This thesis investigates three representative modalities of multidimensional imaging, including spectral imaging, polarization imaging, and 3D stereo imaging, which address the growing demand for efficient acquisition and processing of high-dimensional data in modern scientific and industrial applications. As the number of imaging dimensions increases, tra-ditional sequential scanning approaches face exponential growth in data volume and system complexity. In response, this work embraces a paradigm shift toward snapshot-based strategies that use optical encoding and computational decoding to enable compact, real-time, and high-fidelity multidimensional imaging. The first part of this thesis explores the reconstruction of hyperspectral images from RGB inputs. Starting from a lightweight convolutional neural network trained on synthetic data, we demonstrate accurate recovery of 31-band hypercubes from a single RGB image. To enhance reconstruction fidelity, a dual-RGB system using learned optical filters was developed,eliminating the need for sensors alignment. A dual-camera RGB-hyperspectral imaging system was built to collect a real-world dataset for training and evaluation. After that, we introduce a spectrally tunable light source and a scene-aware recovery framework, achieving improved results under controlled illumination conditions. These efforts collectively contribute to making hyperspectral imaging more affordable, flexible, and deployable. In the second chapter, we present advancements in color-polarization imaging using microgrid sensors. A demosaicking network was trained on real-world RGB-polarization image pairs captured using a dual-camera setup, addressing the limitations when using synthetic training data. Extending this work, we developed a polarization hyperspectral camera byintegrating a custom mosaic filter optimized via compressed sensing theory. The resulting system captures full hyperspectral data under multiple polarization states. Experimental validation using standard and polarimetric targets confirmed high reconstruction accuracy, while tests on biological samples demonstrated potential applications in biomedical polar-spectral analysis. The third chapter focuses on the development of a common viewpoint panoramic endoscope for 3D stereo colonoscopy. Designed as a 360-degree panoramic front-end attachment for standard colonoscopy, it features six optical subsystems arranged in a hexagonal configuration. A shared-viewpoint design was implemented using freeform optics and customZEMAX macros to simplify image stitching. High-precision diamond turning was used to fabricate concentric lens rings, and stray light suppression was achieved through targeted coating strategies identified via LightTools simulation. A real-time interface was developed for panoramic streaming, and a customized Structure-from-Motion algorithm enabled 3D surface reconstruction. This project demonstrates the challenges and rewards of integrating optical design, precision fabrication, and computational imaging into a robust, clinically relevant device. Together, these contributions provide practical solutions and theoretical insights into the design and implementation of snapshot-compatible, high-dimensional imaging systems, advancing the frontiers of low-cost, high-performance multidimensional sensing.

Intense, ultrashort-pulse laser sources (USPLs) enable a wide range of applications in remote sensing, laser wakefield acceleration, and directed energy. The extremity of the underlying physical phenomena scales favorably with the wavelength of the laser driver, yet, to-date, most of the investigations in intense light-matter interactions used high-power USPLs operating in the relatively narrow wavelength range in the near infrared (NIR). This applies to the nonlinear self-channeling of USPL pulses in air, known as laser filamentation, the primary motivator for the work discussed in this dissertation. Like several other metrics in intense light-matter interactions, the threshold for self-focusing, which is the prerequisite to filamentation, and the optical power carried by an individual laser filament, both scale in proportion to the wavelength of the laser squared. Recent developments in the ultrafast laser technology have enabled the extension of the studies of air filamentation from the familiar NIR spectral range to the short-wave and mid-wave infrared (SWIR and MWIR, respectively). An interesting effect accompanying MWIR filamentation is the efficient and non-perturbation generation of low odd-order harmonics of the optical driver. As the results of our experiments show, spectral interference of the neighboring harmonics carries information about the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of the MWIR driver pulses and can be used for the single-shot CEP characterization. Contrary to intuition, the carrier-phase information is preserved through the highly nonlinear propagation through the interaction region in the presence of ionization. The natural extension of these and other studies in strong-field science to LWIR is hindered by the lack of practical optical sources in that wavelength range. To address this shortcoming, we have designed and constructed a source of ultrashort optical pulses operating at the center wavelength of 8.5 um. The source is based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) and currently generates one-millijoule pulses at the repetition rate of ten pulses per second. The optical bandwidth of the generated LWIR emission supports one hundred femtosecond pulse duration, corresponding to multi-gigawatt peak optical power. In this dissertation, I will discuss the principle of operation of this OPCPA source, and the major trade-offs involved in its design.

The senior immigrant population in the United States continues to grow. More than ten percent of seniors in the U.S. who are 65 and older were born outside of the U.S. (Elderly Immigrants in the United States," n.d.). The increase in the senior immigrant population in the U.S. is primarily due to the aging of the foreign-born population and immigrants or refugees entering the U.S. to reunite with their families (ASA Generations, 2022). It is projected that by 2060, immigrants 60 years of age and older will make up about a quarter of the elderly population in the U.S. (New Old Immigrants in the U.S., 2022). This includes a large number of older Asian immigrants. Some researchers have proposed that music, as a universal language, contributes to older adults' health and quality of life and promotes the ability to foster cultural understanding and social interaction (MacDonald et al., 2012; Fung & Lehmberg, 2016). However, while there is a large amount of literature on immigrant communities, there is limited research on the link between music and immigration. More in-depth research is necessary to fill this gap. In addition, how to provide culturally sensitive social services or multicultural music programs to ameliorate loneliness and social isolation among senior immigrant Chinese Americans continues to be a common challenge for the public (Stewart et al., 2011). This research aims to build a sustainable, innovative, and inclusive music program that meets Chinese immigrant older adults' diverse needs and expectations while providing hands-on and community-engaged learning opportunities for pre-service teachers. It seeks to be a culturally resonant space that promotes cultural respect and social inclusion while utilizing the power of music as a tool for lifelong learning, social connection, and enhanced emotional and cognitive health. The study found that music participation can evoke deep cultural memories among senior immigrants and promote identity reconstruction, while collective music activities strengthen social connections. Pre-service teachers also experienced a shift in their educational philosophy during this process. This study reveals the role of music in the cultural empowerment and emotional health of immigrant seniors and provides cross-cultural and community-oriented practical references for music education teacher training.

This dissertation addresses key optical engineering challenges in modern astronomicalinstruments, focusing on stray light contamination, optical misalignments, and design limitations that affect the performance of space-based and balloon-borne telescopes. These challenges hinder the precision of measurements critical for scientific discovery, and this work presents novel solutions to optimize instrument performance. In Chapter 2, we focus on re-aligning the FIREBall-2 spectrograph, a NASA/CNES balloon-borne telescope designed to study the circumgalactic medium. During its first flight, optical misalignments led to suboptimal resolution, with spatial resolution degrading to 7′′ and spectral resolution to 1300. Post-flight evaluation revealed significant misalignments of optical elements beyond tolerance. We detail a re-alignment procedure that uses Computer-Generated Holograms (CGHs) with a Zygo interferometer to achieve precise alignment of the focal corrector system, resulting in improved performance in the 2023 re-flight. Chapter 3 addresses stray light contamination in the Aspera SmallSat mission, a NASA-funded project aimed at studying galaxy evolution by detecting diffuse O VI emission at 103.2 nm. Stray light degrades the signal-to-noise ratio in spectroscopic observations of galaxy halos. To mitigate this, a two-stage baffle design is proposed, featuring optimized vane geometries and strategically placed shared baffles coated with Acktar Magic Black. Simulation results show that this design effectively meets the mission’s stringent stray light suppression requirements. A third study in Chapter 4 investigates the performance of a dual-ruled grating spectrometer as part of the Spatial Heterodyne Extreme Ultraviolet Interferometer (SHEUVI) project. SHEUVI is a wide-field, all-reflective spatial heterodyne spectrometer that utilizes a single, dual-ruling grating to diffract incoming normal-incidence light into symmetric orders, thereby generating a dispersion-based interference pattern on a detector. Designed to operate at wavelengths below the transmissive optics cutoff (approximately 105 nm), this innovative design minimizes optical path differences by producing both interfering beams from the same grating location. Experimental characterization of the 800 gr/mm ruling, optimized for approximately 590 nm at m = ±1 with a symmetric blaze angle of 13.8, confirms the grating’s effectiveness in isolating and sampling discrete passbands. In conclusion, Chapter 5 of this dissertation presents solutions to common optical challenges including stray light suppression, optical alignment, and diffraction efficiency, that affect astronomical instruments. These contributions enhance the performance of current space missions and provide valuable insights for optimizing the design of future telescopes.

We discuss the history of Nuclear Physics and introduce QCD as the modern theory of strong nuclear forces. The idea of factorization allows us to make predictions by separating nuclear processes into independent parts occurring at different energies. We approach the calculations in different regions by setting up NRQCD, which is an effective field theory. Using these ideas, we then calculate the matching, at leading order, of the transverse momentum-dependent fragmentation functions (TMDFFs) for light quarks and gluons fragmenting to a $J/\psi$ onto polarized nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) TMDFFs. Using the results we obtain, we make predictions for the light quark fragmentation contribution to the production of polarized $J/\psi$ in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) both for unpolarized and longitudinally polarized beams of electrons colliding with protons. We then compare the relative importance of different mechanisms for polarized $J/\psi$ production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering processes at large $Q^2$. We study the leading contributions from light quark fragmentation to polarized $J/\psi$ production, and compare to direct production via photon-gluon fusion, which can proceed through color-singlet as well as color-octet mechanisms. We identify kinematic regimes where light quark fragmentation dominates, allowing for the extraction of the $^3S_1$ matrix element, as well as regimes where photon gluon fusion dominates, suggesting that the gluon TMD parton distribution function can be probed.

Thousands of extrasolar planets have now been discovered, many with characteristics unlike anything in our Solar System. An immediate goal of exoplanetary science is to understand the dynamics and formation of aerosols that shape each planet’s atmosphere, and their dependencies on the planet’s environment. Such advances pave the way toward the community’s ultimate goals including unraveling the diversity of planets in the Galaxy. In this thesis, I present new space-based observations of exoplanetary atmospheres as well as new theoretical frameworks that map how fundamental atmospheric properties change spatially within an atmosphere and vary over time. First, I present a set of repeated infrared phase curve observations of the canonical hot Jupiter WASP-43 b using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Phase curves probe a planet’s global atmospheric properties by measuring its emission over a full time-resolved orbit, and repeated observations affords the opportunity to see how these properties change over time. I show that WASP-43 b’s climate is relatively stable, and place new upper limits on the variability of its global temperature and cloud distribution. I also compare my observations to new 3-dimensional circulation models to show that WASP-43 b has a heterogeneous cloud distribution that is stable over time. Second, I present transmission spectroscopy of the hot Neptune HD 219666 b using the Hubble Space Telescope. The second hottest exo-Neptune known, HD 219666 b lies in an interesting chemical and aerosol transition regime. I combine two new near-infrared transmission spectra from ∼1.1 - 1.6 μm to detect water in its atmosphere, and these also show no evidence for temporal variability. I further use these spectra to infer that HD 219666 b has a relatively aerosol-free atmosphere. Third, I present the description of a systematic bias that may impede a new observational technique -– “limb-resolved transmission spectroscopy” — for characterizing spatial variations in atmospheres. In short, the effect is that uncertainty in a planet’s orbital ephemeris can lead to false positive and negative detections of asymmetry between the planet’s limbs. I show that this bias is actually two effects, one astrophysical and one numerical, working in concert together. I develop general analytic models to show how each effect arises and how they can be corrected for, and develop complementary numerical models to demonstrate this effect in practice for current potential targets for limb-resolved transmission spectroscopy. Fourth, I present the novel application of limb-resolved transmission spectroscopy on the exoplanet WASP-107 b using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). I make the first-ever space-based detection of evening-morning limb asymmetry. Further, using WASP-107 b’s limb transmission spectra I show there is a significant temperature difference between WASP-107 b’s terminators, which challenges expectations for the efficiency of heat redistribution in warm exoplanetary atmospheres. Fifth and finally, I expand on this discovery using additional JWST observations of WASP-107 b to measure its panchromatic (1 - 12 μm) evening and morning transmission spectra. This is the first time that individual limb spectra have been measured across multiple bands and combined. I show evidence that, in addition to a temperature contrast, there are also chemical abundance variations between WASP-107 b’s terminators. I also show evidence for a highly heterogeneous cloud distribution between terminators, and present new 3-dimensional circulation models which consistently predict such heterogeneity. Several of these observations were contaminated by starspot crossings during the transits. I leverage these to also develop the first model for how limb-resolved transmission spectra are biased by starspot crossings.

Liposomal drug delivery systems have established themselves as a versatile strategy for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of both anticancer agents and central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics. These systems facilitate improved encapsulation efficiency, regulated drug release kinetics, prolonged circulation time, and surface functionalization for targeted delivery. The work performed in this dissertation encompasses a series of formulation and characterization studies aimed at optimizing liposomal systems for hydrophilic chemotherapeutics—specifically pemetrexed (PMX), 5-fluorouracil (5FU), and doxorubicin (DOX)—as well as the antidepressants paroxetine and venlafaxine. For PMX, a multi-targeted antifolate characterized by rapid systemic clearance and associated dose-limiting toxicities, the effects of incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the liposomal aqueous core were explored to modulate drug release. Formulations incorporating polyethylene glycol internally in the liposomes displayed a concentration-dependent extension of PMX release, with statistically significant differences observed at late release time points. This finding indicates that the manipulation of the internal liposomal environment can effectively fine-tune drug diffusion release kinetics. Similarly, polyethyleneimine (PEI), a cationic polymer known for its strong electrostatic binding capabilities and pH-buffering properties, was integrated in the aqueous core of liposomes to investigate its effect on encapsulation efficiency and retention of chemotherapeutic agents. This modification significantly improved drug loading and ensured sustained release for PMX, 5FU, and DOX, suggesting the broad applicability of PEI-based systems across a range of hydrophilic pharmacological agents. Moreover, studies examining ionic strength revealed that an increase in NaCl concentration resulted in decreased liposome particle size, likely due to enhanced lipid packing, while maintaining PMX encapsulation efficiency. Nonetheless, elevated ionic strength correlated with accelerated PMX release, possibly due to alterations in bilayer permeability and stability, emphasizing the critical need for precise control over formulation parameters to achieve desired release profiles. When extending these methodologies towards CNS therapeutics, liposomal formulations were developed both with and without PEI for encapsulating paroxetine and venlafaxine, two antidepressants of clinical significance. The inclusion of PEI markedly enhanced encapsulation efficiency and resulted in more sustained release characteristics, thereby addressing challenges related to low bioavailability and limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier. Surface modification studies were conducted on amine-bearing cationic liposomes, specifically those formulated with dimyristoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), to explore rapid and scalable functionalization using PEG and the chelating agent dipicolylamine (DPA). The results indicated that PEGylation led to a 44% reduction in surface-accessible amines, while DPA modification resulted in a 28% reduction. These findings underscore the potential for controlled modulation of surface chemistry, making strides toward the creation of stealth nanocarriers with targeted ligand-mediated capabilities. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluations were carried out with PMX. They involved a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay against 4T1 breast cancer cells to determine the cytotoxic effects of PMX-loaded liposomes in comparison to free drug and blank liposome controls. Statistical analysis using one-way and two-way ANOVA revealed that liposomal PMX exhibited significantly greater and more sustained cytotoxicity over 72 hours, in contrast to the diminishing cytotoxicity of free PMX by that time. These findings suggest that encapsulation within liposomes can extend PMX activity, thereby decreasing dosing frequency while preserving therapeutic efficacy. This work demonstrates the capacity to meticulously engineer both the intraliposomal environment (via PEG or PEI incorporation) and external formulation conditions (ionic strength, surface modification) to optimize liposomal physicochemical properties and drug release characteristics. These strategies have been effectively applied to various drug classes, including antifolate chemotherapeutics, anthracyclines, antimetabolites, and CNS-active antidepressants. The integration of formulation optimization, surface engineering, and in vitro performance evaluation establishes a robust framework for the rational design of nanocarriers, addressing critical challenges in drug delivery to enhance therapeutic outcomes and expand the clinical applicability of liposomal systems in oncology and neuropsychiatric disorders.

I study radiation emission by classical relativistic charged particles interacting with strong electromagnetic fields including the case of motion in vacuum (Larmor radiation) as well as in matter (Cherenkov radiation). I employ a consistent covariant formulation throughout the thesis. I provide detailed description of the covariant constitutive relations and constitutive tensor which relates the electromagnetic fields to the displacement fields. I then construct Lorentz-invariant generalizations of the electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, and index of refraction, explicitly discussing the case of an isotropic medium. I describe and characterize radiation reaction in classical electromagnetism using the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac (LAD) and Landau-Lifshitz (LL) particle equations of motion. I contrast these approaches with the Eliezer-Ford-O'Connell (EFO) equation, which improves on some of the shortcomings of both the LAD and LL equations. I also show that the EFO equation has a novel feature; the invariant acceleration magnitude of a particle can be limited in certain field configurations. This motivates a search for a more general context which would contain a universal upper limit to acceleration as a general principle. I compare the limiting acceleration of the EFO equation of motion to the limiting field strength theory of electromagnetism, the Born-Infeld (BI) theory. I show that BI theory places an upper limit on the invariant electric-like eigenvalue of the electromagnetic field tensor. I discuss the formulation of BI theory, and nonlinear electromagnetic theories in general, in terms of the constitutive tensor introduced in the context of matter. I then calculate the invariant dielectric constants corresponding to a nonlinear theory. I discuss the effects of the limiting field properties of BI theory using the example of relativistic heavy ion collisions. The emission of Cherenkov radiation by a particle moving faster than the local speed of light within a medium is another radiation phenomenon I explore as it has not yet been addressed in a manner consistent with the relativistic formulation of Larmor radiation. Cherenkov radiation does not require acceleration. Using the covariant formulation, I contrast the Cherenkov with the Larmor radiation process in vacuum which does requires acceleration. I use the formulation of covariant constitutive relations to derive a covariant form of the Cherenkov radiation reaction force on a uniformly moving charged particle in an isotropic medium. I then discuss how our formalism can be generalized to allow for acceleration of the particle and derive a unified Larmor-Cherenkov radiation reaction force.

The halo model has been the standard framework to study the large-scale structure of the Universe over the last two decades. With the availability of increasingly high-resolution dark matter simulations and observational galaxy surveys, the current halo model is not flexible enough to incorporate higher precision constraints in a simple manner. We propose a rethinking of the conventional halo definitions to one that is both accurate to current numerical simulations and physically intuitive. This dissertation presents my work towards building an improved and interpretable halo definition. First, I show how we can use the dynamical structure of dark matter halos to motivate a physical mass definition. This new paradigm is known as dynamical halos, which are defined as the collection of orbiting particles. Then, I study the dynamical halo's clustering statistics, in which I demonstrate how they can be accurately (percent level) described with simple, and easy to interpret, models. I show that these models are highly accurate across all scales without introducing ad hoc corrections, even for traditional halo definitions. Finally, I detail the development of Oasis, a code and algorithm to generate dynamical halo catalogs for any numerical simulation.

This dissertation focuses on Mack’s first- and second-mode instabilities in planarboundary layers. Experiments were first conducted on a flat plate in the Quiet Mach 4 Ludwieg Tube at the University of Arizona. Data showed presence of first-mode waves, but the amplitudes were too low to cause the boundary layer to transition. The frequency and wave angle of these first-mode waves agreed well with theory. No second-mode waves were detected in these experiments. The Reynolds number in this facility was too low to perform meaningful boundary-layer transition experiments. As such, experiments were then conducted on a hollow cylinder in the Mach 5 Ludwieg Tube at the University of Arizona, which has a larger maximum Reynolds number. In this conventional wind tunnel, the transition from a laminar boundary layer to a turbulent boundary layer was observed. The unit Reynolds numbers for these experiments ranged from Re′ = 6.5 × 106m−1 to 18.5 × 106m−1. The experimental data show evidence of the first and second modes in this boundary layer, as predicted by linear stability theory. The main instrumentation used in the experiments were surface pressure transducers and Z-type schlieren imaging. The pressure data showed spectral content in frequency bands where linear stability theory (LST) predicts the second mode to exist. The second mode becomes unstable at the locations predicted by LST and the experimentally measured second-mode growth rates agree well with second-mode growth rates from LST. The first-mode waves did not produce a significant signal in the pressure data, which is expected since these waves are often difficult to detect with surface pressure sensors. However, wave angle calculations performed on the pressure data in the predicted first-mode frequency range showed an oblique wave angle that was consistent with the first-mode wave angles of LST. First-mode structures were pronounced in the schlieren data and their shape and wavelength agree with LST amplitude reconstruction. The second-mode waves show some resemblance to the structures predicted by LST, but there are subtle differences as well. Nonlinear analysis of the pressure data was conducted to understand the ultimate breakdown mechanism. It appears that an interaction between low-frequency first-mode waves that starts around Rex = 2×106 is causing boundary-layer transition. The Reynolds transition number measured was approximately Rex = 3.5 × 106.