Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Understanding The Role Of Anisotropy On The Optoelectronic And Colloidal Properties Of Quantum Rods For Programmable Self-Assembly With Dna Origami, Yuetian Chen

Dissertations - ALL

Semiconductor nanocrystals, like quantum dots (QDs) and quantum rods (QRs), have tunable optoelectronic properties that depend on their composition, size and asymmetry. A small change in size or aspect ratio can lead to measurable changes in optical absorption and photoluminescence emission energies, as well as varied degrees of polarized optical behaviors at those energies. My dissertation research focuses on investigating the role of anisotropy on the optoelectronic and colloidal properties of quantum rods, as well as using DNA-mediated self-assembly to align these quantum rods on DNA origami for energy transfer applications in biocompatible systems. First, CdSe of systematically varied aspect …

Homology Over A Complete Intersection Ring Via The Generic Hypersurface, Eric Jeffrey Ottman

Dissertations - ALL

We study homological properties and constructions for modules over a complete intersection ring $Q/(f_1,\ldots,f_c)$ by way of the related generic hypersurface ring $Q[T_1,\ldots,T_c]/(f_1T_1+\cdots+f_cT_c)$. The advantage of this approach is that over a hypersurface ring, free resolutions are eventually 2-periodic, given by matrix factorizations, and are thus relatively easy to understand. We approach this relationship in two ways. First, we give a correspondence between the two rings in the graded setting, where existing results are insufficient for preserving graded structures. As an application, we use this correspondence to move a functor appearing in a theorem of Orlov to the generic hypersurface …

Development And Application Of Nmr Diffusometry And Relaxometry Methodologies To Study Organic-Inorganic Interactions At Nanomaterial Surfaces, Emily Grace Ripka

Dissertations - ALL

Colloidal nanomaterials like semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have size-, shape-, and composition-dependent optoelectronic properties with applications ranging from photovoltaics, to sensing, to medical diagnostics and treatment. These materials also have very high surfaceto- volume ratios, with intricate surface chemistries which control nearly every aspect of their chemical, physical, and colloidal properties. The interaction of the surface with the environment is limited via capping the surface of the nanomaterials with a shell of organic capping molecules. The environment-dependent binding of this organic shell is thus an extremely important aspect of nanomaterial design, however the methodologies to probe these interactions in-situ are …

Euclidean Dynamical Triangulations: Running Couplings And Curvature Correlation Functions, Scott David Bassler

Dissertations - ALL

Quantum field theories have been incredibly successful at describing many fundamental aspects of reality with great precision, sometimes relying on the powerful computational tool of lattice methods. Gravity has so far eluded a quantum field theory description, leading many to consider alternate theories like String Theory. However, recent results in lattice quantum gravity have brought some renewed interest in the subject. After reviewing the progress made so far in Euclidean Dynamical Triangulations, a lattice theory of gravity, we examine how the couplings of the theory run with scale. We find that the dimensionless couplings $\hat{G}$ and $\hat{\Lambda}$ are not separately …

Blaschke Decompositions On Weighted Hardy Spaces And The Unwinding Series, Stephen D. Farnham

Dissertations - ALL

Recently, several authors have considered a nonlinear analogue of Fourier series in signal analysis, referred to as either the unwinding series or adaptive Fourier decomposition. In these processes, a signal is represented as the real component of the boundary value of an analytic function F : ∂D → C, and by performing an iterative method to obtain a sequence of Blaschke decompositions, the signal can be efficiently approximated using only a few terms. To better understand the convergence of these methods, the study of Blaschke decompositions on weighted Hardy spaces was initiated by Coifman and Steinerberger, under the assumption that …

Applications Of Elastic Modeling, Thermobarometry, And Thermal History Modeling To (Ultra)High-Pressure Metamorphic Rocks, Joseph Patrick Gonzalez

Dissertations - ALL

Subduction zones are tectonically active regions that produce seismicity and volcanism during plate convergence and ultimately recycle crustal material into the mantle. Since these regions dictate many global scale tectonic and geochemical processes (i.e. orogenesis, volatile flux into the mantle, etc.), it is important to understand the depth-temperature conditions of mineral reactions during the subduction-exhumation metamorphic cycle. (Ultra)high-pressure ((U)HP) metamorphic rocks, such as blueschists and eclogites, are formed during metamorphism of subducted crust and sediments along relatively cold geothermal gradients. (U)HP metamorphic rocks may be incorporated into the subduction zone accretionary wedge and exhumed, thereby providing a direct records of …

Digital Readout And Control Of A Superconducting Qubit, Caleb Jordan Howington

Dissertations - ALL

In the quest to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer, superconducting circuits based on Josephson junctions have emerged as a leading architecture. Coherence times have increased significantly over the last two decades, and processors with ∼ 50 qubits have been experimentally demonstrated. These systems traditionally utilize microwave frequency control signals, and heterodyne based detection schemes for measurement. Both of these techniques rely heavily on room temperature microwave generators, high-bandwidth lines from room temperature to millikelvin temperatures, and bulky non-reciprocal elements such as cryogenic microwave isolators. Reliance on these elements makes it impractical to scale existing devices up a single order of …

Detection And Inference In Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Steven Daniel Reyes

Dissertations - ALL

We explore the detection and astrophysical modeling of gravitational waves de- tected by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo. We discuss the techniques used in the PyCBC search pipeline to discover the first gravitational wave detection GW150914, and estimate the statistical signifi- cance of GW150914, and the marginal trigger LVT151012. During Advanced LIGO’s first observing run there were no detections of mergers from binary neutron star and neutron star-black hole binaries. We use Bayesian inference to place upper limits on the rate of coalescence of these binaries. We use developments made in the PyCBC search pipeline …

Strongly Coupled Fermions On The Lattice, Nouman Tariq Butt

Dissertations - ALL

Since its inception with the pioneering work of Ken Wilson, lattice field theory has come a long way. Lattice formulations have enabled us to probe the non-perturbative structure of theories such as QCD and have also helped in exploring the phase structure and classification of phase transitions in a variety of other strongly coupled theories of interest to both high energy and condensed matter theorists. The lattice approach to QCD has led to an understanding of quark confinement, chiral symmetry breaking and hadronic physics. Correlation functions of hadronic operators and scattering matrix of hadronic states can be calculated in terms …

Improving The Sensitivity Of Advanced Ligo Through Detector Characterization, Derek Davis

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation focuses on the impact of detector characterization work on searches for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences (CBCs) in Ad- vanced LIGO’s second observing run (O2). This observing run started on November 30, 2016, and lasted until August 25, 2017, and resulted in the identification of 8 unambiguous gravitational-wave signals, including the first observation of a binary neutron star merger. The role of detector characterization is to leverage knowledge of both the interferometers and the data in order to improve aLIGO’s ability to observe gravitational-waves.

I focus on the construction of the O2 noise subtracted data set that …

The Shape Of Soft Matter: Geometry And Defects, Francesco Serafin

Dissertations - ALL

How does shape emerge at macroscopic scales from the spontaneous self-organization of building blocks at smaller scales? In this thesis, I will address this question in the context of closed soft two-dimensional membranes with internal order. Soft matter represents a good arena to identify simple universal mechanisms for shape selection. In fact, a distinctive property of soft materials is that they can undergo dramatic changes in geometric conformation at relatively low energetic cost. Thus, shape itself becomes a statistically fluctuating degree of freedom, and in some cases it can be found as the ground state of an appropriate free energy …

Synthetic Studies On Small Molecule Modulators Of Src Homology 2 (Sh2) Domain-Containing Inositol 5’-Phosphatase (Ship), Otto Milhous Dungan

Dissertations - ALL

Small molecule modulators of SH2-containing inositol 5’-phosphatase (SHIP) have recently become a hotly pursued area in medicinal chemistry. Pharmaceutical targeting of SHIP with small molecules has been identified as a new method to directly influence the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) cell signaling pathway. Modulation of this pathway may be utilized in the development of interesting new therapeutics. A better understanding of the role that SHIP phosphatase activity plays in a number of disease states ranging from cancer to autoimmune disease to obesity may be ascertained by use of small molecule inhibitors. These investigations involved the synthesis of aminosteroid inhibitors and a …

Towards Real-Time Monitoring Of Bacterial Cultures Without The Need For Physical Sampling: Elastic Scattering, Fluorescence And Raman Spectroscopy Of Escherichia Coli Cultures., Richard Thomas Mcdonough

Dissertations - ALL

The first part of this dissertation pertains to the fringe analysis of a hydration layer that forms spontaneously when biofilms dry. This layer at optical thickness ˂ 20 µm is approximately 1-2 orders of magnitude thinner than the biofilm thickness as measured by confocal Raman microscopy and confocal fluorescent microscopy. Drying/rehydration experiments performed on films withstood multiple cycles, returning to the same optical thickness proving their robust nature. The strength of a distinct water peak (1451 nm) in addition to others, reflects the thickness of the hydration layer. Confocal Raman microscopy showed that biofilms are chemically very similar to pure …

Pi+ Cross Section On Argon For The Lariat Experiment, Gregory Pulliam

Dissertations - ALL

LArIAT (Liquid Argon in a Testbeam) was a LArTPC experiment exposed to a charged-particle beam at the test-beam facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. This analysis measures the $\pi^+$-Ar cross section over an interacting energy range of 50-1100 MeV, accounting for background species and reconstruction effects. This is the first such measurement of this process. The result can be useful in tuning simulations for future liquid argon experiments such as DUNE and SBN.

Insights From Combined Detrital Monazite Geochronology And Nd Isotopic Composition On Sedimentary Recycling And Provenance Reconstruction, Sarah Wade Kittross

Theses - ALL

Minerals chosen for provenance studies are typically those that are resistant to resetting during low-moderate temperature metamorphic events and thus preserve information about their source region. However, minerals that are extremely resistant to weathering (e.g. quartz, zircon) can be recycled, often multiple times, and thus can cause confusion about the amount of material derived from immediate sources versus those from the original source region. Resistant minerals, such as zircon, that generally only form under very high temperature events (i.e. magmatic events) often miss recording orogenic events that are dominated by moderate temperature, magma-poor, metamorphic events. To overcome some of these …

Applying Trichloroacetimidates To The Synthesis Of Benzylic Trichloroacetamides & Functionalized Indoles, Tamie Suzuki

Dissertations - ALL

Allylic trichloroacetimidates have been previously shown to be versatile substrates for the synthesis of C-N bonds through [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements. This work explores a similar reaction, the rearrangement of benzylic trichloroacetimidates to access benzylic trichloroacetamides. The benzylic rearrangement was shown to proceed under two different sets of conditions: thermal and Lewis-acid catalyzed (TMSOTf). The corresponding secondary benzylic trichloroacetamides were produced in good to high yields with either protocol. The convenience of having two protocols was demonstrated in the study as it allows for extensibility and flexibility of the substrate scope. The usefulness of the benzylic rearrangement of trichloroacetimidates was demonstrated in …

Structured Sparsity Promoting Functions: Theory And Applications, Erin Tripp

Dissertations - ALL

Motivated by the minimax concave penalty based variable selection in high-dimensional linear regression, we introduce a simple scheme to construct structured semiconvex sparsity promoting functions from convex sparsity promoting functions and their Moreau envelopes. Properties of these functions are developed by leveraging their structure. In particular, we show that the behavior of the constructed function can be easily controlled by assumptions on the original convex function. We provide sparsity guarantees for the general family of functions via the proximity operator. Results related to the Fenchel Conjugate and Łojasiewicz exponent of these functions are also provided. We further study the behavior …

Capturing And Analyzing Multispectral Uav Imagery To Delineate Submerged Aquatic Vegetation On A Small Urban Stream, Riley Sessanna

Theses - ALL

For decades, remote sensing has been used by scientists and planners to make detailed observations and decisions on areas with industrial problems, remediation and development sites, and resource management. It is challenging to make high spatial and temporal resolution observations along headwater and small streams using traditional remote sensing methods, due to their high spatial variability and tendency for rapidly changing water quality and discharge. With improved technology in sensors and launching platforms, remote sensing via Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) now allows for imagery to be collected at high spatial and temporal resolution, with the goal of providing a deeper …

Interpreting Ancient Climate Signals From Sedimentary Archives Of Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana, Stoney Qigao Gan

Dissertations - ALL

Sedimentary archives contain rich climate signals from the Earth’s past. These signals are preserved and encrypted in different properties of sedimentary deposits, and can be proxies for local and regional climate characteristics. The objectives of this dissertation research are to explore new ways and methods of extracting and interpreting these climatic signals that are preserved in sedimentary archives. Sample sets analyzed in these studies were collected from scientific drill cores recovered from Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana, as part of a drilling campaign supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program.

Laminations in sedimentary profiles can …

Holography, Large N, And Supersymmetry On The Lattice, Raghav Govind Jha

Dissertations - ALL

Lattice studies of strongly coupled gauge theories started with the pioneering work of Wilson. The success of lattice QCD since then has improved our understanding of strong dynamics, crucial for a proper understanding of many interesting phenomena in Physics. However, it is now known that the Standard model is only an approximation to some richer underlying theory. It is believed that supersymmetry has a special role to play in the framework of that theory. Even if nature is non-supersymmetric at all energy scales and we see no experimental evidence for it in the coming decades, the beautiful structure of these …

Surface Water – Groundwater Interactions In A Proglacial Alpine Catchment: Applications Of Heat Tracing, Modeling, And Remote Sensing Methods, Emily Alyssa Baker

Dissertations - ALL

As climate change occurs, the availability and stability of water resources will be a global concern. The availability of reliable water resources will be of particular concern to regions that currently depend on meltwater from snowpack or glaciers during dry periods. One place whose water stability could be heavily impacted by the loss of meltwater resources is Peru. During the dry, arid months of May through September, the region to the west of the Peruvian Andes relies on stream water resources that originate in proglacial alpine catchments. The Cordillera Blanca, which is a mountain range in the Peruvian Andes, contains …

Adpative Mode Matching Upgrade For Advanced Ligo, Fabian Magana-Sandoval

Dissertations - ALL

Advanced LIGO is commissioning new noise reducing technologies that are sensitive to optical losses generated by optical cavity mode mismatch. Optical losses due to mode mismatched Fabry-P´erot optical cavities can be reduced by the use of adaptive optics, wavefront sensors, and feedback control loops. Advanced LIGO currently uses adaptive hardware for alignment, but not for mode matching. Though LIGO instrumentalist can measure static mode mismatch, they can not yet adaptively correct it.

This thesis presents a possible upgrade that will allow for sensing optical cavity mode mismatch and alignment. The upgrade will require minimal hardware installation and will work in …

Adaptive Mode Matching In Advanced Ligo And Beyond, Thomas V. Vo

Dissertations - ALL

The era of gravitational wave astronomy was ushered in by the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) collaboration with the detection of a binary black hole collision [2]. The event that shook the foundation of space-time allowed mankind to view the cosmos in a way that had never been done previously. Since then, another remarkable event was found by the LIGO and Virgo detectors where two neutron stars collided, sending both gravitational and electromagnetic waves to earth [3]. LIGO was built with the purpose of detecting the ripples in space-time caused by astrophysical events with the hopes of understanding the complexities …

Towards Probing The Strong Field Gravity Using Binary Black-Hole Ringdowns, Swetha Bhagwat

Dissertations - ALL

In this thesis, we study black hole ringdowns as a probe to understand the strong-field clssical gravity. When two black holes merge, they form a single distorted black hole that then radiates gravitational waves and settles into a final stable Kerr state. The signal produced during this process is called the ringdown and can be modelled as perturbations on the space-time of the final Kerr black hole. Ringdowns contain information about the strong field dynamics close to the black holes and thus, can be used to test our understanding of gravity. There are three specific questions that we explore in …

Design And Application Of Transition Metal Complexes For Catalysis, Martin Dolan

Dissertations - ALL

Herein described are accounts of fundamentally different projects and topics. The content of the research to be elaborated on is divided into the following 3 chapters: The focus of the first chapter, under the tutelage of Dr. Daniel Clark, details the discovery and optimization of an unusual ruthenium complex capable of enyne metathesis. The second and third chapters, under the tutelage of Dr. Ivan Korendovych, relate to the design and discovery of short peptides that self-assemble into supramolecular structures and/or provide good catalytic results. The second chapter details the design of a short dipeptide able to self-assemble and its application …

Relevant Operators Of Particle Physics And Cosmology, Cem Eroncel

Dissertations - ALL

Although the Standard Model of Particle Physics can reproduce the results of all the experiments performed to this date, it can only be an effective theory of fundamental physics. However, treating the Standard Model this way brings its own set of challenges; namely, the coefficients of relevant operators become extremely sensitive to UV physics. The relevant operator of the Standard Model is the Higgs mass which causes the "hierarchy problem", while the cosmological constant term of cosmology results in the "cosmological constant problem". In this thesis defense, I will discuss about how these issues can guide us in the pursuit …

Geometric And Topological Aspects Of Soft & Active Matter, Suraj Shankar

Dissertations - ALL

Topological and geometric ideas are now a mainstay of condensed matter physics, underlying much of our understanding of conventional materials in terms of defects and geometric frustration in ordered media, and protected edge states in topological insulators. In this thesis, I will argue that such an approach successfully identifies the relevant physics in metamaterials and living matter as well, even when traditional techniques fail. I begin with the problem of kirigami mechanics, i.e., designing a pattern of holes in a thin elastic sheet to engineer a specific mechanical response. Using an electrostatic analogy, I show that holes act as sources …

Viscoelastic Strain, Viscous Rheology, And Behavior Of Experimental Lava Flows, James Farrell

Dissertations - ALL

Basaltic pāhoehoe lava flows are prevalent throughout the terrestrial bodies of the solar system. This style of volcanism represents both a predominant resurfacing mechanism of planets and natural satellites and a natural hazard to populations living within volcanically active regions on Earth. Pāhoehoe lava flows are also thought to be integral components of flood basalt provinces, which are the largest known lava accumulations by volume and are suggested to be responsible for several mass extinction events throughout Earth’s history. Thus, understanding the dynamics of basaltic lava flows has wide-ranging implications across many fields of geology.

The body of research surrounding …

Dom Control Of Mercury Methylation In The Water Column Of A Meromictic Lake, Madalyn Bozinski

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The trophic transfer and bioaccumulation of methyl mercury (MeHg) in aquatic ecosystems is a substantial concern, resulting in fish consumption advisories worldwide. Aquatic ecosystems have been identified as the critical environments that breed production of MeHg and low levels of initial accumulation in biota. MeHg production is a microbially-mediated process, occurring primarily at the transition between oxic and anoxic environments. This research aimed to assess the extent to which dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects methylation of mercury in the oligotrophic meromictic lake, Green Lake, in Fayetteville, NY and the warm monomictic lake, Seneca Lake, in Geneva, NY. General physical parameters …

A Bystander's Dilemma: Participatory Design Study Of Privacy Expectations For Smart Home Devices, Oriana Mcdonough

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Traditional homes have become increasingly filled with Internet-connected devices, turning them into “smart homes.” Currently, research around privacy concerns with smart home devices has focused on the end users. The goal for our research is to understand the perceptions and desired privacy mechanisms from the perspective of a different stakeholder, i.e., the bystanders. Bystanders in this context are individuals who are not the owner or primary user of smart home devices but are potentially affected by the device usage, such as house guests or family members. In order to understand this, we conducted a focus group study with co-design activities …