The objective of this thesis was to investigate the use of the Jacobian Free Newton Krylov Method (JFNK) with physics based preconditioning for solving coupled radiative transport and material energy balance. Modeling of these physics is important in inertial confinement fusion and other high energy density systems. In this thesis,...
Riparian zone conservation is vital as species’ ability to adapt to a changing climate and pressure from land use is constantly tested. The unique microclimates of riparian zones offer cooler temperatures and resourceful habitats for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This is essential during seasonal ceased flow regimes when water availability...
The optical response of metallic structures is dominated by the dynamics of their free electron plasma. Plasmonics, the area of optics specializing in the electromagnetic behavior of heterogeneous structures with metallic inclusions, is undergoing rapid development, fueled in part by recent progress in experimental fabrication techniques and novel
theoretical approaches....
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are acutely aware of the dangers posed by wildfires. Largely due to the worsening effects of climate change, this danger is only increasing. Along with causing property and economic damage to those communities affected by wildfires, exposure to the smoke generated by wildfires can...
Climate change is a global phenomenon, but natural selection occurs within landscapes. A central tenet of landscape ecology is that mobile species depend on complementary habitats, which are insufficient in isolation, but combine to support animals through the full annual cycle. For coldwater fishes, it is widely assumed that maximum...
Long-run food price changes respond to long-run changes in food demand, quasi-fixed and variable production factors, and agricultural productivity. Recent global food-price volatility puts a renewed spotlight on the trends and sources of any agricultural productivity growth. Because food prices’ most critical effects are on human hunger, it is especially...
We examined the spatial and temporal variability of stream carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the drivers of these variations in a headwater catchment. To examine temporal variation and drivers, we measured stream and hyporheic pCO₂ at high temporal resolution over 11 months in a 95.9-ha forested headwater catchment in the Western...
One post-transcriptional mechanism that regulates the progression of cancer and other diseases involves small 22-23 nucleotide sequences called microRNA (miR). Early detection of small changes in concentration of these biomarkers holds potential to diagnose diseases at their earliest stages. Use of current nucleic-acid based biosensors, like molecular beacons, for in...
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is a commercially and ecologically important tree species native to western North America. The foliar pathogens Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, the causal agent of Swiss Needle Cast, and Rhabdocline species, the causal agents of Rhabdocline needle cast, are two important pathogens specific to Douglas-fir. These pathogens are highly influenced...