The first detection of a gravitational wave (GW) enabled our observation of the Universe through a revolutionary messenger and unveiled phenomena that are occurring in a range of very strong gravitational fields and relativistic velocities. These physical regimes, previously inaccessible to humankind, can now be studied. In particular, the discoveries of an unexpected population of stellar-mass binary black holes (BBH), and unexpected masses for binary neutron star (BNS) components have both pointed to new astrophysics, and to unprecedented tests of the general relativity theory. This thesis focuses on the development of a new method of gravitational wave data analysis, aiming to investigate weak features in the proximity to well-identified BBH merger signals. The method is based on a dedicated version of coherentWaveBurst (cWB), an unmodelled gravitational waves transient search algorithm, developed in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and Virgo Collaboration and widely used on LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) data. CoherentWaveBurst relies on the coherent detection of an excess of energy inside the combined data of all the gravitational waves detectors inside the detectors network. Such excess of energy must pass several internal thresholds of the pipeline to be accepted as a possible gravitational wave candidate and these thresholds evaluate not only the strength of the signal with respect to the background noise but also how balanced is the energy distribution among the detectors of the network, its coherence, as well as other quantities whose purpose is to rule out possible outliers due to the presence of non-stationary noise. To develop such a method, it was decided to adopt as science case the search for echoes. In literature, it has been proposed that the gravitational radiation generated from a binary compact objects (CBCs) coalescence might display exotic characteristics if compared to the predicted one generated by black hole-black hole (BH-BH), neutron star-neutron star (NS-NS), or neutron star-black hole (NS-BH) binaries which are, for now, the only detected emitters of gravitational waves. Such differences arise from the proposal that the involved compact objects (COs) of the binary are not standard black holes but instead black hole mimickers called exotic compact objects (ECOs). If this is the case the gravitational wave signal generated from such a binary would display repeated gravitational wave pulses, of widely uncertain morphology, after the merger-ringdown phase of the gravitational signal. These repeated gravitational wave pulses are called echoes, one class of low energetic signals whose presence inside gravitational wave data, this new algorithm is searching for. The proposed data analysis methodology searching for echoes is agnostic over the properties of the predicted gravitational wave pulses emitted by an ECO binary. Indeed, the variety of theoretical alternatives to black holes is not converging over a well-defined post-merger-ringdown signal, each model has its own properties and characteristic features. Therefore, the possibility to investigate the morphological features of possible outliers in the post-merger phase of detected GW signals is fundamental in the process of inferring their nature. Having their morphology recovered without priors makes the proposed search more general than the variety of theoretical models of echoes. This procedure is tested over real data from past LIGO-Virgo observing runs (O1, O2, and O3), and the capability of the search in estimating the main morphological parameters of echoes, such as their arrival time, mean frequency, as well as the amplitude attenuation between subsequent pulses, is investigated. This work concludes that the current state-of-the-art methods and detectors find no evidence for echoes of any morphologies. Such a study extended to lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) the detectability of echoes associated with the public gravitational-wave transient catalog of BBH mergers released by the LIGO and Virgo Collaboration. It also sets best quantitative upper limits on the amplitude of low energy signals occurring after the merger-ringdown. To achieve these results, new post-processing tools are developed and optimised to detect and characterize possible energy excess inside a user-defined time window. This required the development of the code and to adapt the cWB infrastructure to the new working requirements which also involves a re-tuning of cWB itself. The optimization of the performances is based on off-source simulations for assessing the detection efficiency and false alarm probability of signal candidates.

<p>A deep, wide-field survey was conducted to hunt for the light echo systems associated with SN 1054 (Crab) and SN 1181 as an initial step to acquiring spectra and the prospect of extracting lightcurves of these historical, core-collapse supernovae. Images were acquired by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope’s MegaCam during the 2011A and 2011B semesters for fields adjacent to SN 1054 and SN 1181, respectively. A total of 367 Sloan g’ fields for the Crab and 195 Sloan r’ fields for SN 1181 were imaged twice, with a minimum of one month separation.</p> <p>Examination of 13,880 and 11,052 difference images for the Crab and SN 1181, respectively, revealed no light echoes with surface brightnesses brighter than 24.0 mag/arcsec² (the threshold for being able to acquire useful spectra). Based on our non-detections and assuming similar dust properties to nearby (detected) supernova light echo systems (Tycho and Cas A), we conclude it is unlikely that either SN was a Type II-L outburst but cannot provide constraints on other sub-types.</p> <p>We further examined the known light echo locations for Tycho and Cas A and found a statistically-significant correlation between CO brightness temperature and the presence of scattering dust. However, the spacing of grid points in existing CO surveys is too sparse to be useful even a few degrees away from the galactic plane. We have yet to identify a search strategy based on survey data which is superior than random field placement.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Advances in machine learning for visual recognition and ultra-low surface brightness imaging have made it possible to detect older and fainter historic supernova light echoes (SN LEs). We are particularly interested in the historic core-collapse SN (CCSN) Crab (SN 1054), as it is the only CCSN with records of direct-light observations in the last 1000 years. We have improved the SN LE machine-learning Python package ALED (Automated Light Echo Detection), created by Bhullar et al. 2021, by adding false positive masks as an additional input. ALED is visual recognition software that identifies and locates LEs in difference images. Before the invention of ALED, LE images had to be categorized by visual inspection, which was a very time-consuming task. Additionally, we have developed a method for manufacturing and augmenting LE training sets, which has previously not been applied to LEs. We manufactured Dragonfly Telephoto Array (DTA) LEs by extracting LEs from Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope difference images and overlaying them on DTA difference images. The DTA is a promising tool for LE detection because of its ability to observe ultra-low surface brightness structures. Additionally, we augmented the only existing DTA LE image by overlaying it on other DTA images. Both of these procedures provided options for further augmentation, such as changing the LE's brightness and width. We also created a process to mask the bright star difference artifacts in DTA images. These stars are typically mislabeled as LEs, and hence masking them makes LE identification simpler. We have created an effective DTA training set for ALED, which is prepared to search for LEs around the historic CCSN Crab (SN 1054), once more DTA images in that region are procured. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Recentemente, o Laboratório de Espectroscopia de Alta Resolução por RMN (LEAR), do Instituto de Física de São Carlos - USP, decidiu iniciar pesquisa na área de materiais magnéticos sem a aplicação de campo magnético externo. Por esta razão, montou-se um espectrômetro de RMN em campo zero (RMNz), tendo como componente principal um console de banda larga (1-600 MHz) da empresa TECMAG, adquirido com o apoio da FAPESP. Para o início das atividades de pesquisa nesta nova área de atuação, optou-se por estudar uma amostra modelo já bastante estudada, o composto intermetálico policristalino GdAl2. Apesar desta amostra já ter sido muito estudada nos últimos 60 anos, surpreendentemente resultados inéditos foram obtidos para este material. Neste estudo, adquiriu-se sinais de RMN com a utilização da técnica de spin-eco, empregando-se dois pulsos de rf separados por um período de tempo denominado tempo ao eco. Esta técnica foi empregada de duas formas básicas distintas. A primeira, devido ao fato das larguras dos espectros nestes estudos serem sempre muito largas (dezenas de MHz), não é possível excitar toda banda espectral com apenas uma excitação de radiofrequência (rf), sendo necessário se fazer a varredura das frequências de excitação e respectivas observações dos sinais, e, posteriormente, para obtenção do espectro como um todo, reunir todos esses resultados em apenas um gráfico das amplitudes dos sinais adquiridos versus as frequências utilizadas. A segunda forma envolveu a aquisição do sinal de RMN fixando-se a frequência e variando-se o tempo ao eco, obtendo-se as denominadas oscilações quadrupolares. Entre os resultados mais importantes, destacam-se a aquisição de espectros de 27Al com alta resolução, onde se pode observar, diretamente a partir dos espectros, o acoplamento quadrupolar deste núcleo com o gradiente de campo elétrico produzido pela distribuição de cargas elétricas locais. Além disso, variaram-se parâmetros experimentais tais como separação e largura de pulsos em experimentos de spin-eco e se analisou como estes parâmetros influenciam os sinais adquiridos. Pôde-se constatar também que os experimentos de oscilação quadrupolar corroboram os experimentos realizados em função da frequência, fornecendo os mesmos valores de acoplamento quadrupolar. Com a variação da largura e separação dos pulsos de rf usados nos experimentos de spin-eco, se observou o aparecimento dos múltiplos ecos para o núcleo de 27Al (spin 5/2), já previstos pela teoria. Os mesmos experimentos foram realizados para os núcleos de 155Gd e 157Gd (ambos spin 3/2). Neste caso, também se mediu os valores dos acoplamentos quadrupolares diretamente a partir dos espectros, mas não foi possível medi-los a partir da observação das oscilações quadrupolares. Variando-se a temperatura, observou-se também que o comportamento da magnetização segue a lei de Curie-Weiss, através do deslocamento das linhas observadas. / Recently, the Laboratory of High Resolution Spectroscopy for NMR (LEAR), of the Institute of Physics of São Carlos - USP, decided to initiate a research on the area of magnetic materials without the application of external magnetic field. For this reason, a spectrometer of NMR in zero field was assembled (NMRz), having as main component a broad band equipment (1-600 MHz) from a company named TECMAG, acquired with the support of FAPESP. For the beginning of the activities of research in this new area, it was opted to study a sample model already sufficiently studied, the polycrystalline intermetallic compound GdAl2. Although this sample is known to have already been much studied in the last 60 years, surprisingly unpublished results were obtained for this material. In this work, one acquired signals of NMR with the use of the spin-echo technique, using two rf pulses separated by a period of time called time to echo. This technique was employed using two distinct basic forms. The first one, due to the fact that the widths of the spectres in these studies are always very wide (tens of MHz), it is not possible to excite all spectral band with only one radiofrequency (rf) pulse, being required to first do a sweeping of frequencies of excitation and respective observation signals, and, after that, in order to get the spectrum as a whole, to collect all these results in only one graph of the amplitude of the signals acquired versus the used frequencies. The second form involved the acquisition of the NMR signal fixing one frequency and varying the time to echo, getting the called quadrupole oscillations. Amongst the most important results, are the acquisition of spectra of 27Al with high resolution, which is observed, directly from the spectra, the quadrupole coupling of this nucleus with the gradient of electric field produced by the local electric charges distribution. Moreover, experimental parameters were varied, such as separation and width of pulses in spin-echo experiments and it was analyzed as how these parameters influence the acquired signals. It was seen that the experiments of quadrupole oscillation corroborate the experiments carried in function of the frequency, resulting the same values of quadrupole coupling. With the variation of the width and separation of the used pulses of rf in the spin-echo experiments, it was observed the appearance of the multiple echoes for the nucleus of 27Al (spin 5/2), already provided for theory. The same experiments had been carried out for the nuclei of 155Gd and 157Gd (both spin 3/2). In this case that, also it was measured the quadrupole couplings values directly from spectra, but could not measure them from the quadrupole oscillations. Varying the temperature, it was also observed that the behavior of the magnetization follows the law of Curie-Weiss, through the displacement of the observed lines.

The time required for inspection and maintenance of piping systems and vessels needs to be reduced to both minimize down time and decrease operational costs of petrochemical plants. Current ultrasonic inspection systems are not suited for on-line monitoring, with the main issues being the resistance of transducers and their coupling to high temperatures and the removal of insulation to access structures. The use of welded cylindrical rods is thus proposed, but measurements are threatened by "trailing echo" generation in waveguides. The introduction of a taper angle is investigated to attenuate these undesired echoes. While clean signals can always be obtained by increasing the taper angle in long rods, that is not always the case for short rods, which are considered here. In addition, temperature variations have a non-negligible impact on the arrival time of the backwall echo when performing measurements with a waveguide, and on-line compensation is essential. Since the interface echo between the rod and the pipe wall may be suppressed after the welding operation, a notch is machined at the end of the rod to create a reflected echo, which can be used for on-line compensation. Finally, the implementation of waveguides is considered for both pulse-echo and pitch-catch modes. In the pitch-catch mode, the backwall echo and the notch echo are received by different transducers and signals of interst are both first arrivals. As a result, trailing echoes do not impede measurements and their attenuation becomes unnecessary. In contrast, pulse-echo measurements are sensitive to trailing echoes and the waveguide's design plays an essential role in the feasibility of measurements. However, the environment also imposes a set of constraints on waveguide dimensions that complicates the implementation of pulse-echo measurements. Being more flexible, the pitch-catch configuration is chosen for final implementation. Experiments are performed to verify the concept feasibility, and the accuracy of measurements with thickness and temperature changes is also confirmed.

Recentemente, o Laboratório de Espectroscopia de Alta Resolução por RMN (LEAR), do Instituto de Física de São Carlos - USP, decidiu iniciar pesquisa na área de materiais magnéticos sem a aplicação de campo magnético externo. Por esta razão, montou-se um espectrômetro de RMN em campo zero (RMNz), tendo como componente principal um console de banda larga (1-600 MHz) da empresa TECMAG, adquirido com o apoio da FAPESP. Para o início das atividades de pesquisa nesta nova área de atuação, optou-se por estudar uma amostra modelo já bastante estudada, o composto intermetálico policristalino GdAl2. Apesar desta amostra já ter sido muito estudada nos últimos 60 anos, surpreendentemente resultados inéditos foram obtidos para este material. Neste estudo, adquiriu-se sinais de RMN com a utilização da técnica de spin-eco, empregando-se dois pulsos de rf separados por um período de tempo denominado tempo ao eco. Esta técnica foi empregada de duas formas básicas distintas. A primeira, devido ao fato das larguras dos espectros nestes estudos serem sempre muito largas (dezenas de MHz), não é possível excitar toda banda espectral com apenas uma excitação de radiofrequência (rf), sendo necessário se fazer a varredura das frequências de excitação e respectivas observações dos sinais, e, posteriormente, para obtenção do espectro como um todo, reunir todos esses resultados em apenas um gráfico das amplitudes dos sinais adquiridos versus as frequências utilizadas. A segunda forma envolveu a aquisição do sinal de RMN fixando-se a frequência e variando-se o tempo ao eco, obtendo-se as denominadas oscilações quadrupolares. Entre os resultados mais importantes, destacam-se a aquisição de espectros de 27Al com alta resolução, onde se pode observar, diretamente a partir dos espectros, o acoplamento quadrupolar deste núcleo com o gradiente de campo elétrico produzido pela distribuição de cargas elétricas locais. Além disso, variaram-se parâmetros experimentais tais como separação e largura de pulsos em experimentos de spin-eco e se analisou como estes parâmetros influenciam os sinais adquiridos. Pôde-se constatar também que os experimentos de oscilação quadrupolar corroboram os experimentos realizados em função da frequência, fornecendo os mesmos valores de acoplamento quadrupolar. Com a variação da largura e separação dos pulsos de rf usados nos experimentos de spin-eco, se observou o aparecimento dos múltiplos ecos para o núcleo de 27Al (spin 5/2), já previstos pela teoria. Os mesmos experimentos foram realizados para os núcleos de 155Gd e 157Gd (ambos spin 3/2). Neste caso, também se mediu os valores dos acoplamentos quadrupolares diretamente a partir dos espectros, mas não foi possível medi-los a partir da observação das oscilações quadrupolares. Variando-se a temperatura, observou-se também que o comportamento da magnetização segue a lei de Curie-Weiss, através do deslocamento das linhas observadas. / Recently, the Laboratory of High Resolution Spectroscopy for NMR (LEAR), of the Institute of Physics of São Carlos - USP, decided to initiate a research on the area of magnetic materials without the application of external magnetic field. For this reason, a spectrometer of NMR in zero field was assembled (NMRz), having as main component a broad band equipment (1-600 MHz) from a company named TECMAG, acquired with the support of FAPESP. For the beginning of the activities of research in this new area, it was opted to study a sample model already sufficiently studied, the polycrystalline intermetallic compound GdAl2. Although this sample is known to have already been much studied in the last 60 years, surprisingly unpublished results were obtained for this material. In this work, one acquired signals of NMR with the use of the spin-echo technique, using two rf pulses separated by a period of time called time to echo. This technique was employed using two distinct basic forms. The first one, due to the fact that the widths of the spectres in these studies are always very wide (tens of MHz), it is not possible to excite all spectral band with only one radiofrequency (rf) pulse, being required to first do a sweeping of frequencies of excitation and respective observation signals, and, after that, in order to get the spectrum as a whole, to collect all these results in only one graph of the amplitude of the signals acquired versus the used frequencies. The second form involved the acquisition of the NMR signal fixing one frequency and varying the time to echo, getting the called quadrupole oscillations. Amongst the most important results, are the acquisition of spectra of 27Al with high resolution, which is observed, directly from the spectra, the quadrupole coupling of this nucleus with the gradient of electric field produced by the local electric charges distribution. Moreover, experimental parameters were varied, such as separation and width of pulses in spin-echo experiments and it was analyzed as how these parameters influence the acquired signals. It was seen that the experiments of quadrupole oscillation corroborate the experiments carried in function of the frequency, resulting the same values of quadrupole coupling. With the variation of the width and separation of the used pulses of rf in the spin-echo experiments, it was observed the appearance of the multiple echoes for the nucleus of 27Al (spin 5/2), already provided for theory. The same experiments had been carried out for the nuclei of 155Gd and 157Gd (both spin 3/2). In this case that, also it was measured the quadrupole couplings values directly from spectra, but could not measure them from the quadrupole oscillations. Varying the temperature, it was also observed that the behavior of the magnetization follows the law of Curie-Weiss, through the displacement of the observed lines.

The equatorial Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is known to be an important source of inter-annual variability at mid and high latitudes in both hemispheres. Coupling between QBO and the polar vortex has been extensively studied over the past few decades, however, less is known about QBO influences in the mid-latitude mesosphere. One reason for this is the relative lack of instrumentation available to study mesospheric dynamics at mid-latitudes. In this study, we have used the mid-latitude SuperDARN HF radar at Saskatoon (52.16 N, -106.53 E) to study inter-annual variation in mesospheric winds. The specific aim was to determine whether or not a Quasi Biennial signature could be identified in the Saskatoon mesosphere, and if so, to understand its relationship with the equatorial stratospheric QBO. To achieve this goal, a technique has been developed which extracts meteor echoes from SuperDARN near-range gates and then applies least-squares fitting across all radar beam directions to calculate hourly averages of the zonal and meridional components of the mesospheric neutral wind. Subsequent analysis of 13 years (2002-2014) of zonal wind data produced using this technique indicates that there is indeed a significant QBO signature present in Saskatoon mesospheric winds during late winter (Jan-Feb). This mesospheric QBO signature is in opposite phase with the equatorial stratospheric QBO, such that when QBO (at 50 hPa) is in its easterly (westerly) phase, the late winter winds in Saskatoon mesosphere become more (less) westerly. To further examine the source of the signature, we also analyzed winds in the Saskatoon stratosphere between 5 hPa and 70 hPa using the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis data set, and found that the late winter stratospheric winds become less (more) westerly when QBO is easterly (westerly). This QBO signature in the mid-latitude stratospheric winds is essentially the same as that observed for the polar vortex in previous studies but it is opposite in phase to the mid-latitude mesospheric QBO. We therefore conclude that filtering of gravity waves through QBO-modulated stratospheric winds plays a major role in generating the mesospheric QBO signature we have identified in the Saskatoon HF radar data. When the Saskatoon stratospheric winds are anomalously westward during easterly QBO, the gravity waves having westward momentum might be filtered out, depositing a net eastward momentum in the mesosphere as they propagate upwards. This would result in increased westerly mesospheric winds at Saskatoon. The opposite would happen when the equatorial QBO is westerly. / Master of Science

Neste trabalho desenvolvemos metodologias para o estudo de materiais magnéticos usando Ressonância Magnética Nuclear em campo magnético externo nulo (RMNz), via a análise e manipulação das transições entre os estados de energia nucleares. Na primeira etapa, revisamos e complementamos os modelos teóricos, encontrados na literatura, que são utilizados para prever a formação dos múltiplos ecos. Concluímos deste estudo, que o aparecimento destes múltiplos ecos está associado com as transições entre os níveis de energia nuclear que são chamadas de transições de múltiplo quantum (MQ). Adicionalmente, concluímos que os instantes nos quais surgem os ecos de múltiplo quantum e os tipos de coerências que contribuem para cada eco estão diretamente relacionados com as distribuições dos acoplamentos Zeeman e/ou quadrupolar ao longo da amostra. Na segunda etapa deste projeto estudamos a seleção de coerências mediante a aplicação de ciclagem das fases dos pulsos de radiofrequências. Além de permitir o estudo individual de cada eco, a seleção de coerências permitiu a realização de medidas com tempos ao eco muito mais curtos e, consequentemente, a medida de sinais com maiores relações sinal/ruído. O que permitiu o estudo seletivo de cada eco, em detrimento dos outros, e assim pudemos inferir que coerências contribuem para formação do eco selecionado. Os compostos usados para o estudo experimental foram o GdAl2 e GdCo2. Os sinais de RMN dos núcleos 155,157Gd, 27Al e 59Co apresentaram ecos de múltiplo quantum. Posteriormente realizamos a seleção de coerências para estes núcleos. / This study we developed methodologies for the study of magnetic materials using nuclear magnetic resonance without the application of external magnetic field (RMNz), by manipulating transitions between the nuclear energy states. In the first step, we revised and complemented the theoretical models found in the literature, which were proposed to predict the formation of multiple echoes. We concluded from this study that the appearance of multiple echoes is associated with transitions between the levels of nuclear transitions that are called multiple-quantum (MQ). Moreover, we understood that the instants in which the multiple quantum echoes appear and the types of coherences that contribute to each echo are directly associated with the Zeeman and electric quadrupolar coupling heterogeneities along the sample. In the second step of this project, we studied the selection of coherences by phase cycling the radiofrequency pulses. This allowed the individual study of each echo, enabling us to infer which coherences contribute to the formation of the selected echo. Besides the individual study of each echo, the coherence selection allowed measuring them with the smallest echo time and, consequently, observing signals with much higher signal-to-noise ratios. The compounds used for the experimental study were the GdAl2 and GdCo2. The NMR signals of nuclei 155,157Gd, 27Al and 59Co showed multiple quantum echoes. Later we performed the selection of coherences for these nuclei.

A ênfase deste trabalho foi a aplicação da técnica de RMN em campo zero para a obtenção do acoplamento quadrupolar e dos espectros de RMN em banda larga dos núcleos de 27Al (amostra GdAl2), 139La e 55Mn (amostras de Manganita), à temperatura de 4,2 K. O objetivo do trabalho foi obter resultados confiáveis tanto em relação aos espectros quanto aos valores dos acoplamentos quadrupolares das amostras de GdAl2 e de Manganitas, e utilizar estes resultados para auxiliar a entender e a determinar algumas das propriedades físicas destes materiais (no caso do GdAl2 o comportamento tipo Spin-Glass e o efeito Magnetocalórico, no caso das Manganitas a Magnetoresistência Colossal). Para se determinar o valor do acoplamento quadrupolar utilizou-se a técnica de medida das oscilações quadrupolares. Os espectros de RMN, em banda larga, foram obtidos utilizando-se a técnica de eco de Hahn variando-se a frequência de excitação em uma faixa de 5 a 500 MHz. A maior sensibilidade do equipamento montado em nosso laboratório permitiu que se observassem os múltiplos ecos devidos à interação quadrupolar. Consequentemente, estes ecos permitiram a obtenção de espectros de RMNz de 27Al com alta resolução e a medida do valor do acoplamento quadrupolar diretamente do espectro. Também foi mostrado que os múltiplos ecos do 27Al são originados em regiões diferentes da amostra. Os resultados dos experimentos de oscilação quadrupolar em amostras de Manganitas permitiram que se observassem vários valores de acoplamento quadrupolar, que podem ser devido à desordem da estrutura cristalina dos octaedros de MnO6 ou à variação angular do ângulo entre o campo magnético hiperfino e a o eixo de fácil magnetização. Também foi mostrado que os valores de acoplamento quadrupolar mudam em função do elemento dopante utilizado. A aplicação do campo externo diminui a distribuição de acoplamento quadrupolar, mostrando que a aplicação do campo magnético externo causa mudanças ou na rede cristalina e/ou na orientação do campo magnético hiperfino e, consequentemente, sobre as propriedades físicas das Manganitas. A comparação entre os espectros de 139La e 55Mn das diferentes amostras de Manganita mostrou a coexistência de fases magnéticas. Estes resultados mostram que a técnica de RMNz é uma excelente ferramenta para se determinar o estado magnético fundamental dos materiais magnéticos e as mudanças na estrutura cristalina através da observação do acoplamento quadrupolar. / The emphasis of this work was the application of zero-field NMR technique to obtain the quadrupole coupling and NMR broadband spectra of the nuclei 27Al (GdAl2 sample), 139La and 55Mn (Manganites samples), at 4.2 K. The objective was to obtain reliable results for both spectra and quadrupole coupling values of samples GdAl2 and Manganites, and use these results to help understand and determine some of the physical properties of these materials (for GdAl2 the Spin-Glass type behavior and the Magnetocaloric effect and for Manganites the Colossal Magnetoresistance effect). To determine the value of the quadrupole coupling it was used the quadrupole oscillations technique. The NMR broadband spectra were obtained using the Hahn echo technique, in the frequency excitation range 5 to 500 MHz. The greater sensitivity of the equipment allowed observing multiples echoes due to quadrupole interaction, these echoes allowed to obtain spectra of zero field RMN of 27Al with high resolution and measure the value of the quadrupole coupling directly from the spectrum. It was also shown that the 27Al multiple echoes are generated in different regions of the sample. The quadrupole oscillation experiments results on Manganite samples have obtaned several values of quadrupole coupling, indicating that the Manganites Ferromagnetic Metallic Phase present high degree of disorder or, in the crystalline structures or in the hyperfine magnetic field direction. It was shown that the change in the value of the quadrupole coupling depends on the dopant used in the Manganites composition. The results of the quadrupole oscillations with application of an external magnetic field showed that the degree of disorder decreases due to the external magnetic field, showing the influence of the external magnetic field on the crystal network and/or in the hyperfine magnetic field direction, and consequently of some Manganites physical properties. The comparison between the spectra of 139La and 55Mn of the different Manganite samples shows the coexistence of different magnetic phases. These results showing that the technique of zero-field NMR is excellent to determine the fundamental magnetic state of the magnetic materials and observe changes in the crystal structure by the observation of the quadrupole coupling.

<p>This PhD thesis deals with phenomena which are closely related to the unique thermal structure of the polar summer mesosphere, namely Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE). PMSE are strong radar echoes commonly observed by VHF MST radars from thin layers in the 80-90 km altitude interval at high latitudes during summer. They follow a seasonal pattern of abrupt appearance in late May and a gradual disappearance in mid-August. This period corresponds roughly to the time between the completion of the summer time cooling of the polar mesopause to the time of reversal of the mesospheric circulation to autumn condition. In this connection, PMSE are associated with the extremely low temperatures, i.e. below 140 K, which are unique to the polar summer mesopause. Traditional theories of radar (partial) reflection and scattering have been unable to explain the PMSE and the exact mechanism for their occurrence remains unclear despite the steadily increasing interest in them over the past 20 years. Currently accepted theories regarding the mechanism giving rise to PMSE agree that one of the conditions needed for enhanced radar echoes is the presence of low-mobility charge carries such as large cluster ions and ice aerosols which capture the ambient electrons. It has been established that the PMSE are in some way associated with noctilucent clouds (NLC), layers of ice crystals, which constitute the highest observed clouds in the earth’s atmosphere. PMSE occurrence and dynamics are also found to be closely connected with the planetary and gravity waves.</p><p>Observations of PMSE presented in this thesis have been carried out by the Esrange MST radar (ESRAD) located at Esrange (67°56’N, 21°04’E) just outside Kiruna in northernmost Sweden. The radar operates at 52 MHz with 72 kW peak power and a maximum duty cycle of 5%. The antenna consists of 12x12 array of 5-element Yagis with a 0.7l spacing. During the PMSE measurements the radar used a 16-bit complementary code having a baud length of 1mS. This corresponds to height resolution of 150 m. The sampling frequency was set at 1450 Hz. The covered height range was 80-90 km. The presence of PMSE was determined on the basis of the radar SNR (signal-to-noise ratio). The PMSE measurements have been made during May-August each year since 1997.</p><p>PMSE seasonal and diurnal occurrence rates as well as dynamics have been studied in connection with tidal winds, planetary waves, temperature and water vapor content in the mesosphere (Papers I, IV and VI). Simultaneous and common-volume observations of PMSE and noctilucent clouds have been performed by radar, lidar and CCD camera (Paper V). Correlation between variations in PMSE and variations in extra ionization added by precipitating energetic electrons or high-energy particles from the Sun has been examined (Papers II and III). Possible influence of transport effects due to the electric field on PMSE appearance has been studied during a solar proton event (Paper III).</p>