Surface Optical Waves at Air/Metal Interfaces: Surface Plasmon Polaritons

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon has been known for nearly five decades now; since then this method has made great advances in terms of instrumentation development and applications, and it still attracts researchers because of certain subtle issues that could benefit from it mainly detection and analysis of chemical and biochemical substances in different areas including medicine, environmental monitoring, biotechnology and drug and food monitoring. Our interest is focused on the use of this technique for studying thin coating and some application in nanophotonics. In this paper, we discuss the configuration of surface plasmons at air/metal interface by Atenuated total reflection (ATR) technique in the Kretchman configuration, and we present preliminary experimental results on surface plasmons at a Ag/air interface that we obtained in our laboratory.The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon has been known for nearly five decades now; since then this method has made great advances in terms of instrumentation development and applications, and it still attracts researchers because of certain subtle issues that could benefit from it mainly detection and analysis of chemical and biochemical substances in different areas including medicine, environmental monitoring, biotechnology and drug and food monitoring. Our interest is focused on the use of this technique for studying thin coating and some application in nanophotonics. In this paper, we discuss the configuration of surface plasmons at air/metal interface by Atenuated total reflection (ATR) technique in the Kretchman configuration, and we present preliminary experimental results on surface plasmons at a Ag/air interface that we obtained in our laboratory

Etude géophysique et hydrogéologique du site minier abandonné de Kettara (région de Marrakech, Maroc): contribution au projet de réhabilitation

Abstract and keywords provided in French and EnglishLes rejets sulfurés de la mine abandonnée de Kettara, située à 30 km au Nord-Nord-Ouest de Marrakech, sont directement entreposés sur un substratum schisto-gréseux fracturé. D'une superficie d'environ 16 ha, ils constituent une réelle source de pollution pour l'écosystème local en particulier à cause du Drainage Minier Acide (DMA) vers les eaux de surface et de la nappe phréatique. Le projet de réhabilitation du site minier de Kettara prévoit dans l'un de ses axes de minimiser l'effet DMA par neutralisation à l'aide de dépôts stériles riches en carbonates issus de l'extraction des phosphates de la mine de Youssoufia voisine. Ces derniers seront utilisés à la fois comme amendement des rejets miniers acides et comme couverture évapo-transpirante (barrière capillaire). Notre étude a permis d'une part, de mieux appréhender la nature et la structure du parc à résidus et de son substratum et d'autre part, de caractériser l'impact de ces résidus sur la qualité des ressources en eau souterraine. Les résultats issus de cette étude vont contribuer à la réussite du projet de réhabilitation du site.The sulphurated mine waste of the abandoned Kettara pyrrhotite mine, located approximately 30 km north-northwest of Marrakech, Morocco, has been deposited on a fractured schistous substratum. Over an area of about 16 ha, this mine waste threatens the local ecosystem with pollution, particularly due to the infiltration of acid mine drainage (AMD) via surface waters towards the groundwater. As part of the rehabilitation project at the Kettara mine, it is proposed to minimize the effect of AMD by neutralization using fine sterile carbonate-rich deposits that are by-products of phosphate extraction in the neighbouring Youssoufia mine. These by-products are used both as amendement for the acidic mine waste and as a capillary barrier to allow evapotranspiration. On the one hand, our study has allowed a better understanding of the structure of the tailings pond and of the substratum, and on the other hand, it has made it possible to characterize the impact of the mine waste on groundwater quality. The results of this study will contribute to the success of the site rehabilitation project