Acknowledgements

I would most of all like to thank my family for making this thesis possible. I couldn’t have done any of this without the love and support of my parents, Akaid and Ana Temim, and my sister Maja. I also thank my friends in Minneapolis and Boston for keeping me sane during this time. I thank George for years of support and patience, and Mladen for being there and encouraging me during the last year. This thesis would also not be possible without my CfA thesis advisor, Pat Slane, who has been extremely supportive and who provided encouragement and mentorship during the last two years, and my advisors Chick Woodward and Bob Gehrz who offered guidance and introduced me to astronomy research in the first place. I would also like to thank my collaborators, in particular Larry Rudnick, John Raymond, Steve Reynolds, and Kazik Borkowski, the members of my predoctoral research review committee, my thesis defense committee, and especially my friends in the IR lab (Martha, Mike, An-drew, Dale, and Gerry), and my fellow graduate students and astronomy faculty in Minnesota. I would not be where I am today without their support. This thesis is dedicated to my parents and to the memory of my uncle, Ahzur Temim, a brilliant thinker and innovator who has been an inspiration since I’ve been young. i Za mamu i tatu... i adzu Ahzura. i