8,534 research outputs found
Casimir effect across a layered medium
Using nonstandard recursion relations for Fresnel coefficients involving
successive stacks of layers, we extend the Lifshitz formula to configurations
with an inhomogeneous, n-layered, medium separating two planar objects. The
force on each object is the sum of a Lifshitz like force and a force arising
from the inhomogeneity of the medium. The theory correctly reproduces very
recently obtained results for the Casimir force/energy in some simple systems
of this kind. As a by product, we obtain a formula for the force on an
(unspecified) stack of layers between two planar objects which generalizes our
previous result for the force on a slab in a planar cavity.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, presented at QFEXT1
Innovation and social enterprise activity in third sector organisations
There is a growing interest in the role of social enterprises and third sector organisations in delivering a range of services and many claims made about their innovative potential. There is therefore a need to examine the approaches to innovation. This paper examines the different sources of innovation amongst third sector organisations that are involved in social enterprise activity. Drawing on three case studies of charities with a majority of their income from social enterprise activity, the paper explores what innovation can mean in the current policy environment and also identifies the diverse sources of innovation. These can relate to the products or services and to the process of delivering these. Social enterprise activity can also create a space for innovation in terms of positioning services for new users/funders, and can reflect a changing paradigm of delivering services. The paper concludes by raising questions regarding the extent of innovative activity and the extent to which innovation is encouraged or hindered by current political and institutional context
Dyadic Green's Functions and Guided Surface Waves for a Surface Conductivity Model of Graphene
An exact solution is obtained for the electromagnetic field due to an
electric current in the presence of a surface conductivity model of graphene.
The graphene is represented by an infinitesimally-thin, local and isotropic
two-sided conductivity surface. The field is obtained in terms of dyadic
Green's functions represented as Sommerfeld integrals. The solution of
plane-wave reflection and transmission is presented, and surface wave
propagation along graphene is studied via the poles of the Sommerfeld
integrals. For isolated graphene characterized by complex surface conductivity,
a proper transverse-electric (TE) surface wave exists if and only if the
imaginary part of conductivity is positive (associated with interband
conductivity), and a proper transverse-magnetic (TM) surface wave exists when
the imaginary part of conductivity is negative (associated with intraband
conductivity). By tuning the chemical potential at infrared frequencies, the
sign of the imaginary part of conductivity can be varied, allowing for some
control over surface wave properties.Comment: 9 figure
Regional Indexes of Activity: Combining the Old with the New
This paper proposes a framework to construct indexes of activity which links two strands of the index literature – the traditional business cycle analysis and the latent variable approach. To illustrate the method, we apply the framework to Australian regional data, namely to two resource-rich and two service-based states. The results reveal differences in the evolution and drivers of economic activity across the four states. We also demonstrate the value of the Index in a broader context by using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) approach to analyse the effects of shocks from the US and from China. This Index-SVAR approach facilitates a richer analysis because the unique feature of the index method proposed here allows impulse responses to be traced back to the components.Regional economic activity, coincident indicators, dynamic latent factor model
Impact of edge-removal on the centrality betweenness of the best spreaders
The control of epidemic spreading is essential to avoid potential fatal
consequences and also, to lessen unforeseen socio-economic impact. The need for
effective control is exemplified during the severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS) in 2003, which has inflicted near to a thousand deaths as well as
bankruptcies of airlines and related businesses. In this article, we examine
the efficacy of control strategies on the propagation of infectious diseases
based on removing connections within real world airline network with the
associated economic and social costs taken into account through defining
appropriate quantitative measures. We uncover the surprising results that
removing less busy connections can be far more effective in hindering the
spread of the disease than removing the more popular connections. Since
disconnecting the less popular routes tend to incur less socio-economic cost,
our finding suggests the possibility of trading minimal reduction in
connectivity of an important hub with efficiencies in epidemic control. In
particular, we demonstrate the performance of various local epidemic control
strategies, and show how our approach can predict their cost effectiveness
through the spreading control characteristics.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Recursion relations for generalized Fresnel coefficients: Casimir force in a planar cavity
We emphasize and demonstrate that, besides using the usual recursion
relations involving successive layers, generalized Fresnel coefficients of a
multilayer can equivalently be calculated using the recursion relations
involving stacks of layers, as introduced some time ago [M. S. Tomas, Phys.
Rev. A 51, 2545 (1995)]. Moreover, since the definition of the generalized
Fresnel coefficients employed does not imply properties of the stacks, these
nonstandard recursion relations can be used to calculate Fresnel coefficients
not only for local systems but also for a general multilayer consisting of
various types (local, nonlocal, inhomogeneous etc.) of layers. Their utility is
illustrated by deriving a few simple algorithms for calculating the
reflectivity of a Bragg mirror and extending the formula for the Casimir force
in a planar cavity to arbitrary media.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, slightly expande
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