Nonlinear mesoscopic elastic (NME) materials present ananomalous nonlinear elastic behavior, which could not beexplained by classical theories. New physical mechanismsshould be individuated to explain NMEs response.Dislocations in damaged metals, fluids in rocks andadhesion (in composites) could be plausible. In this thesisI have searched for differences in the macroscopic elasticresponse of materials which could be ascribed to differentphysical processes. I have found that the nonlinearindicators follow a power law behavior as a function of theexcitation energy, with exponent ranging from 1 to 3 (thisis not completely new). This allowed to classify materialsinto well-defined classes, each characterized by a value ofthe exponent and specific microstructural properties. Tolink the measured power law exponent to plausiblephysical mechanisms, I have extended thePreisach-Mayergoyz formalism for hysteresis to multi-statemodels. Specific multi-state discrete models have beenderived from continuous microscopic physical processes,such as adhesion-clapping, adhesion-capillary forces,dislocations motion and hysteresis. In each model, themicroscopic behavior is described by a multistate equationof state, with parameters which are statisticallydistributed. Averaging over many microscopic elements theso-called mesoscopic equation of state is derived and, fromwave propagation simulations in a sample composed bymany mesoscopic elements, the experimental results couldbe reproduced. In the work of the thesis, I have shownthat model predictions of the exponent b ( the exponent bhas not been introduced before) are linked in a 'a priori'predictable way to the number of states and the propertiesof the statistical distribution adopted. We have classifiedmodels into classes defined by a different exponent b andcomparing with experimental results we have suggestedplausible mechanisms for the nonlinearity generation.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Prakash Krishnaswami / Xiao J. Xin / Over the past two decades meshless methods have attracted much attention owing to their advantages in adaptivity, higher degree of solution field continuity, and capability to handle moving boundary and changing geometry. In this work, a meshless integral method based on the regularized boundary integral equation has been developed and applied to two-dimensional linear elasticity and elastoplasticity with small or large deformation. The development of the meshless integral method and its application to two-dimensional linear elasticity is described first. The governing integral equation is obtained from the weak form of elasticity over a local sub-domain, and the moving least-squares approximation is employed for meshless function approximation. This formulation incorporates: a subtraction method for singularity removal in the boundary integral equation, a special numerical integration for the calculation of integrals with weak singularity which further improves accuracy, a collocation method for the imposition of essential boundary conditions, and a method for incorporation of natural boundary conditions in the system governing equation. Next, elastoplastic material behavior with small deformation is introduced into the meshless integral method. The constitutive law is rate-independent flow theory based on von Mises yielding criterion with isotropic hardening. The method is then extended to large deformation plasticity based on Green-Naghdi’s theory using updated Lagrangian description. The Green-Lagrange strain is decomposed into the elastic and plastic part, and the elastoplastic constitutive law is employed that relates the Green-Lagrange strain to the second Piola-Kirchhoff stress. Finally, a pre- and post-processor for the meshless method using node- and pixel-based approach is presented. Numerical results from the meshless integral method agree well with available analytical solutions or finite element results, and the comparisons demonstrate that the meshless integral method is accurate and robust. This research lays the foundation for modeling and simulation of metal cutting processes.

Depuis que leur particularité a été mise en évidence, lesmatériaux non-linéaires mésoscopiques tels que le béton,les roches, les composites, les tissus biologiques, etc.suscitent un intérêt de plus en plus croissant. L’étude ducomportement dynamique de ces matériaux à l’aide de lathéorie classique de Landau s’est révélée incapabled’expliquer les différentes observations expérimentaleseffectuées sur cette “nouvelle classe“ de matériaux. Eneffet, ces derniers présentent des singularités(microfissures, contacts, joins de grains, dislocations, etc.)distribuées de manière hétérogène à l’échellemésoscopique. Par conséquent, différents mécanismesphysiques associés au comportement desdites singularitéspeuvent être à l’origine des non-linéarités observées.Ce travail de thèse s’intéresse à la réponse macroscopiquede différents matériaux mésoscopiques et ce dans le butd’extraire des indicateurs non-linéaires y dont ladépendance en fonction de l’amplitude d’excitation x estune loi de puissance y = axb indépendamment de laméthode expérimentale adoptée. En général, l’exposant bconnu pour être lié au mécanisme physique responsablede la non-linéarité varie de 1 à 3. Dans un premier temps,le lien existant entre les propriétés de la microstructure dechacun des matériaux étudiés et la valeur de l’exposant bnous a permis de définir différentes classes de matériaux.Par ailleurs, ce travail de thèse est également destiné àétudier la relation entre la valeur mesurée de l’exposent bet les mécanismes physiques microscopiques générés parla perturbation acoustique. A cet effet, le formalisme dePreisach-Mayergoyz a été généralisé pour définir desmodèles multi-états. Cela s’est effectué en discrétisant lesdifférentes équations continues qui décrivent différentsmécanismes physiques microscopiques tels que l’adhésionou le clapping entre les deux surfaces d’une microfissure,les forces capillaires dues à la présence de fluides ou lemouvement des dislocations au sein d’un polycristal. Danschaque modèle, on définit un ensemble statistiqued’éléments microscopiques où chaque élément estcaractérisé par ses constantes élastiques décrivant sonétat mécanique et ses paramètres de transition inter-états.La prise en compte de tous les éléments microscopiquespermet de décrire le comportement global mésoscopique.Moyennant cette démarche, il nous a ainsi été possible deremonter aux résultats expérimentaux par simplerésolution de l’équation de propagation dans un milieucomposé de plusieurs éléments mésoscopiques.L’un des résultats importants de cette thèse est que lavaleur de l’exposant b peut être théoriquement préditeconnaissant le nombre de paramètres de transition dans lemodèle, les contraintes géométriques ainsi que leurdistribution statistique. De plus, l’application de cetteétude dans le cas du béton de génie civil graduellementmicrofissuré a permis de montrer que la prise en compted’un seul mécanisme de non-linéarité n’était passuffisante pour expliquer les observations expérimentales.En effet, l’étude théorique a montré que l’évolution de lamicrofissuration entraine celle des mécanismesnon-linéaires mis en jeu où la combinaison“hystérésis-clapping“, par exemple, a permis d’expliquerl’évolution du comportement non-linéaire du béton degénie civil à l’échelle microscopique. / Nonlinear mesoscopic elastic (NME) materials present ananomalous nonlinear elastic behavior, which could not beexplained by classical theories. New physical mechanismsshould be individuated to explain NMEs response.Dislocations in damaged metals, fluids in rocks andadhesion (in composites) could be plausible. In this thesisI have searched for differences in the macroscopic elasticresponse of materials which could be ascribed to differentphysical processes. I have found that the nonlinearindicators follow a power law behavior as a function of theexcitation energy, with exponent ranging from 1 to 3 (thisis not completely new). This allowed to classify materialsinto well-defined classes, each characterized by a value ofthe exponent and specific microstructural properties. Tolink the measured power law exponent to plausiblephysical mechanisms, I have extended thePreisach-Mayergoyz formalism for hysteresis to multi-statemodels. Specific multi-state discrete models have beenderived from continuous microscopic physical processes,such as adhesion-clapping, adhesion-capillary forces,dislocations motion and hysteresis. In each model, themicroscopic behavior is described by a multistate equationof state, with parameters which are statisticallydistributed. Averaging over many microscopic elements theso-called mesoscopic equation of state is derived and, fromwave propagation simulations in a sample composed bymany mesoscopic elements, the experimental results couldbe reproduced. In the work of the thesis, I have shownthat model predictions of the exponent b ( the exponent bhas not been introduced before) are linked in a ‘a priori’predictable way to the number of states and the propertiesof the statistical distribution adopted. We have classifiedmodels into classes defined by a different exponent b andcomparing with experimental results we have suggestedplausible mechanisms for the nonlinearity generation.

This paper describes a MATLAB application with the main purpose of the simulation of noise components and noise elimination methods of Digital Radiography. The main parts of simulator are the model of a scene, procedures for loading the noise components to image data and methods for image processing. Various methods are employed depending on the type of noise. Subtraction techniques are used for the elimination of structural noise. The physical noise suppression is obtained using several methods of cumulation and Pixel Shift is used to reduce motion artifacts caused by the existence of moving noise. The techniques of superposition highlight the areas of interest in an image. Included are also auxiliary procedures for simulator running and presentation of final data. The model and the presented application can be used mainly for educational purposes as a powerful didactic tool.

Das Top-Quark ist das schwerste bekannte Elementarteilchen. Im Standardmodell (SM) der Elementarteilchenphysik ist die Erzeugung in Paaren durch die starke Wechselwirkung der dominante Beitrag zu seiner Produktion. Top-Quarks können durch die schwache Wechselwirkung ebenfalls einzeln produziert werden. Die Einzelproduktion ist trotz ihres schwierigen experimentellen Nachweises wegen ihrer Komplementarität zur Paarproduktion interessant. So sind einzeln produzierte Top-Quarks stark polarisiert. Diese Polarisation führt wegen des Zerfalls von Top-Quarks vor ihrer Hadronisierung zu experimentell zugänglichen Auswirkungen auf die Zerfallsprodukte. Weiterhin erlaubt die Beteiligung von Bottom-Quarks im Anfangszustand die Untersuchung der zugehörigen Partonverteilungsfunktion. In dieser Arbeit werden für phänomenologische Vorhersagen Wirkungsquerschnitte für die Produktion einzelner Top-Quarks oder Top-Antiquarks in Assoziation mit zwei Jets im SM berechnet. Dabei werden die Korrekturen in der nächstführenden Ordnung der Quantenchromodynamik (QCD) berücksichtigt. Diese Korrekturen bilden den wichtigsten Beitrag jenseits der führenden Ordnung zur Verbesserung der theoretischen Vorhersage. Präzise theoretische Vorhersagen für Wirkungsquerschnitte sind für die Suche nach Physik jenseits des SM mit dem Large Hadron Collider am CERN unerlässlich. Im Unterschied zu den im Jahr 2002 veröffentlichten Korrekturen in der QCD zur Produktion einzelner Top-Quarks wurde ein zusätzliches Teilchen im Endzustand berücksichtigt. Als Folge treten neue partonische Anfangszustände und Beiträge mit Farbaustausch zwischen den Quark-Linien auf. Da Top-Quarks nach kurzer Zeit in ein W-Boson und ein Bottom-Quark zerfallen, muss zugleich eine konsistente Abgrenzung von der Produktion einzelner Top-Quarks in Assoziation mit einem W-Boson und von der Paarproduktion vorgenommen werden. / The top quark is the heaviest known elementary particle. In the standard model (SM) of elementary particle physics it is produced predominantly in pairs by the strong interaction. The weak interaction enables the production of single top-quarks as well. Despite its difficult experimental signature, the production of single top-quarks is interesting as it is complementary to the production of pairs. For instance single top-quarks are highly polarized. As top quarks decay before they hadronize, the polarization affects the decay products of the top quark in an experimentally accessible way. Furthermore, the participation of bottom-quarks in the initial state allows a study of the corresponding parton distribution functions. This thesis makes phenomenological predictions for the SM by calculating cross sections for the production of single top-quarks in association with two jets. Next-to-leading order corrections in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are taken into account. These corrections are the most important contribution for precise predictions beyond the leading order calculation. Precise theoretical predictions for cross sections are mandatory for the search for new physics at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. In contrast to the QCD corrections for the production of single top-quarks published in 2002 an additional particle in the final state was taken into account. As a consequence, new partonic initial states and contributions with exchange of color charge between the quark lines occur. As top quarks decay rapidly into a W boson and a bottom quark, a consistent separation from the production of top quark pairs and from the production of single top-quarks in association with a W boson must be ensured.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a widely used tech-nique both for detecting and purifying substances in academy and in the industry. In order to facilitate the use of, and knowledge in HPLC, character-ization of stationary phases is of utmost importance. Tailor made characteri-zation methods and workflows are steadily increasing the speed and accura-cy in which new separation systems and methods are developed. In the field fundamental separation science and of preparative chromatography there is always the need for faster and more accurate methods of adsorption isotherm determination. Some of that demand are met with the steadily increase of computational power, but the practical aspects on models and methods must also be further developed. These nonlinear characterization methods will not only give models capable of describing the adsorption isotherm but also actual values of local adsorption energies and monolayer saturation capacity of an individual interaction sites etc.The studies presented in this thesis use modern alkali stable stationary phas-es as a model phase, which will give an insight in hybrid materials and their separation mechanism. This thesis will include an update and expansion in using the Elution by Characteristic Points (ECP) method for determination of adsorption isotherms. The precision is even further increased due to the ability to use slope data as well as an increase in usability by assigning a set of guidance rules to be applied when determine adsorption isotherms having inflection points. This thesis will further provide the reader with information about stationary phase characterization and the power of using existing tech-niques; combine them with each other, and also what the expansion of meth-ods can revile in terms of precision and increased usability. A more holistic view of what benefits that comes with combining a non-linear characteriza-tion of a stationary phase with more common linear characterization meth-ods are presented.