Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Relativistic Model For Heavy Mesons, Jialin Zeng

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Motivated by the present interest in the heavy quark effective theory, we construct a model for heavy mesons based on a relativistic bound state wave equation, the Gross equation. The kernel we use is based on scalar confining and vector Coulomb potentials. Wave functions are treated to leading order and energies to order 1/_MQ in the heavy-light systems, and to order 1/_M²_Q in heavy-heavy systems. Our results are in good agreement with experimental measurements. This model may be used to study weak decay properties in the framework of the heavy quark effective theory and ultimately to …

Atomic Broadcast In Heterogeneous Distributed Systems, Osman Zeineldine

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Communication services have long been recognized as possessing a dominant effect on both performance and robustness of distributed systems. Distributed applications rely on a multitude of protocols for the support of these services. Of crucial importance are multicast protocols. Reliable multicast protocols enhance the efficiency and robustness of distributed systems. Numerous reliable multicast protocols have been proposed, each differing in the set of assumptions adopted, especially for the communication network. These assumptions make each protocol suitable for a specific environment. The presence of different distributed applications that run on different LANs and single distributed applications that span different LANs mandate …

"A Geological Interpretation Of The Stanley Fault And Other Thrust Faults In Page County, Virginia", Michael James Sarros

OES Theses and Dissertations

Paleozoic carbonate rocks flooring Page Valley (within Page County) are overthrust by Precambrian to Cambrian elastic rocks of the Blue Ridge to the east of the study area. King (1950) recognized that the Cambrian carbonate sequence of Page Valley, near Stanley, Virginia, is broken by a large transverse fault which he named the Stanley fault. King (1950) interpreted the Stanley fault as a high-angle reverse fault with oblique-slip displacement. However, detailed mapping and structural data collected in this study indicate the Stanley fault is a low angle thrust fault which cuts all pre-Alleghanian and Early Alleghanian structures.

Two previously unrecognized …

Analysis Of Growth Curves Under Some Special Covariance Structures, Shobha Prabhala

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation we consider the growth curve or generalized MANOVA model in its most general form given by and develop statistical methodology for analyzing data using this model. Here g represents the number of groups, Y_ij is the observation matrix, ξ is a matrix of unknown parameters, A_i is a known matrix of rank g, and B_ij is a matrix of rank k. Further, the rows of the error matrix ∈_ij are independent and each distributed as N_pij (0, Σ_ij).This model accommodates different kinds of unbalanced data, such as, monotone data, data …

Heavy-Ion Interaction Models For Radiation Transport, Rajendra R. Dubey

Physics Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with finding the values for the nuclear cross sections used in the Boltzmann equation for space radiation transport and dose estimates. An extraordinary number of cross sections are required because of the large number of ion types and their extensive energy range, The Lippmann-Schwinger equation is numerically solved in momentum space for a first order optical potential (free space case) and calculations are made for the total and absorption cross sections for nudeus-nucleus scattering. Absorption cross sections are also calculated using a medium modified firstorder optical potential in the Lippmann-Schwinger equation and are compared with experimental …

Copper Complexation Capacity And Copper Speciation In Freshwater Lakes (Lake Western Branch And Lake Prince), Rachide Ibrahimo Abdul Sultana

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

This research examines the copper complexation capacity, copper speciation and dissolved copper concentrations in Lake Western Branch (WB) and Lake Prince (LP) both located in Suffolk, Virginia. These lakes are drinking water reservoirs for the cities of Suffolk and Norfolk, and they experience blooms of algae which can deplete them of oxygen and affect treatment of their waters for drinking. Copper sulfate has regularly been added to control the algae, but the effectiveness of these additions is uncertain. For environmental management implications, knowledge of speciation (i.e., the concentrations of the various chemical forms) is important in studying the effects of …

The Effect Of Arctic River Hydrological Cycles On Arctic Ocean Circulation, Peter Becker

OES Theses and Dissertations

Understanding Arctic Ocean circulation may be critical to fully understanding the global oceanic salt and heat cycles and their response to climate variability. This thesis examines how one important aspect of Arctic Ocean circulation, the effect of freshwater inflow, may contribute to the variability of these cycles. The multiple roles that freshwater runoff performs in the Arctic Ocean include: (1) the formation of shelf and basin scale density currents; (2) maintenance of the strong density stratification; (3) control of the thickness and strength of the ice pack; and (4) control of deep convection. Sources and sinks of freshwater in the …

The Study Of Pion Absorption On -4he At 355 Mev/C With Lads (Large Acceptance Detector System), Thomas A. Dooling

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The medium and long range part of the nucleon-nucleon interaction can be described within the framework of pion exchange. In order to understand this fundamental interaction, it is therefore important to study the interaction of pions with nucleons and nuclei, which can either be elastic or inelastic scattering or absorption. Whereas the elastic and inelastic channels can be well described by different models, our understanding of pion absorption is still rather poor. There are still a lot of open questions, for instance on the strength of three and more nucleon absorption and the role of initial and final state interactions. …

Zooplankton Community Dynamics In The Elizabeth River, Virginia, William C. Sharp

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Zooplankton community structure and dynamics were studied over a 12 month period in the Elizabeth River, an industrially polluted tidal river in the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system. An additional site in this estuary (Hampton Roads) was sampled for comparative purposes. Multivariate analysis indicated five distinct temporal groups occurred during the year, but there were no significant differences in spatial composition within the river. Maximum zooplankton concentrations were observed in July and lowest abundances were observed in February, March, and November. Copepods, especially Acartia species, were the most abundant components of the zooplankton community, comprising 67 to 93% of the total …

Studies Of Mixing Processes In Gases And Effects On Combustion And Stability, Frank Paul Kozusko Jr.

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Three physical models of laminar mixing of initially separated gases are studied. Two models study the effects of the mixing dynamics on the chemical reactions between the gases. The third model studies the structure and stability of a laminar mixing layer in a binary gas. The three models are:

1. Two ideal and incompressible gases representing fuel and oxidizer are initially at rest and separated across an infinite linear interface in a two dimensional system. Combustion, expected as the gases mix, will lead to a rapid rise in temperature in a localized area, i.e. ignition. The mixing of the gases …

Nuclear Forward-Scattering Of Synchrotron Radiation From Krypton: First Observation And Application To The Study Of Lattice Dynamics In Near-Monolayer Krypton-On-Graphite, David Eric Johnson

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Since 1985 nuclear-resonant scattering, and in particular nuclear forward-scattering, of synchrotron radiation has been observed in a select few Mossbauer isotopes including: ⁵⁷Fe, ¹¹⁹Sn, ¹⁶⁹Tm. For the first time, nuclear forward-scattering from the 9.4 keV Mossbauer level in ⁸³Kr has been observed. A large resonance effect, comparable to that in ⁵⁷Fe, has been observed in a variety of systems containing Kr including bulk crystals and physisorbed Kr-on-exfoliated graphite. Previous nuclear-resonant scattering experiments using synchrotron radiation have consisted of demonstration experiments. Nuclear forward-scattering from Kr has been applied to study the lattice dynamics of near-monolayer Kr-on-graphite …

Dynamics Of Dipoles In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Bruce L. Lipphardt Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with the observations made by the Warm-Core Rings program in the early 1980's, several Gulf Stream warm-core rings (WCR's) in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) have been observed with one or more cyclones around their periphery. These ring systems are observed in the slope water between the Gulf Stream's western boundary and the shelf break. Observations of ring systems have motivated a reanalysis of existing satellite surface temperature imagery, which revealed that multipole structure is common for both warm and cold core rings. This suggests that rings are better characterized as one part of multipole systems rather than as …

A Feasibility Study Of Dynamical Assimilation Of Tide Gauge Data In The Chesapeake Bay, Yvette H. Spitz

OES Theses and Dissertations

The feasibility of dynamical assimilation of surface elevation from tide gauges is investigated to estimate the bottom drag coefficient and surface stress as a first step in improving modeled tidal and wind-driven circulation in the Chesapeake Bay. A two-dimensional shallow water model and an adjoint variational method with a limited memory quasi-Newton optimization algorithm are used to achieve this goal.

Assimilation of tide gauge observations from ten permanent stations in the Bay and use of a two-dimensional model adequately estimate the bottom drag coefficient, wind stress and surface elevation at the Bay mouth. Subsequent use of these estimates in the …

Elimination Of Edge Effects Using Spline Wavelets Which Maintain A Uniform Two-Scale Relation, Sang Kyu Yang

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Use of the compactly supported B-spline wavelet of Chui and Wang is hindered by loss of accuracy on decomposition, through truncation of weight sequences which are countably infinite. Adaptations to finite intervals often encounter significant problems with error near boundaries, called edge effects. For multiresolution analysis on a finite interval which employ the piecewise linear B-wavelet the present research provides a frontal approach to decomposition which avoids truncation of weight sequences, experiences no error at boundaries, and which exhibits a factor of three increase in computational efficiency, over the usual approach characterized by truncation of infinite weight sequences. As a …

Late Cretaceous Foraminifera As Indicators Of Sequence Boundaries, Book Cliffs, Utah, U.S.A., Kimberly A. Smith

OES Theses and Dissertations

Foraminiferal assemblages were described from three different depositional settings within the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Blackhawk Formation of Utah (known marginal marine environments, known marine environments, and along a suspected sequence boundary). Assemblages from the known marginal marine setting (as defined by sedimentologic-stratigraphic criteria) consisted of entirely agglutinated taxa dominated by Textularia sp. A. Assemblages from the known marine environment consisted of a mix of calcareous and agglutinated species, dominated by calcareous species (e.g., Gavelinella talaria). The foraminiferal assemblages from these known environments provide independent evidence that these sampled areas are characterized by marginal marine and fully marine deposits.

The foraminiferal …

Structural Characterization Of A Novel Inhibitor Of Hiv Reverse Transcriptase (Hiv Rt), Greggory Jon Woitte

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections have become a leading cause of death among young people in the United States today. As the number of HIV infections increases, so too does the cost of treatment. Together, these numbers have prompted an increase in the development of pharmaceutical interventions. HIV reverse transcriptase (HIV RT) has become a suitable target for drug therapy because it is the sole enzyme responsible for HIV replication.

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus, has been shown to block a variety of cell adhesion related events including metastasis. In addition, fucoidan has also …

Measurement Of Hyperfine Coupling Constants Of The 5d²D₃/₂ And 5d²D₅/₂ Levels In Atomic Cesium Using Polarization Quantum Beat Spectroscopy, Wo Yei

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Accurate measurements of hyperfine constants have revealed effects that can not be explained by a simple hydrogenic picture of the alkali atoms such as cesium [1-3]. More precise experimental results and theoretical treatments are in demand for the alkali elements, especially for atomic cesium because of its wide range of applications. Therefore, it is essential to understand its atomic and nuclear structure. Precision measurement of its excited-states properties such as hyperfine structure provides global information on nuclear charge and current distributions and also serves as a check to the theory and a calibration of calculated excited state wave functions. Accurate …

Identification And Characterization Of The Iron-Zinc Intermetallics Formed In Galvanneal Steel, Richard Frederick George Grant

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The demand to improve the corrosion resistance of steel sheet, particularly for use within the automotive industry, has led to a dramatic increase in the use of coated steels in place of cold-rolled sheet steel. Galvanneal steel results from the post annealing of the zinc-coated steel sheet, in which iron and zinc are interdiffused to form an iron-zinc alloy coating. Within this alloy coating, four main iron-zinc phases, Zeta, Delta, Gamma-1, and Gamma may be present. Manufacture of the most suitable coating requires identifying which phases form during the galvannealing process, an understanding of the properties of each phase and …

Excited-State Magnesium-Rare Gas Optical Collisions, Rosemary A. Lasell

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Polarization and intensity spectra have been obtained for excited-state magnesium (3s3p ¹P₁) - rare gas optical collisions. The magnesium was excited by a linearly polarized laser tuned to the 3s²1s₀ → 3s3p ¹P₁ atomic transition at 285 nm. A second linearly polarized laser was tuned near the 3s3p ¹P₁ → 3s5s ¹S₀ transition at 571 nm (experiment A) and near the 3s3p ¹P₁ → 3s4d ¹D₂ transition at 553 nm (experiment B). The polarization vector of the second laser was oriented either parallel or …

Knowledge Acquisition And Structuring By Multiple Experts In A Group Support Systems Environment, Bernard Lee Lewis

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study addresses the impact of Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) on expert system development by multiple Domain Experts. Current approaches to building expert systems rely heavily on knowledge acquisition and prototyping by a Knowledge Engineer working directly with the Domain Expert. Although the complexity of knowledge domains and new organizational approaches demand the involvement of multiple experts, standard procedures limit the ability of the Knowledge Engineer to work with more than one expert at a time.

Group Decision Support Systems offer a networked computerized environment for group work activities, in which multiple experts may express their ideas concurrently and …

Thermocline Circulation Driven At Surface Outcrops Of Isopycnal Surfaces, Gudavalli V. R. K. Vittal

OES Theses and Dissertations

Potential vorticity (PV) defined as: q = Δθ ^.(fk + Ω)

where θ is density anomaly, Ω (Δ x u) is relative vorticity, k is unit vertical vector and f the coriolis parameter, is used as a dynamical tracer to study the interior thermocline circulation. Using the generalized flux form of PV equation (Haynes and McIntyre, 1987), wind stress and buoyancy fluxes at surface outcrops of isopycnal surface are translated into PV fluxes. The PV flux condition so derived considers seasonal movement of the isopycnal outcrops and geostrophic turbulence.

A constant layer depth model, forced by the above flux …

Mathematical Models Of Chemotherapy, John Carl Panetta

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Several mathematical models are developed to describe the effects of chemotherapy on both cancerous and normal tissue. Each model is defined by either a single homogeneous equation or a system of heterogeneous equations which describe the states of the normal and/or cancer cells. Periodic terms are added to model the effects of the chemotherapy. What we obtain are regions, in parameter space (dose and period), of acceptable drug regimens.

The models take into account various aspects of chemotherapy. These include, interactions between the cancer and normal tissue, cell specific chemotherapeutic drug, the use of non-constant parameters to aid in modeling …

Thermal Ignition Analysis In The Laminar Boundary Layer Behind A Propagating Shock Front, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Asymptotic analysis in the limit of large activation energy is performed to investigate the ignition of a reactive gas in the laminar boundary layer behind a propagating shock front. The study is based on a one-step, irreversible Arrhenius reaction of a premixed gas; therefore, the ignition phenomenon is thermally induced. The boundary layer consists of a thin, diffusive, reaction region at the point where the temperature is maximum and diffusive-convective non-reacting regions adjacent to the reacting region. Both adiabatic and isothermal boundary conditions are examined. For the adiabatic wall, the reaction zone is near the insulated boundary. The reaction zone …

Geology Of An Archean Greenstone Belt At Point Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, Patrick Rowan Considine

OES Theses and Dissertations

Several well-preserved circa 2.6 Ga Archean granite-greenstone belts are exposed in the Slave Province of Northwest Territories, Canada. At Point Lake, a "supracrustal sequence" comprised mainly of mafic volcanic and metasedimentary rocks lies over and east of a granitoid gneissic terrane. Field and laboratory studies have helped to clarify the petrography and structural relationships of this fold-and-thrust belt. Traditional models have suggested that granite-greenstone belts in the Slave Province are relict continental rifts in which volcanic and sedimentary rocks filled troughs in older sialic crust. However, this study supports a collisional model for the Slave Province, in which oceanic crust …

Software Reliability Issues: An Experimental Approach, Mary Ann Hoppa

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we present methodologies involving a data structure called the debugging graph whereby the predictive performance of software reliability models can be analyzed and improved under laboratory conditions. This procedure substitutes the averages of large sample sets for the single point samples normally used as inputs to these models and thus supports scrutiny of their performances with less random input data.

Initially, we describe the construction of an extensive database of empirical reliability data which we derived by testing each partially debugged version of subject software represented by complete or partial debugging graphs. We demonstrate how these data …

Seismic Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Upper Indus-Fan Complex A Model For Fan Development, Syed Firasat Shah

OES Theses and Dissertations

The seismic stratigraphic analysis of the upper Indus-Fan Complex has revealed the presence of six depositional sequences. Deposition of these sequences occurred primarily during the Miocene period. The Indus River drainage system that developed as a consequence of Himalayan orogeny transported the bulk of the sediments deposited in the Indus Fan. The distribution and thickness of the sequences of the upper Indus Fan are closely related to the canyon-channel systems. Seismic facies analysis of the slope has revealed the presence of a facies relationship that shows continued deepening from the time of deposition of slope fan to the latest deposits …

Seasonal Variability Of Heat And Mass Transport Process In The Upper Tropical Atlantic Ocean: A Numerical Model Study, Sang-Ki Lee

OES Theses and Dissertations

A simple 2.5 layer numerical model was developed and used to illustrate the seasonal variability of heat and mass transports in the upper tropical Atlantic Ocean, associated with the seasonal movement of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The model ocean was forced by seasonally varying climatological wind and heat flux fields. The entrainment at the base of the mixed layer was scaled by wind stress and shear at the bottom of the mixed layer. On an annual average, the northward transport of the tropical warm water is about 11 Sv, with roughly 10 Sv associated with entrainment of upper thermocline …

Theoretical Investigation Of Two-Color, Two-Photon, 6s(2)S(1/2) → 5d(2)D(J) → 11p(2)P(3/2) Excitation And Depolarization Spectra In Atomic Cesium, Boris Dobrydnev

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The theoretical investigation of two-photon, two-color intensity and depolarization spectra for the 6s²S_1/2 → 5d²D_j → 11p²P_3/2 transition in atomic caesium is considered. For quadrupole-dipole transitions the dependence of excitation from the ratio of reduced matrix elements is shown. The experimental method of determination of the value and sign of the ratio is proposed. Comparison of results for co- and counterpropagating beams revealed the strong dependence of the transition rate on the relative beam directions. Analysis of the influence of the external electric field on the process of absorption is presented. …

Precision Measurement Of Relative Dipole Matrix Elements In Atomic Sodium, Rodney P. Meyer

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Relative dipole matrix elements are measured by means of a new spectroscopic technique called polarization interference spectroscopy. It is a two-color two-photon nonresonant process that maps the matrix elements into the energy domain by means of quantum mechanical interference. The technique measures the relative magnitude of the reduced matrix elements, particularly those involving excited states, to accuracies that are an order of magnitude better than previously available. Also, for the first time the relative phase of the reduced matrix elements is measured. The ratio of reduced matrix elements for the transitions 3s ²S_1/2 →3P ²P_3/2 →5s …

Comparing Traditional Statistical Models With Neural Network Models: The Case Of The Relation Of Human Performance Factors To The Outcomes Of Military Combat, William Oliver Hedgepeth

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Statistics and neural networks are analytical methods used to learn about observed experience. Both the statistician and neural network researcher develop and analyze data sets, draw relevant conclusions, and validate the conclusions. They also share in the challenge of creating accurate predictions of future events with noisy data.

Both analytical methods are investigated. This is accomplished by examining the veridicality of both with real system data. The real system used in this project is a database of 400 years of historical military combat. The relationships among the variables represented in this database are recognized as being hypercomplex and nonlinear.

The …