the {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub {tau}} oscillation hypothesis and measure precisely {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} and sin{sup 2} 2{theta}{sub 23} oscillation parameters. The source of neutrinos for MINOS experiment is Fermilab's Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beamline. The energy spectrum and the composition of the beam is measured at two locations, one close to the source and the other 735 km down-stream in the Soudan Mine Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. The precision measurement of the oscillation parameters requires an accurate prediction of the neutrino flux at the Far Detector. This thesis discusses the calculation of the neutrino flux at the Far Detector and its uncertainties. A technique that uses the Near Detector data to constrain the uncertainties in the calculation of the flux is described. The data corresponding to an exposure of 2.5 x 10{sup 20} protons on the NuMI target is presented and an energy dependent disappearance pattern predicted by neutrino oscillation hypotheses is observed in the Far Detector data. The fit to MINOS data, for given exposure, yields the best fit values …