Radiation spectra of laser-driven quantum relativistic electrons

A procedure to calculate the radiation spectrum emitted by an arbitrarily prepared Dirac wave packet is developed. It is based on the Dirac charge current and classical electrodynamic theory. Apart from giving absolute intensity values, it is exact in terms of relativistic retardation effects and angular dependence. We employ a laser driven free electron to demonstrate the advantages of our method as compared to traditional ones that merely rely on the Fourier transform of the dipole operator's expectation value. Classical reference calculations confirm the results obtained for the low-frequency part of the spectrum, especially in terms of the observed red-shifts, which clearly deviate from non-relativistic calculations. In the high-frequency part of the spectrum, we note appreciable deviations to the purely classical calculations which may be linked to quantum averaging effects.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figure

From Mexico to Beijing: "Women in Development" Twenty Five Years On

During the past twenty five years the Women in Development (WID)approach has become an increasingly important issue in the literature on Third World development. WID issues and related activities have now been incorporated into the aid practice of most development agencies. This paper critically analyses the diverse and conflicting ideologies that have emerged in the WID literature since the early seventies

Considering the Role of Men in Gender Agenda Setting: Conceptual and Policy Issues

The international gender equality agenda evolved into one of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes. Within this process, the role of men gained increasing attention in the debates on gender equality. This resulted in the inclusion of 'men's role' as one of the themes of the agenda of the Commission on the Status of Women for the year 2004. While this is another step forward in the global efforts for achieving equality between women and men, its potential risks should not be overlooked. Therefore, it is necessary to revisit the concept of gender and carefully assess and monitor how the role of men is included in the agenda. This article starts with the premise that gender inequalities are the product of historically determined gender order in which the differentially assigned male female attributes are unequally structured in layers of privileged and subordinate positions of masculinities and femininities. The concept of patriarchy is brought back into the analysis to capture the interlinkages between the various status hierarchies that lead to shifts in hegemonic forms of masculinity that reproduces itself under diverse and changing conditions. Thus, while the article attempts to account for the generic and universal characteristics of gender inequality, at the same time, it draws attention to its specific socio-cultural manifestations. Finally, policy guidelines are offered for the consideration of the role of men in gender agenda setting. Accordingly, it is suggested that men's initiatives for alternative masculinities are acknowledged and that the questions regarding which men, in what kinds of alliances and for which end are reflected upon in formulating policies