Time variability analyses have been applied to data composed of event times of X-rays emitted from the binary system Cygnus X-1 to search for unique black hole signatures. The X-ray data analyzed was collected at ten microsecond time resolution or better from two instruments, the High Energy Astrophysical Observatory (HEAO) A-1 detector and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA). HEAO A-1 and RXTE/PCA collected data from 1977--79 and from 1996 on with energy sensitivity from 1--25 keV and 2--60 keV, respectively. Variability characteristics predicted by various models of an accretion disk around a black hole have been searched for in the data. Drop-offs or quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the Fourier power spectra are expected from some of these models. The Fourier spectral technique was applied to the HEAO A-1 and RXTE/PCA data with careful consideration given for correcting the Poisson noise floor for instrumental effects. Evidence for a drop-off may be interpreted from the faster fall off in variability at frequencies greater than the observed breaks. Both breaks occur within the range of Keplerian frequencies associated with the inner edge radii of advection-dominated accretion disks predicted for Cyg X-1. The break between 10--20 Hz is also …

Many problems of physical interest have solutions which are generally quite smooth in a large portion of the region of interest, but have local phenomena such as shocks, discontinuities or large gradients which require much more accurate approximations or finer grids for reasonable accuracy. Examples are atmospheric fronts, ocean currents, and geological discontinuities. In this thesis we develop and partially analyze an adaptive finite difference mesh refinement algorithm for the initial boundary value problem for hyperbolic systems in one space dimension. The method uses clusters of uniform grids which can ''move'' along with pulses or steep gradients appearing in the calculation, and which are superimposed over a uniform coarse grid. Such refinements are created, destroyed, merged, separated, recursively nested or moved based on estimates of the local truncation error. We use a four-way linked tree and sequentially allocated deques (double-ended queues) to perform these operations efficiently. The local truncation error in the interior of the region is estimated using a three-step Richardson extrapolation procedure, which can also be considered a deferred correction method. At the boundaries we employ differences to estimate the error. Our algorithm was implemented using a portable, extensible Fortran preprocessor, to which we added records and pointers. …

This dissertation describes nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and theory which have been developed to study quadrupolar nuclei (those nuclei with spin greater than one-half) in the solid state. Primarily, the technique of dynamic-angle spinning (DAS) is extensively reviewed and expanded upon in this thesis. Specifically, the improvement in both the resolution (two-dimensional pure-absorptive phase methods and DAS angle choice) and sensitivity (pulse-sequence development), along with effective spinning speed enhancement (again through choice of DAS conditions or alternative multiple pulse schemes) of dynamic-angle spinning experiment was realized with both theory and experimental examples. The application of DAS to new types of nuclei (specifically the {sup 87}Rb and {sup 85}Rb nuclear spins) and materials (specifically amorphous solids) has also greatly expanded the possibilities of the use of DAS to study a larger range of materials. This dissertation is meant to demonstrate both recent advances and applications of the DAS technique, and by no means represents a comprehensive study of any particular chemical problem.

Plutonium-239, 240 and americium-241 were measured in the mussel Mytilus californianus from the region of Coos Bay, OR. The flesh of this species has a plutonium concentration of about 90 fCi/kg, and an Am-241/Pu-239, 240 ratio that is high relative to mixed fallout, ranging between two and three. Transuranic concentrations in sediment, unfiltered water, and filterable particulates were also measured; none of these materials has an Am/Pu ratio as greatly elevated as the mussels, and there is no apparent difference in the Am/Pu ratio of terrestrial runoff and coastal water. Sediment core profiles do not allow accumulation rates or depositional histories to be identified, but it does not appear that material characterized by a high Am/Pu ratio has ever been introduced to this estuary. Other bivalves (Tresus capax and Macoma nasuta) and a polychaete (Abarenicola sp.) do not have an elevated Am/Pu ratio, although the absolute activity of plutonium in the infaunal bivalves is roughly four times that in the mussels.

Measurements of the b quark production cross section at the Tevatron and at Hera in the final decades of the 20th century have consistently yielded higher values than predicted by Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) QCD. This discrepancy has led to a large efforts by theorists to improve theoretical calculations of the cross sections and simulations of b quark production. As a result, the difference between theory and experiment has been much reduced. New measurements are needed to test the developments in the calculations and in event simulation. In this thesis, a measurement of angular correlations between b jets produced in the same event is presented. The angular separation between two b jets is directly sensitive to higher order contributions. In addition, the measurement does not depend strongly on fragmentation models or on the experimental luminosity and efficiency, which lead to a large uncertainty in measurements of the inclusive cross section. At the Tevatron, b{bar b} quark pairs are predominantly produced through the strong interaction. In leading order QCD, the b quarks are produced back to back in phase space. Next-to-leading order contributions involving a third particle in the final state allow production of b pairs that are very close together in …

In the absence of external forces, if the dynamics within an electron beam is dominated by its angular momentum rather than other effects such as random thermal motion or self Coulomb-repulsive force (i.e., space-charge force), the beam is said to be angular-momentum-dominated. Such a beam can be directly applied to the field of electron-cooling of heavy ions; or it can be manipulated into an electron beam with large transverse emittance ratio, i.e., a flat beam. A flat beam is of interest for high-energy electron-positron colliders or accelerator-based light sources. An angular-momentum-dominated beam is generated at the Fermilab/NICADD photoinjector Laboratory (FNPL) and is accelerated to an energy of 16 MeV. The properties of such a beam is investigated systematically in experiment. The experimental results are in very good agreement with analytical expectations and simulation results. This lays a good foundation for the transformation of an angular-momentum-dominated beam into a flat beam. The round-to-flat beam transformer is composed of three skew quadrupoles. Based on a good knowledge of the angular-momentum-dominated beam, the quadrupoles are set to the proper strengths in order to apply a total torque which removes the angular momentum, resulting in a flat beam. For bunch charge around 0.5 nC, …

Monte Carlo simulations of a proposed a-Si:H-based current-integrating gamma camera were performed. The analysis showed that the intrinsic resolution of such a camera was 1 {approximately} 2.5 mm, which is somewhat better than that of a conventional gamma camera, and that the greater blurring, due to the detection of scattered {gamma}-rays, could be reduced considerably by image restoration techniques. This proposed gamma camera would be useful for imaging shallow organs such as the thyroid. Prototype charge-storage a-Si:H pixel detectors for such a camera were designed, constructed and tested. The detectors could store signal charge as long as 5 min at {minus}26C. The thermal generation current in reverse biased a-Si:H p-i-n photodetectors was investigated, and the Poole-Frenkel effect was found to be the most significant source of the thermal generation current. Based on the Poole-Frenkel effect, voltage- and time-dependent thermal generation current was modeled. Using the model, the operating conditions of the proposed a-Si:H gamma camera, such as the operating temperature, the operating bias and the {gamma}-scan period, could be predicted. The transient photoconductive gain mechanism in various a-Si:H devices was investigated for applications in digital radiography. Using the a-Si:H photoconductors in n-i-n configuration in pixel arrays, enhancement in signal collection …

Time-differential perturbed angular correlation techniques were applied to a systematic study of insulating antiferromagnets and rare-earth intermetallic alloys doped with either /sup 111m/Cd or $sup 111$In. The internal magnetic fields and electric field gradients at the radioactive nucleus are deduced from the experimentally measured perturbation factors. The analysis of fluoride, chloride, oxide, and sulfide data shows the systematic variation of the observed supertransferred hyperfine fields with the intervening anion covalency and allows extraction of covalency parameters after the adoption of a simple model. A comparison of the transferred hyperfine field data between fluoride perovskites and the corresponding quadratic layer compounds produces a value for the zero- point spin deviation in magnetically two-dimensional antiferromagnets which is in qualitative agreement with existing theoretical estimates. Paramagnetic shifts due to transferred hyperfine field and field-induced spin-flopping have also been observed. By careful temperature regulation the temperature dependence of the sublattice magnetization can be plotted next to a diamagnetic impurity in RbMnF$sub 3$ and MnF$sub 2$. A shift in the transferred hyperfine field at Cd doped into MnS has been measured under the application of moderate pressures up to 22 kbar. Analysis of the electric field gradients at the In and Sn sites in the …

Gabor first proposed holography in 1948 as a means to experimentally record the amplitude and phase of scattered wavefronts, relative to a direct unscattered wave, and to use such a {open_quotes}hologram{close_quotes} to directly image atomic structure. But imaging at atomic resolution has not yet been possible in the way he proposed. Much more recently, Szoeke in 1986 noted that photoexcited atoms can emit photoelectron of fluorescent x-ray wavefronts that are scattered by neighboring atoms, thus yielding the direct and scattered wavefronts as detected in the far field that can then be interpreted as holographic in nature. By now, several algorithms for directly reconstructing three-dimensional atomic images from electron holograms have been proposed (e.g. by Barton) and successfully tested against experiment and theory. Very recently, Tegze and Faigel, and Grog et al. have recorded experimental x-ray fluorescence holograms, and these are found to yield atomic images that are more free of the kinds of aberrations caused by the non-ideal emission or scattering of electrons. The basic principles of these holographic atomic imaging methods are reviewed, including illustrative applications of the reconstruction algorithms to both theoretical and experimental electron and x-ray holograms. The author also discusses the prospects and limitations of these …

None

None

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 …

Carrier recombination and annealing of radioinduced recombination centers were investigated for both n- and ptype Ge. The experimental results are explained by a model in which recombination occurs at 0.36 ev above the valence band in gamma -irradiated, n-type Ge; the position of this level is shifted slightly downward for neutron-irradiated Ge. Trapping levels occur in As-doped Ge (at 0.17 ev above the valence band) which are not present in Sb-doped Ge. For p-type Ge, an energy level present in unirradiated Ge acts as a trapping center. A value for the electron capture cross section of n-type Ge is derived: 7 x 10/ sup -//sup 1//sup 9/ cm/sup 2/. The annealing properties of Sb- and As-doped Ge are very different. A model for the annealing results is given in which irradiation produces three major types of defects: interstitials, vacancies, and vacancy-interstitial pairs. The properties of each defect type are described. Association of vacancies with doping atoms is discussed. (D.L.C.)

None

Four sialon-type materials using volcanic ash as a raw material were characterized and some of their properties were determined. The M3 and M4 materials were identified as ..beta../sup 1/--Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ sialons; their principal constituent is silicon. The M2 material was identified as a 15R-A1N polytype sialon whose principal constituent is aluminum. The M1 material is a mixture of the two types. An overview of results showing the general structural formulae and the relative order of the materials with respect to various properties as determined by the investigation is presented. It is concluded that of the materials tested, the M2 material shows the most promise as a candidate for meeting some of the current needs for high-temperature materials. It is also concluded that more research is needed in order to explain the low resistance of these materials to thermal shock since their coefficients of thermal expansion are relatively low.

This is a Thesis report on Chemistry of +1 Iodine in Alkaline Solution.

None

None

Dielectric reflectors that are periodic in one or two dimensions, also known as 1D and 2D photonic crystals, have been widely studied for many potential applications due to the presence of wavelength-tunable photonic bandgaps. However, the unique optical behavior of photonic crystals is based on theoretical models of perfect analogues. Little is known about the practical effects of dielectric imperfections on their technologically useful optical properties. In order to address this issue, a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code is employed to study the effect of three specific dielectric imperfections in 1D and 2D photonic crystals. The first imperfection investigated is dielectric interfacial roughness in quarter-wave tuned 1D photonic crystals at normal incidence. This study reveals that the reflectivity of some roughened photonic crystal configurations can change up to 50% at the center of the bandgap for RMS roughness values around 20% of the characteristic periodicity of the crystal. However, this reflectivity change can be mitigated by increasing the index contrast and/or the number of bilayers in the crystal. In order to explain these results, the homogenization approximation, which is usually applied to single rough surfaces, is applied to the quarter-wave stacks. The results of the homogenization approximation match the FDTD results …

This thesis investigates the mixing and dispersion of indoor air pollutants under a variety of conditions using standard experimental methods. It also extensively tests and improves a novel technique for measuring contaminant concentrations that has the potential for more rapid, non-intrusive measurements with higher spatial resolution than previously possible. Experiments conducted in a sealed room support the hypothesis that the mixing time of an instantaneously released tracer gas is inversely proportional to the cube root of the mechanical power transferred to the room air. One table-top and several room-scale experiments are performed to test the concept of employing optical remote sensing (ORS) and computed tomography (CT) to measure steady-state gas concentrations in a horizontal plane. Various remote sensing instruments, scanning geometries and reconstruction algorithms are employed. Reconstructed concentration distributions based on existing iterative CT techniques contain a high degree of unrealistic spatial variability and do not agree well with simultaneously gathered point-sample data.

The potential for contamination of groundwater by organic pollutants leached from in-situ spent shale was studied in a series of laboratory leaching experiments. Both batch-mode and continuous-flow column experiments were conducted to study the leaching phenomenon. Experimental variables included retorting characteristics of spent shale, leaching time, initial quality of leach water, temperature of leach water, and particle size of spent shale. Several unique samples of spent shale were examined during the eaching experiments, including spent shale samples produced during combustion retorting, inert gas retorting, and combustion retorting employing recycle gas. The solid-phase organic carbon content of spent shale samples ranged from 0.2 to 3.9 percent by weight. Leachate derived from the batch-mode experiments was analyzed for organic carbon, organic nitrogen, phenols, and acid/base/netral fractions. The highest levels of organic carbon were detected in leachate derived from spent shale produced during either inert gas retorting or combstion retorting using recycle gas. The highest levels of phenols were observed in leachate obtained from spent shale produced during inert gas retorting; significant levels of organic nitrogen were also detected in various leachate samples. The most predominant organic fraction measured in leachate samples was the neutral fraction associated with spent shale produced during inert …

In this thesis, the possibility of controlling low- and high-dimensional chaotic systems by periodically driving an accessible system parameter is examined. This method has been carried out on several numerical systems and the MST Reversed Field Pinch. The numerical systems investigated include the logistic equation, the Lorenz equations, the Roessler equations, a coupled lattice of logistic equations, a coupled lattice of Lorenz equations, the Yoshida equations, which model tearing mode fluctuations in a plasma, and a neural net model for magnetic fluctuations on MST. This method was tested on the MST by sinusoidally driving a magnetic flux through the toroidal gap of the device. Numerically, periodic drives were found to be most effective at producing limit cycle behavior or significantly reducing the dimension of the system when the perturbation frequency was near natural frequencies of unstable periodic orbits embedded in the attractor of the unperturbed system. Several different unstable periodic orbits have been stabilized in this way for the low-dimensional numerical systems, sometimes with perturbation amplitudes that were less than 5% of the nominal value of the parameter being perturbed. In high-dimensional systems, limit cycle behavior and significant decreases in the system dimension were also achieved using perturbations with frequencies …

None

A two-dimensional, two fluid model of the MHD equations has been coupled to a Monte Carlo transport model of high energy, non-Maxwellian ions. The MHD part of the model assumes complete ionization and includes a perfect gas law for a scalar pressure, a tensor artificial viscosity, electron and ion thermal conduction, electron-ion coupling, and a radiation loss term. A simple Ohm's Law is used with a B/sub theta/ magnetic field. The MHD equations were solved in Lagrangian coordinates. The conservation equations were differenced explicitly and the diffusion-type equations implicitly using the splitting technique. The Monte Carlo model solves the equation of motion for high energy ions, moving through and suffering small and large angle collisions with the fluid Maxwellian plasma. The source of high energy ions is the thermonuclear reactions of the hydrogen isotopes, or it may be an externally injected beam of neutralized ions. In addition to using the usual Maxwell averaged thermonuclear cross sections for calculating the number of reactions taking place within the Maxwellian plasma, the high energy ions may suffer collisions resulting in a reaction. In the Monte Carlo model all neutrons are assumed to escape, and all energetic ions of Z less than or equal …