The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill resulted in a large release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) into the Gulf of Mexico. PAH can interact with ultraviolet radiation (UV) resulting in increased toxicity, particularly to early lifestage organisms. The goal of this research was to determine the sensitivity of fiddler crab larvae (Uca longisignalis) to photo-induced toxicity following exposure to Deepwater Horizon spill oil in support of the DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Five replicate dishes each containing 20 larvae, were exposed to one of three UV treatments (10%, 50%, and 100% ambient natural sunlight) and one of five dilutions of water accommodated fractions of two naturally weathered source oils. A dose dependent effect of PAH and UV on larval mortality was observed. Mortality was markedly higher in PAH treatments that included co-exposure to more intense UV light. PAH treatments under low intensity sunlight had relatively high survival. These data demonstrate the importance of considering combined effects of non-chemical (i.e. UV exposure) and chemical stressors and the potential for photo-induced effects after exposure to PAH following the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, impacting economically and ecologically important fishes. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the oil have been shown to cause developmental impairments in early life stage fishes, such as morphological and behavioral changes related to eye formation and visual processing following PAH exposure. Prior research reported reduced eye growth in open water, pelagic species, as well as reduced photoreceptor-specific transcription factors associated with eye development following exposure to crude oil. Though changes in transcriptomic-level pathways associated with vision and visual processing have been reported, it has yet to be determined how these changes relate to physiological or behavioral-level effects in fish. Therefore, the present studies evaluated the effect of weathered crude oil on eye development and visual function in mahi-mahi, red drum, sheepshead minnow, and zebrafish larvae. Fish were assessed through several visually-mediated behavioral assays, analyzed histologically and immunohistologically, along with subsequent transcriptomic analyses and associated gene expression changes. Larvae exposed to crude oil experienced significantly reduced abilities to exhibit optomotor or optokinetic responses relative to controls, with associated reductions in retinal development. Furthermore, genes associated with eye development and phototransduction were downregulated, with subsequent decreases in the immunofluorescence of neurological connections within the retina and a choroid-specific increase in apoptotic activity. We related oil-induced transcriptomic-level effects to morphological, physiological, and behavioral-level impairments in larval teleost fishes.

The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010, off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Following the spill, British Petroleum, leaser of the rig, set up a funding institution known as the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to support research and understanding of the spill on the environments and peoples of the gulf. This outreach project was created alongside research of the RECOVER consortium, funded by GoMRI, to communicate what is happening within research labs around the country to understand the effect that the spill had on fish in pelagic and coastal regions of the gulf. The outreach project is composed of a short film (Deepwaters: The Science of a Spill, 18 min) and related outreach materials posted to Instagram (@FishandOilSpills).

Cette thèse est principalement consacrée à l’étude du comportement en temps long de solutions de certaines équations aux dérivées partielles hamiltoniennes, du type i∂_t u=X_H (u), en particulier l’existence globale, la croissance des normes de Sobolev, la diffusion et l’approximation par la dynamique résonante.Dans ce contexte, nous considérons d’abord une perturbation de l’équation de Szegő cubique par un potentiel linéaire, i∂_t u=∏ |u|² u+α∫ u,α∈R, (α-Szegő) où ∏▒ désigne le projecteur de Szegő sur les fréquences positives. Pour α=0, cette équation est l’équation de Szegő cubique, étudiée récemment par Gérard et Grellier comme modèle mathématique d’équation non linéaire et non dispersive. Pour l’équation (α–Szegő), nous établissons le caractère bien posé et la complète intégrabilité, et étudions la dynamique des valeurs singulières des opérateurs de Hankel associés. En outre, nous montrons les propriétés suivantes pour cette équation, sur une classe de sous–variétés invariantes de dimensions finies arbitrairement grandes : si α<0, toute trajectoire est relativement compacte, et toute norme de Sobolev est bornée le long de cette trajectoire. Siα>0, il existe des trajectoires le long desquelles toutes les normes de Sobolev de régularité plus grande que ½ tendent exponentiellement vers l’infini en temps.Dans une seconde partie, nous étudions un système mixte Schrödinger–ondes sur le cylinder (x,y)∈R×T , i∂_t U+∂_xx U-|D_y |U=|U|² U,(WS)En adaptant une idée de Hani–Pausader–Tzvetkov–Visciglia, nous établissons une théorie du scattering modifiée reliant les petites solutions de cette équation et les petites solutions de l’équation de Szegő cubique. En combinant cette théorie du scattering avec un résultat récent de Gérard–Grellier, nous en déduisons l’existence de solutions globales de (WS) qui sont non bornées dans l’espace L_x² H_y^s (R×T) pour tout s>½ . / The main purpose of this Ph.D. thesis is to study the long time behavior of solutionsto some Hamiltonian PDEs, i∂_t u=X_H (u), including global existence, growth of high Sobolev norms, scattering and long time approximation by resonant dynamics.In this context, at first we consider the Szegő equation on the circle S1 perturbed bya linear potential, i∂_t u=∏ |u|² u+α∫ u,α∈R, (α-Szegő) where ∏ is the projector onto the non-negative frequencies. For α=0, it turns out tobe the cubic Szegő equation, which was recently introduced by Gérard and Grellier as amathematical toy model of a non-linear totally non dispersive equation.We study the global well-posedness, the integrability and the dynamics of the singularvalues of the related Hankel operators of the α –Szegő equation. Moreover, we establishthe following properties for this equation on a class of invariant submanifolds, with anarbitrary large dimension. For α<0, any trajectory is relatively compact, and all theSobolev norms are bounded on it. For α>0, there exist trajectories on which everySobolev norm of regularity s>½ , exponentially tends to infinity in time.Second, we study the wave-guide Schrödinger equation posed on the spatial domain(x,y)∈R×T ，i∂_t U+∂_xx U-|D_y |U=|U|² U,(WS)Adapting an idea by Hani–Pausader–Tzvetkov–Visciglia, we establish a modified scattering theory between small solutions to this equation and small solutions to the cubic Szegő equation. Combining this scattering theory with a recent result by Gérard–Grellier, we infer existence of global solutions to (WS) which are unbounded in the space L_x^2 H_y^s (R×T) for every s>½ .

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions l’équation parabolique non linéaire ∂ t u = ∆u + a |x|⎺⥾ |u|ᵅ u, t > 0, x ∈ Rᴺ \ {0}, N ≥ 1, ⍺ ∈ R, α > 0, 0 < Ƴ < min(2,N) et avec une donnée initiale u(0) = φ. On établit l’existence et l’unicité locale dans Lq(Rᴺ) et dans Cₒ(Rᴺ). En particulier, la valeur q = N ⍺/(2 − γ) joue un rôle critique. Pour ⍺ > (2 − γ)/N, on montre l’existence de solutions auto-similaires globales avec données initiales φ(x) = ω(x) |x|−(2−γ)/⍺, où ω ∈ L∞(Rᴺ) homogène de degré 0 et ||ω||∞ est suffisamment petite. Nous montrons ainsi que si φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| ⎺(²⎺⥾)/⍺ pour |x| grande, alors la solution est globale et asymptotique dans L∞(Rᴺ) à une solution auto-similaire de l’équation non linéaire. Tandis que si φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| (x)|x|−σ pour des |x| grandes avec (2 − γ)/⍺ < σ < N, alors la solution est globale, mais elle est asymptotique dans L∞(Rᴺ) à eᵗ∆(ω(x) |x|−σ). L’équation avec un potentiel plus général, ∂ t u = ∆u + V(x) |u|ᵅ u, V(x) |x |⥾ ∈ L∞(Rᴺ), est également étudiée. En particulier, pour des données initiales φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| ⎺(²⎺⥾)/⍺, |x| grande, nous montrons que le comportement à grand temps est linéaire si V est à support compact au voisinage de l’origine, alors qu’il est non linéaire si V est à support compact au voisinage de l’infini. Nous étudions également le système non linéaire ∂ t u = ∆u + a |x|⎺⥾ |v|ᴾ⎺¹v, ∂ t v = ∆v + b |x|⎺ ᴾ |u|q⎺¹ u, t > 0, x ∈ Rᴺ \ {0}, N ≥ 1, a,b ∈ R, 0 < y < min(2,N)? 0 < p < min(2,N), p,q > 1. Sous des conditions sur les paramètres p, q, γ et ρ nous montrons l’existence et l’unicité de solutions globales avec données initiales petites par rapport à certaines normes. En particulier, on montre l’existence de solutions auto-similaires avec donnée initiale Φ = (φ₁, φ₂), où φ₁, φ₂ sont des données initiales homogènes. Nous montrons également que certaines solutions globales sont asymptotiquement auto-similaires. Comme deuxième objectif, nous considérons l’équation de la chaleur non linéaire ut = ∆u + |u|ᴾ⎺¹u - |u| q⎺¹u, avec t ≥ 0 et x ∈ Ω, la boule unité de Rᴺ, N ≥ 3, avec des conditions aux limites de Dirichlet. Soit h une solution stationnaire à symétrie radiale avec changement de signe de (E). On montre que la solution de (E) avec donnée initiale λh explose en temps fini si |λ − 1| > 0 est suffisamment petit et si 1 < q < p < Ps = N+2/N−2 et p suffisamment proche de Ps. Ceci prouve que l’ensemble des données initiales pour lesquelles la solution est globale n’est pas étoilé au voisinage de 0. / In this thesis, we study the nonlinear parabolic equation ∂ t u = ∆u + a |x|⎺⥾ |u|ᵅ u, t > 0, x ∈ Rᴺ \ {0}, N ≥ 1, ⍺ ∈ R, α > 0, 0 < Ƴ < min(2,N) and with initial value u(0) = φ. We establish local well-posedness in Lq(Rᴺ) and in Cₒ(Rᴺ). In particular, the value q = N ⍺/(2 − γ) plays a critical role.For ⍺ > (2 − γ)/N, we show the existence of global self-similar solutions with initial values φ(x) = ω(x) |x|−(2−γ)/⍺, where ω ∈ L∞(Rᴺ) is homogeneous of degree 0 and ||ω||∞ is sufficiently small. We then prove that if φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| ⎺(²⎺⥾)/⍺ for |x| large, then the solution is global and is asymptotic in the L∞-norm to a self-similar solution of the nonlinear equation. While if φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| (x)|x|−σ for |x| large with (2 − γ)/α < σ < N, then the solution is global but is asymptotic in the L∞-norm toe t(ω(x) |x|−σ). The equation with more general potential, ∂ t u = ∆u + V(x) |u|ᵅ u, V(x) |x |⥾ ∈ L∞(Rᴺ), is also studied. In particular, for initial data φ(x)∼ω(x) |x| ⎺(²⎺⥾)/⍺, |x| large , we show that the large time behavior is linear if V is compactly supported near the origin, while it is nonlinear if V is compactly supported near infinity. we study also the nonlinear parabolic system ∂ t u = ∆u + a |x|⎺⥾ |v|ᴾ⎺¹v, ∂ t v = ∆v + b |x|⎺ ᴾ |u|q⎺¹ u, t > 0, x ∈ Rᴺ \ {0}, N ≥ 1, a,b ∈ R, 0 < y < min(2,N)? 0 < p < min(2,N), p,q > 1. Under conditions on the parameters p, q, γ and ρ we show the existence and uniqueness of global solutions for initial values small with respect of some norms. In particular, we show the existence of self-similar solutions with initial value Φ = (φ₁, φ₂), where φ₁, φ₂ are homogeneous initial data. We also prove that some global solutions are asymptotic for large time to self-similar solutions. As a second objective we consider the nonlinear heat equation ut = ∆u + |u|ᴾ⎺¹u - |u| q⎺¹u, where t ≥ 0 and x ∈ Ω, the unit ball of Rᴺ, N ≥ 3, with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Let h be a radially symmetric, sign-changing stationary solution of (E). We prove that the solution of (E) with initial value λ h blows up in finite time if |λ − 1| > 0 is sufficiently small and if 1 < q < p < Ps = N+2/N−2 and p sufficiently close to Ps. This proves that the set of initial data for which the solution is global is not star-shaped around 0.

Le sujet de la thèse est l'étude de la dégradation des caractéristiques élastiques d'une roche fragile induite par le chargement. En particulier on s'intéresse à l'anisotropie induite et à son influence sur le caractère fragile de la rupture. L'étude présente le développement d'un modèle de comportement approprié à ce phénomène, une étude expérimentale pour l'étalonnage et la validation du modèle et enfin une application à un problème aux limites particulier représentant l'étude de la rupture d'un cylindre creux et d'une excavation souterraine profonde. Le cadre théorique utilisé est celui de la mécanique de l'endommagement continu. Le modèle développé est caractérisé par un tenseur de vitesse d'endommagement anisotrope d'ordre deux. Les lois d'évolution des trois composantes du tenseur d'endommagement sont obtenues expérimentalement à partir d'essais de compression triaxiale. Les essais ont été réalisés sur deux roches d'origine sédimentaire : une calcarénite italienne, la pietra leccese, et un grès français, le grès de Rothbach. L'influence des conditions de réalisation des essais (élancement des échantillons, frettage ou lubrification des bases des échantillons) a été étudiée. Nous avons simulé le comportement d'un cylindre creux et d'une cavité cylindrique soumise à un état de contraintes isotrope à l'infini. Les résultats de cette simulation numérique ont montré que plus l'anisotropie induite est forte, plus le comportement de la roche est fragile et plus élevé est le nombre de stabilité.

Les Etudes Probabilistes de Sûreté (EPS) de niveau 2 en centrale nucléaire visent à identifier les séquences d’événements pouvant correspondre à la propagation d’un accident d’un endommagement du cœur jusqu’à une perte potentielle de l’intégrité de l’enceinte, et à estimer la fréquence d’apparition des différents scénarios possibles. Ces accidents sévères dépendent non seulement de défaillances matérielles ou d’erreurs humaines, mais également de l’occurrence de phénomènes physiques, tels que des explosions vapeur ou hydrogène. La prise en compte de tels phénomènes dans le cadre booléen des arbres d’événements s’avère difficile, et les méthodologies dynamiques de réalisation des EPS sont censées fournir une manière plus cohérente d’intégrer l’évolution du processus physique dans les changements de configuration discrète de la centrale au long d’un transitoire accidentel. Cette thèse décrit l’application d’une des plus récentes approches dynamiques des EPS – la Théorie de la Dynamique Probabiliste basée sur les Stimuli (SDTPD) – à différents modèles de déflagration d'hydrogène ainsi que les développements qui ont permis cette applications et les diverses améliorations et techniques qui ont été mises en oeuvre. Level-2 Probabilistic Safety Analyses (PSA) of nuclear power plants aims to identify the possible sequences of events corresponding to an accident propagation from a core damage to a potential loss of integrity of the containment, and to assess the frequency of occurrence of the different scenarios. These so-called severe accidents depend not only on hardware failures and human errors, but also on the occurrence of physical phenomena such as e.g. steam or hydrogen explosions. Handling these phenomena in the classical Boolean framework of event trees is not convenient, and dynamic methodologies to perform PSA studies are expected to provide a more consistent way of integrating the physical process evolution with the discrete changes of plant configuration along an accidental transient. This PhD Thesis presents the application of one of the most recently proposed dynamic PSA methodologies, i.e. the Stimulus-Driven Theory of Probabilistic Dynamics (SDTPD), to several models of hydrogen explosion in the containment of a plant, as well as the developed methods and improvements.

Kraft recovery boiler smelt is shattered into small droplets by an impinging steam jet to prevent smelt-water explosions in the dissolving tank. Inadequate shattering increases the likelihood of dissolving tank explosions. While industry has not dedicated much effort to smelt shattering, the safety implications require smelt shattering to be studied in detail. An experimental set-up was constructed to simulate the shattering operation using a water-glycerine solution and air instead of smelt and steam respectively. The objective was to examine how physical properties and flow characteristics affect shattering. It was found that increasing shatter jet velocity greatly reduced droplet mean diameter. Increasing the liquid flow rate greatly increased droplet size, as expected. Shattering was not significantly affected by viscosity, unless a weak shatter jet was used on a highly viscous fluid. Increasing the proximity of the shatter jet nozzle decreased droplet size.

Cette thèse présente deux modèles étudiant l'interaction de lasers intenses (éclairements de 10^11 à 10^17 W/cm^2) avec des agrégats de grande taille (100 atomes à plusieurs milliers).<br /> <br />Premièrement nous proposons d'ajouter un terme d'amortissement avec la surface au modèle nanoplasma original de T.Ditmire et al. (1996). Nous comparons diverses observables expérimentales (xénon) et étudions l'évolution des états de charge avec la taille ou l'éclairement.<br /> <br />Deuxièmement nous proposons un modèle microscopique de dynamique moléculaire à trois dimensions robuste en l'absence d'excitation. L'émission électronique à 10^11 W/cm^2 (sodium) se compare à celle obtenue par d'autres modèles tels que le modèle VUU-LDA. Les électrons de coeur sont émis à partir de 5 10^15 W/cm^2. Les événements rares sont accessibles et nous montrons que l'explosion ionique de type coulombien est autosimilaire (10^16 W/cm^2). Enfin, l'émission électronique (gaz rare) est comparée avec le modèle nanoplasma.

The safety record of most petrochemical industries in the world and Nigeria in particle, has not been able to come down to the maximum allowable range of 0 - 0.1 percent of tolerance on recordable injuries, due to increasing failure rates of equipment within the plant. Investigations on the maintenance audit carried out on the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) revealed that 85 percent of such failures are directly linked to improper adaptability of an effective maintenance management strategy and plan within the petrochemical industries in Nigeria. Equally, the growth and continuous operation of any plant depends to a large extent on the maintenance of the equipment that refines the Crude Oil and natural Gas. As such, various maintenance management systems have been used over the years for the actualisation of the above purpose but with minimal success. This is evident in the fact that the level of maintenance performance of most Nigerian Petroleum Companies is always on the corrective maintenance model, which indirectly implies that the plant normally breaks down before maintenance management is applied. A critical look at the deficiency of improper adaptability of these maintenance management plans have conspicuously manifested in five major categories of maintenance failures which includes the following; * Failure of safety critical equipment due to lack of maintenance * Human error during maintenance * Static or spark discharge during maintenance in an intrinsically unsafe zone * Incompetence of maintenance staff, and * Poor communication between maintenance and production staff. These gaps as identified in this research must be corrected in the Nigerian Gas Industry if meaningful progress is to be made. Gas – To – Liquid technology is a very complex technology and with natural gas as the basic raw material, the technology not only looks intimidating but also is full of potential hazards. People are naturally afraid of the complex nature of gas in a confined environment (because of its highly combustible nature), its gaseous state makes it more complex for it to be kept under control and at the same time be moved from one form to another at different temperatures and pressures. The maintenance audit carried out on the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) revealed some major loopholes in the maintenance management strategies adopted in the country. The audit reveals that the degree of adherence to conditions attached towards the maintenance management strategy of this equipment (in this case Gas field equipment) was too poor. Based on the above, this research is meant to improve the existing maintenance management strategy, by developing a Maintenance Management Strategy (MMS) that will be suitable for gas field equipment in the Escravos Gas–To– Liquid (EGTL) plant, planned to be commissioned in Nigeria early 2011. The need to research the above mentioned Maintenance Strategy became imperative due to the fact that the rate at which most of the petrochemical plants in the world are being gutted by fire, mainly due to poor maintenance management systems is alarming. This research work proffered solutions that will reduce or completely eliminate the highlighted problems above. This was based on investigations and analysis carried out in the chosen research area. Models were developed for the actualization of this Improved Maintenance Management Strategy (IMMS), so that the desired safe operability of the gas field equipment in the Escravos Gas–To– Liquid (EGTL) plant will be achieved without maintenance failure of any kind. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.