Perfluoro ionomer membranes are tetrafluoro ethylene-based materials with microheterogeneous structures consisting of a hydrophobic polymer backbone and a hydrophilic side-chain cluster region. Due to the ionomer cluster morphology, these films exhibit unique transport properties. Recent investigations with perfluoro sulfonate and perfluoro sulfonate/carboxylate composite polymers have demonstrated their value in the dehydration of nitric acid and they show potential as an alternative to conventional, energy intensive unit operations in the concentration of acid feeds. As a result, investigations were conducted to determine the feasibility of using pure perfluoro carboxylate and mixed perfluoro sulfonate/carboxylate films for the dehydration of nitric acid because of the speculation of improved water selectivity of the carboxylate pendant chain. During the first phase of these investigations the effort was focused on generating a thin, solution cast perfluoro carboxylate ionomer film, to evaluate the general, chemical and physical characteristics of the polymer, and to assess the material's aqueous transport performance (flux and nitrate separation efficiencies) in pervaporation and high-pressure environments. Results demonstrated that generating robust solution-cast films was difficult yet a number of membranes survived high trans-membrane pressures up to 700 psig. General characterization of the solution cast product showed reduced ion exchange capacities when compared with thicker, …

An evidence of the existence of leptoquarks (LQ) would prove the validity of various extensions of the Standard Model of Particle Physics (SM). The search for first generation leptoquarks presented in this dissertation has been performed by analyzing a 1.02 fb{sup -1} sample of data collected by the D0 detector, events with a final state comprising two light jets and two electrons. The absence of an excess of events in comparison to SM expectations leads to exclude scalar LQ masses up to 292 GeV and vector LQ masses from 350 to 458 GeV, depending on the LQ-l-q coupling type. The great importance of a good jet energy measurement motivated the study of the instrumental backgrounds correlated to the calorimeter, as much as studies of the hadronic showers energy resolution in {gamma} + jets events.

This thesis describes a measurement of a CP violating asymmetry in neutral B meson decays, B{sup 0} yields D{sup *0}h{sup 0}, where D{sup *0} is a charmed meson and h{sup 0} is a light meson, performed on data collected by the BABAR experiment at the SLAC asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider PEP-II.

The advance of High Energy Physics research using circulating accelerators strongly depends on increasing the magnetic bending field which accelerator magnets provide. To achieve high fields, the most powerful present-day accelerator magnets employ NbTi superconducting technology; however, with the start up of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2007, NbTi magnets will have reached the maximum field allowed by the intrinsic properties of this superconductor. A further increase of the field strength necessarily requires a change in superconductor material; the best candidate is Nb{sub 3}Sn. Several laboratories in the US and Europe are currently working on developing Nb{sub 3}Sn accelerator magnets, and although these magnets have great potential, it is suspected that their performance may be fundamentally limited by conductor thermo-magnetic instabilities: an idea first proposed by the Fermilab High Field Magnet group early in 2003. This thesis presents a study of thermo-magnetic instability in high field Nb{sub 3}Sn accelerator magnets. In this chapter the following topics are described: the role of superconducting magnets in High Energy Physics; the main characteristics of superconductors for accelerator magnets; typical measurements of current capability in superconducting strands; the properties of Nb{sub 3}Sn; a description of the manufacturing process of Nb{sub 3}Sn strands; superconducting cables; …

Theoretical simulations and ultrafast pump-probe laser spectroscopy experiments were used to study photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes and antennae found in green sulfur bacteria such as Prosthecochloris aestuarii, Chloroflexus aurantiacus, and Chlorobium tepidum. The work focused on understanding structure-function relationships in energy transfer processes in these complexes through experiments and trying to model that data as we tested our theoretical assumptions with calculations. Theoretical exciton calculations on tubular pigment aggregates yield electronic absorption spectra that are superimpositions of linear J-aggregate spectra. The electronic spectroscopy of BChl c/d/e antennae in light harvesting chlorosomes from Chloroflexus aurantiacus differs considerably from J-aggregate spectra. Strong symmetry breaking is needed if we hope to simulate the absorption spectra of the BChl c antenna. The theory for simulating absorption difference spectra in strongly coupled photosynthetic antenna is described, first for a relatively simple heterodimer, then for the general N-pigment system. The theory is applied to the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) BChl a protein trimers from Prosthecochloris aestuarii and then compared with experimental low-temperature absorption difference spectra of FMO trimers from Chlorobium tepidum. Circular dichroism spectra of the FMO trimer are unusually sensitive to diagonal energy disorder. Substantial differences occur between CD spectra in exciton simulations performed with and without realistic …

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 element techniques, the method involves an integration using the Standard Model matrix element for t{bar t} 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 …

Supersymmetry, extension of the Standard Model of Particle Physics (SM), is searched for by trying to observe the supersymmetric partner of bottom quark ({tilde b}). This search is performed using events with a final state comprising two acoplanar b-quark jets and missing transverse energy (MET) and coming from a sample of 992 pb{sup -1} of data collected by the D0 detector at the Tevatron, the Fermilab p{bar p} collider. The absence of an excess of events in comparison to MS expectations leads to exclude sb masses up to 201 GeV, neutralino masses up to 94 GeV. The MET has been studied under two points of view, because of its fundamental role in this search. First, at the level of the trigger system which allows the online selection candidate events, and then, within the framework of the ALPGEN generator, the simulation of the Z boson transverse momentum which appears as MET when the Z boson decays into neutrino.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will have many uses besides its primary mission in the US Department of Energy's Stockpile Stewardship Program. It will provide a broad array of applications to basic science, and will also play an important role in the development of commercial fusion energy.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will use the world's largest laser to compress and heat BB-sized capsules of fusion fuel to thermo-nuclear ignition. NIF experiments will produce temperatures and densities like those in the Sun or in an exploding nuclear weapon. The experiments will help scientists sustain confidence in the nuclear weapon stockpile without nuclear tests as a unique element of the DOE'S Stockpile Stewardship Program and will produce additional benefits in basic science and fusion energy.

The Stockpile Stewardship Program is an initiative to maintain the nuclear deterrent of the United States in the post-Cold War era. It is based on the maintenance of our stockpile through an ongoing process of surveillance, assessment, refurbishment, and recertification, without nuclear testing. At the heart of the SSP is an attempt to bring advanced experimental and computational tools to bear on the evaluation and certification of the stockpile itself; these advanced scientific capabilities are necessary because of the cessation of nuclear testing. This science-based approach requires new tools: advanced computers for more detailed 3-D simulations, multi-axis hydrodynamic facilities and plutonium research facilities for physics measurements of primaries, and the National Ignition Facility for fusion burn and high-energy-density science. The science basis requires summing up the pieces we can measure and simulate, which cannot be done without a complete set of tools. Refurbishing weapons with confidence, without testing, is a difficult challenge. Only with high-quality scientists and a complete set of tools, can the US accomplish this program. NIF is a unique element of the Stockpile Stewardship Program because it is the only facility that will allow the experimental study of thermonuclear burn and important regimes of high-energy-density science. Understanding …

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The mechanisms by which transparent dielectrics damage when exposed to high power laser radiation has been of scientific and technological interest since the invention of the laser. In this work, a set of three experiments are presented which provide insight into the damage initiation mechanisms and the processes involved in laser-induced damage. Using an OPO (optical parametric oscillator) laser, we have measured the damage thresholds of deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) from the near ultraviolet into the visible. Distinct steps, whose width is of order K{sub b}T, are observed in the damage threshold at photon energies associated with the number of photons (3{yields}2 or 4{yields}3) needed to promote a ground state electron across the energy gap. The wavelength dependence of the damage threshold suggests that a primary mechanism for damage initiation in DKDP is a multi-photon process in which the order is reduced through excited defect state absorption. In-situ fluorescence microscopy, in conjunction with theoretical calculations by Liu et al., has been used to establish that hydrogen displacement defects are potentially responsible for the reduction in the multi-photon cross-section. During the damage process, the material absorbs energy from the laser pulse and produces an ionized region that gives rise to …

The branching fractions for the decays B {yields} P{ell}{nu}{sub {ell}}, where P are the pseudoscalar charmless mesons {pi}{sup {+-}}, {pi}{sup 0}, {eta} and {eta}{prime} and {ell} is an electron or muon, are measured with B{sup 0} and B{sup {+-}} mesons found in the recoil of a second B meson decaying as B {yields} D{ell}{nu}{sub {ell}} or B {yields} D*{ell}{nu}{sub {ell}}. The measurements are based on a data set of 348 fb{sup -1} of e{sup +}e{sup -} collisions at {radical}s = 10.58 GeV recorded with the BABAR detector. Assuming isospin symmetry, measured pionic branching fractions are combined into {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup -}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) = (1.54 {+-} 0.17{sub (stat)} {+-} 0.09{sub (syst)}) x 10{sup -4}. First evidence of the B{sup +} {yields} {eta}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}} decay is seen; its branching fraction is measured to be {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {eta}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) = (0.64 {+-} 0.20{sub (stat)} {+-} 0.03{sub (syst)}) x 10{sup -4}. It is determined that {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {eta}{prime}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) < 0.47 x 10{sup -4} to 90% confidence. Partial branching fractions for the pionic decays in ranges of the momentum transfer and various published calculations of the B {yields} {pi} hadronic form factor are used to obtain values …

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 …

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 …

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).

A search for directly produced Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons has been performed in the di-tau decay channel in 86.3 {+-} 3.5 pb{sup -1} of data collected by CDF during Run1b at the Tevatron. They search for events where one tau decays to an electron and the other tau decays hadronically. They perform a counting experiment and set limits on the cross section for Higgs production in the high tan {beta} region of the m{sub A}-tan {beta} plane. For a benchmark parameter space point where m{sub A} = 100 and tan {beta} = 50, they set a 95% confidence level upper limit at 891 pb compared to the theoretically predicted cross section of 122 pb. For events where the tau candidates are not back-to-back, they utilize a di-tau mass reconstruction technique for the first time on hadron collider data. Limits based on a likelihood binned in di-tau mass from non-back-to-back events alone are weaker than the limits obtained from the counting experiment using the full di-tau sample.

This thesis presents results of the MINOS long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. Charged Current interactions of {nu}{sub {mu}} from the NuMI beamline have been recorded in both the Near and Far Detectors between May 2005 and February 2006, corresponding to 1.27 x 10{sup 20} protons being delivered to the NuMI target. Several techniques for improving the sensitivity of an oscillation measurement are discussed and their impact assessed. 378 events are observed in the Far Detector during this period, compared to a prediction of 459 {+-} 31 events are observed in the Far Detector during this period, compared to a prediction of 459 {+-} 31 events when the observed Near Detector spectrum is extrapolated to the Far Detector over the 735 km baseline with no oscillations. In addition to this deficit of observed events, there is also evidence for spectral distortion in the Far Detector. A maximum likelihood analysis is used to determine the best fit point and allowed regions in {Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 23} and sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23} parameter space. The best fit values for {Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 23} and sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23} are found to be 2.55{sup +0.39}{sub -0.24} x 10{sup -3} eV{sup 2} and > 0.87 (68% CL) respectively.

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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 {+-}}.

MINOS is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. A manmade beam of predominantly muon neutrinos is detected both 1 km and 735 km from the production point by two functionally identical detectors. A comparison of the energy spectra measured by the two detectors shows the energy-dependent disappearance of muon neutrinos characteristic of oscillations and allows a measurement of the parameters governing the oscillations. This thesis presents work leading to measurements of disappearance in the 6% {bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} background in that beam. A calibration is developed to correct for time-dependent changes in the responses of both detectors, reducing the corresponding uncertainty on hadronic energy measurements from 1.8% to 0.4% in the near detector and from 0.8% to 0.4% in the far detector. A method of selecting charged current {bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} events is developed, with purities (efficiencies) of 96.5% (74.4%) at the near detector, and 98.8% (70.9%) at the far detector in the region below 10 GeV reconstructed antineutrino energy. A method of using the measured near detector neutrino energy spectrum to predict that expected at the far detector is discussed, and developed for use in the {bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} analysis. Sources of systematic uncertainty contributing to the oscillation measurements …

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 …

Air quality planning in Central California is complicated and controversial despite millions of dollars invested to improve scientific understanding. This research describes and critiques the use of photochemical air quality simulation modeling studies in planning to attain standards for ground-level ozone in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley during the 1990's. Data are gathered through documents and interviews with planners, modelers, and policy-makers at public agencies and with representatives from the regulated and environmental communities. Interactions amongst organizations are diagramed to identify significant nodes of interaction. Dominant policy coalitions are described through narratives distinguished by their uses of and responses to uncertainty, their exposures to risks, and their responses to the principles of conservatism, civil duty, and caution. Policy narratives are delineated using aggregated respondent statements to describe and understand advocacy coalitions. I found that models impacted the planning process significantly, but were used not purely for their scientific capabilities. Modeling results provided justification for decisions based on other constraints and political considerations. Uncertainties were utilized opportunistically by stakeholders instead of managed explicitly. Ultimately, the process supported the partisan views of those in control of the modeling. Based on these findings, as well as a review …

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 …