The penetration of ambient air pollutants into the indoor environment is of concern owing to several factors: (1) epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between ambient fine particulate pollution and elevated risk of human mortality; (2) people spend most of their time in indoor environments; and (3) most information about air pollutant concentration is only available from ambient routine monitoring networks. A good understanding of ambient air pollutant transport from source to receptor requires knowledge about pollutant penetration across building envelopes. Therefore, it is essential to gain insight into particle penetration in infiltrating air and the factors that affect it in order to assess human exposure more accurately, and to further prevent adverse human health effects from ambient particulate pollution. In this dissertation, the understanding of air pollutant infiltration across leaks in the building envelope was advanced by performing modeling predictions as well as experimental investigations. The modeling analyses quantified the extent of airborne particle and reactive gas (e.g., ozone) penetration through building cracks and wall cavities using engineering analysis that incorporates existing information on building leakage characteristics, knowledge of pollutant transport processes, as well as pollutant-surface interactions. Particle penetration is primarily governed by particle diameter and by the …

The search for and study of flavor oscillations in the neutral B{sub s}B{sub s} meson system is an experimentally challenging task. It constitutes a flagship analysis of the Tevatron physics program. In this dissertation, they develop an analysis of the time-dependent B{sub s} flavor oscillations using data collected with the CDF detector. The data samples are formed of both fully and partially reconstructed B meson decays: B{sub s} {yields} D{sub s}{pi}({pi}{pi}) and B{sub s} {yields} D{sub s}lv. A likelihood fitting framework is implemented and appropriate models and techniques developed for describing the mass, proper decay time, and flavor tagging characteristics of the data samples. The analysis is extended to samples of B{sup +} and B{sup 0} mesons, which are further used for algorithm calibration and method validation. The B mesons lifetimes are extracted. The measurement of the B{sup 0} oscillation frequency yields {Delta}m{sub d} = 0.522 {+-} 0.017 ps{sup -1}. The search for B{sub s} oscillations is performed using an amplitude method based on a frequency scanning procedure. Applying a combination of lepton and jet charge flavor tagging algorithms, with a total tagging power {epsilon}'D{sup 2} of 1.6%, to a data sample of 355 pb{sup -1}, a sensitivity of 13.0 …

The size-dependent optical and electronic properties of semiconductor nanocrystals have drawn much attention in the past decade, and have been very well understood for spherical ones. The advent of the synthetic methods to make rod-like CdSe nanocrystals with wurtzite structure has offered us a new opportunity to study their properties as functions of their shape. This dissertation includes three main parts: synthesis of CdSe nanorods with tightly controlled widths and lengths, their optical and dielectric properties, and their large-scale assembly, all of which are either directly or indirectly caused by the uniaxial crystallographic structure of wurtzite CdSe. The hexagonal wurtzite structure is believed to be the primary reason for the growth of CdSe nanorods. It represents itself in the kinetic stabilization of the rod-like particles over the spherical ones in the presence of phosphonic acids. By varying the composition of the surfactant mixture used for synthesis we have achieved tight control of the widths and lengths of the nanorods. The synthesis of monodisperse CdSe nanorods enables us to systematically study their size-dependent properties. For example, room temperature single particle fluorescence spectroscopy has shown that nanorods emit linearly polarized photoluminescence. Theoretical calculations have shown that it is due to the crossing …

We measure the production cross section of t{bar t} events in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV. The data was collected by the CDF experiment in Run 2 of the Tevatron accelerator at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory between 2002 and 2007. 1.7 fb{sup -1} of data was recorded during this time period. We reconstruct t{bar t} events in the lepton+jets channel, whereby one W boson - resulting from the decay of the top quark pairs - decays leptonically and the other hadronically. The dominant background to this process is the production of W bosons in association with multiple jets. To distinguish t{bar t} from background, we identify soft electrons from the semileptonic decay of heavy flavor jets produced in t{bar t} events. We measure a cross section of {sigma}{sub p{bar p}} = 7.8 {+-} 2.4(stat) {+-} 1.6(syst) {+-} 0.5(lumi).

This thesis presents the results of atmospheric neutrino observations from a 12.23 ktyr exposure of the 5.42 kt MINOS Far Detector between 1st August 2003 until 1st March 2006. The separation of atmospheric neutrino events from the large background of cosmic muon events is discussed. A total of 277 candidate contained vertex {nu}/{bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} CC data events are observed, with an expectation of 354.4{+-}47.4 events in the absence of neutrino oscillations. A total of 182 events have clearly identified directions, 77 data events are identified as upward going, 105 data events are identified as downward going. The ratio between the measured and expected up/down ratio is: R{sup data}{sub u/d}/R{sup MC}{sub u/d} = 0.72{sup +0.13}{sub -0.11}(stat.){+-} 0.04 (sys.). This is 2.1{sigma} away from the expectation for no oscillations. A total of 167 data events have clearly identified charge, 112 are identified as {nu}{sub {mu}} events, 55 are identified as {bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} events. This is the largest sample of charge-separated contained-vertex atmospheric neutrino interactions so far observed. The ratio between the measured and expected {bar {nu}}{sub {mu}}/{nu}{sub {mu}} ratio is: R{sup data}{sub {bar {nu}}{nu}} / R{sup MC}{sub {bar {nu}}{nu}} = 0.93 {sup +0.19}{sub -0.15} (stat.) {+-} 0.12 (sys.). This is …

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In this thesis we present a search for oscillations of B{sub s}{sup 0} mesons using semileptonic B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{ell}{sup +}{nu} decays. Data were collected with the upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDFII) from events produced in collisions of 980 GeV protons and antiprotons accelerated in the Tevatron ring. The total proton-antiproton center-of-mass energy is 1.96 TeV. The Tevatron is the unique source in the world for B{sub s}{sup 0} mesons, to be joined by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN after 2007. We establish a lower limit on the B{sub s}{sup 0} oscillation frequency {Delta}m{sub s} > 7.7 ps{sup -1} at 95% Confidence Level. We also present a multivariate tagging algorithm that identifies semileptonic B {yields} {mu}X decays of the other B mesons in the event. Using this muon tagging algorithm as well as opposite side electron and jet charge tagging algorithms, we infer the B{sub s}{sup 0} flavor at production. The tagging algorithms are calibrated using high statistics samples of B{sup 0} and B{sup +} semileptonic B{sup 0/+} {yields} D{ell}{nu} decays. The oscillation frequency {Delta}m{sub d} in semileptonic B{sup 0} {yields} D{ell}{nu} decays is measured to be {Delta}m{sub d} = (0.501 {+-} 0.029(stat.) {+-} 0.017(syst.)) …

A realistic lattice model is a fundamental basis for the operation of a synchrotron. In this study various beam-based measurements, including orbit response matrix (ORM) and BPM turn-by-turn data are used to verify and calibrate the lattice model of the Fermilab Booster. In the ORM study, despite the strong correlation between the gradient parameters of adjacent magnets which prevents a full determination of the model parameters, an equivalent lattice model is obtained by imposing appropriate constraints. The fitted gradient errors of the focusing magnets are within the design tolerance and the results point to the orbit offsets in the sextupole field as the source of gradient errors. A new method, the independent component analysis (ICA) is introduced to analyze multiple BPM turn-by-turn data taken simultaneously around a synchrotron. This method makes use of the redundancy of the data and the time correlation of the source signals to isolate various components, such as betatron motion and synchrotron motion, from raw BPM data. By extracting clean coherent betatron motion from noisy data and separates out the betatron normal modes when there is linear coupling, the ICA method provides a convenient means to measure the beta functions and betatron phase advances. It also …

The Neutrino Factory has been proposed as a facility to provide an intense source of neutrinos suitable for the measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters and a possible CP violating phase to unprecedented precision. In the Neutrino Factory, neutrinos are produced by the decay of a muon beam with 20-50 GeV per muon. Initially, the muon beam occupies a large volume in phase space, which must be reduced before the beam can be accelerated. The proposed method to achieve this is to use a solenoidal ionisation colling channel.

The discovery of neutrino mass through experimental evidence of neutrino oscillations at the end of the last century has provided the first proof that the Standard Model of particle physics is incomplete. To be able to extend the Standard Model to incorporate massive neutrinos first requires many theoretical uncertainties surrounding the particle and its interactions to be understood. Therefore, a dedicated experimental programme is needed over the coming decades to provide precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters and also a possible measurement of CP violation in the lepton sector, which could have astrophysical consequences. An intense source of neutrinos is required to achieve these precision measurements and the leading contender proposed to provide this neutrino beam, is the Neutrino Factory. Before a Neutrino Factory facility can be realised, a number of technological challenges need to be evaluated and understood first. One of which, is reduce the large phase space volume (emittance) of the initial muon beam, which is eventually stored and through decay provides the neutrino beam. Ionisation cooling is the chosen method to achieve this and the Muon Ionisation Cooling Experiment (MICE) at Rutherford Laboratory in the UK, is required to demonstrate ionisation cooling and its feasibility for …

Plasma based accelerators are capable of producing electron sources which are ultra-compact (a few microns) and high energies (up to hundreds of MeVs) in much shorter distances than conventional accelerators. This is due to the large longitudinal electric field that can be excited without the limitation of breakdown as in RF structures.The characteristic scale length of the accelerating field is the plasma wavelength and for typical densities ranging from 1018 - 1019 cm-3, the accelerating fields and scale length can hence be on the order of 10-100GV/m and 10-40 mu m, respectively. The production of quasimonoenergetic beams was recently obtained in a regime relying on self-trapping of background plasma electrons, using a single laser pulse for wakefield generation. In this dissertation, we study the controlled injection via the beating of two lasers (the pump laser pulse creating the plasma wave and a second beam being propagated in opposite direction) which induce a localized injection of background plasma electrons. The aim of this dissertation is to describe in detail the physics of optical injection using two lasers, the characteristics of the electron beams produced (the micrometer scale plasma wavelength can result in femtosecond and even attosecond bunches) as well as a …

There is an abundance of evidence that the majority of the mass of the universe is in the form of non-baryonic non-luminous matter that was non-relativistic at the time when matter began to dominate the energy density. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs, are attractive cold dark matter candidates because they would have a relic abundance today of {approx}0.1 which is consistent with precision cosmological measurements. WIMPs are also well motivated theoretically. Many minimal supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model have WIMPs in the form of the lightest supersymmetric partner, typically taken to be the neutralino. The CDMS II experiment searches for WIMPs via their elastic scattering off of nuclei. The experiment uses Ge and Si ZIP detectors, operated at <50 mK, which simultaneously measure the ionization and athermal phonons produced by the scattering of an external particle. The dominant background for the experiment comes from electromagnetic interactions taking place very close to the detector surface. Analysis of the phonon signal from these interactions makes it possible to discriminate them from interactions caused by WIMPs. This thesis presents the details of an important aspect of the phonon pulse shape analysis known as the ''Lookup Table Correction''. The Lookup Table Correction …

A description of the development of the mc{_}runjob software package used to manage large scale computing tasks for the D0 Experiment at Fermilab is presented, along with a review of the Digital Front End Trigger electronics and the software used to control them. A tracking study is performed on detector data to determine that the D0 Experiment can detect charged B mesons, and that these results are in accordance with current results. B mesons are found by searching for the decay channel B{sup {+-}} {yields} J/{psi}K{sup {+-}}.

A first study of single diffractive central high-p{sub T} dijet events in p{bar p} collisions at center-of-mass energy {radical}s = 1.96 TeV is presented, using data recorded by the D0 detector at the Tevatron during RunIIa in 2002-2004. The total integrated luminosity corresponding to the data sample is 398 pb{sup -1}. A diffractive sample is selected using a rapidity gap approach. A precise definition of the rapidity gap constitutes the first part of the thesis. The rapidity gap is defined by means of two parts of the D0 detector--luminosity detectors and calorimeter. Luminosity detectors serve as a basic indicators of diffractive candidates and the calorimeter is used to confirm the low energy activity in the forward region (a rapidity gap). Presented studies of energy deposited in forward part of calorimeter by various types of events yield two rapidity gap definitions. Both of them use a fixed rapidity interval in calorimeter |{eta}| {element_of} [2.6,5.2] and introduce an upper limit on the energy deposited in this region. First definition, which corresponds to the lowest systematical errors, uses a limit of 10 GeV, an energy limit in the second definition is set to 3 GeV. This alternative definition corresponds to the lowest contamination …

Information technology (IT) is becoming increasingly pervasive throughout society as more data is digitally processed, stored, and transferred. The infrastructure that supports IT activity is growing accordingly, and data center energy demands haveincreased by nearly a factor of four over the past decade. Data centers house IT equipment and require significantly more energy to operate per unit floor area thanconventional buildings. The economic and environmental ramifications of continued data center growth motivate the need to explore energy-efficient methods to operate these buildings. A substantial portion of data center energy use is dedicated to removing the heat that is generated by the IT equipment. Using economizers to introduce large airflow rates of outside air during favorable weather could substantially reduce the energy consumption of data center cooling. Cooling buildings with economizers is an established energy saving measure, but in data centers this strategy is not widely used, partly owing to concerns that the large airflow rates would lead to increased indoor levels of airborne particles, which could damage IT equipment. The environmental conditions typical of data centers and the associated potential for equipment failure, however, are not well characterized. This barrier to economizer implementation illustrates the general relationship between energy use …

This dissertation describes the development andimplementation of a visible/near infrared pump/mid-infrared probeapparatus. Chapter 1 describes the background and motivation ofinvestigating optically induced structural dynamics, paying specificattention to solvation and the excitation selection rules of highlysymmetric molecules such as carotenoids. Chapter 2 describes thedevelopment and construction of the experimental apparatus usedthroughout the remainder of this dissertation. Chapter 3 will discuss theinvestigation of DCM, a laser dye with a fluorescence signal resultingfrom a charge transfer state. By studying the dynamics of DCM and of itsmethyl deuterated isotopomer (an otherwise identical molecule), we areable to investigate the origins of the charge transfer state and provideevidence that it is of the controversial twisted intramolecular (TICT)type. Chapter 4 introduces the use of two-photon excitation to the S1state, combined with one-photon excitation to the S2 state of thecarotenoid beta-apo-8'-carotenal. These 2 investigations show evidencefor the formation of solitons, previously unobserved in molecular systemsand found only in conducting polymers Chapter 5 presents an investigationof the excited state dynamics of peridinin, the carotenoid responsiblefor the light harvesting of dinoflagellates. This investigation allowsfor a more detailed understanding of the importance of structuraldynamics of carotenoids in light harvesting.

The ability to model wave propagation in circular cylindrical bars of finite length numerically or analytically has many applications. In this thesis the capability of an explicit finite element method to model longitudinal waves in cylindrical rods with circular cross-sections is explored. Dispersion curves for the first four modes are compared to the analytical solution to determine the accuracy of various element sizes and time steps. Values for the time step and element size are determined that retain accuracy while minimizing computational time. The modeling parameters are validated by calculating a signal propagated with a broadband input force. Limitations on the applicability are considered along with modeling parameters that should be applicable to more general geometries.

Run IIa of the D0 experiment at the Tevatron took place between Spring 2002 and Spring 2006, collecting approximately 1.2 fb{sup -1} of data. A fundamental principal of the D0 computing model is the utilization of globally distributed computing resources as part of a grid. In particular use is made of the 'SAMGrid'. The first part of this thesis describes the work undertaken at Imperial College on several D0 distributed computing projects. These included the deployment and development of parts of the SAMGrid software suite, and participation in the Winter 2003/2004 data reprocessing effort. One of the major goals of the D0 experiment is the observation of mixing in the B{sub s}{sup 0}-meson system. The measurement of the mixing frequency is important as it can be used to constrain the CKM matrix, which describes CP violation in the Standard Model. The second part of this thesis describes the development of an opposite side flavour tagging algorithm and its calibration using B{sup +} and B{sub d}{sup 0} meson decays. The application of this algorithm to an analysis of the B{sub s}{sup 0} meson system is then described, which lead to the world's first two-sided limit on the B{sub s}{sup 0} meson …

In order to calculate the kinetic parameters from DSC data, we have used the generally accepted methods of Bershtein [13]. We have calculated the rate constants for 4 temperatures and the activation energy based on the shift in the transition temperature, {beta} {yields} {delta} for HMX. The values of E{sub a} from this work is 402 kJ/mol compared to previous results by Brill [9] of 204 kJ/mol. Brill and associates measured the phase transition of HMX using FTIR, sodium chloride plates and silicon oil. Given the differences in technique between FTIR and DSC the results found in this work are reasonable. In this investigation a large sample set (16) proved to be statistically valid for the determinations of k. Linear regressions were performed, observed and good fits were obtained, for each temperature. The enthalpy determination of {Delta}H{sub o}, for the {beta} {yields} {delta} phase transition was reproducible with in 3 parts in 100 over the range of this experiment. Thus, the data derived from this experiment k, E{sub a}, and {Delta}H{sub o} are valid parameters for the solid-solid phase transition. Obtaining pure {beta} phase HMX was very important for this investigation. Related to the phase change is the particle size …

Using approximately 1.3 fb{sup -1} of data collected by the D0 detector between 2002 and 2006, the lifetime of the B{sub c}{sup {+-}} meson is studied in the B{sub c}{sup {+-}} {yields} J/{psi}{mu}{sup {+-}} + X final state. Using an unbinned likelihood simultaneous fit to J/{psi} + {mu} invariant mass and lifetime distributions, a signal of 810 {+-} 80(stat.) candidates is estimated and a lifetime measurement made of: {tau}(B{sub c}{sup {+-}}) = 0.448{sub -0.036}{sup +0.038}(stat) {+-} 0.032(sys) ps.

Data collected by the Fermilab CDF detector are used to measure the inclusive b{bar b} jet production cross section in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. Vertices displaced from the primary interaction point (secondary vertices) are a signature for long-lived decay and are used to identify jets originating from b quarks. An event sample containing two jets, each having an identified secondary vertex, is used. The jets are required to be within the pseudo-rapidity region |{eta}| < 1.2. One of the jets is required to have a transverse energy greater than 30 GeV and the other jet is required to have a transverse energy greater than 20 GeV. The results are compared to Leading Order (Pythia and Herwig) and Next to Leading Order (MC{at}NLO) predictions.

The lifetime of the Λ⁰_b baryon (consisting of u, d and b quarks) is the theoretically most interesting of all b-hadron lifetimes. The lifetime of Λ⁰_b probes our understanding of how baryons with one heavy quark are put together and how they decay. Experimentally however, measurements of the Λ⁰_b lifetime have either lacked precision or have been inconsistent with one another. This thesis describes the measurement of Λ⁰_b lifetime in proton-antiproton collisions with center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV at Fermilab's Tevatron collider. Using 1070 ± 60pb^-1 of data collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF), a clean sample of about 3,000 fully-reconstructed Λ⁰_b →Λ_c⁺π^- decays (with Λ⁺_c subsequently decaying via Λ⁺_c → p⁺ K^- π⁺) is used to extract the lifetime of the Λ⁰_b baryon, which is found to be cτ(Λ⁰_b) = 422.8 ± 13.8(stat) ± 8.8(syst)μm. This is the most precise measurement of its kind, and is even better than the current world average. It also settles the recent controversy regarding the apparent inconsistency between CDF's other measurement and the rest of the world.

The authors present the first measurement of the top quark mass using simultaneously data from two decay channels. They use a data sample of {radical}s = 1.96 TeV collisions with integrated luminosity of 1.9 fb{sup -1} collected by the CDF II detector. They select dilepton and lepton + jets channel decays of t{bar t} pairs and reconstruct two observables in each topology. They use non-parametric techniques to derive probability density functions from simulated signal and background samples. The observables are the reconstructed top quark mass and the scalar sum of transverse energy of the event in the dilepton topology and the reconstructed top quark mass and the invariant mass of jets from the W boson decay in lepton + jets channel. They perform a simultaneous fit for the top quark mass and the jet energy scale which is constrained in situ by the hadronic W boson resonance from the lepton + jets channel. Using 144 dilepton candidate events and 332 lepton + jets candidate events they measure: M{sub top} = 171.9 {+-} 1.7 (stat. + JES) {+-} 1.1 (other sys.) GeV/c{sup 2} = 171.9 {+-} 2.0 GeV/c{sup 2}. The measurement features a robust treatment of the systematic uncertainties, correlated between …

Particle physics deals with the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions. The vast number of subatomic particles can be reduced to twelve fundamental fermions, which interact by the exchange of spin-1 particles as described in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The SM provides the best description of the subatomic world to date, despite the fact it does not include gravitation. Following the relation {lambda} = h/p, where h is Planck's constant, for the examination of physics at subatomic scales with size {lambda} probes with high momenta p are necessary. These high energies are accessible through particle colliders. Here, particles are accelerated and brought to collision at interaction points at which detectors are installed to record these particle collisions. Until the anticipated start-up of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the Tevatron collider at Fermilab near Chicago is the highest energy collider operating in the world, colliding protons and anti-protons at a center-of-mass energy of {radical}s = 1.96 TeV. Its two interaction points are covered by the multi purpose particle detectors D0 and CDF. During the first data-taking period, known as Run I, the Tevatron operated at a center-of-mass energy of 1.8 TeV. This run period lasted …