Nous allons assister au cours de la prochaine décennie, à la première lumière des nouveaux Extremely Large Telescopes. Leur grande taille (de 25 à 39 m de diamètre) permet d’augmenter à la fois leur sensibilité et leur résolution angulaire. Cependant, la résolution angulaire d'un télescope terrestre, est toujours limitée par la turbulence atmosphérique. Pour pallier à ce problème, les grands télescopes sont désormais équipés d'instruments d’Optique Adaptative (OA). L’OA est une technique qui permet d’analyser les effets de la turbulence et de les compenser en temps réel à l’aide de miroirs déformables. En complément, la plupart des télescopes de la génération 8-10 m sont maintenant équipés de systèmes d’étoiles lasers qui permettent d’augmenter la proportion du ciel pouvant bénéficier d’une correction par OA: on parle alors d'Optique Adaptative Grand Champ (OAGC). Malgré les excellentes performances de ces systèmes, la correction apportée aux images reste partielle et des résidus de correction limitent encore leur qualité. Pour extraire les meilleurs résultats scientifiques des images issues de l'OAGC, il est donc essentiel d'optimiser les outils de réduction et d'analyse de données. La première partie de cette thèse détaille une analyse astrophysique de données OAGC ayant pour but d'étudier la formation des étoiles massives dans un environnement extra-galactique. Au delà des résultats scientifiques nouveaux, cette étude a permis de mettre en évidence les termes d'erreur limitant l'analyse scientifique de données OAGC. La seconde partie de cette thèse est dédiée au développement d'un nouvel outil de correction de la distorsion permettant de réduire ces termes d'erreurs. / The next decade will see the first light of the new Extremely Large Telescopes. Their large diameter (from 25 to 39 meters across), increases both their sensitivity and their angular resolution. However, angular resolution of all sizes ground-based telescope is always strongly limited by the atmospheric turbulence. To tackle this problem and fully exploit their capabilities, large optical telescopes are now indissociable of their Adaptive Optics (AO) instruments. AO is a technic that consists in analyzing the effects of turbulence on the wavefront and compensating for it in real time, thanks to one or several deformable mirrors in order to restore the initial angular resolution of optical telescopes. In addition, most of the 8-10 meters telescopes are supplied with laser guide stars systems in order to increase the portion of the sky that can benefit for such an AO correction. Such systems are called Wide Field AO (WFAO). However, despite the excellent performance of such systems, the correction performed is not perfect and some residuals still limit the image quality. In order to get the best science results out of the WFAO images, dedicated and optimized reduction and analyses tools are needed. The first part of this document present an astrophysics analyses of WFAO images aiming to study massive star formation in an extra-galactic environment. In addition to new science results, the study carried out on these observations has enable to highlight the critical parameters that limit the scientific analyses of Wide Field AO data. The second part of this document is dedicated to the development of a new distorsion correction tool that aims to reduce these error terms.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as respostas cardiorrespiratórias, cinemáticas e neuromusculares de mulheres jovens realizando o exercício de corrida estacionária em diferentes cadências nos meios aquático e terrestre. Doze mulheres jovens, experientes na prática de hidroginástica, foram amostras voluntárias do estudo. Cada uma participou de duas sessões experimentais: 1) coleta dos dados de caracterização da amostra e realização de um teste de esforço máximo; 2) coleta das variáveis cardiorrespiratórias (freqüência cardíaca (FC), consumo de oxigênio (VO2), percentual da FC máxima (%FCmáx) e percentual do VO2 máximo (%VO2máx)), cinemáticas (velocidade angular média (VAMQ) e de pico do quadril (VAPQ)) e neuromusculares (amplitude do sinal eletromiográfico (EMG) dos músculos vasto lateral (VL), bíceps femoral (BF), reto femoral (RF) e semitendinoso (ST)). Para a coleta de tais variáveis, dois protocolos de testes foram realizados, um no meio terrestre e outro no meio aquático, com um intervalo de duas horas entre eles. Para cada um dos meios, o exercício de corrida estacionária foi realizado durante 4 min em 3 cadências submáximas (60, 80 e 100 bpm) e durante 15 s no máximo esforço, com um intervalo de 5 min entre cada situação. Utilizamos análise de variância com bloqueamento, considerando o efeito do sujeito como mais uma fonte de variação para a análise estatística, com os dados processados nos programas SPSS versão 13.0 e R-project. Como resultados, as variáveis VAMQ e VAPQ foram significativamente mais elevadas quando o exercício foi executado no meio terrestre, e maiores quanto maior a cadência de execução, sugerindo um padrão cinemático distinto entre os meios. Da mesma forma, as respostas cardiorrespiratórias foram maiores para o exercício no meio terrestre e aumentaram significativamente com o aumento da cadência de execução. Já as respostas neuromusculares não apresentaram um comportamento semelhante, visto que o sinal EMG dos músculos VL, BF, RF e ST não aumentou significativamente com o incremento da cadência de execução, exceto das cadências submáximas para o máximo esforço. Na comparação entre os meios, o meio terrestre apresentou respostas significativamente maiores para o sinal EMG de todos os músculos nas cadências submáximas, exceto para o músculo ST que apresentou respostas semelhantes. Entretanto, no máximo esforço todos os grupos musculares analisados apresentaram respostas similares entre os meios. Em suma, a realização do exercício de corrida estacionária no meio aquático em cadências de execução submáximas apresenta respostas cardiorrespiratórias e neuromusculares menores do que o mesmo executado no meio terrestre, para as cadências fixas do presente estudo. Todavia, em intensidades máximas, a amplitude do sinal EMG pode apresentar padrões de ativação muscular semelhante entre os meios. / The aim of the present study was to analyze the cardiorespiratory, kinematic and neuromuscular response of young women performing stationary running exercise at different cadences in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The study sample consisted of twelve young women, experienced in hydrogymnastics. Each one took part in two experimental sessions: 1) collection of sample characterization data and the performance of a maximum effort test; 2) collection of the cardiorespiratory (heart rate, (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), percentage of maximum HR (%HRmax) and percentage of maximum VO2 (%VO2max)), kinematic (mean hip angular velocity (MHAV) and peak hip angular velocity (PHAV)), and neuromusuclar variables (electromyographic signal amplitude (EMG) of the vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), rectus femoris (RF) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles). In order to collect these variables, two test protocols were carried out, one land-based and the other water-based, with a two-hour interval between them. The stationary running exercise was performed in each of these environments during 4 min at 3 submaximal cadences (60, 80, and 100 bpm) and during 15 s at maximum effort, with a 5 min-interval between each situation. We used blocked variance analysis, in which the effect of the subject was considered an additional source of variation for the statistical analysis. The data was processed using the SPSS (version 13.0) and R-project programs. The findings showed that the MHAV and PHAV were significantly higher when the exercise was performed on land, and higher the greater the cadence of execution, suggesting distinct kinematic patterns for the two environments. Similarly, the cardiorespiratory responses were higher with the land-based exercise and increased significantly with increased cadence. The neuromuscular responses, however, showed no such behavior, with the EMG signal from the VL, BF, RF and ST muscles showing no significant increase with greater cadence of execution, except from the sub-maximum cadences to the maximum effort. When comparing the environments, the terrestrial environment presented significantly greater EMG signal responses from all the muscles at the sub-maximum cadences, except for the ST muscle which presented similar responses in both environments. However, at the maximum effort, all the analyzed muscle groups showed similar responses in both environments. In summary, at the cadences used in the present study, the performance of the stationary running exercise in an aquatic environment at a sub-maximum cadences presents lower cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular responses than the same exercise performed on land. Yet, at maximum intensities, the amplitude of the EMG signal may present similar muscular activation patterns in the two environments.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as respostas cardiorrespiratórias, cinemáticas e neuromusculares de mulheres jovens realizando o exercício de corrida estacionária em diferentes cadências nos meios aquático e terrestre. Doze mulheres jovens, experientes na prática de hidroginástica, foram amostras voluntárias do estudo. Cada uma participou de duas sessões experimentais: 1) coleta dos dados de caracterização da amostra e realização de um teste de esforço máximo; 2) coleta das variáveis cardiorrespiratórias (freqüência cardíaca (FC), consumo de oxigênio (VO2), percentual da FC máxima (%FCmáx) e percentual do VO2 máximo (%VO2máx)), cinemáticas (velocidade angular média (VAMQ) e de pico do quadril (VAPQ)) e neuromusculares (amplitude do sinal eletromiográfico (EMG) dos músculos vasto lateral (VL), bíceps femoral (BF), reto femoral (RF) e semitendinoso (ST)). Para a coleta de tais variáveis, dois protocolos de testes foram realizados, um no meio terrestre e outro no meio aquático, com um intervalo de duas horas entre eles. Para cada um dos meios, o exercício de corrida estacionária foi realizado durante 4 min em 3 cadências submáximas (60, 80 e 100 bpm) e durante 15 s no máximo esforço, com um intervalo de 5 min entre cada situação. Utilizamos análise de variância com bloqueamento, considerando o efeito do sujeito como mais uma fonte de variação para a análise estatística, com os dados processados nos programas SPSS versão 13.0 e R-project. Como resultados, as variáveis VAMQ e VAPQ foram significativamente mais elevadas quando o exercício foi executado no meio terrestre, e maiores quanto maior a cadência de execução, sugerindo um padrão cinemático distinto entre os meios. Da mesma forma, as respostas cardiorrespiratórias foram maiores para o exercício no meio terrestre e aumentaram significativamente com o aumento da cadência de execução. Já as respostas neuromusculares não apresentaram um comportamento semelhante, visto que o sinal EMG dos músculos VL, BF, RF e ST não aumentou significativamente com o incremento da cadência de execução, exceto das cadências submáximas para o máximo esforço. Na comparação entre os meios, o meio terrestre apresentou respostas significativamente maiores para o sinal EMG de todos os músculos nas cadências submáximas, exceto para o músculo ST que apresentou respostas semelhantes. Entretanto, no máximo esforço todos os grupos musculares analisados apresentaram respostas similares entre os meios. Em suma, a realização do exercício de corrida estacionária no meio aquático em cadências de execução submáximas apresenta respostas cardiorrespiratórias e neuromusculares menores do que o mesmo executado no meio terrestre, para as cadências fixas do presente estudo. Todavia, em intensidades máximas, a amplitude do sinal EMG pode apresentar padrões de ativação muscular semelhante entre os meios. / The aim of the present study was to analyze the cardiorespiratory, kinematic and neuromuscular response of young women performing stationary running exercise at different cadences in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The study sample consisted of twelve young women, experienced in hydrogymnastics. Each one took part in two experimental sessions: 1) collection of sample characterization data and the performance of a maximum effort test; 2) collection of the cardiorespiratory (heart rate, (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), percentage of maximum HR (%HRmax) and percentage of maximum VO2 (%VO2max)), kinematic (mean hip angular velocity (MHAV) and peak hip angular velocity (PHAV)), and neuromusuclar variables (electromyographic signal amplitude (EMG) of the vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), rectus femoris (RF) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles). In order to collect these variables, two test protocols were carried out, one land-based and the other water-based, with a two-hour interval between them. The stationary running exercise was performed in each of these environments during 4 min at 3 submaximal cadences (60, 80, and 100 bpm) and during 15 s at maximum effort, with a 5 min-interval between each situation. We used blocked variance analysis, in which the effect of the subject was considered an additional source of variation for the statistical analysis. The data was processed using the SPSS (version 13.0) and R-project programs. The findings showed that the MHAV and PHAV were significantly higher when the exercise was performed on land, and higher the greater the cadence of execution, suggesting distinct kinematic patterns for the two environments. Similarly, the cardiorespiratory responses were higher with the land-based exercise and increased significantly with increased cadence. The neuromuscular responses, however, showed no such behavior, with the EMG signal from the VL, BF, RF and ST muscles showing no significant increase with greater cadence of execution, except from the sub-maximum cadences to the maximum effort. When comparing the environments, the terrestrial environment presented significantly greater EMG signal responses from all the muscles at the sub-maximum cadences, except for the ST muscle which presented similar responses in both environments. However, at the maximum effort, all the analyzed muscle groups showed similar responses in both environments. In summary, at the cadences used in the present study, the performance of the stationary running exercise in an aquatic environment at a sub-maximum cadences presents lower cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular responses than the same exercise performed on land. Yet, at maximum intensities, the amplitude of the EMG signal may present similar muscular activation patterns in the two environments.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Physics / Uwe Thumm / Although the latest and most powerful supercomputer today, Tianhe-2 in China, can finish 33.86 quadrillion floating-point operations per second (www.top500.org), it is still a big challenge to simulate the simplest few-electron system - the helium atom - a threebody system with one nucleus and two electrons. Within the fixed-nucleus approximation and time-dependent close coupling (TDCC) approach, we developed software to solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) accurately, implementing the finite-element discrete-variable representation (FE-DVR) scheme. The general idea of the method is to expand the wave functions in the eigenvectors of the angular momentum operator, which further transform the six-dimensional TDSE to a set of infinite two-dimensional coupled equations. Although there are infinitely many coupled equations, they can be truncated to a finite number of equations by applying selection rules and physical requirements, and solved with our current computational resources. By numerically solving the TDSE in full dimensionality, we investigate the double photoionization of helium atoms in external fields. In co-planar emission geometry with and without the presence of a comparatively weak infrared (IR) laser pulse, we discuss the double ionization (DI) dynamics of helium atoms irradiated by ultrashort pulses of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) laser light. We first investigate the degree of electronic correlation by correlated photoelectron angular distributions for two-photon double ionization (TPDI) of helium atoms in the sequential and non-sequential DI regime. We quantify sequential and non-sequential contributions to TPDI driven by an XUV pulse with central photon energy hw[subscript]xuv near the sequential DI threshold. If the spectral width of the XUV pulse is broad enough, both the sequntial (hw[subscript]xuv > 54.4 eV) and non-sequential (hw[subscript]xuv < 54.4 eV) channels are open. Therefore, the sequential and non-sequential DI mechanisms are difficult to distinguish. By tracking the DI asymmetry in joint photoelectron angular distributions, we introduce the forward-backward-emission asymmetry as a measure that allows the distinction of sequential and non-sequential contributions. Specifically, for hw[subscript]xuv = 50 eV pulses with a sine-squared temporal profile, we find that the sequential DI contribution is the largest at a pulse length of 650 as (1 as = 10[superscript]−18 s), due to competing temporal and spectral constraints. In addition, we validate a simple heuristic expression for the sequential DI contribution in comparison with ab initio calculations. We then investigate the influence of the laser field on the DI of helium by a single XUV pulse. For IR-laser-assisted single-XUV-photon DI our joint angular distributions show that the IR-laser field enhances back-to-back electron emission and induces a characteristic splitting in the angular distribution for electrons that are emitted symmetrically relative to the identical linear polarization directions of the XUV and IR pulse. These IR-pulse-induced changes in photoelectron angular distributions are (i) imposed by different symmetry constraints for XUV-pulse-only and laser-assisted XUV-photon DI, (ii) robust over a large range of energy sharing between the emitted electrons, and (iii) consistent with the transfer of discrete IR-photon momenta to both photoelectrons from the assisting IR-laser field. While selection-rule forbidden at equal energy sharing, for increasingly unequal energy sharing we find back-to-back emission to become more likely and to compete with symmetric emission. To obtain a high level of accuracy, accurate quantum-mechanical calculations of three Coulomb interacting particales exposed to an intense XUV and weak IR field are at the limit of current computational power. Any direct extension (such as strong laser-field intensity, elliptically-polarized field, and laser-induced DI) of our approach to more complicated systems appears to be currently out of reach. At the end of this thesis, we give suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of TDSE calculations for simulations of these complicated many-photon processes.

abstract: Head movement is a natural orienting behavior for sensing environmental events around us. Head movement is particularly important for identifying through the sense of hearing the location of an out-of-sight, rear-approaching target to avoid danger or threat. This research aims to design a portable device for detecting the head movement patterns of common marmoset monkeys in laboratory environments. Marmoset is a new-world primate species and has become increasingly popular for neuroscience research. Understanding the unique patterns of their head movements will improve its values as a new primate model for uncovering the neurobiology of natural orienting behavior. Due to their relatively small head size (5 cm in diameter) and body weight (300-500 g), the device has to meet several unique design requirements with respect to accuracy and workability. A head-mount wireless tracking system was implemented based on inertial sensors that are capable of detecting motion in the Yaw, Pitch and Roll axes. The sensors were connected to the encoding station, which transmits wirelessly the 3-axis movement data to the decoding station at the sampling rate of ~175 Hz. The decoding station relays this information to the computer for real-time display and analysis. Different tracking systems, based on the accelerometer and Inertial Measurement Unit is implemented to track the head movement pattern of the marmoset head. Using these systems, translational and rotational information of head movement are collected, and the data analysis focuses on the rotational head movement in body-constrained marmosets. Three stimulus conditions were tested: 1) Alert, 2) Idle 3) Sound only. The head movement patterns were examined when the house light was turned on and off for each stimulus. Angular velocity, angular displacement and angular acceleration were analyzed in all three axes. Fast and large head turns were observed in the Yaw axis in response to the alert stimuli and not much in the idle and sound-only stimulus conditions. Contrasting changes in speed and range of head movement were found between light-on and light-off situations. The mean peak angular displacement was 95 degrees (light on) and 55 (light off) and the mean peak angular velocity was 650 degrees/ second (light on) and 400 degrees/second (light off), respectively, in response to the alert stimuli. These results suggest that the marmoset monkeys may engage in different modes of orienting behaviors with respect to the availability of visual cues and thus the necessity of head movement. This study provides a useful tool for future studies in understanding the interplay among visual, auditory and vestibular systems during nature behavior. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Bioengineering 2015

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