This paper addresses inconsistencies in the research guides created by University Librarians at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Based on an analysis of descriptive data collected from a sample of guides, as well as search log data collected in the Fall 2004 academic term, it identifies elements that lack consistency, and gives an overview of guide content and format.

The transition to digital TV is changing the television set into an entertainment as well as information supplier device that provides two-way communication with the viewer. However, the present remote control device is not appropriate for navigation through the huge amount of services and information provided by the future digital TV, presumably also a device for accessing the Internet. One possibility for coping with the complex information navigation required by TV viewers is an augmentation of the interaction tools currently available for TV. Two approaches to such an augmentation are investigated in this thesis: linking paper-based TV guides to the digital TV and enhancing the remote control unit with speech interaction. Augmentation of paper-based TV guides is a futuristic research approach based on the integration of paper-based TV guides into computation technology. This solution provides interactive paper-based TV guides that also function as a remote control for the TV. A prototype system is developed and explorative studies are conducted to investigate this approach. These studies indicate the benefits of integrating paper-based TV guides into the TV set. They also illuminate the potential to provide innovative solutions for home information systems. Integrating familiar physical artefacts, such as paper and pen into TV technology may provide easy access to information services usually provided by PCs and the Internet. Thus, the same augmentation needed for TV as an entertainment device also opens up new communication channels for providing society information to citizens who do not feel comfortable with conventional computers. The thesis also reports on studies of speech interfaces for TV information navigation. Traditional speech interfaces have several common problems, such as user acceptance and misinterpretation of user input. These problems are investigated in empirical and explorative studies with implementation of mockups and running research systems. We have found that the pragmatic solution of augmenting remote control devices by speech is a suitable solution that eases information navigation and search. / On the day of the public defence the status of articles III and V was: Submitted.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how museums, seen as heterotopic places where time and space act simultaneously, can, with the help of museum educators and guides, integrate the foreign citizens in Sweden. The analysis is done with the help of three institutions: The Vasa Museum, the Royal Armory and The Great Synagogue in Stockholm. The author of the thesis argues that recruiting trained personnel with foreign roots by museums would help significantly in the creation of a sense of collective identity and belonging among those citizens who are just adapting to the country. Through the use of Swedish, in conjunction with their mother tongue, as well as analogies, an important contribution can be attained in their integration. In this work, concepts such as the accent, are treated in a categorical manner, as the author, with the assistance of other researchers, concluded that the accent should not influence the perception of the intellectual and work capability of a professional museum educator/guide. History represents another key element in this thesis, as it discusses the way to find a new narrative form to channel history and refer to it, thus sharing historical roots with these new immigrants in Sweden.

Dielectric waveguides are becoming important for their numerous applications in integrated optics. The study of dielectric waveguides by analytical techniques is not sufficient for many variations in waveguide shape, anisotropy, and inhomogeneity commonly encountered in waveguide materials. This work studies the finite element method as an accurate tool for the numerical modeling of dielectric waveguides. Other commonly used numerical techniques are also considered. The implementation of the finite element method is discussed. The finite element technique is also modified to incorporate the lack of fixed-potential boundary conditions in dielectric waveguides. The results of the simulations are documented for several experimental and analytical test cases. Measurements were made on waveguides fabricated in-house using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) films of silicon oxynitride. The light source was a 6328 A helium-neon laser. The results of the finite element simulations are compared with the experimental results and with other previously documented numerical and analytical results from the literature. The finite element method developed here is shown to be in good agreement with these results and will be useful in solving for the modes of novel waveguide designs. / Graduation date: 1993

Le développement de nouvelles technologies pour l'affichage et la vidéoprojection est au cœur des recherches actuelles. Les sources lasers RGB (Red-Green-Blue) apparaissent comme la solution la plus prometteuse. La miniaturisation de telles sources est un défi mais laisse entrevoir de nombreuses applications. Ce travail de thèse s'inscrit à l'interface de ces deux problématiques : la réalisation d'une source laser RGB efficace à partir d'un unique matériau dans l'optique de réduire les coûts de fabrication, et la miniaturisation de cette source par le développement de guides d'ondes microstructurés, assurant ainsi son intégrabilité. Dans cette optique, les verres de fluorozirconates appartenant au système ZBLA (Zr - Ba - La - Al) dopés Praséodyme sont étudiés. Le Praséodyme, présente trois émissions caractéristiques dans le bleu (478 nm), le vert (532 nm), et le rouge (635 nm) et peut être pompé dans le bleu à l'aide d'une diode laser bleue GaN (443 nm). Des guides d'ondes canalisés peuvent être réalisés à la surface des verres de fluorozirconates en utilisant le procédé simple et flexible de l'échange ionique F->Cl-. L'étude est donc divisée en plusieurs phases : élaboration et caractérisation du matériau et réalisation de guides d'ondes canalisés par échange ionique, étude spectroscopique de la terre rare, mesures d'amplification optique et caractérisation du potentiel laser du couple matrice/terre rare.

Concentrating Photovoltaic systems are good candidates for low cost and clean electricity generation from solar energy. CPV means replacing much of the expensive semiconductor photovoltaic cells with the cheaper optics. Although the idea is simple, CPV systems have several problems inherent to their system design, such as module thickness, expensive PV cells and overheating. Light guide systems are good alternatives to classical CPV systems that can clear off most of the problems of those systems. In this thesis we explore a new light-guide based solar concentrator by optical design and simulations. It is shown that this solar concentrator can reach 1000x geometric concentration, 96.5% optical efficiency with a &plusmn / 1 degree acceptance angle. As a result of simulations, effectiveness of the horizontally staggered light guide solar concentrators is proved. A practical module study is carried on to improve the knowledge related to light guide CPV systems. The concentrator geometry is fabricated as a medium concentrator system with a geometric concentration of 45x and +-2 degrees acceptance angle. With the prototype level injection molding 74% optical efficiency is achieved and can be improved with a better mold manufacturing. A cost analyses is also performed with real manufacturing parameters and it is shown that grid parity can be achieved with this kind of light guide solar concentrators.

The goal of this thesis is to improve pilot understanding of the Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) by changing the Traffic Situation Display (TSD). This is supported by two objectives. The first objective is to create an integrated, realistic air traffic environment. This serves as an experimental platform for testing and evaluating future TCAS TSDs. The simulator environment includes a desktop flight simulator, background air traffic simulator, and intruder aircraft. The intruder aircraft uses seven dimensional waypoints to robustly follow trajectories and cause specific resolution advisories. Second, the relative benefits of, and potential concerns with, new TCAS TSDs are explored using a structured, iterative design process with subject matter ex- perts (SMEs). Incremental changes to the TSD were implemented into the simulator environment. SMEs evaluated the displays and potential points of confusion were identified. Several display features are discussed and implemented for future evaluations. These include boundary lines of TCAS variables depicted on the TSD and on a vertical situation display, speed lines which vary with the TCAS estimate of time to closest point of approach, and a prediction of the safe altitude target during a resolution advisory. Scenarios which may be confusing or misleading are discussed. These scenarios may be ameliorated or exacerbated by display features. This information is useful to guide both design and certification or operational approval and is a starting place for future TCAS experiments.

The current paper presents a study conducted at CERN, Switzerland, to investigate visitors' and tour guides' use and appreciation of existing panels at visit itinerary points. The results were used to develop a set of recommendations for constructing optimal panels to assist the guides' explanation.

Investigation of the Double-Y Balun for Feeding Pulsed Antennas Jaikrishna Venkatesan 232 Pages Directed by Dr. Waymond Scott, Jr. In this research, a double-y balun implemented with coplanar waveguide (CPW) and coplanar strip (CPS) was investigated for use with pulsed antennas. The balun was modeled using two commercial electromagnetic simulators: Momentum and HFSS. Using these numerical solvers, design information such as the design of CPW bridges, aspect ratio of the double-y balun, and stub lengths of the CPW and CPS open and short stubs were studied. A dipole, along with the outer conductor of a coaxial line was modeled in NEC. The model was used to study the currents along the arms and feedline of balanced and unbalanced dipoles. Normalized amplitude patterns were generated along the azimuth and elevation planes for balanced and unbalanced dipoles. These patterns were used later for comparison with measured patterns. Experimental work was conducted to measure the performance of a double-y balun designed to feed a resistively loaded V-dipole. The performance of the balun was investigated via VSWR, insertion loss, and antenna pattern measurements. Antenna pattern measurements along the azimuth plane were conducted for a 5 cm dipole fed without a balun, a 5 cm dipole fed with the double-y balun, a 5 cm dipole fed with the sleeve balun, a 12 cm dipole fed without a balun, and a 12 cm dipole fed with the double-y balun. The dipoles fed without a balun were fed directly with a 50 W coaxial line. An optical link, consisting of a laser modulator (LM) unit and a laser receiver (LR) unit, was constructed to measure the patterns along the elevation plane of the above dipoles. Resulting patterns agreed closely with patterns generated with NEC models. In addition, the patterns of a resistively loaded V-dipole were measured along the E-plane using the optical link. The measured patterns for the V-dipole were compared with numerical results obtained from literature. The experimental work conducted in this research illustrates the improvement obtained in the patterns of a dipole and a resistively loaded V-dipole with the use of the double-y balun.

The work described herein focuses on FT-IR and quantum cascade laser (QCL) based studies towards the development of compact and portable trace gas sensor for benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX). FT-IR broadband radiation was used to probe the mid-infrared fingerprint region for quantitatively detecting trace gas levels of BTX. Using direct absorption through a hollow waveguide, parts-per-million (ppm) detection limits for BTX with a response time of 39 seconds was demonstrated. Univariate calibration provided limits of detection (3σ) for benzene, toluene, and meta-xylene at 5, 17, and 11 ppm, respectively. Multivariate calibration using partial least squares regression algorithms were used to simulate real-world conditions with multiple analytes present within a complex sample. A calibration model was built with 110 training set standards enabled by using a customized gas mixing system. Furthermore, a preconcentration/thermal desorption (TD) step was added to the FT-IR HWG trace gas sensor enabling parts-per-billion detection of BTX. A univariate calibration was established in the laboratory with certified gas standards over a dynamic range of 1000 - 100 ppb for benzene, toluene, and the xylenes. The sensor was then taken to an industrial site during a field measurement campaign for the quantitative determination of BTX in field air samples. The laboratory calibration was used to predict unknown concentrations which were in close agreement with industrial hygiene standard techniques, and industrial prototype analyzers, that were simultaneously operated in the field environment. In addition to FT-IR, quantum cascade laser spectroscopy was also investigated due to enhanced spectral density and efforts to precisely overlap emission with analyte absorption. Particular efforts were dedicated on a novel principle for consistent and deliberate QCL emission wavelength selection by varying the QCL cavity length. These studies experimentally confirmed that using this straight-forward post-processing technique, emission wavelength tuning across a range of one hundred wavenumbers range may be achieved. This tuning range was experimentally demonstrated for a QCL emitting across an entire absorption feature of carbon dioxide by tailoring the length of the cavity. Additionally, using an external cavity (EC) - QCL combined with a HWG gas sensor module for the first time enabled the quantitative and simultaneous determination of ethyl chloride, trichloromethane, and dichloromethane within exponential dilution experiments at ppb limits of detection. Multianalyte detection was demonstrated utilizing partial least squares regression for quantitative discrimination of individual constituents within a mixture, yet applying a single broadly tunable QCL light source.