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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 …

The study of the top quark pair production mechanism in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV is described. The main subjects are the measurements of the top quark pair production cross section, the top quark mass and a search for a new particle decaying to the top quark pair. The analyses are based on 1.9 fb{sup -1} of data collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) Run II experiment between March 2002 and May 2007, using the lepton+jets events. The measured top quark pair production cross section is 8.2 {+-} 0.5 (stat.) {+-} 0.8 (syst.) {+-} 0.5 (lum.) pb, which is slightly higher than the standard model prediction at the top mass of 175 GeV/c{sup 2}. The top quark mass is an important parameter in the standard model, and also in the experimental studies. The measured top quark mass if 171.6 {+-} 2.0 (stat.) {+-} 1.3(syst.) GeV/c{sup 2}. Finally, they report on a search for a new gauge boson decaying to t{bar t}, which interferes with the standard model gluon in the q{bar q} {yields} t{bar t} production process. They call such a hypothetical particle a 'Massive Gluon'. The observed t{bar t} invariant mass distribution is …

The authors measure the time-dependent CP asymmetry parameters in B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup +}K{sup -}K{sup 0} based on a data sample of approximately 277 million B-meson pairs recorded at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-meson Factory at SLAC. They reconstruct two-body B{sup 0} decays to {phi}(1020)K{sub s}{sup 0} and {phi}(1020)K{sub L}{sup 0}. Using a time-dependent maximum-likelihood fit, they measure sin2{beta}{sub eff}({phi}K{sup 0}) = 0.48 {+-} 0.28 {+-} 0.10, and C({phi}K{sup 0}) = 0.16 {+-} 0.25 {+-} 0.09, where the first error is statistical, and the second is systematic. They also present measurements of the CP-violating asymmetries in the decay B{sup 0} {yields} f{sub 0}({yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -})K{sub s}{sup 0}. The results are obtained from a data sample of 209 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays, also collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. From a time-dependent maximum-likelihood fit they measure the mixing-induced CP violation parameter S(f{sub 0}(980)K{sub S}{sup 0}) = - sin 2{beta}{sub eff}f{sub 0}(980)K{sub S}{sup 0} = -0.95{sub -0.23}{sup +0.32} {+-} 0.10 and the direct CP violation parameter C(f{sub 0}(980)K{sub S}{sup 0}) = - 0.24 {+-} 0.31 {+-} 0.15, where the first errors are statistical and …

The MINOS experiment is designed to study neutrino oscillations. It uses an accelerator generated beam of neutrinos and two detectors, the smaller at a distance of 1km and the larger at 735 km. By comparing the spectrum and flavour composition of the beam at the two detectors precise determinations of the oscillation parameters are possible. This thesis concentrates on the analysis of data from the larger Far Detector. By studying the spectrum of neutral current events it is possible to look for evidence of non-interacting 'sterile' neutrinos. The thesis describes how events are selected for this analysis, and a method for discriminating between charged current and neutral current events. The systematic uncertainties resulting from these cuts are evaluated. Several techniques for using Near Detector data to eliminate systematic uncertainties in the predicted Far Detector spectrum are compared. An oscillation analysis, based on the first year of MINOS data, uses the selected events to make a measurement of f{sub s}, the fraction of unseen neutrinos that are sterile. The measured value is f{sub s} = 0.07{sup +0.32} at 68%C.L., and is consistent with the standard three-neutrino picture, which has no sterile neutrino.

Two novel regenerated solvent extraction processes are examined. The first process has the potential to reduce the energy costs inherent in the recovery of low-volatility carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous solutions. The second process has the potential for reducing the energy costs required for separate recovery of ammonia and acid gases (e.g. CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S) from industrial sour waters. The recovery of carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous solution can be achieved by extraction with tertiary amines. An approach for regeneration and product recovery from such extracts is to back-extract the carboxylic acid with a water-soluble, volatile tertiary amine, such as trimethylamine. The resulting trimethylammonium carboxylate solution can be concentrated and thermally decomposed, yielding the product acid and the volatile amine for recycle. Experimental work was performed with lactic acid, SUCCiOlC acid, and fumaric acid. Equilibrium data show near-stoichiometric recovery of the carboxylic acids from an organic solution of Alamine 336 into aqueous solutions of trimethylamine. For fumaric and succinic acids, partial evaporation of the aqueous back extract decomposes the carboxylate and yields the acid product in crystalline form. The decomposition of aqueous solutions of trimethylammonium lactates was not carried out to completion, due to the high water solubility …

In the first part of this work, we present a search for WW and WZ production in charged lepton, neutrino plus jets final states produced in p{bar p} collisions with {radical}s = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron, using 1.2 fb{sup -1} of data accumulated with the CDF II detector. This channel is yet to be observed in hadron colliders due to the large singleWplus jets background. However, this decay mode has a much larger branching fraction than the cleaner fully leptonic mode making it more sensitive to anomalous triple gauge couplings that manifest themselves at higher transverse W momentum. Because the final state is topologically similar to associated production of a Higgs boson with a W, the techniques developed in this analysis are also applicable in that search. An Artificial Neural Network has been used for the event selection optimization. The theoretical prediction for the cross section is {sigma}{sub WW/WZ}{sup theory} x Br(W {yields} {ell}{nu}; W/Z {yields} jj) = 2.09 {+-} 0.14 pb. They measured N{sub Signal} = 410 {+-} 212(stat) {+-} 102(sys) signal events that correspond to a cross section {sigma}{sub WW/WZ} x Br(W {yields} {ell}{nu}; W/Z {yields} jj) = 1.47 {+-} 0.77(stat) {+-} 0.38(sys) pb. The 95% …

Two novel regenerated solvent extraction processes are examined. The first process has the potential to reduce the energy costs inherent in the recovery of low-volatility carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous solutions. The second process has the potential for reducing the energy costs required for separate recovery of ammonia and acid gases (e.g. CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S) from industrial sour waters. The recovery of carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous solution can be achieved by extraction with tertiary amines. An approach for regeneration and product recovery from such extracts is to back-extract the carboxylic acid with a water-soluble, volatile tertiary amine, such as trimethylamine. The resulting trimethylammonium carboxylate solution can be concentrated and thermally decomposed, yielding the product acid and the volatile amine for recycle. Experimental work was performed with lactic acid, succinic acid, and fumaric acid. Equilibrium data show near-stoichiometric recovery of the carboxylic acids from an organic solution of Alamine 336 into aqueous solutions of trimethylamine. For fumaric and succinic acids, partial evaporation of the aqueous back extract decomposes the carboxylate and yields the acid product in crystalline form. The decomposition of aqueous solutions of trimethylammonium lactates was not carried out to completion, due to the high water solubility …

The differential cross section for charge-exchange scattering of negative pions by hydrogen has been observed at 230, 260, 290, 317, and 371 Mev. The reaction was observed by detecting one gamma ray from the {pi}{sup 0} decay with a scintillation-counter telescope.

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The measurement of B{sub s}{sup 0} mixing is one of the flagship analyses for the Run II B physics program. The sensitivity of the measurement to the frequency of B{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations strongly depends on the number of reconstructed B{sub s}{sup 0} mesons. They present the measurement of the ratio of branching fractions Br(B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{pi}{sup +})/Br(B{sup 0} {yields} D{sup -}{pi}{sup +}), which directly influences the number of B{sub s}{sup 0} events available for the measurement of B{sub s}{sup 0} mixing at CDF-II. They analyze 115 pb{sup -1} of data collected with the CDF-II detector in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV using a novel displaced track trigger. They reconstruct 78 {+-} 11 B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{pi}{sup +} decays at 1153 {+-} 45 B{sup 0} {yields} D{sup -}{pi}{sup +} decays with good signal to background ratio. This is the world's largest sample of fully reconstructed B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{pi}{sup +} decays. They find the ratio of production fractions multiplied by the ratio of branching fractions to be: f{sub s}/f{sub d} {center_dot} Br(B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{pi}{sup +})/Br(B{sup 0} {yields} D{sup -}{pi}{sup +}) = 0.325 {+-} …

As a part of the continuing research on aluminum recovery from fly ash by HiChlor process, a plexiglass fluidization column system was constructed for measurement of fluidization parameters for power-plant fly ashes and fly ash-charcoal mixtures. Several bituminous and subbituminous coal fly ashes were tested and large differences in fluidization characteristics were observed. Fly ashes which were mechanically collected fluidized uniformly at low gas flow rates. Most fly ashes which were electrostatically precipitated exhibited channeling tendency and did not fluidize uniformly. Fluidization characteristics of electrostatically collected ashes improve when the finely divided charcoal powder is added to the mixture. The fluidization of the mixture was aided initially by a mechanical stirrer. Once the fluidization had succeeded, the beds were ready to fluidize without the assistance of a mechanical action. Smooth fluidization and large bed expansion were usually observed. The effects of charcoal size and aspect ratio on fluidization characteristics of the mixtures were also investigated. Fluidization characteristics of a fly ash-coal mixture were tested. The mixture fluidized only after being oven-dried for a few days.

This report studied the elctronic structure of diamond (100) and diamond/metal interface and C{sub 60}, using angle-resolved and core level photoemission. The C(100)-(2X1) surface electronic structure was studied using both core level and angle resolved valence band photoemission spectroscopy. The surface component of the C 1s core level spectrum agrees with theoretical existence of only symmetrical dimers. In the case of metal/diamond interfaces, core level and valence photoelectron spectroscopy and LEED studies WERE MADE OF B and Sb on diamond (100) and (111) surfaces. In the case of single-crystal C{sub 60}, photoemission spectra show sharp molecular features, indicating that the molecular orbitals are relatively undisturbed in solid C{sub 60}.

The magnicon, a new high-power, radio frequency (rf) deflection- modulated amplifier, was recently developed at the Institute for Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, Russia. The first magnicon achieved a peak output power of 2.6 MW for 50-{mu}s pulses at a frequency of 915 MHz with a dc-to-rf conversion efficiency of 73%. The conversion efficiency achieved by the original magnicon represents a significant improvement over state-of-the-art conventional velocity- and density-modulated devices. Therefore, if properly exploited, the magnicon could substantially reduce the operating expenses of industrial, scientific, and military facilities that require large amounts of rf power. This dissertation describes the operational principles of the magnicon, provides small-signal analytical theory (where practical), presents a large-signal numerical model to characterize magnicon performance, and then utilizes this model to investigate the characteristics of the component magnicon structures. Using these modeling tools, the first-generation magnicon architecture is analyzed for its performance sensitivity to electron-beam size and is found to support beams of only limited diameter. Finally, an alternate magnicon geometry, called a ``uniform-field`` magnicon, is presented and shown to support beams of larger diameter.

In 1988 Nielsen started work to measure the spatial variability of the mass flux vector being transported in a porous medium. To measure the spatial variability of the mass flux vector, the spatial variability of its components(velocity, concentration) must be measured. Nielsen was successful in measuring the pore level concentration at many different pores and in verifying the assumption that a nonuniform concentration field exists within the mixing zone between two miscible fluids. However, Nielsen was unable to conduct the necessary pore level velocity measurements needed. Nielsen`s work is being continued and a probe is being developed that will measure both velocity and concentration components at pore level. The probe is essentially the same probe used to make the pore level concentration measurements with added capabilities needed to make the velocity measurements. This probe has several design variables, dealing primarily with the velocity component, that need further investigation. The research presented in this thesis investigates these parameters by performing experiments in a capillary tube. The tube is a controlled system where the velocity of the fluid can be determined from the volumetric flow rate using Poiseuille`s solution for viscous flow. Also, a statistically based relationship between the velocity measured with …

Aqueous solutions of sodium sulfate and sodium sulfite are produced from sodium carbonate in flue-gas scrubbers; recovery of these salts often requires multi-effect evaporators; however, a new energy-efficient unit operation called extractive crystallization has been shown to have reduced energy costs. In this process, an organic solvent is added to the aqueous salt solution to precipitate salt. Acetone is a suitable solvent for this process, better than 2-propanol. Liquid/liquid/solid equilibria for ternary systems containing a salt, water, and an organic solvent were measured. Systems investigated were sodium sulfite/water/acetone and sodium sulfite/water/2-propanol. Experiments were conducted at salt saturation covering a temperature range between the lower consolute temperature and 48.6{degrees}C. In the attempt to improve the extractive crystallization process for recovery of sodium sulfate from flue-gas scrubbers, attention was given to a feed containing a mixture of sodium sulfite and sodium sulfate. Liquid-liquid equilibria for quaternary systems containing two salts, water, and an organic solvent were experimentally determined at 35{degrees}C. The systems investigated were sodium sulfate/sodium sulfite/water/acetone and sodium sulfate/sodium sulfite/water/2propanol. The systems were studied at three salt ratios. For each salt ratio, experiments were conducted starting at saturation, water was then added until the one-phase region was reached. Mixtures of the …

Complex Co/Mo sulfide catalysts are modelled by the chemisorption of layers on Mo single crystal surfaces. Growth and structure of overlayers on flat, stepped and kinked surfaces were investigated. Growth of Co overlayers on clean and S covered Mo surfaces was studied using AES and CO chemisorption; results reveal that Co grows as a flat monolayer on clean Mo surfaces. Co multilayers then form 3-D islands. When Co is deposited on S covered surfaces, the S overlayer migrates to the top; this topmost overlayer reduces CO adsorption capacity. While growth mode of Co overlayers are similar on flat and stepped surfaces, the number and type of ordered Co and S structures on flat and stepped surfaces are different. In the case of Co, an ordered (3 {times} 1) structure is formed on Mo(910) and (28,4,1) surfaces; this structure does not develop on clean (100) surface. Only one of two possible (3 {times} 1) Co domains are formed on Mo(910) and Mo(28,4,1) surfaces. These domains have one side of (3 {times} 1) unit cell parallel to the step edges, suggesting that Co adsorbs at the step edges. The (3 {times} 1) structure does not form on Mo(911) surface, indicating that step …

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) has potential advantages in making radiation detectors for many applications because of its deposition capability on a large-area substrate and its high radiation resistance. Position-sensitive radiation detectors can be made out of a 1d strip or a 2-d pixel array of a Si:H pin diodes. In addition, signal processing electronics can be made by thin-film transistors on the same substrate. The calculated radiation signal, based on a simple charge collection model agreed well with results from various wave length light sources and 1 MeV beta particles on sample diodes. The total noise of the detection system was analyzed into (a) shot noise and (b) 1/f noise from a detector diode, and (c) thermal noise and (d) 1/f noise from the frontend TFT of a charge-sensitive preamplifier. the effective noise charge calculated by convoluting these noise power spectra with the transfer function of a CR-RC shaping amplifier showed a good agreement with the direct measurements of noise charge. The derived equations of signal and noise charge can be used to design an a-Si:H pixel detector amplifier system optimally. Signals from a pixel can be readout using switching TFTs, or diodes. Prototype tests of a double-diode readout scheme …

The objective of this research is to provide a better understanding of future Chinese energy development and CO{sub 2} emissions from burning fossil fuels. This study examines the current Chinese energy system, estimates CO{sub 2} emissions from burning fossil fuels and projects future energy use and resulting CO{sub 2} emissions up to the year of 2050. Based on the results of the study, development strategies are proposed and policy implications are explored. This study first develops a Base scenario projection of the Chinese energy development based upon a sectoral analysis. The Base scenario represents a likely situation of future development, but many alternatives are possible. To explore this range of alternatives, a systematic uncertainty analysis is performed. The Base scenario also represents an extrapolation of current policies and social and economic trends. As such, it is not necessarily the economically optimal future course for Chinese energy development. To explore this issue, an optimization analysis is performed. For further understanding of developing Chinese energy system and reducing CO{sub 2} emissions, a Chinese energy system model with 84 supply and demand technologies has been constructed in MARKAL, a computer LP optimization program for energy systems. Using this model, various technological options and …

A low jitter metal to metal contact solid dielectric switch was designed and tested. A metal to metal contact solid dielectric switch with a jitter of less than 25 ns is required for the 150 kJ experiment. Since this is one fourth the 100 ns jitter reported using exploding bridge foil (EBF) triggers, experiments to optimize this trigger were performed. A jitter of 25 ns was achieved using the EBF trigger and it was also achieved using a new type of trigger called the magnetic push trigger. This trigger uses the magnetic force between the two plates of a parallel plate transmission line to push the dielectric. It was found to be better than the EBF trigger because it was easier to design, easier to implement and did less damage to switch components.

Carbon implanted into GaAs and thermally annealed typically exhibits very low (<3%) electrical activity. It has been demonstrated that the electrical activity of C can be significantly enhanced by co-implantation with Ga. Improved activation may result from either additional damage of the crystal lattice or from stoichiometric changes, forcing the C atoms onto As sites. To determine the relative importance of each of these effects, I have undertaken a systematic study of carbon activation in GaAs. A range of co-implants have been used: group III (B, Ga), group V (N, P, As) and noble gases (Ar, Kr). The damage introduced to the substrate will depend on the mass of the ion implanted. The group III and group V co-implants will affect the crystal stoichiometry. The results indicate that both lattice damage and crystal stoichiometry are important for high electrical activity of C. Increasing the damage will increase the activation due to the increased number of As vacancies but maximum activation can be obtained only by a co-implant which not only damages the lattice but also forces the C to occupy an As site.

The authors performed a search for the pair production of first-generation leptoquarks using 191 pb{sup -1} of proton-antiproton collision data recorded by the CDF experiment during Run II of the Tevatron. The leptoquarks are sought via their decay into a neutrino and quark, which yields missing transverse energy and several high-E{sub T} jets. Several control regions were studied to check the background estimation from Standard Model sources, with good agreement observed in data. In the leptoquark signal region, 124 events were observed with 118.3 {+-} 14.5 expected from background. Therefore, no evidence for leptoquark production was observed, and limits were set on the cross section times the squared branching ratio. Using the next-to-leading order cross section for leptoquark production, they excluded the mass interval 78 to 117 GeV/c{sup 2} at the 95% confidence level for 100% branching ratio into neutrino plus quark.

The Higgs mechanism preserves the gauge symmetries of the Standard Model while giving masses to the W, Z bosons. Supersymmetry, which protects the Higgs boson mass scale from quantum corrections, predicts at least 5 Higgs bosons, none of which has been directly observed. This thesis presents a search for neutral Higgs bosons, produced in association with bottom quarks. The production rate is greatly enhanced at large values of the Supersymmetric parameter tan {beta}. High-energy p{bar p} collision data, collected from Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron using the D0 detector, are analyzed. In the absence of a signal, values of tan {beta} &gt; 80-120 are excluded at 95% Confidence Level (C.L.), depending on the (CP-odd) neutral Higgs boson mass (studied from 100 to 150 GeV/c{sup 2}).