The 3C 273 and RX J1230.8+0115 sight lines probe the outskirts of the Virgo Cluster at physical separations between the sight lines of 200 and 500 h70-1 kpc. We present an analysis of available Hubble Space Telescope STIS echelle and Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) UV spectroscopy of RX J1230.8+ 0115, in which we detect five Lyα absorbers at Virgo distances. One of these absorbers is a blend of two strong metal-line absorbers at a recession velocity coincident with the highest neutral hydrogen column density absorber in the 3C 273 sight line, ∼350 h70-1 kpc away. The consistency of the metal-line column density ratios in the RX J1230.8+0115 sight line allows us to determine the ionization mechanism (photoionization) for these absorbers. While the low signal-to-noise ratio of the FUSE spectrum limits our ability to model the neutral hydrogen column density of these absorbers precisely, we are able to constrain them to be in the range 1016-1017 cm -2. The properties of these absorbers are similar to those obtained for the nearby 3C 273 absorber studied by Tripp and collaborators. However, the inferred line-of-sight size for the 3C 273 absorber is only 70 pc, much smaller than those inferred in RX J1230.8+0115, which are 10-30 h70-1 kpc. The small sizes of all three absorbers are at odds with the ≥ 350 h70-1 kpc minimum transverse size implied by an application of the standard QSO line-pair analysis. On the basis of absorber associations between these two sight lines we conclude that a large-scale structure filament produces a correlated, not contiguous, gaseous structure in this region of the Virgo Supercluster. These data may indicate that we are detecting overdensities in the large-scale structure filaments in this region. Alternatively, the presence of a galaxy 71 h70-1 kpc from a 3C 273 absorber may indicate that we have probed outflowing, starburst-driven shells of gas associated with nearby galaxies.

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra of the QSO PG 1211+143 (zem = 0.081) and a galaxy survey of the surrounding field. This sight line shows two strong intergalactic absorption systems at cz ≃ 15,300 and 19,300 km s-1. This sight line addresses the nature and origin of the O VI absorbers and their connection to galaxies. We explore the relationship of these absorbers to the nearby galaxies and compare them to other O VI-bearing absorbers in diverse environments. At 15,300 km s-1, we find four distinct H I components and associated C II, C III, C IV, Si II, Si III, Si IV, N V, and O VI, lying near a spiral-dominated galaxy group with a bright member galaxy 137 h 70-1 kpc from the sight line. The observed ions of C, Si, and N are likely to be photoionized, but the O VI is more consistent with collisional ionization. The ion ratios in this absorber resemble the highly ionized Galactic high-velocity clouds (HVCs); it may also trace the hot intragroup medium gas or the unbound wind of an undiscovered dwarf galaxy. At 19,300 km s-1, we find five H I components and associated C III, Si III, and collisionally ionized O VI lying 146 h70-1 kpc from an isolated galaxy. The properties of the O VI-bearing gas are consistent with an origin in strong shocks between low-metallicity gas (≥2%-6% solar) and one or more of the warm photoionized components. It is likely that these absorbers are related to the nearby galaxies, perhaps by outflows or gas stripped from unseen satellite galaxies by interactions. However, we cannot reject completely the hypothesis that they reside in the same large-scale structure in which the galaxies are embedded but are otherwise not directly related.

We provide an in-depth analysis of the He II and H I absorption in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at redshifts z = 2.3-2.9 toward HE 2347-4342, using spectra from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and the Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. Following up on our earlier study, we focus here on two major topics: (1) small-scale variability (Δz ≈ 10-3) in the ratio η = N(He II)/N(H I) and (2) an observed correlation of high-η absorbers (soft radiation fields) with voids in the (H I) Lyα distribution. These effects may reflect fluctuations in the ionizing sources on scales of 1 Mpc, together with radiative transfer through a filamentary IGM whose opacity variations control the penetration of 1-5 ryd radiation over 30-40 Mpc distances. Given the photon statistics and backgrounds, we can measure optical depths over the ranges 0.1 < τHe II < 2.3 and 0.02 < τH I < 3.9 and reliably determine values of η ≈ 4τHe II/τH I over the range 0.1-460. Values η = 20-200 are consistent with models of photoionization by quasars with observed spectral indices α s = 0-3. Values η > 200 may require additional contributions from starburst galaxies, heavily filtered quasar radiation, or density variations. Regions with η < 30 may indicate the presence of local hard sources. We find that η is higher in "void" regions, where H I is weak or undetected and ∼80% of the path length has η > 100. These voids may be ionized by local soft sources (dwarf starbursts) or by QSO radiation softened by escape from the active galactic nucleus cores or transfer through the "cosmic web." The apparent differences in ionizing spectra may help to explain the 1.45 Gyr lag between the reionization epochs of H I (zH I ∼ 6.2 ± 0.2) and He II (zHe II ∼ 2.8 ± 0.2).

This study investigated Zambia's current financial inclusion state with specific reference to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It also sought to determine the relationship between the age of the owner of MSME, size, literacy, gender, age, the period of operations, asymmetrical information, and financial inclusion in Zambia. The data collected from 70 respondents comprising MSMEs owners were analysed using multiple regression, correlation analysis and descriptive statistics. The research employed dependent variables, notably access, availability, and financial services, as the dependent variable. In contrast, independent variables included the size of MSME, literacy level, income level of the owner of MSME, the period of operations and asymmetrical information. On the one hand, the empirical findings indicate a positive relationship between usage and availability of financial services, and 'MSME's age of owner, size, literacy, gender, age, operation period, asymmetrical information in Zambia. On the other hand, findings, however, also show a negative relationship between gender and financial inclusion access. Whilst a positive relationship with the remaining independent variables. Accordingly, the study concluded that financial inclusion is evident in Zambia among MSMEs. However, the primary issue is that most MSMEs do not have access to formal funding from formal financial institutions. Therefore, the study calls for policies to be put in place to help MSMEs have access to formal financing. In addition, it also proposes formalising 'women's informal sector, financial literacy roadshows for women in the informal sector, training women in digital skills to enable them to have better access to financial services and giving financial institutions targets to onboard women-led MSMEs.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2008. / Organisational communication in today‘s organisations has not only become far more complex and varied but more important to overall organisational functioning and success also, organisations can not operate without communication, organisations involve people and people cannot interact with each other without communication. However, different styles of management have an influence or impact over people, on the way in which people co-operate and on the results of changes because change is both inevitable (unavoidable) and necessary in any business and it is important for managers and employees to hone (sharpen) their skills in change management. This study investigates the communication strategies aimed at improving the success rate of small to medium business enterprises. The first part of the study reviews literature on communication, change management, different styles of management, change implementation, importance of planning and communication, kinds of changes and managers and power. Subsequent chapters describe the construction of a survey instrument employed to measure and evaluate on the communication strategies aimed at improving the success rate of small to medium business enterprises. Penultimate chapters blend the insights gained from this literature review to interpret the results, obtained through the quantitative research methodology, to describe a set of conclusions and recommendations in the context of the communication strategies aimed at improving the success rate of small to medium business enterprises.

No description available.

In this thesis I investigate three key questions about the interstellar medium (ISM) and star formation in nearby galaxies. The first question is, “how do bars and galaxy interactions affect the distribution of cold gas and the level of central star formation in galaxies?” I use publicly-available spatially-resolved images of CO(1-0) emission in a sample of 126 nearby galaxies from the Extragalactic Database for Galaxy Evolution (EDGE) survey to measure molecular gas concentrations, and I use spatially-resolved optical spectroscopy from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey to measure the level of central star formation enhancement. I find that gas concentration and the level of central star formation enhancement are positively correlated in barred galaxies but not in unbarred galaxies, and that interacting galaxies show signs of a correlation but not in all cases. These results indicate that central star formation enhancement occurs only in barred galaxies and interacting galaxies with high gas concentrations, which supports theories of bar- and interaction-driven galaxy evolution. The second question is, “what is the relationship between mid-infrared (MIR) emission and molecular gas at spatially-resolved scales in galaxies?” I extend previous work, which found a tight correlation between global MIR emission in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) 12 micron band and CO emission from single-dish radio telescopes, to spatially-resolved scales using EDGE CO data smoothed to WISE 12 micron resolution. I find that these quantities are tightly correlated at ~kiloparsec scales, and that the correlation shows offsets from galaxy to galaxy. I find that these offsets are explained best by differences in the level of global near- and far-ultraviolet emission, and that the 12 micron-CO correlation is the strongest of all the resolved correlations that I considered. These results suggest that there is a tight physical link between WISE 12 micron emission and CO emission on kiloparsec scales, possibly due to a connection between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, which dominate the 12 micron emission) and molecular gas. My findings can be used to estimate resolved CO emission based on (easily obtained) WISE 12 micron images and a small number of global multi-wavelength measurements. These results also motivate further work exploring the CO-PAH connection in more diverse conditions and at higher resolution. Finally, the third question is, “what is the ISM content of red star-forming galaxies?” In comparison to blue star-forming galaxies (“blue actives”) which lie on or above the star-forming main sequence (SFMS), these “red misfits” tend to lie on or slightly below the SFMS. I find that the main property other than colour that differentiates red misfits from blue actives is their low gas mass fractions. The gas depletion times and gas-to-dust ratios are similar between these populations. My results indicate that the star formation of red misfits is in the act of quenching. The unifying theme of each of these projects is the approach: studying key questions in nearby galaxies based on their molecular gas content along with other multi-wavelength data, at a variety of resolutions. This approach is enabled by large publicly available multi-wavelength data sets at a variety of physical resolutions. Surveys of the global gas content of galaxies with accompanying multi-wavelength data will always be larger, and will continue to be an important reference for smaller resolved surveys. I hope that this thesis serves as a useful comparison between the science that can be done on both global and resolved scales, and will motivate future work on the connection between the ISM and star formation in nearby galaxies. / Thesis / Doctor of Science (PhD)

Every scientific experiment or innovation goes through a phase of testing equipment. This is not only true for experiments in the laboratory, but also very relevant for experiments on other planetary bodies. In order to test tools and robotic equipment that are destined for another planet, moon, asteroid or comet, it is necessary to simulate the regolith environment on that surface. In this thesis we have provided an overview of two methods for regolith simulant development. In one approach we made simulants in different compositions to find the best spectral fit to Jupiter Trojan asteroids. At visible to near-infrared (VNIR) wavelengths, the Trojans' spectra have low overall reflectance and red spectral slopes, and a distinctive 10 μm plateau at thermal infrared (TIR) wavelengths. Trojan spectra may be explained by high porosity, fine particulate silicate minerals like olivine mixed with opaques and organics. Our Trojan simulants were made from silicate (olivine), opaque (iron sulfide) and organics (coals) in various proportions and particle sizes. Resulting mixtures were analyzed with spectrometers VNIR to TIR wavelengths. While the perfect Trojan simulant was not created, compositional and particle size effects were characterized, which helps to better understand the Trojan spectra. It is unknown how water ice content changes regolith and dust properties. To be safe during lunar exploration more research and modeling of possible regolith behavior is necessary. The second project presented in this thesis is about a new production method for lunar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) icy regolith simulant. We build on an existing lunar highlands simulant, by adapting it for lunar poles, where water ice might be present in permanently shadowed regions. We have developed a production pipeline to make granular icy simulant with variable water ice content. We found that icy simulant has an increased porosity, that persists even after dehydration.

Binary asteroid systems make up roughly 15% of objects occupying near-Earth space, the Main Belt, and trans-Neptunian space. The impact history of asteroids in binary systems represents an interesting aspect of the general problem pertaining to the nature and evolution of surfaces for such objects. Specifically, the post-impact dynamics of ejecta and its relation to surface modification is a challenging question owing, in part, to the unusual gravitational field in a binary system and the subsequent capture and emplacement of debris on either binary component. Observable differences or similarities between the two bodies in the color, reflectance, thermal properties, and grain properties of their respective regoliths could give insight into the system's past and the circumstances of recent impacts. Here we present simulations of impact scenarios in a wide variety of binary systems in order to generate a large family of prediction models for resurfacing and ejecta covering outcomes due to impacts. In this way, we can address our main science question of how specific binary system parameters influence the evolution of their surfaces. To create a library of ejecta outcomes, we first developed the Rebound Ejecta Dynamics (RED) package (Larson and Sarid 2021), an N-body integrator designed to model post-impact debris dynamics that builds on the existing Rebound software (Rein and Tamayo 2015). This package allows us to vary the many of the important parameters of a binary system, including primary-secondary separation, rotation periods, and mass ratios, as well as impact-related parameters, such as impact surface location, ejecta size and velocity distribution, and ejecta compositions. Our simulations generally use 10,000 particles and cover one week of simulation time. From our simulations, we calculate the percentage of the system that is resurfaced, the distance that particles travel from the impact site, and the percentage of particles that impact the surface. These regions of resurfacing can often be observed with different colors or spectral properties than the original surface. We find that there are trends in ejecta end-states as a function of binary system properties (i.e., primary rotation period and system mass ratio) for several common impact scenarios. We analyzed the dominant effect that influences the outcome of each impact event.

In this dissertation work we sought to answer questions about the age, composition, and origin of planetary bodies. We implemented multiple approaches to answer these questions. To determine the age of the Clarissa asteroid family we implemented a modified version of SWIFT: a Solar System integration software package by Levison & Duncan (1994) to account for gravitational as well as thermal perturbations. This work constrained the age of the Clarissa asteroid family to be 56 ± 6 My. Next, we used a sum to one constraint weighted least squares (STO WLS) modeling approach to model thermal infrared (TIR) spectra of a suite of primitive asteroid analogs spectrally and volumetrically dominated by fine particulates ( < 38 µm). We determined that an alternative approach to the STO WLS model is needed to analyze asteroid regolith when it is dominated by fine particles ( < 90 µm). Our next approach included the Trojan asteroids (911) Agamemnon, (1172) Aneas, and (624) Hektor, and primitive asteroid (944) Hidalgo whose emissivity spectra share a prominent 10 µm plateau that is also present in cometary comae spectra. We used Multiple Sphere T-Matrix (MSTM) and Hapke reflectance models to model the asteroid spectral features using a mixture of olivine components (Mg-rich and Fe-rich olivine), fine particles (~0.5-1.0 µm), and lunar-like porosities (~74-87%). Finally, we used a light scattering Mie and Monte Carlo radiative transfer approach to model ambient (measured under Earth-like conditions) lunar regolith spectra. This study indicates that additional work needs to be done to develop an integrated thermal and light-scattering model that can replicate the effects of the thermal gradient present under lunar environment conditions because a light-scattering model alone is not able to reproduce the observed changes in the spectra that we see with space weathering.