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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Microscopic Dynamics And Transport Of Hydrogen In Proton Conducting Oxides, Erik J. Spahr Jan 2011

Microscopic Dynamics And Transport Of Hydrogen In Proton Conducting Oxides, Erik J. Spahr

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The microscopic motion of hydrogen in solid oxides plays an important role in defect migration and reaction processes. Understanding the vibrational dynamics associated with both hydrogen-oxygen (O-H) bonds and the surrounding ionic environment allows one to better characterize these fundamental interactions. This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the vibrational decay dynamics of O-H and O-D stretch modes in crystalline oxides using time-resolved infrared pump-probe spectroscopy.;Measurements of the vibrational lifetimes of hydrogen related local modes in potassium tantalate (KTaO3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) show that the localized O-H vibration is very closely tied to proton transport. In KTaO3 we …


Thin Film And Chemical Ordering Effects On The Magnetic Anisotropy In Binary Alloys, Jonathan Ronald Skuza Jan 2011

Thin Film And Chemical Ordering Effects On The Magnetic Anisotropy In Binary Alloys, Jonathan Ronald Skuza

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation presents various investigations into the structure-property correlations in highly anisotropic FePt and FePd thin films and nanostructures. These binary alloy thin films may exhibit long-range chemical ordering (e.g. L10), which induces a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy whose orientation is dependent on the ordering direction in the thin film. The chemical ordering, and hence the magnetic anisotropy, in these thin films can be controlled and tailored through sputter deposition and ion implantation conditions followed by subsequent processing. Two novel fabrication methods, x-ray rapid thermal annealing (XRTA) and heavy ion implantation, successfully demonstrate the ability to obtain highly anisotropic nanometer-sized …


First-Principles Calculations Of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Chemical Shielding Tensors In Complex Ferroelectric Perovskites, Daniel Lawrence Pechkis Jan 2011

First-Principles Calculations Of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Chemical Shielding Tensors In Complex Ferroelectric Perovskites, Daniel Lawrence Pechkis

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most important experimental probes of local atomistic structure, chemical ordering, and dynamics. Recently, NMR has increasingly been used to study complex ferroelectric perovskite alloys, where spectra can be difficult to interpret. First-principles calculations of NMR spectra can greatly assist in this task. In this work, oxygen, titanium, and niobium NMR chemical shielding tensors, s&d4; , were calculated with first-principles methods for ferroelectric transition metal prototypical ABO3 perovskites [SrTiO3, BaTiO 3, PbTiO3 and PbZrO3] and A(B,B')O3 perovskite alloys Pb(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O3 (PZT) and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN). The principal findings are 1) a large anisotropy between …


Enhanced Field Emission From Vertically Oriented Graphene By Thin Solid Film Coatings, Michael Bagge-Hansen Jan 2011

Enhanced Field Emission From Vertically Oriented Graphene By Thin Solid Film Coatings, Michael Bagge-Hansen

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Recent progress and a coordinated national research program have brought considerable effort to bear on the synthesis and application of carbon nanostructures for field emission. at the College of William and Mary, we have developed field emission arrays of vertically oriented graphene (carbon nanosheets, CNS) that have demonstrated promising cathode performance, delivering emission current densities up to 2 mA/mm2 and cathode lifetime > 800 hours. The work function ( & phis;) of CNS and other carbonaceous cathode materials has been reported to be &phis;∼4.5-5.1 eV. The application of low work function thin films can achieve several orders of magnitude enhancement of …


Production Of Cyclohexylene-Containing Diamines In Pursuit Of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials, Norah G. Bate Jan 2011

Production Of Cyclohexylene-Containing Diamines In Pursuit Of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials, Norah G. Bate

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


On The Real-Time Performance, Robustness And Accuracy Of Medical Image Non-Rigid Registration, Yixun Liu Jan 2011

On The Real-Time Performance, Robustness And Accuracy Of Medical Image Non-Rigid Registration, Yixun Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Three critical issues about medical image non-rigid registration are performance, robustness and accuracy. A registration method, which is capable of responding timely with an accurate alignment, robust against the variation of the image intensity and the missing data, is desirable for its clinical use. This work addresses all three of these issues. Unacceptable execution time of Non-rigid registration (NRR) often presents a major obstacle to its routine clinical use. We present a hybrid data partitioning method to parallelize a NRR method on a cooperative architecture, which enables us to get closer to the goal: accelerating using architecture rather than designing …


Applications Of Pattern Classification To Time-Domain Signals, Crystal Ann Bertoncini Jan 2010

Applications Of Pattern Classification To Time-Domain Signals, Crystal Ann Bertoncini

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Many different kinds of physics are used in sensors that produce time-domain signals, such as ultrasonics, acoustics, seismology, and electromagnetics. The waveforms generated by these sensors are used to measure events or detect flaws in applications ranging from industrial to medical and defense-related domains. Interpreting the signals is challenging because of the complicated physics of the interaction of the fields with the materials and structures under study. often the method of interpreting the signal varies by the application, but automatic detection of events in signals is always useful in order to attain results quickly with less human error. One method …


Optical Control Of Ultrafast Spin -Wave Relaxation By Magnetic Anisotropy In A Ferromagnet, Kevin James Smith Jan 2010

Optical Control Of Ultrafast Spin -Wave Relaxation By Magnetic Anisotropy In A Ferromagnet, Kevin James Smith

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This thesis presents an investigation of the damping of spin waves in ferromagnetic Au(3 nm)/Ni(10 nm)/MgO(001) thin films using the time-resolved Magneto-optical Kerr Effect (TR-MOKE) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) techniques. In the optical measurements, a 150 fs, 800 nm laser beam pulse is split into pump and probe components. The pump pulse, containing most of the beam energy, thermally excites coherent spin precession. The weaker probe pulse, time-delayed by a variable beam path, captures the magnetization dynamics via the polar MOKE effect, and oscillations are observed as a function of external field amplitude and direction. The extracted precession frequency is …


Advancements In Dual-Pump Broadband Cars For Supersonic Combustion Measurements, Sarah Augusta. Tedder Jan 2010

Advancements In Dual-Pump Broadband Cars For Supersonic Combustion Measurements, Sarah Augusta. Tedder

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Space- and time-resolved measurements of temperature and species mole fractions of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen were obtained with a dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) system in hydrogen-fueled supersonic combustion free jet flows. These measurements were taken to provide time-resolved fluid properties of turbulent supersonic combustion for use in the creation and verification of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models. CFD models of turbulent supersonic combustion flow currently facilitate the design of air- breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engines. Measurements were made in supersonic axi-symmetric free jets of two scales. First, the measurement system was tested in a laboratory environment using …


Processing And Conversion Of Algae To Bioethanol, Sara Katherine Kampfe Jan 2010

Processing And Conversion Of Algae To Bioethanol, Sara Katherine Kampfe

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Silver-Polyimide Nanocomposite Films: Single-Stage Synthesis And Analysis Of Metalized Partially-Fluorinated Polyimide Btda/4-Bdaf Prepared From Silver(I) Complexes, Joshua Erold Robert Abelard Jan 2010

Silver-Polyimide Nanocomposite Films: Single-Stage Synthesis And Analysis Of Metalized Partially-Fluorinated Polyimide Btda/4-Bdaf Prepared From Silver(I) Complexes, Joshua Erold Robert Abelard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Multifunctional Polymer Synthesis And Incorporation Of Gadolinium Compounds And Modified Tungsten Nanoparticles For Improvement Of Radiation Shielding For Use In Outer Space, Emily Grace Harbert Jan 2010

Multifunctional Polymer Synthesis And Incorporation Of Gadolinium Compounds And Modified Tungsten Nanoparticles For Improvement Of Radiation Shielding For Use In Outer Space, Emily Grace Harbert

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Computational Applications In Stochastic Operations Research, William H. Kaczynski Jan 2009

Computational Applications In Stochastic Operations Research, William H. Kaczynski

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Several computational applications in stochastic operations research are presented, where, for each application, a computational engine is used to achieve results that are otherwise overly tedious by hand calculations, or in some cases mathematically intractable. Algorithms and code are developed and implemented with specific emphasis placed on achieving exact results and substantiated via Monte Carlo simulation. The code for each application is provided in the software language utilized and algorithms are available for coding in another environment. The topics include univariate and bivariate nonparametric random variate generation using a piecewise-linear cumulative distribution, deriving exact statistical process control chart constants for …


The Functionalization Of Carbon Nanosheets, Ronald A. Quinlan Jan 2009

The Functionalization Of Carbon Nanosheets, Ronald A. Quinlan

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Carbon nanosheets are a novel two-dimensional nanostructure made up of 2-20 graphene atomic planes oriented with their in-plane axis perpendicular to the growth substrate. Previous efforts in developing nanosheet technology have focused on the characterization of the system and their development as an electron source due to the high atomic enhancement factor (beta) and low turn on field. Further investigation of nanosheets as high surface area electrodes revealed poor wetting by polymeric material and extreme hydrophobic behavior.;Because nanosheet technology has promise as a high surface area electrode material, this thesis research has focused on three areas of interest: the enhancement …


Controls On Erodibility In A Partially Mixed Estuary, York River, Virginia, Patrick J. Dickhudt Jan 2008

Controls On Erodibility In A Partially Mixed Estuary, York River, Virginia, Patrick J. Dickhudt

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A time-series of erodibility measurements and physical and biological sediment properties was used to evaluate spatial and temporal variability in cohesive bed erodibility and controls on erodibility in the York River estuary, VA. Two sites near Clay Bank displayed dramatic seasonal variations in bed erodibility while a third near Gloucester Point displayed a more consistent level of low erodibility. Total bed solids fraction and cohesive sediment grain size were not correlated with bed erodibility. The surficial sediments were characteristically composed of 2% to 50% sand supported in a mud matrix. The total solids fraction of the bed was shown to …


Twine-Top Modifications Of Sea-Scallop Dredges: Reducing Yellowtail-Flounder Bycatch, Kelli A. Milleville Jan 2008

Twine-Top Modifications Of Sea-Scallop Dredges: Reducing Yellowtail-Flounder Bycatch, Kelli A. Milleville

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


An Evaluation Of Norovirus Persistence In Estuarine Water And Of Methods For Its Detection In Treated Sewage Effluent, Margaret H. Fagan Jan 2008

An Evaluation Of Norovirus Persistence In Estuarine Water And Of Methods For Its Detection In Treated Sewage Effluent, Margaret H. Fagan

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Time-Resolved Magnetic Flux And Ac-Current Distributions In Superconducting Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Thin Films And Multifilaments, Ran Yang Jan 2008

Time-Resolved Magnetic Flux And Ac-Current Distributions In Superconducting Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Thin Films And Multifilaments, Ran Yang

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Time-resolved magneto-optical imaging (TRMOI) technique allows dynamic ac transport measurements on superconductors. The high time and spatial resolutions of the measurements also offer good quantitative data analysis of the MO images. YBa2Cu 3O7-delta (YBCO) was discovered as a high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) which has wide applications due to its high critical temperature of Tc = 91 K, and high critical current density Jc in the order of 106-7 Acm-2. Many of the applications require high ac current load and a high magnetic field. We study the interaction behavior of YBCO thin films in an ac transport current and a dc magnetic …


Ultrasonic Guided Wave Interpretation For Structural Health Inspections, Jill Paisley Bingham Jan 2008

Ultrasonic Guided Wave Interpretation For Structural Health Inspections, Jill Paisley Bingham

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Structural Health Management (SHM) combines the use of onboard sensors with artificial intelligence algorithms to automatically identify and monitor structural health issues. A fully integrated approach to SHM systems demands an understanding of the sensor output relative to the structure, along with sophisticated prognostic systems that automatically draw conclusions about structural integrity issues. Ultrasonic guided wave methods allow us to examine the interaction of multimode signals within key structural components. Since they propagate relatively long distances within plate- and shell-like structures, guided waves allow inspection of greater areas with fewer sensors, making this technique attractive for a variety of applications.;This …


Effects Of Metal-Based Montmorillonite Clay And Zeolite Additives On The Fire Retardance And Smoke Suppression Of Poly(Vinyl Chloride), Alexander George Zestos Jan 2008

Effects Of Metal-Based Montmorillonite Clay And Zeolite Additives On The Fire Retardance And Smoke Suppression Of Poly(Vinyl Chloride), Alexander George Zestos

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Novel Approaches To The Fabrication Of Highly Conductive Silver Surfaces Well Adhered To Polyimide Substrates, Luke Michael Davis Jan 2008

Novel Approaches To The Fabrication Of Highly Conductive Silver Surfaces Well Adhered To Polyimide Substrates, Luke Michael Davis

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Synthesis And Field Emission Properties Of Carbon Nanostructures, Kun Hou Jan 2008

Synthesis And Field Emission Properties Of Carbon Nanostructures, Kun Hou

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation focuses on developing carbon nanostructures for application as the electron emissive material in novel back-gated triode field emission devices. The synthesis, characterization, and field emission properties of carbon nanostructures, including 1-D carbon nanofibers (CNF), 2-D carbon nanosheets (CNS), and chromium oxide coated carbon nanosheets (CrOx-CNS), are presented in this work.;First, we have fabricated aligned carbon nanofiber based back-gated triode field emission devices and confirmed the operation of these devices. 1-D carbon nanofibers were directly synthesized on blank TiW substrates using direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It was found that the morphology of carbon nanofibers could be …


A Versatile Imaging System For In Vivo Small Animal Research, Jianguo Qian Jan 2008

A Versatile Imaging System For In Vivo Small Animal Research, Jianguo Qian

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In vivo small animal imaging has become an essential technique for molecular biology studies. However, requirements of spatial resolution, sensitivity and image quality are quite challenging for the development of small-animal imaging systems. The capabilities of the system are also significant for carrying out small animal imaging in a wide range of biological studies. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a high-performance imaging system that can readily meet a wide range of requirements for a variety of small animal imaging applications. Several achievements have been made in order to fulfill this goal.;To supplement our system for parallel-hole single …


Parallel Unstructured Grid Generation For Complex Real-World Aerodynamic Simulations, George Zagaris Jan 2008

Parallel Unstructured Grid Generation For Complex Real-World Aerodynamic Simulations, George Zagaris

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


The Impact Of Drainage Ditches On Salt Marsh Flow Patterns, Sedimentation And Morphology: Rowley River, Massachusetts, Lynsey E. Lemay Jan 2007

The Impact Of Drainage Ditches On Salt Marsh Flow Patterns, Sedimentation And Morphology: Rowley River, Massachusetts, Lynsey E. Lemay

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Salt marshes along many tidal systems in New England have been ditched since colonial times. These ditches have been thought to help control mosquito populations and increase salt marsh hay production by improving water drainage from the marsh. Although these ditches are prominent geomorphic features, little quantitative work has focused on how these man-made ditches may alter marsh hydrology and geomorphology. This study attempts to quantify the ways in which ditches alter sediment and water transport pathways and how that affects the overall morphology and surface geology. This study also addresses treatment affects on sedimentation from fertilization and fish removal …


Parallel Three-Dimensional Acoustic And Elastic Wave Simulation Methods With Applications In Nondestructive Evaluation, Kevin Edward Rudd Jan 2007

Parallel Three-Dimensional Acoustic And Elastic Wave Simulation Methods With Applications In Nondestructive Evaluation, Kevin Edward Rudd

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In this dissertation, we present two parallelized 3D simulation techniques for three-dimensional acoustic and elastic wave propagation based on the finite integration technique. We demonstrate their usefulness in solving real-world problems with examples in the three very different areas of nondestructive evaluation, medical imaging, and security screening. More precisely, these include concealed weapons detection, periodontal ultrasography, and guided wave inspection of complex piping systems. We have employed these simulation methods to study complex wave phenomena and to develop and test a variety of signal processing and hardware configurations. Simulation results are compared to experimental measurements to confirm the accuracy of …


Fluorescence Imaging Study Of Free And Impinging Supersonic Jets: Jet Structure And Turbulent Transition, Jennifer Ann Inman Jan 2007

Fluorescence Imaging Study Of Free And Impinging Supersonic Jets: Jet Structure And Turbulent Transition, Jennifer Ann Inman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A series of experiments into the behavior of underexpanded jet flows has been conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. This work was conducted in support of the Return to Flight effort following the loss of the Columbia. The tests involved simulating flow through a hypothetical breach in the leading edge of the Space Shuttle Orbiter along its reentry trajectory, with the goal of generating a data set with which other researchers can test and validate computational modeling tools. Two nozzles supplied with high-pressure gas were used to generate axisymmetric underexpanded jets exhausting into a low-pressure chamber. These nozzles had exit …


Boron Carbide Filled Neutron Shielding Textile Polymers, Derrick Anthony Manzlak Jan 2007

Boron Carbide Filled Neutron Shielding Textile Polymers, Derrick Anthony Manzlak

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Of Half -Metallic Chromium Dioxide, Hailong Huang Jan 2006

Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Of Half -Metallic Chromium Dioxide, Hailong Huang

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This thesis presents ultrafast laser pump-probe differential transmission experiments on epitaxial CrO2 (110). The experiments were conducted at the wavelengths of 600 nm, 800 nm and 1200 nm, corresponding to the transition energies of 2 eV, 1.5 eV and 1 eV respectively. The wavelength dependent results, comparing with linear optical absorption, revealed the electronic structure of the material. The experimental results also showed polarization dependence of the probe beams. This is attributed to the electronic orbital anisotropy.;Temperature dependence was observed in the pump-probe experiments. The ultrafast transmission data show similar temperature dependence as ultrafast MOKE (Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect) data. A …


Optical Characterization Of Ferromagnetic Heterostructure *Interfaces And Thin Films, Haibin Zhao Jan 2006

Optical Characterization Of Ferromagnetic Heterostructure *Interfaces And Thin Films, Haibin Zhao

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This thesis presents optical characterizations of interfaces in ferromagnetic heterostructures and thin films used for spin polarized electronic devices. In these experiments, femtosecond laser spectroscopies are exploited to investigate the interface magnetization reversal, spin precession, and band offset, which are crucial in determining the performances of spintronic devices.;First, magnetization-induced second-harmonic-generation (MSHG) is applied to study interface magnetism in a hybrid structure containing a noncentrosymmetric semiconductor---Fe/AlGaAs. The reversal process of Fe interface layer magnetization is compared with the bulk magnetization reversal. In Fe/AlGaAs (001), the interface magnetization is found to be decoupled from the bulk magnetization based on the different switching …