Cellular radio communication involves wireless transmission and reception of signals at radio frequencies (RF). Base stations house equipment critical to the transmission and reception of signals. Power amplifier (PA) is a crucial element in base station assembly. PAs are expensive, take up space and dissipate heat. Of all the elements in the base station, it is difficult to design and operate a power amplifier. New designs of power amplifiers are constantly tested. One of the most important components required to perform this test successfully is a circuit simulator model of an entire communication system that generates a standard test signal. Standard test signals 524,288 data points in length require 1080 hours to complete one test of a PA model. In order to reduce the time taken to complete one test, a 'simulated test signal,' was generated. The objective of this study is to develop an algorithm to generate this 'simulated' test signal such that its characteristics match that of the 'standard' test signal.

L'objectif est d'étudier la transformation du tonnerre (amplitude, spectre) pendant sa propagation depuis le canal d'éclair jusqu'à un détecteur en se basant sur deux approches complémentaires. Dans un premier temps, l'analyse des enregistrements acoustiques (audibles et infrasons) obtenus par un réseau acoustique de petite taille (50 mètres), durant une campagne d'observations qui s'est déroulée dans le Sud de la France (Automne 2012), nous fournit des cartes 3D des sources infrasonores présentes dans un canal de foudre. Nous montrons qu'elles sont parfaitement corrélées aux résultats fournis par des outils électromagnétiques très précis. Des spectres de tonnerre ont pu être associés aux différentes phases de la décharge. Des caractéristiques acoustiques (fréquence, amplitude) ont pu être précisément reliées aux différentes sources acoustiques identifiées à l'intérieur des éclairs. Il apparaît que la propagation de l'onde acoustique perturbe la localisation pour les distances supérieures à 20km. Dans un second temps le code de calcul Flhoward a été développé pour simuler la propagation non linéaire des ondes de choc acoustiques à travers un modèle de météo réaliste. Il permet d'étudier les formes d'ondes au cours de leur propagation. La simulation numérique avec Flhoward aide à comprendre l'impact des profils météorologiques sur la propagation des signatures de tonnerre. / The goal is to study the transformation of thunder (amplitude, spectrum) during its propagation from to lightning channel towards a detector, based on two complementary approaches.In a first time, the analysis of the acoustic records (audible and infrasounds) obtained with an acoustic network of small size (50 meters), during an observation campaign which took place in South of France (Autumn 2012), produces 3D maps of infrasounds sources present in a lightning channel.We show they are perfectly correlated to results obtained from very precise electromagnetic tools.Frequency contents were successfully associated to the different parts of the discharge.Acoustic parameters (frequency, amplitude) were clearly linked to the different acoustic sources identified inside the lightning channels.It appears that the propagation of the acoustic wave impacts the localization for distances greater than 20km.In a second step, the computing code Flhoward was developed to simulate the nonlinear propagation of acoustic shock waves through a realistic meteorological profile.It allows to study the waveforms during their propagation.The numerical simulation with Flhoward helps to understand the impact of the meteorological profiles on the propagation of the thunder signatures.

[pt] Uma das principais etapas na exploração de petróleo é a definição de um modelo geológico que justifique a existência de uma acumulação de hidrocarbonetos. Ferramentas que possam aumentar o grau de precisão deste modelo são foco de constante estudo na indústria do petróleo. Neste contexto, recentemente, Partyka et al. apresentaram uma nova técnica que utiliza a decomposição espectral dos dados sísmicos para refinar o modelo geológico em termos de definição de espessura de camadas. Nesta pesquisa, essa técnica é estudada e testada, e é proposta a utilização da transformada S, desenvolvida por Stockwell et al., para localizar as componentes de freqüência no domínio do tempo. Os testes realizados com dados sintéticos apontam o uso da técnica de Partyka et al. para fins mais qualitativos, já que, quando os modelos dos testes são perturbados, as análises quantitativas ficam comprometidas. A transformada S mostrou bons resultados na localização das componentes de freqüência no domínio do tempo; no entanto, ela acarreta a suavização do espectro de amplitudes. Ao final deste trabalho é apresentado um exemplo da utilização da técnica em dados reais tridimensionais. / [en] One of the main steps in oil exploration is the definition of a geological model that can justify the existence of a hydrocarbon accumulation. Tools that can improve the precision of this geological model are a constant goal of the oil industry research. In this context, Partyka et al. have recently presented a new technique that uses spectral seismic data decomposition in order to improve the model's accuracy in terms of the thickness definition of geological layers. In the present research, this technique is studied and tested, and a use for the S transform is proposed to locate the frequency components in the time domain. The S transform was recently developed by Stockwell et al. The tests performed with synthetic data indicate that the technique developed by Partyka et al. provide a better qualitative response, because, when the models in the tests are disturbed, qualitative analyses are compromised. The S transform showed good results in locating the frequency components in the time domain, but it smoothes the amplitude spectrum. At the end of this work, an example of the use of this technique with real three-dimensional data is presented.

This thesis addresses two fundamental topics in Engineering Seismology; the application of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) methodology, and the estimation of measures of Strong Ground Motion. These two topics, while being related, are presented as separate sections. In the first section, state-of-the-art PSHA methodologies are applied to various sites in the Buller Region, South Island, New Zealand. These sites are deemed critical to the maintenance of economic stability in the region. A fault-source based seismicity model is developed for the region that is consistent with the governing tectonic loading, and seismic moment release of the region. In attempting to ensure this consistency the apparent anomaly between the rates of activity dictated by deformation throughout the Quaternary, and rates of activity dictated by observed seismicity is addressed. Individual fault source activity is determined following the application of a Bayesian Inference procedure in which observed earthquake events are attributed to causative faults in the study region. The activity of fault sources, in general, is assumed to be governed by bounded power law behaviour. An exception is made for the Alpine Fault which is modelled as a purely characteristic source. The calculation of rates of exceedance of various ground motion indices is made using a combination of Poissonian and time-dependent earthquake occurrence models. The various ground motion indices for which rates of exceedance are determined include peak ground acceleration, ordinates of 5% damped Spectral Acceleration, and Arias Intensity. The total hazard determined for each of these ground motion measures is decomposed using a four dimensional disaggregation procedure. From this disaggregation procedure, design earthquake scenarios are specified for the sites that are considered. The second part of the thesis is concerned with the estimation of ground motion measures that are more informative than the existing scalar measures that are available for use in New Zealand. Models are developed for the prediction of Fourier Amplitude Spectra (FAS) as well as Arias Intensity for use in the New Zealand environment. The FAS model can be used to generate ground motion time histories for use in structural and geotechnical analyses. Arias Intensity has been shown to be an important strong motion measure due to its positive correlation with damage in short period structures as well as its utility in predicting the onset of liquefaction and landslides. The models are based upon the analysis of a dataset of New Zealand Strong Motion records as well as supplementary near field records from major overseas events. While the two measures of ground motion intensity are strongly related, different methods have been adopted in order to develop the models. As part of the methodology used for the FAS model, Monte Carlo simulation coupled with a simple ray tracing procedure is employed to estimate source spectra from various New Zealand earthquakes and, consequently, a magnitude - corner-frequency relationship is obtained. In general, the parameters of the predictive equations are determined using the most state-of-the-art mixed effects regression procedures.

One of the most difficult tasks towards designing earthquake resistant structures is the determination of critical earthquakes. Conceptually, these are the ground motions that would induce the critical response in the structures being designed. The quantification of this concept, however, is not easy. Unlike the linear response of a structure, which can often be obtained by using a single spectrally modified ground acceleration history, the nonlinear response is strongly dependent on the phasing of ground motion and the detailed shape of its spectrum. This necessitates the use of a suite (bin) of ground acceleration histories having phasing and spectral shapes appropriate for the characteristics of the earthquake source, wave propagation path, and site conditions that control the design spectrum. Further, these suites of records may have to be scaled to match the design spectrum over a period range of interest, rotated into strike-normal and strike-parallel directions for near-fault effects, and modified for local site conditions before they can be input into time-domain nonlinear analysis of structures. The generation of these acceleration histories is cumbersome and daunting. This is especially so due to the sheer magnitude of the data processing involved. The purpose of this thesis is the development and documentation of PC-based computational tools (hereinafter called EQTools) to provide a rapid and consistent means towards systematic assembly of representative strong ground motions and their characterization, evaluation, and modification within a performance-based seismic design framework. The application is graphics-intensive and every effort has been made to make it as user-friendly as possible. The application seeks to provide processed data which will help the user address the problem of determination of the critical earthquakes. The various computational tools developed in EQTools facilitate the identification of severity and damage potential of more than 700 components of recorded earthquake ground motions. The application also includes computational tools to estimate the ground motion parameters for different geographical and tectonic environments, and perform one-dimensional linear/nonlinear site response analysis as a means to predict ground surface motions at sites where soft soils overlay the bedrock. While EQTools may be used for professional practice or academic research, the fundamental purpose behind the development of the software is to make available a classroom/laboratory tool that provides a visual basis for learning the principles behind the selection of ground motion histories and their scaling/modification for input into time domain nonlinear (or linear) analysis of structures. EQTools, in association with NONLIN, a Microsoft Windows based application for the dynamic analysis of single- and multi-degree-of-freedom structural systems (Charney, 2003), may be used for learning the concepts of earthquake engineering, particularly as related to structural dynamics, damping, ductility, and energy dissipation. / Master of Science