This thesis presents the first measurement of the d*(2380) (hexaquark) electromagnetic coupling, extracted from the deuteron photodisintegration (~γd → d* → ~np) reaction. The experiment was carried out at the Mainzer Microtron (MAMI) facility in the Institut für Kernphysik in Mainz, Germany. A racetrack microtron at the MAMI facility provided a 1557 MeV longitudinally polarised electron beam. This electron beam was directed onto a thin radiator to produce a bremsstrahlung photon beam. Diamond and amorphous (metallic) radiators were used to produce linearly and circularly polarised photons respectively. The produced bremsstrahlung photon beam was energy 'tagged' with a resolution of ~4 MeV over the photon-energy range of 150-1400 MeV using the Glasgow Photon Tagger. The tagged photons were incident on a 10 cm long liquid deuterium target. This target was surrounded by a new nucleon recoil polarimeter apparatus and placed within the Crystal Ball calorimeter at MAMI. An array of PbWO4 and BaF2 detectors (TAPS) was used to provide calorimetry at forward angles. The newly constructed large acceptance recoil polarimeter measures the polarisation of the nucleons in the final state. The combination of this new apparatus with the polarised photon beam facility gives access to a number of single and double polarisation observables. The photon beam asymmetry, Σ, and the double polarisation observable, Cx', were examined in measurements of the reaction d(→γ,→n→p) over a large range of energies with a close to full angular coverage. The observable Cx' is determined for the neutron produced in deuteron photodisintegration for the first time. The new data constrains mechanisms of deuteron photodisintegration and assesses the existence and contribution of the d*(2380) resonance.

The spectral polarized radiance distribution provides the most complete description of the light field that can be measured. However, this is a very difficult parameter to measure near the surface because of its large dynamic range, dependence on incoming sky conditions, and waves at the air-sea interface. The measurement of the Stokes vector of the downwelling polarized light field requires the combination of at least four images, all of which must be obtained simultaneously. To achieve this, a new polarimeter (which we call DPOL) has been designed, characterized, calibrated and deployed. The description of the DPOL, its calibrations and characterizations are discussed. The uncertainties in the retrieval of Stokes vector and other derived parameters are also discussed. This instrument is equipped with four fish-eye lenses (180° field of view) with polarizers behind each lens in a different orientation, a coherent optical fiber bundle with 4 arms, a spectral filter changer assembly and a charged coupled-device (CCD) imaging camera. With this system, a single image contains 4 separate fisheye images, each a whole hemisphere of the same scene, each with different polarization information. Using these 4 images and applying appropriate calibration parameters allows us to calculate the four-element Stokes vector and then the total degree of polarization and the angle of plane of polarization of the incoming light field in a hemisphere of desired directions. Under the Office of Naval Research RaDyO (Radiance under a Dynamic Ocean) program, DPOL has been used in the Santa Barbara Channel and Hawaii field experiments. In most cases, data on sky polarization were collected with a separate camera (Sky-Cam) simultaneously with the DPOL. The data and results with these two camera systems in these experiments are presented and are compared. Data on the inherent optical properties of water from the same field experiments collected by collaborators will be shown. Our measurements show that very near the surface, for clear sky conditions, the dominant source of polarization is the refracted sky light. As one progresses in the water column, the polarization due to light scattering by the water increases and polarization due to the water becomes dominant. The dependence of the in-water light field polarization on the sky and surface wave conditions, solar zenith and azimuth angles, the depth of the instrument, the viewing angle, the wavelength of light, the inherent optical properties (IOP’s) of water are discussed.

For several decades, the field of magneto-optics (MO) has demonstrated applications that have impact on every day applications such as in optical data storage, magnetic field sensing, crucial for magnetoencephalography and magnetocardiography; and compact and efficient optical isolators, among others. In the past, many of these applications and the devices designed for them have heavily relied on inorganic materials. Organic materials with a high MO response represent an interesting alternative to the inorganic equivalent by not only being a more cost efficient solution, but also by allowing the user to modify a number of variables to control and optimize the MO performance depending on the application and level of performance desired. In this dissertation I discuss the MO properties of novel organic materials, starting with polythiophene, which has been of interest due to the strong relationship between its high MO performance and its lamellar structure and regioregularity. I will also be discussing another material system that provides several degrees of MO tunability: magnetite based nanocomposites. A unique and novel synthetic approach described in this dissertation yields both highly transparent and MO responsive polymer films. I will be describing a systematic approach that indicates a strong influence of the size of the nanoparticle as well as the nanoparticle concentration in the MO performance of the bulk polymer, while maintaining high optical quality with minimal scattering and absorption in the visible and near infrared. Finally, I will be discussing the implementation of both a magnetite nanocomposite and a cobalt ferrite based nanocomposite in a free space magnetic field system and demonstrate the proof-of-principle operation of a sensing system.

A dual channel polarimeter was incorporated into the Hokupa'a adaptive optics system mounted on the Gemini North telescope to enhance sensitivity to detecting the light scattered by circumstellar material. The technique suppressed noise introduced by non-repeatable variations of the point spread function which limit the sensitivity of non-simultaneous adaptive optics imaging. Polarimetric images of the classical T-Tauri star environments around GG Tauri Aab, TW Hydrae, LkCa 15, LkHα 242, GM Aurigae, and SR24 N/S were observed to establish the instrument's sensitivity. A survey of nearby ( d < 25 pc), young ( age < 1 Gyr), solar-analog stars was undertaken with the polarimeter to search for collisionally active debris disks analogous to our young solar system. Of the 24 stars sampled, none were found to have obvious scattered light signatures. Isotropic and Mie scattering model images of debris disks were used to constrain the amount of material around the survey stars to no more than M dust ∼ 10 -2 M Moon of 1-10μ m sized dust contained between 5-50 AU from the sample stars. Particle lifetimes under the influence of the Poynting Robertson Drag, radiation pressure, and solar wind drag are calculated as a function of central star spectral type. The corpuscular drag from stellar winds shorten dust lifetimes by an amount inversely proportional to the stellar wind mass-loss rate. This translates into dust lifetimes 100-1000 times shorter around young solar analog stars compared to the present day. This effect, cam significantly reduce the near-IR detectability of debris disks around these chromospherically active stars.

Ces travaux de thèse, réalisés à l’Institut Lumière Matière, traitent de la rétrodiffusion optique des particules de l’atmosphère d’origine désertique, dont l’impact sur le bilan radiatif terrestre reste à quantifier, en raison de leur grande diversité de taille, de forme et de composition chimique. La thèse repose essentiellement sur un polarimètre de laboratoire (UV, VIS) adressant la géométrie de rétrodiffusion avec précision (180.0 +/- 0.2°). Le rapport des éléments de la matrice de rétrodiffusion a ainsi été évalué avec précision (< 1 %) et la réponse spectrale (UV, VIS) de ce rapport a ainsi pu être étudiée, ce qui a permis de discuter de l’applicabilité du modèle mathématique des sphéroïdes, décrit par le code T-matrix, pour décrire la rétrodiffusion optique de ces particules dans la géométrie d’exacte rétrodiffusion, comme publié dans JQSRT en 2016. Puis, l’utilisation de ce Pi-Polarimètre dans la troposphère libre de Lyon par lidar a permis d’évaluer la concentration en masse des particules désertiques. Cette évaluation a été réalisée pour différents modèles de forme (sphéroïdes, particules de surface lisse, rugueuse) obtenus par simulation numérique en coopération avec l’équipe de T. Nousiainen (Finlande). Un résultat majeur est que la concentration en masse peut différer de 30 % selon le modèle de forme choisi, comme publié dans Atmospheric Research en 2018. Enfin, la sensibilité et la précision du Pi-Polarimètre (UV, VIS) ont été utilisées pour révéler les principales caractéristiques du processus photo-catalytique de nucléation en présence de particules désertiques via des observations systématiques de ce processus, réalisées sur une durée de deux années / These thesis studies, carried out at the Institute of Light and Matter (ILM), deal with the optical backscattering of atmospheric particles of desert origin, whose impact on the terrestrial radiative budget remains to be quantified, due to their great diversity of size, shape and chemical composition. The thesis is essentially based on a laboratory polarimeter (UV, VIS) addressing the backscattering geometry with accuracy (180.0 +/- 0.2 °). The report of the backscattering matrix elements was thus accurately evaluated (<1%) and the spectral response (UV, VIS) of this report was thus studied, which made it possible to discuss the applicability of the spheroidal mathematical model, described by the T-matrix numerical code, to describe the optical backscattering of these particles in the exact backscattering geometry, as published in JQSRT in 2016. Then, the use of this Pi-Polarimeter in the troposphere free of Lyon by lidar made it possible to evaluate the mass concentration of desert dust particles. This evaluation was carried out for different shape models (spheroids, smooth particles, rough particles) obtained by numerical simulation in cooperation with T. Nousiainen’s group (Finland). A major result is that the mass concentration may differ by 30 % depending on the chosen dust shape model, as published in Atmospheric Research in 2018. Finally, the sensitivity and accuracy of the Pi-Polarimeter (UV, VIS) have been used to reveal the main characteristics of the photo-catalytic process of nucleation in the presence of desert dust particles via systematic observations of this process, carried out over a two years period

The polarization of light is one of the most remarkable phenomena in nature and has led to many discoveries in the optical-telecommunications sphere. The master's thesis describes the basic knowledge about polarized light, which includes the types of light polarization, the issue of Poincaré sphere, polarizing ellipse, etc. Emphasis is also placed on the measurement of optical power, where the analysis of various types of photodetectors and also polarimeters was performed. In the practical part of this work, the design of the workplace itself is described in the diagrams. Also, all devices in the workplace are analyzed and subsequently demonstrated measurement in several scenarios. The final chapter is a discussion with the measured results and graphical dependencies, comparison and analysis of results.

This thesis comprises linear polarization measurements on gamma rays emitted from the previously observed 1.984, 2.572, 2.969 and 3.059 MeV levels of ²²Na using a Ge(Li) Compton polarimeter. Consistency with previous measurements on parameters characterizing these levels was first checked before assigning J^π = 2⁺ for the 1.984 MeV level and determining that both 2.969 MeV and 3.059 MeV levels have positive parity. Investigation of the 2.572 MeV level produced inconsistency with some previous work which had indicated a 2⁻ assignment. However, except for some pickup reaction work. the polarization measurement is consistent with all former measurements and indicates a 2⁺ assignment. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

Jefferson Lab's cutting-edge parity-violating electron scattering program has increasingly stringent requirements for systematic errors. Beam polarimetry is often one of the dominant systematic errors in these experiments. A new Moeller Polarimeter in Hall A of Jefferson Lab (JLab) was installed in 2015 and has taken first measurements for a polarized scattering experiment. Upcoming parity violation experiments in Hall A include CREX, PREX-II, MOLLER and SOLID with the latter two requiring &lt; 0.5% precision on beam polarization measurements, a precision which has not been achieved to date. The polarimeter measures the Moeller scattering rates of the polarized electron beam incident upon an iron target placed in a saturating magnetic field. The spectrometer consists of four quadrupoles and one momentum selection dipole. The detector is designed to measure the scattered and knock out target electrons in coincidence. Beam polarization is extracted by constructing an asymmetry from the scattering rates when the incident electron spin is parallel and anti-parallel to the target electron spin. The largest systematic errors associated with Moeller polarimetry comes from the precision that the target polarization and the detector acceptance is known will be discussed. Other errors including the Levchuk effect, beam stability, and target heating will be addressed. / Physics

Polarization specific measurements are advancing the capabilities of scientific instruments looking for ever smaller effects and material parameters. For example, the magneto-optical nonlinear Faraday effect can be used to characterize various electric and magnetic polarizability parameters of an individual molecule. Another major application is detection of desired particles in a highly scattering environment, the physical effect of which has been extensively researched, and is being overcome by using time-gated and polarization techniques. The polarimeter sensitivity is limited by the extinction-ratio obtained from polarizers. Of available polarizer materials, naturally occurring Calcite crystals provide the best extinction ratios because of their good optical homogeneity and high birefringence. However, there is a need for polarization determination with higher sensitivities, and thus a necessity to find better polarizing materials and methods. I developed a next-generation polarimeter in an attempt to sensitively detect the second-order Faraday effect, along with a substance s chirality and Verdet constant. Also, I developed a device uniquely able to sensitively detect chiral signatures in the presence of massive depolarizing scattering. In addition, I begun developing a novel type of polarimeter based on the highly-polarization-sensitive nonlinear-optical process of harmonic generation, whose required crystals can be grown with extremely high quality.