The effect of thermal vibrations on extended x-ray absorption fine structure. I

The form of the Debye–Waller factor in EXAFS is discussed in detail, and an expression is obtained for this factor in a general three‐atom system of C_s symmetry. The normal modes which contribute to the Debye–Waller factors for each scattering path are dependent on the symmetry of the system. A series of model three‐atom systems with C_(2v) symmetry are studied and the Debye–Waller factors as a function of the bridging angle are discussed for each of these systems. The temperature dependence of the Debye‐Waller factor for each scattering path is also studied. In a system of C_(2v) symmetry, approximating the double and triple scattering Debye–Waller factors by the second shell single scattering factor is shown to be strictly valid only for a system close to linearity. The error due to this approximation is dependent upon the amplitude of the individual scattering paths and is shown to increase with temperature. When the single scattering contribution is unimportant, there is shown to exist a temperature where the above approximation is exact

Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to Service Workers: How Many Workers

[Excerpt] Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) provides income support and training assistance to workers who become unemployed for certain trade-related reasons. Only workers who make an article (i.e., manufacturing workers) are eligible for TAA. Under current law, service workers who become unemployed for a trade-related reason (e.g., outsourcing) are ineligible for TAA. Several bills in the 110th Congress (S. 1848, H.R. 910, H.R. 3589, H.R. 3920) would expand TAA to include service workers and public sector employees. The available data indicates that the number of displaced manufacturing workers in offshorable occupations from 2003 to 2005 (489,000) roughly equals the number of TAA-certified manufacturing workers over the same period (450,000). There were 840,000 workers displaced from offshorable nonmanufacturing occupations from 2003 to 2005, suggesting that the pool of TAA-eligible workers could have increased by over 170% if service workers had been eligible for TAA. In January 2006, nearly three times as many employed nonmanufacturing workers were in offshorable occupations (20.7 million) than employed manufacturing workers in offshorable occupations (7.7 million), suggesting a large increase in the pool of potentially eligible TAA workers. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant