Spectroscopic studies using absorption spectroscopy (AS), photofragmentation spectroscopy (PF-LIF), and cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) were preformed on 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene. The NO detection of the energetic material (EM) was done using combinations of the previous procedures. Calculations for the absorption coefficient and cross sections were obtained. The procedure of photofragmentation required heating of the sample to generate an absorption curve and a cross section. Absorption spectroscopy, which covered a range of 195-300 nm, also corresponded with the use of heating the sample to obtain the two values. Cavity ringdown spectroscopy investigations were done on the sample at room temperature. A higher accuracy for the level of detection was obtained using a combination of photofragmentation at various wavelengths and cavity ringdown spectroscopies.

Orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been studied for more than a century. Over three thousand orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been derived. These orbits are based on the radial velocities measured from the spectra recorded by a photographic plate to a high precision spectrum observed from a modern spectrograph. In many cases, the shape of the orbit was assumed to be circular, of hence the eccentricity is zero. This assumption is based on the fact that a small eccentricity (e < 0.1) measured from the observed data might be a result from the error of observations or from the intrinsic variation of a spectroscopic binary system. Sixteen southern spectroscopic binary systems, including twelve single-lined binaries and four double-lined binaries, were selected to study in this research program. These systems were assumed to have circular orbits or have very nearly circular orbits (e < 0.1) from their previous published solutions. The HERCULES spectrograph was used in conjunction with the 1-m McLellan telescope at Mt John University Observatory to collect the spectra of these systems. The observations, taken from October 2004 to August 2007, comprised about 2000 high-resolution spectra of spectroscopic binary systems and standard radial-velocity stars. Radial velocities of spectroscopic binary systems were measured from these spectra and orbital solutions of the systems were derived from these radial velocities. It was found that from HERCULES data, we are able to achieve high-precision orbital solutions of all the systems studied. The best-fit solutions can be improved as much as 70 times from the literature’s orbital solutions. It has been found that the precision of a system depends on the rotational velocities of the components as well as the level of their chromospheric activity. We are able to confirm the eccentricity in the orbit of only one of the selected spectroscopic binary systems, HD194215. Its eccentricity is 0.123 29 ± 0.000 78. The small eccentricities of other systems are not confirmed. There are four systems; HD22905, HD38099, HD85622 and HD197649, that have circular orbital solutions from the large errors in their measured eccentricities. Two systems, HD77258 and HD124425, have too small eccentricities, e = 0.000 85±0.000 19 and 0.002 60 ± 0.000 99 to be acceptable. An intrinsic variation is a presumed cause of the spurious eccentricities derived from the data of the other eight systems. Photometric data from Mt John University Observatory service photometry program, as well as the photometric data from the Hipparcos satellite and information of these systems from the literature, using various methods and instruments, give a wider view on the systems’ behaviour. It is possible that the spurious eccentricities derived for these systems result from the eclipsing behaviour of a system (HD50337), or from the nature of the components, such as, the distortion of their shape (HD352 and HD136905), their chromospheric activity (HD9053, HD3405, HD77137, HD101379 and HD155555), or stellar pulsation (HD30021). Models of the active chromosphere system, HD101379, have been simulated. An analysis of synthetic radial velocity data shows that spots on the star’s photosphere can cause a spurious eccentricity. The values of the spurious eccentricity and the longitude of periastron are dependent on the spot size, the spot temperature, and the position of the spots.

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The purpose of this thesis research was to explore the feasibility of spectral imaging using a microbolometer infrared camera and a step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Spectral imaging is usually carried out using cryogenically cooled semiconductor based focal plane arrays (FPAs) which provide higher sensitivity compared to microbolometer FPAs based on thermal sensors. The key advantage of spectral imaging is the ability to extract spatial variations of spectral information. During the measurement, images were collected as the moving mirror of the FTIR stepped across the zero crossings of the on-axis portion of the interferogram. The preliminary data indicate that interferograms can be successfully recorded using the microbolometer camera, and that data from individual pixels of the camera showed the expected intensity profile. The interferograms from the individual pixels were inverse Fourier transformed to recover the intensity of the broadband infrared source of the FTIR at different pixels. The initial data showed relatively low signal to noise ratio indicating that signal averaging is necessary at each mirror step by collecting several images as well as optimizing the image collecting optics.

A glow discharge using a solution as the cathode was investigated to add to the understanding of the operating mechanism and characteristics of such systems. The intensities and vertical distributions of emission from several analytes and background species were observed and compared with the vertical distribution of Fe excitation and OH rotational temperatures, as well as to electrical characteristics. The effects of the discharge gap size, the pH and conductivity of the solution, the applied current and the solution flow rate on these distributions were also studied. Detection limits for this system were found to be comparable to those of similar systems and mostly in range of tens of parts per billion.

Orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been studied for more than a century. Over three thousand orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been derived. These orbits are based on the radial velocities measured from the spectra recorded by a photographic plate to a high precision spectrum observed from a modern spectrograph. In many cases, the shape of the orbit was assumed to be circular, of hence the eccentricity is zero. This assumption is based on the fact that a small eccentricity (e < 0.1) measured from the observed data might be a result from the error of observations or from the intrinsic variation of a spectroscopic binary system. Sixteen southern spectroscopic binary systems, including twelve single-lined binaries and four double-lined binaries, were selected to study in this research program. These systems were assumed to have circular orbits or have very nearly circular orbits (e < 0.1) from their previous published solutions. The HERCULES spectrograph was used in conjunction with the 1-m McLellan telescope at Mt John University Observatory to collect the spectra of these systems. The observations, taken from October 2004 to August 2007, comprised about 2000 high-resolution spectra of spectroscopic binary systems and standard radial-velocity stars. Radial velocities of spectroscopic binary systems were measured from these spectra and orbital solutions of the systems were derived from these radial velocities. It was found that from HERCULES data, we are able to achieve high-precision orbital solutions of all the systems studied. The best-fit solutions can be improved as much as 70 times from the literature’s orbital solutions. It has been found that the precision of a system depends on the rotational velocities of the components as well as the level of their chromospheric activity. We are able to confirm the eccentricity in the orbit of only one of the selected spectroscopic binary systems, HD194215. Its eccentricity is 0.123 29 ± 0.000 78. The small eccentricities of other systems are not confirmed. There are four systems; HD22905, HD38099, HD85622 and HD197649, that have circular orbital solutions from the large errors in their measured eccentricities. Two systems, HD77258 and HD124425, have too small eccentricities, e = 0.000 85±0.000 19 and 0.002 60 ± 0.000 99 to be acceptable. An intrinsic variation is a presumed cause of the spurious eccentricities derived from the data of the other eight systems. Photometric data from Mt John University Observatory service photometry program, as well as the photometric data from the Hipparcos satellite and information of these systems from the literature, using various methods and instruments, give a wider view on the systems’ behaviour. It is possible that the spurious eccentricities derived for these systems result from the eclipsing behaviour of a system (HD50337), or from the nature of the components, such as, the distortion of their shape (HD352 and HD136905), their chromospheric activity (HD9053, HD3405, HD77137, HD101379 and HD155555), or stellar pulsation (HD30021). Models of the active chromosphere system, HD101379, have been simulated. An analysis of synthetic radial velocity data shows that spots on the star’s photosphere can cause a spurious eccentricity. The values of the spurious eccentricity and the longitude of periastron are dependent on the spot size, the spot temperature, and the position of the spots.