This dissertation determined how the electronic and atomic structure of Ni/Cu(100) and Co/Ru(0001) thin films affect C6O-metal bonding and local magnetic properties at the surface. In-situ spin-averaged and spin-polarized ...

This research work focuses on developing new synthesis routes to fabricate polymer nanocomposites tailored towards different applications. A simple, one-step method has been devised for synthesizing free-standing, flexible ...

This thesis introduces a comprehensive numerical model for the determination of the electrical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced polymer composites. Procedures of this model are based on a new spanning network ...

In the first part of the dissertation, mechanical properties of bundles of carbon nanotubes are investigated. Earlier experiments showed that these tubes are tightly packed in the bundles, proving that they are strongly ...

The spectral element method is used to obtain 3D, time-dependent solutions for a thermocapillary driven liquid bridge with magnetic stabilization, which arises from the float-zone crystal growth process. The methods and ...

This thesis primarily documents the development and application of a novel technique, which involves the usage of a silicon micro-mechanical device that operates in conjunction with a quantitative nanoindenter within an ...

This research evaluates measurement accuracy in optical lever-based atomic force microscopy (AFM) for off-resonance conditions and parameter variations. Under controlled conditions and correct calibration, AFM provides ...

Guidance methods for a powered descent planetary lander are examined. Several guidance laws are developed and analyzed including Apollo derived, modified Apollo, time efficient and fuel efficient methods. These laws are ...

The Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling at Rice University specializes in finite element computation of complex problems, relying on stabilized formulations such as the streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin and ...

The Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T*AFSM) at Rice University has been developing techniques to address the computational challenges involved in fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling. The Stabilized ...