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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Electromagnetism In Gravitational Collapse, Craig Ernest Skinfill Dec 2005

Electromagnetism In Gravitational Collapse, Craig Ernest Skinfill

Theses and Dissertations

A numerical approach to including electromagnetism with general relativity is developed using GRAXI as a starting point. We develop a mathematical model describing electromagnetism coupled to a scalar field in an evolving axisymmetric spacetime. As there are numerous formulations of electromagnetism, we evalute different formulations in a limited flat space case. The full curved space system is then developed, using the flat case as a guide to implementing electromagnetism. This model is then implemented using GRAXI as a code base.


Acoustics Of The Salt Lake Tabernacle: Characterization And Study Of Spatial Variation, Sarah Rollins Nov 2005

Acoustics Of The Salt Lake Tabernacle: Characterization And Study Of Spatial Variation, Sarah Rollins

Theses and Dissertations

In order to preserve the acoustics of the Salt Lake Tabernacle after the seismic renovation of 2005-2006, it was necessary to characterize these acoustics immediately preceding the renovation. This thesis discusses the characterization process that began with the measurement of hundreds of impulse responses for five different source positions and several receiver locations throughout the hall seating areas. The acoustics were further characterized by deriving various parameters from these responses that correlate with subjective preferences for music and speech. Impulse responses were also generated by a CATT-Acoustic™ computer model of the Tabernacle for the same purpose. The parameter values were …


An Acoustical Analysis Of Domes Coupled To Rooms, With Special Application To The Darussholah Mosque, In East Java, Indonesia, Sentagi Sesotya Utami Aug 2005

An Acoustical Analysis Of Domes Coupled To Rooms, With Special Application To The Darussholah Mosque, In East Java, Indonesia, Sentagi Sesotya Utami

Theses and Dissertations

Concave surfaces are often considered to be detrimental or precarious in room acoustics, especially because of the impact they have on the distribution of sound energy. However, it is often difficult to avoid such surfaces in buildings with specific architectural functions. A primary example of this involves mosques, which are sacred places of worship for Muslims. In keeping with the Islamic architectural style, most mosques incorporate a symbolic centralized domed ceiling as part of their room structures. These domes are open on the bottom and coupled to the acoustic spaces below. In many cases, the lower spaces may be idealized …


New Correlation Effects In Nonrelativistic Atomic Photoionization In The High Energy Limit, Chieh Jen Yang Aug 2005

New Correlation Effects In Nonrelativistic Atomic Photoionization In The High Energy Limit, Chieh Jen Yang

Physics and Astronomy Theses

The effect of initial state correlation on high-energy dipole photoionization is considered and it is shown that for almost all atomic electron the asymptotic high-energy dependence is E-7/2, and the dominant transition is an ionization plus excitation satellite transition. This is demonstrated in numerical calculations of the photoionization of Ge4p2 1S and Sn 5p2 1S.


Rest Frame Variability Characteristics Of Blazars, John Patrick Mcfarland Aug 2005

Rest Frame Variability Characteristics Of Blazars, John Patrick Mcfarland

Physics and Astronomy Dissertations

Blazars exhibit the most extreme variability of the class of objects known asactive galactic nuclei (AGN). They are characterized by a featureless continuum, high polarization, and variability at all wavelengths and timescales. The amplitude of optical variations can range from less than 0.1 magnitude on the timescale of minutes to hours, to greater than 5.0 magnitudes on timescales of months to years, and gamma-ray variability amplitudes can span a range of as much as three orders of magnitude in a time-scale as short as a few days. These characteristics are consistent with a supermassive black hole accreting matter at the …


Spectral Line Synthesis For Hot Stars, Wenjin Huang Aug 2005

Spectral Line Synthesis For Hot Stars, Wenjin Huang

Physics and Astronomy Dissertations

I developed a spectrum synthesis method to investigate the physical properties of hot OB main sequence (MS) stars, which are often rapid rotators. The code realistically simulates the surface conditions of rapidly rotating stars, considering the rotationally-deformed stellar shape and gravity darkening effect. Comparing the synthesized absorption line profiles with the observed spectra of the member stars of 19 young Galactic clusters, I determined the projected rotational velocities of 496 stars. The average surface temperature and gravity for most of these objects were then derived from H$\gamma$ line fits. The polar gravity of each star was estimated as a good …


An Improved Flexible Neutron Detector For Powder Diffraction Experiments, Thomas Kevin Mcknight Jul 2005

An Improved Flexible Neutron Detector For Powder Diffraction Experiments, Thomas Kevin Mcknight

Theses and Dissertations

Large amounts of money are being applied to the construction of the next generation of spallation sources for neutron scattering. Neutron powder diffraction instruments will be an important element of these facilities and the incorporation of detectors into these instruments with a high neutron capture efficiency is desirable. A new detector design named the Flexible Embedded Fiber Detector (FEFD) has been developed and tested for this thesis. This detector is based on wavelength shifting fibers embedded in a zinc-sulfide lithium-fluoride based scintillator. The virtue of this design is that the detecting surface can be curved around the Debye-Scherrer rings. This …


Black Spaghetti: A Numerical Model Of Gravitational Collapse In 4 + 1 Spacetime, Michael P. Christenson Jul 2005

Black Spaghetti: A Numerical Model Of Gravitational Collapse In 4 + 1 Spacetime, Michael P. Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate spherically-symmetric gravitational collapse in the presence of a single "large" extra dimension through the use of analytical and numerical techniques. This has bearing on higher-dimensional ideas concerning hypothetical objects called "black strings," or black holes extending into an extra circular dimension, which dimension we hereinafter label zeta. These putative objects were first seriously considered as elements of string theory but have relevance in simpler, higher-dimensional generalization of Einstein's general relativity. We assume a universe topologically consisting of a two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold crossed with the sphere, crossed again with the circle. We model the formation of a uniform black …


Representations For Understanding The Stern-Gerlach Effect, Jared R. Stenson Jul 2005

Representations For Understanding The Stern-Gerlach Effect, Jared R. Stenson

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional explanation of the Stern-Gerlach effect carries with it several very subtle assumptions and approximations. We point out the degree to which this fact has affected the way we practice and interpret modern physics. In order to gain a more complete understanding of the Stern-Gerlach effect beyond the standard approximations and assumptions it typically carries, we introduce the inhomogeneous Stern-Gerlach effect in which the strong uniform field component is removed. This change allows us to easily identify precession as a critical concept. It also provides us with a means by which to study precession and analyze it critically. By …


Novel Neutron Detector For N-N Scattering Length Measurement, Eva Wilcox Jul 2005

Novel Neutron Detector For N-N Scattering Length Measurement, Eva Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

The neutron-neutron (n-n) scattering length is a fundamental parameter in nuclear physics; however, measurements are plagued with large uncertainties caused by neutron detector cross talk. Many experimentalists also rely upon computer code to calibrate their neutron detectors. Experiments give one of two different numbers but there is still no adequate explanation for this discrepancy. We have developed a new neutron detector expressly for the purpose of improving the n-n scattering length measurement. It offers two important advantages: 1) minimal cross talk and 2) high counting efficiency. We calibrated the detector from 1 MeV to 6 MeV at 1 MeV increments. …


Phase-Matching Optimization Of Laser High-Order Harmonics Generated In A Gas Cell, Julia Robin Miller Sutherland Jul 2005

Phase-Matching Optimization Of Laser High-Order Harmonics Generated In A Gas Cell, Julia Robin Miller Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

Ten-millijoule, thirty-five femtosecond, 800 nm (~40 nm bandwidth) laser pulses are used to study high-order harmonic generation in helium- and neon-filled gas cells of various lengths. Harmonic orders in the range of 50 to 100 are investigated. A semi-infinite cell geometry produces brighter harmonics than cells of sub-centimeter length. In the semi-infinite geometry, the gas occupies the region from the focusing lens to a thin exit foil near the laser focus. Counter-propagating light is used to directly probe where the high harmonics are generated within the laser focus and to investigate phase matching. The phase matching under optimized harmonic generation …


Two-Photon Ionization Of The Calcium 4s3d 1d2 Level In An Optical Dipole Trap, Jared Estus Daily Mar 2005

Two-Photon Ionization Of The Calcium 4s3d 1d2 Level In An Optical Dipole Trap, Jared Estus Daily

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports an optical dipole trap for atomic calcium. The dipole trap is loaded from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of calcium atoms cooled near the Doppler limit (~1 mK). The dipole trap is formed by a large-frame argon ion laser focused to 20 microns into the center of the MOT. This laser runs single-line at 488 nm with a maximum power of 10.6 watts. These parameters result in a trap of 125 mK for calcium atoms in the 4s3d 1D2 state. The 488 nm light also photo-ionizes the trapped atoms due to a near-resonant transition to the 4s4f 1F3 …


Optical Detection Of Ultracold Neutral Calcium Plasmas, Elizabeth Ann Cummings Feb 2005

Optical Detection Of Ultracold Neutral Calcium Plasmas, Elizabeth Ann Cummings

Theses and Dissertations

We demonstrate an optical method to detect calcium ions in an ultracold plasma. We probe the plasma with a 397 nm laser beam tuned to a calcium ion transition. The probe laser beam is focused to a 160 µm waist allowing fine spatial resolution. Ions are detected by measuring fluorescence using a Photo-Multiplier Tube (PMT). The signal, an average of 4000 acquisitions, has a temporal resolution of 120 ns. We present the details of this method, potential improvements, and prospects of imaging the expanding plasma ions. We also present preliminary work on spatially resolved absorption measurements, as well as additional …