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Now showing items 11-20 of 237
Modelling the growth of large-scale structure with interacting fluids
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)
Prevailing astronomical and astrophysical observations suggest that we live in a spatially flat cold dark matter (CDM) universe - currently going through a period of accelerated expansion possibly driven by “dark energy” ...
Laser drilling of metals and glass using zero-order bessel beams
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)
This dissertation consists of two main sections. The first section focuses on generating zero order Bessel beams using axicons. An axicon with an opening angle y = 5⁰ was illuminated with a Gaussian beam of width ω₀ = 1.67 ...
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 ...
Analysis and simulations to obtain the weak magnetism term in ²²Na beta decay
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)
The study of ²²Na beta decay offers an opportunity to test the Standard Model of Particle Physics via measurements of the β−γ angular correlation. A previous measurement of this correlation yielded a non-zero value, ...
A theoretical study of stellar pulsations in young brown dwarfs
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)
This thesis reports the results of a twofold study on the recently proposed phenomenon of 'stellar pulsations' in young brown dwarfs by the seminal study of Palla and Baraffe (2005) (PB05, thereafter). The PB05 study ...
Hot-wire chemical vapour deposition of nanocrystalline silicon and silicon nitride : growth mechanisms and filament stability
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)
Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) is an interesting type of silicon with superior
electrical properties that are more stable compared to amorphous silicon (a-Si:H).
Silicon nitride (SiNₓ) thin films are currently the ...
Characterisation of natural radioactivity in Karoo Basin groundwater prior to shale gas exploration
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)
The prospect of unconventional shale-gas development in the Karoo Basin (South Africa) has created
the need to obtain baseline data on natural radioactivity in Karoo groundwaters. The Karoo Basin
groundwater radiological ...
Plasma characterisation of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source by means of x-ray spectroscopy
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)
The ultimate aim of any multiply-charged ion source, like the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source, ECRIS, is the production of multiply-charged ions, in sufficiently large quantities. These multiplycharged ions, in the ...
Disentangling star formation and AGN activity in the GAMA (G23) region
(University of the Western Cape, 2021)
Observations of galaxies at di↵erent wavelengths have shaped our understanding of their
formation and evolution through time. The commonly derived parameters, such as stellar
mass and star formation rate (SFR), rely on ...
The design and simulation of a new experimental set up to measure nuclear level lifetimes
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)
Measurements of nuclear level lifetimes are an important aspect of experimental nuclear physics. Such measurements determine transition matrix elements for nuclear structure research and also provide the widths of relevant ...