[pt] Neste trabalho, a técnica de interpolação de superfícies definidas numericamente por pseudo-splines é aplicada a antenas refletoras offset e com alto grau de modelagem. É feito um estudo comparativo com técnica de interpolação alternativa levando-se em conta os diversos métodos de análise de antenas refletoras. / [en] In this work, the pseudo-spline technique for numerically defined surfaces is applied to the approximation of single and dual-shaped offset reflector antennas. A comparative study with an usual alternative technique is undertaken, emphasizing the implications observed when different methods are employed for the evaluation of the antenna radiation field.

[pt] A maximização do ganho de antenas cassegrainianas ou gregorianas normalmente é obtida com a modelagem do sub-refletor e do refletor principal. Tendo em vista facilidade de construção e flexibilidade no uso do tipo de alimentador, apresenta-se a alternativa de modelar-se apenas o sub-refletor. No presente trabalho, além de se modelar o sub-refletor, ajusta-se os parâmetros do parabolóide usado como refletor principal, a fim de minimizar os erros de fase da abertura até um valor que justifique a utilização dessa alternativa. Inicialmente são consideradas antenas cassegrain simétricas (capítulo 2). A seguir o estudo é entendido á antenas gregorianas do tipo offset. (Capítulo 3). / [en] The mazimization of the gain of cassegrainian or gregorian antennas is generally obtained with the shaping of su-refletor and main reflector. Having in mind easiness of construction and flexibility in the use of feed, an alternative of shaping only the sub-reflector, is presented. In the present work, besides shaping the sub-reflector, the parameters of the paraboloid used as the main reflector, are adjusted to minimize phase erros in the aperture uo to a value that justifies the use of such alternative. Symetrical cassegrain antenas are first considered (chapter 2). In chapter 3, the study is extended to gregorian offset type antennas.

The Scheffler reflector is a new solar concentrator design which maintains a fixed focus while only having a single axis tracking mechanism. This design makes the construction and operation of high temperature solar concentrators accessible to developing nations. In this project, I wrote computer simulation codes to better understand the dynamics and the effect of deformation or deviations from ideal conditions in order to define necessary manufacturing and operational tolerances. These tools and knowledge drove the prototyping of new reflector concepts by myself and other students on my team. A fiberglass prototype was able to drive the cost of a reflector to sub-$50 and a wood reflector was manufactured with accessible materials and techniques used in boat building.

Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) is a non-linear optimization problem aimed to estimating subsurface parameters by minimizing the misfit between modeled and recorded seismic data using gradient descent methods, which are the only practical choice because of the size of the problem. Due to the high non-linearity of the problem, gradient methods will converge to a local minimum if the starting model is not close to the true one. The accuracy of the long-wavelength components of the initial model controls the level of non-linearity of the inversion. In order for FWI to converge to the global minimum, we have to obtain the long wavelength components of the model before inverting for the short wavelengths. Ultra-low temporal frequencies are sensitive to the smooth (long wavelength) part of the model, and can be utilized by waveform inversion to resolve that part. Unfortunately, frequencies in this range are normally missing in field data due to data acquisition limitations. The lack of low frequencies can be compensated for by utilizing wide-aperture data, as they include arrivals that are especially sensitive to the long wavelength components of the model. The higher the scattering angle of a 5 recorded event, the higher the model wavelength it can resolve. Based on this property, a scattering-angle filtering algorithm is proposed to start the inversion process with events corresponding to the highest scattering angle available in the data, and then include lower scattering angles progressively. The large scattering angles will resolve the smooth part of the model and reduce the non-linearity of the problem, then the lower ones will enhance the resolution of the model. Recorded data is first migrated using Pre-stack Exploding Reflector Migration (PERM), then the resulting pre-stack image is transformed into angle gathers to which an angle filtering process is applied to remove events below a certain cut-off angle. The filtered pre-stack image cube is then demigrated (forward modeled) to produce filtered surface data that can be used in waveform inversion. Numerical tests confirm the feasibility of the proposed filtering algorithm. However, the accuracy of the filtered section is limited by PERM’s singularity for horizontally-traveling waves, which in turn is dependent on the velocity model used for migration and demigration

In conventional optics, curved lenses focus light rays to a focal point after light passes through them. These lenses have been designed to shape the wavefront of the incident beam as it emerges from the curved surface of the lens. Conventional lenses suffer from many limitations, such as limited optical quality for imaging and integration difficulties with other optical components due to their large size, huge thickness, as well as being difficult to manufacture. Using subwavelength structure, it is possible to fabricate flat, thin lenses (metalenses) with new optical properties not found in nature, in which many fundamental properties of light (like polarization, focal point, and phase) can be controlled with high accuracy. This results in high resolution and high quality of optical imaging. This thesis demonstrates a new design of reflective metalens, in which the metalens structure is integrated with another optical component: Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR). The metalens planer is a two-dimensional ultrathin planer arranged as an array with subwavelength separation distance. In recent works, a metalens was integrated with (metal/dielectric)-mirrors to form reflective metalenses. Simulation results show that, high-focusing efficiency is obtained for the lens (> 60%) with the ability to reflect96% of total incident optical power. In comparison, the new metalens-DBR design - processes maintain the same high-focusing efficiency, but with a reflectance of 99.99%, which makes it promising for optoelectronic integration and perfectly suitable for integration with Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) technology. This study of the optical properties: focal length; optical aberration; insensitivity to light polarization; and focusing efficiency of demonstrated metalens was done mainly by Finite Difference Time Domaine (FDTD) by using Lumerical FDTD solution.

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No description available.

The cuckold has been a neglected character in Western literary history, subject to derision and often cruel comic effects. Yet three major modern novelists portrayed the cuckold as a protagonist: Gustave Flaubert in Madame Bovary, Henry James in The Golden Bowl, and James Joyce in Ulysses. This study compares their portrayal of the cuckold with medieval storytellers' portrayal of him in the fabliau tales. The comparison shows that modern writers used the cuckold to critique Enlightenment modes of knowing, such as setting up territorial boundaries for emerging disciplines and professions. Modern writers also attributed a greater value than medieval writers did to the cuckold's position as a non-phallic man, because he allowed his wife sexual freedom. Finally, they saw the cuckold as the other side of the artist; through him, they explore the possibility that the Everyman can be a vehicle for reflected action, rather than heroic action. This study combines Lacanian psychoanalysis with narratology to analyze the cuckold as a subject and as a compositional resource for modern novelists. / English

Modifications of large reflector antennas, such that their observing capabilities are enhanced in the range of about 10-500~MHz without affecting operation of the pre-existing higher-frequency systems, are addressed in this dissertation. The major contributions of this dissertation can be divided into two parts: 1) designing new low frequency feeds, and 2) developing new analysis methodologies which, as opposed to traditional techniques, are suitable for analyzing low frequency systems. First, we consider the performance of existing schemes that provide low frequency capability. Then, a new class of dipole-based low frequency feeds - namely, the ``distributed feed array'' - is designed to cover the frequency range of interest without affecting operation at higher frequencies. As an example, distributed feed arrays are designed for the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) to cover the range of 50-250~MHz. A method of moments (MoM) model of an EVLA antenna is developed for this purpose. The new design shows performance comparable to the existing 4 m system on the EVLA in the range of 50-88~MHz, and introduces observing capabilities in the range of 110-250~MHz (currently not covered by the EVLA). Moreover, the blockage presented to the existing EVLA L-band system is reduced significantly when the existing 4 m system is replaced by the proposed system. At low frequencies, external noise can be a significant or dominant contribution to the total noise of the system. This, combined with mutual coupling between the array elements of the distributed feed array, makes it difficult to predict the sensitivity of these systems. This dissertation describes a system model and procedure for estimating the system equivalent flux density (SEFD) - a useful and meaningful metric of the sensitivity of a radio telescope - that accounts for these issues. We consider the efficiency of methods other than MoM - in particular, Physical Optics (PO), Uniform Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (UTD), and hybrid methods - for accelerated computation at low frequencies. A method for estimating the blockage presented by low frequency systems to the pre-existing higher-frequency systems is also described. / Ph. D.

In 1987 a NASA panel recommended the creation of the Mission to Planet Earth. This mission was intended to apply to remote sensing experience of the space community to earth remote sensing to enhance the understanding of the climatalogical processes of our planet and to determine if, and to what extent, the hydrological cycle of Earth is being affected by human activity. One of the systems required for the mission was a wide scanning, high gain reflector antenna system for use in radiometric remote sensing from geostationary orbit. This work describes research conducted at Virginia Tech into techniques for beam scanning offset Cassegrain reflector antennas by subreflector translation and rotation. Background material relevant to beam scanning antenna systems and offset Cassegrain reflector antenna system is presented. A test case is developed based on the background material. The test case is beam scanned using two geometrical optics methods of determining the optimum subreflector position for the desired scanned beam direction. Physical optics far-field results are given for the beam scanned systems. The test case system is found to be capable of beam scanning over a range of 35 half-power beamwidths while maintaining a 90% beam efficiency or 50 half-power beamwidths while maintaining less than 1 dB of gain loss during scanning. / Master of Science