abstract: Gold-silver alloy nanoparticles (NPs) capped with adenosine 5'-triphosphate were synthesized by borohydride reduction of dilute aqueous metal precursors. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed the as-synthesized particles to be spherical with average diameters ~4 nm. Optical properties were measured by UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and the formation of alloy NPs was verified across all gold:silver ratios by a linear shift in the plasmon band maxima against alloy composition. The molar absorptivities of the NPs decreased non-linearly with increasing gold content from 2.0 x 108 M-1 cm-1 (fÉmax = 404 nm) for pure silver to 4.1 x 107 M-1 cm-1 (fÉmax = 511 nm) for pure gold. The NPs were immobilized onto transparent indium-tin oxide composite electrodes using layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition with poly(diallyldimethylammonium) acting as a cationic binder. The UV-Vis absorbance of the LbL film was used to calculate the surface coverage of alloy NPs on the electrode. Typical preparations had average NP surface coverages of 2.8 x 10-13 mol NPs/cm2 (~5% of cubic closest packing) with saturated films reaching ~20% of ccp for single-layer preparations (1.0 ~ 10-12 mol NPs/cm2). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of alloy NPs in the LbL film and showed silver enrichment of the NP surfaces by ~9%. Irreversible oxidative dissolution (dealloying) of the less noble silver atoms from the NPs on LbL electrodes was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in sulfuric acid. Alloy NPs with higher gold content required larger overpotentials for silver dealloying. Dealloying of the more-noble gold atoms from the alloy NPs was also achieved by CV in sodium chloride. The silver was oxidized first to cohesive silver chloride, and then gold dealloyed to soluble HAuCl4- at higher potentials. Silver oxidation was inhibited during the first oxidative scan, but subsequent cycles showed typical, reversible silver-to-silver chloride voltammetry. The potentials for both silver oxidation and gold dealloying also shifted to more oxidizing potentials with increasing gold content, and both processes converged for alloy NPs with >60% gold content. Charge-mediated electrochemistry of silver NPs immobilized in LbL films, using Fc(meOH) as the charge carrier, showed that 67% of the NPs were electrochemically inactive. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Chemistry 2014

O presente trabalho de pesquisa se refere às atividades e às relações desenvolvidas em torno da agroindústria brasileira Korin Agropecuária Ltda. Essa empresa possui uma origem peculiar uma vez que foi fundada com o propósito de colocar em prática os princípios, conceitos e métodos originados da Agricultura Natural, sistema agrícola preconizado por Mokiti Okada (Japão, 1882-1955). Okada enfatizou a necessidade de um perfeito equilíbrio entre as atividades humanas e as forças da natureza, para se alcançar bons resultados na produção, privilegiando a segurança dos alimentos, a interação e o respeito à natureza e a saúde e o bem estar socioeconômico dos agentes participantes deste sistema. Segundo Okada, a Agricultura Natural é um dos pilares de sustentação de uma civilização e sociedade ideais, onde a saúde, a prosperidade e a paz são predominantes. Assim, enquanto método produtivo enquadra-se perfeitamente na ideia de uma agricultura sustentável, pelo não uso de adubos químicos solúveis, agrotóxicos, antibióticos, melhoradores de desempenho e outros insumos industriais, veiculando uma abordagem socioambiental da atividade agrícola, com enfoque na qualidade diferenciada dos alimentos. Especificamente sobre a produção avícola de corte e postura convencional discutimos os problemas decorrentes do uso excessivo de antibióticos e promotores de crescimento, apresentando a evolução técnico-produtiva deste sistema de integração vertical alternativo no qual estas substâncias não são utilizadas e o bem estar animal é considerado. Prioritariamente abordamos, neste trabalho, a sustentabilidade sob o ponto de vista da multifuncionalidade da agricultura, tratando também do desenvolvimento da empresa sob a ótica dos Sistemas Agroalimentares Localizados - SIAL. Considerando essas abordagens, realizamos pesquisa qualitativa junto a 28 produtores predominantemente familiares integrados à empresa, aplicando questionário semiestruturado para explorar e analisar suas atitudes, percepções e experiências em relação aos conceitos e métodos da empresa, ao meio ambiente, segurança alimentar e suas condições socioeconômicas. No que diz respeito à sede da empresa, apresentamos um estudo, que contou com nossa colaboração, sobre a sustentabilidade de seu sistema de produção através de método que utiliza indicadores socioambientais, desenvolvido pela Embrapa Meio Ambiente. Trata-se do APOIA - Novo Rural, voltado para análise de unidades produtivas rurais. A análise integrada de sustentabilidade avalia a gestão ambiental do estabelecimento rural, tendo como base o contexto local e as práticas de manejo adotadas. A agroindústria em questão obteve um excelente índice integrado de sustentabilidade (0,87), justificado pelo seu histórico de mais de 20 anos de práticas relacionadas à Agricultura Natural. Peculiarmente, este complexo em torno da Agricultura Natural está inserido na confluência das divisas de duas unidades de conservação do estado de São Paulo, as Áreas de Proteção Ambiental - APA Corumbataí e a APA Piracicaba, o que promove sinergias com vistas a alcançar modelos ambientalmente adequados de produção agroalimentar. Os dados obtidos neste estudo junto aos avicultores integrados nos permitiram verificar que a prática da Agricultura Natural tem contribuído sinergicamente para que as dimensões da multifuncionalidade da agricultura sejam reconhecidas no território em questão, dinamizando e consolidando um sistema agroalimentar localizado sob uma perspectiva de sustentabilidade na produção agropecuária. / This research study refers to the activities and relationships developed around a Brazilian agrifood company named Korin Agropecuária Ltda. With a peculiar origin, this company was founded with the purpose of putting into practice the principles, concepts and methods originated from the Nature Farming system. NF is an agricultural approach created and advocated by Mokiti Okada (Japan, 1882-1955). Okada emphasized the necessity of a perfect balance between human activities and the nature forces in order to achieve good results in the production, favouring food safety, nature interaction and respect, health, and the social-economic well-being of all players of this system. According to Okada, Nature Farming is one of the pillars of true civilization and an ideal society where health, prosperity and peace are predominant. Thus, while a productive method, perfectly fits in the idea of sustainable agriculture since its methodological aspects as the non-use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, growth promoters and other synthetic inputs, leading to a social-environmental approach to agriculture, with a focus on differentiated quality food. Regarding chicken meat and eggs regular production, we discuss the concerns about the overuse of antibiotics and growth promoters, showing the technical evolution of this particularly verticalized system where these substances are not used and the animal welfare is highly take into consideration. As a priority, we address in this work, sustainability from the point of view of the multifunctionality of agriculture and also addressing the company\"s development from the perspective of Localized Agrifood Systems. Considering these approaches, we conducted a qualitative research on twenty eight integrated farmers who are linked to the company, applying semi-structured questionnaire. The objective was to explore and describe their attitudes, perceptions and experiences in relation to the company concepts and methods towards the environment, food safety, and their socio-economic conditions. With regard to corporate headquarters, located in a farm on a rural area, we present a study on the sustainability of the production system through a social-environmental indicator developed by Embrapa, named APOIA - NovoRural. This indicator was designed to analyse rural productive units with focus on the environmental management based on local context. The company have achieved an excellent sustainability index (0.87), due to its history for more than twenty years of Nature Farming\'s handling. Peculiarly this Nature Farming complex is inserted at the confluence of two conservation units of the state of São Paulo, called Environmental Protected Areas of Corumbataí and of Piracicaba, which reinforces the need to search for environmentally suitable models of agrifood production. The data obtained from this study with the integrated farmers have allowed us to verify that the dimensions of multifunctionality of agriculture are being recognized within this particular territory, streamlining and consolidating this agrifood localized system under a sustainability perspective in agriculture.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / Among the new-found data about the availability of fossil fuels, which affirms that oil and natural gas sources will be almost depleted in the next century and the coal in the following two centuries. There is a global pursuit about new ways to produce energy. Another important fact that ratify this quest, lies at rise of the environment imbalance arouse from the burn of fossil fuels which, through the greenhouse effect, leads, for instance, to melting glaciers and increasing the temperature in the earth. The wind power, already used to move ships since antiquity is a relevant alternative way to produce energy, since it dispose of, at least, two great advantages, namely, it is endless and produce low negative consequences to environment. A place is considered to be good to receive the wind power engines called wind turbines, which convert the wind kinetic energy in electricity, if it is a ground plane with little amount of barriers. The sea, especially the regions far from the coast, satisfy the two latter requirement, and, furthermore, it is a place in which there are less obstructions about the noise pollution from the offshore wind turbines and there is not concern about deceases arouse in people who leave near of wind farms. In order to install the wind turbines in those spots away from the seashore, is required that its towers must be attached at the sea floor or must be develop a system that allow the turbine to float. Therefore the objective of the present work is to develop a structural modelling of the Monopile, TLP (Tension Leg Platform) and Spar type wind turbines subject using Finite Element Methods with the coupling method accomplished by Localized Lagrange Multipliers, jointly with the software SolidWorks and Autocad (drawing creation), ANSYS (mesh development) and Matlab (solver). The obtained results are relevant since such models are those which are most commonly used in offshore wind power plants. Lastly, due to the use of the latter coupling method, there is not the requisition to develop the study using meshes that agree each other. On the contrary, the analysis can be performed with non match meshes adjusting them with the Zero Moment Rule described in this present study. / Diante dos mais recentes dados com respeito a quantidade de combustÃveis fÃsseis ainda disponÃveis na natureza, os quais atestam que nÃo hà mais nem um sÃculo sequer para que o petrÃleo e o gÃs natural sejam praticamente extintos e que as reservas de carvÃo mineral suprirÃo somente mais 2 sÃculos de consumo, levando em conta o gasto atual. A preocupaÃÃo quanto a novas formas de extraÃÃo de energia se tornam necessÃrias e urgentes. Outro importante fator que ratifica o imediatismo de se buscar diferentes fontes de energia em detrimento de combustÃvel fÃssil, à o fato de que as emissÃes intrÃnsecas à sua queima estÃo gerando desequilÃbrio no clima global pela intensificaÃÃo do efeito estufa, apontado como um dos principais contribuidores do derretimento de geleiras e aquecimento da temperatura da terra. A energia eÃlica, jà utilizada desde a antiguidade para auxÃlio de locomoÃÃo de embarcaÃÃes e em moinhos de vento, se mostra uma alternativa de extrema relevÃncia, jà que, ela nÃo à portadora dos dois problemas crÃticos citados anteriormente. A saber, ela à infindÃvel e tem baixa consequÃncia negativa ao meio ambiente. Quanto aos locais que oferecem maior rendimento e produÃÃo para instalaÃÃo dos aerogeradores, responsÃveis pela conversÃo da energia cinÃtica do vento em energia elÃtrica, sÃo os que dispÃem de terreno mais plano e ausente de barreiras que impeÃam a continuidade do fluxo de vento. O mar, sobretudo as regiÃes mais distantes da costa, satisfazem Ãs duas necessidades citadas anteriormente, e, ainda se tratam de um local no qual nÃo hà a preocupaÃÃo quanto a poluiÃÃo sonora gerada pelos aerogeradores e nem com distÃrbios e doenÃas que possam ser desencadeadas em pessoas que residam pertos de grandes parques Ãolicos. A utilizaÃÃo de aerogeradores no mar (offshore) distantes da costa, e por conseguinte, em grandes profundidades, requer torres de sustentaÃÃo fixadas ao solo ou um sistema que proporcione que a turbina flutue. Diante do exposto, o trabalho em questÃo tem por objetivo realizar a modelagem estrutural do aerogerador flutuante (Spar), do portador de torre de tripà e do modelo monopile, sujeitos a carregamentos decorrentes de situaÃÃes normais e extremas, utilizando os mÃtodos dos Elementos Finitos juntamente com o MÃtodo de Acoplamento por Multiplicadores de Lagrange Localizados, atrelados aos softwares SolidWorks e Autocad (criaÃÃo do desenho), ANSYS (malha) e Matlab (solver). E, em decorrÃncia do fato da utilizaÃÃo do mÃtodo de acoplamento, nÃo hà necessidade de que as malhas dos subdomÃnios envolvidos sejam coincidentes. Pelo contrÃrio, pode-se utilizar malhas nÃo encaixantes para discretizar o sistema e, nas regiÃes onde hà contato entre malhas que nÃo coicidem, aplica-se a Regra do Momento Zero, descrita no presente trabalho. Nesse tipo de abordagem, pode haver uma separaÃÃo dos cÃdigos computacionais utilizados para o fluido e para a estrutura, os quais sÃo inicialmente tratados como entidades individuais e sà apÃs terem sido discretizados à que a informaÃÃo sobre suas malhas à recebida pela parte do cÃdigo responsÃvel por realizar o acoplamento dos subdomÃnios. Problemas de malhas que nÃo se encaixam podem surgir por diversos motivos, dentre eles, o fato de um subdomÃnio requerer uma malha mais refinada do que outros para que dele resultem resultados acurados. Pesquisadores de diferentes Ãreas podem gerar malhas separadas de distintos subdomÃnios e desejarem unÃ-los pelo mÃtodo abordado nesse trabalho em uma simulaÃÃo, ou a conformidade das malhas pode requerer muito tempo dispendido devido ao grande esforÃo computacional para a geraÃÃo de malhas conformes. Por fim, a aplicaÃÃo do mÃtodo produz resultados de grande relevÃncia, visto que, os modelos a que dizem respeito sÃo os mais comumente utilizados em projetos de aproveitamento de energia eÃlica offshore.

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2016-11-11T13:03:47Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-11T13:03:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Este trabalho desenvolveu um novo método para a detecção de contornos em imagens digitais que apresentam objetos de interesse muito próximos e que contêm complexidades associadas ao fundo da imagem como variação abrupta de intensidade e oscilação de iluminação. O método desenvolvido utiliza lógicafuzzy e desvio padrão da declividade (Desvio padrão da declividade fuzzy - FuzDec) para o processamento de imagens e detecção de contorno. A detecção de contornos é uma tarefa importante para estimar características de escoamento bifásico através da segmentação da imagem das bolhas para obtenção de parâmetros como a fração de vazio e diâmetro de bolhas. FuzDec foi aplicado em imagens de instabilidades de circulação natural adquiridas experimentalmente. A aquisição das imagens foi feita utilizando o Circuito de Circulação Natural (CCN) do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Este circuito é completamente constituído de tubos de vidro, o que permite a visualização e imageamento do escoamento monofásico e bifásico nos ciclos de circulação natural sob baixa pressão.Os resultados mostraram que o detector proposto conseguiu melhorar a identificação do contorno eficientemente em comparação aos detectores de contorno clássicos, sem a necessidade de fazer uso de algoritmos de suavização e sem intervenção humana. / t / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Submitted by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2017-03-07T13:55:58Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Raiane Ferreira de Miranda - 2017.pdf: 9029827 bytes, checksum: 6b8f8f4ddaa3080a5d3e06d7971b47da (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-03-07T15:14:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Raiane Ferreira de Miranda - 2017.pdf: 9029827 bytes, checksum: 6b8f8f4ddaa3080a5d3e06d7971b47da (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-07T15:14:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Raiane Ferreira de Miranda - 2017.pdf: 9029827 bytes, checksum: 6b8f8f4ddaa3080a5d3e06d7971b47da (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-17 / The souari nut tree, native of the Brazilian Savannah, presents adaptation to the dry season and to poor soils. However, it is believed that in conditions of absence of water deficit and good soil fertility, the plant can develop better than in natural conditions, making commercial cultivation possible. Thus, the present study had as objective to evaluate the water relations and the growth of the souari nut trees in function of irrigation and organic fertilization. For this, 120 souari nut trees (from the 6 to the 8 year-old), spaced at 5.0 x 5.0 m were used in a randomized block experiment with six blocks and 16 plants per block, where four Treatments (IA: Irrigated and fertilizated, IN: Irrigated and no-fertilizated, SA: no-irrigated and fertilizated, SN: no-irrigated and no-fertilizated) in the scheme of subdivided plots. In Nov / 2014 the fertilization was of 12.5 kg of organic composting and 1.0 kg of Yorim, and in Nov / 2015, 5 kg of bovine manure and 2.5 kg of chicken manure per plant. The irrigation system used was a microsprinkler with a emitter per plant (Pressure = 10 mca, q = 43 L h-1, wet radius = 2 m), whereby, during the dry season, an average of 116.95 and 92,24 L plant-1 day-1 were applied in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Water relations evaluation consisted of foliar temperature monitoring (nov/2015 to jun/2016) and transpiration by means of sap flow density (out/2015 to may/2016) in irrigated and non-irrigated plants. As growth variables, the height and perimeter of the stem were evaluated monthly, crown area and root density at 6.5 and 7.1 year-old, respectively. The results showed that when irrigated the leaf temperature of the plant remains below the mean air temperature, regardless of the dry or rainy period, while without irrigation the plant presents in water deficit during the dry season. In dry conditions the mean perspiration of the souari nut tree is 24.09 L plant-1 day-1 and if irrigated on average 42.29 L plant-1 day-1. In spite of water supply and fertilization, the plant does not respond in growth in terms of height and stem perimeter. On the other hand, irrigation influences the canopy area, providing trees with larger canopy areas. When irrigated the souari nut tree presents distance and effective depth of the root system (80%) up to 2.00 m, and in dry conditions the roots are horizontally closer to the plant up to 1.60 m, in depth also concentrate up to 2,00m. / O pequizeiro, nativo do bioma Cerrado, apresenta adaptação à estação seca e a solos pobres. Entretanto, acredita-se que em condições de ausência do déficit hídrico e boa fertilidade do solo, a planta pode se desenvolver melhor que em condições naturais viabilizando seu cultivo comercial. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as relações hídricas e o crescimento do pequizeiro em função da irrigação e adubação orgânica. Para isso, foram utilizadas 96 plantas de pequi (do 6º. ao 8º. ano de idade), espaçadas a 5,0 x 5,0 m em experimento conduzido em blocos ao acaso com seis blocos e 16 plantas por bloco, onde foram avaliados quatro tratamentos (I.A.: Irrigação com adubação, I.N.: Irrigação sem adubação, S.A.: Sem irrigação e com adubação e S.N.: Sem irrigação e sem adubação) no esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Em Nov/2014 a adubação consistiu de 2,5 kg de material de compostagem e 1,0 kg de Yorim, e em nov/2015 foram aplicados 5 kg de esterco bovino curtido e 2,5 kg de cama de frango por planta. O sistema de irrigação utilizado foi microaspersão, com um microaspersor por planta (Pressão =10 mca, q = 43 L h-1, raio molhado = 2 m), pelo qual foram aplicados, no período de estiagem, em média 116,95 e 92,24 L planta-1 dia-1 em 2015 e 2016, respectivamente. A avaliação das relações hídricas consistiu no monitoramento da temperatura foliar (nov/2015 a jun/2016) e a transpiração por meio da densidade do fluxo de seiva (out/2015 a mai/2016) nas plantas irrigada e não irrigada. Como variáveis de crescimento avaliou-se a altura e perímetro do caule mensalmente, área da copa e densidade de raízes aos 6,5 e 7,1 anos de idade do pomar, respectivamente. Os resultados mostraram que quando irrigada a temperatura foliar da planta mantém-se abaixo da temperatura média do ar, independentemente do período seco ou chuvoso, enquanto que sem irrigação a planta apresenta-se em déficit hídrico durante a estação seca. Em condições de sequeiro a transpiração média do pequizeiro é de 24,09 L planta-1 dia-1 e se irrigada em média 42,29 L planta-1 dia-1. A despeito do fornecimento de água e adubação, a planta não responde em crescimento em termos de altura e perímetro do caule. Por outro lado, a irrigação influencia na área da copa, proporcionando árvores com áreas de copas maiores. Quando irrigado o pequi apresenta distância e profundidade efetiva do sistema radicular (80%) até 2,00 m, e em condição de sequeiro as raízes apresentam-se horizontalmente mais próximas à planta até 1,60 m e em profundidade concentram-se igualmente, até 2,00m.

La striction diffuse et localisée sont des phénomènes précurseurs à la rupture ductile et représentent l'une des principales causes de rebut des pièces métalliques au cours de leur mise en forme. La mise en œuvre d'outils théoriques et numériques capables de prédire l'apparition de ces défauts s'avère nécessaire pour des raisons économiques et environnementales. Ces outils nécessitent en partie l'intégration d'un modèle de comportement adéquat permettant de reproduire les phénomènes physiques mis en jeu. Un tel modèle de comportement est ensuite couplé à un indicateur d'instabilité plastique offrant la possibilité de prédire de manière fiable les phénomènes de striction diffuse et localisée. Dans ce travail de thèse, nous avons considéré certains modèles d'endommagement micromécaniques basés sur l'approche de Gurson, et qui ont été couplés à différents critères d'instabilités plastiques reposant sur l'Analyse de Bifurcation. L'implantation numérique des modèles retenus a été réalisée dans le code de calcul par éléments finis Abaqus/Standard. En ce qui concerne les modèles d'endommagement, plusieurs schémas d'intégrations ont été testés afin d'analyser leur performance et leur robustesse lorsque le comportement présente un effet adoucissant. L'approche combinant le modèle de comportement et les critères de striction a été utilisée pour prédire les limites de formabilité en striction diffuse et localisée de plusieurs matériaux métalliques. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de dresser une hiérarchisation théorique et numérique des critères de striction utilisés. / Diffuse and localized necking are precursors to ductile fracture, and represent one of the main causes of metal parts rejection during forming operations. The implementation of theoretical and computational tools to predict the occurrence of these defects turns out to be necessary for economic and environmental reasons. These tools require in part the introduction of an appropriate behavior model in order to reproduce the physical phenomena involved during forming operations. Such a behavior model is then coupled to a plastic instability indicator providing the ability to reliably predict diffuse and localized necking. In the present work, we considered a micromechanical damage models based on Gurson's approach, which were coupled to different plastic instabilities criteria, based on Bifurcation Analysis. The numerical implementation of these models was carried within the implicit finite element code Abaqus/Standard. With regard to the damage models, several integration schemes were tested to analyze their performance and robustness when the behavior exhibits softening effect. The approach combining the Gurson's damage model and necking criteria has been applied for the prediction of formability limits of several metallic materials. The obtained results allowed establishing a theoretical and numerical classification between the necking criteria used in this work.

This report examines the cross sections of silver microresonators subjected to an incident light with different polarization. The microresonators had different geometries with and without broken symmetries. Cross section profiles for different microresonator configurations are interesting for the division of Material Physics, Uppsala University, when designing metamaterials to tune the optical response of the material. The goal is to form an insight of how the optical response can be tuned by choosing different geometries, varying the size and polarization of the incident light. In this project computer simulations in COMSOL were made to simulate the optical response of different microresonators. When the incident light interact with the silver microresonators plasmonic excitations is generated which in turn interacts with the light changing the phase and therefore the optical response. By increasing the radius of the disk silver microresonantors the resonance was found to shift to lower energies. For a geometry with a disk microresonator inside a ring microresonator the Fano resonances were dependent of the radius of the disk microresonator.

La défaillance des matériaux et structures d'ingénierie peut être considéré comme le résultat d'une interaction complexe entre différents phénomènes physiques tels que la nucléation des cavités, les microfissures, les microvides et d'autres processus irréversibles. Ces micro-défauts se fondent éventuellement en une ou plusieurs macro-fissures conduisant à une diminution de la capacité portante et finalement à une défaillance de la structure considérée. La prévention des défaillances des structures et des composants structurels a toujours été un sujet important et une préoccupation majeure en ingénierie. Cette thèse vise à représenter une défaillance localisée dans des matériaux non linéaires sans dépendance de maillage. Un intérêt particulier sera le cas de l’adoucissement dynamique des déformations. Les phénomènes localisés sont pris en compte en utilisant l'approche des discontinuités embarquées fortes dans laquelle le champ de déplacement est amélioré pour capturer la discontinuité. Sur la base de cette approche, on a d'abord développé un modèle unidimensionnel de barres élasto-plastique capable de représenter une défaillance pour des matériaux ductiles avec un durcissement combiné dans une zone de processus de fracture FPZ et un adoucissement avec des discontinuités fortes encastrées. Les résultats comparant le modèle unidimensionnel proposé aux travaux (semi-) analytiques sont présentés. Il a été démontré que la stratégie proposée offre des solutions indépendantes de maillage. La déformation augmente dans le domaine de l’adoucissement avec une diminution simultanée de la contrainte. Le problème se décharge élastiquement à l'extérieur de la zone d’adoucissement de déformation. L'énergie dissipée se trouve à disparaître. Le modèle a également été comparé à un modèle de dommage unidimensionnel capable de représenter la fracture dynamique de la barre d'endommagementélasto-endommagée dans la zone de traitement de fracture - FPZ et de adoucissement avec de discontinuités fortes encastrées pour trouver un bon accord entre deux modèles. Un modèle d'éléments finis bidimensionnel a été développé, capable de décrire à la fois le mécanisme de dommage diffus accompagné d'un durcissement initial et d'une réponse d’adoucissement ultérieure de la structure. On a analysé les résultats de plusieurs simulations numériques effectuées sur des essais mécaniques classiques sous des charges progressivement croissantes telles que le test Brésilien ou le test de flexion en trois points. Le cadre de dynamique proposé est montré pour augmenter la robustesse de calcul. On a constaté que la direction finale des macro-fissures est assez bien prédite et que l'influence des effets d'inertie sur les solutions obtenues est assez modeste notamment en comparaison entre différentes mailles. Ce modèle bidimensionnel a été étendu plus loin dans le modèle bidimensionnel de discontinuité intégrée en viscodamage pour aider à explorer brièvement la mise en œuvre du schéma de point intermédiaire de second ordre qui peut fournir des résultats améliorés sous limitation de la régularisation visqueuse du modèle de dégâts localisés. / Failure of engineering materials and structures can be considered as a result of a complex interplay between different physical phenomena such as nucleation of cavities, microcracks,microvoids and other irreversible processes. These micro-defects eventually coalesce into one or more macro-cracks leading to a decrease in the load-bearing capability and finally, to failure of the structure under consideration. Prevention of failure of structures and structural parts has always been a critical subject and a major concern in engineering. This thesis aims to represent localized failure in non linear materials without mesh dependency. Of special interest will be the case of dynamic strain-softening. Localized phenomena are taken into account by using the embedded strong discontinuities approach in which the displacement field is enhanced to capture the discontinuity. Based upon this approach, a one-dimensional model for elasto-plastic bar capable of representing failure for ductile materials with combined hardening in FPZ-fracture process zone and softening with embedded strong discontinuities was first developed. Results comparing the proposed one-dimensional model to (semi-) analytical works are presented. It was shown that the proposed strategy provides mesh independent solutions. Strain increases in the softening domain with a simultaneous decrease of stress. The problem unloads elastically outside the strain softening region. The strain energy is found to vanish. The model was also compared with a one dimensional damage model capable of representing the dynamic fracture for elasto-damage bar with combined hardening in fracture process zone - FPZ and softening with strong embedded discontinuities to find a good agreement between two models. A two-dimensional finite element model was developed, capable of describing both the diffuse damage mechanism accompanied by initial strain hardening and subsequent softening response of the structure. The results of several numerical simulations, performed on classical mechanical tests under slowly increasing loads such as Brazilian test or three-point bending test were analyzed. The proposed dynamics framework is shown to increase computational robustness. It was found that the final direction of macro-cracks is predicted quite well and that influence of inertia effects on the obtained solutions is fairly modest especially in comparison among different meshes. This two-dimensional model was expanded further into the two dimensional continuum viscodamage-embedded discontinuity model to help briefly explore the implementation of the second order mid-point scheme that can provide improved results under limitation of viscous regularization of localized failure damage model.

L’étude de l’impact des défauts sur les propriétés électriques des semi-conducteurs a joué un rôle crucial dans la révolution des technologies de l’information dans le milieu du 20ème siècle. Jusqu’ici, la course à la miniaturisation a permis de répondre à la demande croissante en termes de puissance de calcul. Cependant, cette stratégie est vouée à rencontrer des limites physiques qu’il ne sera pas possible de surpasser, c’est pourquoi de nouvelles approches sont nécessaire. Dans ce nouveau paradigme de recherche, les dispositifs électroniques à base d’oxydes sont des candidats prometteurs afin de réaliser de nouveaux dispositifs multifonctionnels. L’importance des défauts sur les propriétés nominale des oxydes n’est pas autant reconnue que dans le domaine des semi-conducteurs. Notre projet de recherche tourne autour de deux objectifs principaux, le premier a pour but d’identifier explicitement l’impact de défauts spécifiques sur les propriétés électrique de dispositifs à base d’oxydes. Le second a pour but de tirer avantage des propriétés induites pour les défauts pour des applications optoélectroniques. / The study of the impact of defects on the electrical properties of semiconductors played a crucial role in the revolution of information technologies in the middle of the 20th century. Up to now, the race to miniaturization allowed to meet the increasing demand in terms of processing power. However, this strategy is predicted to encounter physical limits impossible to overcome and new approaches are necessary. Within this new research paradigm, oxide based electronic devices are promising candidates to fabricate new multifunctional devices. The importance of defects on the nominal properties of oxides is not acknowledged as much as it is in the field of semiconductors. Our research project revolved around two primary objectives, the first one aimed to explicitly identify the impact of specific defects on the properties of oxide-based electronic devices. The second one aimed to actually take advantage of properties induced by defects for optoelectronic applications.

Les microcavités optiques présentent de hauts facteurs de qualité, c'est pourquoi ces systèmes sont d'un grand intérêt pour la conception de lasers à bas seuil, ou encore, pour l'étude du régime de couplage fort. En revanche, ces systèmes sont soumis à la limite de diffraction de la lumière, et donc les modes qu'ils supportent ont une extension spatiale ne pouvant être en deçà de l'échelle de la longueur d'onde. Dans ce manuscrit de thèse, nous nous intéressons aux systèmes plasmoniques parce qu'ils supportent des modes confinés à l'échelle nanométrique. En premier lieu, nous étudions une microcavité plasmonique planaire, constituée de deux miroirs plasmoniques qui piègent les ondes de surface au sein du système. Nous sondons spatialement les modes de la cavité en mesurant le temps de vie de fluorescence de molécules individuelles dispersées au sein du système. Puis, nous nous intéressons au confinement en 3 dimensions de modes supportés par des nanoparticules métalliques sphériques. Nous discutons de la définition du volume modal basée sur le calcul du confinement d'énergie autour de la particule. Ensuite, nous étudions l'exaltation de fluorescence d'ions de terres rares au sein d'une particule plasmonique de configuration coeur-coquille. Enfin, nous perturbons la photodynamique d'émission d'une source de photon unique en approchant à proximité l'extrémité d'une pointe plasmonique / Optical microcavities exhibit high resonance quality, so that, they are of key interest for the design of low-threshold lasers or for achieving strong coupling regime. But, such systems support modes whose the volume remain diffraction limited.In this manuscript, we are interested in their plasmonic counterparts because they support confined modes at the sub-wavelength scale. First, we study an in-plane plasmonic cavity which is the transposition of 1D optical cavity to surface wave. We characterize the cavity by measuring the fluorescence lifetime of dye molecules deposited inside.Then, we are interested in 3-dimension mode confinement achieved by spherical metal nanoparticles. We discuss on the definition of the mode volume used in cavity quantum electrodynamic and based on the calculation of energy confinement around the particle. We also simulate the fluorescence enhancement of rare-earth ions embedded inside core-shell plasmonic particles. Finally, we disturb the photodynamic emission of a single-photon source by puttingthe extremity of a plasmonic tip nearby the emitter