Apparatus design and experimental studies of XUV initiated HHG

This thesis presents the work on a new beamline for ultra-fast spectroscopy experiments, along with the study of a new ultra-fast spectroscopy technique for studying attosecond electron dynamics: XUV initiated high harmonic generation (XiHHG) XiHHG is an extension of the high harmonic generation (HHG) technique for ultra-fast spectroscopy. XiHHG replaces the tunnel ionisation in HHG with single photon ionisation, and thus an XUV field is used to ionise the electron and a colinear IR field is used to recombine the electron. A goal of this is that energetically deep levels of atoms and molecules can be probed without the need for a very strong IR field. The specifications of the new beamline required that it be entirely housed in a vacuum of pressures on the order of 1×10 −6 mbar. As all of the optics and experimental controls were also in vacuum, electronic feed-throughs were implemented and sophisticated data acquistion software was developed. As the nature of the data collected for these experiments is large in volume, significant time was also spent creating an analysis script to handle the data automatically. This enabled the data to be transmitted amongst experimenters with ease and accuracy. Preliminary experimental results are shown from the beamline, with some possible theoretical explanations investigated. Further theoretical work is required in order to fully interpret the experimental results.Open Acces

All things being equal? Equality and diversity in careers education,information, advice and guidance

In its education chapter, the Commission’s first Triennial Review of evidence on inequality, How Fair is Britain? Equality, Human Rights and Good Relations in 2010, found that educational attainment has been transformed in recent years. Around half of young people are now getting good qualifications at 16 (5+ A*-C GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths) and, in 2008/09, 2.4 million students enrolled in higher education in the UK – a considerable change from a time when educational opportunities were only available to a minority of young people. However, the evidence shows that educational attainment continues to be strongly associated with socio-economic background. Stereotypical information and guidance can limit young people’s options and aspirations at an early age. Careers advice often reinforces traditional choices and young people have limited information on the pay advantages of nontraditional routes. Nearly one in four young people say that they have not had enough information to make choices for their future. This rises to just under a quarter of disabled young people