Physical Processes Commons^™

Core-Collapse Supernova Simulations With Spectral Two-Moment Neutrino Transport, Ran Chu

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation is to develop a next-generation, state-of-the-art neutrino kinetics capability that will be used in the context of the next-generation, state-of-the-art core-collapse supernova (CCSN) simulation frameworks \thornado\ and \FLASH.\index{CCSN} \thornado\ is a \textbf{t}oolkit for \textbf{h}igh-\textbf{or}der \textbf{n}eutrino-r\textbf{ad}iation hydr\textbf{o}dynamics, which is a collection of modules that can be incorporated into a simulation code/framework, such as \FLASH, together with a nuclear equation of state (EOS)\index{EOS} library, such as the \WeakLib\ EOS tables. The first part of this work extends the \WeakLib\ code to compute neutrino interaction rates from~\cite{Bruenn_1985} and produce corresponding opacity tables.\index{Bruenn 1985} The processes of emission, …

A New Galactic Wind Model For Cosmological Simulations, Shuiyao Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

The propagation and evolution of cold galactic winds in galactic haloes is crucial to galaxy formation models. However, modelling of this process in hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation is over-simplified owing to a lack of numerical resolution and often neglects critical physical processes such as hydrodynamic instabilities and thermal conduction. In this thesis, I propose an analytic model, Physically Evolved Winds (PhEW), that calculates the evolution of individual clouds moving supersonically through a uniform ambient medium. The model reproduces predictions from very high resolution cloud-crushing simulations that include isotropic thermal conduction over a wide range of physical conditions. I also …

Study Of 134in Beta-Delayed Neutron Emission And Development Of A New Generation Neutron Detector, Joseph Heideman

Doctoral Dissertations

Beta-delayed neutron emission in very neutron-rich nuclei plays an essential role in nuclear structure and the understanding of the astrophysical r-process. A complete description of this process requires knowledge of both steps, beta decay and neutron emission. A leading theory poses the intermediate daughter nucleus to behave as a compound nucleus. The conditions for beta-delayed neutron emission of 134In are not well described by the assumptions in the neutron pandemonium hypothesis, therein providing a unique case to this process due to the proximity to 132Sn. Single-particle states in 133Sn obvserved after neutron emission have dissimilar shell occupancy compared to neutron-hole …

Observational Studies Of Fragmentation In Molecular Clouds, Riwaj Pokhrel

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore fragmentation physics in multiple scales in nearby molecular clouds and discuss some implications of fragmentation for cloud structure formation and star formation, primarily by analyzing multi-wavelength observations of dust emission. First, I tested the complete thermal and combined thermal and nonthermal support mechanisms that balance gravitational contraction at multiple scales in the Perseus molecular cloud. I found that the observed multiscale structures in Perseus are consistent with an inefficient thermal Jeans fragmentation, where the Jeans efficiency increases from the largest scale ($\gtrsim$10s of pc) to the smallest scale ($\sim$10s of AU). Next, I studied the …

The Non-Linear Dynamics Of Barred Galaxy Evolution In Lcdm, Michael Petersen

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of barred galaxy dynamics has had many successes explaining observed phenomena in barred galaxies both locally and distant, including our own Milky Way, a barred galaxy. However, the majority of this knowledge arises from either (a) analytic linear theory, which by definition cannot inform nonlinear processes, or (b) simulations which are subject to an unconstrained host of evolutionary mechanisms, including `real' dynamical processes and `artificial' numerical processes, and are thus difficult to interpret. This work chooses a path which attempts to take the best of both techniques, employing n-body simulations in the Lambda cold dark matter paradigm designed …

Astrophysical Accretion And Feedback: The Bayesian Linchpin Of Theory And Observation, Shawn Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite being a major pillar of galaxy evolution, galactic feedback from stars and supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is subject to very little observational constraint. This is particularly true of the hot component, as viewed in X-rays. Yet, the hot component is directly linked to much of the energetic feedback released from these compact objects. X-ray observations suffer from several challenges that make placing this constraint a difficult task. In the face of considerable model uncertainty, these challenges underscore the need for novel X-ray data analysis techniques. In this dissertation, I seek to lend a unique perspective to X-ray data analysis …

The Cosmic Web, And The Role Of Environment In Galaxy Evolution, Ryan Cybulski

Doctoral Dissertations

The Universe, on extra-galactic scales, is composed of a vast network of structures dubbed the “cosmic web”. One of the most fundamental discoveries about the evolution of galaxies is that their properties have a dependence on their location relative to this cosmic web (i.e., their environment). However, detailed studies of the environmental dependence on galaxy evolution have been extremely challenging due to the inherent complexity of the structures on the largest scales, a plethora of techniques being used to try to map the cosmic web, and other confounding factors, such as the masses of galaxies, that also affect their evolution. …

The Study Of Nuclear Structure Of Neutron-Rich 81ge And Its Contribution In The R-Process Via The Neutron Transfer Reaction 80ge(D,P), Sunghoon Ahn

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of low-lying levels of nuclei near closed shells not only elucidates the evolution of nuclear shell structure far from stability, but also affects estimates of heavy element nucleosynthesis in supernova explosions. Especially, the properties of the low-lying levels in ⁸¹Ge[Germanium 81] are important because the sensitivity study of the r-process pointed out that the properties of the nucleus can affect the final bundance pattern. Also, the spins and parities measurements of the states are essential to understand the shape coexistence in odd-mass N = 49 isotones.

This work describes the study of the odd-mass N = …

Martian Dune Fields: Aeolian Activity, Morphology, Sediment Pathways, And Provenance, Matthew Chojnacki

Doctoral Dissertations

Wind has likely been the dominant geologic agent for most of Mars’ history. The wide-spread nature of sand dunes there shows that near-surface winds have commonly interacted with plentiful mobile sediments. Early studies of these dunes suggested minimal activity, dominantly unidirectional simple dune morphologies, and little variations in basaltic sand compositions. This dissertation examines martian sand dunes and aeolian systems, in terms of their activity, morphologies, thermophysical properties, sand compositions, geologic contexts, and source-lithologies using new higher-resolution orbital data. Although previous evidence for contemporary dune activity has been limited, results presented in Chapter II show substantial activity in Endeavour Crater, …