La comprehension des processus conduisant à la formation des étoiles est l'un des enjeux majeurs de l'astrophysique contemporaine. Au sein des nuages conduisant à la formation d'étoiles, les conditions de température, pression, etc... sont telles qu'il est impossible de les reproduire par l'expérience. C'est pourquoi la simulation numérique reste le seul moyen d'étudier les phénomènes physiques intervenant dans le processus de formation des étoiles et ainsi de vérifier la théorie. Ma thèse est axée autour des méthodes numériques utilisées dans le contexte de la formation d'étoiles, phénomène multi-échelles et hautement non-linéaire, nécessitant l'utilisation d'outils bien adaptés. Dans cette thèse autour de l'étude des premières phases de l'effondrement de coeurs denses préstellaires, mon travail s'est divisé en 4 parties liées. Dans une première étude, j'ai utilisé un code lagrangien 1D à symétrie sphérique (Audit et al. 2002) pour comparer plusieurs modèles traitant plus ou moins précisément le transfert radiatif et l'interaction matière-rayonnement. Cette comparaison est basée sur des calculs simples d'effondrement gravitationnel conduisant à la formation du premier coeur de Larson. J'ai aussi tiré bénéfice de ce premier travail pour étudier les propriétés du choc d'accrétion sur le premier coeur de Larson. Nous avons développé un modèle semi-analytique permettant de reproduire les propriétés de saut au choc en partant d'hypothèses bien connues. Ayant validé les méthodes utilisées précédemment, nous avons retenu l'approche de diffusion à flux limité que j'ai ensuite intégrée avec les équations de l'hydrodynamique radiative dans le code AMR RAMSES (Teyssier 2002). Après validation des schémas implémentés, nous avons utilisé RAMSES pour réaliser des effondrements multidimensionnels avec champ magnétique et transfert radiatif. Nous avons ainsi réalisé les premières simulations combinant les effets du champ magnétique et du transfert radiatif aux petites échelles avec une grande précision. Nos résultats montrent que le transfert radiatif à un impact significatif sur la fragmentation au cours de l'effondrement des coeurs denses préstellaires. Enfin, j'ai réalisé une comparaison du code RAMSES (approche eulérienne) et du code SPH DRAGON (Goodwin 2004, approche lagrangienne). Nous avons étudié l'impact de la résolution numérique sur la conservation du moment angulaire et la fragmentation. Nous avons montré qu'en utilisant des critères de résolution forts et bien supérieurs aux critères usuels de la littérature, les deux outils convergent et semblent donc bien adaptés à la formation d'étoiles.

La faisabilite de la fusion magnetique est dependante de notre capacite a confiner l'energie des particules supra-thermiques liberees a haute energie par les reactions de fusion, dans les meilleures conditions de securite et d'efficacite. Dans ce but, il est necessaire de comprendre l'interaction entre les particules energetiques et le plasma thermo-nucleaire qui constitue l'environnement des reactions de fusion, afin de la controler. La these que nous presentons ici s'inscrit dans cet effort. Le coeur du travail mene est l'etude d'un type d'instabilite, le Beta Alfven Eigenmode (BAE), que peuvent exciter les particules energetiques, et dont on peut craindre qu'il degrade fortement non seulement le confinement des particules energetiques mais aussi le confinement du plasma dans sa globalite. Dans un premier temps, nous nous attacherons a decrire les caracteristiques de ce mode et nous deriverons sa relation de dispersion ainsi que sa structure. Dans une seconde partie, nous effectuerons l'etude de la stabilite lineaire de ce mode en presence de particules energetiques. Cette etude nous a permis de definir un critere analytique rendant compte de la capacite des particules energetiques a exciter le BAE. Ce critere sera discute et confronte aux resultats d'experiences menees durant la these. Cette etude lineaire presentant cependant quelques limites, il nous est apparu important de nous poser la question de la possibilite d'une modication de la stabilite du BAE liee a l'utilisation d'une description non-lineaire. Nous suggererons dans cette presentation un processus, verifie analytiquement et numeriquement, dont peut resulter l'existence d'etats meta-stables pour le BAE.

Nous avons développé un montage magnéto optique capable de mesurer in situ l'évolution de l'aimantation de nanostructures de cobalt sur de l'or (111) déposées par électrochimie. Le montage dispose d'une cellule électrochimique avec système de circulation permettant de modifier la nature des solutions et d'effectuer des dépôts multicouches. La cadence d'acquisition de cycles M-H est de 2 par seconde. Nous avons utilisé et analysé les résultats de travaux d'observation STM in situ de la morphologie de cobalt en fonction du potentiel de dépôt dans l'intervalle [-1.6 V/MSE ; -1.26 V/MSE]. Le cobalt se dépose en bicouche quelque soit le potentiel de dépôt puis après formation complète de la bicouche, la croissance s'effectue couche par couche. Lors de la formation de la bicouche, ! la densité d'îlots augmente d'autant plus que le potentiel de dépôt est négatif. La mesure de la composante perpendiculaire de l'aimantation indique un basculement hors plan/dans le plan de l'aimantation pour une épaisseur de 1.6 monocouches de Co soit lors de la coalescence de la bicouche. Lorsque la troisième couche de Co se forme, on mesure un maximum de susceptibilité magnétique à 2.8 monocouches. Nous avons déposé du Cu sur du Co afin de saturer l'aimantation du Co. Ainsi, nous avons déterminé les constantes d'anisotropie pour des dépôts de Co supérieurs à 2 monocouches. Pour expliquer le comportement de l'aimantation entre 0 et 2 monocouches nous avons discuté deux hypothèses. La première est que les atomes de bords d'îlots possèdent une énergie d'anisotropie bien supérieure aux atomes de centre. La s! econde est qu'il existe des tailles d'îlots pou! r lesque lles l'aimantation n'est pas hors plan.

The recent discovery of the iron-pnictide superconductors has generated tremendous excitement, in part because there are many tantalizing similarities to the cuprate superconductors. As with the cuprates, it is strongly suspected that the spins contribute to superconductivity. There seems to be a strong relationship between the lattice and magnetism in this system. Several authors have discussed the possibility of spin-phonon coupling, but direct experimental evidence has remained elusive. This work discusses the relationship between the spins and the lattice in the $BaFe_{2}As_{2}$ family. We demonstrate the presence of negative thermal expansion in these materials, which is a strong indicator of spin-lattice interaction. In addition, we have conducted inelastic neutron scattering experiments to examine the dynamical relationship between the spins and the lattice. In particular, we make use of the phenomenon known as magnetovibrational scattering to search for evidence of spin-phonon coupling. We believe that this is the first work to use magnetovibrational scattering in an antiferromagnetic system as a tool to study the spin-phonon interaction. Our results provide direct experimental evidence for the existence of spin-phonon coupling, with possible implications about the role of phonons in the superconductivity of iron pnictides.

Many devices are available on the market for the evaluation and rehabilitation of patients suffering from muscular disorders. Most of them are small, low-cost, passive devices based on the use of springs and resistive elements and exhibit very limited (or even not any) evaluation capabilities; extended muscular force evaluation is only possible on stationary, expensive, multi-purpose devices, available only in hospitals, which offer many exercise modes (e.g. isokinetic mode) that are not available on other devices. The objective of this thesis is to make the functionalities currently only implemented on bulky multi-purpose devices available at a lower cost and in a portable fashion, enabling their use by a large number of independent practitioners and patients, even at home (tele-medecine applications). In order to achieve this goal, a portable rehabilitation device, using a magneto-rheological fluid brake as actuator, has been designed. This particular technology was selected for its high level of compactness, simple mechanical design, high controllability, smooth and safe operation. The first part of this thesis is devoted to the design of MR-fluid brakes and their experimental validation. The second part is dedicated to the design of the rehabilitation device and the comparison of its performances with a commercial multi-purpose device (CYBEX).

The dynamic behaviour in the audible frequency range of magneto-sensitive (MS) rubber is the focus of this thesis consisting of five papers A-E. Paper A presents results drawn from experiments on samples subjected to different constant shear strains over varying frequencies and magnetic fields. Main features observed are the existence of an amplitude dependence of the shear modulus referred to as the Fletcher-Gent effect for even small displacements, and the appearance of large MS effects. These results are subsequently used in Paper B and C to model two magneto-sensitive rubber isolators, serving to demonstrate how, effectively, by means of MS rubber, these can be readily improved. The first model calculates the transfer stiffness of a torsionally excited isolator, and the second one, the energy flow into the foundation for a bushing inserted between a vibrating mass and an infinite plate. In both examples, notable improvements in isolation are obtainable. Paper D presents a non-linear constitutive model of MS rubber in the audible frequency range. Characteristics inherent to magneto-sensitive rubber within this dynamic regime are defined: magnetic sensitivity, amplitude dependence, elasticity and viscoelasticity. A very good agreement with experimental values is obtained. In Paper E, the magneto-sensitive rubber bushing stiffness for varying degrees of magnetization is predicted by incorporating the non-linear magneto-sensitive audio frequency rubber model developed in Paper D, into an effective engineering formula for the torsional stiffness of a rubber bushing. The results predict, and clearly display, the possibility of controlling over a large range through the application of a magnetic field, the magneto-sensitive rubber bushing stiffness. / QC 20100816

Plasma flow physics in magnetic nozzles must be clearly understood for optimal design of plasma propulsion devices. Toward that end, in this thesis we: i) perform an extensive literature survey of magnetic nozzle physics, ii) assess the validity of magnetohydrodynamics for studying magnetic nozzle physics, and iii) illustrate the effects of the Hall term in simple flows as well as in magnetic nozzle configurations through numerical experiments with the Magneto-Gas Kinetic Method (MGKM). The crucial steps necessary for thrust generation in magnetic nozzles are energy conversion, plasma detachment, and momentum transfer. These three physical phenomena must be understood to optimize magnetic nozzle design. The operating dimensionless parameter ranges of six prominent experiments are considered and the corresponding mechanisms are discussed. An order of magnitude analysis of the governing equations reveal: i) most magnetic nozzles under consideration operate at the edge of the continuum regime rendering continuum-based description and computation valid; ii) in the context of MHD framework, the generalized Ohm’s law must be used to capture all of the relevant physics. This work also continues the development of the Magneto Gas Kinetic Method (MGKM) computational tool. Validation of the solver is performed in shock-tube and Hartmann channel flows in the Hall physics regime. Comparison with theory and available data is made whenever possible. Novel numerical experiments of magnetic nozzle plasma jets in the Hall regime are performed, confirming the theoretically predicted azimuthal rotation of the plasma jet due to Hall physics. The primary conclusion from this work is that the addition of the Hall effect generates helical structures in magnetic nozzle plasma flows. Preliminary results are encouraging for future magnetic nozzle studies and further challenges are identified.

A system suitable for studying interactions between ⁸⁷Rb Rydberg atoms and metal surfaces has been constructed. This thesis describes the design and construction of the apparatus, and some test results. Atoms in a vapor cell magneto-optical trap are transferred to a macroscopic Ioffe-Pritchard trap, where they will be RF evaporatively cooled and loaded into a magnetic microtrap (atom chip). Confinement of cold clouds at controllable distances (5–200 μm)} from a metal surface is possible. The effects of atom-surface interactions can be studied with Rydberg atom spectroscopy. Some functionality of the apparatus has been demonstrated. Approximately 1.5×10⁷ atoms were loaded into a mirror MOT, and about 6×10⁶ atoms were optically pumped to the |F=2, m_F=2> hyperfine ground state and confined in a macroscopic Ioffe-Pritchard trap. The temperature of the cloud in the trap was 42 ± 5 μK, and the 1/e lifetime is 1–1.5 s. Forced RF evaporation has been used to measure the magnetic field at the trap minimum, but RF evaporative cooling has not yet been demonstrated.

No description available.

Temperature dependent magnetization measurements were conducted on Fe-based heterostructures. A linear increase of the magnetic critical temperature with increasing Fe thickness was found for Fe/V superlattices with strong interlayer exchange coupling. For weakly coupled Fe/V superlattices anomalous values of the critical exponent β were attributed to differences in the effective interlayer exchange coupling in the surface region and in the interior of the superlattice stack. Hydrogen loading of a sample containing a thin Fe film, up to a maximum pressure of 4 mbar gave an increase of the magnetic critical temperature of ≈21 K. A sample with a double layer of Fe, exchange coupled over V, showed oscillations in the critical temperature when loaded to increasing pressure of hydrogen. The oscillations in the critical temperature indicate the presence of quasi-2D phases. Superlattices of Fe and V were investigated by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. It was found that the orbital magnetic moment shows the same trend as the magnetic anisotropy energy with thickness of the Fe layers. A model which takes into account a varying strain and interface density successfully described the changes in the orbital magnetic moment. The magnetization was measured as a function of temperature for a series of magnetically δ-doped Pd samples. A thin film of Fe induced a magnetic moment in surrounding Pd layers, leading to a magnetic thickness one order of magnitude larger than the thickness of the Fe film. A crossover in the magnetic spatial dimensionality was found as the thickness of the Fe film increased from ≈0.4 monolayers to ≈1 monolayer. First principle calculations of the magnetization profile together with a spin wave quantum well model were used to explain the dimensionality crossover by an increase in the available thermal energy for population of perpendicular spin wave modes.