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This thesis investigates variations in solar irradiance incident upon sloping surfaces under deciduous forest in winter. A model is presented for prediction of solar irradiance at the surface which accounts for slope inclination and orientation, surrounding topography, isotropic absorption of solar radiation by the crown space, and shadows cast by the stem space. / Field data from two sites of different slope and aspect attest to the validity of the model; errors, based on 20-minute averages of instantaneous values, are 15.5% (RMSE) and $-$1.9% (MBE). Error is partially due to reliance upon global radiation measurements above canopy at a different site (partially cloudy conditions) and sampling error (sunny sky conditions). The variability of solar irradiance at the surface, and in the error of predicted values, is found to vary with sky condition, solar zenith and incidence angles, and slope orientation. However, integration to hourly and/or daily time periods improves model performance significantly.

This research examines the problem of urban open space design in the city with an increasing ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and covers aspects of behaviour scenarios, built sunshade design and choice of sunshade plants for landscaping / Thesis (PhDArchitectureandDesign)--University of South Australia, 2001

The present study employs a range of soft-ionisation mass spectrometry techniques to study the degradation of model compounds of poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(n-butyl acrylate) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) under conditions designed to simulate the worst-case scenario that would be experienced by a polymer used in a surface coating on a steel roof. Vinyl-terminated and saturated polymers were degraded for periods of up to 2 years under simulated solar radiation at a temperature of 95??C, temperature of 95 ??C in the dark, and simulated solar radiation at 35??C. Similar degradation mechanisms were observed under heat and UV radiation. The presence of UV radiation accelerated the degradation occurring at high temperature, and vice versa. The combination of heat and UV radiation is far more detrimental to the polymers than either of these conditions alone. Both vinyl-terminated and saturated pMMA degraded under UV radiation at 95??C, whereas under conditions of UV radiation alone or high temperature alone, the saturated polymer was found to be stable. The vinyl-terminated pMMA degrades in all cases via the formation of ethylene oXide-type end groups, which subsequently rearrange under the expulsion of formaldehyde and 2-oxo-propionic acid methyl ester. This is in contrast to all previous literature, in which pMMA degrades via depolymerisation and is stable at 95??C. Degradation of pBA included a degradation mechanism similar to that of pMMA in addition to other polymer fragments, some of which cannot be assigned. pBA (both saturated and vinyl-terminated) showed a tendency to crosslink under all degradation conditions in this study. Only saturated pHEMA was stable under thermal degradation. In all other cases, pHEMA showed some degradation, but displayed a much greater tendency to crosslink rapidly. Terminal vinyl bonds were shown in all cases to be a weak point in the polymer with respect to degradation. pMMA was found to be the least reactive of these polymers. pHEMA showed some small degradation but had a greater tendency to crosslink via the hydroxyethyl side groups. pBA does not have any such reactive groups, and its crosslinking reaction may be explained via the acrylate backbone, or the longer alkyl ester group.

ix, 146 leaves : ill. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.1972)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics, 1972