Dumb holes (also known as acoustic black holes) are fluid flows which include an "acoustic horizon:" a surface, analogous to a gravitational horizon, beyond which sound may pass but never classically return. Soundwaves in these flows will therefore experience "effective geometries" which are identical to black hole spacetimes up to a conformal factor. By adjusting the parameters of the fluid flow, it is possible to create an effective geometry which is conformal to the Anti-de Sitter black hole spacetime- a geometry which has recieved a great deal of attention in recent years due to its conjectured holographic duality to Conformal Field Theories. While we would not expect an acoustic analogue of the AdS-CFT correspondence to exist, this dumb hole provides a means, at least in principle, of experimentally testing the theoretical properties of the AdS spacetime. In particular, I have calculated the quasinormal mode spectrum of this acoustic geometry. / Graduate / 0986 / 0753 / jpbabb@yahoo.ca

This thesis investigates the performance of composite frame structures with smart partially-restrained (PR) concrete filled tube (CFT) column connections through simplified 2D and advanced 3D computational simulations. It also provides a design methodology for new types of innovative connections based on achieving a beam hinging mechanism. These types of connections intend to utilize the recentering properties of super-elastic SMA tension bars, the energy dissipation capacity of low-carbon steel bars, and the robustness of CFT columns. In the first part of this study, three different PR-CFT connection prototypes were designed based on a hierarchy of strength models for each connection component. Numerical simulations with refined three dimensional (3D) solid elements were conducted on full scale PR-CFT connection models in order to verify the strength models and evaluate the system performance under static loading. Based on system information obtained from these analyses, simplified connection models were formulated by replacing the individual connection components with spring elements and condensing their contributions. Connection behavior under cyclic loads was extrapolated and then compared with the monotonic behavior. In the second part of this study, the application of these connections to low-rise composite frames was illustrated by designing both 2D and 3D, 4 and 6 story buildings for the Los Angeles region. A total of 36 frames were studied. Pushover curves plotted as the normalized shear force versus inter story drift ratio (ISDR) showed significant transition points: elastic range or proportional limit, full yielding of the cross-section, strength hardening, ultimate strength, and strength degradation or stability limit. Based on the transition points in the monotonic pushover curves, three performance levels were defined: Design Point, Yield Point, and Ultimate Point. All frames were stable up to the yield point level. For all fames, after reaching the ultimate point, plastic rotation increased significantly and concentrated on the lower levels. These observations were quantified through the use of elastic strength ratios and inelastic curvature ductility ratios. The composite frames showed superior performance over traditional welded ones in terms of ductility and stability, and validated the premises of this research.

Στη γραμμική εκδοχή της γενικής θεωρίας της σχετικότητας, θεωρεί κανείς τις διαταραχές κάποιας μετρικής γύρω από κάποιο χωροχρονικό υπόβαθρο. Κρατώντας όρους διαταραχών μέχρι και πρώτης τάξεως, οδηγείται κανείς στις γραμμικές εξισώσεις Einstein. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο αποδεικνύεται μια σχέση δυισμού ανάμεσα στα διάφορα στοιχεία του τανυστή Weyl, αντίστοιχη με το δυισμό ανάμεσα στην ηλεκτρική και τη μαγνητική ροή της ηλεκτρομαγνητικής θεωρίας του Maxwell. Στην εργασία αυτή κάνουμε μία ανασκόπηση της έρευνας που έχει γίνει μέχρι τώρα αναφορικά με αυτές τις σχέσεις δυισμού. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, εξετάζουμε την ισχύ των σχέσεων στον Anti-de Sitter χωρόχρονο και επισημαίνουμε το τρόπο με τον οποίο κατασκευάζει κανείς δυικές δομές από τις εκφράσεις για τις διαταραχές. Επίσης, χρησιμοποιώντας τη τεχνική της ολογραφικής επανακανονικοποίησης, εξετάζουμε το σύμμορφο σύνορο του χωροχρόνου. Βρίσκουμε εκεί μια σχέση δυισμού ανάμεσα στα στοιχεία του τανυστή ενέργειας-ορμής και του τανυστή Cotton της αντίστοιχης Chern - Simons θεωρίας, η οποία αποδεικνύεται ότι είναι άμεση συνέπεια του δυισμού στο AdS υπόβαθρο. Τέλος, εφαρμόζουμε την ίδια συλλογιστική στο Schwarzschild - Anti-de Sitter υπόβαθρο, όπου η παρουσία της μελανής οπής διαφοροποιεί τις συνοριακές συνθήκες του προβλήματος. Λόγω αυτού του γεγονός δεν μπορεί να πει κανείς με σιγουριά εάν μπορούν να διατυπωθούν σχέσεις δυισμού σε αυτή τη περίπτωση. Παρόλα αυτά βρίσκουμε ότι ισχύουν σχέσεις δυισμού στο σύμμορφο σύνορο παρόμοιες με αυτές του AdS υποβάθρου, πράγμα που σημαίνει ότι στο σύστημα παραμένει κάποια συμμετρία από τη γραμμική θεωρία. Η εργασία καταλήγει σε σχόλια και μία εκτενή συζήτηση για τις πιθανές μελλοντικές κατευθύνσεις. / In the linear version of the general theory of relativity, one considers metric perturbations around a fixed background. Keeping terms up to first order of perturbation leads to the linearized Einstein equations. In this framework it has been proved that a duality between the various elements of the Weyl tensor holds. This duality is similar to the one between the electric and magnetic fluxes of Maxwell's electromagnetism. In the present work we review the status of these dualities for non trivial backgrounds. We examine the Anti-de Sitter background, where we point out the way to explicitly construct dual configurations using the metric perturbation expressions. Using the holographic renormalization technique, we examine the conformal boundary where a duality between the components of the energy-momentum tensor and the Cotton tensor of the corresponding Chern - Simons theory holds. It is then proved that this duality is a direct consequence of the electric/magnetic duality in the bulk, in the case of the AdS background. Finally, we apply same procedure to the Schwarzschild - Anti-de Sitter background, where the presence of the black hole changes the boundary conditions of the problem. This simple fact makes it impossible say whether such a duality exists in this case. Nevertheless, we find that a duality similar to that of the AdS background still holds for the conformal boundary, which means that there is a remnant of symmetry from the linear theory. We conclude with comments and a extensive discussion on possible future directions.

The prevalence of Brucella canis in South Africa is unknown and suspected to be under-detected. The majority of dogs in South Africa are not tested for Brucella canis, not only because of the level of awareness of Brucella canis in South Africa, but also because of the lack of clinical suspicion. It is not known how the infection entered South Africa. Brucella canis, a zoonotic organism that causes canine brucellosis in dogs, is a significant cause of reproductive failure in dogs worldwide. Canine brucellosis is a chronic infectious zoonotic disease whose main etiological agent, the Brucella canis bacterium, are rough, intracellular proteobacteria in the Brucellaceae family. Clinical signs in bitches are mainly infertility and abortion, while in males, epididymitis and orchitis occur. However, discospondylitis may develop in both sexes. A serological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of Brucella canis infection in dogs from the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan (NMBM) Port Elizabeth (PE) area. A total of 400 samples were collected, 350 of which were collected in seven different townships and 50 were collected in the three different welfare organisations in the study area. Of the 400 serum samples collected, 39 (9.75%) tested serologically positive by using the Tube Agglutination Test (TAT), the 2-Mercaptoethanol-TAT (2ME-TAT) or the Compliment Fixation Test (CFT). The results of the CFT showed that nine of the 39 positive samples had a maximum antibody titre of 784 IU/ml. The prevalence rate varied tremendously between the samples from the townships and those from the welfare organisations. The prevalence rate of seropositive animals in PE ranged between 5% and 16% in the study area. No positive cases were found in KwaMagxaki and the Animal Welfare Society of PE, but both were surrounded by areas that had positive cases of Brucella canis infection. The female dogs in the study area had a higher sero-prevalence of only 0.0169 (95% CI, 0.0631 to 0.1489) differences in proportion, and were thus not significant (p > 0.05). However, the female spayed dogs had a much higher significant difference of 0.1898 (95% iv CI, 0.1058 to 0.2738) in proportion to the male neutered dogs and were thus statistically significant (p < 0.05). Despite those results, out of all the dogs positive for Brucella canis only two were neutered males and five were spayed females, and the rest were all intact. In conclusion, according to the results, Brucella canis antibodies were detected in sera of dogs mostly from the townships surveyed. Preventive measures against this contagion should be taken into consideration to eliminate Brucella canis infection from the entire dog population. Reservoir dogs and actively infected dogs either should be kept in quarantine or should be euthanized, because not only can they spread the disease and end the reproductive life of any breeding animal, but they are also a risk to human health. Even though this is the first survey conducted in the Eastern Cape, the results are still high dogs in the study area had a higher sero-prevalence of only 0.0169 (95% CI, 0.0631 to 0.1489) differences in proportion, and were thus not significant (p > 0.05). However, the female spayed dogs had a much higher significant difference of 0.1898 (95% iv CI, 0.1058 to 0.2738) in proportion to the male neutered dogs and were thus statistically significant (p < 0.05). Despite those results, out of all the dogs positive for Brucella canis only two were neutered males and five were spayed females, and the rest were all intact. In conclusion, according to the results, Brucella canis antibodies were detected in sera of dogs mostly from the townships surveyed. Preventive measures against this contagion should be taken into consideration to eliminate Brucella canis infection from the entire dog population. Reservoir dogs and actively infected dogs either should be kept in quarantine or should be euthanized, because not only can they spread the disease and end the reproductive life of any breeding animal, but they are also a risk to human health. Even though this is the first survey conducted in the Eastern Cape, the results are still high / College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

Records of actual owners of limited liability companies and joint stock companies This diploma thesis deals with the records of actual owners of limited liability companies and joint stock companies. The aim of the thesis is to introduce the basics of the institute of records of actual owners and then to discuss its key features and problematic issues associated with it. At the beginning, the thesis outlines the evolution of the institute of records of actual owners, and further evaluates the potential to meet the goals associated with the introduction of the evidence. At the same time, the thesis draws attention to the pitfalls that the records can bring in practice. The thesis also deals with the issues related to the extent of the mandatory information about the actual owner and the issues related to the storage and handling of such information. The thesis leads a discussion to interpret the relevant provisions to keep a balance between the necessary prerequisites for fulfilling the meaning and purpose of the records and the rights of a legal persons. In the following chapters, the thesis focuses on the definition of the actual owner and on the systematization of the ways in which a natural person or group of natural persons can be an actual owner. The thesis interprets the provision defining...

This dissertation consist of three parts. The first part of the thesis is devoted to the study of gravity and higher spin gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions. We construct cosmological so-lutions of higher spin gravity in 2+1 dimensional de Sitter space. We show that a consistent thermodynamics can be obtained for their horizons by demanding appropriate holonomy conditions. This is equivalent to demanding the integrability of the Euclidean boundary CFT partition function, and reduces to Gibbons-Hawking thermodynamics in the spin-2 case. By using a prescription of Maldacena, we relate the thermodynamics of these solutions to those of higher spin black holes in AdS3. For the case of negative cosmological constant we show that interpreting the inverse AdS3 radius 1=l as a Grassmann variable results in a formal map from gravity in AdS3 to gravity in flat space. The underlying reason for this is the fact that ISO(2,1) is the Inonu-Wigner contraction of SO(2,2). We show how this works for the Chern-Simons actions, demonstrate how the general (Banados) solution in AdS3 maps to the general flat space solution, and how the Killing vectors, charges and the Virasoro algebra in the Brown-Henneaux case map to the corresponding quantities in the BMS3 case. Our results straightforwardly generalize to the higher spin case: the flat space higher spin theories emerge automatically in this approach from their AdS counterparts. We also demonstrate the power of our approach by doing singularity resolution in the BMS gauge as an application. Finally, we construct a candidate for the most general chiral higher spin theory with AdS3 boundary conditions. In the Chern-Simons language, the left-moving solution has Drinfeld-Sokolov reduced form, but on the right-moving solution all charges and chemical potentials are turned on. Altogether (for the spin-3 case) these are 19 functions. Despite this, we show that the resulting metric has the form of the “most general” AdS3 boundary conditions discussed by Grumiller and Riegler. The asymptotic symmetry algebra is a product of a W3 algebra on the left and an affine sl(3)k current algebra on the right, as desired. The metric and higher spin fields depend on all the 19 functions. The second part is devoted to the problem of Neumann boundary condition in Einstein’s gravity. The Gibbons-Hawking-York (GHY) boundary term makes the Dirichlet problem for gravity well defined, but no such general term seems to be known for Neumann boundary conditions. In our work, we view Neumann boundary condition not as fixing the normal derivative of the metric (“velocity”) at the boundary, but as fixing the functional derivative of the action with respect to the boundary metric (“momentum”). This leads directly to a new boundary term for gravity: the trace of the extrinsic curvature with a specific dimension-dependent coefficient. In three dimensions this boundary term reduces to a “one-half” GHY term noted in the literature previously, and we observe that our action translates precisely to the Chern-Simons action with no extra boundary terms. In four dimensions the boundary term vanishes, giving a natural Neumann interpretation to the standard Einstein-Hilbert action without boundary terms. We also argue that a natural boundary condition for gravity in asymptotically AdS spaces is to hold the renormalized boundary stress tensor density fixed, instead of the boundary metric. This leads to a well-defined variational problem, as well as new counter-terms and a finite on-shell action. We elaborate this in various (even and odd) dimensions in the language of holographic renormalization. Even though the form of the new renormalized action is distinct from the standard one, once the cut-off is taken to infinity, their values on classical solutions coincide when the trace anomaly vanishes. For AdS4, we compute the ADM form of this renormalized action and show in detail how the correct thermodynamics of Kerr-AdS black holes emerge. We comment on the possibility of a consistent quantization with our boundary conditions when the boundary is dynamical, and make a connection to the results of Compere and Marolf. The difference between our approach and microcanonical-like ensembles in standard AdS/CFT is emphasized. In the third part of the dissertation, we use the recently developed CFT techniques of Rychkov and Tan to compute anomalous dimensions in the O(N) Gross-Neveu model in d = 2 + dimensions. To do this, we extend the “cow-pie contraction” algorithm of Basu and Krishnan to theories with fermions. Our results match perfectly with Feynman diagram computations.

General ideas in the conformal bootstrap program are covered. Both numerical and analytical approaches to the bootstrap equation are reviewed to show how it can be manipulated in different ways. Further analytical approaches are studied for theories with defects. We consider the three-dimensional CFT at the corresponding WF fixed point in the O(N) \phi^4 model with a co-dimension two, monodromy defect. Anomalous dimensions for bulk- and defect-local fields as well as one of the OPE coefficients are found to the first loop order. Implications of inserting this defect and constraints that arises from symmetries of the theory are investigated.

The thesis is devoted to some aspects of the solid-state electronic transport in the so-called viscous or hydrodynamic regime. Hydrodynamic regime in this context means that due to the large carrier density and non-negligible carrier-carrier interactions, the transport properties follow from collective, rather than single-particle phenomena. To capture the dynamics of such a system one may use description based on the conserved quantities, i.e. momentum, energy or charge. If the interactions between the constituents of the system are strong enough, such a description is provided by the hydrodynamic equations which for conserved momentum and energy are the Navier-Stokes equations or their relativistic counterparts. This thesis focuses on such a situation: when the equations governing transport properties follow from conservation of the momentum or, at most, can be treated as a modification of such equations due to weak momentum relaxation. Presented here are two lines of investigation. The first one focuses on the mesoscopic effects, i.e. on the dependence of the outcome of the transport measurements on the physical parameters of the sample such as size and shape. Here also the effects of the weak momentum relaxation are studied. In the second one, the issue of parity and time reversal symmetry breaking, occurring in a 2 dimensional system due to the presence of an external magnetic field, is investigated. An effective model of a strongly coupled quantum system is introduced and used to compute the odd (Hall) viscosity -- a transport coefficient allowed once the discrete symmetries are broken -- as a function of magnetic field, temperature and chemical potential. The first part of results concerns the behaviour of the electronic fluid in a typical AC measurement -- modeled by an elongated channel in which the fluid is subject to a periodically time dependent electric potential. Assuming standard, no-slip boundary conditions, the spatial distribution of the current density is found to be much different to the one known for Ohmic conduction. For small frequency the current distribution has a parabolic profile across the channel, while for high frequency the current in the bulk of the channel becomes flat (position-independent), while two maxima terminating a so-called boundary layer develop. In these boundary layers large gradients of current can be found, contributing to high local entropy production due to the viscous force. Despite this differences in the local current density profile, when the global conductance is measured as a function of the frequency, the result much resembles the well known Drude curve, with a distinct maximum visible in the imaginary part of the AC conductance. There is, however, a global signature of the boundary layer formation -- the scaling of the conductance with the channel width, that changes from quadratic (for parabolic flow) to asymptotically constant (for a flow with boundary layers). Moreover, in the hydrodynamic regime, the position of the Drude peak is not only determined by microscopic parameter but again by a combination of microscopic (viscosity) and mesoscopic (width) parameters. Since the Drude peak occurs for experimentally feasible values of parameters, the mentioned mesoscopic dependence may be used to measure the value of viscosity coefficient. The results discussed above are obtained assuming, as is traditional for hydrodynamics on everyday length-scales, a no-slip boundary condition which forces the fluid to be immobile at the boundary. This boundary condition was also assumed in most of the previous works on the electronic hydrodynamics. However, this is not the only possibility. There exists a one-parameter family of consistent boundary conditions involving velocity and its derivative on the boundary, parametrized by a coefficient called the slip length. Recent theoretical and experimental publications suggest that it may be dependent on the state parameters of the system (i.e temperature, chemical potential) and its value may be relatively large for some experimental situations. One of the consequences of the slip length being large is that hydrodynamic effects are obscured in the simple AC set-up discussed before. In this work it is shown that by an appropriate micro-structuring of the boundary, the effects of slip can be suppressed. Once the array of defects is introduced on the edges of the sample, the no-slip behavior is restored for all the values of the microscopic slip length. Furthermore, the interplay between the microscopic slip length and the sample geometry is investigated and used to propose a simple device for measuring the dependence of the microscopic slip length on the state parameters such as the temperature or the chemical potential. The final part of this thesis is devoted to a different aspect of the hydrodynamic transport -- a computation of the value of hydrodynamic transport coefficients using a microscopic theory. The physical situation of interest is one in which time reversal and parity invariance of a 2-dimensional system are broken, due to the presence of an external magnetic field. In such a situation an unusual class of transport coefficients is allowed in the hydrodynamic description, so-called odd coefficients. The term comes from the fact that they encode response that is transverse to the applied perturbation. These odd coefficients for 2 dimensions were previously studied mostly at weak coupling, i.e. using descriptions based on quasi-particles. This work, however, presents the way of calculating them for strongly coupled model system. To achieve this a high-energy-physics-inspired framework of holographic duality (AdS/CFT) is used. In that approach, an effective model involving magnetically-sourced parity-breaking interactions is constructed for the system at finite temperature and chemical potential. Performing a linear response analysis around the thermal states in that model allows one to read off the transport coefficients, especially the odd (Hall) viscosity coefficient that is of central interest in this study. The mentioned Hall viscosity is found to be non-zero whenever the magnetic field is present, even for zero chemical potential. This is unusual, as odd viscosity is expected to only be non-zero for non-zero charge density states. The mechanism responsible for the presence of Hall viscosity in the discussed case turns out to be the following: charge density in the model is induced by either the chemical potential or the magnetic field, i.e. for non-zero magnetic field even at zero chemical potential some density of charge is present. This charge contributes to the Hall viscosity in the usual way. The odd viscosity coefficient is found to have different scaling behaviors for weak and strong magnetic field. Interestingly, it turns out that the computations of the Hall (and shear) viscosities are relatively straightforward and analytically tractable in the proposed model. This means that the results could be generalized to the zero-temperature case, which however is yet to be done. It also suggests that the model may capture some universal mechanisms of generating the odd viscosity due to the presence of the magnetic field. That intuition is backed by the fact that some of the effective models of quantum Hall states also predict similar mechanism in which charge density is induced by the presence of the magnetic field. Despite these similarities, further studies are needed to establish a solid connection between these systems. In particular, in the model under consideration no mechanism of quantization of the Hall viscosity is found, while the mentioned models of quantum Hall states predict quantization of that transport coefficient.

Asphalt joints are potentially weakest parts of every pavement. Despite of their importance, reliable tools for measuring their mechanical properties for design and performance assessments are still scarce. This is particularly true for cold joints when attaching a new hot pavement to a cold existing one as in case of large patches for pavement repair. In this study, three static fracture testing methods, i.e. indirect tensile test (IDT), direct tension test (DTT) and 4 point bending (4PB), were adapted and used for evaluating different laboratory made joints. The results suggested that joints with inclined interfaces and also the ones with combined interface treatments (preheated and sealed) seemed to show more promising behaviors than the vertical and untreated joints. It was also confirmed that compacting from the hot side towards the joint improved the joint properties due to imposing a different flow pattern as compared to the frequent compaction methods. The latter finding highlighted the importance of asphalt particle rearrangements and flow during the compaction phase as a very little known subject in asphalt industry. Studies on compaction are of special practical importance since they may also contribute to reducing the possibility of over-compaction and aggregate crushing. Therefore, in this study, a new test method, i.e. Flow Test (FT), was developed to simulate the material flow during compaction. Initially, asphalt materials were substituted by geometrically simple model materials to lower the level of complexity for checking the feasibility of the test method as well as modeling purposes. X-ray radiography images were also used for capturing the flow patterns during the test. Results of the FT on model materials showed the capability of the test method to clearly distinguish between specimens with different characteristics. In addition, a simple discrete element model was applied for a better understanding of the test results as a basis for further improvements when studying real mixtures. Then, real mixtures were prepared and tested under the same FT configuration and the results were found to support the findings from the feasibility tests. The test method also showed its potential for capturing flow pattern differences among different mixtures even without using the X-ray. Therefore, the FT was improved as an attempt towards developing a systematic workability test method focusing on the flow of particles at early stages of compaction and was called the Compaction Flow Test (CFT). The CFT was used for testing mixtures with different characteristics to identify the parameters with highest impact on the asphalt particle movements under compaction forces. X-ray investigations during the CFT underlined the reliability of the CFT results. In addition, simple discrete element models were successfully generated to justify some of the CFT results. / <p>QC 20151104</p>

<p>Holographic duality as a rigorous approach to quantum gravity claims that a quantum gravitational system is exactly equal to a quantum theory without gravity in lower spacetime dimensions living on the boundary of the quantum gravitational system. The duality maps key questions about the emergence of spacetime to questions on the non-gravitational boundary system that are accessible to us theoretically and experimentally. Recently, various aspects of quantum information theory on the boundary theory have been found to be dual to the geometric aspects of the bulk theory. In this thesis, we study the exact and approximate quantum error corrections (QEC) in a general quantum system (von Neumann algebras) focused on QFT and gravity. Moreover, we study entanglement theory in the presence of conserved charges in QFT and the multiparameter multistate generalization of quantum relative entropy.</p>