An 8 blade, 7 passage linear compressor cascade with tip leakage was built. The flowfield downstream of the cascade was measured using four sensor hot-wire anemometers, from which the mean velocity field , the turbulence stress field and velocity spectra were obtained. Oil flow visualizations were done on the endwall underneath the blade row. Also studied were the effects of tip gap height, and blade boundary layer trip variations. The results revealed the presence of two distinct vortical structures in the flow. The tip leakage vortex is formed due to the roll up the tip flow as it exits the tip gap region. A second vortex, counter-rotating when compared to the tip leakage vortex, is formed due to the separation of the flow leaving the tip gap from the endwall. Increasing the tip gap height increases the strength of the tip leakage vortex, and vice versa. Changing the boundary layer trip had no effect on the flowfield due the fact that boundary layers on the blade surface had separated. As the vortices develop downstream, the tip leakage vortex convects into the passage "pushing" the counter rotating vortex with it. As it does so, the tip leakage vortex dominates the endwall flow region, and is responsible for most of the turbulence present in the downstream flow field. This turbulence production is primarily due to axial velocity gradients in the flow, and not due to the circulatory motion of the vortex. Velocity spectra taken in the core of the vortex show the broadband characteristics typical of such turbulent flows. The results also revealed that the wakes of the blades exhibit characteristics of two-dimensional plane wakes. The wake decays much faster than the vortex. Velocity spectra taken in the wake region show the broadband characteristics of such turbulent flows, and also suggest that there might be some coherent motion in the wake as a result of vortex shedding from the trailing edge of the blades. The present study reveals the complex nature of such flows, and should provide valuable information in helping to understand them. This study was made possible with support from NASA Langley through grant number NAG-1-1801 under the supervision of Dr. Joe Posey / Master of Science

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are semiconductor lasers that can be designed to emit over a very broad wavelength range from the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) to terahertz frequencies. Their compact size and ability to output several watts of MWIR or long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiation makes them ideal sources for directional infrared counter measures (DIRCM). This application is fueling demand for ever more powerful QCLs, but power gains from single QCLs have largely stagnated in recent years. Novel waveguide geometries such as tree-arrays seek to increase output power delivered in a single high-quality beam. InGaAs/AlInAs tree array QCLs based on ridge waveguides and multimode interference couplers are the subject of this dissertation. Guidelines for their design based on optical and thermal simulations are provided, and results from fabricated devices are presented.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

L'objectif de cette thèse est de clarifier le rôle de la composante rotationnelle de la force de Lorentz dans sa capacité à imposer la topologie, et la dynamique des écoulements turbulents MHD à bas Rm, confinés par des parois rigides et électriquement isolantes. Le travail présenté ici se scinde en deux parties : D'une part une étude théorique effectuée dans un cadre faiblement inertiel, d'autre part une étude expérimentale d’écoulements turbulents pleinement développés. L’étude théorique porte sur un vortex isolé, stationnaire et axisymétrique, confiné entre deux parois rigides et électriquement isolantes, perpendiculaires à un champ magnétique uniforme. Grâce à un développement asymptotique des équations de Navier-Stokes, valable quel que soit le nombre de Hartmann, nous montrons que la dimensionnalité topologique de l’écoulement de base ne dépend que d'un seul paramètre. Ce paramètre en question compare en fait la distance sur laquelle la partie rotationnelle de la force de Lorentz est capable d'agir dans la direction du champ magnétique, avant d’être contrée par les effets visqueux. Cette étude met en lumière deux mécanismes inertiels capables d'engendrer une composante de la vitesse dans la direction du champ magnétique au premier ordre, en introduisant des recirculations dans le plan méridional : du pompage d'Ekman direct ou inverse. Un dispositif expérimental à également été construit durant ce projet, afin d’étudier la dynamique d’écoulements turbulents de métaux liquides soumis à des champs magnétiques intenses. La turbulence stationnaire engendrée par ce dispositif était forcée électriquement en imposant un courant continu à travers une matrice carrée et periodique d’électrodes d'injection. Grâce à ce dispositif, nous avons montré que les statistiques des fluctuations turbulentes étaient raisonnablement homogènes et axisymétriques, malgré un forçage inhomogène et anisotrope. Nous confirmons également, en comparant les densités d’énergie cinétique turbulentes mesurées le long des parois perpendiculaires au champ magnétique, que les processus physiques en jeu dans le domaine inertiel 3D de la turbulence MHD confinée à bas Rm sont bien la composante rotationnelle de la force de Lorentz d'une part, et les transferts inertiels d'autre part. Grâce à une étude statistique dans l'espace des échelles, nous montrons que la cinématique de la turbulence forcée dans notre expérience suit en fait une loi universelle qui ne dépend que de deux longueurs caractéristiques. Premièrement, l’échelle d'injection, dans la direction perpendiculaire au champ magnétique. Deuxièmement, le rayon d'action de la force de Lorentz avant d’être contrée par les effets inertiels, dans la direction parallèle au champ. Nous prouvons que le rapport entre cette dernière longueur caractéristique et la hauteur de l'enceinte expérimentale permet de différencier les structures turbulentes cinématiquement quasi-2D de celles qui sont cinématiquement 3D. En calculant directement le flux d’énergie cinétique turbulente perpendiculaire à travers les échelles horizontales, nous montrons que ce dernier est toujours dirigé vers les grandes échelles. Ce quel que soit la dimensionnalité des échelles en question. Autrement dit, une cascade inverse d’énergie perpendiculaire peut exister sans pour autant que les structures turbulentes associées soient quasi-2D. / This thesis aims at clarifying the role of the solenoidal component of the Lorentz force in fixing the topological dimensionality, and the ensuing dynamics of low-Rm MHD turbulent flows confined between electrically insulating and no-slip Hartmann walls. The work presented here breaks down into two main parts: An analytical investigation carried out in the weakly inertial limit on the one hand, and an experimental study of fully developed turbulence on the other hand. The analytical investigation was performed on a single steady and axisymmetric electrically driven vortex confined between no-slip and electrically insulating walls perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field. Thanks to an asymptotic expansion valid for any Hartmann number, we showed that the topological dimensionality of the leading order is fully imposed by a single parameter, which compares the distance over which the Lorentz force is able to act in the direction of the magnetic field, before it is balanced out by viscous friction. This study highlights two inertial mechanisms capable of introducing a third velocity component in the direction of the field, by means of recirculations in the meridional plane: direct and/or inverse Ekman pumping. An experimental platform was designed and built from the ground up during this project, to investigate the dynamics of liquid metal turbulence subject to extreme magnetic fields. The turbulence sustained in our experiment was forced electrically by imposing a DC current through a square periodic array of electrodes. Thanks to this setup, we showed that the statistics of the turbulent fluctuations were homogeneous and axisymmetric to a satisfactory level, despite the forcing mechanism being inhomogeneous and anisotropic. By comparing the energy densities measured along the walls perpendicular to the magnetic field, we confirm that the physical processes at stake in the 3D inertial range of wall-bounded MHD turbulence at low-Rm are the solenoidal component of the Lorentz force on the one hand, and inertia on the other hand. Thanks to a statistical analysis in scale space, we show that their exists a universal law imposing the kinematics of turbulent structures in our experiment, which turns out to be fully described by only two lenghtscales. First, the forcing scale in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. Second, the range of action of the Lorentz force before it is balanced out by inertial transfers, in the direction parallel to the field. We prove that the ratio of this latter scale over the height of the channel in fact segregates kinematically quasi-2D from kinematically 3D turbulent structures. By computing the actual flux of perpendicular turbulent kinetic energy along perpendicular scales, we show that it always flows towards larger turbulent scales regardless of their topology. In other words, we show that the existence of an inverse cascade of perpendicular kinetic energy does not necessarily require perpendicular turbulent scales to be topologically quasi-2D in the inertial range.

Les composés organoborés constituent des outils remarquables en synthèse organique de par leur chimie très diversifiée. Les travaux présentés dans ce mémoire abordent de nouveaux aspects de leur réactivité. Une méthode de synthèse rapide et efficace de 9-hydroxyfluorènes est décrite via une séquence tandem Suzuki/ aldolisation phénolique. Ce processus a été ensuite étendu aux 9-aminofluorènes en ajoutant simplement comme troisième partenaire diverses amines au milieu réactionnel. Des hypothèses mécanistiques sont proposées pour rationaliser ces résultats expérimentaux. Dans une deuxième partie, est présentée une étude articulée autour de la mise en œuvre de réactions ène sur des diènes borylés 1,3. Les produits ainsi obtenus sont ensuite utilisés comme intermédiaires clé de structures polycycliques plus complexes. Enfin, le troisième chapitre est consacré à une nouvelle voie d'accès aux pyrroles C-fusionnés à partir de diènes cycliques borylés, ces derniers étant préparés par hydroboration d'énynes, bora-Wittig ou métathèse. Une grande diversité structurale est alors accessible à partir de ces précurseurs d'accès aisé. / Organoboron compounds are remarkable tools in organic synthesis due to their very diversified chemistry. The work presented in this thesis addresses new aspects of their reactivity. A rapid and efficient synthesis of 9-hydroxyfluorenes is described via a tandem Suzuki/phenol aldolisation sequence. This process was then extended to 9-aminofluorenes by simply adding various amines to the reaction medium as the third partner. Mechanistic hypotheses are proposed to rationalize these experimental results. In a second part, was presented a study articulated around the implementation of ene reactions on borylated 1,3-dienes. The products thus obtained are then used as key intermediates of more complex polycyclic scaffolds. Finally, the third chapter is dedicated to a new access to C-fused pyrroles from borylated cyclic dienes, the latter being prepared by hydroboration of enynes, boron-Wittig or metathesis reactions. A great structural diversity is then accessible from these easily prepared precursors.

The extension of Multi-mode Absorption Spectroscopy (MUMAS) to the infra-red spectral region for multi-species gas sensing is reported. A computationally efficient, theoretical model for analysis of MUMAS spectra is presented that avoids approximations used in previous work and treats arbitrary and time-dependent spectral intensity envelopes, thus facilitating the use of commercially available Interband Cascade Lasers (ICLs) and Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs). The first use of an ICL for MUMAS is reported using a multi-mode device operating at 3.7 μm to detect CH₄ transitions over a range of 30 nm. Mode-linewidths are measured using the pressure-dependent widths of an isolated absorption feature in HCl. Multi- species sensing is demonstrated by measurement of partial pressures of CH₄, C₂H₂ and H₂CO in a low-pressure mixture with uncertainties of around 10%. Detection of CH₄ in N₂ at 1 bar is demonstrated using a shorter-cavity ICL to resolve spectral features in pressure-broadened and congested spectra. The first use of a QCL for MUMAS is reported using a commercially available device operating at 5.3 μm to detect multiple absorption transitions of NO at a partial pressure of 2.79 μbar in N₂ buffer gas. The revised model is shown to enable good fits to MUMAS data by accounting for the time-variation of the spectral intensity profile during frequency scanning. Individual mode-linewidths are derived from fits to pressure- dependent MUMAS spectra and features from background interferences due to H₂O in laboratory air are distinguished from those of the target species, NO. Data obtained at scan rates up to 10 kHz demonstrate the potential for achieving short measurement times. The development of a balanced ratiometric detection scheme for MUMAS with commercially available multi-mode lasers operating at 1.5 μm is reported for simultaneous detection of CO and CO₂ showing improved SNR performance over previous direct transmission methods and suitability for a compact field-employable instrument. In addition, MUMAS spectra of CO₂ are used to derive gas temperatures with an uncertainty of 3.2% in the range 300 - 700 K.

Les réactions 136Xe + p et 136Xe + 12C à 1 GeV par nucléon d’énergie cinétique du projectile dans le centre de masse ont été étudiées en cinématique inverse à l’aide du dispositif expérimental SPALADIN, installé auprès de l’accélérateur d’ions lourds de GSI. Ma thèse décrit l’analyse de ces collisions réalisées au printemps 2009. La détection en coïncidence des fragments de l’état final (résidu du projectile, neutrons et fragments légers chargés) avec une grande efficacité géométrique est obtenue par la combinaison de la cinématique inverse, d’un aimant dipolaire de grande ouverture physique et de l’utilisation de grands détecteurs. Ces coïncidences, mesurées événement par événement, nous ont permis de sélectionner, indépendamment du modèle de désexcitation, le pré-fragment, noyau excité issu de la cascade intranucléaire en fonction de son énergie d’excitation. Ainsi, nous avons pu étudier l’évolution du mécanisme de désexcitation (par exemple, l’évaporation de particules légères, la cassure binaire asymétrique ou la fragmentation multiple simultanée) en fonction de l’énergie d’excitation du pré-fragment. Les données de la réaction 136Xe + p sont comparées principalement à trois modèles de désexcitation (SMM, GEMINI++ et ABLA07) couplés au code de cascade intranucléaire INCL4. Si ces modèles semblent décrire globalement les observables de notre expérience, des désaccords significatifs sont apparus notamment en ce qui concerne la production des fragments de masse intermédiaire (IMF). La comparaison des données 136Xe + 12C avec celles de la réaction 136Xe + p fait apparaître une grande similitude dans la désexcitation des pré-fragments qui laisse entrevoir que la cascade intranucléaire mène, dans les deux cibles, aux mêmes types de pré-fragments sur la plage d’énergie d’excitation commune aux deux réactions (0 à 4 MeV par nucléon). Le régime d’excitation au-dessus de 4 MeV par nucléon, accessible uniquement pour la réaction 136Xe + 12C, montre une différence qualitative dans la désexcitation du pré-fragment, avec notamment une production beaucoup plus importante d’IMF, avec des multiplicités élevées par événement, qui croît avec l’énergie d’excitation. / The collision of 136Xe with the proton and with 12C at 1 GeV per nucleon of projectile kinetic energy in the centre of mass has been studied in inverse kinematics using the SPALADIN experimental setup at the GSI facility. This manuscript describes the analysis of these collisions realized in spring 2009. The detection in coincidence of the final state fragments (projectile residues, neutrons and light charged fragments) with a large geometrical efficiency is provided by the inverse kinematics combined with a large aperture dipole magnet and large detectors. Such a coincidence, measured on an event basis, allows selecting, in a model-independent way, the prefragment, the excited nuclear system formed after the intranuclear cascade as a function of its excitation energy. Hence, we were able to study the evolution of the prefragment deexcitation mechanism (evaporation of light particles, asymmetric binary decay, multiple fragmentation…) as a function of its excitation energy. The data of the 136Xe + p reaction have been compared mainly to three deexcitation models (SMM, GEMINI++ and ABLA07) coupled to the intranuclear cascade code INCL4. Despite the relatively good and global agreement between these models and our data, significant discrepancies appeared concerning in particular the production of intermediate mass fragments (IMF). Comparison between the 136Xe + 12C and the 136Xe + p data exhibits an important similarity in the deexcitation of the pre-fragments. This suggests that the nuclear cascade leads, for both targets, to similar prefragment types in the range of excitation energy (0 to 4 MeV per nucleon) common to both reactions. Higher excitation energies, reached only in the 136Xe + 12C reaction, show a qualitative difference in the deexcitation of the pre-fragment, with much higher multiplicities of IMF per event, increasing with the excitation energy.

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In this study, biological and chemical characteristics were determined for two high-elevation meadow-to-forest transitions located in the Central Oregon Cascades. The chloroform fumigation incubation method (CFIM) was used to determine microbial biomass C(MBC) and the N flush due to fumigation (NF), and meadow values were compared to forest values for each. Meadow and forest MBC values were also compared for estimates of MBC determined with microscopy and these values were compared to CFIM estimates. Net N mineralization and C mineralization were determined for an 85-d incubation period and used as a measure of labile C and N. Microbial biomass C and NF were then compared to these labile pools in order to investigate the relationship between the amount of each nutrient stored in biomass and the magnitude of the respective labile nutrient pool for each. Long-term and short-term net N mineralization rates and C/N ratios were also compared for meadow and forest soils, and the relationship between these two characteristics was examined. In general, microbial biomass estimates made with the CFIM method did not show any significant differences between meadow and forest soils. Mean MBC for both sites as determined by CFIM was estimated to be 369 and 406 μg C g⁻¹ soil in meadow and forest soils, respectively. Mean NF was estimated to be 37 and 56 μg N g⁻¹ soil in meadow and forest soils, respectively. MBC estimates made using microscopy showed biomass C to be greater in the forest than in the meadow. Mean MBC as determined by microscopy was estimated to be 529 and 1846 μg C g⁻¹ soil in meadow and forest soils, respectively. The NF measured as a percentage of the net N mineralized over 85 d was significantly greater in the forest than in the meadow soils, but was a substantial percentage in both. The means of these values were 30 and 166% in meadow and forest soils, respectively. This led to the conclusion that biomass N may be a very important pool of stored labile N in this ecosystem. Net N mineralization rates were almost always greater in the meadow than in the forest soils. Net N mineralization for the 10-d incubations averaged 21 μg N g⁻¹ soil in the meadow and 8 μg N g⁻¹ soil in the forest Rates for long-term N mineralization averaged 126 μg N g⁻¹ soil in the meadow and 52 μg N g⁻¹ soil in the forest. Net N mineralization rates were correlated with C/N ratios for both short-term and long-term incubations. / Graduation date: 2002

This study assessed how logging-access roads may have contributed to observed historical increases in peak discharges associated with small and large logged basins in the western Cascades of Oregon. The study was conducted on the Lookout Creek (62km��) and the upper Blue River (118km��) basins. Potential road effects on hydrology were examined using a combination of field surveys and spatial modeling with a geographic information system (GIS). Road networks were similar in both basins with respect to hillslope position, orientation, and stream crossings, but roads in Blue River were constructed one or two decades later than roads in Lookout Creek. A total of 20% (62 km) of the road length was sampled to assess routing of surface flow, using 31 2-km transects stratified by decade of construction and hillslope position. Along each transect, ditches and culvert outlets were examined and this information used to predict the probable routing of water to (1) existing stream channels, (2) newly eroded gullies downslope of culvert outlets, or (3) subsurface flow. Nearly 60% of the surveyed road length appeared to route water directly to stream channels or into gullies. Over time, the length of road connected to stream crossings has decreased, while the length of road discharging runoff that reinfiltrates to subsurface flow has increased, as roads have progressed up hillslopes and onto ridges in Lookout Creek and Blue River. The relatively constant proportion of the road network draining to gullies over time suggests that roads have the potential to become integrated into stream networks, even when constructed on unchannelled hillslope positions. An extended stream network, assumed to exist under storm conditions, was simulated for the basins using a digital elevation model. Although gullies and ditches differ from natural channels, extrapolation of field surveys using the GIS suggested that roads might extend the stream network by as much as 40% during storm events. It is hypothesized that such an effect could decrease the time of concentration of stormflow and contribute to higher peak discharges observed after clearcutting and road construction in these basins. Differences in the magnitude of road effects on peak flow generation may occur among road systems according to hillslope position of roads, road age, soil saturation, geologic substrate, and climate. These differences may explain the range of observed results from paired-basin studies examining road effects on hydrologic response. / Graduation date: 1994