Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical Applications Of Advanced Rotational Radiation Therapy, Adrian Nalichowski

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: With a fast adoption of emerging technologies, it is critical to fully test and understand its limits and capabilities. In this work we investigate new graphic processing unit (GPU) based treatment planning algorithm and its applications in helical tomotherapy dose delivery. We explore the limits of the system by applying it to challenging clinical cases of total marrow irradiation (TMI) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). We also analyze the feasibility of alternative fractionation schemes for total body irradiation (TBI) and TMI based on reported historical data on lung dose and interstitial pneumonitis (IP) incidence rates.

Methods and Materials: An anthropomorphic …

Monte-Carlo Event Generators For Jet Modification In D(P)-A And A-A Collisions, Michael Charles Kordell Ii

Wayne State University Dissertations

This work outlines methods to use jet simulations to study both initial and final state nuclear effects in heavy-ion collisions. To study the initial state of heavy-ion collisions, the production of jets and high momentum hadrons from jets, produced in deuteron ($d$)-$Au$ collisions at the relativistic heavy-ion collider (RHIC) and proton ($p$)-$Pb$ collisions at the large hadron collider (LHC) are studied as a function of \emph{centrality}, a measure of the impact parameter of the collision. A modified version of the event generator PYTHIA, widely used to simulate $p$-$p$ collisions, is used in conjunction with a nuclear Monte-Carlo event generator which …

Nanostructured Lithium Iron Silicate/Carbon Composites As Cathode Material For Next Generation Of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Ajay Kumar

Wayne State University Dissertations

Lithium iron silicate (Li2FeSiO4) has the potential as cathode material for next generation lithium ion batteries because of its high specific theoretical capacity (330 mA h g-1), low cost, environmental benignity, and improved safety. However, itsintrinsically poor electronic conductivity and slow lithium ion diffusion in the solid phase limits its applications. To address these issues, we studied mesoporous Li2FeSiO4/C composites synthesized by sol-gel (SG) and solvothermal (ST) methods using tri-block copolymer (P123) as carbon source and structure directing agent. The Li2FeSiO4/C (ST) composites show improved electrochemical performance compared to Li2FeSiO4/C (SG). At C/30 rate, Li2FeSiO4/C (ST) delivered the discharge capacity …

Topics In High-Energy Physics: The Proton Magnetic Radius And Phenomenology Of Z0 Mediation Of Supersymmetry Breaking, Joydeep Roy

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation describes two topics in high-energy physics. In the first we describe the

extraction of the magnetic radius of the proton. In the second we impose LHC constraints on

the combined anomaly and Z’ mediation mechanisms of supersymmetry breaking.

We combine constraints from analyticity with experimental electron-proton scattering data

to determine the proton magnetic radius without model-dependent assumptions on the shape

of the form factor. We also study the impact of including electron-neutron scattering data,

and ππ ! NN¯ data. Using representative datasets we find for a cut of Q2 ≤ 0:5 GeV2,

r

pM

= 0:91+0:03

−0:06 ± …

Nonlinear Dynamic Studies Of Pattern-Forming And Biomedical Systems, Doaa Taha

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nonlinear phenomena are ubiquitous in nature and in almost every discipline of science. Various nonlinear dynamic theories are being developed to investigate a wide range of complex nonlinear systems. In this work, we study two types of nonlinear phenomena. The first type involves understanding and controlling the properties and dynamics of two-dimensional (2D) material systems. We develop a binary phase field crystal (PFC) model which simultaneously addresses diffusive dynamics of large-scale systems and resolves material microstructures, and apply the model to the study of two material systems. (1) We use this PFC model to investigate the self assembly of 2D …

Crustal Cooling In The Neutron Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binary Ks 1731−260, Rachael Lynn Merritt

Wayne State University Theses

Neutron stars in binary systems can undergo periods of accretion (outburst), where in- falling material heats the crust of the star out of thermal equilibrium with the core. When accretion stops (quiescence), we can directly observe the thermal relaxation of the crust. Crustal cooling of accretion-heated neutron stars provides insight into the stellar interior of neutron stars. The neutron star X-ray transient, KS 1731−260, was in outburst for 12.5 years before returning to quiescence in 2001. Here, we present a 150 ks Chandra observation of KS 1731−260 taken in August 2015, about 14.5 years into quiescence. We find that the …

Interaction-Driven Phenomena And Wigner Transition In Two-Dimensional Systems, Talbot Anderson Knighton

Wayne State University Dissertations

The formation of a quantum Wigner Cyrstal (WC) is one of the most anticipated predictions of electron-electron interaction. This is expected to occur in zero magnetic field when the Coulomb energy $E_C$ dominates over the Fermi energy $E_F$ (at a ratio $r_s \equiv E_C/E_F \sim 37$) for temperatures $T \ll E_F / k_B$. The extremely low $T$ and ultra dilute carrier concentrations necessary to meet these requirements are difficult to achieve. Alternatively, a perpendicular magnetic $B$-field can be used to quench the kinetic energy. As $B$ increases, various energies compete to produce the ground state. High purity systems with large …

Quantum Capacitance Study Of Novel Two- And One-Dimensional Systems, Zhe Wu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Among strongly correlated systems, vanadium dioxide (VO2) shows a metal insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature (340K). Both Mott and structural transitions contribute to the MIT in VO2. To gain a better understanding of the changing electronic structure, we perform quantum capacitance measurement. Quantum capacitance measurement has already yielded insight into a variety of systems, including the negative compressibility for strongly interacting charges in GaAs two-dimensional charges. Our work demonstrates a unique method to accurately distinguish the quantum capacitance from large resistance changes at the MIT by using a home-made capacitance bridge. We observe a steep increase in the density …

Azimuthally-Differential Pion Femtoscopy Relative To The Second And Third Harmonic In Pb-Pb Collisions, Mohammad Saleh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Heavy-ion collisions at LHC energies create a hot and dense medium of deconned quarks

and gluons, known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) [56]. The QGP reball rst expands,

cools and then freezes out into a collection of nal-state hadrons. Correlations between the

free particles carry information about the space-time extent of the emitting source, and are

imprinted on the nal-state spectra due to a quantum-mechanical interference eect [18].

The correlation of two identical particles at small relative momentum, commonly known as

intensity, or Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT), interferometry, is an eective tool to study the

space-time structure of the emitting source …

Investigation Of The Microsoft Kinect V2 Sensor As A Multi-Purpose Device For A Radiation Oncology Clinic, Evan Asher Silverstein

Wayne State University Dissertations

For a radiation oncology clinic, the number of devices available to assist in the workflow for radiotherapy treatments are quite numerous. Processes such as patient verification, motion management, or respiratory motion tracking can all be improved upon by devices currently on the market. These three specific processes can directly impact patient safety and treatment efficacy and, as such, are important to track and quantify. Most products available will only provide a solution for one of these processes and may be outside the reach of a typical radiation oncology clinic due to difficult implementation and incorporation with already existing hardware. This …

Attosecond Spectroscopy Probing Electron Correlation Dynamics, Alexander Heinecke Winney

Wayne State University Dissertations

Electrons are the driving force behind every chemical reaction. The exchange, ionization, or even relaxation of electrons is behind every bond broken or formed. According to the Bohr model of the atom, it takes an electron 150 as to orbit a proton[6]. With this as a unit time scale for an electron, it is clear that a pulse duration of several femtoseconds will not be sufficient to understanding electron dynamics. Our work demonstrates both technical and scientific achievements that push the boundaries of attosecond dynamics. TDSE studies show that amplification the yield of high harmonic generation (HHG) may be possible …

Dynamic Fluctuations From Hydrodynamics And Kinetic Theory In High Energy Collisions, Christopher David Zin

Wayne State University Dissertations

It is well accepted that heavy ion collisions can be described using hydrodynamic theory, implying these systems are large enough and long lived enough to reach local equilibrium. Recent measurements of correlations in pA and high multiplicity pp collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and Large Hadron Collider have shown that these systems also exhibit signs of thermalization, unexpected in the smaller, shorter lived systems. Studying this behavior can give insight into the thermalization process and help clarify the relationship between flow in large systems and hydrodynamics. In an effort to understand these measurements we use the Boltzmann equation, …

Commissioning Of The Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor At Superkekb, Salvatore Di Carlo

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor (LABM) is a device capable to monitor

the beam-beam collisions. The LABM measures the beamstrahlung light emitted

at large angle during the collisions of electron and positron beams. The properties

of the beamstrahlung, spectrum and polarization, are fundamentally related to the

size and relative position of the beams. Measuring the beamstrahlung, the LABM

delivers information about the size of the beams and their relative position at the

interaction point. The LABM will be part of the instrumentation of SuperKEKB,

a new e+e− collider that aims to reach the world record luminosity of 8×10^35 cm^-2 s^-1. …