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Aqueous systems from first-principles : structure, dynamics and electron-transfer reactions
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)
In this thesis, we show for the first time how it is possible to calculated fully from first-principles the diabatic free-energy surfaces of electron-transfer reactions. The excitation energy corresponding to the transfer ...
New perspectives on ab initio calculation and physical insights gained through linkage to continuum theories
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000)
We explore the use of ab initio, density-functional methods for the study of large-scale materials problems. Three examples are presented: (i) the interplay of surface and edge reconstructions in long silicon nanowires, ...
Defects, thermal phenomena and design in photonic crystal systems
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)
The physics of blackbodies has been an ongoing source of fascination and scientific research for over a hundred years. Kirchhoff's law states that emissivity and absorptivity are equal for an object in thermal equilibrium. ...
D-branes and string field theory
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006)
In this thesis we study the D-brane physics in the context of Witten's cubic string field theory. We compute first few terms the low energy effective action for the non-abelian gauge field A, from Witten's action. We show ...
Measurement of the charged-hadron multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at LHC with the CMS detector
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011)
Charged-hadron pseudorapidity densities and multiplicity distributions in protonproton collisions at [the square root of sigma] = 0.9, 2.36, 7.0 TeV were measured with the inner tracking system of the CMS detector at the ...
Observational and evolutionary studies of neutron star X-ray binaries
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011)
In this thesis, we present our observational and evolutionary studies of neutron stars in X-ray binary systems. A variety of topics are discussed, which are all related by a single scientific theme, namely, helping to set ...
Experimental study of current-driven turbulence during magnetic reconnection
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)
Magnetic reconnection is an important process in magnetized plasmas ranging from the laboratory to astrophysical scales. It enables the release of magnetic energy believed to power solar flares and magnetospheric substorms. ...
Imaging X-ray spectroscopy with micro-X and Chandra
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013)
High spectral resolution observations of X-ray phenomena have the potential to uncover new physics. Currently, only point sources can be probed with high resolution spectra, using gratings. Extended objects like supernova ...
Zeeman relaxation of cold iron and nickel in collisions with ³He
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008)
This thesis describes a measurement of the ratio of elastic to Zeeman-projection changing collision cross sections ([gamma]) in the Fe-3He and Ni-3He systems. This ratio is a probe of the anisotropy of the interaction ...
A theoretical study of the stability of disk galaxies and planetary rings
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985)