Terrestrial ecosystems are essential to human well-being, but their future remains highly uncertain, as evidenced by the huge disparities in model projections of the land carbon sink. The existence of these disparities despite the recent explosion of novel data streams, including the TRY plant traits database, the Landsat archive, and global eddy covariance tower networks, suggests that these data streams are not being utilized to their full potential by the terrestrial ecosystem modeling community. Therefore, the overarching objective of my dissertation is to identify how these various data streams can be used to improve the precision of model predictions by constraining model parameters. In chapter 1, I use a hierarchical multivariate meta-analysis of the TRY database to assess the dependence of trait correlations on ecological scale and evaluate the utility of these correlations for constraining ecosystem model parameters. I find that global trait correlations are generally consistent within plant functional types, and leveraging the multivariate trait space is an effective way to constrain trait estimates for data-limited traits and plant functional types. My next two chapters assess the ability to measure traits using remote sensing by exploring the links between leaf traits and reflectance spectra. In chapter 2, I introduce a method for estimating traits from spectra via radiative transfer model inversion. I then use this approach to show that although the precise location, width, and quantity of spectral bands significantly affects trait retrieval accuracy, a wide range of sensor configurations are capable of providing trait information. In chapter 3, I apply this approach to a large database of leaf spectra to show that traits vary as much within as across species, and much more across species within a functional type than across functional types. Finally, in chapter 4, I synthesize the findings of the previous chapters to calibrate a vegetation model's representation of canopy radiative transfer against observed remotely-sensed surface reflectance. Although the calibration successfully constrained canopy structural parameters, I identify issues with model representations of wood and soil reflectance that inhibit its ability to accurately reproduce remote sensing observations.

Les instabilités inertielles sont des instabilités fluides excitées au sein de modèles physiques simplifiés de planètes ou d'étoiles. Elles peuvent générer un champ magnétique dynamo. Ce sont donc des alternatives aux écoulements forcés par la convection thermo-chimique pour générer les champs magnétiques dans les noyaux liquides des planètes et les enveloppes fluides des étoiles. Cependant, ces modèles simplifiés questionnent la pertinence des résultats, qui sont ensuite extrapolés aux contextes géo- et astrophysique. D'un point de vue fondamental, de récentes études numériques et expérimentales, réalisées à grande ellipticité pour compenser l'importance des effets visqueux dans les modèles, semblent en désaccord avec les prédictions théoriques (valides dans la limite asymptotique d'une diffusion négligeable et à faible déformation). De plus, de nombreux effets physiques sont négligés dans les modèles. Par exemple, seules les orbites circulaires ont été considérées. Bien que généralement de faible amplitude, l'excentricité induit une dépendance temporelle dans le forçage orbital, ce qui pourrait générer de nouveaux phénomènes. Enfin, l'existence des instabilités inertielles dans les enveloppes fluides stablement stratifiées en densité, comme les zones radiatives des étoiles chaudes de masse intermédiaire (dont la masse est comprise entre une et huit masses solaires), reste incertaine. La génération de champs magnétiques dynamos dans ces enveloppes stratifiées permettrait de réconcilier les modèles avec les observations astronomiques. Lors de cette thèse, nous nous sommes attachés à rapprocher les modèles (théoriques, numériques ou expérimentaux) des contextes géo et astrophysique. Nous avons combiné les approches théoriques (analyses de stabilité locale et globale) et numériques (simulations non linéaires) afin d'étudier les effets des forc cages mécaniques de rotation dans un ellipsoïde fluide. Nous montrons que la dissipation en volume n'est en fait pas négligeable dans les expériences de laboratoire et les simulations numériques, contrairement aux régimes planétaires et stellaires. Nous montrons aussi que l’excentricité orbitale peut, via la variation temporelle des axes de l’ellipsoïde, générer des instabilités fluides pour dans une gamme de paramètres où elles n’étaient pas attendues. Enfin nous avons étudié la capacité dynamo de l'instabilité de marée, dans les enveloppes stablement stratifiées en densité des étoiles chaudes de masse intermédiaire. Environ 10~% de ces étoiles ont un champ magnétique de surface, dont l’origine reste énigmatique. Nous montrons que l’instabilité de marée peut générer des dynamos de grande échelle dans les enveloppes fluides stablement stratifiées. En particulier, ce mécanisme serait susceptible d’expliquer le champ magnétique de faible intensité des étoiles en rotation rapide similaires à Vega et déformées par un compagnon orbital. / Inertial instabilities are fluid instabilities excited by mechanical forcings (e.g. tides, precession) in fluid bodies (e.g. planetary liquid cores or stellar envelopes) orbited by celestial companions. The nonlinear outcome of these instabilities can drive self-sustained, dynamo magnetic fields. Thus they could be an alternative to thermo-chemical convection to generate magnetic fields in geophysics and astrophysics. These instabilities have only been studied in idealised models, which challenges the extrapolation towards the relevant regimes in geophysics and astrophysics. Recent laboratory and numerical studies, performed in the achievable range of parameters (i.e. large deformations and overestimated diffusive effects), seem apparently not in agreement with theoretical predictions representative of celestial fluid bodies (i.e. extremely small deformations and vanishing diffusive effects). Several physical ingredients have been also neglected, such as the orbital eccentricity. This could drive additional tidal effects, as a result of the time-dependent forcing. Similarly, density variations have been largely neglected in these models. However, rotationally powered magnetic fields in stably stratified stellar envelopes could reconcile astronomical observations with dynamo models. In this thesis we have adopted more realistic models, by combining theoretical tools (linear stability analyses in unbounded and bounded fluids enclosed in ellipsoids) and numerical ones (direct numerical simulations) to study rotationally driven inertial instabilities. We show, with a linear stability analysis in bounded ellipsoidal geometry, that bulk diffusion cannot be neglected emph{a priori} compared to the boundary layer diffusion in laboratory experiments and simulations. This phenomena is not expected in celestial fluid bodies. We also show that an orbital eccentricity could generate additional instabilities in deformed bodies, for orbital configurations which were believed to be linearly stable. Finally, we have studied the dynamo capability of tidal flows in stably stratified fluid envelopes. These are idealised models of hot, intermediate-mass stars (i.e. with a mass ranging from one to eight solar masses). Approximatively 10~% of hot stars exhibit observable magnetic fields. We show that the tidal instability can drive dynamo magnetic fields of large wavelength in stably stratified fluids. Predictions obtained with this tidal model seem consistent with the ultra-weak magnetism of rapidly rotating, tidally deformed Vega-like stars.

Submitted by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2016-11-14T15:01:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PamellaCCS_DISSERT.pdf: 1776323 bytes, checksum: 65a6beafdc49985e63cb06e80a5bd6ef (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2016-11-14T15:02:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PamellaCCS_DISSERT.pdf: 1776323 bytes, checksum: 65a6beafdc49985e63cb06e80a5bd6ef (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-02-15T15:05:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PamellaCCS_DISSERT.pdf: 1776323 bytes, checksum: 65a6beafdc49985e63cb06e80a5bd6ef (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-21T15:06:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PamellaCCS_DISSERT.pdf: 1776323 bytes, checksum: 65a6beafdc49985e63cb06e80a5bd6ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In Brazil there is a great irregularity and no radiation data that has just committing several studies. Thus, the use of remote sensing techniques is presented as a promising field, with the advantage of determining the components of the radiation balance with high spatial coverage quickly and accurately, and together with surface data have been indispensable in the application models and algorithms to estimate the components of the energy balance at the surface and evapotranspiration at various scales of time and space, which is the main factor to be considered in estimating water needs of the crop. The aim of this research project was to determine the components of the radiation balance in sugarcane area from MODIS (MODIS) inserted in SEBAL model (Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land) and validate them with data to the surface in the production area of sugarcane irrigated belonging to the company Agribusiness of the São Francisco Valley SA - Agrovale in Juazeiro - BA. It was concluded that there was no unusual condition in the behavior of the terms of the radiation balance obtained on the surface, when considering the different growth stages although the absolute values of the terms were different. The terms of the Radiation Balance found through MODIS images by applying the model SEBAL had expected behavior for targets with consistent and similar values to those found on the surface except for the albedo that had errors 54.5%, 50%, 11.7% and 26% for phases I to IV, respectively. Finally, the evapotranspiration using Rn from the satellite imaging showed no significant difference we react to ETcBERB and ETcPM1. It follows, therefore, that remote sensing can be perfectly used in determining the water needs of the crop of sugarcane in the region under study / No Brasil há uma grande irregularidade ou inexistência de dados de radiação, que acaba comprometendo diversos estudos. Desta forma, o emprego de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto apresenta-se como um campo promissor, com a vantagem da determinação dos componentes do balanço de radiação com grande cobertura espacial de forma rápida e precisa e, juntamente com dados de superfície têm sido indispensáveis na aplicação de modelos e algoritmos destinados à estimativa dos componentes do balanço de energia à superfície e da evapotranspiração em várias escalas de tempo e espaço, sendo este o principal fator a ser considerado na estimativa das necessidades hídricas da cultura. O objetivo deste projeto de pesquisa foi determinar os componentes do balanço de radiação em área de cana-de-açúcar a partir de dados MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) inseridos no modelo SEBAL (Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land) e validá-los com dados obtidos à superfície em área produtiva de cana-de-açúcar irrigada pertencente à empresa Agroindústrias do Vale do São Francisco S.A - Agrovale no município de Juazeiro - BA. Concluiu-se que não houve nenhuma condição atípica no comportamento dos termos do balanço de radiação obtidos à superfície, quando se consideraram os diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento da cultura embora os valores absolutos dos termos tenham sido diferentes. Os termos do Balanço de Radiação encontrados através de imagens MODIS aplicando o modelo SEBAL apresentaram comportamento esperado para os alvos, com valores consistentes e próximos aos encontrados à superfície, exceto para o albedo que apresentou erros de 54,5%, 50%, 11,7% e 26% para as fases de I a IV, respectivamente. Por fim, a evapotranspiração usando o Rn proveniente do processamento de imagens de satélite não apresentou diferença significativa em realação a ETcBERB e a ETcPM1. Conclui-se, portanto, que o sensoriamento remoto pode perfeitamente ser usado na determinação das necessidades hídricas da cultura da cana-de-açúcar na região em estudo / 2016-11-14

No projeto de um forno, normalmente busca-se uma configuração para a posição dos aquecedores que resulte em aquecimento uniforme na superfície inferior, a superfície de projeto. Neste trabalho, o fluxo de calor e a temperatura são prescritos na superfície de projeto e os elementos aquecedores devem ser projetados em um conjunto de quatro filamentos, ou um filamento em cada quarto simétrico do forno, a fim de satisfazer às condições prescritas. O forno é modelado como uma cavidade tridimensional preenchida com meio transparente; assume-se que as paredes sejam cinzas e difusas e que o único mecanismo de transferência de calor presente é a radiação térmica. Esse problema, convencionalmente, é solucionado através de um procedimento de tentativa-e-erro; neste trabalho, a solução é obtida através da análise inversa, uma técnica mais versátil e eficaz de projeto, embora exija tratamentos matemáticos especiais. O problema inverso é resolvido nesta pesquisa de forma implícita, como um problema de otimização. A solução é obtida através do método da Otimização Extrema Generalizada (GEO), um método de otimização estocástico e global, utilizado para encontrar as posições para os aquecedores respeitando a condição de formar um filamento. A metodologia é aplicada para se obter a configuração geométrica e posição do filamento aquecedor, uma abordagem inédita na literatura, conduzindo a resultados com desvio máximo inferior a 2%. Por fim, nesta pesquisa, realiza-se um estudo acerca do fator de forma dos elementos aquecedores que indica a aplicabilidade da solução obtida para filamentos com diferentes espessuras. / In the design of a oven is desired to obtain the positions for the heaters that results in a uniform heating to the bottom surface, the design surface. The heat flux and temperature are prescribed in the design surface and the heating elements are positioned in a single filament so as to satisfy prescribed conditions. The oven is modeled as a three-dimensional cavity filled with transparent medium, it is assumed that the walls are gray and diffuse and the dominant heat transfer mechanism is thermal radiation. This problem, conventionally, is solved through a trial and error procedure, in this work, the solution is obtained by inverse analysis. The inverse problem is solved implicitly, as an optimization problem. The solution is obtained by the method of optimization extreme (GEO) a stochastic global optimization method used to find the locations for the heaters respecting the condition of build a filament. The methodology leads to satisfactory results, with maximum error less than 2%. Finally, this research, realized a study of the view factor of the elements heaters that indicates the applicability of the solution into filaments with different thicknesses.

xxvi, 199 p. : ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The abundance of B mesons at B factories opens the door to the search in rare decays for physics outside of the Standard Model. Flavor-changing neutral current transitions proceed only via higher order in the Standard Model, resulting in a b [arrow right] s³y branching fraction of about 3 x 10 -4 , but hypothesized particles could alter the rate significantly. Decays of B mesons that proceed via this electroweak penguin diagram are an interesting example of flavor-changing neutral currents, due to the large number of accessible final states with observables that are sensitive to new processes. This dissertation describes the analyses of such decays B - [arrow right] p ³, B - [arrow right] £ 0 p ³, B - [arrow right] p and B - [arrow right] p using about 350 million B meson pairs recorded by the BABAR detector in the years 2001 through 2006. In addition to the decay rate, the distribution of the invariant mass of the baryon pair is presented, using a method for statistical unfolding. The analysis is the first of these decays at the BABAR experiment and lays the groundwork for future analyses of the branching fractions and angular correlations of b [arrow right] s decays containing A hyperons and other baryons at BABAR or higher luminosity B factories. / Adviser: James E. Brau

xii, 118 p. : ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation describes a search for the decays B 0 [arrow right] invisible and B 0 [arrow right] invisible+γ, where invisible refers to a final state consisting of long lived particles with a low cross-section for interaction with matter, leading to a low probability of detection in typical particle detectors. While the branching fractions for these decays predicted by the Standard Model are far below what could be feasably measured by current experiments, new physics such as right-handed neutrinos propagating in large extra space-time dimensions or light R-parity violating neutralinos in supersymmetry could greatly enhance the branching fractions. The decays are searched for in data corresponding to 423.5 fb -1 integrated luminosity produced at the Υ(4 S ) resonance collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B factory, corresponding to 2.30 × 10 8 B 0 B¯ 0 pairs. Using those events that contain a hadronically reconstructed neutral B meson, evidence for the signal decays is sought in the remainder of the event. In (5.00 ± 0.02) × 10 5 events with a fully reconstructed neutral B meson, a total of 39 events consistent with the B 0 [arrow right] invisible decay mode are seen in data with an expected background of 28.5 ± 7.8(stat.)±9.2(syst.) events, and 8 events consistent with the B 0 [arrow right] invisible+γ decay mode are seen in data mode with an expected background of 14.1 ± 5.5(stat.)±8.1(syst.) events, from which upper limits of [Special characters omitted.] ( B 0 [arrow right] invisible) < 11.7 × 10 -5 and of [Special characters omitted.] ( B 0 [arrow right] invisible+γ) < 4.3 × 10 -5 at the 90% confidence level are obtained. / Adviser: David Strom

In this thesis, we study the effect of diurnally- and seasonally-varying forcing on the global circulation of planetary atmospheres explored within a large parameter space. This work focusses on studying the spacial and spectral energy budgets across a large range of planetary parameters as well as the momentum transfer as a response to diurnal and seasonal effects. We simulate planetary atmospheres using PUMA-GT, a simple GCM co-developed for this work, that is forced by a semi-grey two-band radiative-convective scheme, dissipated by Rayleigh friction and allows for temporally varying insolation. Our parameter regime includes the variation of the planetary rotation rate, frictional timescale in the boundary layer, the thermal inertia of the surface and the atmosphere, as well as the short-wave optical thickness. We calculate the energy transfer in Martian atmosphere to have a reference case of an atmosphere that is subject to very strong seasonal and diurnal variation. For this we present the first Lorenz energy budget calculated from reanalysis data of a non-Earth planet. A comparison between Martian and Earth atmosphere reveals a fundamentally different behaviour of the barotropic conversion term in the global mean. A significant impact of the thermal tide can be discerned in the generation of eddy kinetic energy, especially during global dust storms. Our study of seasonal variation reaffirms previous work that the equatorial super-rotating jet in the slow-rotating regime is arrested for strong seasonal variation. We find a novel explanation as to why the Titan atmosphere is able to maintain super-rotation despite strong surface seasonality; for non-zero short-wave absorption in the atmosphere the mechanism that hinders equatorial super-rotation is weakened. Diurnally-varying forcing can significantly enhance the equatorial super-rotation in cases with non-zero short-wave absorption. In our simulations this enhancement is maintained by a convergence of vertical momentum flux at the equator. Efforts to identify the atmospheric waves involved in this enhancement point towards thermally-excited gravity waves.

The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part deals with radiative cor- rections in muonic hydrogen. The effect of vacuum polarization is studied, and the simplified derivation of the Wichmann-Kroll potential is presented. The en- ergy shift caused by vacuum polarization to the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen is calculated and it agrees with results in literature. Further, the concept of the extended Bethe logarithm is introduced and its advantages are shown and used to calculate the combined self-energy vacuum polarization contribution to the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen. The results given here are more accurate and somewhat different from others given in literature. In the second part, the ground-state en- ergy splitting due to the tunneling in a two-dimensional double-well potential is calculated. A systematic WKB expansion of the energy splitting is given. An in- terplay between curvature of the classical tunneling path and quantum nature of motion is observed. A series is found that describes systems with strong coupling like the proton transfer in malonaldehyde. The results show a strong sensitivity of the splitting on slight variations of the parameters entering the Hamiltonian linearly. This indicates a presence of quantum chaos in this problem. 1

No projeto de um forno, normalmente busca-se uma configuração para a posição dos aquecedores que resulte em aquecimento uniforme na superfície inferior, a superfície de projeto. Neste trabalho, o fluxo de calor e a temperatura são prescritos na superfície de projeto e os elementos aquecedores devem ser projetados em um conjunto de quatro filamentos, ou um filamento em cada quarto simétrico do forno, a fim de satisfazer às condições prescritas. O forno é modelado como uma cavidade tridimensional preenchida com meio transparente; assume-se que as paredes sejam cinzas e difusas e que o único mecanismo de transferência de calor presente é a radiação térmica. Esse problema, convencionalmente, é solucionado através de um procedimento de tentativa-e-erro; neste trabalho, a solução é obtida através da análise inversa, uma técnica mais versátil e eficaz de projeto, embora exija tratamentos matemáticos especiais. O problema inverso é resolvido nesta pesquisa de forma implícita, como um problema de otimização. A solução é obtida através do método da Otimização Extrema Generalizada (GEO), um método de otimização estocástico e global, utilizado para encontrar as posições para os aquecedores respeitando a condição de formar um filamento. A metodologia é aplicada para se obter a configuração geométrica e posição do filamento aquecedor, uma abordagem inédita na literatura, conduzindo a resultados com desvio máximo inferior a 2%. Por fim, nesta pesquisa, realiza-se um estudo acerca do fator de forma dos elementos aquecedores que indica a aplicabilidade da solução obtida para filamentos com diferentes espessuras. / In the design of a oven is desired to obtain the positions for the heaters that results in a uniform heating to the bottom surface, the design surface. The heat flux and temperature are prescribed in the design surface and the heating elements are positioned in a single filament so as to satisfy prescribed conditions. The oven is modeled as a three-dimensional cavity filled with transparent medium, it is assumed that the walls are gray and diffuse and the dominant heat transfer mechanism is thermal radiation. This problem, conventionally, is solved through a trial and error procedure, in this work, the solution is obtained by inverse analysis. The inverse problem is solved implicitly, as an optimization problem. The solution is obtained by the method of optimization extreme (GEO) a stochastic global optimization method used to find the locations for the heaters respecting the condition of build a filament. The methodology leads to satisfactory results, with maximum error less than 2%. Finally, this research, realized a study of the view factor of the elements heaters that indicates the applicability of the solution into filaments with different thicknesses.

abstract: With the desire of high standards of comfort, huge amount of energy is being consumed to maintain the indoor environment. In US building consumes 40% of the total primary energy while residential buildings consume about 21%. A large proportion of this consumption is due to cooling of buildings. Deteriorating environmental conditions due to excessive energy use suggest that we should look at passive designs and renewable energy opportunities to supply the required comfort. Phoenix gets about 300 days of clear sky every year. It also witnesses large temperature variations from night and day. The humidity ratio almost always stays below the 50% mark. With more than six months having outside temperatures more than 75 oF, night sky radiative cooling promise to be an attractive means to cool the buildings during summer. This technique can be useful for small commercial facilities or residential buildings. The roof ponds can be made more effective by covering them with Band Filters. These band filters block the solar heat gain and allow the water to cool down to lower temperatures. It also reduces the convection heat gain. This helps rood ponds maintain lower temperatures and provide more cooling then an exposed pond. 50 &#956;m Polyethylene band filter is used in this study. Using this band filter, roof ponds can be made up to 10% more effective. About 45% of the energy required to cool a typical residential building in summer can be saved. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Architecture 2013