Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In order to contribute to the teaching and learning of chemistry, this research is presented and it proposes an alternative methodology to the study of scientific concepts in optical isomerism. The choice of this subject is due to its great importance in pharmacology due to the fact that many prescribed drugs employ enantiomers of active compounds, bearing in mind the tragedy due to talidomida around the sixties, hence we judge the learning of this concepts, a matter of prime importance for the chemistry student. By knowing that the contentes is considered too abstract and theoretical, the main difficulties presented in the teaching and learning of optical isomerisms are identified in order to propose a study of the following concepts: light, dichroism, polarizers, birrefringence, light polarization from physics and the insertion of these concepts to derive relevant chemical concepts like optical activity, quirality, molecular asymmetry. These issues were worked on by students through experimental activities under a constructivist learning environment in which students acquired their own knowledge through interaction with lab instruments and group discussion. The didactic materials used in this work were all constructed by the author. The series of activities were done in a classroom of first year pharmacy students and they were made towards the application of concepts of isomery to selected issues on modern pharmacological research, expecting to motivate the students for their professional formation. The activities were evaluated through textual discusive analysis. The results allowed us to conclude that the activities involved as well as the didactic materials were suitable in satisfying the expected aims of this research and, therefore, we concluded that this proposal allowed a better teaching and learning of concepts of optical isomerism for introductory university general chemistry courses. / A fim de contribuir para o ensino e aprendizagem de química, desenvolveu-se esta pesquisa que propõe uma metodologia diferenciada para o estudo dos conceitos de isomeria óptica. A escolha por este assunto deve-se a sua grande importância na indústria farmacêutica, devido a muitos medicamentos utilizarem como princípios ativos alguns enantiômeros, e tendo em vista a tragédia acontecida com a talidomida por volta de 1960, julgamos o ensino destes conceitos de fundamental importância. Sabendo que o conteúdo apresentado é considerado muito abstrato e teórico, inicialmente na pesquisa foram identificadas as dificuldades vinculadas ao ensino e aprendizagem de conceitos de isomeria óptica, e baseando-se nisso, foram estudados os conceitos necessários para a aprendizagem destes. Foram abordados os seguintes conceitos: luz, dicroísmo/polaroides, birrefringência e polarização, vinculados a física, e posteriormente a introdução dos conceitos de atividade óptica, quiralidade/assimetria molecular referentes a química. Estes conceitos foram trabalhados por meio de atividades experimentais, numa perspectiva construtivista de ensino, na qual os estudantes construíram seu conhecimento a partir da interação com os materiais didáticos e outros estudantes. Os materiais didáticos utilizados na pesquisa foram planejados e desenvolvidos pela pesquisadora. A aplicação das atividades se deu em uma turma de ingressantes do curso superior de farmácia, e o ensino foi vinculado a sua aplicação nos medicamentos de maneira a tornar o ensino relevante para os estudantes, e assim motivá-los. Tais atividades foram avaliadas por meio de questionários abertos e fechados, os quais foram analisados por meio da Análise Textual Discursiva, os resultados obtidos nos permitiram concluir que as atividades desenvolvidas bem como os materiais didáticos, cumpriram com os objetivos esperados da pesquisa e favoreceram o ensino e aprendizagem dos conceitos de isomeria óptica.

Die Arbeit beschreibt die Analyse von Beobachtungen zweier Sonnenflecken in zweidimensionaler Spektro-Polarimetrie. Die Daten wurden mit dem Fabry-Pérot-Interferometer der Universität Göttingen am Vakuum-Turm-Teleskop auf Teneriffa erfasst. Von der aktiven Region NOAA 9516 wurde der volle Stokes-Vektor des polarisierten Lichts in der Absorptionslinie bei 630,249 nm in Einzelaufnahmen beobachtet, und von der aktiven Region NOAA 9036 wurde bei 617,3 nm Wellenlänge eine 90-minütige Zeitserie des zirkular polarisierten Lichts aufgezeichnet. Aus den reduzierten Daten werden Ergebniswerte für Intensität, Geschwindigkeit in Beobachtungsrichtung, magnetische Feldstärke sowie verschiedene weitere Plasmaparameter abgeleitet. Mehrere Ansätze zur Inversion solarer Modellatmosphären werden angewendet und verglichen. Die teilweise erheblichen Fehlereinflüsse werden ausführlich diskutiert. Das Frequenzverhalten der Ergebnisse und Abhängigkeiten nach Ort und Zeit werden mit Hilfe der Fourier- und Wavelet-Transformation weiter analysiert. Als Resultat lässt sich die Existenz eines hochfrequenten Bandes für Geschwindigkeitsoszillationen mit einer zentralen Frequenz von 75 Sekunden (13 mHz) bestätigen. In größeren photosphärischen Höhen von etwa 500 km entstammt die Mehrheit der damit zusammenhängenden Schockwellen den dunklen Anteilen der Granulen, im Unterschied zu anderen Frequenzbereichen. Die 75-Sekunden-Oszillationen werden ebenfalls in der aktiven Region beobachtet, vor allem in der Lichtbrücke. In den identifizierten Bändern oszillatorischer Power der Geschwindigkeit sind in einer dunklen, penumbralen Struktur sowie in der Lichtbrücke ausgeprägte Strukturen erkennbar, die sich mit einer Horizontalgeschwindigkeit von 5-8 km/s in die ruhige Sonne bewegen. Diese zeigen einen deutlichen Anstieg der Power, vor allem im 5-Minuten-Band, und stehen möglicherweise in Zusammenhang mit dem Phänomen der „Evershed-clouds“. Eingeschränkt durch ein sehr geringes Signal-Rausch-Verhältnis und hohe Fehlereinflüsse werden auch Magnetfeldvariationen mit einer Periode von sechs Minuten am Übergang von Umbra zu Penumbra in der Nähe einer Lichtbrücke beobachtet. Um die beschriebenen Resultate zu erzielen, wurden bestehende Visualisierungsverfahren der Frequenzanalyse verbessert oder neu entwickelt, insbesondere für Ergebnisse der Wavelet-Transformation. / The publication describes the analysis of two sunspot observations in two-dimensional spectropolarimetry. The data was obtained with the Fabry-Pérot-interferometer of Göttingen University at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope on Tenerife. Of the active region NOAA 9516 the full Stokes vector of polarised light was observed in the absorption line at 630.249 nm in single scans. A ninety minute time series of circular polarised light of the active region NOAA 9036 was observed at 617.3 nm wavelength. From the reduced data results for intensity, line-of-sight velocity, magnetic field strength as well as several other plasma parameters are inferred. Different approaches to solar atmosphere model inversion are applied and compared. The significant influence of errors is discussed in detail. The frequency behaviour of the results and spatial and temporal dependencies are further analysed by Fourier and wavelet transformation. As a result the existence of a high frequency band of velocity oscillations with a central frequency of about 75-seconds (13 mHz) can be confirmed. In greater heights of about 500 km the majority of the corresponding shock waves are derived from darker parts of the granules in contrast to the dominant five-minute-oscillations. 75-second-oscillations can also be observed in the active region, especially in the light bridge. In the identified bands of oscillatory velocity power, distinct structures become visible in a penumbral dark structure as well as in the light bridge that move into the quiet sun with a horizontal speed of 5-8 km/s. They show an increase in power, mostly 5-minute-band, and may be related to the Evershed cloud phenomenon. Under the constraint of a very low signal-to-noise ratio and high error influence, magnetic field variations of a 6-minute period are also observed in an umbral-penumbral transition area close to a light bridge. To derive these results, existing visualisation methods for frequency analysis where improved or newly developed, especially so for wavelet transform results.

In this thesis the main objectives were to improve the liquid crystal shutters and to develop a stereoscopic vision application called 3D Dual View. The vision quality of a 3D system based on active glasses is direct related to the performance of the liquid crystal shutters. There are a lot of parameters that plays an important role in the quality of 3D glasses. Thus, efforts were concentrated in the organization of the liquid crystal molecules between the substrates and in the liquid crystal itself. We studied different configurations of shutters using nematic liquid crystal and ferroelectric liquid crystal (smectic), with and without polymer. Furthermore, the ferroelectric samples were analyzed using a full optical snapshot matrix Mueller polarimenter made by UBO (Université de Bretagne Occidentale) in partnership with Télécom-Bretagne. The second part was the development of 3D Dual View System. It is a stereoscopic vision system based on a mixture of active and passive 3D solution which displays a 3D image that can be viewed simultaneously by two spectators, but from different perspectives. To allow two different points-of-view of a scene or object in three dimensions, the system has to multiplex four images, one pair to form the 3D image for one viewer in one perspective and the other pair for the second viewer in other perspective. We describe different techniques to multiplex and demultiplex the video streams taking into account the physiological aspects, market, image quality and the crosstalk. The crosstalk between the images leads to an effect called ghosting, which the viewer sees a low intensity image that belongs to the other viewer. Then, we also characterized the ghosting effect (crosstalk) and proposed an algorithm of ghostbusting to compensate it.

Ce travail de thèse s’inscrit dans les thèmes de la photodégradation et de la biodégradation de polymère pouvant être ou non d’origine renouvelable. Il a pour principal objectif d’étudier la durabilité photochimique de différents polymères ou mélanges de polymères utilisés en particulier dans l’agriculture et donc soumis à un vieillissement climatique. La structure chimique des polymères est un des principaux paramètres susceptible d’influencer la photodégradation. Un ensemble de (co)polyesters comportant des unités aliphatiques, cycliques et / ou aromatiques a été sélectionné dans le but d’exprimer une relation structure / photodurabilité. Le photovieillissement des matériaux a été réalisé en conditions naturelles et en conditions accélérées. Des mécanismes de photo-oxydation ont été proposés pour chacun des matériaux à partir de l’évolution des propriétés viscoélastiques traduisant celle de la structure macromoléculaire. Dans ce contexte, l’étude de la durabilité de ces matériaux respectueux de l’environnement doit s’intéresser à des systèmes extrêmement complexes dont chaque constituant est susceptible d’évoluer. Cette caractéristique exige de mettre au point une méthodologie permettant de déterminer la composition d’un biocomposite et d’en suivre les modifications en cours de vieillissement en même temps que l’évolution de la structuration de ces matériaux. / This thesis is part of the subject photodegradation and biodegradation of polymer that can be or not from renewable resources. Its main objective is to study the photochemical durability of various polymers or polymer blends used particularly in agriculture and therefore subject to weathering. The chemical structure of polymers is one of the main parameters that could influence the photodegradation. A set of (co)polyesters containing units aliphatic, cyclic and / or aromatic have been selected in order to express the relationships structure / photodurability. The photoageing of materials was carried out under natural and accelerated conditions. Photo-oxidation mechanisms have been suggested for each material based on the evolution of the viscoelastic properties reflecting the macromolecular structure. In this context, the study of the durability of these ecofriendly materials should address in highly complex systems in which each component is subject to change. This feature requires the development of a methodology to determine the composition of a biocomposite and monitor the changes during ageing at the same time as changing the structure of these materials.

In manufacturing processes, the quality of a product often depends on its surface, and careful control of surface properties is critical to meet customer requirements. A thin layer of polyethylene (PE) is applied to paperboard to increase barrier functionality and high optical quality of the product. For PE-coated paperboard, product quality inspection is performed at the end of the manufacturing process by taking a portion of the reel to the laboratory for quality inspection. These associated offline characterization methods are destructive and time consuming and are representative of only a small portion of the product. The overall goal of this thesis is to provide new methods to characterize the Surface properties of PE-coated paperboard. Specifically, to determine imaging techniques for measuring surface parameters that affect its barrier functionality and surface roughness. In this thesis, two methods for surface characterization of PE-coated paperboard are presented to quantify the two most important product-related quality parameters, i.e. barrier functionality and optical quality, which are affected by the presence of defects in the coating and by the surface roughness of the product, respectively. First, a full-Stokes imaging polarimeter (FSIP) is used to detect the presence of PE-coated material and to distinguish between coated and uncoated samples at the pixel level. Second, a three-dimensional scanning electron microscope (3D SEM) is employed to calculate the Surface roughness of PE-coated paperboard. These surface characterization techniques offer an advantage over the industry standard due to the high speed and non-contact nature of the measurement, while increasing the throughput of the sample surface parameters studied. A classification accuracy of 99, 74% is achieved using a FSIP to distinguish between PE- and non-PE-coated paperboard at pixel level. Using the 3D SEM technique to measure the topography of PE-coated samples results in a faster method that is comparable in accuracy to a chromatic confocal microscope (CCM). The surface roughness measured with the 3D SEM differs from the standard method by up to 6% and good agreement with statistical parameters is found. In general, surface analysis of PE-coated is often a complex and difficult task for imaging techniques and suitable methods need to be evaluated for their sensitivity to measure the desired surface parameters. The presented characterization techniques inspect larger areas of PE-coated paperboard compared to current industry standards. These methods provide a quantitative solution for surface characterization to inspect the surface parameters necessary to assure the product’s quality.

The spin transport and dynamics of optically injected spin polarized carri- ers are studied with a high spatial and/or time resolution in semiconductor GaAs-based heterostructures in multiple transport regimes. An unexpectedly long-scale and high-speed spin diffusion transport is observed in a long-lived electron sub-system induced optically at an undoped single GaAs/AlGaAs heterointerface. A diffusion and drift-dominated spin transport is investi- gated using an electrical spin-detection via the inverse spin Hall effect in doped GaAs-based systems at room and low temperatures. It is shown that the inverse spin Hall signal and the spin transport parameters can be con- trolled by a direct application of an electric field or by expanding a depleted zone of a planar pn-junction.

This thesis concerns with the study of X-ray binaries which are gravitationally bound systems consisting of a compact object (either a neutron star or a black hole) and usually a non degenerate companion star, both rotating around the common centre of mass. The compact star shines brightly in the X-ray regime. Emission from these systems are powered by accretion which is the most radioactively efficient mechanism known in the universe by the release of gravitational potential energy when matter from the companion star falls on the compact object. Accretion onto high magnetic field neutron stars are special as the magnetic field plays a crucial role in governing the dynamics of gas flow and the flow of the matter close to the compact object. The radiation emitted from these systems are anisotropic and for a distant observer, the intensity is modulated at the spin period of the neutron star, hence these objects are called accretion powered pulsars. The angular pattern of the emitted radiation is also highly anisotropic and depends on the mass accreted and hence the luminosity. The beaming pattern commonly known as the pulse profiles exhibit a wide variety in the pulse shape and pulse fraction and vary with energy as well as intensity. They also exhibit cyclotron absorption features in their energy spectrum which are a direct probe to the magnetic field geometry of these systems. This thesis is dedicated to the study of the magnetic field and emission geometry of accretion powered pulsars through the pulse phase resolved studies of the cyclotron absorption features which are a direct probe of the magnetized plasma. In order to study these features in detail broadband continuum modeling of the energy spectrum is done, taking care of all other factors which may smear the pulse phase dependence. Another prerequisite for detailed continuum modeling is accounting for the low absorption dips in the pulse profiles of many these sources. The dips are presumably formed by phase locked accretion stream causing partial covering absorption when the stream is along our line of sight towards the emission region. Studying the pulse phase dependence of this partial covering absorber also provides us with important clues on the local environment of the neutron star and the structure of the accretion stream. All of these studies are performed with data from the broadband and most sensitive instruments onboard the Japanese satellite Suzuki. Lastly we provide estimates of the polarization expected to be detected from these sources by a Thomson scattering polarimeter being developed to observe the polarization of X-rays in the energy range of 5--30 keV. Along with the X-ray pulsars, we also make an estimate of the likelihood of detection of X-ray polarization from black hole X-ray binaries in different spectral states. This is a particularly interesting topic as it will play a crucial role in providing additional handles on the magnetic field geometry in accretion powered pulsars as well as constrain the fundamental parameters of a black hole like its spin.

This diploma thesis deals with the influence of long fiber optic paths on the polarization state of light and their use for powering polarization sensors. The aim of the diploma thesis was to design the arrangement of optical fiber components so that the polarization properties of light at the end of the path are further usable for sensory purposes. Four partial measurements with a long path (in a laboratory setting, laying in the ground, on a curtain, under the influence of external influence) and one measurement without a path under the influence of external influence were designed. The overall measurement results demonstrate that for the functional power supply of long-distance sensor systems, an existing single-mode fiber can be used (laid by laying in the ground), into which a light source for a given sensor system would be multiplexed. In the discussion, all types of measurements are analyzed and compared with each other. Finally, the overall result is summarized and applications are described in which such a sensor system could be used.

birefringance, degreeofpolarization, polarization, Stokesvectors, Poincarésphere, state of polarization, optical power, sensoric fibre, polarization-maintaining fiber, polaroid, poalrimeter