A polymer photodetector is fabricated using polythiophene with chiral alkyl side chains. The Cotton effect is observed in the CD spectrum of the photodetector, indicating an unequal absorbance of left- and right-handed circular polarized light (CPL). The photodetector is proven to be able to identify incident left- and right-handed CPL. Polymer photodetectors that are made from R- and S-limonene induced achiral polymers are fabricated. A “hot spin-coating” process is introduced to cast uniform limonene induced polymer films. As a result of chirality transfer, Cotton effects are also observed in these photodetectors’ CD spectra. A model is suggested to explain the chirality generation of the polythiophene with chiral alkyl side chains and limonene induced achiral polymers. / Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-03-25 14:37:23.168

At the moment Swedish Transport Administration uses a monitor system that candetect urgent errors as warm ball-bearings and flat wheels etc. with stationarydetectors. To avoid these errors Swedish Transport Administration, UPWIS AB andUppsala University work with a system that will continuously monitoring the train todetect the errors as fast as possible. This will save money in the future for SwedishTransport Administration and all other partners that use the rails.Swedish Transport Administration has already RFID readers beside the rail to detecttrains position. The new monitoring system will use these readers and send data fromthe monitoring system via these readers to a database.The aim of this thesis work is to design and build a RFID antenna to send data fromthe monitoring system to the RFID readers. The antenna should be a circularpolarized and it needs to manage the harsh environment on the train.This thesis work started with a theoretical study which investigated four commonantenna types (dipole, loop, PIFA and patch/microstrip) to evaluate which antennatype that is the best solution for this application. It was decided to design a patchantenna from the theoretical study since it fulfils all the requirements for the antenna.Simulations and tests shows that the antenna is circular polarized and have amaximum reading distance of 5 m for 868 MHz. For 2.45 GHz it is linear polarizedand has a reading distance of at least 10 m. With other hardware settings the antennawill have longer reading distance at 2.45 GHz.When all parts of the test bed was finished the test bed was mounted on themeasurement wagon. The final test shows that the antenna fulfils the task. Theantenna transmitted the data from the sensor boxes to the RFID readers.The report suggests future work to minimize the reading distance and size for theantenna. These are: transfer sensor data to RFID tag by “multi hop”, hardwareimprovement for instance antenna diversity and using another substrate (higherdielectric constant).

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Measurements on coccolith abundance and mass can be used as a signal of primary productivity and pelagic calcification in response to environmental change. The Leeuwin Current (LC) is known to transport warm and low-salinity waters from the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) southwards along the coast of West Australia. Along with the onset of continental aridity during late Neogene, increased strength of the LC may have played a role in reef expansion on the Northwest Shelf. In this study the morphological variation in size and mass of reticulofenestrid coccoliths was assessed in material from IODP Site U1461 in the eastern Indian Ocean spanning the past 500 ka. Both the absolute abundance of all reticulofenstrid coccoliths (Emiliania huxleyi, Reticulofenestra spp., Gephyrocapsa spp. and Pseudoemiliania spp.) was determined, as well as the relative abundance of large versus small coccoliths. Coccolith size and mass were measured quantitatively under circularly polarized light. The data was compared to variations in sea surface temperatures (SST) of the LC, and to continental aridity of Australia. SST fluctuations could influence coccolithophore productivity by affecting their metabolic rate, whereas continental aridity may influence the influx of terrestrial matter by wind. The investigated interval is dominated by small species of Gephyrocapsa. Peak values of absolute abundance and mass were observed during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, an interglacial period of extended warmth and humidity. These results coupled with high densities of aragonite needles in the same samples indicate the sediments were diluted by material overflowing from the adjacent shallow- water carbonate platform, analogous to the whiting events observed in the modern-day Bahamas. A decrease in abundance of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica at 240 ka can be linked to the timing of their last common occurrence (LCO), within MIS 7. The subsequent shift to Gephyrocapsa oceanica as the dominant large species may indicate an ecological replacement of G. caribbeanica, or signify warm and low-salinity waters. / Mätningar av abundans och massa hos coccoliter kan användas som en signal för primärproduktion och pelagisk förkalkning som resultat av miljöförändringar. Leeuwin Current (LC) är känd för att transportera varmt vatten och vatten med låg salthalt från Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) söderut längs kusten i västra Australien. Tillsammans med början av kontinental torka under sen Neogen kan ökad styrka hos LC ha spelat en roll i expansionen av rev på nordvästsockeln. I denna studie bedömdes den morfologiska variationen i storlek och massa hos coccoliter i material från IODP plats U1461 i östra Indiska oceanen från de senaste 500 000 åren. Både den absoluta abundansen av alla reticulofenstridcoccoliter (Emiliania huxleyi, Reticulofenestra spp., Gephyrocapsa spp. och Pseudoemiliania spp.) bestämdes, liksom den relativa abundansen av stora jämfört med små coccoliter. Storlek och massa av coccoliter mättes kvantitativt under cirkulärt polariserat ljus. Uppgifterna jämfördes med variationer i havsytans temperatur (SST) hos LC, och med kontinental torrhet i Australien. SST-fluktuationer kan påverka produktiviteten hos coccolitoforider genom att påverka deras metabolism, medan kontinental torrhet kan påverka inflödet av markmaterial med vind. Det undersökta intervallet domineras av små arter av Gephyrocapsa. Toppvärden av absolut abundans och massa observerades under marinisotopsteget (MIS) 11, en interglacial period med förlängd värme och fuktighet. Dessa resultat kombinerat med hög densitet av aragonitnålar i samma prover indikerar att sedimenten späddes ut med material som svämmade över från den intilliggande grunda karbonatplattformen, vilket är jämförligt med de vitningshändelser som har observerats i dagens Bahamas. En minskning i abundans av Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica vid 240 ka kan kopplas till tidpunkten för deras senaste gemensamma förekomst (LCO) inom MIS 7. Den efterföljande övergången till Gephyrocapsa oceanica som den dominerande stora arten kan indikera en ekologisk ersättning av G. caribbeanica, eller indikera varmt vatten med låg salthalt.