The East African Rift System is the world's major continental rift. While much geophysical and petrological attention has been paid to it, at least in the eastern branch ("Eastern Rift"), comparatively little research has been carried out into the geochemistry of rift fluids, despite the potential benefits to theoretical and practical studies. Hydrothermal activity provides the opportunity to sample a very wide range of waters and gases in the Eastern Rift. This thesis combines data from the literature with the results of the author's major investigation into Eastern Rift fluids carried out chiefly in Kenya, though with subsidiary investigations in Ethiopia and Djibouti. A synthetic approach has been adopted, whereby relationships and interactions are cross-referenced as far as possible to illuminate problems, thus demonstrating the usefulness of considering a wide range of fluids in the rift context. After reviews of physiography, geology, geothermics and hydrology of the Eastern Rift, the following topics are considered in detail: (i) chemical and isotopic evidence for water origin, movement and evolution, (ii) chemical and isotopic evidence for gas origin, movement and evolution, and (iii) fluid geothermometry. Within this context some specific aims have been pursued. The strong possibility of longdistance axial flows of groundwater has been shown by use of stable isotopic techniques. Further insights into alkaline hydrological discharge areas have been obtained by a combination of chemical and isotopic approaches. While carbon isotope ratios indicate an apparently homogeneous source of carbon dioxide, the existence of distinct mantle sources for volcanic rocks beneath different parts of the Eastern Rift has been comprehensively demonstrated by use of helium isotope ratios. Following the rather unsatisfactory performance of various gas geothermometers for evaluating geothermal system temperatures, a new relationship based on hydrocarbon breakdown has been developed. The possible use of oxygen isotopes in hydrothermal sinters as indicators of palaeoconditions has been investigated. In conclusion, topics worthy of further research in the Eastern Rift are suggested where the study of fluids would be of benefit.

Partindo do Método dos Painéis e do Método dos Vórtices, bem conhecidos em Aerodinâmica, desenvolvemos um método para cálculo da distribuição de pressão real sobre a superfície externa de corpos arbitrários, imersos num fluxo estável, levemente viscoso. A abordagem utilizada é predominantemente fenomenológica, e a linha de raciocínio seguida é particularmente direta: ênfase é dada ao entendimento da turbulência - seus mecanismos, origem, espectros, estruturas organizadas e sua aplicação a situações práticas. Como primeira aproximação, foi usado o bem conhecido Método de Painéis de Primeira-Ordem para calcular os campos de pressão e velocidade (sem a separação de camada-limite). Em seguida, as pressões reais (após a separação da camada-limite) foram estimadas através do acoplamento entre o Método de Painéis (que fornece valores iniciais) e o Método dos Vórtices (Chorin, Leonard), usando, para o cálculo da escala dissipativa, as hipóteses de Heisenberg da transferência espectral de energia. Os obstáculos têm formas de automóveis. A fim de simplificar o trabalho numérico, somente foi analisada a secção média longitudinal de corpos simétricos, na qual o fluxo local pode ser considerado quase-bi-dimensional. Todavia, não há, nesse procedimento, nenhuma falta de generalidade. Alguns aspectos importantes da aerodinâmica do automóvel, (tais como forças aerodinâmicas, coeficientes de pressão e de arrasto, etc.), bem como da teoria da turbulência homogênea e isotrópica, também foram estudados. Nossas previsões teóricas estão em bom acordo com os resultados experimentais. Isto mostra a plausibilidade e efetividade de nosso método computacional / From well-estabelished in Aerodynamic Panel Method and Vortex Method, we have developed a method to calculate the real pressure distribution along the external surface of arbitrary bodies immersed in a steady, slightly viscous flow. Our approach is predominantly phenomenological, and our objectives are clearly defined: the understanding of turbulence its mechanism, origin, spectra and organized structures, and its direct application to practical situations. As a first approximation, the well-known first-order Panel Method was used to calculate pressure and velocity fields (without boundary-layer separation). In the following, real pressures (after boundary-layer separation) were estimated coupling the Panel Method (which yields initial values) and Vortex Method (Chorin, Leonard), by using the Heisenbergs spectral energy-transfer hypotheses to calculate the dissipative scale. Obstacles are automobile-shaped. In order tro simplify the numerical calculation only longitudinal midsections of symmetric bodies, in which the local flow can be considered as quasi-two-dimensional, were analyzed. However, there is no lack of generality in such procedure.

Partindo do Método dos Painéis e do Método dos Vórtices, bem conhecidos em Aerodinâmica, desenvolvemos um método para cálculo da distribuição de pressão real sobre a superfície externa de corpos arbitrários, imersos num fluxo estável, levemente viscoso. A abordagem utilizada é predominantemente fenomenológica, e a linha de raciocínio seguida é particularmente direta: ênfase é dada ao entendimento da turbulência - seus mecanismos, origem, espectros, estruturas organizadas e sua aplicação a situações práticas. Como primeira aproximação, foi usado o bem conhecido Método de Painéis de Primeira-Ordem para calcular os campos de pressão e velocidade (sem a separação de camada-limite). Em seguida, as pressões reais (após a separação da camada-limite) foram estimadas através do acoplamento entre o Método de Painéis (que fornece valores iniciais) e o Método dos Vórtices (Chorin, Leonard), usando, para o cálculo da escala dissipativa, as hipóteses de Heisenberg da transferência espectral de energia. Os obstáculos têm formas de automóveis. A fim de simplificar o trabalho numérico, somente foi analisada a secção média longitudinal de corpos simétricos, na qual o fluxo local pode ser considerado quase-bi-dimensional. Todavia, não há, nesse procedimento, nenhuma falta de generalidade. Alguns aspectos importantes da aerodinâmica do automóvel, (tais como forças aerodinâmicas, coeficientes de pressão e de arrasto, etc.), bem como da teoria da turbulência homogênea e isotrópica, também foram estudados. Nossas previsões teóricas estão em bom acordo com os resultados experimentais. Isto mostra a plausibilidade e efetividade de nosso método computacional / From well-estabelished in Aerodynamic Panel Method and Vortex Method, we have developed a method to calculate the real pressure distribution along the external surface of arbitrary bodies immersed in a steady, slightly viscous flow. Our approach is predominantly phenomenological, and our objectives are clearly defined: the understanding of turbulence its mechanism, origin, spectra and organized structures, and its direct application to practical situations. As a first approximation, the well-known first-order Panel Method was used to calculate pressure and velocity fields (without boundary-layer separation). In the following, real pressures (after boundary-layer separation) were estimated coupling the Panel Method (which yields initial values) and Vortex Method (Chorin, Leonard), by using the Heisenbergs spectral energy-transfer hypotheses to calculate the dissipative scale. Obstacles are automobile-shaped. In order tro simplify the numerical calculation only longitudinal midsections of symmetric bodies, in which the local flow can be considered as quasi-two-dimensional, were analyzed. However, there is no lack of generality in such procedure.

In this thesis, we use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) methods to investigate the structural and dynamic properties of highly confined atomic and polymeric fluids undergoing planar Poiseuille flow. We derive 'method of planes' expressions for pressure tensor and heat flux vector for confined inhomogeneous atomic fluids under the influence of three-body forces. Our derivation is validated against NEMD simulations of a confined atomic fluid acted upon by a two-body Barker-Fisher-Watts force coupled with the Axilrod-Teller three-body force. Our method of planes calculations are in excellent agreement with the equivalent mesoscopic route of integrating the momentum and energy continuity equations directly from the simulation data. Our calculations reveal that three-body forces have an important consequence for the isotropic pressure, but have negligible in�uence on the shear stress and heat flux vector for a confined simple fluid. We use the non-local linear hydrodynamic constitutive model, proposed by Evans and Morriss [1] for computing a viscosity kernel, a function of compact support, for inhomogeneous nonequilibrium fluids. Our results show that the viscosity kernel, �(y), has a peak at y = 0, and gets smaller and decays to zero as y increases. Physically, it means that the strain rate at the location where we want to know the stress contributes most to the stress, and the contribution of the strain rate becomes less significant as the relative distance y increases. We demonstrate that there is a limitation in the model when it is applied to our confined fluids due to the effect of domain restriction on inverse convolution. We study the nanorheology of simple polymeric fluids. Our NEMD simulation results show that sufficiently far from the walls, the radius of gyration for molecules under shear in the middle of the channel follows the power law, Rg / N�, where N is the number of bonds and the exponent has a value � = 0:60�0:04, which is larger than the melt value of 0:5 for a homogeneous equilibrium �uid. Under the conditions simulated, we find that viscous forces dominate the flow, resulting in the onset of plug-like flow velocity pro�les with some wall slippage. An examination of the streaming angular velocity displays a strong correlation with the radius of gyration, being maximum in those regions where Rg is minimum and vice-versa. The angular velocity is shown to be proportional to half the strain rate su�ciently far from the walls, consistent with the behaviour for homogeneous fluids in the linear regime. Finally, we make some concluding remarks and suggestions for future work in the final chapter.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: Dept. of Biomedical Engineering. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 122-138.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December 2008." Includes bibliographical references. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2009]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. Online version available on the World Wide Web.

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Great interest has been directed toward the study of polymer thin films recently due to their emerging applications, and appreciable deviated properties and phenomena as compared with bulk polymers. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has received attention as an environmentally benign alternative to hazardous industrial solvents. Unlike conventional liquid solvents, the density and hence the solvent strength of supercritical CO₂ can be tuned by small variations in pressure, temperature or both. The objective of this work is to study the interaction between high pressure CO₂ and polymer systems. We introduced the methodology used in this dissertation. The combination of gradient theory of inhomogeneous systems and Sanchez-Lacombe Equation of State is used to calculate the interfacial properties, such as interfacial density profile, interfacial tension and interfacial thickness. We first investigated the adsorption of supercritical fluid on polymer surfaces. We showed analytically that surface adsorption of high pressure fluid on an attractive surface is proportional to the compressibility of the fluid. We have also investigated numerically the sorption of supercritical CO₂ on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and polyisobutylene (PIB), and supercritical 1,1-difluorethane on PS. By calculating the Gibbs adsorption and adsorption layer thickness of the supercritical fluids, we found in all cases that maximum adsorption occurred when the supercritical fluid was near its compressibility maximum. We then examined the compatibilization effect of supercritical fluid on two incompatible polymers. We calculated the interfacial density profile, interfacial thickness and interfacial tension between the two polymers with and without the supercritical fluid. We found that the interfacial tension was decreased and the interfacial thickness was increased with high pressure super-critical fluid for the ternary systems we have investigated. No enhancement or deleterious effects on compatibilization were observed as the critical point was approached and the compressibility became large. We also examined the morphological structures of asymmetric poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(1,1'-dihydroperflurooctyl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PFOMA) thin films upon annealing in supercritical CO₂. The strong affinity between PFOMA and CO₂ was found to induce phase segregation when annealing PEO-b-PFOMA films as compared with vacuum at the same temperature.

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