Thesis (Ph.D. (Space Physics)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The identity of dark matter is one of the key outstanding problems in both particle and astrophysics. In this thesis, I describe a number of complementary searches for particle dark matter. I discuss how the impact of dark matter on stars can constrain its interaction with nuclei, focussing on main sequence stars close to the Galactic Centre, and on the first stars as seen through the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. The mass and annihilation cross-section of dark matter particles can be probed with searches for gamma rays produced in astronomical targets. Dwarf galaxies and ultracompact, primordially-produced dark matter minihalos turn out to be especially promising in this respect. I illustrate how the results of these searches can be combined with constraints from accelerators and cosmology to produce a single global fit to all available data. Global fits in supersymmetry turn out to be quite technically demanding, even with the simplest predictive models and the addition of complementary data from a bevy of astronomical and terrestrial experiments; I show how genetic algorithms can help in overcoming these challenges. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 5: Accepted. Paper 6: Submitted.

From the Proceedings of the 1971 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 22-23, 1971, Tempe, Arizona / Knowledge of the dynamic water content-pressure potential relationship within the soil profile is useful in determining the importance of hysteresis under natural conditions. Continuous monitoring of water content in the field is now possible using recently developed gamma-ray transmission equipment which allows water content measurements in 1 cm-thick soil layers with an error of 0.0009 gm/gm. The nuclear equipment and the tensiometer assembly for pressure measurements are described. Soil water content and pressure in the top 10 cm of a field soil profile were measured continuously for a 2-week period following an irrigation. The highest water content was measured each day just before sunrise. This declined rapidly from early morning to early afternoon, and was followed by a gain during the mid-afternoon and evening. The amplitude of this diurnal change diminished with time after irrigation. The pressure potential at a depth of 1.5 cm decreased most rapidly as the water content declined, but not exactly in phase. This may have been due to temperature effects on the pressure metering system. A moisture characteristic curve was constructed from the data.

Diffusive shock acceleration operating at expanding supernova remnant shells is by far the most popular model for the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Despite the general consensus received by the model, an unambiguous and conclusive proof of the supernova remnant hypothesis is still missing. In this context, the recent developments in gamma ray astronomy provide us with precious insights into the problem of the origin of galactic cosmic rays, since production of gamma rays is expected both during the acceleration of cosmic rays at supernova remnant shocks and during their subsequent propagation in the interstellar medium. In particular, the recent detection of a number of supernova remnants at TeV energies nicely fits with the model, but it still does not constitute a conclusive proof of it, mainly due to the difficulty of disentangling the hadronic and leptonic contributions to the observed gamma ray emission. The main goal of my research is to search for an unambiguous and conclusive observational test for proving (or disproving) the idea that supernova remnants are the sources of galactic cosmic rays with energies up to (at least) the cosmic ray knee. Our present comprehension of the mechanisms of particle acceleration at shocks and of the propagation of cosmic rays in turbulent magnetic fields encourages beliefs that such a conclusive test might come from future observations of supernova remnants and of the Galaxy in the almost unexplored domain of multi-TeV gamma rays.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Space Physics)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Space Physics)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Weak-scale supersymmetry is one of the most favoured theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics that elegantly solves various theoretical and observational problems in both particle physics and cosmology. In this thesis, I describe the theoretical foundations of supersymmetry, issues that it can address and concrete supersymmetric models that are widely used in phenomenological studies. I discuss how the predictions of supersymmetric models may be compared with observational data from both colliders and cosmology. I show why constraints on supersymmetric parameters by direct and indirect searches of particle dark matter are of particular interest in this respect. Gamma-ray observations of astrophysical sources, in particular dwarf spheroidal galaxies, by the Fermi satellite, and recording nuclear recoil events and energies by future ton-scale direct detection experiments are shown to provide powerful tools in searches for supersymmetric dark matter and estimating supersymmetric parameters. I discuss some major statistical issues in supersymmetric global fits to experimental data. In particular, I further demonstrate that existing advanced scanning techniques may fail in correctly mapping the statistical properties of the parameter spaces even for the simplest supersymmetric models. Complementary scanning methods based on Genetic Algorithms are proposed. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Submitted.

Compósitos de fibras naturais com matriz polimérica tem sido foco de estudos por possuírem boas propriedades mecânicas e baixo peso, o que permite sua utilização em diversos meios, incluindo ambientes hospitalares, salas de radioterapia e radiodiagnóstico. Sua grande dificuldade é a falta de afinidade dos materiais componentes, causando distanciamento da interface e baixa transferência de carga entre a matriz e o reforço. Uma alternativa podem ser os compósitos à base de fibras naturais e poliuretana derivada do óleo de mamona. A incidência de radiação pode levar à degradação do material polimérico e à alteração de suas propriedades mecânicas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a obtenção e caracterização de compósitos de fibras dispersas e tecido de sisal com matriz poliuretana a base de óleo de mamona, sem adição de agentes de compatibilização, que possam ser utilizados em ambientes que recebam radiação em alta intensidade. Os compósitos foram obtidos por prensagem a frio, irradiados com radiação gama, dose de 25 kGy, e avaliados antes e após irradiação através de ensaios térmicos, de infravermelho, de superfície e mecânicos. Foi observado que pode haver afinidade química entre o material de reforço e a matriz, sendo que não foi evidenciado distanciamento da interface fibra/polímero. Os materiais obtidos podem ser considerados hidrofílicos pela análise de ângulo de contato. Foram obtidos valores máximos de tensão de flexão de 80,33 MPa e módulo elástico em flexão de 4,40 GPa para o compósito de tecido de sisal / poliuretana sem irradiação e resistência ao impacto de 13,14 kJ/m2 para o compósito de fibras dispersas de sisal após irradiação. Pode-se concluir que os materiais são adequados para utilização em salas de radioterapia e radiodiagnóstico. / Natural fiber composites with polymeric matrix has been the focus of studies by having good mechanical properties and low weight, which allows its use in various environments, including hospital, radiotherapy and radiology rooms. Its major difficulty is the lack of affinity of the component materials, causing detachment of the interface and lower load transfer between matrix and reinforcement. An alternative may be composites based on natural fibers and polyurethane derived from castor oil. The incidence of radiation can lead to degradation of polymeric material and change its mechanical properties. The objective of this study was to obtain and characterize composites of dispersed sisal fibers and sisal fabric with polyurethane matrix based on castor oil without addition of compatibilizing agents, which may be used in environments that receive radiation at high intensity. The composites were obtained by cold pressing, irradiated with gamma radiation, dose of 25 kGy, and evaluated before and after irradiation with thermal, infrared, surface and mechanical testing. It was observed that there may be chemical affinity between the reinforcing material and the matrix, since was not observed detachment from the fiber / polymer interface. The materials can be considered hydrophilic by contact angle analysis. Maximum values of bending stress of 80.33 MPa and elastic modulus in bending of 4.40 GPa for the sisal fabric / polyurethane composite without irradiation were obtained, such as impact resistance of 13.14 kJ / m2 for the dispersed sisal fibers composite after irradiation. It can be concluded that the materials are suitable for use in radiotherapy and radiology rooms.

Depuis plus d’un siècle, les rayons cosmiques d’ultra-haute énergie (RCUHE), ayant une énergie supérieure à 1018 eV, continuent d’entretenir le mystère : Quelle est leur composition ? D’où viennent-ils ? Comment atteignent-ils de telles énergies ? Ces particules chargées, suffisamment énergétiques pour atteindre la Terre, forment des gerbes de particules secondaires via leurs interactions avec l’atmosphère dont le développement est caractéristique de la nature de la particule primaire. L’observatoire Pierre Auger, avec sa structure hybride et son gigantesque réseau de détecteurs peuvent apporter des réponses. L’étude de la composition des RCUHEs a été étudiée avec le réseau de surface de l’observatoire Pierre Auger. Cette dernière est cruciale à la fois pour comprendre les interactions hadroniques, qui constituent le développement des gerbes, et pour identifier leurs sources. Cela peut également aider à comprendre l’origine de la coupure spectrale aux plus hautes énergies : s’agit-il de la coupure GZK ou à l’extinction des sources. Toutes ces raisons motivent la première partie de la thèse, à savoir la mise en place d’une méthode permettant d’extraire la composante muonique des gerbes atmosphériques et d’en déduire la composition. Les résultats de cette méthode montrent une dépendance de la composition avec la distance à l’axe de la gerbe, qui pourrait aider à améliorer les modèles hadroniques. Dans les conditions actuelles du réseau de surface, l’identification de la composante muonique présente des limites.La seconde partie est consacrée au nouvel observatoire en Chine, LHAASO. Ce projet s’intéresse à l’étude des gammas supérieurs à 30 TeV, qui signeraient l’accélération de proton dans la galaxie, donnant ainsi des informations indirectes sur les rayons cosmiques. D’autre part, l’observatoire vise à étudier les rayons cosmiques entre 10 TeV et 1 EeV, région où le spectre en énergie présente une rupture. Cette région nécessite de pouvoir discriminer les gammas des rayons cosmiques. A ce titre, l’un des détecteurs de LHAASO, le KM2A, a été simulé et son pouvoir de discrimination gamma/hadron évalué. / During the past century, ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR), those with an energy larger than 1018 eV, remain as a mystery: What are cosmic rays? Where do they come from? How do they attain their huge energy? When these charged particles strike the earth's atmosphere, they dissipate their energy by generating a shower of secondary particles whose development is significantly different depending on the nature of the primaries. The Pierre Auger observatory, with its hybrid structure and huge size network of ground detectors, can shed some light into these questions.The study of the composition of UHECR was performed with the Pierre Auger apparatus. This is crucial both to understand the hadronic interactions, which govern the evolution of showers, and to identify their sources. It can help to understand the origin of the energy spectrum cut-off: is it the GZK cut-off or the exhaustion of sources? These reasons motivate the first part of this thesis: the development of a method to extract the muonic component of air showers and deduce the implications on the composition of UHECR at the Pierre Auger observatory. The results of this method show a dependence of the composition with the distance to the axis of the shower, which could help to improve the hadronic models. The determination of the muon component is limited by the surface detector setup.The second part is devoted to the new observatory in China, LHAASO. This project focuses on the study of gamma rays with an energy higher than 30 TeV, which probe the acceleration of protons in the galaxy, providing indirect information on cosmic rays. Moreover, the observatory studies cosmic rays between 10 TeV and 1 EeV, one of the regions where the energy spectrum presents a break. This region requires the ability to discriminate gamma rays and cosmic rays. For this reason, one of the detectors of LHAASO, the KM2A, was simulated and its power of discrimination gamma/hadron evaluated.

The master’s thesis provides an overview of available neutron sources in terms of neutron yields and energy spectrum of emitted neutrons. Reactions of neutrons with matter, especially neutron scattering and radiation capture, are described. The possibilities neutron neutron detection and spectrometry are also described. The following experiment deals with a design of suitable shielding materials and the analysis of the moderated energy spectrum of neutron flux. The properties of the neutron field were measured using detection by activation. Subsequently, a simulation of the problem was performer in the MCNP program. In the end, the achieved results are compared and evaluated.