Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 219-223).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-177).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: James S. Brooks, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Physics. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 20, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 106 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-103). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

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Observed disappearance of reactor antineutrinos in the short baseline in Daya Bay can be explained by the phenomenon of neutrino flavour oscillations. The analysis in standard three- neutrino framework provides the best measurement of mixing angle of θ13 and the value of effective mass squared difference ∆m2 ee with comparable precision with other experiments. The unprecedented precision of Daya Bay motivates us to extend our search beyond standard three-neutrino oscillation scheme. It this thesis, we have explored two scenarios of possible physics Beyond Standard Model (BSM). We have tested the fundamental symmetry of the nature by searching for the Lorentz Invariance violation effect within the framework of the Standard-Model Extension (SME). Such an effect could be observed as a deviation from three- neutrino oscillation prediction in the oscillated antineutrino spectrum. Since we have not observed any significant deviation, we have been able to set the limits on the SME parameters. Some of the limits were measured for the first time while some turned out not to be competitive with the measurement of other experiments. We have also performed search for Non-standard Interactions (NSIs) in the Daya Bay. Being forbidden in the Standard Model, these interactions are predicted by BSM theories for which...

Essa dissertação dedica-se ao estudo de instabilidades cinéticas em células a combustível de membrana trocadora de prótons (PEMFC, do inglês proton exchange membrane fuel cell). As PEMFC apresentam baixíssima perda por polarização quando operadas com H2. Contudo, quando o processo de produção de H2 se dá por reforma catalítica de hidrocarbonetos, CO está presente em níveis inaceitáveis para PEMFC equipada com ânodo de Pt/C. Dentre as propostas para superar esse problema, ligas bimetálicas de Pt têm se mostrado uma alternativa promissora para tornar a célula mais tolerante à CO. Além disso, é plausível que um comportamento dinâmico surja nesse tipo de sistema eletroquímico, devido à interação de fatores como transferência de massa, corrente, potencial do eletrodo e a presença de um veneno catalítico, nesse sistema o CO, que pode ser uma impureza do H2 ou um intermediário de reação (em células a combustível alimentadas diretamente com metanol, ácido fórmico ou etanol). Uma das motivações em se estudar tais instabilidades cinéticas é que uma célula a combustível operando em regime oscilatório pode resultar em um desempenho superior, uma vez que a limpeza auto-organizada da superfície previne que o ânodo seja completamente envenenado por CO. Nesse contexto, estudou-se a emergência de instabilidades cinéticas em PEMFC operando com ânodo de Pd-Pt/C ou Pd/C durante a oxidação de H2 e H2/CO, assim como em célula a combustível a metanol direto (DMFC, do inglês direct methanol fuel cell) com ânodo de Pt black. Os resultados indicaram que oscilações de potencial surgem na PEMFC durante a oxidação H2/CO sobre Pd-Pt/C assim como sobre Pd/C. Acoplando as medidas de potencial com espectrometria de massas on line na saída do ânodo, investigou-se o consumo de CO e a produção de CO2 durante as oscilações. Observou-se que as oscilações de potencial levam a variações na fração molar de CO e CO2. Adicionalmente, identificou-se oscilações de potencial em DMFC, fenômeno até então não relatado na literatura. / This dissertation deals with kinetic instabilities in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). PEMFCs show very small polarization losses when operating with pure H2. However, when the H2 production takes place by catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons, CO is present in the fuel stream at unacceptable levels for PEMFC equipped with a Pt/C anode. Among the possibilities to overcome this problem, bimetallic Pt alloys have proven to be a promising alternative to increase CO tolerance. Furthermore, it is plausible that a dynamic behavior emerge in such electrochemical system due to the interaction of factors like mass transfer, current, potential, and the presence of a catalyst poison, for this system CO which can be a H2 impurity or a reaction intermediate (in direct methanol/formic acid/ethanol fuel cells). One of the motivations for studying kinetic instabilities is that a fuel cell operating under oscillatory regime might result in higher performance, because the self-organized cleaning of the surface prevents the anode to be completely poisoned by CO. In this context, kinetic instabilities were studied in PEMFC operating with Pt-Pd/C or Pd/C anode during the oxidation of H2 and H2/CO mixture, as well as in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with Pt black anode. It was observed the emergency of potential oscillations during the H2/CO oxidation on both catalysts, Pt-Pd/C and Pd/C. By coupling the potential measurements with on line Mass Spectrometry in the anode outlet it was investigated a variation in the concentration of CO and CO2 during oscillatory dynamic. It was found that the potential oscillations lead to variations in the molar fraction of CO and CO2. Additionally, it was observed potential oscillations in DMFC, phenomenon not previously reported in the literature.

This thesis presents the results of torque magnetometry and resistivity measurements of the electronic structure of novel quantum materials, specifically using the techniques of quantum oscillations and angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations. Measurements of the Fermi surfaces of these materials, alongside comparisons to the electronic structure predicted by density functional theory calculations, can elucidate much about the novel physical properties they exhibit and the competing interactions which govern their phase diagrams. The first system studied is the Iron-based superconductor FeSe_1-xS_x, an isoelectronically doped version of a system of much current interest, FeSe. Doping up to x = 0.2 is found to suppress the structural transition in this system entirely, with superconductivity continually present at low temperatures. Shubnikov-de Haas measurements across this range find a small quasi-two dimensional Fermi surface that increases in size and warping continuously with doping, with orbital dependent effective masses that do not change significantly within the orthorhombic phase. The second material studied is the antiferromagnetic intermetallic CeZn₁₁ which, featuring an unpaired 4f electron, is considered a possible candidate for heavy fermion behaviour. De Haas-van Alphen oscillations are seen once the antiferromagnetic phase is suppressed, and comparable frequencies of oscillation are measured in the non-magnetic analogue LaZn11, although with relatively smaller effective masses. GGA+U calculations, once magnetic breakdown is considered, match well the measured frequencies, confirming CeZn₁₁ to be a localised moment system with the 4f electron well below the Fermi level. The final material studied is the transition metal dichalcogenide IrTe₂, which undergoes dimerisation upon cooling into a number of possible charge modulated structures. Low temperature de Haas-van Alphen measurements find multiple domains of a quasi-two dimensional Fermi surface, no longer perpendicular to the lattice planes. Angular-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations observe a similarly tilted quasi-one dimensional Fermi surface, again with many domains present. Together these measurements confirm the unusual dimensionality of the dimerised Fermi surface of IrTe₂.

The NOνA experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to measure electron neutrinos (νe) appearing in the NuMI beam, a muon neutrino (νµ) source at Fermilab. Its two detectors, Near and Far, are functionally identical active tracking calorimeters. This thesis is focused on the relative calibration of the Near Detector. The individual steps of the process, threshold, shadowing and attenuation calibration, are described. For the calibration, NOνA standardly uses cosmic muons. Alternative source, so called rock muons which are muons that originated from interactions of beam νµs with a rock surrounding the Near Detector, is introduced. The thesis guides through the development of selection criteria used to distinguish rock muon tracks from the data. Selected sample of rock muon tracks is used for the relative calibration and at each step the results are compared to the cosmic muons based calibration. The whole analysis is performed using simulated Monte Carlo data. 1