Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [109]-114).

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Sharon E. Nicholson, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Meteorology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains xvi, 152 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-201). Also available via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Atmospheric turbulence causes severe degradation of the resolving and signal-to-noise properties of present optical telescopes. Diffraction-limited resolution can be recovered through the use of a deformable ('adaptive') optical element to correct the atmospheric wavefront error. An adaptive optics system operating in the near infrared (1.7 - 3.5 μm) has been developed for use at the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), an array of six co-mounted 1.8 m telescopes, in which six flat mirrors are used to correct the wavefront tilt across each aperture, and the phase differences between apertures. This can reduce the error sufficiently to achieve a diffraction-limited image with a central peak of 0.06 arcseconds full width at half maximum at 2.2 μm wavelength. A number of algorithms are used to drive the adaptive mirror in a closed servo loop, including a trained artificial neural network which deduces the wavefront aberration from a pair of simultaneous in- and out-of-focus images of a star, taken at the combined focal plane of the telescope. Computer simulations have shown that the net is capable of deriving the wavefront for the full six-mirror aperture, and in practice, the net has been demonstrated in the lab to maintain two- and three-aperture diffraction-limited beam profiles in the presence of distorting effects. On the sky, with a real star, the net has successfully restored the diffraction limit for two adjacent MMT segments. High resolution images have been obtained of various objects with a wide-field camera looking in the field around the wavefront reference star. Work has also been carried out to characterise the wavefront aberration at the MMT, which confirms the Kolmogorov model of turbulence. Finally, a new algorithm is discussed which shows great promise for correction of phase errors in array telescopes.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Mawson Institute for Antarctic Research, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-123).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Peter J. Webster; Committee Member: Robert X. Black; Committee Member: John A. Knox; Committee Member: Judith A. Curry; Committee Member: Yi Deng.

This thesis is concerned with the dynamics of the middle atmosphere over the southern-most continent on our planet, Antarctica. Building on previous observational and theoretical efforts to understand the dynamics of this region of the atmosphere, the work encompasses instrument improvements as well as data analysis studies of gravity waves in the lower and middle stratosphere, tides in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, and short-period planetary waves in the stratosphere and mesosphere. An upgrade of the Medium-Frequency Spaced Antenna (MFSA) radar at Scott Base, Antarctica, was carried out in 2004/5 in order to ensure continued operation and enhance its capabilities to measure gravity waves. As a result, the quality of the wind measurements was greatly enhanced and the amount of data collected is now greater by a factor of approximately 15 compared with before the upgrade. Analysis of over two decades of wind velocity data from Scott Base yields a reliable climatology of the dynamics of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere in this area, namely the tidal oscillations and the background winds. In addition, interannual variability is assessed and periodicities of approximately 11 years and strong positive trends in tidal amplitudes are reported. Mechanisms that could explain the observed behaviour are proposed. The data are then combined with wind measurements from Halley, the longitudinal conjugate site, in order to study the zonal character of the semi-diurnal tide. Zonal wavenumber 1 and 2 waves are both found and mechanisms that could explain the generation of a wavenumber 1 component are suggested. Two further sets of MFSA radar wind measurements are used to investigate the behaviour of planetary waves with periods of between two and four days in the Antarctic middle atmosphere. Satellite temperature measurements further help to create a more complete picture of these waves. Baroclinic and barotropic instabilities, which result from shears of the zonal wind, appear to be responsible for much of the observed wave activity. In addition, a quasi-to day wave event in mid-May 2005 with unusually large amplitudes is examined and suggested to be linked to a solar proton event. Gravity wave activity over Antarctica is studied using temperature profiles obtained through the satellite radio occultation technique. Although the measurements are restricted to below 35 km altitude, high-resolution temperature profiles allow conclusions to be drawn about the seasonal, geographical, and height distribution of gravity wave activity. Mountain waves are found to be important over the Antarctic Peninsula and the Transantarctic mountains where they contribute more than 20% of the observed wave activity in the lower stratosphere. In addition, the analysis indicates the importance of critical-level filtering and Doppler-shifting.