>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Physics is the study of natural phenomena. Nuclear physicists have since the discovery of the nucleus been working on understanding its dynamics. The nuclear chart, analogous to the periodic table of elements, is illustrated in Fig. 1.1 and color coded according to decay modes. Several theoretical models, based on various hypothesis, have been developed during the years in order to understand nuclear phenomena such as nucleon-nucleon (n-n) interactions, binding energies, radii, excited states, etc. Unfortunately, no-unique model is actually able to grasp all nuclear phenomena at the desired level of accuracy. Among the di erent models, we notice that two distinct hypotheses can be used to describe nuclear properties. Firstly, the independent particle shell model (IPSM) + the n-n residual interaction, which assumes that a nucleon moves independently in a potential generated by other nucleons. Secondly, the macroscopic models, where a nucleus is considered as a whole, i.e. neutrons and protons behave cooperatively and are mutually coupled to each other; highlighting the short-ranged character of the nuclear force. The liquid-drop model is an example of such macroscopic models. Re nement of these models is dependent on experimental observations that are better detailed for nuclei along the line of - stability, making up a small fraction of the known isotopes, as shown in Fig. 1.1. In practice, various techniques for studying exotic nuclei up to neutron and proton drip-lines have been devised, including the use of radioactive ion beams. However, the main challenges are the synthesization and short lived periods of these exotic nuclei resulting in insu cient data collection from which the characteristics and structural information are extracted. In general, nuclei have unique structures represented by a particular con guration as given by the shell model (SM). These structures impact a number of physical quantities, e.g. transition probabilities, cross sections and photon-strength functions. Experimental methods such as Coulomb excitation or electromagnetic radiation are used to probe these structures without invoking the nuclear force.

Cálculos dos espectros (E,J ) e das propriedades eletromagnéticas (U,Q,BE2,BM1) são realizados para isótopos ímpares do Ni, e isótopos ímpares com N=82, empregando o modelo de camadas (MC), a aproximação BCS usual (uma e três quasipartículas), BCS com blocking (BBCS) e BCS projetada (PBCS). São examinadas, em detalhe, a importância das correlações de cinco quasipartículas e das correções introduzidas em BCS. Os graus de liberdade coletivos do caroço são introduzidos através do acoplamento quasipartículas cluster vibrador (ACQPV), de modo que nosso formalismo possibilita tanto a inclusão de blocking como a projeção em número de partículas no cluster de uma e três quasipartículas. São realizados cálculos comparativos entre a versão com blocking (BQPCV) e com projeção (PQPCV) para os espectros e as propriedades eletromagnéticas de isótopos ímpares do Zn. A versão projetada é aplicada a isótopos do Césio, na descrição dos estados 5/2+ gerados pelo acoplamento anômalo. / We calculate nuclear spectra (E,J ) and electromagnetic properties (U,,BE2,BM1) for odd Ni isotopes and N=82 odd nuclei, using the shell model (MC), the usual BCS approximation (one and three quasiparticles ), blocking (BBCS) and projected (PBCS) BCS. The effects of five quasiparticles correlations and BCS corrections are carefully investigated. We introduce the core collective degrees of freedom by the quasiparticle- cluster- vibration coupling (ACQPV) , in such a way that our treatment makes possible to introduce both blocking and particle- number- projection in one and three quasiparticle cluster. Blocking (BQPCV) and projected (PQPCV) versions are compared for spectra and electromagnetic properties of odd Zn isotopes . Projected version is applied to Cs isotopes, in order to describe the 5/2+ states generated by anomalous coupling.

Solving the cooling flow problem in cool-core galaxy clusters is critical to under- standing the largest structures in the universe. In addition, cool-core systems are the only places where we have observed direct evidence of AGN feedback, and thus provide the unique opportunity to test models of AGN feedback and various other physical processes. In this thesis we study the influence of momentum-driven AGN feedback on cool-core clusters using high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations. We find that run-away cooling first happens only in the central 50 pc region while no local instability develops outside the very center of the cluster. The gas is accreted onto the super-massive black hole (SMBH) which powers AGN jets at an increasing rate as the entropy continues to decrease in the core. The ICM first cools into clumps along the propagation direction of the AGN jets due to the non-linear perturbation. As the jet power increases, gas condensation occurs isotropically, forming spatially extended (up to a few tens kpc) structures that resemble the observed Hα filaments in Perseus and many other cool-core cluster. Jet heating elevates the gas entropy and cooling time, halting clump formation. The cold gas that is not accreted onto the SMBH settles into a rotating disk. In the last few Gyr, the ICM cools onto the disk directly while the innermost region of the disk continues to accrete onto the SMBH, powering the AGN jets to achieve a thermal balance. The mass cooling rate averaged over 7 Gyr is &sim 30 solarmass/yr, an order of magnitude lower than the classic cooling flow value (which we obtain in runs without the AGN). Owing to its self-regulating mechanism, AGN feedback can successfully balance cooling with a wide range of model parameters. Besides suppressing cooling, our model produces cold structures in early stages (up to &sim 2 Gyr) that are in good agreement with the observations. However, the long-lived massive cold disk is unrealistic, suggesting that additional physical processes are still needed. Our recent investigation shows that star formation may play an important role.

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of progressive neurodegenerative disorders, which are caused by the expansion of an existing glutamine-coding CAG repeat in the coding region of disease genes. The cell nucleus is a major site of polyQ toxicity, and gene transcription is compromised in polyQ-induced neurodegeneration. Understanding the nuclear translocation of mutant polyQ proteins is therefore crucial to unfold the complex pathogenic mechanisms that underlie the neuronal toxicity of polyQ disease. The polyQ domain is the only common sequence found among different mutant disease proteins. Nuclear transport signals have been identified in some, but not all, polyQ disease proteins. The detection of those mutant polyQ proteins that carry no classical nuclear transport signal, but not their normal counterparts, in the cell nucleus suggests the existence of uncharacterized nuclear transport signals in mutant polyQ proteins. Thus, the objective of the present study is to elucidate the nuclear transport pathway(s) adopted by an expanded polyQ domain and determine its correlation with polyQ toxicity. / Through a series of genetic and biochemical studies in cell culture, mouse and transgenic Drosophila models, exportin-1 was found to modulate the nucleocytoplasmic localization of mutant polyQ protein and its toxicity. Further, mutant polyQ protein was also demonstrated to be a novel transport substrate of exportin-1. By promoting the nuclear export of mutant polyQ protein, exportin-1 suppressed polyQ toxicity by reducing the interference of mutant polyQ protein on gene transcription. It was found that the protein level of exportin-1 diminished in the normal ageing process, which would result in an exaggeration of nuclear mutant polyQ toxicity. Thus, the age-dependent decline of exportin-1 level, at least in part, accounts for the progressive degeneration observed in polyQ patients. Results obtained from this project first demonstrated that expanded polyQ domain is a nuclear export signal, and further provided mechanistic explanation of how protein nuclear transport receptors modulate polyQ toxicity. / Chan, Wing Man. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 71-01, Section: B, page: 0113. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 189-203). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Investigação da estrutura de núcleos exóticos é uma área bastante ativa da Física Nuclear atual. O desenvolvimento dessa área foi acentuado com a possibilidade de uso de feixes radioativos. Inspirados nessa possibilidade, laboratórios espalhados pelo mundo estão se desenvolvendo para produzir feixes radioativos de núcleos cada vez mais ricos em prótons ou em nêutrons. O uso de elementos radioativos como feixes têm oferecido oportunidades novas e únicas para pesquisa em física nuclear. Questões fundamentais tais como qual a natureza da matéria nuclear e como elementos pesados são sintetizados em novas, supernovas e estrelas de nêutrons podem ser abordadas em investigações utilizando-se feixes radioativos. Neste trabalho abordamos a produção de alguns desses feixes na região de massa A=10 e 15, especificamente, 10Be, 12B, 14C e 15C. Descrevemos métodos de produção e aplicamos simulações para produção de feixes com esses núcleos. Abordamos as peculiaridades na produção de cada um deles com o intuito de produzir feixes o mais intenso e puros possíveis. Nas simulações utilizamos a plataforma Lise++ baseada em método de Monte Carlo e foi dada ênfase na utilização de um sistema de duplo-solenoides. As simulações foram comparadas com resultados experimentais obtidos com esse sistema para os feixes de 12B e 14C, onde um bom acordo foi obtido. / Nuclear Structure Investigations of exotic nuclei is currently a very active area of Nuclear Physics. Many laboratories around the world are developing their system to produce radioactive beams of nuclei rich in protons or neutrons. The use of these radioactive elements as beams has offered new and unique opportunities for research in nuclear physics. Fundamental questions such as what the nature of nuclear matter is and how heavy elements are synthesized in novae, supernovae and neutron stars can be addressed in investigations using radioactive beams. In this work we address the production of some of these beams in the region of mass A = 10 and 15, specifically 10Be, 12B e 14,15C. We describe production methods and apply simulations using the plataforma Lise++ with Monte Carlo method. We addressed the peculiarities related to the production of each of them, in the sense to get the most intense and pure secondary radioactive beams possible. In the simulations, emphasis was given to the use of a double-solenoid system. The simulations were compared with experimental results obtained with these systems for the 12B and 14C beams, where a good agreement was obtained.

Abstract not available

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

H. H. Stroke, R. J. Blin-Stoyle and V. Jaccarino. / "August 15, 1961." "Reprinted from The Physical Review, vol. 123, no. 4, 1326-1348, August 15, 1961." / Includes bibliographical references. / Army Signal Corps Contract No. DA36-039-sc-78108. Dept. of the Army Task 3-99-20-001 and Project 3-99-00-000.

The thesis studies the bulk deformation properties of the Skyrme nuclear energy densityfunctionals. Following simple arguments based on the leptodermous expansion andliquid drop model, the current research applies the nuclear density functional theory toassess the role of the surface symmetry energy in nuclei. To this end, one can validatethe commonly used functional parametrizations against the data on excitation energies ofsuperdeformed band-heads in Hg and Pb isotopes, and fission isomers in actinide nuclei.After subtracting shell effects, the results of our self-consistent calculations are consistentwith macroscopic arguments and indicate that experimental data on strongly deformedcongurations in neutron-rich nuclei are essential for optimizing future nuclear energy densityfunctionals. The resulting survey provides a useful benchmark for further theoreticalimprovements. Unlike in nuclei close to the stability valley, whose macroscopic deformabilityhangs on the balance of surface and Coulomb terms, the deformability of neutron-richnuclei strongly depends on the surface-symmetry energy; hence, its proper determinationis crucial for the stability of deformed phases of the neutron-rich matter and descriptionof fission rates for r-process nucleosynthesis. The results and consequent discussions fromthe thesis were published in Ref. [134].

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-94).