This dissertation talks about the dynamics of the drop impact in two parts, the impact of the drop on the deep liquid pool with singular jet and sound emission, and the bouncing drop with filaments on the superhydrophoic solid surface. First, we use experiments and simulations to study drop impacts on a deep liquid pool, with a focus on fine vertical jetting and underwater sound emission from entrapped bubbles, during the rebounding of the hemispherical crater. The much larger parametric complexity introduced by the use of two immiscible liquids, compared to that for the same liquid, leads to an extended variety of compound-dimple shapes. The fastest jet occurs from the rebounding of a telescope dimple shape without bubble pinch-off, at around 45 m/s, which leaves a toroidal micro-bubbles from the air-cusp at the base of the dimple. The finest jets have diameter of only 12 µm. A new focusing mechanism for singular jetting from collapsing drop-impact craters is then proposed based on high-resolution numerical simulations. The fastest jet is confined in a converging conical channel with the entrained air sheet providing a free-slip outer boundary condition. Sound can be emitted from the oscillation of the entrapped dimple-bubble, while the tiny bubble from the initial impact is induced to oscillate with the entrapped bubble, triggering the double crest of the acoustic signal. We track the compression of the bubble volume from the high-speed imaging and relate it to the hydrophone signal. In the second part, we investigate the impact of a polymeric drop on a superhydrophobic solid substrate with micropillar structure. The drop spreads on the substrate, wets the tops of the pillars, and rebounds out of the superhydrophobic soild surface. Numerous liquid filaments are stretched from the liquid drop to the attached adjacent pillars, and minuscule threads would be left on the top of the pillars using the inclined superhydrophobic solid surface. The well-organized exposed polymer threads are left on the top of the pillars after solvent evaporation. The thickness of the deposition of filament bundles using the bouncing method are thinner than those formed by drop evaporation or drop rolling from SEM (scanning electron microscope) observation.

Twisted particles carry Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), an important property utilized to encode quantum information. The OAM of twisted photons can be trans- ferred onto condensed matter systems in the form of twisted excitons. Numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schr ̈odinger equation for a 3-arm molecular chain are used to demonstrate the manipulation of twisted excitons via an external magnetic field. We present the first design for an OAM transistor in a quasi-1D system that can be used to control the flow of OAM using the magnetic field. The underlying mechanism is the interaction between OAM and the magnetic field which leads to a orbit-resolved Bloch oscillation (ORBO). We present the semi-classical equations of motion for this phenomenon in a one-dimensional system. Unlike classical Bloch oscil- lation, an important effect in ultrafast electron dynamics, the magnet driven ORBO is not limited by electrical breakdown and can easily be observed in natural solids.

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The Precision Reactor Oscillation and SPECTrum Experiment (PROSPECT) is designed to probe short baseline oscillations of electron antineutrinos in search of eV-scale sterile neutrinos and precisely measure the U-235 reactor antineutrino spectrum from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The PROSPECT antineutrino detector (AD) provides excellent background rejection and position resolution due to its segmented design and use of Li-6-loaded liquid scintillator. In order to understand relative volume variation effects, which could affect an oscillation measurement, Ac-227 was added as a calibration source that was dissolved isotropically throughout the liquid scintillator. Using the correlated production of alphas from Rn-219 -> Po-215 -> Pb-211 in the Ac-227 decay chain I measured the rate of Ac-227 in each segment of the detector as well as the decay rate of Ac-227 events over the lifetime of the detector. The measured Ac-227 half-life suggests a rate of events falling 1.56 +/- 0.21% faster than expectation. The results of these studies were then applied as corrections to the measurement of antineutrino event rates as a function of distance from the reactor. This thesis will present the testing of Ac-227 as a calibration source before its addition to the AD, analysis methods, results of Ac-227 in the AD, and its application to the oscillation analysis. / Physics

There is a need for a nonlinear flutter analysis method capable of predicting limit cycle oscillation in aeroelastic systems. A review is conducted of analysis methods and experiments that have attempted to better understand and model limit cycle oscillation (LCO). The recently developed method of nonlinear normal modes (NNM) is investigated for LCO calculation. Nonlinear normal modes were used to analyze a spring-mass-damper system with nonlinear damping and stiffness to demonstrate the ability and limitations of the method to identify limit cycle oscillation. The nonlinear normal modes method was then applied to an aeroelastic model of a pitch-plunge airfoil with nonlinear pitch stiffness and quasi-steady aerodynamics. The asymptotic coefficient solution method successfully captured LCO at a low relative velocity. LCO was also successfully modeled for the same airfoil with an unsteady aerodynamics model with the use of a first order formulation of NNM. A linear beam model of the Goland wing with a nonlinear aerodynamic model was also studied. LCO was successfully modeled using various numbers of assumed modes for the beam. The concept of modal truncation was shown to extend to NNM. The modal coefficients were shown to identify the importance of each mode to the solution and give insight into the physical nature of the motion. The quasi-steady airfoil model was used to conduct a study on the effect of the nonlinear normal mode's master coordinate. The pitch degree of freedom, plunge degree of freedom, both linear structural mode shapes with apparent mass, and the linear flutter mode were all used as master coordinates. The master coordinates were found to have a significant influence on the accuracy of the solution and the linear flutter mode was identified as the preferred option. Galerkin and collocation coefficient solution methods were used to improve the results of the asymptotic solution method. The Galerkin method reduced the error of the solution if the correct region of integration was selected, but had very high computational cost. The collocation method improved the accuracy of the solution significantly. The computational time was low and a simple convergent iteration method was found. Thus, the collocation method was found to be the preferred method of solving for the modal coefficients. / Ph. D.

Small size, light weight, high efficacy, longer lifetime and controllable output are the main advantages of high-frequency electronic ballasts for gas discharge lamps. However, power line quality and electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues arise when a simple peak rectifying circuit is used. To suppress harmonic currents and improve power factor, input-current-shaping (ICS) or power-factor-correction (PFC) techniques are necessary. This dissertation addresses advanced high-frequency electronic ballasting techniques by using a single-stage PFC approach. The proposed techniques include single-stage boost-derived PFC electronic ballasts with voltage-divider-rectifier front ends, single-stage PFC electronic ballasts with wide range dimming controls, single-stage charge-pump PFC electronic ballasts with lamp voltage feedback, and self-oscillating single-stage PFC electronic ballasts. Single-stage boost-derived PFC electronic ballasts with voltage-divider-rectifier front ends are developed to solve the problem imposed by the high boost conversion ratio required by commonly used boost-derived PFC electronic ballast. Two circuit implementations are proposed, analyzed and verified by experimental results. Due to the interaction between the PFC stage and the inverter stage, extremely high bus-voltage stress may exist during dimming operation. To reduce the bus voltage and achieve a wide-range dimming control, a novel PFC electronic ballast with asymmetrical duty-ratio control is proposed. Experimental results show that wide stable dimming operation is achieved with constant switching frequency. Charge-pump (CP) PFC techniques utilize a high-frequency current source (CS) or voltage source (VS) or both to charge and discharge the so-called charge-pump capacitor in order to achieve PFC. The bulky DCM boost inductor is eliminated so that this family of PFC circuits has the potential for low cost and small size. A family of CPPFC electronic ballasts is investigated. A novel VSCS-CPPFC electronic ballast with lamp-voltage feedback is proposed to reduce the bus-voltage stress. This family of CPPFC electronic ballasts are implemented and evaluated, and verified by experimental results. To further reduce the cost and size, a self-oscillating technique is applied to the CPPFC electronic ballast. Novel winding voltage modulation and current injection concepts are proposed to modulate the switching frequency. Experimental results show that the self-oscillating CS-CPPFC electronic ballast with current injection offers a more cost-effective solution for non-dimming electronic ballast applications. / Ph. D.