Physics Commons^™

Development Of A Low Field Mri-Based Approach For Observation Of Water Penetration Into Clay: Preliminary Results, Shivam Gupta

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are considered one of the most efficient and non-invasive methods of observing water content in permeable substances. MRI can visualize and quantify the movement of water in real time. In this study, MRI was used to observe the water penetration through clay. Furthermore, MRI can acquire three-dimensional data due to its radio-frequency signals from any orientation. The contrast of the images produced by MRI is a display of the fluid concentration. As such, any change in the contrast intensity is interpreted as a regional change in the concentration of fluid. This report summarizes the preliminary results …

Simulating 129-Xe Hyperpolarization, Jacob F. Abiad

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Hyperpolarized 129-Xe is an important resource in many fields of medical physics and MRI research. The physics of the efficient production of hyperpolarized 129-Xe is therefore equally worth investigation. The main process of hyperpolarizing 129-Xe is Spin Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) and is dependent on several physical factors that can be difficult to constantly change in a lab setting. Physical modelling of 129-Xe hyperpolarization allows for the more efficient testing of hyperpolarization physics in a wide array of experimental setups to better determine the optimal values for hyperpolarization. This research project attempted to create a working model for 129-Xe hyperpolarization …

Construction And Analysis Of Accurate Exchange-Correlation Potentials, Sviataslau V. Kohut

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Practical Kohn–Sham density-functional calculations require approximations to the exchange-correlation energy functional, E_XC[ρ], or the exchange-correlation potential, v_XC(r), defined as the functional derivative of E_XC[ρ] with respect to the electron density, ρ. This thesis focuses on the following problems: (i) development of approximate exchange-correlation potentials by modelling the exchange-correlation charge distribution; (ii) accurate approximation of functional derivatives of orbital-dependent functionals; (iii) generation of exchange-correlation potentials from many-electron wavefunctions; (iv) analysis of accurate exchange-correlation potentials in atoms and molecules.

The advantage of modelling the exchange-correlation potential through the exchange-correlation …

Developments In Pet-Mri For Radiotherapy Planning Applications, John Christian Patrick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The hybridization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) provides the benefit of soft-tissue contrast and specific molecular information in a simultaneous acquisition. The applications of PET-MRI in radiotherapy are only starting to be realised. However, quantitative accuracy of PET relies on accurate attenuation correction (AC) of, not only the patient anatomy but also MRI hardware and current methods, which are prone to artefacts caused by dense materials. Quantitative accuracy of PET also relies on full characterization of patient motion during the scan. The simultaneity of PET-MRI makes it especially suited for motion correction. However, quality assurance …

Fractional Charge Methods For Correcting Approximate Kohn-Sham Potentials, Darya N. Komsa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Kohn-Sham density functional theory relies on approximating the exchange-correlation energy functional or the corresponding potential. The behavior of the exchange-correlation potential as a function of position in a system can be used to detect and correct deficiencies of the parent functional. The too-fast decay of the potentials derived from common density functionals is a major problem, because it causes inaccurate Rydberg excitation energies and erroneous fractional charges in dissociating molecules. An efficient method to correct the shape of the exchange-correlation potential was proposed by Gaiduk et al. [A. P. Gaiduk, D. S. Firaha, and V. N. Staroverov, Phys. Rev. …

Hyperpolarized 3he Magnetic Resonance Imaging Phenotypes Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Damien Pike

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the world. Identifying clinically relevant COPD phenotypes has the potential to reduce the global burden of COPD by helping to alleviate symptoms, slow disease progression and prevent exacerbation by stratifying patient cohorts and forming targeted treatment plans. In this regard, quantitative pulmonary imaging with hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and thoracic computed tomography (CT) have emerged as ways to identify and measure biomarkers of lung structure and function. 3He MRI may be used as a tool to probe both functional and structural properties of the lung …

Optical Characterization Of Anisotropic Interfaces, Renjie Hou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The understanding of optical properties of surfaces and interfaces are critical for the development of new technologies ranging from photonics to molecular electronics. Knowing for example the orientation of molecules functionalized onto a surface yields valuable information about the macroscopic properties of the resulting surface. The optical properties can be tuned using various strategies such as molecular functionalization or patterning of meta-structures that ultimately interact with light in a rational way. Advanced optical and spectroscopy methods allowing one to probe such surfaces are therefore key to correlate properties and surface functionalization.

In this thesis, multiple approaches have been taken to …

Hyperpolarized 129xe Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Radiation-Induced Lung Injury, Ozkan Doganay

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Lung cancer is the largest contributor to cancer-related mortality worldwide. Only 20% of stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients survive after 5-years post radiation therapy (RT). Although RT is an important treatment modality for lung cancer, it is limited by Radiation-Induced Lung Injury (RILI). RILI develops in two phases: (i) the early phase (days-weeks) referred to radiation pneumonitis (RP), and (ii) the late phase (months). There is a strong interest in early detection of RP using imaging to improve outcomes of RT for lung cancer. This thesis describes a promising approach based on ¹²⁹Xe gas as a contrast …

Stellar Spectroscopy: New Methods And Insights, Sanaz S. Golriz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The study of the chemical evolution of stars is of crucial importance since they play a major role in the enrichment of the chemistry of the universe. Throughout their lifetime, stars undergo several processes that can alter their chemistry. Gradually, the nucleosynthesis products from the interior of the star are radiatively and convectively levitated and mixed with the upper layers of the atmosphere. In the later stages of their evolution, low to intermediate mass stars (0.8-8.0~M☉) eject a significant fraction of these nucleosynthesis products, resulting in a circumstellar envelope of gas and dust around the central star with a very …

Fabricating Cost-Effective Nanostructures For Biomedical Applications, Erden Ertorer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis we described inexpensive alternatives to fabricate nanostructures on planar substrates and provided example applications to discuss the efficiency of fabricated nanostructures.

The first method we described is forming large area systematically changing multi-shape nanoscale structures on a chip by laser interference lithography. We analyzed the fabricated structures at different substrate positions with respect to exposure time, exposure angle and associated light intensity profile. We presented experimental details related to the fabrication of symmetric and biaxial periodic nanostructures on photoresist, silicon surfaces, and ion-milled glass substrates. Behavior of osteoblasts and osteoclasts on the nanostructures was investigated. These results …

The Study Of Nanophotonic Switching Mechanisms In Photonic And Metallic Heterostructures, Joel Cox

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, nanophotonic switching mechanisms and light-matter interactions are explored in photonic and metallic heterostructures and nanocomposites. These heterostructures are made using various combinations of photonic crystals (PCs), quantum dots (QDs), and graphene or metal nanoparticles (MNPs).

PC heterostructures are formed by combining different PCs so that photons in a specific energy range can propagate in certain regions along one direction and cannot propagate in others. This band structure engineering is used to form photonic quantum wells (PQWs) that have discrete energy states along one dimension. By simulating the photon transmission along the direction of confinement, resonant photon tunnelling …

Theory Of Model Kohn-Sham Potentials And Its Applications, Alex P. Gaiduk

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of Kohn-Sham density functional theory is to develop increasingly accurate approximations to the exchange-correlation functional or to the corresponding potential. When one chooses to approximate the potential, the resulting model must be integrable, that is, a functional derivative of some density functional. Non-integrable potentials produce unphysical results such as energies that are not translationally or rotationally invariant. The thesis introduces methods for constructing integrable model potentials, developing properly invariant energy functionals from model potentials, and designing model potentials that yield accurate electronic excitation energies. Integrable potentials can be constructed using powerful analytic integrability conditions derived in this work. …