Results Search Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Empirical velocity predictions at culvert inlets: Author: Patton, Jesse Earl; Date: 2006-05-15; Program: Civil Engineering; Abstract: The velocity distribution at the entrance cross section of a culvert is typically diverse, reflecting the nuances of the bed material, debris and other hydraulic factors just upstream of the culvert. These diverse inlet velocity fields have been observed to perpetuate some distance into the culvert, impacting the ability of fish to travel upstream in the culvert barrel. It is important to be able to quantitatively describe the inlet velocity field, especially as this serves as a necessary boundary condition for three-dimensional modeling of fluid flow in culverts. While there are various theor...; Download File | View full details

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Structure, Behavior and Hydrodynamics: Author: Purevdorj-Gage, Boloroo; Date: 2004-12-15; Program: Microbiology; Abstract: Biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens is an important factor in the progression and treatment of many infectious diseases. Biofilm structural development is a dynamic process dependent on many cellular and environmental parameters including Quorum Sensing (QS) and hydrodynamics. Since QS is dependent on a threshold autoinducer concentration, it was hypothesized that the flow dynamics in the bulk fluid surrounding the biofilm would play an important role in expression of QS and the genes that are under its control. In order to investigate the relative contribution of hydrodynamics and QS on ...; Download File | View full details

Relativistic Accretion Flows onto Supermassive Black Holes: Shock Formation and Iron Fluorescent Emission Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei: Author: Fukumura, Keigo; Date: 2005-05-15; Program: Physics; Abstract: One of the exciting discoveries from the recent X-ray spectroscopic studies of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is the so called "relativistically-broadened iron fluorescent emission line" often detected in the hard X-ray spectra. It is generally believed to originate from the inner part of the accretion disk surrounding a supermassive black hole (BH) at the center. Although we have begun to obtain some physical insight regarding such emission lines supported by theoretical models (e.g., disk-corona model), exactly how and where the observed fluorescence may take place is still disputab...; Download File | View full details

Influence of pollutant loading rate on seasonal performance of model constructed wetlands: Author: Schultz, Rickey Lynn Jr.; Date: 2007-12-15; Program: Environmental Engineering; Abstract: Constructed wetlands (CW) are a viable alternative wastewater treatment technology for many wastewater types. However, recommended loading rates vary widely between regulatory agencies. A greenhouse experiment was carried out for approximately 19 months to study the effect of loading rate, plant species selection, temperature and season on pollutant removal in bench-scale constructed wetlands. The wetlands were operated in batch mode at batch lengths of 3, 6, and 9 days, corresponding to loading rates of 210, 105, and 70 kg COD/ha·d, respectively. Greenhouse temperature cycled fr...; Download File | View full details

Combining hydrodynamic modeling with nonthermal test particle tracking to improve flare simulations: Author: Winter, Henry deGraffenried III; Date: 2009-05-15; Program: Physics; Abstract: Solar flares remain a subject of intense study in the solar physics community. These huge releases of energy on the Sun have direct consequences for humans on Earth and in space. The processes that impart tremendous amounts of energy are not well understood. In order to test theoretical models of flare formation and evolution, state of the art, numerical codes must be created that can accurately simulate the wide range of electromagnetic radiation emitted by flares. A direct comparison of simulated radiation to increasingly detailed observations will allow scientists to test the validity of th...; Download File | View full details