Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons^™

Photoelectric Characterization Of Bacteriorhodopsin Reconstituted In Lipid Bilayer Membrane, Joel Kamwa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this work was to conduct basic research in biologically inspired energy conversion solutions. A photosynthetic protein (Bacteriorhodopsin) was reconstituted in a bi-layer membrane. Then, when a laser beam was shined on the membrane, the photon energy was used by the protein to pump protons across the membrane. The translocation of protons across the membrane was measured as photocurrent. For this purpose, a system was built to characterize the lipid bilayer membranes and to measure the photocurrent. The lipid bilayer membrane was characterized by its capacitance and resistance. A picoampere photocurrent was observed when Bacteriorhodopsin protein was present …

Atom-Based Geometrical Fingerprinting Of Conformal Two-Dimensional Materials, Mehrshad Mehboudi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The shape of two-dimensional materials plays a significant role on their chemical and physical properties. Two-dimensional materials are basic meshes that are formed by mesh points (vertices) given by atomic positions, and connecting lines (edges) between points given by chemical bonds. Therefore the study of local shape and geometry of two-dimensional materials is a fundamental prerequisite to investigate physical and chemical properties. Hereby the use of discrete geometry to discuss the shape of two-dimensional materials is initiated.

The local geometry of a surface embodied in 3D space is determined using four invariant numbers from the metric and curvature tensors which …

Solid State Dye Sensitive Solar Cells Based On Zno Nanowire As The N-Type Semiconductor, S. Abdulalmohsin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We fabricated solid state dye-sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanorods as the n-type material and polypyrrole as the p-type material. The ZnO nanorods were grown on indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass by electrochemical methods for one hour. Scanning electron micrographs of the ZnO nanowire (NW) indicated a length of about 1 micrometer and a diameter of approximately 100-200 nm for the nanorods. Polypyrrole deposited on ITO/ZnO NW/dye and the fabricated device of ITO glass/ZnO nanorods/dye/polypyrrole/Ag showed a power conversion efficiency of 1.29%.

Active Galactic Nuclei Mergers And Outflows: Observations From Optical And Ultraviolet Emission Lines, Robert Scott Barrows

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I have investigated the nature of a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) which show double peaks in their characteristic optical and ultraviolet emission lines. I have performed this investigation through studies of the broad emission line regions (BLRs), which are produced less than 1 pc from the central supermassive black hole (SMBH), and the narrow emission line regions (NLRs), which originate at larger (kpc) distances. The BLR studies consist of detailed line modeling of two individual quasars with double-peaked broad emission line profiles. The modeling suggests there are two primary interpretations of the complex broad line profiles. The first …

Polarization Properties Of Maxwell-Gauss Laser Beams, Jessica Patricia Conry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Laser beams are wave-like optical disturbances. They are characterized by a dominant direction of propagation and a finite extent transverse to the direction of propagation. Many characteristics of laser beams can be described in terms of a scalar function multiplied by a constant vector, which can be real (for linear polarization) or complex (for elliptical polarization). The scalar function is a solution to the paraxial scalar wave equation. This scalar description, however, fails to describe the polarization and focusing characteristics of laser beams correctly. For a correct accounting of these characteristics, the electric and magnetic fields associated with laser beams …

Symmetry-Based Techniques For Qualitative Understanding Of Rovibrational Effects In Spherical-Top Molecular Spectra And Dynamics, Justin Chadwick Mitchell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using light to probe the structure of matter is as natural as opening our eyes. Modern physics and chemistry have turned this art into a rich science, measuring the delicate interactions possible at the molecular level.

Perhaps the most commonly used tool in computational spectroscopy is that of matrix diagonalization. While this is invaluable for calculating everything from molecular structure and energy levels to dipole moments and dynamics, the process of numerical diagonalization is an opaque one. This work applies symmetry and semi-classical techniques to elucidate numerical spectral analysis for high-symmetry molecules.

Semi-classical techniques, such as the Potential Energy Surfaces, …

Effects Of Annealing On The Electronic Transitions Of Zns Thin Films, S. S. Chiad, W. A. Jabbar, N. F. Habubi

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Thin films of zinc sulphide were prepared using a flash evaporation technique. The obtained thin films were subjected to heat treatment to investigate the effect of annealing on the transmittance spectrum and the electronic transitions. It has been found that annealing affected the transmission spectrum and caused an increase in the direct optical band gap. The optical parameters, oscillator energy E0 and dispersion energy Ed were determined using the Wemple DiDomenico single oscillator model. The optical energy gap obtained from the Wemple and DiDomenico model was in good agreement with the optical energy gap proposed by the Tauc theory.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Ruthenium Complexes Containing Chlorophenanthroline And Bipyridine, Anwar A. Bhuiyan, S. Kudo, J. Bartlett

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The divalent ruthenium polypyridine complexes hold promise as efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion schemes. This paper deals with the synthesis and spectroscopic investigation of ruthenium polypyridine complexes, which may be useful as photosensitizers. The homoleptic ruthenium(II) complex Ru(Cl-phen)3(PF6)2 (where Cl-phen = 5- chloro-1,10-phenanthroline), and heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes Ru(Cl-phen)2(bpy)(PF6)2, and Ru(Cl-phen)(bpy)2(PF6)2 (where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) have been prepared by following the standard synthetic procedure. Silica and alumina column chromatographies were used to purify the compounds. Mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) spectroscopy, and elemental analysis were used to confirm the identity and the integrity of the complexes. Absorption and emission …

Optical Characterization Of Silver Doped Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Films, W. A. Jabbar, N. F. Habubi, S. S. Chiad

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Silver-doped PVA films were prepared by casting method in order to study the effect of silver on the optical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) using UV/VIS spectroscopy. It was found that these thin films have an indirect optical band gap (2.4-1.3) eV as the doping percentage increase. Extinction coefficient and refractive index increase as the doping percentage increase, while in general the optical dispersion parameters show an opposite behavior with doping.

Imaging Second-Harmonic Radiation And Scattering Patterns In Zno Micro/Nanostructures, Katrina Marie Geren

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The optical characteristics of ZnO nanostructures have recently garnered interest due to the inclusion of these structures in many nanoscale optical and optoelectronic devices. This thesis will address several characteristics involving second harmonic generation and scattering in ZnO nano- and microstructures. A method will be presented for determining the nonlinear coefficients of the second order susceptibility in a single ZnO rod. This method uses transmission geometry where previous methods have employed back-reflected irradiation. The nonlinear coefficients found using this new technique were consistent with previous data from similar structures. Models will be presented for predicting the second harmonic scattering patterns …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Homoleptic And Heteroleptic Ruthenium Polypyridine Complexes, Anwar A. Bhuiyan, S. Kudo, C. Wade, R. F. Davis

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The homoleptic ruthenium(II) complex Ru(C13H10N2)3(PF6)2, and heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes Ru(C13H10N2)2(C10H8N2)(PF6)2, and Ru(C13H10N2)(C10H8N2)2(PF6)2 have been prepared by following the standard synthetic procedure. These complexes were then purified by repeated column chromatography. The identity and the integrity of the complexes were confirmed by elemental analysis and mass spectroscopy. The calculated and the experimental values for the elemental analysis were in good agreement. The calculated and the experimental molar masses obtained were also identical. Ultravioletvisible absorption and emission spectroscopic methods were used to investigate the properties of these complexes. The absorption spectra of all complexes consist of a series of absorption bands in …

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy For The Investigation Of Heteroleptic Ruthenium Polypyridine Complexes, Anwar A. Bhuiyan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Soil Chemical Properties Using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy, Robert L. Ficklin, Shane M. Foley, Robert E. Kissell Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Methodologies for determining soil chemical properties have evolved dramatically during the past century. Early geochemical analyses were conducted exclusively through the use of wet chemistry techniques that were relatively reliable but painstaking and subject to errors at various stages of analysis. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has emerged as a new approach for rapidly analyzing a variety of materials including soils. In this study soil samples were taken from eight study areas across the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas, and NIRS calibration models were developed to determine the accuracy of using NIRS to analyze soils compared with standard soil chemical analysis …

Measurement And Modeling Of Light Transmission Through Turbid Media, Alois (Al) J. Adams, Michael Fahrenwald, Long Do

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Non-Commercial Software For The Analysis And Interpretation Of High Resolution Molecular Spectra, A. R. Ford, Scott W. Reeve

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of A Ruthenium-Tetra(Tht)Dichloride Compound And The Molecular Structure Of The Partially Oxidized Compound Rucl2(Tht)2.2(Tht-O)1.8, L. A. Thornton, Mark Draganjac, Andres Meza, A. W. Cordes

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Ruthenium-Thioxane Complex, Amanda Wroble, Scotty Sproles, Mark Draganjac, Paul M. Nave

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Speed Cut-Off Point For Antiforce Waves, Mostafa Hemmati, Mathues Shane Doss, Eric L. George

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A one-dimensional, three-component, fluid model has been employed to investigate the existence of a speed cut-off point for antiforce breakdown waves. The term antiforce wave is used to identify breakdown waves for which the electric field force on electrons is in the opposite direction of wave propagation. The electron fluid-dynamical equations for antiforce waves are different from those of proforce waves. This presentation will address the difference in the set of equations for proforce and antiforce waves and the method of integration of the set of equations through the dynamical transition region for antiforce waves. Also, for antiforce waves, the …

Separating K+/- From Pi+/- Using In-Flight Decays To Mu+/- + Nu, Wilfred J. Braithwaite, Edwin S. Braithwaite

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A method is presented for completely distinguishing between charged kaons and charged pions by using their charged muon (plus neutrino) decays (with neutrinos undetected) for meson laboratory momenta up to 1000 MeV/c. When either a charged kaon or a charged pion decays into a muon and a neutrino, momentum-energy (four-momentum) conservation will be used to provide unique "kinematic trajectories" for distinguishing kaon decays from pion decays when the change in three-momentum of the muon from that of either parent kaon or pion is measured (or simulated). Ina magnetic field, observation of a tracked particle showing a "kink" and/or a change …

Coplanarity Test For Selecting A Pair Of Charged-Particle Tracks Resulting From A Single Neutral-Particle Decay, Edwin S. Braithwaite, Wilfred J. Braithwaite

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

It is hard to determine directly the position of a neutral subatomic particle, but when such a particle decays into a pair of charged particles, it is easy to determine the positions of the charged decay particles and thereby infer the position of the parent particle at the time of its decay. A minimum of two coordinate points for each of the two decay particles is needed to reconstruct the position of the parent vertex. The mathematics of the reconstruction process is inherently interesting, and it can be used to demonstrate to students the utility of some of the most …

Measuring Strangeness Production From Relativisitic Collisions Between Pairs Of Nuclei Using A Vertex Time Projection Chamber, Christine A. Byrd, Wilfred J. Braithwaite

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

At collider energies of 200A-GeV, tracking of charged particle pairs originating from neutrals is dominated by singlystrange KJ.' decays. Counting the number ofsecondary vertex pairs is a method of measuring the strangeness production. The VTX is a four-layer micro-strip gas time projection chamber being designed for use with the STAR instrument in an experiment using the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Simulated pixel data generated from CERN's Monte Carlo detector-modeling program Geant were put into tables using the TAS sorting structures available from the STAR Collaboration. The response of VTX was mapped for charged pion …

Critical Energy Of Torus Knots, Fred Hickling, Wesley Davis, Heather Woolverton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The energy of a smoothly parameterized knot y(t) is defined as rr\ i i lp7 \\dn dsdt Jo Jo \||7M-7(0f (D(t(s),T(t))) 2 j\\ds \\dt where D(y (s), y(t)) is the arc length between the two points y (s) and y(t) on the curve. Simple calculus based arguments are used to locate critical values of the energy functional for torus knots. Explicitly the curves given parametrically by °(«*)W = (V2°iSri).JSSBe V2 C s7nS are CriticalP ° intS ° fthe energy functional whenever a and b are relatively prime.

Note Concerning Cloud Chamber Experiments With Positrons, H. M. Schwartz

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.