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Charge State Dependence of L-Shell X-Ray Production Cross Sections of ₂₈Ni, ₂₉Cu, ₃₀Zn, ₃₁Ga, and ₃₂Ge by Energetic Oxygen Ions
Charge state dependence of L-shell x-ray production cross sections have been measured for 4-14 MeV ¹⁶O^q (q=3⁺-8⁺) ions incident on ultra-clean, ultra-thin copper, and for 12 MeV ¹⁶O^q (q=3⁺-8⁺) on nickel, zinc, gallium and germanium solid foils. L-shell x-ray production cross section were measured using target foils of thickness ≤0.6 μg/cm² evaporated onto 5 μg/cm² carbon backings. Oxygen ions at MeV energies and charge state q were produced using a 3MV 9SDH-2 National Electrostatics Corporation tandem Pelletron accelerator. Different charge states, with and without K-vacancies, were produced using a post acceleration nitrogen striping gas cell or ¹²C stripping foils. L-shell x-rays from ultra-thin ₂₈Ni, ₂₉Cu,₃₀Zn,₃₁Ga, and ₃₂Ge targets were measured using a Si(Li) x-ray detector with a FWHM resolution of 135 eV at 5.9 keV. The scattered projectiles were detected simultaneously by means of silicon surface barrier detectors at angle of 45° and 169° with respect to the beam direction. The electron capture (EC) as well as direct ionization (DI) contributions were determined from the projectile charge state dependence of the target x-ray production cross sections under single collision conditions. The present work was undertaken to expand the measurements of L-shell x-ray production cross sections upon selected elements with low L-shell binding energies by energetic ¹⁶O^q (q=3⁺,4⁺,5⁺,6⁺,7⁺,8⁺) incident ions. Collision systems chosen for this work have sufficiently large Z₁/Z₂ ratios (0.25-0.28) so that EC may noticeably contribute to the x-ray production enhancement. In this region, reliable experimental data are particularly scarce, thus, fundamental work in this area is still necessary. DI and EC cross section measurements were compared with the ECPSSR and the first Born theories over the range of 0.25 <Z₁/Z₂ < 0.29 and 0.38 < v₁/v₂_L <0.72. The ECPSSR theoretical predictions (including DI and EC) are in closer agreement with the data than the first Born's.
Model for Long-range Correlations in DNA Sequences
We address the problem of the DNA sequences developing a "dynamical" method based on the assumption that the statistical properties of DNA paths are determined by the joint action of two processes, one deterministic, with long-range correlations, and the other random and delta correlated. The generator of the deterministic evolution is a nonlinear map, belonging to a class of maps recently tailored to mimic the processes of weak chaos responsible for the birth of anomalous diffusion. It is assumed that the deterministic process corresponds to unknown biological rules which determine the DNA path, whereas the noise mimics the influence of an infinite-dimensional environment on the biological process under study. We prove that the resulting diffusion process, if the effect of the random process is neglected, is an a-stable Levy process with 1 < a < 2. We also show that, if the diffusion process is determined by the joint action of the deterministic and the random process, the correlation effects of the "deterministic dynamics" are cancelled on the short-range scale, but show up in the long-range one. We denote our prescription to generate statistical sequences as the Copying Mistake Map (CMM). We carry out our analysis of several DNA sequences, and of their CMM realizations, with a variety of techniques, and we especially focus on a method of regression to equilibrium, which we call the Onsager Analysis. With these techniques we establish the statistical equivalence of the real DNA sequences with their CMM realizations. We show that long-range correlations are present in exons as well as in introns, but are difficult to detect, since the exon "dynamics" is shown to be determined by theentaglement of three distinct and independent CMM's. Finally we study the validity of the stationary assumption in DNA sequences and we discuss a biological model for the …
The Physics of Gaseous Exposures on Active Field Emission Microcathode Arrays
The interaction of active molybdenum field emission microcathode arrays with oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and helium gases was studied. Experiments were setup to measure the emission characteristics as a function of gas exposures. The resulting changes in the surface work function of the tips were determined from the Fowler-Nordheim plots. The kinetics of the FEA-gas interaction were studied by observing the ion species originating from the array during and after gas exposures with a high resolution quadrupole mass spectrometer. With the work function data and the mass spectrometry information, the mechanisms responsible for emission degradation and subsequent device recovery after exposures have been determined. The data obtained was used in estimating the device lifetimes under various vacuum environments. Also it was found that the gas exposure effects are similar in dc and pulsed modes of operation of the arrays, thus permitting the use of dc mode testing as an effective acceleration method in establishing the device lifetimes under various vacuum conditions. The vacuum conditions required for the long term emission current stability and reliability of vacuum microelectronic devices employing FEAs are established. Exposure of Mo field emitter arrays to oxygen bearing species like oxygen, water and carbon dioxide resulted in serious emission current degradation. Whereas, exposure to methane and hydrogen caused a significant increase in emission current. The control of residual gases like 02, C02 and H20 in the vacuum envelope is essential for the emission current stability and long term reliability of vacuum microelectronic devices employing field emission microcathode technology.
Spatiotemporal Properties of Coupled Nonlinear Oscillators
Spatiotemporal properties of classical coupled nonlinear oscillators are investigated in this thesis. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to nonlinear lattices and to the concept of breathers, that are spatially localized and temporally periodic excitation in nonlinear lattices. The concept of anti-continuous limit that provides the basic methodology in probing spatiotemporal breather properties is discussed. In Chapter 2, the general approach for finding exact breather solutions from the anti-continuous limit is examined, and the rotating wave approximation(RWA) is applied to probe the spatial structure of static breathers. Numerical evidence reveals that the RWA relates the spatial structure of stable multi-breathers to a single breather of the same frequency. Chapter 3 presents linear stability analysis of static breathers and gives a systematic way to construct mobile breathers. Formation and collision properties of this moving breathers are also studied. Chapter 4 discusses dynamics of kinks and anti-kinks in hydrogen-bonded chains in the context of two-component soliton model. From molecular dynamics simulations with finite temperature, it is observed that, in a real system (eg. ice), a pair of kink and anti-kink can evolve into a moving-breather-like excitation. Chapter 5 is devoted to the understand of the effects of disorder in the Holstein model. The summary is given in Chapter 6.
A Study of Nonlinear Dynamics in an Internal Water Wave Field in a Deep Ocean
The Hamiltonian of a stably stratified incompressible fluid in an internal water wave in a deep ocean is constructed. Studying the ocean internal wave field with its full dynamics is formidable (or unsolvable) so we consider a test-wave Hamiltonian to study the dynamical and statistical properties of the internal water wave field in a deep ocean. Chaos is present in the internal test-wave dynamics using actual coupling coefficients. Moreover, there exists a certain separatrix net that fills the phase space and is covered by a thin stochastic layer for a two-triad pure resonant interaction. The stochastic web implies the existence of diffusion of the Arnold type for the minimum dimension of a non-integrable autonomous system. For non-resonant case, stochastic layer is formed where the separatrix from KAM theory is disrupted. However, the stochasticity does not increase monotonically with increasing energy. Also, the problem of relaxation process is studied via microscopic Hamiltonian model of the test-wave interacting nonlinearly with ambient waves. Using the Mori projection technique, the projected trajectory of the test-wave is transformed to a form which corresponds to a generalized Langevin equation. The mean action of the test-wave grows ballistically for a short time regime, and quenches back to the normal diffusion for a intermediate time regime and regresses linearly to a state of statistical equilibrium. Applying the Nakajima-Zwanzig technique on the test-wave system, we get the generalized master equation on the test-wave system which is non-Markovian in nature. From our numerical study, the distribution of the test-wave has non-Gaussian statistics.
A Study of Quantum Electron Dynamics in Periodic Superlattices under Electric Fields
This thesis examines the quantum dynamics of electrons in periodic semiconductor superlattices in the presence of electric fields, especially uniform static fields. Chapter 1 is an introduction to this vast and active field of research, with an analysis and suggested solutions to the fundamental theoretical difficulties. Chapter 2 is a detailed historical review of relevant theories, and Chapter 3 is a historical review of experiments. Chapter 4 is devoted to the time-independent quantum mechanical study of the electric-field-induced changes in the transmission properties of ballistic electrons, using the transfer matrix method. In Chapter 5, a new time-dependent quantum mechanical model free from the fundamental theoretical difficulties is introduced, with its validity tested at various limiting cases. A simplified method for calculating field-free bands of various potential models is designed. In Chapter 6, the general features of "Shifting Periodicity", a distinctive feature of this new model, is discussed, and a "Bloch-Floquet Theorem" is rigorously proven. Numerical evidences for the existence of Wannier-Stark-Ladders are presented, and the conditions for its experimental observability is also discussed. In Chapter 7, an analytical solution is found for Bloch Oscillations and Wannier-Stark-Ladders at low electric fields. In Chapter 8, a new quantum mechanical interpretation for Bloch Oscillations and Wannier-Stark-Ladders is derived from the analytical result. The extension of this work to the cases of time-dependent electric fields is also discussed.
A Study of Some Biological Effects of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation
The experimental studies of this work were done using a microwave cavity spectrometer, Escherichia coli (E-coli) bacteria, and other peripheral equipment. The experiment consists of two steps. First, a general survey of frequencies from 8 GHz to 12 GHz was made. Second, a detailed experiment for specific frequencies selected from the first survey were further studied. Interesting frequency dependent results, such as unusually higher growing or killing rates of E-coli at some frequencies, were found. It is also concluded that some results are genetic, that is, the 2nd, and 3rd subcultures showed the same growing status as the 1st cultures.
Synthesis and Physical Properties of Environmentally Responsive Polymer Gels
Polymer gels undergo the volume phase transition in response to an infinitesimal environmental change. This remarkable phenomenon results in many potential applications of polymer gels. This dissertation systematically investigates the chemical and physical properties of polymer gels. It is found that infrared radiation laser not only induces a volume phase transition in N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) gel, but also causes the gel to bend toward the laser beam. The transmission of visible laser light through a NIPA gel can also be controlled by adjusting the infrared laser power. A new class of environmentally responsive materials based on spatial modulation of the chemical nature of gels has been proposed and demonstrated. Three simple applications based on the modulated gels are presented: a bi-gel strip, a shape memory gel, and a gel hand. The bending of bi-gels has been studied as a function of temperature, acetone aqueous solution, and salt solution. As the polymer network concentration increases, the behavior of shear modulus of acrylamide (PAAM) gels deviates significantlyfromthe classical theory. The ionic NIPA gels undergo two sequential volume phase transitions: one occurs in dilute NaCl solution, the other occurs in concentrated NaCl solution. An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of PAAM--NIPA has also been synthesized using free radical polymerization. It is found that the IPN gels preserve the essential properties of individual components. The volume phase transition of the IPN gels can be triggered by multiple external stimuli including temperature, acetone concentration, and salt concentration.
Temperature Dependency of Some of the Thermodynamical Properties of Aqueous Binary-Mixture Systems
The temperature dependence of the refractive index and the density of aqueous binary mixtures of water and ethyl alcohol (C₂H₅OH) were measured by using a modified Michelson interferometer and a narrow glass capillary tube over the temperature range of 278≤T≤353 K for solutions of 100, 75,65, 50, 25, 10 and 0 volume percent ethyl alcohol. The temperature was cycled over both increasing and decreasing directions to explore hysteresis in the cycling. The data are discussed and compared with the Lorentz-Lorenz (LL) formula. A more accurate formula which fits the experimental data better than the LL relation was derived. An attempt was made to determine the nature of the solvent-solute interaction through any changes that were found in the refractive index for He-Ne laser light and IR diode signals and to analyze the refractive index and density results to test the accuracy of the available mixing rules in predicting the refractive index values and the density of binary systems. Conductivity measurements (d. c.) over the temperature range 278≤T≤353 K of aqueous solutions of NaCl at various concentrations were made and used to establish transport properties of ions in solution. The dynamical properties of the electrolytes were used to establish the nature of hydrogen bonding in aqueous binary mixture systems. Rate equations for ion formation and recombination were used to establish the temperature ranges in which hydrogen bonding dominated in forming polymeric species. From experimental data on the binary mixtures with water, a better understanding of water in its different functions and aggregation is possible. The water molecule itself and its response to the environment are understood when suitable studies are made of the forces in the system. In this work, some qualitative aspects of the interactions and dynamics of the water molecule have been investigated. Classical molecular dynamics simulations were tried …
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