<p>The present thesis concerns applications of first principles electronic structure calculations in conjunction with methods of statistical mechanics for simulations of transition metal alloys both in the bulk and at surfaces.</p><p>A fully relativistic generalization of the exact muffin-tin orbitals (EMTO) method has been developed. The method accurately takes into account spin-orbit coupling and allows one to calculate orbital polarization and magneto-crystalline anisotropy in magnetic systems as well as increasing the range of applicability of the EMTO method to heavy elements. A new direct-exchange Monte Carlo (DEMC) method has been proposed, which is capable to tackling effectively statistical simulations of surface segregations in disordered and ordered alloys.</p><p>The applications of relativistic methods include calculations of spin and orbital magnetization in iron-cobalt disordered and partially ordered alloys, as well as computation of the core-level shifts (CLS) in transition metal alloys. It has been found, that relativistic corrections are important for CLS calculations in 5-d metal alloys. Properties of a Ni monolayer deposited on a Cu surface have been studied. The monolayer is found to be unstable in the top layer, and its magnetization depends greatly on the surface orientation. Two distinct energy levels have been found to exist Co/Cu/Ni trilayers deposited on the (100) Cu surface, which correspond to a completely paramagnetic trilayer and the case when only Ni is paramagnetic.</p><p>Vacancy ordering in substoichometric titanium carbides TiC_x have been simulated. Existence of three ordered phases in the range of carbon concentration x=0.5 ÷1.0 has been revealed and a theoretical phase diagram has been proposed. Surface segregations have been calculated in disordered Ni₅₀Pt₅₀ and Ni₅₀Pd₅₀ as well as in ordered NiPt alloys. Segregation reversal has been observed in the Ni₅₀Pt₅₀ alloy with Pt segregation at the (111) surface and Ni segregation at the (110). In the ordered NiPt alloys segregation behaviour is found to be affected greatly by small deviations from the exact stoichiometric composition in bulk. Surface magnetization in PdV and MoV bcc alloys have been studied. It has been found, that in PdV alloys surface segregations suppress magnetic order at the surface, while in MoV alloys magnetization is substantially enhanced due to the segregation.</p>

The present thesis concerns applications of first principles electronic structure calculations in conjunction with methods of statistical mechanics for simulations of transition metal alloys both in the bulk and at surfaces. A fully relativistic generalization of the exact muffin-tin orbitals (EMTO) method has been developed. The method accurately takes into account spin-orbit coupling and allows one to calculate orbital polarization and magneto-crystalline anisotropy in magnetic systems as well as increasing the range of applicability of the EMTO method to heavy elements. A new direct-exchange Monte Carlo (DEMC) method has been proposed, which is capable to tackling effectively statistical simulations of surface segregations in disordered and ordered alloys. The applications of relativistic methods include calculations of spin and orbital magnetization in iron-cobalt disordered and partially ordered alloys, as well as computation of the core-level shifts (CLS) in transition metal alloys. It has been found, that relativistic corrections are important for CLS calculations in 5-d metal alloys. Properties of a Ni monolayer deposited on a Cu surface have been studied. The monolayer is found to be unstable in the top layer, and its magnetization depends greatly on the surface orientation. Two distinct energy levels have been found to exist Co/Cu/Ni trilayers deposited on the (100) Cu surface, which correspond to a completely paramagnetic trilayer and the case when only Ni is paramagnetic. Vacancy ordering in substoichometric titanium carbides TiCx have been simulated. Existence of three ordered phases in the range of carbon concentration x=0.5 ÷1.0 has been revealed and a theoretical phase diagram has been proposed. Surface segregations have been calculated in disordered Ni50Pt50 and Ni50Pd50 as well as in ordered NiPt alloys. Segregation reversal has been observed in the Ni50Pt50 alloy with Pt segregation at the (111) surface and Ni segregation at the (110). In the ordered NiPt alloys segregation behaviour is found to be affected greatly by small deviations from the exact stoichiometric composition in bulk. Surface magnetization in PdV and MoV bcc alloys have been studied. It has been found, that in PdV alloys surface segregations suppress magnetic order at the surface, while in MoV alloys magnetization is substantially enhanced due to the segregation.

Les cultivars de bananiers sont dérivés d'hybridations entre sous-espèces de Musa acuminata (génome A) et pour certains avec l'espèce M. balbisiana (génome B). Ces hybrides présentent une fertilité réduite, des méioses perturbées et de fortes distorsions de ségrégation. Ces caractéristiques attribuées à des réarrangements chromosomiques entre espèces et sous-espèces compliquent les analyses génétiques et les programmes d'amélioration variétale. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons mis en place et testé de nouvelles approches, basées sur la récente disponibilité d'une séquence de référence du bananier et des technologies de séquençage haut-débit, pour caractériser ces différences de structures chromosomiques et comprendre leur impact sur les ségrégations chromosomiques. Ces approches ont nécessité l'amélioration de la séquence de référence du bananier. Pour cela, des outils ont été développés. Ils sont applicables à d'autres génomes et modulables en fonction des données disponibles. Le nombre de scaffolds a été divisé par 5 et 90% de la séquence est maintenant ancré aux chromosomes. Les scaffolds correspondant au génome mitochondrial ont été identifiés et le génome chloroplastique a été assemblé et annoté. Des données de re-séquençage de l'accession ‘Pahang' et de génotypage dense de sa descendance ont été utilisées pour explorer l'origine des distorsions de ségrégation impliquant les chromosomes 1 et 4. L'ensemble des données (profils de distorsion et de recombinaison, appariements à la méiose, re-séquençage), nous orientent vers l'hypothèse d'une translocation réciproque en orientation inversée, entre régions distales des chromosomes 1 et 4. Le test de nos outils de recherche de variations structurales pour comparer les génomes A et B du bananier, dont les différences de structure sont connues, montre que nos outils détectent directement les signatures de certaines variations structurales mais que pour d'autres il ne détecte que des signatures partielles. Ces dernières peuvent néanmoins être informatives en complément d'autres types d'informations provenant de cartographie génétique et d'analyses cytogénétiques. / Banana cultivars are derived from hybridization between Musa acuminata subspecies (A genome) and, for some of them, with the species M. balbisiana (B genome). These hybrids have reduced fertility, disturbed meiosis and strong segregation distortions. These characteristics attributed to chromosomal rearrangements between species and subspecies complicate genetic analyses and breeding programs. In this thesis, we have developed and tested new approaches based on the recent availability of a banana reference genome sequence and high-throughput sequencing technologies, to characterize these differences in chromosomal structures and understand their impact on chromosomal segregation. These approaches needed improvement of the banana reference genome sequence. New bioinformatics tools were developed for this purpose. They are applicable to other genomes and are flexible according to available data. The scaffolds number was divided by 5 and 90% of the assembly is now anchored to the chromosomes. Scaffolds corresponding to the mitochondrial genome were identified and the chloroplast genome was assembled and annotated. Re-sequencing data from the 'Pahang' accession and dense genotyping of its progeny were used to explore the origin of segregation distortion involving chromosomes 1 and 4. Distortion and recombination profiles, chromosomal pairing at meiosis and re-sequencing data direct us to the hypothesis of a reciprocal translocation in inverted orientation between distal portions of chromosomes 1 and 4. We tested our structural variation research tools to compare the A and B genomes of banana, for which structural differences are known. The results showed that our tools detected complete signatures of some structural changes but for others, they only detected partial signatures. The latter can still be informative in addition to other informations derived from genetic mapping and cytogenetic studies.

L’efficience des représentations à l’oeuvre dans les dynamiques sociospatiales et leur cristallisation à travers une forte imagerie constituent à notre sens un objet de recherche fécond pour comprendre le fait urbain. Notre réflexion porte sur l’imagerie de deux quartiers à Annaba, Kouba et Les Allemands, respectivement représentatifs des ensembles collectifs réalisés dans le cadre du Plan de Constantine en 1958 et des ZHUN dans les années 1980. Les constructions identitaires qui y sont attachées sont largement liées à l’histoire urbaine et aux conditions de leur peuplement, le premier abrite majoritairement des cadres, des techniciens, le second reflète une sorte de proximité spatiale entre le même type de population et des sinistrés provenant des bidonvilles et de la médina. Ainsi, nous considérons que saisir l’imagerie contrastée caractérisant ces espaces, permettrait d’accéder aux logiques à la base, tant des actions urbaines initiées par les pouvoirs publics, que des modes d’appropriation des populations de ces quartiers, à travers leur itinéraire résidentiel, leurs mobilités, leurs usages, leurs interactions sociales et leurs relations à la ville. / The efficiency of the representations to work in the dynamic socio-space ones and their crystallization through a strong imagery constitute with our direction a fertile object of research to understand the urban fact. Our reflection relates to the imagery of two districts to Annaba, Kouba and the Allemands, respectively representative of the collective units carried out within the framework of the Plan of Constantine in 1958 and the ZHUN in the years 1980. Identity constructions which are attached there are largely related to the urban history and in the conditions of their settlement, the first shelters mainly executives, technicians, the second reflects a kind of space proximity between the same type of population and the disaster victim coming from the slums and medina. Thus, we consider that to seize the contrasted imagery characterizing these spaces, would give access logics the base, as well of the urban actions initiated by the authorities, as modes of appropriation of the populations of these districts through their residential route, their mobilities, their uses, their social interactions and their relations at the city.

En perspective de la prolongation de la durée de vie en service des REPs, il est de plus en plus important d’obtenir une évaluation fiable de l’évolution de la microstructure des aciers constituant la cuve des REPs et de leurs propriétés correspondantes. Un mécanisme de fragilisation non-durcissante, dû à la ségrégation intergranulaire du P qui affaiblirait la cohésion des joints de grains, pourrait contribuer à la fragilisation et doit donc être étudié. Les présents travaux ont pour objectifs d’étudier la ségrégation intergranulaire du P dans un acier de cuve de réacteur afin (i) de connaître l’influence du type de joint de grain sur la ségrégation du P, (ii) de clarifier l’influence des conditions de vieillissement (vieillissement thermique et irradiation ionique) sur la ségrégation du P et (iii) de faire une comparaison avec les modèles disponibles et proposés ici.Pour cela, une méthodologie corrélative -Diffraction des Électrons Rétrodiffusés (EBSD), Diffraction de Kikuchi en Transmission (TKD) et Sonde Atomique Tomographique (APT) -a été adoptée pour étudier la ségrégation intergranulaire. Les informations cristallographiques (5 paramètres) et la composition chimique ont été collectées et systématiquement corrélées. Les aciers ont une microstructure complexe de ferrite aciculaire et de carbures intergranulaires. La ségrégation des solutés aux joints des grains (joints des grains faiblement désorientés (LAGB), joints des grains fortement désorientés généraux (HAGB) et Σ3HAGBs) et aux interfaces (interfaces carbure-ferrite M2.0-3.2C et interfaces cémentite-ferrite) a été quantifiée. Il existe une ségrégation évidente d'un élément ou de plusieurs espèces chimiques (C, P, Mn, Mo, Cr, Si et Ni) pour tous ces types de défauts plans. Tenant compte de la nature des éléments ségrégants et de la cristallographie du joint de grain, les ségrégations interstitielles et substitutionnelles ont été quantifiées et discutées. Sur la base d’un grand nombre de données, il apparaît que les niveaux moyens des segrégations en P sont plus élevés dans les HAGBs généraux ou les LAGBs que les autres types d'interfaces quel que soit le vieillissement envisagé. Par ailleurs, les résultats expérimentaux ont été comparés avec les résultats prévus par des modèles analytiques pour des systèmes binaires, ternaires et multi-composants. Bien qu'ayant un niveau de ségrégation du P prédit plus élevé, le modèle ternaire Fe-P-C se rapproche le plus des résultats expérimentaux. / With expectations for extending the service lifespans of PWRs, it is of great importance to get a reliable evaluation of the microstructural evolution and the corresponding property changes of RPV steels. A non-hardening mechanism, due to intergranular P segregation that impairs the grain boundary (GB) cohesion, may contribute to the embrittlement and thus needs to be studied. The present work aims to investigate the intergranular P segregation behavior in a RPV steel in order to (i) determine the influence of GB type on P segregation behavior, (ii) clarify the influence of ageing conditions (thermal ageing and ion irradiation) on P segregation behavior and (iii) make a comparison with the existing analytical models. To reach these objectives, a correlative - Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) - methodology was adopted to study the GB segregation behavior. The crystallographic information (5 parameters) and chemical composition were collected simultaneously. The steels have a complex microstructure of acicular ferrite and intergranular carbides. The solute segregation at GBs (Low Angle Grain Boundaries (LAGBs), general High Angle Grain Boundaries (HAGBs) and Σ3 HAGBs) and interfaces (M2.0-3.2C carbide-ferrite interfaces and cementite-ferrite interfaces) were quantified. There is an obvious segregation of one element or several chemical species (C, P, Mn, Mo, Cr, Si and Ni) at all boundary types. Taking into account the nature of segregants and the five-parameter GB crystallography, both interstitial and substitutional segregation behaviors were discussed. Based on a large dataset, it appears that the average P segregation levels are higher in general HAGBs or LAGBs than in other boundary types. Besides, the experimental results were compared to the predicted ones from analytical models for binary, ternary and multicomponent systems. Though with a higher predicted P segregation level, the Fe-P-C ternary model seems to better fit the experimental results in all ageing conditions.