Various physical mechanisms that affect radiowave propagation at millimetre wavelengths are considered. Current modelling weaknesses are highlighted and new improved models or more appropriate modelling approaches are suggested. Interference and resonance phenomena in the scattering of spherical ice and water particles are reviewed. The long standing problem of the numerous resonances observed in the scattering diagrams of dielectric spheres is answered. The spatial structure and the physical characteristics of non-precipitable ice and water clouds are reviewed. Extinction and back scattering calculations for a wide variety of cloud models over the entire millimetre frequency spectrum are given. Multiple scattering and the effects of super-large drops in clouds are also dealt with. The potential of a spaceborne instrument in deducing information about the vertical structure of various cloud types is examined. Attenuation and reflectivity profiles resulting from various cloud types are calculated for a nadir pointing fixed beam millimetre wave radar operating at 94 GHz. The physics and application of the equation of radiative transfer to millimetre wave propagation in the earth's atmosphere are given and also is the solution of this equation for a typical millimetre wave remote sensing application. The theory of gaseous absorption at millimetre wavelengths is presented and an improved modelling approach is proposed for the calculation of the absorption and dispersion spectra of atmospheric gases. The effects of trace gases on communication systems operating at high altitudes are for the first time reported. Finally the use of the 60 GHz oxygen absorption band for top-side air traffic control/navigation and broadband transmission purposes is studied.

Measurements of the differential cross sections for backward (pi)('+)p and (pi)('-)p elastic scattering have been made for incident pion momenta between 30 and 90 GeV/c in the angular range 0 ) p(pi)('-), the (DELTA)(,(delta)) and N(,(alpha)) for (pi)('+)p (--->) p(pi)('+). As is given by this model, the momentum dependence of the differential cross-section, d(sigma)/du for fixed u, may be parameterized with the form (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE SEE DAI) The values n('+) = 2.31 (+OR-) 0.07 and n('-) = 2.08 (+OR-) 0.06 are obtained for n at u = 0 for (pi)('+) and (pi)('-) scattering respectively.

The technological interest in a material depends very much on its electrical, magnetic, optical and/or mechanical properties. In carbon nanotubes the atoms form a cylindrical structure with a diameter of the order 1 nm, but the nanotubes can be up to several hundred micrometers in length. This makes carbon nanotubes a remarkable model for one-dimensional systems. A lot of efforts have been dedicated to manufacturing carbon nanotubes, which is expected to be the material for the next generation of devices. Despite all the attention that carbon nanotubes have received from the scientific community, only rather limited progress has been made in the theoretical understanding of their physical properties. In this work, we attempt to provide an understanding of the electron-phonon and electron-defect interactions in semiconducting zigzag carbon nanotubes using a tight-binding approach. The electronic energy dispersion relations are calculated by applying the zone-folding technique to the dispersion relations of graphene. A fourth-nearest-neighbour force constant model has been applied to study the vibrational modes in the carbon nanotubes. Both the electron-phonon interaction and the electron-defect interaction are formulated within the tight-binding approximation, and analyzed in terms of their quantum mechanical scattering rates. Apart from the scattering rates, their components in terms of phonon absorption, phonon emission, backscattering and forward scattering have been determined and analyzed. The scattering rates for (5,0), (7,0), (10,0), (13,0) and (25,0) carbon nanotubes at room temperature and at 10K are presented and discussed. The phonon scattering rate is dependent on the lattice temperature in the interval 0-0.17 eV. We find that backscattering and phonon emission are dominant over forward scattering and phonon absorption in most of the energy interval. However, forward scattering and phonon absorption can be comparable to backscattering and phonon emission in limited energy intervals. The phonon modes associated with each peak in the electron-phonon scattering rates have been identified, and the similarities in the phonon scattering rates between different nanotubes are discussed. The dependence of the defect scattering rate on the tube diameter is similar to that of the phonon scattering rate. Both the phonon and the defect scattering rates show strong dependence on the tube diameter (i.e., the scattering rate decreases as a function of the index of the nanotube). It is observed that the backscattering and forward scattering for electrons interacting with defects occur with same frequency at all energies, in sharp contrast to the situation for phonon scattering. It is demonstrated that the differences in the scattering rate between different tubes are mainly due to the differences in their band structures.

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions le transport quantique d’ondes de matière avec des atomes ultrafroids. Ces systèmes d’atomes ultrafroids fournissent un très bon contrôle et une grande flexibilité pour les paramètres du système tels que les interactions, sa dimensionnalité et les potentiels externes. Cela les rend un excellent outil pour l’étude de plusieurs concepts fondamentaux de la physique de la matière condensée. Nous nous concentrons sur le transport quantique dans les milieux désordonnés. Il diffère du transport classique par le rôle fondamental joué par les phénomènes d’inférence, qui peuvent éventuellement conduire à la suppression du transport; connu comme la Localisation d’Anderson. Nous étudions l’expansion d’un condensat de Bose-Einstein dans un désordre fort et montrons des signes de localisation d’atomes ultrafroids à trois dimensions. Dans la dernière partie de ce manuscrit, nous discutons l’observation de la rétrodiffusion cohérente d’atomes ultrafroids, ce qui est un signal direct du rôle de la cohérence quantique dans le transport quantique dans les milieux désordonnés. Nous observons l’évolution temporelle de la distribution d’impulsions d’un nuage de atomes ultrafroids, lancé avec une distribution de vitesse étroite dans un potentiel désordonné. Un pic émerge dans le sens rétrograde, correspondant au signal de CBS. / In this thesis we study the quantum transport of matter waves with ultracold atoms. Such ultracold atom systems provide a very good control and a high flexibility of the parameters of the systems like the interactions, its dimensionality and the external potentials. This makes them a great tool for the investigation of several fundamental concepts of condensed matter physics. We focus on the quantum transport in disordered media. It differs to classical transport by the fundamental role played by inference phenomena, which can eventually lead to the suppression of transport; known as Anderson Localization. Observing the expansion of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a strong light disorder, we show evidence for Localization of ultracold atoms in three dimensions. In the last part of this manuscript we discuss the observation of Coherent Backscattering of ultracold atoms, which is a direct signal of the role of quantum coherence in quantum transport in disordered media. We observe the time evolution of the momentum distribution of a cloud of ultra-cold atoms, launched with a narrow velocity distribution in a disordered potential. A peak emerges in the backwards direction, corresponding to the CBS signal.

Nestes últimos anos, tivemos um aumento no interesse na monitoração dos efeitos da atividade humana sobre a atmosfera e o clima no planeta. O uso de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto têm sido utilizados em diversos estudos, inclusive em estudos relacionados à mudanças globais. Um sistema LIDAR de espalhamento, primeiro deste tipo no Brasil, tem sido usado para fornecer o perfil vertical do coeficiente de retroespalhamento de aerossóis em 532 nm para altitudes de 4 a 6 km acima do nível do mar. Neste estudo, foram utilizados dados coletados no ano de 2005. Estes dados foram correlacionados com dados do fotômetro solar CIMEL e também com dados meteorológicos. Os principais resultados indicaram existir um padrão no comportamento destes dados meteorológicos e a distribuição vertical do coeficiente de extinção obtido através do LIDAR. Em períodos desfavoráveis de dispersão atmosférica, ou seja, elevação da temperatura do ar associado a queda de umidade relativa, aumento da pressão atmosférica e baixa taxa de ventilação, foi possível determinar com boa precisão a altura da Camada Limite Planetária, tanto através do perfil vertical do coeficiente de extinção quanto através da técnica da temperatura potencial. A técnica LIDAR mostrou ser um importante aliado na determinação da estrutura termodinâmica da atmosfera, auxiliando a caracterizar a evolução da CLP ao longo do dia, devido a sua boa resolução espacial e temporal. / In these last years, we had an increase in the interest in the monitoring of the effect of the human activity being on the atmosphere and the climate in the planet. The remote sensing techniques has been used in many studies, also related the global changes. A backscattering lidar system, the first of this kind in Brazil, has been used to provide the vertical profile of the aerosol backscatter coefficient at 532 nm up to an altitude of 4-6 km above sea level. In this study, data has was collected in the year of 2005. These data had been correlated with data of solar photometer CIMEL and also with meteorological data. The main results had indicated to exist a standard in the behavior of these meteorological data and the vertical distribution of the extinction coefficient gotten through LIDAR. In favorable periods of atmospheric dispersion, that is, rise of the temperature of associated air the fall of relative humidity, increase of the atmospheric pressure and low ventilation tax, was possible to determine with good precision the height of the Planetary Boundary Layer, as much through the vertical profile of the extinction coefficient how much through the technique of the vertical profile of the potential temperature. The technique LIDAR showed to be an important tool in the determination of the thermodynamic structure of the atmosphere, assisting to characterize the evolution of the CLP throughout the day, which had its good space and secular resolution.

A medida da rugosidade de uma superfície costuma produzir resultados que dependem da metodologia empregada. A microscopia eletrônica de varredura, SEM, a microscopia de força atômica, AFM e a perfilometria são algumas das técnicas costumeiramente empregadas na caracterização de superfícies rugosas. Esse trabalho explora a e desenvolve o uso da espectrometria de retroespalhamento Rutherford, RBS, para medir e quantificar a rugosidade de uma superfície. Quatro diferentes amostras com rugosidade periódica e controlada (duas retangulares e duas senoidais) com razão de aspecto suficientemente grande que produzam efeitos mensuráveis por RBS, foram produzidas por interferometria óptica. Os espectros RBS experimentais foram convertidos em rugosidade rms e comparados com resultados de SEM e AFM. Medir rugosidade através de RBS permite inspecionar uma área (da ordem de alguns mm2) e profundidades muito maiores que as acessíveis por AFM, apesar de ainda limitados pela resolução em energia intrínseca da metodologia RBS. / Measuring the roughness of a surface use to produce results which depend on the employed methodology. Scanning Electronic Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, profilometry, are some of the techniques used to characterize surface roughness. This work explores and develops the use of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry to measure and quantify the roughness of a surface. Four different samples with controlled and periodic surface profiles (two rectangular waved, and two sinusoidal), with enough aspect ratio to, give measurable effects in an RBS analysis, were produced by optical interferometry to test and verify the proposed methodology. The experimental RBS spectra were converted into rms roughness and compared to SEM and AFM measurements. Measuring roughness by RBS enables one to inspect a much bigger area (of the order of some mm2) and with more depth resolution, than by using an AFM, yet still limited by the experimental intrinsic energy resolution of the RBS methodology.

by Lee, Chun-Sing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-105). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.2 / Abstract --- p.3 / Table of Contents --- p.7 / List of Figures --- p.10 / List of Tables --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.14 / Chapter 1.1. --- Ion implantation --- p.14 / Chapter 1.2. --- Scope of the thesis --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Background Theory --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1. --- Ion stopping --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2. --- The energy-loss process --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3. --- Kinematics of binary elastic collision --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4. --- Nuclear and electronic stopping --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5. --- Radiation Damage --- p.22 / Chapter 2.6. --- Spikes --- p.24 / Chapter 2.7. --- Topography of ion bombarded surface --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Equipment Reviews --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1. --- Metal Vapour Vacuum Arc Ion Source Implanter --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2. --- Atomic Force Microscopy --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3. --- Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4. --- X-ray Diffraction --- p.40 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Study of Ion Beam Implanted Germanium by Atomic Force Microscopy and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2. --- Experiments --- p.45 / Chapter 4.3. --- Results and discussion --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3.1. --- AFM --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3.2. --- RBS and ion channeling --- p.64 / Chapter 4.4. --- Conclusions --- p.71 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Ion Beam Synthesised Cobalt Germanide Alloy by Metal Vapour Vacuum Arc Implantation --- p.73 / Chapter 5.1. --- Introduction --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2. --- Experiments --- p.74 / Chapter 5.3. --- Results and discussion --- p.74 / Chapter 5.3.1. --- XRD --- p.74 / Chapter 5.3.2. --- AFM --- p.78 / Chapter 5.3.3. --- RBS and ion channeling --- p.82 / Chapter 5.4. --- Conclusions --- p.87 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Tip Artifacts in Atomic Force Microscope Imaging of Ion Bombarded Nanostructures on Germanium Surfaces --- p.89 / Chapter 6.1. --- Introduction --- p.89 / Chapter 6.2. --- Experiments --- p.90 / Chapter 6.3. --- Results and discussion --- p.90 / Chapter 6.4. --- Conclusions --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusions --- p.96 / Bibliography --- p.98 / Publications --- p.105

Une analyse numérique basée sur la méthode des éléments finis permettant de quantifier les coefficients d'atténuation et de diffusion ultrasonores dans un polycristal en domaine temporel et fréquentiel est présentée. En particulier, une méthode originale basée sur le théorème de réciprocité pour l'évaluation numérique du coefficient de diffusion est proposée. Des formules analytiques bidimensionnelles (2D) pour les coefficients d'atténuation ultrasonore et de rétrodiffusion sont développées en utilisant l'approximation de Born pour valider les évaluations numériques. L'approche numérique proposée est appliquée au titanium, un polycristal monophasé et non texturé. Premièrement, des simulations sont effectuées dans des microstructures idéalisées composées de grains en taille unimodale. Une comparaison cohérente entre les évaluations numériques et les prédictions analytiques 2D est obtenue. Par ailleurs, les effets de l'atténuation induite par la diffusion multiple sur la mesure de rétrodiffusion, qui sont négligés par les modèles théoriques, sont quantifiés. Deuxièmement, l'approche numérique proposée est appliquée aux polycristaux composés de grains en taille bimodale. Les résultats numériques indiquent que les coefficients d'atténuation et de rétrodiffusion en domaine fréquentiel se situent au milieu des coefficients pour les microstructures unimodales et sont principalement déterminés par les fractions volumiques des grains constitutifs. Cependant, ils ne sont que légèrement affectés par la répartition des gros grains. Une étude de la fonction d'autocorrélation spatiale dans des telles microstructures bimodales est proposée afin d’obtenir une interprétation analytique des phénomènes expérimentés numériquement. / A numerical approach based on the finite element method to quantify ultrasonic attenuation and grain-noise scattering coefficients in both time and frequency domains for polycrystalline materials is presented. More particularly, an original method based on the reciprocity theorem for the numerical evaluation of the grain-noise scattering coefficient is proposed. Twodimensional (2D) analytical formulas of ultrasonic attenuation and backscattering coefficients are developed by using the Born approximation to validate numerical evaluations. Then the proposed numerical approach is applied to the single-phase and untextured polycrystalline titanium. Firstly, 2D FE simulations are performed in idealized microstructures composed of equiaxed grains with different unimodal grain sizes. Coherent comparison between numerical estimates and 2D analytical predictions is obtained. Effects of attenuation due to multiple scattering on the backscattering measurement, which are neglected in the theoretical model, are quantified. Secondly, polycrystals with bimodal grain sizes are considered. Numerical results indicate that attenuation and backscattering coefficients in bimodal microstructures are inbetween the ones of unimodal microstructures and are mainly determined by volume fractions of the constituent grains. However they are only slightly affected by the grain location distributions. The spatial autocorrelation function in bimodal microstructures is further quantified to gain an analytical interpretation of the above phenomena.

Ce travail se situe dans le cadre général de la modélisation cohérente de l'interaction des ondes électromagnétiques avec les surfaces végétalisées. Notre objectif a été de développer une approche de la simulation électromagnétique avec prise en compte de la topographie et des hétérogénéités de la végétation. La validation des résultats obtenus a été réalisée en s'appuyant sur de nombreuses mesures in-situ. Nous avons ensuite mis en œuvre cet outil de modélisation sur les deux problématiques suivantes. D'une part, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'étude des forêts tropicales dans un contexte d'inversion de propriétés bio-géophysiques (biomasse, humidité). D'autre part, nous avons introduit la prise en compte de la présence d'hydrocarbures essentiellement sur la végétation basse dans un contexte de caractérisation et d'exploration. Ce travail s'inscrit dans un programme de recherche et d'innovation en télédétection mené conjointement par l'ONERA et Total. La première étape a consisté à une écriture du code cohérent de simulation électromagnétique avec prise en compte du relief et de l'hétérogénéité de la végétation. Pour cela, le sol a été discrétisé en triangles et le volume en pentaèdres reposant sur le sol Après avoir validé notre code sur des exemples théoriques, nous avons pu étudier les effets du relief sur la rétrodiffusion radar. Pour les forêts tropicales, un modèle de description de la végétation a été mis en place à partir de mesures in-situ et d'observations directes. Ce modèle sert de données d'entrée pour notre code de simulation électromagnétique et nous permet ainsi de confronter nos simulations aux mesures aéroportées et de proximités acquises par l'ONERA sur deux sites en Afrique Des études de sensibilité aux paramètres d'entrée du code de simulation électromagnétique et du code de croissance sont présentées. En parallèle, des modèles de substitution au code numérique ont été mis en place pour effectuer l'inversion. Ces modèles sont moins coûteux à évaluer tout en restant précis. Une application à l'inversion est présentée : pour un jeu d'image radar, il s'agit de retrouver les caractéristiques bio-géophysiques de la forêt observée (humidités, biomasse...). Pour terminer, nous avons étudié les effets des hydrocarbures sur la rétrodiffusion radar pour une végétation basse. [...] / This work is in the general frame of coherent modelling of interaction between electromagnetic waves and surfaces with vegetation. Our objective is to develop an approach of the electromagnetic simulation taking into account topography and vegetation heterogeneities. Simulation results have been validated using numerous in-situ measurements. The corresponding code is then used for two issues. First one is the study of tropical forests to retrieve bio-geophysical properties (biomass, moisture). Second one is the consideration of hydrocarbons with short vegetation in a context of hydrocarbons characterization and exploration. This work is part of a program of research and innovation in remote sensing conducted jointly by ONERA and Total. The first step consisted in writing the coherent electromagnetic simulation code, taking into account the relief and the heterogeneity of the vegetation. For this purpose, the forest is represented by a variable stacking of pentahedral volume elements (voxels) to match the triangular mesh of the ground and to follow the irregularity of the canopy. After validating our code on theoretical examples, we have been able to study the effects of the relief on radar backscattering. Then, a vegetation description model for tropical forests was developed based on in-situ measurements and direct observations. This model generates the input data for our electromagnetic simulation code and it permitted to compare simulations with airborne and proximity measurements acquired by ONERA on two sites in Africa. Sensitivity studies on the input parameters of both the electromagnetic simulation code and the growth code are presented. In parallel, substitution models for the numerical code have been developed to perform the inversion of the bio-geophysical features versus the polarimetric radar data. These models are much faster while remaining accurate. An application to retrieval is presented: it is possible to retrieve some bio-geophysical characteristics of one forest (moisture, biomass ...) from a radar image set. Finally, a study on the effects of hydrocarbons on radar backscatter with short vegetation is presented.[...]

'Hot particle' skin dosimetry calculations are commonly performed using homogeneous dose-point kernels (DPK) in conjunction with scaling and backscatter models to account for non-homogeneous geometries. A new scaling model for determining the actual DPK for beta-particles transmitted by a high-Z source material has been developed. The model is based on a determination of the amount of mono-energetic electron absorption that occurs in a given source thickness through the use of EGSnrc (Electron Gamma Shower) Monte Carlo simulations. Integration over a particular beta spectrum provides the beta-particle DPK following self-absorption as a function of source thickness and radial depth in water, thereby accounting for spectral hardening that may occur in higher-Z materials. Beta spectra of varying spectral shapes and endpoint energies were used to test our model for select source materials with 7.42 < Z ��� 94. A new volumetric backscatter model has also been developed. This model corrects for beta-particle backscattering that occurs both in the source medium and in the atmosphere surrounding the source. Hot particle backscatter factors are constructed iteratively through selective integration of point-source backscatter factors over a given source geometry. Selection criteria are based on individual source-point positions within the source and determine which, if any, backscatter factors are used. The new scaling model and backscatter model were implemented into the DPK-based code VARSKIN 4 for extensive dose testing and verification. Verification results were compared to equivalent Monte Carlo simulations. The results demonstrate that significant improvements can be made to DPK-based models when dealing with high-Z volumetric sources in non-homogeneous geometries. / Graduation date: 2013