Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [250]-268).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 258-281). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 258-281). Also available online.

A new detector for atomic spectroscopy was developed based on the photoacoustic principle. A simple system was constructed based on this detector and applied to the trace analysis of mercury. The detection limit was found to be about 0.2 ug/1 of mercury with a one milliliter sample.

No description available.

Ce travail de thèse, essentiellement de nature expérimentale, s’inscrit dans le domaine de la physique moléculaire en phase gazeuse avec des applications en astrophysique. Il porte sur l’étude de la photoexcitation et de la relaxation de molécules de la famille des cyanopolyynes qui sont détectées dans plusieurs objets du milieu interstellaire (nuages moléculaires, comètes) et dans les atmosphères planétaires comme celle de Titan. Ces composés participent à la chimie du carbone dans ces milieux en interagissant avec le rayonnement interstellaire ou avec le flux solaire dans le domaine spectral de l’ultraviolet du vide (VUV). La structure électronique excitée de plusieurs cyanopolyynes neutres a été étudiée avec la spectroscopie d’absorption par transformée de Fourier. Ces expériences ont permis d’identifier les états de Rydberg et de mesurer la section efficace absolue de photoabsorption. Parmi les processus de relaxation ouverts suite à la photoexcitation VUV, les voies d’ionisation et d’ionisation dissociative ont été explorées de façon détaillée à l’aide du rayonnement synchrotron SOLEIL ou du rayonnement laser du Centre Laser de l'Université Paris-Sud. Des informations variées (potentiels d’ionisation vers les premiers états électroniques, fréquences vibrationnelles, couplages vibroniques, etc) ont été obtenues sur les cations de cyanopolyynes via l’utilisation de la spectroscopie de photoélectrons de seuil et de la spectroscopie de photoélectrons d’énergie cinétique nulle. Enfin, la détection par spectrométrie de masse des fragments cationiques issus de l’ionisation dissociative a permis de mesurer leur énergie d’apparition et de déterminer leur voie de formation à l’aide de calculs DFT menés par un collaborateur. / This PhD thesis presents essentially an experimental work dealing with gas-phase molecular physics with astrophysical applications. The goal of the PhD is the study of the photoexcitation and relaxation of cyanopolyyne molecules that have been detected in different interstellar objects (molecular clouds, comets), and in planetary atmospheres (e.g. Titan). These molecules contribute to the carbon chemistry of these media by interacting with the interstellar radiation or with the solar flux in the vacuum ultraviolet range (VUV). The excited electronic structure of neutral cyanopolyynes was studied by absorption spectroscopy with a VUV Fourier-transform spectrometer. These experiments allowed us to identify the Rydberg states, and to measure the absolute photoabsorption cross section.Among the different open relaxation processes following a VUV photoexcitation, ionisation and dissociative ionisation have been investigated in detail using SOLEIL synchrotron radiation or laser sources of Centre Laser de l’Université Paris-Sud. Data on the ionisation potentials toward the first electronic states, vibrational frequencies, vibronic couplings, etc. were obtained on cyanopolyyne cations with the use of threshold photoelectron spectroscopy and zero-kinetic-energy photelectron spectroscopy. Finally, cationic species created by dissociative ionisation of cyanopolyynes were detected by mass spectrometry. The threshold energies were measured and the formation channel of these fragments was determined with the help of DFT calculations performed by a collaborator.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Bibliography: leaves [250]-268 / 268, ca. 130 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics, 1983

Medimos a seção de choque de fotofissão do 238U entre 200 e 1200 MeV, utilizando um feixe de fótons monocromáticos formados a partir da radiação de Bremsstrahlung dos elétrons armazenados no síncrotron Adone, em Frascati (Itália). Verificamos que para este núcleo, nesta faixa de energias, as seções de choque de fotofissâo e de fotoabsorção podem ser consideradas iguais, dentro dos erros experimentais. Comparando a seção de choque de fotoabsorção do urânio com a de outros núcleos, medidas também por nós em Frascati, verificamos que não há indícios do efeito de sombreamento até 1200 MeV. Por outro lado, comparando os nossos resultados com a seção de choque de fotoabsorção do próton na mesma faixa de energia, concluímos que as ressonâncias nucleônicas a energias superiores à da delta, notadamente as ressonâncias D13 e F15, são fortemente amortecidas nos núcleos complexos. Introduzimos um modelo fenomenológico a fim de descrever os nossos dados experimentais, obtendo resultados muito satisfatórios. / We have measured the 238U photofission cross section between 200 and 1200 MeV using a Bremsstrahlung monochromatic photon beam in the Adone facilities, at Frascati (Italy). For this nucleus, we have verified that, at the energy range considered here, the photofission and photoabsorption cross sections can be considered as being identical. From the comparison of the uranium photoabsorption cross section with that one for other nuclei, also measured in Frascati, we verified that there is no evidence of the shadowing effect up to 1200 MeV. On the other hand, by comparing our results with the próton photoabsorption cross section in the same energy range, we concluded that there is an strong damping of the nucleonic resonances in the D13 and F15 region. We introduced a fenomenologic model to describe our experimental data, obtaining very satisfatory results.