Human activity and other events can cause environmental changes to the habitat of organisms. The environmental changes effect the vital rates for a population. In order to predict the impact of these environmental changes on populations, we use two different models for population dynamics. One simpler linear model that ignores environmental competition between individuals and another model that does not. Our population models take into consideration the age distribution of the population and thus takes into consideration the impact of demographics. This thesis generalize two theorems, one for each model, developed by Sonja Radosavljevic regarding long term upper and lower bounds of a population with periodic birth rate ; see [6] and [5]. The generalisation consist in including the case where the periodic part of the birth rate can be expressed with a finite Fourier series and also infinite Fourier series under some constraints. The old theorems only considers the case when the periodic part of the birth rate can be expressed with one cosine term. From the theorems we discover a connection between the frequency of oscillation and the effect on population growth. From this derived connection we conclude that periodical changing environments can have both positive and negative effects on the population.

In this thesis, RXTE observations of 4U 1907+09 are presented. Timing analysis of these data sets have yielded quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) at orbital phases corresponding to the two flares in every orbital period. Known continuous spin down trend and QPO behaviour at the flares strongly suggest that a transient accretion disk occurs at the flares. Our findings strongly suggested that neutron star passes through the equatorial wind of Be companion star. During these passages a transient disk forms around Be neutron star.

The electrochemical behavior of nickel (Ni) in different concentrations of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was studied via cyclic voltammetry (CV) over a range of potentials (0.0 V– 3.0 V) at room temperature. The presented work displays novel experiments where external forcing by a platinum (Pt) electrode changed the proton concentration at a Ni electrode surface in order to control the frequency and magnitude of periodic oscillations produced. When studying unique phenomena such as the Ni phenomena in this thesis, efficient, durable, and inexpensive technology is always beneficial. A coupled microelectrode array sensor or CMAS which has been used for over four decades to study pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, galvanic corrosion, and other heterogeneous electrochemical processes were fabricated in a novel, systematic, inexpensive, and time efficient process. The presented work shows how to make the CMAS and proved that they functioned properly.

This dissertation describes the electrochemical behavior of nickel and iron that was studied in different acid solutions via linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and potentiostatic measurements over a range of temperatures at specific potential ranges. The presented work displays novel experiments where a nickel electrode was heated locally with an inductive heating system, and a platinum (Pt) electrode was used to change the proton concentration at iron and nickel electrode surfaces to control the periodic oscillations (frequency and amplitude) produced and to gain a greater understanding of the systems (kinetics), oscillatory processes, and corrosion processes. Temperature pulse voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and cyclic voltammetry were used for temperature calibration at different heating conditions. Several other metal systems (bismuth, lead, zinc, and silver) also produce periodic oscillations as corrosion occurs; however, creating these with pure metal electrodes is very expensive. In this work, metal systems were created via electrodeposition by using inexpensive, efficient, coupled microelectrode array sensors (CMASs) as a substrate. CMASs are integrated devices with multiple electrodes that are connected externally in a circuit in which all of the electrodes have the same amount of potential applied or current passing through them. CMASs have been used for many years to study different forms of corrosion (crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and galvanic corrosion), and they are beneficial because they can simulate single electrodes of the same size. The presented work also demonstrates how to construct CMASs and shows that the unique phenomena of periodic oscillations that can be created and studied by using coated and bare copper CMASs. Furthermore, these systems can be controlled by implementing external forcing with a Pt electrode at the CMAS surface. The data from the single Ni electrode experiments and CMAS experiments were analyzed by using the Nonlinear Time-Series Analysis approach.

No description available.

This thesis presents an experimental study of the superconducting proximity effect in sub-micrometer sized ferromagnetic discs. Such discs belong to a class of mesoscopic ferromagnets intermediate between microscopic magnets with dimensions below about 10nm that behave as single giant spins and macroscopic structures that are larger than approximately 1 micrometer where domains are formed to minimise stray fields. The magnetic structure of mesoscopic magnets is strongly dependent on their geometric shape, allowing for purposeful engineering of magnetic structures using modern lithographic techniques. The ground magnetic state of mesoscopic ferromagnetic discs is the magnetic vortex where unusual time-asymmetric triplet superconductivity is predicted to exist and survive up to the non-magnetic coherence length, that is orders in magnitude larger than the ferromagnetic singlet coherence length. Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) was used to directly study the magnetic structure of the discs. To detect the proximity effect in the vortices, Andreev interferometers were used with normal parts replaced with mesoscopic ferromagnetic discs in the magnetic vortex state. The samples were fabricated using electron-beam lithography and a modified shadow evaporation technique developed within this project, allowing the whole structure to be made with highly precise alignment, without breaking vacuum and avoiding redundant ferromagnetic elements disturbing the magnetic vortices. Observations were made of superconducting phase periodic oscillations in the conductance of the Andreev interferometers. Such oscillations provide unambiguous evidence of phase coherent electron transport through the ferromagnetic vortex. Finally, further experiments are discussed that would provide a more detailed understanding of the long range proximity effect in SFS junctions.

In this thesis, RXTE timing analysis of Galactic Microquasars GRO J1655-40 and GRS 1915+105, the Chandra and RXTE joint spectral analysis of GRS 1915+105 are presented. We have investigated quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the black hole binaries GRO J1655-40 and GRS 1915+105 observed in 99 and 122 observations made by the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on board Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in both low energy band (2-12 keV) and high energy band (13-27 keV), respectively. Four different X-ray states are seen in the combined characteristics of power spectra, light curves extracted by using All Sky Monitor (ASM) and spectra during 1996 and 2005. Timing analysis of RXTE observations of both of two black hole binaries GRO J1655-40 and GRS 1915+105 displays twin high frequency quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) which are sometimes simultaneous in high energy band. It is also shown that the time averaged 30 ksec Chandra grating spectrum analysis and RXTE spectrum analysis of recent observation of GRS 1915+105 in the very high state are consistent with the parameters which were mentioned before. We briefly discussed our results and the models on black hole spin and mass.

In this thesis, X-ray observations of four accretion powered pulsars are presented. Using RXTE observations of 4U 1907+09, we found three new pulse periods of the source. We found that the source spun-down almost at a constant rate of $dot nu$ = (-3.54 $pm 0.02) times 10^{-14}$ Hz s$^{-1}$ for more than 15 years. Using RXTE observations, X-ray flux related spectral and timing features in 2S 1417-62 were, in general, interpreted as a sign of a disc accretion with a similar geometry with a varying mass accretion rate, whereas spectral and timing features of the low X-ray flux regions were interpreted as a sign of possible temporary accretion geometry change prior to the next periastron. Using XMM-Newton and RXTE observations of SAX J2103.5+4545, we discovered quasi periodic oscillations around 0.044 Hz (22.7 sec) while the source was spinning-up with a rate of $(7.4pm0.9)times10^{-13}$Hz s$^{-1}$. In the X-ray spectrum, we also found a soft component consistent with a blackbody emission with ${rm{kT}}sim1.9$keV. Using RXTE observations, we also studied spectral evolution of Her X-1

L'étude cinétique d'une réaction catalytique permet une meilleure compréhension du mécanisme réactionnel et du fonctionnement du catalyseur. Elle est nécessaire pour le dimensionnement des réacteurs et des procédés. Les modèles micro-cinétiques sont constitués d'une séquence d'étapes élémentaires sans hypothèses sur les étapes cinétiquement déterminantes. Ces modèles sont applicables sur des plages de conditions opératoires plus larges que celles des modèles plus classiques de type Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) ou d'Hougen-Watson. Lorsqu'ils sont implémentés dans un modèle de réacteur, ils permettent d'obtenir une plus grande précision vis-à-vis du dimensionnement du catalyseur et du réacteur. Cependant, cette approche nécessite un nombre d'expériences plus élevé pour estimer les nombreux paramètres cinétiques qui le constituent. Ce travail de thèse porte sur le développement de modèles micro-cinétiques de systèmes catalytiques en exploitant les informations obtenues lorsque le catalyseur fonctionne en régime transitoire. En effet, l'expérimentation en régime transitoire, en comparaison avec celle classiquement réalisée en régime stationnaire, permet d'accéder à plus d'informations par une meilleure sensibilisation des réactions mises en jeu. Les études cinétiques en régime permanent sont plutôt adaptées pour des modèles cinétiques globaux qui considèrent un nombre limité d'étapes cinétiquement déterminantes (en général une seule). De ce fait, la compréhension du mécanisme réactionnel [1], la connaissance du nombre de types de sites actifs mis en jeu ou encore la détermination des vitesses de réaction des étapes élémentaires restent imprécises. Afin d'accéder aux différentes vitesses de réaction des étapes élémentaires, il est nécessaire de réaliser un grand nombre d'expériences en régime permanent, ce qui est très coûteux en temps et en argent. L'expérimentation en régime transitoire est donc une alternative qui permet d'accéder à des informations cinétiques détaillées dans un délai plus rapide. Cependant, l'interprétation des expériences est plus fastidieuse puisqu'elle nécessite le développement de modèles dynamiques de réacteur. Ces études consistent à réaliser des perturbations sous forme de pulses, d'échelons ou bien d'oscillations périodiques d'un certain nombre de paramètres d'état tels que la concentration des réactifs, la pression ou encore la température. Dans ces travaux, des oscillations périodiques de concentration sont réalisées en entrée de réacteur. Ce choix permet de réaliser des variations autour de l'état stationnaire, dans des conditions proches des celles utilisées dans l'industrie. La mise en place et la validation de cette méthodologie ont été réalisées pour un système catalytique réactionnel d'intérêt industriel : l'hydrogénation sélective de l'acétylène. Cette réaction a lieu en phase gaz au contact d'un catalyseur solide et présente l'avantage de mettre en jeu peu de composés facilement analysables. Une voie importante pour la production d'éthylène est le vapocraquage. L'éthylène produit par ce procédé contient de faibles quantités d'acétylène qu'il faut éliminer car il constitue un poison pour les procédés catalytiques en aval. Cette élimination se fait par l'hydrogénation sélective de l'acétylène, en présence d'éthylène, en employant un catalyseur à base de palladium. C'est une réaction rapide dont le mécanisme réactionnel n'est pas encore complètement connu.La cinétique transitoire permet non seulement d'étudier les réactions chimiques mais également de caractériser le transport des réactifs et des produits, de l'échelle du lit catalytique à l'échelle des pores du catalyseur. Un modèle de réacteur incluant un modèle cinétique a été développé pour expliquer les données expérimentales obtenues sur un réacteur pilote. Des manipulations en régime transitoires et une modélisation dynamique de l'unité pilote incluant un modèle micro-cinétique sont réalisées [etc...] / Kinetic experiments performed under stationary conditions mainly give information on the rate determining step. Numerous experiments must be done to estimate a limited number of parameters. Unsteady-state experiments, on the other hand, give more detailed information about the kinetics of the different elementary steps with a small number of experiments. In order to work under dynamic conditions, a perturbation of a process variable (concentration, pressure, temperature, etc.) is introduced at the reactor entrance (pulse, step, oscillation ...). This study explores periodic sinusoidal variations of the flow to obtain kinetics for heterogeneous catalytic processes. The kinetic information is contained in the phase lag and the gain change of the oscillations. The oscillations can be kept small and can be performed around steady-state operation, thus studying the kinetics under relevant conditions. First a model able to directly estimate the gain and phase lag has been created. Secondly, simple cases of adsorption have been performed in order to validate the model and to test the experimental set up. To finish, the approach has been applied to the selective hydrogenation of acetylene. Kinetic modeling was carried out in both stationary and dynamic conditions in order to compared the two methodologies