Geometric phase and o-mode blue shift in a chiral anisotropic medium inside a Fabry-P\'erot cavity

Anomalous spectral shift of transmission peaks is observed in a Fabry--P\'erot cavity filled with a chiral anisotropic medium. The effective refractive index value resides out of the interval between the ordinary and the extraordinary refractive indices. The spectral shift is explained by contribution of a geometric phase. The problem is solved analytically using the approximate Jones matrix method, numerically using the accurate Berreman method and geometrically using the generalized Mauguin--Poincar\'e rolling cone method. The $o$-mode blue shift is measured for a 4-methoxybenzylidene-4'-$n$-butylaniline twisted--nematic layer inside the Fabry--P\'erot cavity. The twist is electrically induced due to the homeoplanar--twisted configuration transition in an ionic-surfactant-doped liquid crystal layer. Experimental evidence confirms the validity of the theoretical model.Comment: the text is available both in English (Timofeev2015en.tex) and in Russian (download: other formats - source - Timofeev2015ru.tex, Timofeev2015rus.pdf

The ISCIP Analyst, Volume XIV, Issue 5

This repository item contains a single issue of The ISCIP Analyst, an analytical review journal published from 1996 to 2010 by the Boston University Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy

Opportunities and challenges of large investment projects in the new economy: the port of Ust-Luga

The aim of this study is to search for a mechanism for implementing large investment projects of crucial economic importance in the modern economic conditions characterized by the sanction policy of foreign states, limited public investment, and a mass exodus of foreign investors. An example of a large-scale investment project is the construction of a multipurpose multimodal complex - the commercial seaport of Ust-Luga. This is one of the most recent large projects in seaport infrastructure development. This article estimates the project's significance for the development of the Baltic region and presents a competitive analysis of the seaport position in comparison to the largest European ports. The authors analyze the strengths of the seaport construction project, namely, the favorable natural environment and climate, advantageous geographical position, strong political will demonstrated by the federal and regional authorities. The article also considers the challenges the project faces - unfortunate geopolitical situation, growing competition from other seaports, and lack of investment. Based on the analysis of challenges, it is concluded that there are significant risks associated predominantly with lack of investment. In these conditions, a large investment project requires the enhancement of public-private partnership, which will ensure the timely implementation of such projects

Illusion of Power: Russia after the South Caucasus Battle. CEPS Working Document No. 311, 24 February 2009

The war in the South Caucasus sent shockwaves throughout the post-Soviet world, European capitals and across the Atlantic, making more urgent the demand for a re-evaluation of policies towards Russia. The projection of hard power in Georgia generated a number of unintended consequences for the Russian state. The crisis and war unveiled many of Russia’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities across four crucial dimensions: the military, the ‘power vertical’ and federalism, the economy and Russia’s international position. This paper aims at reassessing Russia’s military, political, economic and diplomatic might after the battle in the South Caucasus. The research concludes with proposals for a new Western strategy on Russia and the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood which would ensure an undivided and sustainable European order

Tax return as a political statement

The accuracy of a tax return is usually interpreted as an outcome of the tax evasion decision by an individual. However, in non-democratic regimes with predatory blackmail tax systems it is possible that large sums voluntarily reported by influential politicians or businessmen may be used as political statements. By openly acknowledging one's personal income an individual can signal the strength of one's position, or, on the contrary, the submissiveness to the political leadership. In this paper we explore the idea of the tax return as a political statement and test it using a unique dataset of the tax returns filed by the Russian regional governors and the members of their families for the year 2009. Our results conjecture that Russian governors may deliberately file their tax return as a political statement to signal their strength vis-à-vis the central government. --tax compliance,communication in non-democracies,Russian regions

Stellar wind interaction and pick-up ion escape of the Kepler-11 "super-Earths"

We study the interactions between stellar wind and the extended hydrogen-dominated upper atmospheres of planets and the resulting escape of planetary pick-up ions from the 5 "super-Earths" in the compact Kepler-11 system and compare the escape rates with the efficiency of the thermal escape of neutral hydrogen atoms. Assuming the stellar wind of Kepler-11 is similar to the solar wind, we use a polytropic 1D hydrodynamic wind model to estimate the wind properties at the planetary orbits. We apply a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Model to model the hydrogen coronae and the stellar wind plasma interaction around Kepler-11b-f within a realistic expected heating efficiency range of 15-40%. The same model is used to estimate the ion pick-up escape from the XUV heated and hydrodynamically extended upper atmospheres of Kepler-11b-f. From the interaction model we study the influence of possible magnetic moments, calculate the charge exchange and photoionization production rates of planetary ions and estimate the loss rates of pick-up H+ ions for all five planets. We compare the results between the five "super-Earths" and in a more general sense also with the thermal escape rates of the neutral planetary hydrogen atoms. Our results show that for all Kepler-11b-f exoplanets, a huge neutral hydrogen corona is formed around the planet. The non-symmetric form of the corona changes from planet to planet and is defined mostly by radiation pressure and gravitational effects. Non-thermal escape rates of pick-up ionized hydrogen atoms for Kepler-11 "super-Earths" vary between approximately 6.4e30 1/s and 4.1e31 1/s depending on the planet's orbital location and assumed heating efficiency. These values correspond to non-thermal mass loss rates of approximately 1.07e7 g/s and 6.8e7 g/s respectively, which is a few percent of the thermal escape rates.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted to A&

Teratomorphism of pollen of Larix sibirica Ledeb. (Pinaceae Lindl.) in the Arctic urbanized territory

This article presents data of palynological research of Larix sibirica Ledeb. (Pinaceae Lindl) in the Arctic climate of Murmansk city, located in the Far North of Russia. The purpose of this study is to research the teratogenesis of the Larix sibirica pollen in the conditions of the Arctic climate and technogenic pollution of the city of Murmansk and holding the palynoindication of the environment. In the tested samples of pollen of L. sibirica, five morphological anomalies of the development were defined: pollen without protoplast, with plasmolysed protoplast, with damaged exine, giant pollen grains and dwarfed. The proportion of teratomorphs in the samples varies from 76 to 81%, which is above the control values of 2.5 – 3 times. Most of the abnormal grains are represented by pollen with plasmolysed protoplast (58 – 64%) and without protoplast (11 – 18%). Giant, dwarf pollen grains and pollen with exine damage are much less common. High level of teratogenesis of L. sibirica allows us to draw a conclusion about the critical level of pollution of the city environment