Generation of reproducible attosecond (10-18s) pulses is an exciting goal: in the same way as femtosecond pulses were used to make "movies" of the atomic motion in molecules, attosecond pulses could "uncover" the motion of electrons around nuclei. In this dissertation, we have suggested new ideas that will allow improving one scheme for obtaining such ultra-short pulses: the molecular modulation technique. In a theoretical proposal called Raman Additive technique, we have suggested a method that will allow (with a proper phase stabilization of generated sidebands) to obtain reproducible waveforms of arbitrary shape. An exciting range of possibilities could open up - not only for absolute phase control or sub-cycle shape control, but also for investigation of multiphoton ionization rates as a function of the sub-cycle shape. We have elaborated on the latter subject in another theoretical project, where we have exploited the unique feature of such ultrashort laser pulses, which is synchronization with molecular motion (rotational or vibrational), in order to investigate photoionization of molecules. From experimental point of view, a different construction of driving lasers than previously employed led to establishment of larger molecular coherences at higher operating pressure than in previous experiments. This resulted in simultaneous generation of rotational and vibrational sidebands with only two fields applied. In another experimental proposal using rotational transition in deuterium we have shown that employing a hollow waveguide instead of normal Raman cell improves the efficiency of the generation process. By optimizing gas pressure and waveguide geometry to compensate the dispersion, the method can be extended to efficiently generate Raman sidebands at a much lower energy of driving fields than previously employed. At the end, a very exciting possibility for controlling the molecular motion in a Raman driven system will be shown. Based on the interference effects (EITlike) that take place inside of a molecule, selectivity of different degrees of freedom can be achieved (for example switching from rotational-vibrational motion to pure rotational).

No description available.

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / Introduction: Saliva is a significant biological fluid involved in the maintenance of good oral health. Cigarette smoking exerts detrimental effects on oral health and has been shown to affect saliva, but with no consensus regarding its effect on the quantity (flow rate) and quality (pH) of the saliva. Aim: To assess the effect of cigarette smoking on the flow rate and pH of whole stimulated saliva. Method: A case control study was conducted using patients who presented at the UWC Oral Health Centre patient sifting/waiting area. The patients who agreed to participate were assessed for inclusion into the study until the sample size was (n=60), stratified by smoking (n=30) and non-smoking (n=30). Stimulated saliva samples were collected in specimen jars by asking patients to chew a sterilized rubber band for 5 minutes and spit the contents into the specimen jar provided at 1 minute intervals. The specimens were transported to the laboratory within 30 minutes to measure the salivary quantity and pH. Results: No statistically significant difference in the salivary flow rates was found between smokers and non smokers (p=0.5273). Smokers showed a statistically significant decrease in their pH compared to non smokers (p=0.028). Conclusion: Cigarette smoking reduces the salivary pH, thereby producing an acidic environment.

We have determined that the temperature for desorption of gallium oxide from GaAs increases linearly with oxide thickness, for oxide layers between about 6Å and 26Å thick. The temperature for the oxide desorption ranged from 580°C to 630°C. The wafer temperature was determined from the optical band-gap measured from the diffuse reflectivity of the sample, which was polished on the front surface and textured on the back surface. Different thicknesses of oxide layers were created by varying the exposure time of the GaAs wafers to a low pressure oxygen plasma. The oxide thicknesses were determined by XPS analysis. Desorption experiments were carried out in a VG V80H MBE system under a As4 beam equivalent pressure of 1.5 x 10⁻⁵ ton. Measurement of diffuse light scattering using a HeNe laser shows an abrupt and non-reversible increase in the scattered light intensity during the oxide desorption. This suggests the surface is macroscopically roughened due to inhomogeneous desorption of the oxide. The oxide desorption was also studied by monitoring the secondary electrons produced by the high energy electrons from the RHEED gun. After the gallium oxide desorption there is a reversible, order of magnitude, increase in the number of scattered electrons produced by the incoming primary beam. We interpret this result as evidence for some form of microscopic roughening. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

This work deals with the underlying physical mechanisms and processes that dominate the fracture of cement based materials and their electrical properties. Electric current emissions were recorded when hardened cement pastes and cement mortars suffered mechanical loading in various modes. Such electric current emissions are known as Pressure Stimulated Currents (PSC) when the applied loading is compressional while they are mentioned as Bending Stimulated Currents (BSC) when the material suffers bending loadings. The physical mechanism responsible for the PSC and BSC emissions can be interpreted in terms of the Moving Charged Dislocations model that correlates mechanical deformation and electric charge distortions in the sample bulk. Laboratory experiments were designed based on the mechanical and physical properties of cement. To conduct the experiments all the background material concerning cement fracture mechanics, the microstructure of the hardened cement paste and the Interfacial Transition Zone of cement mortar were taken into consideration. Additionally, the experience of the PSC technique when it was applied on marble samples was used to guide the experimental procedures and compare qualitatively and quantitatively the experimental results. The relationship between the emitted PSC and the strain was established for the very first time for cement based materials in the present work. When the material was stressed within the range where stress and strain are linearly related a linear relation between PSC and stress rate (d/dt) was observed. Deviation from this linearity appeared when the applied stress was in the range where the applied stress and the yielded strain were not linearly related. Slightly before fracture, intense, non-linear PSC emissions were detected. The damage of the sample structure due to excessive loading in the plastic region significantly affected the recorded phenomena. Bending tests proved that similar electric current emissions are detected when a sample beam suffers 3 Point Bending Tests. The dependence of the emitted electric current on the way of fracture (i.e. compressional or tensional) was proved. It was also shown that the magnitude of the emitted electric current is directly related to the magnitude of damage due to the external loading. Thus, as it was expected, the electric current emitted from the tensed zone is significantly greater than the corresponding emitted from the compressed zone.

by King Lai Wong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-93). / Title Page --- p.i / Table of Contents --- p.ii / List of Tables --- p.iv / List of Figures --- p.v / Abbreviations --- p.viii / Acknowledgements --- p.ix / Abstract --- p.x / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1. --- Mass Spectrometry for Macromolecular Analysis --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- Laser Desorption --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3. --- Development of Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4. --- Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4.1. --- Laser --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4.2. --- Matrix Selection --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4.3. --- Sample Preparation Methodology --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4.4. --- Ion Formation Process(es) --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4.4.1. --- Desorption --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4.4.2. --- Ionization --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5. --- Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry --- p.12 / Chapter 1.6. --- Outline of the Present Work --- p.16 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- INSTRUMENTATION AND EXPERIMENTAL / Chapter 2.1. --- Instrumentation --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Laser System --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Ion Source --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- Reflector --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.4. --- Detector --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2. --- Experimental --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Synthesis of nitroanthracene-d9 --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Sample Preparation --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF SOLUTION pH / Chapter 3.1. --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2. --- Sample Preparation --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3. --- Results and Discussion --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Effect of Bronsted Base (NaOH) --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Effect of Lewis Base (Imidazole) --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3.3. --- Effect of Salt Concentration --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4. --- Conclusions --- p.44 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- PROTON SOURCES FOR ION GENERATION IN MALDI-MS / Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2. --- Sample Preparation --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3. --- Results and Discussion --- p.49 / Chapter 4.4. --- Conclusions --- p.55 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- CATIONIZATION PROCESSES IN MALDI-MS : ATTACHMENT OF DIVALENT AND TRIVALENT METAL IONS / Chapter 5.1. --- Introduction --- p.57 / Chapter 5.2. --- Sample Preparation --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3. --- Results and Discussion --- p.60 / Chapter 5.3.1. --- Protonation versus Cationization --- p.60 / Chapter 5.3.2. --- Attachment of Divalent and Trivalent Metal Ions --- p.63 / Chapter 5.4. --- Conclusions --- p.80 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- CONCLUDING REMARKS --- p.82 / REFERENCES --- p.86

Amplificadores Ãticos amplificam a luz incidente atravÃs de emissÃo estimulada, o mesmo mecanismo que à usado pelos lasers. Com certeza, um amplificador Ãtico, nÃo à nada mais do que um laser sem realimentaÃÃo. Seu principal ingrediente à o ganho Ãtico que à percebido quando o amplificador à sujeito a um bombeio (oticamente ou eletricamente) para conseguir a inversÃo de populaÃÃo nos subniveis. O ganho Ãtico, em geral, depende nÃo somente da freqÃÃncia (ou comprimento de onda) do sinal incidente, mas tambÃm da intensidade do feixe local em qualquer ponto dentro do amplificador. Esse trabalho foi motivado por uma procura contÃnua do conhecimento e entendimento das caracterÃsticas e dos fenÃmenos envolvidos na amplificaÃÃo de regime de pulso curto que seriam relevantes como aplicaÃÃes para processos nos quais tais fenÃmenos nÃo podem ser negligenciados. Sem perda de generalidade, evitamos sistemas de vÃrios canais, consideramos aqui um Ãnico canal com relaÃÃo a outro, pelo fato de que o ganho e o Ãndice de refraÃÃo ambos dependem do nÃmero de canais envolvidos. Neste trabalho foi simulada inicialmente a amplificaÃÃo Ãptica onde o ganho era constante de modo a comparar com um novo modelo proposto aqui, aonde o ganho à periÃdico. Neste caso modelamos as parcelas de transferÃncia de energia do bombeio e do sinal em funÃÃes periÃdicas de onde foi simulado com diferentes parÃmetros das funÃÃes periÃdicas escolhidas. AlÃm do mais, os efeitos de dispersÃo, automodulaÃÃo de fase, pulso walkoff, efeito Raman e depleÃÃo de pulso foram considerados como fatores importantes para amplificaÃÃo Raman de pulsos curtos. Com relaÃÃo à forma dos pulsos de bombeio e a semente Raman para as simulaÃÃes toma um pulso Gaussiano e um sinal CW fraco respectivamente. O pulso de bombeio transfere energia para o sinal CW ao longo da fibra. Todas as simulaÃÃes foram realizadas usando um mÃtodo numÃrico espectral bem conhecido como Split-Step Fourier Method resolvendo as equaÃÃes acopladas nÃo lineares de SchrÃdinger. / Optical Amplifiers amplify incident light through stimulated emission, the same mechanism which is used by lasers. Indeed, an optical amplifier, it is not but a laser without feedback. Its main ingredient is optical gain which is realized when the amplifier is under pumping process (optically or electrically) in order to cause population inversion at electronic sublevels. In a long run, the optical gain will not only depend on frequency (wavelength) of incident signal, but it also depends on the local beam intensity of the optical gain that is entailed to the amplifier medium. This thesis was stimulated by the continuous pursue of knowledge and understanding of characteristics and phenomena involved in the Raman amplification process in the regime of short pulses which would be relevant as the appliance for processes in which such phenomena can not be neglected. Without loss of generality, we considered the case of where there is an only one channel to another one by the fact that the gain and the refractive index both depend on the number of channels. In this thesis, it has also been simulated the optical amplification where the gain was constant in order to comparing to the periodic gain presented in this thesis. In addition, the effects of dispersion, self phase modulation, pulse walk-off, Raman effects and pulse depletion were considered as important factors for Raman amplification of short pulses. That was also considered for our simulations a weak CW signal or a Raman seed to be amplified by an intense pump Gaussian pulse. All the simulations were achieved using a well-known spectral numerical method namely Split-Step Fourier Method for solving the coupled Nonlinear SchrÃdinger Equations.

Thesis (Doctor)--Technische Universiteit Delft, 2006. / Includes bibliography (p. 134-136).

Denna studie följer elever som deltar i bänkinteraktion omkring matematik med sin lärare. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur elever beskriver att få enskild hjälp som stöd för sitt lärande. Jag söker möjligheter och hinder som uppstår i lärar- elev interaktioner. Elevernas erfarenheter kan bli en utgångspunkt för hur matematiklärare och speciallärare kan tänka omkring undervisning i klass eller undervisning av elever i behov av stöd. Studien har en sociokulturell ansats och är gjord enligt metoden stimulated recall, som i denna studie innebar videoinspelade bänkinteraktioner i kombination med intervjuer omkring inspelningarna. Eleven fick se videoklippet efteråt och med egna ord berätta vad som hände och hur eleven hade tänkt i situationen.