Es werden die Eigenschaften von Driftwellen untersucht, welche an der rotierenden magnetisierten Plasmasäule des PSI-1/2 beobachtet wurden. Ihre parallelen Wellenzahlen sind sehr klein, sie besitzen eine nahezu lineare azimutale Dispersionsrelation, ihre azimutale Phasengeschwindigkeit ist etwa gleich der azimutalen Ionendriftgeschwindigkeit und die Potentialfluktuationen eilen den Dichtefluktuationen um etwa Pi hinterher. Deshalb können sie als Ionendriftwellen bezeichnet werden. Alle zugehörigen Messungen wurden mit Langmuirsonden, Spektrometern und schnellen CCD-Kameras durchgeführt. Ein einfaches analytisches Modell, welches die Potential- und Dichteverteilung der Ionendriftwelle beschreibt, offenbart den zugrundeliegenden Instabilitätsmechanismus. Weiterhin wird eine Klassifikation der beobachteten Ionendriftinstabilität in einem Übersichtsschema der bekannten Driftinstabilitäten gegeben. Abschließend wurden die parallele und senkrechte Teilchendiffusion untersucht. Während der gemessene parallele Diffusionskoeffizient sehr gut mit den theoretischen Vorstellungen übereinstimmt, kann die beobachtete Senkrechtdiffusion nicht allein durch die klassische Diffusion erklärt werden. Email: sok@ipp.mpg.de / The properties of drift waves observed in the rotating magnetized plasma column of the PSI-1/2 will be shown. Their parallel wave numbers are very small, their azimuthal dispersion relation is approximately linear, their resultant azimuthal phase velocity is nearly equal to the azimuthal ion drift velocity, and the potential fluctuations always lag behind the density fluctuations with a phase shift of approximately Pi. Therefore, they can be identified as ion drift waves. All corresponding measurements were performed with Langmuir-probes, spectrometers and fast CCD-cameras. A simple analytical model, describing the potential- and density distribution of the ion drift wave, shows the underlying mechanism of the instability. Furthermore, a classification of the observed ion drift instability is given, by referring to a survey scheme summarizing all known drift instabilities. Finally, the parallel and perpendicular particle diffusion were investigated. While the measured parallel diffusion coefficient is in a good agreement with the theory, the observed perpendicular diffusion can not be described with the classical diffusion alone. Email: sok@ipp.mpg.de

ÿþD / The intense radiation environment in the HERA-B experiment, being comparable to that of LHC experiments, requires that the detector be very resistant to high radiation loads. The Outer Tracker of HERA-B consists of drift tubes folded from polycarbonate foils (honeycomb) and is operated with a CF4-containing gas mixture. Aging tests made in HERA-B, under hadronic irradiation, using prototype drift chambers showed a rapid rise of self-sustaining dark currents (Malter effect). Extensive aging studies were carried out with the objective to find an appropriate set of construction materials as well as optimal operational parameters. It was shown that the gain loss (anode aging) and the Malter effect could be avoided after replacing the methane in the counting gas, Ar/CF4/CH4, by CO2 and applying cathode coating. However, other, relatively less known aging effects appeared: rising conductivity of the wire-supporting strips and wire corrosion. These two aging effects could also be prevented keeping water at a proper concentration. The aging tests showed that a too high water content (above about 500 ppm) gives rise to strip conductivity, conversely, a too low water content (below about 100 ppm) enhances anode wire corrosion. In an attempt to interpret the test results, plasma phenomena like quenching by different admixtures, production of molecular species, concentration of long-lived HF produced via CF4 dissociation in the avalanche were semi-quantitatively estimated. This work contains also a comprehensive summary of all aging studies for the Outer Tracker and an overview of the literature on wire chamber aging, in particular with CF4-based counting gas mixtures.

The global ocean overturning circulation is a major means of distributing heat around the Earth, and an important trigger or amplifier of climate change. The formation of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is a major driver of the critical Atlantic arm of the global system, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Paleoceanographic studies have suggested considerable reorganizations of AMOC under varying climate conditions, through changes in the southward export of past analogs of NADW (referred to in this thesis as “North Atlantic-sourced waters” or NASW). Here, through measurements of Nd isotope ratios of Fe-Mn oxide encrusted foraminifera from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 607, located in the present-day core of NADW, new constraints on the composition of the North Atlantic AMOC end-member through time are provided. Moreover, this dissertation reconstructs bottom water masses in the deep North Atlantic, and by inference changes in AMOC, under interglacial and glacial conditions, and across important shifts in the climate system such as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT; ~1250-650 ka) and the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG; ~3.6-2.4 Ma). Chapter 1 focuses on constraining the Nd isotope composition of NASW and changes in its southward export to Site 607 over the last 1.5 Myr. The results suggest increased incursions of southern-sourced waters (SSW) in the deep North Atlantic between ~960 and 860 ka, suggesting that a major AMOC disruption previously observed in the South Atlantic over the same time interval was a basin-wide event. Excluding this interval of AMOC disruption and a 200-kyr-long prolonged interval of weak AMOC that followed, interglacials over the last 1.5 Myr were characterized by the prevalence of water masses similar to the present-day NADW in the deep Atlantic, indicating consistent interglacial AMOC dynamics and North Atlantic end-member. In contrast, glacials were marked by SSW incursions, which further intensified during and after the MPT, suggesting a fundamental change in glacial AMOC. Chapter 2 investigates heightened terrigenous signals right before the onset of the MPT-AMOC disruption seen in the 1.5-Myr-long authigenic Nd isotope record from the first chapter, by further increasing the temporal resolution of the record. Results indicate pronounced inputs of old continental material in the North Atlantic across ~1250-950 ka, perhaps through intense glacial erosion of the cratonic shields in the region. These lend support for the regolith hypothesis for the MPT, whereby removal of regolith via ice-sheet erosion exposed high-friction crystalline bedrock that facilitated thicker and stable ice sheets, fundamentally changing their response to orbital forcing. Chapter 3 provides terrestrial evidence for the erosional events explored in the second chapter, through measurements of major and trace element concentrations, Nd-Sr-Pb isotope ratios, and K-Ar ages on detritus fractions of the Site 607 sediment core. While the detritus deposited at Site 607 during glacials across ~1250-960 ka are more chemically weathered and resemble the average shale that originated from older North Atlantic continental sources such as the late Archean and Proterozoic rocks of the Superior and Churchill Province, and West Greenland, less chemically weathered detritus resembling the average upper continental crust from continental sources such as the Grenville Province and the Appalachians comprise the glacial terrigenous sediments at Site 607 after ~960 ka. These findings further support the regolith hypothesis for the MPT and underline the impact of the Northern Hemisphere erosional events suggested in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 focuses on reconstructing changes in the AMOC and NASW exports in the North Atlantic during the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene, by combining a newly generated Nd isotope data at Site 607 covering ~1.5-2.4 Ma with a published record at the same site covering ~2.4-3.3 Ma during the iNHG. The composite record suggests an overall strong NASW export in the North Atlantic during both interglacials and glacials. However, the Nd isotope composition of NASW inferred from the record indicates that the proportions of deep waters from the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian seas (GINS) in NASW were greater during the Late Pliocene and the first ~500-600 kyr into the Early Pleistocene, relative to the rest of the Pleistocene and today. A gradual increase of sea ice cover in the GINS during glacials across ~2.5-2 Ma may have eventually led to a perennial ice cover in the region and significantly reduced exports of overflow waters to the North Atlantic. By ~2 Ma, the modern Nd isotope composition of NADW was obtained. Chapter 5 aims to qualitatively assess the effectiveness of Nd isotope ratios as a paleoceanographic tracer, through a compilation of Nd isotope records from multiple sites located throughout the Atlantic Ocean. The Nd isotope ratios observed at the sites are consistent with NASW-SSW gradients expected from the AMOC structure and reflect even the local water mass structure and bathymetric settings, confirming the quasi-conservative nature of seawater Nd isotope ratios. An additional comparison of published Atlantic Nd isotope records for the Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene also demonstrates that authigenic Nd isotope ratios reflect past changes in water mass mixing in the Atlantic. These observations reaffirm that Nd isotopes are an effective paleoceanographic tool.

Un carottier à triple paroi a permis la récupération d'échantillons de calibre PQ3 et ZQ3, dans le till glaciaire des fondations du barrage Jules-Allard, dans le sud du Québec. Des essais cross-hole ont permis d'obtenir des modules de Young variant entre 1300 et 2600 MPa. Les essais triaxiaux consolidé non drainés de chargement monotones ont permis l'obtention de modules de Young Emax variant entre 290 et 6000 MPa, notamment en fonction de la fraction de gravier de l'échantillon. Les modules de Young des échantillons de calibre ZQ3 étaient similaires à ceux obtenus avec les essais cross-hole et leurs coefficients de Poisson étaient régulièrement nuls. Lors d'essais triaxiaux de chargement cycliques, les échantillons ont subi une contraction, avant de dilater à l'atteinte d'un point de transformation de phase, lorsque les contraintes ont croisé le cheminement de contraintes d'un échantillon chargé de façon monotone, à la même contrainte effective de consolidation. Mots clés: transformation de phase, comportement cyclique, till glaciaire, module de Young, vitesse de propagation d'onde de cisaillement, coefficient de Poisson. / A triple tube wireline core barrel allowed to retrieve PQ3 and ZQ3 calibre samples from the foundation glacial till of the Jules-Allard dam, South of Quebec. Cross-hole testing allowed to obtain Young's modulus ranging from 1300 to 2600 MPa. Consolidated-undrained triaxial monotonic testing, yielded Young's modulus Emax ranging between 290 MPa and 6000 MPa, notably as a function of the amount of gravel particles present in the samples. ZQ3 samples Young modulus were similar to those obtained using the cross-hole testing. In addition, the Poisson's ratio of these samples were regularly zero. During cyclic triaxial testing, contraction was followed by dilation when the samples reached a phase transformation point and the stress path intersected the stress path of a monotonically loaded sample having the same effective consolidation stress. keywords: phase transformation, cyclic behaviour, glacial till, Young's modulus, shear wave velocity, Poisson's ratio.

La dernière période glaciaire a été ponctuée de variations climatiques abruptes, appelées événements d'Heinrich, qui sont caractérisées par des épisodes de vêlages massifs d'icebergs et d'apports en eaux de fonte dans l'Atlantique Nord. Les événements d'Heinrich (EH) ont fait l'objet de nombreuses publications scientifiques portant sur la paléocéanographie de la zone Nord Atlantique. Cependant, peu d'études se sont intéressées aux modifications sédimentaires intervenant entre la source et la zone de dépôt. L'objectif de cette recherche est de caractériser l'enregistrement sédimentaire des événements d'Heinrich Hl et H2 le long de la marge du Labrador. Pour cela, une approche multi-proxy à haute résolution (propriétés physiques, géochimiques et datations au ¹⁴C) a été réalisée sur des carottes prélevées le long de la marge du Labrador en 2005 et 2006 à partir de l'embouchure du détroit d'Hudson jusqu'à l'éperon d'Hamilton. En combinant les différentes analyses, il a été possible d'illustrer l'évolution des dépôts de H1-H2 en fonction de la distance à la source. Les résultats ont permis de déterminer la répartition spatiale de Hl et H2 le long de la marge et les différents processus de déposition qui y sont associés. Les brusques variations de concentrations géochimiques, la faible susceptibilité magnétique et la présence de carbonates inorganiques des dépôts étudiés indiquent une provenance de l'érosion des roches carbonatées du plancher du détroit d'Hudson ainsi qu'une dilution des minéraux ferrimagnétiques par les carbonates (Andrews et Tedesco, 1992). La présence d'une couche noire à la base de H2 composée de sédiments qui proviendrait du détroit de Cumberland (Jennings et al., 1996) indique un transport sédimentaire précurseur à la déposition des débris carbonates du détroit d'Hudson. Les concentrations d'IRD ont permis de détecter des fluctuations d'apports en eaux de fonte et en icebergs dans Hl et H2. La variabilité des concentrations géochimiques de ces couches d'Heinrich s'explique par des apports sédimentaires de sources différentes ou par des réactions chimiques dues aux échanges eau-particules selon la localisation le long de la marge.

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Oberflächenmodifizierung von drei industriell bedeutenden Metallen, Eisen, Zink und Kupfer, sowie den Oxiden von Zink und Eisen, mit wasserlöslichen Polyvinyl-formamid-Polyvinylamin-Copolymeren (PVFA-co-PVAmen). Der Einfluss des pH-Wertes, des Hydrolysegrades der PVFA-co-PVAme, und der Einfluss von im wässrigen Medium ablaufenden Redoxprozessen an den Metalloberflächen auf die adsorbierte Polymermenge, wurden studiert. Ferner werden polymeranaloge Reaktionen des PVAms bzw. PVAm-modifizierter Metall- und Metalloxidpulver mit Kohlendioxid, ein Multischichtaufbau mit PVAm und Natriumpolyacrylat, als auch die Hydrophobierung durch Maleinsäureanhydridcopolymere beschrieben. Zur Charakterisierung der polymermodifizierten Oberflächen wurde die XPS, die DRIFT-Spektroskopie und die Sorptiochromie genutzt. Besonders der Sorptiochromie wurde aufgrund der hohen Sensitivität ein hoher Stellenwert in der vorliegenden Arbeit eingeräumt. Das Konzept der Sorptiochromie wurde zum ersten Mal auf Metalloberflächen angewendet. Ein zweiter zentraler Aspekt der Arbeit war deshalb die Suche nach Sondenmolekülen, die geeignet waren Polaritätsparameter farbiger Metalloxid- und Metallpulver zu ermitteln. Hierfür wurden das solvatochrome und acidochrome Verhalten, sowie die Wechselwirkungen von Barbituratfarbstoffen mit Merocyaninstruktur mit Metallionen, Metall- und Metalloxidoberflächen studiert.

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Oberflächenmodifizierung von drei industriell bedeutenden Metallen, Eisen, Zink und Kupfer, sowie den Oxiden von Zink und Eisen, mit wasserlöslichen Polyvinyl-formamid-Polyvinylamin-Copolymeren (PVFA-co-PVAmen). Der Einfluss des pH-Wertes, des Hydrolysegrades der PVFA-co-PVAme, und der Einfluss von im wässrigen Medium ablaufenden Redoxprozessen an den Metalloberflächen auf die adsorbierte Polymermenge, wurden studiert. Ferner werden polymeranaloge Reaktionen des PVAms bzw. PVAm-modifizierter Metall- und Metalloxidpulver mit Kohlendioxid, ein Multischichtaufbau mit PVAm und Natriumpolyacrylat, als auch die Hydrophobierung durch Maleinsäureanhydridcopolymere beschrieben. Zur Charakterisierung der polymermodifizierten Oberflächen wurde die XPS, die DRIFT-Spektroskopie und die Sorptiochromie genutzt. Besonders der Sorptiochromie wurde aufgrund der hohen Sensitivität ein hoher Stellenwert in der vorliegenden Arbeit eingeräumt. Das Konzept der Sorptiochromie wurde zum ersten Mal auf Metalloberflächen angewendet. Ein zweiter zentraler Aspekt der Arbeit war deshalb die Suche nach Sondenmolekülen, die geeignet waren Polaritätsparameter farbiger Metalloxid- und Metallpulver zu ermitteln. Hierfür wurden das solvatochrome und acidochrome Verhalten, sowie die Wechselwirkungen von Barbituratfarbstoffen mit Merocyaninstruktur mit Metallionen, Metall- und Metalloxidoberflächen studiert.

Until recently, numerical modulation models for the solar modulation of cosmic rays have been based primarily on finite difference approaches; however, models based on the solution of an appropriate set of stochastic differential equations have become increasingly popular. This study utilises such a spatially three-dimensional and time-stationary model, based on that of Strauss et al. (2011b). The remarkable numerical stability and powerful illustrative capabilities of this model are utilised extensively and in a distinctly comparative fashion to enable new insights into the processes of modulation. The model is refined to provide for both the Smith-Bieber (Smith and Bieber, 1991) and Jokipii-Kota (Jokipii and Kota, 1989) modifcations to the Parker heliospheric magnetic field (Parker, 1958) and the implications for modulation are investigated. During this investigation it is conclusively illustrated that the Parker field is most conducive to drift dominated modulation, while the Jokipii-Kota and Smith-Bieber modifcations are seen to induce successively larger contributions from diffusive processes. A further refinement to the model is the incorporation of a different profile for the heliospheric current sheet. This profile is defined by its latitudinal extent given by Kota and Jokipii (1983), as opposed to the profile given by Jokipii and Thomas (1981). An extensive investigation into current sheet related matters is launched, illustrating the difference between these current sheet geometries, the associated drift velocity fields and the effect on modulation. At high levels of solar activity, such that the current sheet enters deep enough into the polar regions, the profile of Kota and Jokipii (1983) is found to significantly reduce the effective inward (outward) drifts of positively (negatively) charged particles during A > 0 polarity cycles. The analogous effect is true for A < 0 polarity cycles and the overall effect is of such an extent that the A > 0 and A < 0 solutions are found to coincide at the highest levels of solar activity to form a closed loop. This is a result that has never before been achieved without having to scale down the drift coefficient to zero at solar maximum, as was done by e.g. Ndiitwani et al. (2005). Furthermore, it is found that the drift velocity fields associated with these two current sheet profiles lead to significant differences in modulation even at such low levels of solar activity where no difference in the geometries of these profiles are yet in evidence. The model is finally applied to reproduce four observed galactic proton spectra, selected from PAMELA measurements (Adriani et al., 2013) during the atypical solar minimum of 2006 to 2009; a new proton local interstellar spectrum was employed. The results are found to be in accordance with that found by other authors and in particular Vos (2011), i.e. the diffusion was required to consistently increase from 2006 to 2009 and, in addition, the rigidity dependence below ~ 3 GV was required to change over this time so that the spectra became increasingly softer. / MSc (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Until recently, numerical modulation models for the solar modulation of cosmic rays have been based primarily on finite difference approaches; however, models based on the solution of an appropriate set of stochastic differential equations have become increasingly popular. This study utilises such a spatially three-dimensional and time-stationary model, based on that of Strauss et al. (2011b). The remarkable numerical stability and powerful illustrative capabilities of this model are utilised extensively and in a distinctly comparative fashion to enable new insights into the processes of modulation. The model is refined to provide for both the Smith-Bieber (Smith and Bieber, 1991) and Jokipii-Kota (Jokipii and Kota, 1989) modifcations to the Parker heliospheric magnetic field (Parker, 1958) and the implications for modulation are investigated. During this investigation it is conclusively illustrated that the Parker field is most conducive to drift dominated modulation, while the Jokipii-Kota and Smith-Bieber modifcations are seen to induce successively larger contributions from diffusive processes. A further refinement to the model is the incorporation of a different profile for the heliospheric current sheet. This profile is defined by its latitudinal extent given by Kota and Jokipii (1983), as opposed to the profile given by Jokipii and Thomas (1981). An extensive investigation into current sheet related matters is launched, illustrating the difference between these current sheet geometries, the associated drift velocity fields and the effect on modulation. At high levels of solar activity, such that the current sheet enters deep enough into the polar regions, the profile of Kota and Jokipii (1983) is found to significantly reduce the effective inward (outward) drifts of positively (negatively) charged particles during A > 0 polarity cycles. The analogous effect is true for A < 0 polarity cycles and the overall effect is of such an extent that the A > 0 and A < 0 solutions are found to coincide at the highest levels of solar activity to form a closed loop. This is a result that has never before been achieved without having to scale down the drift coefficient to zero at solar maximum, as was done by e.g. Ndiitwani et al. (2005). Furthermore, it is found that the drift velocity fields associated with these two current sheet profiles lead to significant differences in modulation even at such low levels of solar activity where no difference in the geometries of these profiles are yet in evidence. The model is finally applied to reproduce four observed galactic proton spectra, selected from PAMELA measurements (Adriani et al., 2013) during the atypical solar minimum of 2006 to 2009; a new proton local interstellar spectrum was employed. The results are found to be in accordance with that found by other authors and in particular Vos (2011), i.e. the diffusion was required to consistently increase from 2006 to 2009 and, in addition, the rigidity dependence below ~ 3 GV was required to change over this time so that the spectra became increasingly softer. / MSc (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Ce texte constitue une synthèse de mes travaux de recherche menés depuis 2000 en statistique mathématique. Ces travaux s'articulent autour de 4 thèmes: la statistique non paramétrique pour les processus de diffusion, efficacité au second ordre pour l'estimation semiparamétrique, agrégation par des poids exponentiels et réduction de dimension pour la régression non paramétrique. <br />Le premier chapitre contient une description générale des résultats obtenus en les replaçant dans un contexte historique et en présentant les motivations qui nous ont animées pour étudier ces problèmes. J'y décris également de façon informelle les idées clés des démonstrations. <br /><br />Au second chapitre, je présente les définitions principales nécessaires pour énoncer de façon rigoureuse les résultats les plus importants. Ce chapitre contient également une discussion plus formelle permettant de mettre en lumière certains aspects théoriques et pratiques de nos résultats.