Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Quantum Monte Carlo Simulations Of Many-Dimensional Harmonic Oscillators: A Study Of 2Nd And 4Th Order Propagators, Brent-Jon Bjorgvin Magnusson

Masters Theses

Because the Schrödinger equation cannot be solved analytically for systems larger than hydrogen, approximate solution methods must be applied to study systems of chemical interest. Quantum Monte Carlo is one of these methods. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations involve the diffusion of walkers through configuration space and necessitate the use of one of two imaginary time propagators, 2^nd or 4^th order. The choice of the propagator implemented depends on a balance between accuracy and efficiency. Obtaining accurate solutions is the primary objective; once this is accomplished, finding ways to make the simulations efficient is the next intention. Using a …

Analyzing The Effects Of Coupons And Promotion In The Grocery Retail Sector, Milena Hanna Chotard

Masters Theses

Modern scanner technology is pervasive throughout the retailing sector of the economy and is almost universal in the food retail industry. Along with loyalty programs, it has led to the development of massive databases which accurately and proficiently track the purchasing habits of customers. Making use of this information is one of the most important efforts in the management of this sector to further increase profitability.

This thesis explores the application of several statistical techniques to extract specific information from two large databases of customer purchasing behavior at a major US grocery chain. In particular, we first focus on the …

The Synthesis And Stability Of Endohedral Actinium-225(225Ac@C60), Jofa Gideon Mwakisege

Masters Theses

Due to their chemical and thermodynamic stability, fullerenes could play an important role in encapsulation of radionuclides for applications in radio-immunotherapy. In this thesis, we report the first synthesis of actinium endohedral fullerenes. The alpha-emitter Actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac, t_1/2 =10 d) was trapped in fullerenes by the direct current (D.C) arc discharge-catcher method in a He atmosphere. Endohedral ²²⁵Ac and the bulk of fullerene C₆₀ was dissolved from the catcher electrode (a Pt disk covered with a thin layer of C₆₀) in toluene under N₂, and converted to the malonic ester derivative. …

Assembly And Evaluation Of A Multi-Functional Heat Pulse Probe For Measurement Of Soil Properties, Andrew Conrad Sherfy

Masters Theses

A device capable of estimating soil properties quickly and accurately is of great worth to individuals in many disciplines. The multi-functional heat pulse probe (MFHPP) is an instrument which allows for simultaneous in situ measurements of soil heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, water content, water flux density, and electrical conductivity. Previous studies showed this device exhibits instrumentation and model limitations which reduce its measurement accuracy. It is important for the future use of the MFHPP to fully investigate sources of error, increase the range of testing and develop improvements to alleviate these issues.

The main objectives of this study …

Simulation Of Single Molecule Trapping In A Nanochannel, William Neil Robinson

Masters Theses

Trapping of single fluorescent molecules in solution is numerically simulated. Optical trapping provides insufficient force for trapping molecules much smaller than the optical wavelength. Instead, a means for trapping by sensing the molecule position and applying real-time feedback of flow to compensate diffusional displacement is used. The solution is contained in a nanochannel, reducing the problem to one spatial dimension. The position of the molecule is estimated from the fluorescence signals generated by two focused laser beams, which originate from a single laser source that is split and temporally alternated between the two focal spots. Photon collection is time gated, …

Using Automated Task Solution Synthesis To Generate Critical Junctures For Management Of Planned And Reactive Cooperation Between A Human-Controlled Blimp And An Autonomous Ground Robot, Christopher M. Reardon

Masters Theses

This thesis documents the use of an approach for automated task solution synthesis that algorithmically and automatically identifies periods during which a team of less-than-fully capable robots benefit from tightly-coupled, coordinated, cooperative behavior.

I test two hypotheses: 1) That a team’s performance can be increased by cooperating during certain specific periods of a mission and 2) That these periods can be identified automatically and algorithmically. I also demonstrate how identification of cooperative periods can be performed both off-line prior to the application and reactively during mission execution.

I validate these premises in a real-world experiment using a human-piloted Unmanned Aerial …

L-Encoder: Video Transcoding In The Logistical Network, Harold Thomas Gonzales

Masters Theses

Transcoding, the transformation of digital information from one encoding format to another, is a prominent operation in the realm of digital video and audio. This process of changing the encoding formats of multimedia files and streams is now a common task for many users due in part to the prevalence of portable media players and consumer electronic devices for digital media, which place constraints on the file and stream formats they can play. The transcoding process is often both data and compute intensive due to both the large data requirements of modern media formats from sources such as HDTV and …

Blocked Localized Wavefunction Analysis Of Π And Σ Bonds In The Metal Carbonyl, Kazuhito Nakashima

Masters Theses

The bonding features in group 10 and 11 metal carbonyls Ni(CO), Pd(CO), Pt(CO), [Cu(CO)]+, [Ag(CO)]+, and [Au(CO)]+ have been studied with BLW method. The carbon monoxide is well known as both a π acceptor and a σ donor. The π back bonding and o bonding are synergistic in these metal carbonyl complexes, because the π donation from the metals polarizes the metals and creates a negative force field as an additional driving force on the σ donation from the carbon end of CO vice versa. The synergistic effect in the metal-carbonyl bonds can be described by decomposing the binding energy …

The Physics Of Electron Degenerate Matter In White Dwarf Stars, Subramanian Vilayur Ganapathy

Masters Theses

White dwarfs are the remnant cores of medium and low mass stars with initial mass less than 8 times the mass of our sun. As the aging giant star expels its surface layers as planetary nebulae, the core is exposed as a white dwarf progenitor. The density of matter in white dwarfs is so high that thermal or radiation pressure no longer supports the star against the relentless pull of gravity. The white dwarf is supported by a new kind of pressure known as the degeneracy pressure, which is forced on the electrons by the laws of quantum mechanics. The …

Analysis Of Pore Architecture And Correlation To Sonic Velocity Values In Silurian (Niagaran) Reefs Of The Michigan Basin, Amy Kathryn Noack

Masters Theses

Recent work has shown that there is a complex relationship among porosity, permeability, and rock fabric in carbonate rocks. Porosity/permeability transforms are of limited value when evaluating carbonate reservoirs because permeability is controlled by pore type. Vuggy, moldic, or fenestral pore types have high porosity but poor permeability; in contrast, intergranular and intercrystalline pore networks have high porosity and high permeability. Visible pore types of key facies in five Middle Silurian (Niagaran) Reef reservoirs of the Michigan Basin were evaluated to better understand related permeability. Image analysis was performed on key facies to understand pore geometries and pore connectivity. Facies …

Ground Penetrating Radar Investigations On The Relationship Between Horizontal Sub-Wavelength ‘Thin-Layer’ Bedrock Fractures And Reflection Amplitudes, Kevin E. Burns

Masters Theses

Several theoretical equations that predict sub-wavelength ‘thin-layer’ reflection amplitudes are compared to the results of a series of controlled ground penetrating radar surveys using 1 GHz transducers over a physical model of a horizontal bedrock fracture. Two large plastic (UHMW-PE) blocks, separated by one or more stacked inserts (polyethylene; ~0.1 mm thick) for a total of 101 surveys, generate a modeled fracture with an aperture ranging from 0-300 mm. All existing theoretical reflection coefficient equations fail to predict observed reflection amplitude oscillations in the data when the fracture aperture is less than 1/48 of a wavelength. The only theoretical formulation …

Observation Of Analyte-Induced Deflections For Uncoated Microcantilevers Using The Focused Ion Beam Procedure, Jacques S. Stacco

Masters Theses

It has been found that structural modifications, involving the creation of submicron scale grooves on uncoated silicon nitride microcantilevers, allow microcantilevers to display analyte-induced deflections which have not been previously observed. The submicron grooves were created through the use of a focused ion beam procedure to mill deep and narrow grooves without the subsequent deposition of a chemically reactive coating. These modifications significantly increase (by approximately 400%) an uncoated microcantilever’s ability detect analytes such as water vapor, ethyl alcohol, acetone vapor, argon, and 1-mononitrotoluene. The intention of the experiment was to achieve greater microcantilever deflections by increasing an uncoated microcantilever’s …

Optimization Of Cosmological Simulations With Artificial Intelligence, Jay Billings

Masters Theses

Galaxy collisions are an important part of the large-scale structure of the Universe and an important catalyst for intragalactic processes like star formation. Therefore, realistic models of these interactions are an important part of any theory that plans to accurately describe the evolutionary processes of the Universe and, given the size of the problem, efficient computation and data analysis are key. This dissertation presents a proof-of-concept that an artificial intelligence suite, nominally composed of a genetic algorithm and neural network, can optimize the search of the galaxy collision parameter space. Furthermore, this dissertation discusses the possibility that this method can …

Amino Acid Analysis Of Marine Sediments, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, Tabbatha A. Cavendish

Masters Theses

Amino acid compositions, bulk organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total organic matter were measured for eight sediment samples from the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, in order to assess the source and fate of organic matter in a shallow marine environment. Samples were collected from near-shore and off-shore shore sites, as well as from a site receiving freshwater input from multiple rivers. A comparison of carbon, nitrogen, and amino acid compositions of samples between 1 cm depth (Uhle 2004) and 5 cm depth was used to assess changes in organic matter composition through time. Amino acid analyses in particular should be …

The Utilization Of Microwave Irradiation In Organic Synthesis: Organotrifluoroborate And Alumina Chemistry, Arie A. Dadush

Masters Theses

The utilization of microwave irradiation in chemistry started in the 1950’s. Due to operational difficulties, organic chemists only began using microwaves in the mid- 1980’s, when better instruments were invented. This work describe the utilization of microwaves in two areas of organic chemistry: microwave enhanced reactions using organotrifluoroborates and microwave irradiation reactions catalyzed by highly acidic alumina.

In part one, a basic understanding of microwave irradiation is presented followed by the exploration of three major reactions. The first comprises the coupling of allyl acetate and cinnamyl acetate with various substituted potassium arylvinyltrifluoroborates to produce a variety of 1,4-dienes. The second …

Modeling The Ground State Baryon Octet Using A Generalization Of The Lagrange Triangle Solution, Matthew P. Duran

Masters Theses

The baryon octet is modeled using relativistic and nonrelativistic Hamiltonians with interquark confining potentials. Using the works of Crater, a nonrelativistic three-body Hamiltonian is obtained where the corresponding eigenvalue equation will be shown to be separable and can be treated as three two-body like systems. Next, using relativistic constraint dynamics, our eigenvalue equation is treated relativistically following the works of Sazdjian and Yang. Using the free-mass-shell Hamiltonian constraints, Yang gives us an effective energy and reduced mass of relative motion for two particle systems which we expand to a three body case. With the help of work done by Sazdjian, …

Tectonometamorphic Evolution Of The Eastern Blue Ridge: Differentiating Multiple Paleozoic Orogenic Pulses In The Glenville And Big Ridge Quadrangles, Southwestern North Carolina, Donald W. Stahr

Masters Theses

New field and analytical data collected in the eastern Blue Ridge (EBR) of southwestern North Carolina reveal a complex, polyphase thermotectonic history, and delimit the timing of previously unrecognized orogenic pulses in a portion of the southern Appalachian orogenic core. Detailed geologic mapping of the Glenville and Big Ridge 7.5’ quadrangles delineated the location of the Chattahoochee fault, a tectonic boundary separating the western Tugaloo terrane from distinct central Blue Ridge terranes.

Zircon geochronologic data for two EBR granitoids in the map area indicate emplacement occurred at ~335 Ma, making these plutons among the youngest recognized in the EBR. Bulk-rock …

Improving Query Efficiency Of Multiresolution Data Aggregation For Analytical Exploration Of Large Relational Dataset, Yu-Ting Huang

Masters Theses

Tree structures are developed to organize the data more efficiently by using fewer resources for searching records. This thesis investigates the tree's actual structure on the hard disk to see the influence of different kinds of structures on the tree building time and query execution time. In order to improve efficiency, one multi-file structure and two reorganization structures, BFS and DFS, are examined to achieve this goal. The results indicate that two reorganization structures on KDB-tree structure can significantly improve the query execution time in large data sets and multi-file structure can slightly improve the TPIE lover level building time.

Real-Time Analysis And Investigation Of The Mechanism Of The Palladium On Carbon Catalyzed Isomerization Of Megestrolacetate, Charlene K. Wiglesworth

Masters Theses

Megestrol Acetate is a semi-synthetic steroid hormone of the progestin family and currently used as a drug therapy in many areas including treatments of cancers and AIDS. The final step to form the bulk drug is an isomerization using palladium on carbon with cyclohexene as an activator. This step is sensitive to catalyst quality and is hazardous to sample because of the reactivity of the catalyst. Physical and catalytic properties of the catalyst were evaluated, as were the effects of solid support and different washing strategies. Response of the reaction mixture to catalyst poisons was studied as a function of …

Morphological Analysis Of The Charlevoix-Antrim And Northport Drumlin Fields, Michigan Using Digital Elevation Models, Alan M. Lefever

Masters Theses

The Charlevoix-Antrim and Northport drumlin fields, located in northwest Lower Michigan, lie on opposite sides of Grand Traverse Bay. Morphological measurements were derived from topographic maps and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), combined with grain size analyses performed on collected drumlin sediments. Comparison of the morphological results demonstrates that statistical analysis of equal or better accuracy can be performed on drumlins using high resolution DEMs. The grain size analysis determined that the drumlins contain more gravel near the coast and become sandier to the south and east.

Spindle drumlins are the dominant drumlin form in both the Charlevoix-Antrim and Northport fields. …

Backstripping The Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure: Differentiating Regional Tectonics From Impact Effects, Travis Gary Hayden

Masters Theses

The Chesapeake Bay impact structure is a ca. 35.4 Ma old crater located on the coastal plain of Virginia along the eastern seaboard of North America. The impact generated a crater between 85 and 90 km in diameter, and over 2000 meters deep. Deposition returned to normal shortly after impact, resulting in a unique record of both the impact related and subsequent passive margin sedimentation. We use backstripping to show that the impact strongly affected sedimentation for 7 m.y. through a combination of impact derived crustal scale tectonics, dominated by the introduction and subsequent removal of a negative thermal anomaly, …

N-(Deoxyadenosine-8-Yl)-4-Aminobiphenyl Adduct Formation In Vitro On Tp53 Exon7 Genome: Quantitation By Lc-Esi-Ms/Ms, Paul René Knoll

Masters Theses

The p53 protein has been documented to be mutated in more than 50% of late stage bladder cancers and tobacco causes 50% of all bladder tumors. The 4- arninobiphenyl (ABP) carcinogen comprises 5 ng per cigarette in the smoke and is a known bladder carcinogen. The research goal in the present study was to compare the reactivity of rat liver S-9 fraction activated 4-arninobiphenyl with the 45-mer sense strand of the TP53 exon7 gene to the respective anti-sense strand. The specific and sensitive technique of LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for quantitation. The authentic standard of N-(adenine-8yl-)-4-arninobiphenyl (A-ABP) …

Co-Evolutionary Automated Software Correction: A Proof Of Concept, Joshua Lee Wilkerson

Masters Theses

"The task of ensuring that a software artifact is correct can be a very time consuming process. To be able to say that an algorithm is correct is to say that it will produce results in accordance with its specifications for all valid input. One possible way to identify an incorrect implementation is through the use of automated testing (currently an open problem in the field of software engineering); however, actually correcting the implementation is typically a manual task for the software developer. In this thesis a system is presented which automates not only the testing but also the correction …

Textural Analysis Of A Rhyolite Dike Of The Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen At Medicine Park, Oklahoma, Sean Patrick O'Donnell

Masters Theses

"Detailed analysis of the modal abundance and crystal size distribution (CSD) of glomerocrystic quartz and alkali feldspar phenocrysts in a porphyritic "rhyolite" dike at Medicine Park, Oklahoma were integrated with known phase relationships in the system SiO₂-NaAlSi₃O₈-KAlSi₃-O₈-H₂O to constrain the history of this intrusion"--Abstract, page iv.

The Carbonatite-Hosted Apatite Deposit Of Jacupiranga, Se Brazil: Styles Of Mineralization, Ore Characterization And Association With Mineral Processing, Paula Regina Alves

Masters Theses

"The carbonatite-hosted apatite deposit of Jacupiranga is located in southeastern Brazil. The major styles of apatite mineralization are veins or veinlets, small pods or patches, disseminated apatite, and massive aggregates (locally). The concentration of apatite involves grinding of the carbonatite, removal of magnetite with a magnet drum, size classification with cyclones, and flotation to suppress carbonates and collect apatite. Samples of carbonatite were collected from more recent exposures of the mine and drill holes. This study utilized a variety of microscopy methods, namely transmitted and reflected light, cathodoluminescence (CL), and scanning electron microscopy (with wavelength-dispersive spectrometers for mineral compositions)"--Abstract, page …

Role Of Microtubules In Budding Yeast Cytokinesis, Su Young Park

Masters Theses

"Cytokinesis is an important step to finish cell cycle events and separate into two daughter cells. This event is driven by actomyosin ring contraction. In budding yeast, the mitotic exit network (MEN) controls completion of ana/telophase by signaling events. Bub2 is a mitotic exit network regulator and binds to Tem1p which is an important component in MEN. Mad2 is a component of a separate spindle checkpoint. Mad2 dependent pathway prevents the metaphase to anaphase transition under spindle damage. Because yeast cells have cell walls, septum formation follows actin ring contraction. Here it was investigated how microtubule defects affect cytokinesis in …

Dynamic Equations With Piecewise Continuous Argument, Christian Keller

Masters Theses

"We extend the theory of differential equations with piecewise continuous argument to general time scales. Linear and quasi-linear systems of functional dynamic equations with alternating retarding and advanced argument will be investigated and conditions for globally asymptotic stability of those systems will be stated and proven. Furthermore, oscillation criteria for linear first-order equations with piecewise continuous argument will be established"--Abstract, page iii.

A Time Series Classifier, Christopher Mark Gore

Masters Theses

"A time series is a sequence of data measured at successive time intervals. Time series analysis refers to all of the methods employed to understand such data, either with the purpose of explaining the underlying system producing the data or to try to predict future data points in the time series...An evolutionary algorithm is a non-deterministic method of searching a solution space, and modeled after biological evolutionary processes. A learning classifier system (LCS) is a form of evolutionary algorithm that operates on a population of mapping rules. We introduce the time series classifier TSC, a new type of LCS that …

Cross-Layer Design Through Joint Routing And Link Allocation In Wireless Sensor Networks, Xuan Gong

Masters Theses

"Both energy and bandwidth are scarce resources in sensor networks. In the past, the energy efficient routing problem has been extensively studied in efforts to maximize sensor network lifetimes, but the link bandwidth has been optimistically assumed to be abundant. Because energy constraint affects how data should be routed, link bandwidth affects not only the routing topology, but also the allowed data rate on each link, which in turn affects the lifetime. Previous research that focus on energy efficient operations in sensor networks with the sole objective of maximizing network lifetime only consider the energy constraint ignoring the bandwidth constraint. …

Lateral Reservoir Compartmentalization Of The Woodford Shale In The Arkoma Basin, Southeastern Oklahoma, Adedapo Omotunde Ajibade

Masters Theses

"Analysis of geochemistry, mineralogy, total organic content (TOC) and rock evaluation pyrolysis on Woodford Shale well cuttings taken from a horizontal well (Quaid 13-30H) drilled in the Arkoma Basin (Pittsburg County), Oklahoma shows no significant variation in the thermal maturity, type, and/or quantity of organic matter. This is interpreted to mean that the organic matter of the Woodford Shale is relatively homogeneous and has all undergone similar thermal history. In addition, the analysis shows that there are lateral variations in the gas geochemistry in which the shale appears to be broken up into sections, some of which are more enhanced …