Neutron-carbon interactions have been studied with a focus on charged-particle production of relevance to radiation protection and medical applications, such as cancer therapy. The measurements have been performed using the particle-detection setup, MEDLEY, and the 96 MeV neutron beam at the The Svedberg Laboratory in Uppsala. Double-differential cross sections of inclusive charged-particle production are compared with recent calculations from models based on the GNASH code including direct, preequilibrium and compound processes. For protons, the shapes of the cross-section spectra are reasonably well described by the calculations. For the other particles- d, t, 3He and α- there are important discrepancies, in particular for 3He-ions and α-particles, concerning both shape and magnitude of the spectra. Using the new cross sections, partial as well as total KERMA coefficients have been determined. The coefficients have also been compared to previous experimental results and model calculations. The p, d and t KERMA coefficients are in good agreement with those from a previous measurement. For the helium isotopes, there are no previous measurements at this energy. The KERMA coefficients are considerably higher (by up to 30%) than those predicted by the calculations. The KERMA results indicate that protons and α -particles are the main contributors to the dose. A 6x6x6 cm3 carbon phantom, exposed to a broad and a pencil-like beam, is used for the computation of the absorbed doses deposited by these two particles in spheres of 1 μm in diameter, located at various positions in the phantom. The maximum doses are deposited at ~3 cm from the surface of neutron impact for protons and within 1 cm for α-particles. For the pencil beam, deposited doses are spread over regions of ~1.5 cm and ~300 μm transverse to the beam for protons and α-particles, respectively. The results are consistent with previous integral measurements at lower energies.

The Standard Model of particle physics successfully describes present collider data. Nevertheless, theoretical and cosmological results call for its extension. A softly broken supersymmetric completion around the TeV scale solves several of the outstanding issues. Supersymmetry requires two Higgs doublets, leading to five physical Higgs states. These include a pair of charged Higgs bosons H±, which are a generic feature of theories with multiple Higgs doublets. Using results from high-energy colliders and flavour physics, constraints are derived on the charged Higgs boson mass and couplings; both for constrained scenarios in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with grand unification, and for general two-Higgs-doublet models. The MSSM results are compared to the projected reach for charged Higgs searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). At the LHC, a light charged Higgs is accessible through top quark decay. Beyond a discovery, it is demonstrated how angular distributions sensitive to top quark spin correlations can be used to determine the structure of the H±tb coupling. The public code 2HDMC, which performs calculations in a general, CP-conserving, two-Higgs-doublet model, is introduced. In parallel to the developments at colliders, the most energetic particles ever recorded are the ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. To gain more insight into their origin, new experiments are searching for UHE neutrinos. These searches require detectors of vast volume, which can be achieved by searching for coherent radio pulses arising from the Askaryan effect. The prospects of using a satellite orbiting the Moon to search for neutrino interactions are investigated, and a similar study for an Earth-based radio telescope is presented. In both cases, the method is found competitive for detection of the very highest energy neutrinos considered.

Motiviert durch die in der Literatur bisher unvollständige Beschreibung der Relaxation hochgeladener Ionen vor Festkörperoberflächen, besonders in Bezug auf den Eintrag potenzieller Energie in Oberflächen und der Aufstellung einer vollständigen Energiebilanz, werden in dieser Arbeit komplementäre Studien präsentiert, die sowohl die Ermittlung des Anteils der deponierten potenziellen Energie als auch die Ermittlung der emittierten potenziellen Energie ermöglichen. Zum Einen wird zur Bestimmung des eingetragenen Anteils der potenziellen Energie eine kalorimetrische Messanordnung verwendet, zum Anderen gelingt die Bestimmung der emittierten potenziellen Energie mittels doppeldifferenzieller Elektronenspektroskopie. Für vertiefende Studien werden Materialien unterschiedlicher elektronischer Strukturen (Cu, n-Si, p-Si und SiO2 ) verwendet. Im Falle der Kalorimetrie wird festgestellt, dass die eingetragene potenzielle Energie linear mit der inneren potenziellen Energie der Ionen wächst. Dabei bleibt das Verhältnis zwischen der eingetragenen potenziellen Energie und der inneren potenziellen Energie nahezu konstant bei etwa (80 ± 10) %. Der Vergleich von Cu, n-Si und p-Si zeigt im Rahmen der Messfehler keine signifikanten Unterschiede in diesem Verhältnis. Es liegen jedoch deutlich unter jenem von SiO2. Die Elektronenspektroskopie liefert ein dazu komplementäres Ergebnis. Für Cu und Si konnte ebenfalls eine lineare Abhängigkeit zwischen emittierter Energie und innerer potenzieller Energie festgestellt werden. Das Verhältnis wurde hierfür bis zum Ladungszustand bis Ar7+ zu etwa (10 ± 5) % unabhängig vom Ladungszustand bestimmt. Im Gegensatz dazu liefert SiO2 eine nahezu verschwindende Elektronenausbeute. Für Ar8+ und Ar9+ steigt die Elektronenausbeute wegen der Beiträge der LMM-Augerelektronen für alle untersuchten Materialien leicht an. Der Anteil der emittierten Energie eines Ar9+ -Ions wird für Cu und Si zu etwa 20 % und für SiO2 zu etwa 10 % angegeben. Diese Ergebnisse sind in guter Übereinstimmung mit den Kalorimetrieexperimenten und erfüllen die Energiebilanz. Zusätzlich werden die experimentellen Ergebnisse mit einer Computersimulation modelliert, welche auf dem erweiterten dynamischen klassischen Barrierenmodell basiert. Aus diesen Rechnungen kann zudem jener Anteil der deponierten potenziellen Energie erhalten werden, welcher durch Bildladungsbeschleunigung vor der Oberfläche in kinetische Energie umgewandelt wurde. / Motivated by the incomplete scientific description of the relaxation of highly charged ions in front of solid surfaces and their energy balance, this thesis describes an advanced complementary study of determining deposited fractions and re-emitted fractions of the potential energy of highly charged ions. On one side, a calorimetric measurement setup is used to determine the retained potential energy and on the other side, energy resolved electron spectroscopy is used for measuring the re-emitted energy due to secondary electron emission. In order to study the mechanism of energy retention in detail, materials with different electronic structures are investigated: Cu, n-Si, p-Si and SiO2 . In the case of calorimetry, a linear relationship between the deposited potential energy and the inner potential energy of the ions was determined. The total potential energy which stays in the solid remains almost constant at about (80 ± 10) %. Comparing the results of the Cu, n-Si and p-Si targets, no significant difference could be shown. Therefore we conclude that the difference in energy deposition between copper, n-doped Si and p-doped Si is below 10 %, which is significantly lower than using SiO2 targets. For this purpose, electron spectroscopy provides a complementary result. For Cu and Si surfaces, an almost linear increase of the re-emitted energy with increasing potential energy of the ion up to Ar7+ was also observed. The ratio of the re-emitted energy is about (10 ± 5) % of the total potential energy of the incoming ion, almost independent of the ion charge state. In contrast, an almost vanishing electron emission was observed for SiO2 and for charge states below q=7. For Ar8+ and Ar9+, the electron emission increased due to the contribution of the projectile LMM Auger electrons and the re-emitted energy amounts up to 20 % for Cu and Si and around 10 % for SiO2 .These results are in good agreement with the calorimetric values. In addition, the experimental results are compared with computer simulations based on the extended dynamical over-the-barrier model. From these calculations, the ratio of deposited potential energy that is transformed into kinetic energy before deposition due to the image charge acceleration can be maintained.

This thesis presents the investigations of Rubidium atoms in magneto-optical traps and triply charged Thorium ions in electrodynamic traps for future advances in long-distance quantum telecommunication, next generation clocks, and fundamental tests of current physical theories. Experimental realizations of two core building blocks of a quantum repeater are described: a multiplexed quantum memory and a telecom interface for long-lived quantum memories. A color change of single-photon level light fields by several hundred nanometers in an optically thick cold gas is demonstrated, while preserving quantum entanglement with a remotely stored matter excitation. These are essential elements for long-distance quantum telecommunication, fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, and applications in secure communication and computation. The first trapping and laser cooling of Thorium-229 ions are described. Thorium-229 nuclear electric quadrupole moment is revealed by hyperfine spectroscopy of triply charged Thorium-229 ions. A system to search for the isomer nuclear transition in Thorium-229 is developed and tested with the excitation of a forbidden electronic transition at 717 nm. Direct excitation of the nuclear transition with laser light would allow for an extremely accurate clock and a sensitive test bed for variations of fundamental physical constants, including the fine structure constant.

Komplexe Oxide weisen interessante, funktionelle Eigenschaften wie Ferroelektrizität, magnetische Ordnung, hohe Spinpolarisation der Ladungsträger, Multiferroizität und Hochtemperatursupraleitung auf. Diese große Vielfalt sowie die Realisierbarkeit des epitaktischen Wachstums von Heterostrukturen aus verschiedenen oxidischen Komplexverbindungen eröffnen zahlreiche technologische Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die oxidbasierte Mikroelektronik. Der Schwerpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit liegt auf der Untersuchung der Charakteristik des Ladungstransportes und insbesondere des Einflusses photogenerierter Ladungsträger auf diesen. Hierzu wurden die zwei vielversprechenden und momentan rege erforschten oxidischen Systeme La0,7Ce0,3MnO3 (LCeMO) und LiNbO3 (LNO) untersucht. Der erste Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit widmet sich der Untersuchung des photoinduzierten Ladungstransports in auf SrTiO3-Substrat gewachsenen LCeMO-Dünnfilmen. LCeMO ist als elektronendotierter Gegenpart zu den wohlbekannten und lochdotierten Manganaten wie La0,7Ca0,3MnO3 von großem Interesse für Anwendungen in der Spintronik so z.B. im spinpolarisierten p-n-übergang. Der Einfluss der Sauerstoffstöchiometrie, der chemischen Phasensegregation der Cer-Dotanden und der photogenerierten Ladungsträger auf die Manganvalenz und damit die Elektronenkonzentration in den LCeMO-Dünnfilmen wurde mittels Röntgenphotoelektronenspektroskopie (XPS) untersucht. Hierbei wurde eine Erhöhung der Elektronenkonzentration durch Reduktion des Sauerstoffgehalts oder durch Beleuchtung mit UV-Licht festgestellt. Messungen der Temperaturabhängigkeit des Widerstands haben einen photoinduzierten Isolator-Metall-übergang in den reduzierten LCeMO-Dünnfilmen gezeigt. Durch Auswertung der magnetfeldbedingten Widerstandsänderungen im beleuchteten und unbeleuchteten Zustand konnte dieser Isolator-Metall-übergang eindeutig auf eine Parallelleitung durch das SrTiO3-Substrat zurückgeführt werden. Der zweite Teil dieser Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Ladungstransport in Einkristallen des uniaxialen Ferroelektrikums LNO. Durch Vergleich der Volumenleitfähigkeit in eindomänigem LNO mit der Leitfähigkeit durch mehrdomänige Kristalle mit zahlreichen geladenen Domänenwänden konnte sowohl im abgedunkelten als auch im beleuchteten Zustand eine im Vergleich zur Volumenleitfähigkeit um mehrere Größenordnungen höhere Domänenwandleitfähigkeit festgestellt werden. Dabei ist die Domänenwandleitfähigkeit unter Beleuchtung mit Photonenenergien größer als der Bandlücke deutlich höher als im abgedunkelten Zustand. / Complex oxides exhibit a variety of functional properties, such as ferroelectricity, magnetic ordering, high spin polarization of the charge carriers, multiferroicity and high-temperature superconductivity. This wide variety of functional properties of complex oxides combined with their structural compatibility facilitates epitaxial growth of oxide heterostructures with tailored functional properties for applications in oxide-based microelectronic devices. The focus of the present thesis lies on the characterization of the photoinduced charge transport in two intriguing complex oxides of current scientific interest, namely the electron doped mixed valence manganite La0,7Ce0,3MnO3 (LCeMO) and the ferroelectric LiNbO3 (LNO). The first part adresses the photoinduced charge transport in thin films of LCeMO grown on SrTiO3 substrates. LCeMO, being the electron doped counterpart to well known hole doped manganites like La0,7Ca0,3MnO3, is of current interest for spintronic applications like spin-polarized p-n-junctions. The influence of the oxygen stoichiometry, the chemical phase separation of cerium and of the photogenerated charge carriers on the manganese valence and hence the electron concentration in the LCeMO films were investigated with X-ray-photoelectron spectroscopy. This measurements revealed an increase in electron doping by reduction of the oxygen content or by illumination with UV-light. Measurements of the temperature dependence of the resistance of the reduced LCeMO films showed a photoinduced insulator-metal transition. Analysis of the magnetoresistive properties of the samples in the illuminated and dark state clearly revealed that this insulator-metal transition is caused by a parallel conduction through the SrTiO3 substrate. The second part of this thesis is dedicated to the charge transport in single crystals of the uniaxial ferroelectric LNO. A comparison of the bulk conductivity of single domain crystals with the conductivity of multidomain crystals with numerous charged domain walls revealed an several orders of magnitude higher domain wall conductivity as compared to the bulk conductivity. Such domain wall conductivity could be observed in the illuminated as well as in the dark state, although the domain wall conductivity was much higher for super-bandgap illumination.

Als Ladungsbrüten wird die Umwandlung niedrig geladener Ionen, welche über ein breites Spektrum von Elementen bis hin zu exotischen, radioaktiven Spezies erzeugt werden können, in hochgeladene Ionen bezeichnet, was beispielsweise für deren effiziente Nachbeschleunigung oder kern- und atomphysikalische Präzisionsmessungen von Bedeutung ist. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass es möglich ist, kompakte, bei Raumtemperatur betriebene Elektronenstrahlionenquellen des Dresden EBIS/T - Typs als Ladungsbrüter zu verwenden. Anhand von Simulationen zum Ioneneinfang sowie Experimenten zur Ioneninjektion und -reextraktion wurden die Ionenquellen Dresden EBIT und EBIS-A als Ladungsbrüter charakterisiert. Eigenschaften der Quellen, welche von besonderem Interesse für das Ladungsbrüten sind, wurden untersucht. Hierzu zählen Elektronenstromdichte, Ionisationsfaktor, Akzeptanz sowie Einfangsbeziehungsweise Brütungseffizienz. An einer Dresden EBIS-A wurden weiterhin die Emittanzen des injizierten und reextrahierten Strahls bestimmt. Neben den Untersuchungen zum Ladungsbrüten selbst wurde dieses als experimentelle Technik für die Bestimmung von Elektronenstoß - Ionisationsquerschnitten der Goldionen Au38+ bis Au46+ bei einer Elektronenenergie von 11,5 keV verwendet. Ein Vergleich der Messwerte mit semiempirisch sowie theoretisch berechneten Daten ergab, dass für die Ionisation der 4d - und 4p - Elektronen von Gold in diesem Energiebereich neben der direkten Stoßionisation auch die Autoionisation nach Elektronenstoß - Anregung in die Betrachtung einbezogen werden muss, um eine gute Übereinstimmung von Theorie und Experiment zu erreichen. / The conversion of low charged ions, which can be produced from a broad spectrum of elements up to exotic, radioactive species, to highly charged ions is called charge breeding, which is an important experimental technique for, e.g., efficient post - acceleration or high - precision nuclear and atomic physics experiments. This work demonstrates the feasibility of charge breeding with compact, room - temperature operated electron beam ion sources of the Dresden EBIS/T type. The sources Dresden EBIT and EBIS-A were characterized as charge breeders by simulations of ion capture as well as ion injection and re-extraction experiments. Properties which are critical for charge breeding, such as electron beam density, ionization factor, acceptance, as well as injection and breeding efficiency, were investigated. Further on, in case of the EBIS-A, emittance studies of the injected as well as re-extracted beam were carried out. In addition to the measurements concentrating on charge breeding itself, this experimental technique was used to measure electron impaction ionization cross sections of gold ions from Au38+ up to Au46+ at an electron energy of 11.5 keV. Comparing the measured values to semi - empirical as well as theoretical calculations, it was found that for the ionization of the 4d and 4p electrons of gold ions in this energy region not only direct electron impact ionization but also excitation - autoionization processes have to be considered in order to achieve a good agreement of theory and experiment.

The subject of this thesis is high-precision mass-measurements performed with Penning trap mass spectrometers (PTMS). In particular it describes the SMILETRAP I PTMS and the final results obtained with it, the masses of 40Ca and that of the proton. The mass of 40Ca is an indispensible input in the evaluation of measurements of the bound electron g-factor, used to test quantum electrodynamical calculations in strong fields. The value obtained agrees with available literature values but has a ten times higher precision. The measurement of the proton mass, considered a fundamental physical constant, was performed with the aim of validating other Penning trap results and to test the limit of SMILETRAP I. It was also anticipated that a measurement at a relative precision close to 10-10 would give insight in how to treat certain systematic uncertainties. The result is a value of the proton mass in agreement with earlier measurements and with an unprecedented precision of 1.8×10-10. Vital for the achieved precision of the proton mass measurement was the use of the Ramsey excitation technique. This technique, how it was implemented at SMILETRAP I and the benefits from it is discussed in the thesis and in one of the included papers. The second part of the thesis describes the improved SMILETRAP II setup at the S-EBIT laboratory, AlbaNova. All major changes and upgrades compared to SMILETRAP I are discussed. This includes, apart from the Ramsey excitation technique, higher ionic charge states, improved temperature stabilization, longer run times, different reference ions, stronger and more stable magnetic field and a more efficient ion detection. Altogether these changes should reduce the uncertainty in future mass determinations by an order of magnitude, possibly down to 10-11. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 9: Accepted.

Au sein des Réacteurs à Eau Pressurisée, le flux de neutrons entraîne une modification des propriétés mécaniques des gaines à combustible en alliage de zirconium. Bien que leur comportement macroscopique soit bien connu, les mécanismes microscopiques de la déformation des alliages de zirconium restent à caractériser. Afin de simuler l'irradiation aux neutrons, des irradiations aux particules chargées (ions et électrons) ont été réalisées à 400 et 450°C sur un alliage de zirconium: le Zircaloy-4 RXA. L'analyse expérimentale de la microstructure obtenue après irradiation, effectuée au Microscope Electronique en Transmission (MET), a montré la présence de défauts cristallins: les boucles de dislocation de vecteur de Burgers <a>. Leur évolution au cours de l'irradiation (taille et densité), ainsi que leurs caractéristiques (nature et plan d'habitat) ont été déterminées et discutées sur la base de la diffusion des défauts ponctuels. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent une diffusion des auto-interstitiels très faiblement anisotrope. Des expériences de traction in-situ ont été réalisées au MET, après irradiation aux ions, afin d'activer le glissement des dislocations et d'observer leurs interactions avec ces boucles <a>. Certains cas d'interactions observés expérimentalement ont été modélisés par Dynamique des Dislocations pour une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes. L'effet simultané de la contrainte et de l'irradiation sur les mécanismes de déformation a ensuite été étudié. Des irradiations in-situ aux électrons et aux ions ont été effectuées, sans et avec application d'une contrainte. Des mécanismes de déformation impliquant la montée des dislocations ont ainsi été mis en évidence. Grâce à l'ensemble de cette étude, des modèles basés sur les mécanismes identifiés pourront être, à terme, proposés afin de prédire le comportement des alliages de zirconium en réacteur. / In Pressurized Water Reactors, the neutron flux leads to a change in the mechanical properties of the fuel cladding tubes made of zirconium alloys. Although their macroscopic behavior is well known, the microscopic deformation mechanisms of zirconium alloys still need to be characterized. In order to simulate the neutron irradiation, charged particles irradiations (ion and electron) were carried out at 400°C and 450°C on a zirconium alloy: RXA Zircaloy-4. The experimental analysis of the irradiated microstructure, performed by using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), have shown some crystalline defects: dislocation loops with a <a> Burgers vector. Their evolution (size and density) and their characteristics (nature and habit plane) have been determined and discussed based on the point defects diffusion. The results suggest a weak anisotropy in the self-interstitial diffusion. In-situ tensile tests were performed using a TEM, after ion irradiation, in order to activate the dislocation glide and to observe their interaction with the <a> loops. Some of the experimental cases of interaction have been simulate using Dislocation Dynamics for a better understanding of the mechanisms. The simultaneous effect of the stress and of the irradiation on the deformation mechanisms have been then studied. In-situ electron and ion irradiations were conducted, with and without an applied stress. Deformation mechanisms involving dislocation climb have thus been demonstrated. Through this study, models based on the identified mechanisms may be suggested, in order to predict the behavior of zirconium alloys in the reactor.

Matéria orgânica natural (MON) é uma complexa matriz de compostos orgânicos originados de fontes naturais que estão presentes nas bacias hidrográficas e dentro dos corpos hídricos. MON é comprovado precursor de subprodutos da desinfecção (SPD), além de afetar processos de tratamento de água tais como coagulação, desinfecção, oxidação, adsorção em carvão ativado e filtração em membranas. Por estas razões, a redução da MON no tratamento de água para consumo humano é importante. Muitos métodos têm sido utilizados para caracterizar e quantificar a MON. Entre os métodos usados se encontram a adsorção em resinas e parâmetros de massa. Carbono orgânico total (COT), carbono orgânico dissolvido (COD), absorção à luz ultravioleta (UV254) e absorbância específica de luz ultravioleta (AEUV) são usualmente utilizados como parâmetros de massa. O fracionamento rápido é uma técnica que usa diferentes resinas para separar frações da MON. Nesse contexto, este trabalho teve como objetivo geral caracterizar a matéria orgânica dissolvida usando o método do fracionamento rápido e os parâmetros COD, UV254 e AEUV em processos de tratamento de água para consumo humano. Também foram analisados turbidez, cor, pH e alcalinidade. Foram avaliados os efeitos dos processos de coagulação, sedimentação, filtração em filtro de areia e adsorção em carvão ativado granular (CAG) nas frações que formam a MON. As amostras de água foram coletadas em estação de tratamento de água da cidade de Porto Alegre, RS. Os valores de turbidez, cor, pH, alcalinidade, UV254 e COD reduziram-se ao longo dos processos de tratamento, enquanto que a AEUV aumentou na sequência dos processos. Os valores de absorção de UV254 decresceram à medida que as amostras passavam através das distintas resinas do fracionamento rápido (DAX-8, XAD-4 e IRA-958). Estas frações tiveram reduções importantes em todas as amostras. Os AMH decresceram de 2,29 mg/L COD na água bruta para 0,25 mg/L COD no efluente da coluna de carvão ativado, enquanto que os ALH reduziram de 1,29 mg/L na água bruta para 0,22 mg/L no efluente do filtro de CAG. As concentrações observadas de matérias hidrofílicas carregadas (MHC) (ex., proteínas) e hidrofílicas neutras (MHN) (ex., carboidratos) foram próximas a zero em todas as amostras. Foi possível concluir que os processos de tratamento afetam a distribuição de frações da MON presente na água. / Natural organic matter (NOM) is a complex matrix of organic compounds originated from natural sources that are present in the watershed and in within water bodies. NOM is a known precursor of disinfection byproducts (DBP) and affects drinking water treatment processes such as coagulation, disinfection, oxidation, carbon adsorption and membrane filtration. For these reasons, the reduction of NOM in water treatment is important. Many methods have been used to characterize and quantify NOM, among them, the resin adsorption and the mass parameters methods. The latter include total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm (UV254), and specific UV absorption (SUVA). Rapid fractionation is one of the resin adsorption methods. This study has as objective the characterization of dissolved organic matter using rapid fractionation and the parameters DOC, UV254 and SUVA in drinking water treatment processes. Turbidity, color, pH and alkalinity were also analyzed. It was evaluated the effect of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration in sand filter and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption in the fractions that form NOM. Samples were collected in a drinking water treatment plant in the city of Porto Alegre, RS. Values of turbidity, color, pH, alkalinity, UV254 and DOC decreased along treatment, while values of SUVA increased. UV254 reduced as the samples passed through the distinct resins used for rapid fractionation (DAX-8, XAD-4 e IRA-958). The main fraction of DOC in samples was very hydrophobic acids (VHA) (as humic acids) followed by slightly hydrophobic acids (SHA) (as fulvic acids). These fractions had major reductions as the samples run through the resins. VHA decreased from 2,29 mg/L COD in raw water to 0,25 mg/L COD in activated carbon column effluent, while SHA decreased from 1,29 mg/L in raw water to 0,22 mg/L in GAC filter effluent. Charged hydrophilic matters (CHA) (as proteins) and hydrophilic neutral (NEU) (as carbohydrates) were observed at concentrations next to zero in most samples. It was possible to conclude that drinking water treatment processes affect the fraction distribution of NOM in water.

L’optimisation des performances d’une pile à combustible (PEMFC) requiert la compréhension microscopique des mécanismes de transport de l’eau et du proton confinés au sein de la membrane électrolyte polymère. La membrane est un matériau nanostructuré chargé, caractérisé par une dynamique de l’eau et du proton complexe et multi-échelle étroitement corrélée à la morphologie confinante. Nous nous sommes intéressés à la relation structure – transport dans i) L’Aquivion, un ionomère perfluorosulfonique récent présentant de bonnes performances en pile, ii) des systèmes «modèles» auto-assemblés de tensioactifs perfluorés formant des phases lamellaires et hexagonales et iii) une nouvelle membrane hybride préparée par dopage en tensioactif. La nano-structuration des différents systèmes a été étudiée par diffusion de rayonnement (X et neutrons), pour caractériser l’évolution de la structure (géométrie de la matrice hôte, taille de confinement) avec l’hydratation. Ensuite, nous avons sondé la dynamique de l’eau à l’échelle moléculaire (de la picoseconde à la nanoseconde) par diffusion quasi-élastique des neutrons (QENS) et à l’échelle micrométrique par RMN à gradients de champs pulsés. La comparaison membranes commerciales / systèmes modèles permet de discuter l’impact de la connectivité, du confinement et de la géométrie sur le transport ionique. Enfin, des membranes hybrides à fort potentiel ont été obtenues par dopage du Nafion et de l’Aquivion avec des tensioactifs. Ces nouveaux matériaux ouvrent une voie prometteuse pour la préparation de membranes polymères fortement anisotropes avec des chemins de conduction préférentiellement orientés. / The optimization of the Fuel Cell’s performances (PEMFC) requires a microscopic understanding of the water and proton’s transport mechanism, which are confined in a polymer electrolyte membrane. The latter is nanostructured, charged and characterized by a complex and multi-scale water and proton dynamics, closely correlated to the confining morphology. We studied the structure-transport interplay in i) the Aquivion, a recent perfluorosulfonic ionomer exhibiting good performances in fuel cell, ii) “model” systems of perfluorosulfonic surfactants, which self-assemble in lamellar and hexagonal phases and iii) a new hybrid membrane doped with surfactant. The nanostructuration of the different systems has been studied by neutron and X-ray scattering, to characterize the structural evolution (host matrix geometry, confinement sizes) with hydration. Then, we probe the water dynamics at the molecular level (from picosecond to nanosecond) with Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS) and at the micrometric scale with Pulsed Field Gradient NMR. The comparison of commercial membranes and model systems bring new insight on the impact of the connectivity, the confinement and the geometry, on the ionic transport. Finally, high potential hybrid membranes have been obtained by doping Nafion and Aquivion with surfactants. Those new materials open a promising way for the preparation of highly anisotropic polymer membrane, with conducting path preferentially oriented.