Browsing Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Physics) by Title
Now showing items 42-61 of 62
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Radiometric characterisation of vineyard soils, Western Cape, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the radiometric technique as an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil physico-chemical parameters which are important for terroir characterization. ... -
Radiometric investigation of soil and beach sand in Zanzibar
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)This study presents the results of radiometric investigation of soil and beach sand in Zanzibar. The activity concentration of natural radionuclides (40K, and 232Th and 238U decay products) in beach sand and soil samples ... -
Relativistic corrections to the power spectrum
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The matter power spectrum is key to understanding the growth of large-scale structure in the Universe. Upcoming surveys of galaxies in the optical and HI will probe increasingly large scales, approaching and even exceeding ... -
Silicon nanowires by metal-assisted chemical etching and its incorporation into hybrid solar cells
(University of Western Cape, 2021)The rapid increase in global energy demand in recent decades coupled with the adverse environmental impact of conventional fuels has led to a high demand for alternative energy sources that are sustainable and efficient. ... -
Simulating the neutral hydrogen distribution during cosmic reionization
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)We improve on the physical treatment of ionising source and sink populations in the large scale semi-numerical simulations by implementing new physically motivated parametrizations taken from high-resolution radiative ... -
Spectrally selective AlXOY/Pt/AlXOY solar absorber coatings for high temprature solar-thermal applications
(University of Western Cape, 2014)The limited supply of fossil hydrocarbon resources and the negative impact of CO2 emission on the global environment dictate the increasing usage of renewable energy sources. Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems are the ... -
Structural and gas sensing properties of TiO₂-based (Sn, Mg) nano-structures induced by mechanical milling and annealing
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Titanium oxynitride has attracted research interest for the fact that it is a bioactive non-toxic material. It is suitable for surface coating of biomaterials and in other applications such as anti-reflective coatings, ... -
Structural and physical properties of ReN i03 (Re=Sm, N d) nanostructured films prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Very few systems allow the study of the relationship between structural changes and physical properties in such a clear way as rare earth nickelate ReNi03 perovskites (Re (rare earth) = Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd). Synthesized for ... -
Structure property relationship and thermal stability of organic photovoltaic cells
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)In this thesis, regioregularpoly( 3-hexylthiophene) (rr-P3HT) polymer was used as a light absorption and electron donating material, while the C60 fullerene and its derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester ... -
A study of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films deposited by hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD)
(University of the Western Cape, 2005)In this thesis, intrinsic hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films for solar cells application have been deposited by means of the hot – wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD) technique and have been characterised ... -
Studying chirality in a ~ 100, 130 and 190 mass regions
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)Chirality is a nuclear symmetry which is suggested to occur in nuclei when the total angular momentum of the system has an aplanar orientation [Fra97, Fra01]. It can occur for nuclei with triaxial shape, which have valence ... -
Synthesis of bimetallic immiscible alloy nanoparticles through green and gamma radiolysis approaches for environmental remediation applications
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)The synthesis of bimetallic immiscible alloy nanoparticles (NPs) using versatile routes, is a major concern since physio-chemical methods are not environmentally benign. Breaking down the immiscibility would generate NPs ... -
Synthesis of the metallocenes for the production of exotic high energy ion beams
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)The Subatomic Physics Department of iThemba Laboratory for Accelerated Based Sciences (iThemba LABS) conducts experiments that require a variety of particle beams in order to study nuclear properties (reaction, structure, ... -
Test of traditional vibrational wisdom by 2 proton stripping onto targets of 108;110Pd,114Cd,115In
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)The cadmium nuclei have traditionally been regarded as among the best examples of spherical vibrational nuclei. However, advances in nuclear spectroscopy have begun to detail the properties of these nuclei at the two and ... -
TiO2 nanotube based dye- sensitised solar cells
(University of Western Cape, 2012)This work investigated the synthesis of Al2O3-coated TiO2 nanotubes via the anodisation technique for application in DSCs. TiO2 nanotube arrays with an average length of 15 μm, diameter of 50 nm and wall thickness of 15 ... -
TiO₂ nanotube based dye-sensitised solar cells
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The first report of a functioning photo-electrochemical solar cell in 1991 attracted a lot of interest from scientists and industrial groups. From an industrial point of view these so-called dye-sensitised solar cells ... -
Towards stimuli-responsive functional nanocomposites: smart tunable plasmonic nanostructures Au-VO2
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)The fascinating optical properties of metallic nanostructures, dominated by collective oscillations of free electrons known as plasmons, open new opportunities for the development of devices fabrication based on noble metal ... -
Transport and thermodynamic properties of rare earth compounds and alloys
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Rare-earth (RE) elements possess an incompletely lled 4f shell, which is very small compared to typical interatomic distances. As a result of this, RE elements and compounds exhibit characteristic properties, which deviate ... -
Using semantic profiling to characterize pedagogical practices and student learning : a case study in two introductory physics courses
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Framed by the South African imperative of widening epistemological access to undergraduate science studies, this research takes the form of a case study to investigate the educational affordances of an extended introductory ... -
Vanadium dioxide nanocomposite thin film embedded in zinc oxide matrix as tunable transparent conductive oxide
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)This project is aimed at fabricating a smart material. Zinc oxide and vanadium dioxide have received a great deal of attention in recent years because they are used in various applications. ZnO semiconductor in particular ...