<p> We present a fourth-order accurate, multilevel Maxwell solver, discretized in space with a finite volume approach and advanced in time with the classical fourth-order Runge Kutta method (RK4). Electric fields are decomposed into divergence-free and curl-free parts; we solve for the divergence-free parts of Faraday's Law and the Amp&egrave;re-Maxwell Law while imposing Gauss' Laws as initial conditions. We employ a damping scheme inspired by the Advanced Weather Research and Forecasting Model to eliminate non-physical waves reflected off of coarse-fine grid boundaries, and Kreiss-Oliger artificial dissipation to remove standing wave instabilities. Surprisingly, artificial dissipation appears to damp the spuriously reflected waves at least as effectively as the atmospheric community's damping scheme.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: B, page: 1263. Adviser: Predrag S. Hrnjak. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-179) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis--University of Florida. / Description based on print version record. Manuscript copy. Vita. Bibliography: leaves 100-102.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 1302. Adviser: George H. Miley. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Boiling heat transfer is a powerful cooling mechanism used in a variety of industries to efficiently dissipate heat by taking advantage of latent heat. Nucleation site interactions have been demonstrated to affect behaviors in the bulk fluid, in the solid substrate and coalescence. Despite extensive studies of multi-site interactions, the conclusions of these studies are not in agreement. Namely, hydrodynamic effects are explained by some studies to promote nucleation while other studies find that, even with thermally isolated heat supplies, the presence of nearby sites diminishes nucleation. The present study identifies superheated fluid as a possible explanation for this variability. Hydrodynamic factors are determined to only promote single site nucleation if there is an appreciable thermal boundary layer present. Even with a thermal boundary layer, the presence of other sites causes competition over the superheated fluid; thus, diminishing the promotive effects of hydrodynamic factors. There have also been studies that have characterized the changing dimensions of the microlayer and the heat transfer that occurs beneath it. However, there is not a complete study of bubble behavior resulting from varying heater areas; specifically heater areas smaller than the microlayer. The present study quantifies the effect of heater diameter on vapor effectiveness and determines the optimal heater diameter. A metric for the coincidence of vapor production and microlayer coverage is proposed. Vapor effectiveness and the coincidence metric are shown to have similar relationships with heater diameter.</p><p>

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / Neutron dosimeters measure neutron doses but portable, real time, high efficiency, and gamma insensitive neutron dosimeters are not commonly available. Characterization of a newly invented neutron dosimeter, based on perforated semiconductor neutron detectors (SNDs) whose perforations are filled with neutron reactive material, was the main purpose of this research study. The characterization procedure was performed by both simulation and experiment. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) transport code was used to model a boron-filled dosimeter and to study the responses when the dosimeter was located on the surfaces of a water phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom for parallel beams of neutrons having various energy spectra. A pair of detectors was modeled: one bare and one Cd-filtered. Dosimeter responses were normalized for a beam that would produce 1 mSv ambient dose equivalent if incident on the ICRU sphere phantom. Dosimeter responses were estimated at different positions on the torso and it was found that the responses are relatively insensitive to the placement on the torso. For 100% efficient detectors and for beam with a Watt spectrum incident from front to back of the phantom, the bare detector produces about 140 counts per [Mu]Sv and the Cd-filtered detector produces about 80 counts per [Mu]Sv. The experimental characterization study involves observing SND counts with the dosimeter placed on an anthropomorphic torso phantom and determining the corresponding neutron dose. A TLD pair method was used to determine the neutron dose on the surface of the phantom. The neutron reactive material of the dosimeter was [superscript]6LiF, which is different from that assumed for the modeled dosimeter. A bare dosimeter response collected over 10 min was 25113 [plus or minus] 158 counts and the corresponding neutron dose was measured to be 2.57 mSv. The Cd-filtered dosimeter response collected over 10 min was 23886 [plus or minus] 155 counts and the corresponding neutron dose was measured to be 2.32 mSv. The neutron dosimeters are capable of detecting doses in the [Mu]Sv range and above, and are anticipated to provide direct read-out in dose units in future using count-to-dose conversion factors for bare and Cd-filtered SNDs.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Douglas S. McGregor / A novel design of neutron sensor was investigated and developed. The perforated, or micro-structured, diode neutron sensor is a concept that has the potential to enhance neutron sensitivity of a common solid-state sensor configuration. The common thin-film coated diode neutron sensor is the only semiconductor-based neutron sensor that has proven feasible for commercial use. However, the thin-film coating restricts neutron counting efficiency and severely limits the usefulness of the sensor. This research has shown that the perforated design, when properly implemented, can increase the neutron counting efficiency by greater than a factor of 4. Methods developed in this work enable detectors to be fabricated to meet needs such as miniaturization, portability, ruggedness, and adaptability. The new detectors may be used for unique applications such as neutron imaging or the search for special nuclear materials. The research and developments described in the work include the successful fabrication of variant perforated diode neutron detector designs, general explanations of fundamental radiation detector design (with added focus on neutron detection and compactness), as well as descriptive theory and sensor design modeling useful in predicting performance of these unique solid-state radiation sensors. Several aspects in design, fabrication, and operational performance have been considered and tested including neutron counting efficiency, gamma-ray response, perforation shapes and depths, and silicon processing variations. Finally, the successfully proven technology was applied to a 1-dimensional neutron sensor array system.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / The purpose of this research was to develop a technology to quickly identify hidden explosive materials. The developed method needs to be performed at a standoff distance of approximately two meters or more, must have high sensitivity (low false-negative rate) and good specificity (low false-positive rate), and should be able to detect a minimum amount of approximately one gallon (15 lbs) of explosive material. In an effort to meet these goals, a template-matching procedure to aid in the rapid detection of hidden improvised explosive devices was investigated. Multiple photon-scattered responses are being used as a part of a multidimensional signature-based radiation scanning (SBRS) approach in an attempt to detect chemical explosives at safe, standoff distances. The SBRS approach utilizes both neutron and photon interrogation to determine if a target contains explosive material, but the focus of this thesis is on photon interrogation. Beams of photons are used to create back-streamed responses called signatures, which are dependent on the density and the composition of the target. These signatures are compared to templates, which are collections of the same signatures if the interrogated volume contained a significant amount of explosives. The signature analysis produces a single figure-of-merit. A low figure-of-merit indicates an explosive might be present in the target. Experiments have been conducted that show an explosive surrogate (fertilizer) can be distinguished from several inert materials using these photon signatures, proving these signatures to be very useful in this particular method of chemical explosive detection.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / This report investigates the feasibility of a standoff interrogation method to identify nitrogen-rich explosive samples shielded by other materials (“clutter”) using neutron beams from Cf-252 and deuterium-tritium (D-T) generator sources. Neutrons from the beams interact with materials in the target to produce inelastic-scatter gamma rays, and, after slowing down to thermal energies, prompt-capture gamma rays. By detection of these gamma rays, a response vector is formed that is used to calculate a figure-of-merit, whose value is dependent upon the contents of the target. Various target configurations, which include an inert-material shield and a sample that may or may not be explosive, were simulated using the MCNP5 code. Both shielding and collimation of 14.1-MeV neutron beams were simulated to produce effective neutron beams for target interrogation purposes and to minimize dose levels. Templates corresponding to particular target scenarios were generated, and their effectiveness at nitrogen-rich explosive identification was explored. Furthermore, methods were proposed yielding more effective templates including grouping target responses by density and composition. The results indicate that neutron-based interrogation has potential to detect shielded nitrogen-rich explosives. The research found that using a tiered filter approach, in which a sample must satisfy several template requirements, achieved the best results for identifying the explosive cyclonite (RDX). A study in which a 14.1-MeV neutron beam irradiated a target containing a shielded sample, which could either be explosive (RDX) or inert, yielded no false negatives and only 2 false positives over a large parameter space of clutter-sample combination.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Douglas S. McGregor / Semiconductor neutron detector design, fabrication and testing are all performed at Kansas State University (KSU). The most prevalent neutron detectors built by the KSU Semiconductor Materials And Radiological Technologies Laboratory (SMART Lab) are comprised of silicon diodes with [superscript]6LiF as a neutron converter material. Neutron response testing and calibration of the detectors is performed in a neutron detector test facility. The facility utilizes diffraction with a pyrolytic graphite (PG) monochromator to produce a diffracted neutron beam at the northwest beamport of the KSU Training Research Isotope production General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark-II nuclear reactor. A 2-D neutron beam monitor can also be used in conjunction with the test facility for active calibrations. Described in the following work are the design, construction and operation of a neutron detector test facility and a 2-D neutron detection array. The diffracted neutron beam at the detector test facility has been characterized to yield a neutron beam with an average Gaussian energy of 0.0253 eV. The diffracted beam yields a flux of 1.2x10[superscript]4 neutrons/cm[superscript]2/s at 100 kW of reactor power. The PG monochromator is diffracting on the (002) plane that has been positioned at a Bragg angle of 15.5 degrees. The 2-D neutron detection array has been characterized for uniform pixel response and uniform neutron detection efficiency. The 2-D 5x5 array of neutron detectors with a neutron detection efficiency of approximately 0.5 percent has been used as a beam monitor when performing detector testing. The amplifier circuits for the 5x5 array were designed at the KSU Electronics Design Lab (EDL) and were coupled to a LabVIEW field-programmable gate array that is read out by a custom LabVIEW virtual instrument. The virtual instrument has been calibrated to produce a pixel response that varies by less than two percent from pixel to pixel. The array has been used for imaging and active monitoring of the diffracted neutron beam at the detector test facility. The following work is part of on-going research to develop various types of solid state semiconductor neutron detectors.