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One of the primary drivers in the development of large format millimeter detector arrays is the study of sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) - a population of very luminous high-redshift dust-obscured starbursts that are widely believed to be the dominant contributor to the Far-Infrared Background (FIB). The characterization of such a population requires the ability to map large patches of the (sub-)millimeter sky to high sensitivity within a feasible amount of time. I present this dissertation on the design, integration, and characterization of the 144-pixel AzTEC millimeter-wave camera and its application to the study of the sub-millimeter galaxy population. In particular, I present an unprecedented characterization of the "blank-field" (fields with no known mass bias) SMG number counts by mapping over 0.5 deg 2 to 1.1mm depths of ∼1mJy - a previously unattained depth on these scales. This survey provides the tightest SMG number counts available, particularly for the brightest and rarest SMGs that require large survey areas for a significant number of detections. These counts are compared to the predictions of various models of the evolving mm/sub-mm source population, providing important constraints for the ongoing refinement of semi-analytic and hydrodynamical models of galaxy formation. I also present the results of an AzTEC 0.15 deg 2 survey of the COSMOS field, which uncovers a significant over-density of bright SMGs that are spatially correlated to foreground mass structures, presumably as a result of gravitational lensing. Finally, I compare the results of the available SMG surveys completed to date and explore the effects of cosmic variance on the interpretation of individual surveys.

The High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), necessitates that the ATLAS experiment replace their current Inner Detector (ID) system. The new Inner Tracker (ITk) will be an all silicon detector, utilising both pixel and strip sensors, with the aim of performing as well, or better than the current system - but in a much more challenging environment. The ITk Strip detector will consist of 17888 modules, ∼ 700 of which will be produced in the Scandinavian ITk Cluster - a collaboration of Copenhagen, Lund, Oslo and Uppsala university and our industrial partner NOTE. This work encompasses the journey from individual components through industrial scale module assembly and on to performance evaluation studies at the DESY II testbeam facility. Optimisation studies were performed of the correlated multi-variable calibration necessary for a glue robot to precisely and reliably dispense the two component epoxy used in the bonding of front-end electronics to the silicon sensor. Procedures and tools were developed for integrating this process into an industrial workflow, and to account for future fundamental changes, such as a switch in the epoxy utilised. To demonstrate sufficient tracking performance of ITk strip modules, even at end-of-life, testbeam campaigns of pre-irradiated modules are conducted. These campaign serve as vi-tal feasibility studies for the ITk as a whole. Reconstruction of end-cap type modules have been historically tricky, due to their complex geometry. This work presents the full integration of semi-automated end-cap type module reconstruction in the Corryvreckan testbeam analysis framework. This represent a major improvement in turnover time from raw data to final result, making the previously impossible concept of live reconstruction during testbeam campaigns within reach.

<p>Dual modality imaging systems such as SPECT/CT have become commonplace in medical imaging as it aids in diagnosing diseases by combining anatomical images with functional images. We are interested in developing a dual modality imaging system combining SPECT and MR imaging because MR does not require any ionizing radiation to image anatomical structures and it is known to have superior soft tissue contrast to CT. However, one of the fundamental challenges in developing a SPECT/MR system is that traditional gamma cameras with photomultiplier tubes are not compatible within magnetic fields. New development in solid state detectors has led to the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), which is insensitive to magnetic fields.</p> <p>We have developed a small area gamma camera with a tileable 4x4 array of SiPM pixels coupled with a CsI(Tl) scintillation crystal. A number of simulated gamma camera geometries were performed using both pixelated and monolithic scintillation crystals. Several event positioning algorithms were also investigated as an alternative to conventional Anger logic positioning. Simulations have shown that we can adequately resolve intrinsic spatial resolution down to 1mm, even in the presence of noise. Based on the results of these simulations, we have built a prototype SiPM system comprised of 16 detection channels coupled to discrete crystals. A charge sensitive preamplifier, pulse height detection circuit and a digital acquisition system make up our pulse processing components in our gamma camera system. With this system, we can adequately distinguish each crystal element in the array and have obtained an energy resolution of 30±1 (FWHM) with Tc-99m (140keV). In the presence of a magnetic field, we have seen no spatial distortion of the resultant image and have obtained an energy resolution of 31±3.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

<p>Lab-on-a-chip technologies have created a burgeoning number of new and novel devices designed to automate biological processes on-chip in an efficient and inexpensive format for far reaching point-of-care (POC) medicine and diagnostic treatments and for remote and on-line monitoring functions. This work designed a device that integrated advanced optical functionality on-chip with the microfluidics to relieve the reliance on traditional bulky and expensive free-space optics and a high-quality light source. The multimodal input beam was reshaped into an optimized geometry in the microchannel via a 2D system of lenses - improving the quality and reliability of detection through uniform detection of particles. A uniform beam geometry across the sample stream with a uniform beam width will allow repeatable excitation and burst duration to allow for more reliable and predictable detection. Numerous beam geometries were created and the quality and illumination properties confirmed by testing each with a couple sizes of fluorescent and non-fluorescent microspheres to test the effect of beam geometry and particle size combination on device performance. The measured coefficient of variation (CV) for fluorescent beads was found to have a particular beam geometry that yielded best device performance based on the bead size. Fluorescent beads 2.5µm in diameter had a CV of 8.5% for a 3.6 µm beam waist while 6 µm beads yielded a 14.6% CV with a 10 µm beam waist. When measuring scatter and fluorescence signal from a 10 µm the 2.5- and 6.0 µm beads gave 11.4% and 15.8% and 15.9% and 20.4% fluorescent and scatter CVs for each set of beads, respectively. Separately testing each beam geometry with 1-, 2-, and 5 µm beads did not yield any predictable ideal beam-bead ideal pairing for best performance. Lastly, further integration of optical function was shown through the on-chip collection of signals; CVs of 29% and 30% were measured for side scatter and forward scatter, respectively, for 5 µm beads. The reliability of this all-optically guided scheme was confirmed by comparing it to a simultaneously recorded free-space collection scheme. The coincidence rate was found to be 94% and 96% for the side scatter and forward scatter schemes. Both had very low false positive rates – below 0.5% - with missed detection rates that were satisfactory but in need of improvement. Sources of noise and device improvements were identified and suggested.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>We investigated the use of multiplexing and an electro-optical coupling system in the design of magnetic resonance compatible positron emission tomography (PET) detectors. Reducing the number of output channels is an effective way to minimize cost and complexity and complements the substitution of coaxial cables for fiber optics. In this work, we first compared the system performance of two multiplexing schemes using both simulation and experimental studies. Simulations were performed using the LTSPICE environment to investigate differences in resulting flood histograms and rising edge slopes. Experiments were performed using Lutetium-Yttrium Oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals of coupled to a SensL ArraySL-4 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) connected to interchangeable circuit boards containing the two multiplexing schemes of interest. Three crystal configurations were tested: single crystal element (3x3x20 mm³), 2x2 array (crystal pitch: 3x3x20 mm³) and 6x6 array (crystal pitch: 2.1x2.1x20 mm³). Good agreement was found between the simulations and experiment results. The capacitive multiplexer is able to achieve improved time resolution of good uniformity (average of 1.11±0.01ns and 1.90±0.03ns for the arrays, respectively) and crystal separation, compared to the resistive multiplexing (average of 1.95±0.03ns and 3.33±0.10ns). The resistive multiplexing demonstrates slightly improved energy resolution (11±0.1% and 22±0.6%, compared to 12±0.1% and 24±0.4% for the capacitive array). The relevancy of this work to the PET block detector design using SiPM arrays is also discussed, including light sharing, edge compression and gain variation among SiPM pixels. This work also examines the effect of the electro-optical coupling system by comparing the system performance between cases with and without it. The coupling system is found to adversely affect performance, increasing global energy resolution by ~6%, average timing resolution by ~120% and distorting the flood histogram.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>Sample preparation is a crucial processing step required for molecular biological analysis of environmental samples like water that has a variety of constituents in it. Furthermore, large volumes of sample need to be processed as the prescribed limits of pathogens in water are extremely low. However, microfluidic biosensing devices that can perform rapid molecular biological analysis in the field are designed to handle small sample volumes. In such cases, there is a need for a sample processing device that can reduce (concentrate) a large sample volume into a small one while retaining the biological species present in it. Hollow fibers are appropriate for this purpose of sample reduction and serve as a macro to micro interface for the microfluidic device. The received concentrate from the hollow fiber device requires be further concentrated to several microliters and separated and sorted to various modular components within the microfluidic device. This requires a second stage microfiltration where an integrated membrane can sort based on particulate size. In this thesis, a two stage filtration was designed. A first stage hollow based fiber pre-concentration device is developed that is portable, low cost, has high retention efficiency, low elution volume and is rapid. The hollow fiber device has low elution volume of ~1-3 ml. Controlled experiments were performed to validate the recovery of the hollow fiber device. Simulated 250 ml E.coli contaminated samples were filtered to <5 ml from an original sample volume of 250 ml. No bacteria were present in the filtrate and nearly 100% was recovered at high bacterial concentrations. At low concentrations (~200 cells in the sample) the recovery was less (~50%). A second stage microfiltration device that can be integrated with the microfluidic device and that can reduce the sample still further from ~ 5 ml to 5 μl was designed. Plasma bonding of ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes using fluorine ions was investigated for fabrication of this device. The bonding of PDMS channels with polysulfone membranes via SF6 plasma was tested via tensile pull tests, burst pressure tests, and analyzed through scanning electron microscopy and electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Quantitative tests on 10kDa and 70kDa polyethersulfone membranes demonstrated increased operational bonding strength of 86.6 and 146.9 kPa increases with three hour plasma application. Microfiltration membranes (0.2 micrometer pore size polyethersulfone) bonded in such a way that was easier to permeate as compared to ultrafiltration membranes. This bonding technique is generic in nature and can be used for integration of other commercially available polyethersulfone membranes with microfluidic devices for applications such as bio separations. No filtration testing was performed with E.coli samples.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p dir="ltr">There is growing research in analyzing human gait in the context of various applications. This has been aided by the improvement in sensing technologies and computation power. A complex motor skill that it is, gait has found its use in medicine for diagnosing different neurological ailments and injuries. In sports, gait can be used to provide feedback to the player/athlete to improve his/her skill and to prevent injuries. In biometrics, gait can be used to identify and authenticate individuals. This can be easier to scale to perform biometrics of individuals in large crowds compared to conventional biometric methods. In the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), gait can be an additional input that could be provided to be used in applications such as video games. Gait analysis has also been used for Human Activity Recognition (HAR) for purposes such as personal fitness, elderly care and rehabilitation. </p><p dir="ltr">The current state-of-the-art methods for gait analysis involves non-wearable technology due to its superior performance. The sophistication afforded in non-wearable technologies, such as cameras, is better able to capture gait information as compared to wearables. However, non-wearable systems are expensive, not scalable and typically, inaccessible to the general public. These systems sometimes need to be set up in specialized clinical facilities by experts. On the other hand, wearables offer scalability and convenience but are not able to match the performance of non-wearables. So the current work is a step in the direction to bridge the gap between the performance of non-wearable systems and the convenience of wearables. </p><p dir="ltr">A magnetic tracking system is developed to be applied for gait analysis. The system performs position and orientation tracking, i.e. 6 degrees of freedom or 6DoF tracking. One or more tracker modules, called Rx modules, is tracked with respect to a module called the Tx module. The Tx module mainly consists of a magnetic field generating coil, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and magnetometer. The Rx module mainly consists of a tri-axis sensing coil, IMU and magnetometer. The system is minimally intrusive, works with Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) condition, low power consuming, compact and light weight. </p><p dir="ltr">The magnetic tracking system has been applied to the task of Human Activity Recognition (HAR) in this work as a proof-of-concept. The tracking system was worn by participants, and 4 activities - walking, walking with weight, marching and jogging - were performed. The Tx module was worn on the waist and the Rx modules were placed on the feet. To compare magnetic tracking with the most commonly used wearable sensors - IMUs + magnetometer - the same system was used to provide IMU and magnetometer data for the same 4 activities. The gait data was processed by 2 commonly used deep learning models - Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM). The magnetic tracking system shows an overall accuracy of 92\% compared to 86.69\% of the IMU + magnetometer system. Moreover, an accuracy improvement of 8\% is seen with the magnetic tracking system in differentiating between the walking and walking with weight activities, which are very similar in nature. This goes to show the improvement in gait information that 6DoF tracking brings, that manifests as increased classification accuracy. This increase in gait information will have a profound impact in other applications of gait analysis as well.</p>

La cosmologie est maintenant entré dans une ère de mesures de précision, et l'objectif des observations est maintenant la chasse aux contradictions au sein du Modèle Cosmologique. La mesure des distances de luminosité de SNe Ia en fonction de leur décalage vers le rouge a permis de découvrir l'accélération de l'expansion cosmique. Aujourd'hui, les SNe-Ia sont encore la sonde la plus sensible à w, l'équation d'état de l'énergie noire, et le nombre croissant de SNe-Ia sont détectés et étudiés par plusieurs collaborations partout dans le monde, afin d'affiner la mesure du valeur de w. La précision sur w est maintenant aussi bas que 7%, avec près de 1000 SNe-Ia dans le diagramme de Hubble. Malheureusement, la mesure est désormais dominé par les incertitudes systématiques, la principale source de la systématique en étant l'étalonnage photométrique des imageurs utilisés pour mesurer le flux des SNe Ia. Ce travail de thèse a pour sujet l'étalonnage photométrique. Pour améliorer les résultats actuels, les astronomes n'ont pas d'autre choix que de revoir les systèmes d'étalonnage anciens. Depuis 2005, les collaborations sur l'énergie noire ont lancé des efforts d'étalonnage ambitieux, redéfini les standards primaires et la métrologie entre ces standards et leurs images scientifiques pour pousser le budget d'erreur bien inférieure à 1%. Depuis 2008, le groupe de Cosmologie de l'LPNHE a été impliqué dans la construction d'un système d'étalonnage spectrophotométrique pour la dernière génération des imageurs grand-champ. En particulier, l'équipe a conçu et construit SkyDICE (SkyMapper Direct Illumination Calibration Experiment), installé dans le dôme du télescope SkyMapper (Observatoire Siding Springs, Australie). Dans ce projet nous avons montré qu'il est possible de construire une source lumineuse à base des LEDs qui échantillonnent uniformément toute la gamme des longueur d'ondes visible du télescope SkyMapper. La stabilité de la source est remarquable, allant de quelques 10-4 pour la majorité des LEDs, à 10−3 pour les canaux les moins stables. J'ai détaillé l'étalonnage spectrophotométrique de l'appareil sur notre banc de test au LPNHE. Plus important encore, j'ai montré qu'il est possible de construire un modèle spectrophotométrique de chaque LED, qui peut prédire le spectre des LEDs à n'importe quelle température T. Chacun de ces modèles est livré avec un budget d'incertitude que représente (1)-le nombre limité de mesures spectroscopiques et photométriques et (2)-les incertitudes du banc de test. Enfin, j'ai décrit une méthode pour calibrer les bandes passantes effectives de l'imageur, et de surveiller les filtre avec des sériés d'images d'étalonnage prises avec SkyDICE. Cette méthode prend en compte toutes les incertitudes du banc d'essai et le propage aussi exactement que possible. Le méthode est actuellement appliqué à l'ensemble de données réelles de SkyDICE, et ce qui a été présenté ici est un ensemble de tests effectués sur des ensembles de données simulées. Un résultat important de ce travail est que, malgré le fait que les LEDs ne sont pas des sources monochromatiques, nous sommes en mesure de contrôler la position des fronts de filtre avec une précision bien inférieure à 1-nm. En ce qui concerne la bande passante étalonné, nous avons calculé les incertitudes affectant nos estimations sur la normalisation de la bande passante, par rapport à la bande r. Dans le meilleur scénario, où les incertitudes sont tous corrélés positivement, nous avons montré que, après quelques analyses d'étalonnage, nous nous attelons à une précision d'environ 0,4% dans les bandes u et v et d'environ 0,3% dans les autres bandes. L'analyse de l'ensemble de données des SkyDICE est toujours en cours et le premier contraintes seront publiés bientôt.