475 research outputs found
On the Kramers-Kronig transform with logarithmic kernel for the reflection phase in the Drude model
We use the Kramers-Kronig transform (KKT) with logarithmic kernel to obtain
the reflection phase and, subsequently, the complex refractive index of a bulk
mirror from reflectance. However, there remains some confusion regarding the
formulation for this analysis. Assuming the damped Drude model for the
dielectric constant and the oblique incidence case, we calculate the additional
terms: phase at zero frequency and Blashke factor and we propose a reformulated
KKT within this model. Absolute reflectance in the s-polarization case of a
gold film is measured between 40 and 350 eV for various glancing angles using
synchrotron radiation and its complex refractive index is deduced using the
reformulated KKT that we propose. The results are discussed with respect to the
data available in the literature.Comment: 18 pages, piblished in j. Mod. Opt. 57, 1504 (2010
Diazine Chromophores: Structure-Property Relationships, Applications as Fluorescent Sensors, White Light Emission and Nonlinear Optics
Determination of the magnetization profile of Co/Mg periodic multilayers by magneto-optic Kerr effect and X-ray magnetic resonant reflectivity
The resonant magnetic reflectivity of Co/Mg multilayers around the Co L2,3
absorption edge is simulated then measured on a specifically designed sample.
The dichroic signal is obtained when making the difference between the two
reflectivities measured with the magnetic field applied in two opposite
directions parallel to the sample surface. The simulations show that the
existence of magnetic dead layers at the interfaces between the Co and Mg
layers leads to an important increase of the dichroic signal measured in the
vicinity of the third Bragg peak that otherwise should be negligible. The
measurements are in agreement with the model introducing 0.25 nm thick dead
layers. This is attributed to the Co atoms in contact with the Mg layers and
thus we conclude that the Co-Mg interfaces are abrupt from the magnetic point
of view.Comment: 8 page
Cr/Sc multilayer radiator for parametric EUV radiation in "water-window" spectral range
The results of experimental investigation of parametric radiation generated by 5.7 MeV electrons in a multilayer structure consisting of 100 Cr/Sc bi-layers deposited on a Si3N4 membrane are presented. The multilayer structure was specially created for generation of parametric radiation with photon energy in "water-window" spectral rang
Scaling up index insurance for smallholder farmers: Recent evidence and insights
This report explores evidence and insights from five case studies that have made significant recent progress in addressing the challenge of insuring poor smallholder farmers and pastoralists in the developing world. In India, national index insurance programmes have reached over 30 million farmers through a mandatory link with agricultural credit and strong government support. In East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania), the Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise (ACRE) has recently scaled to reach nearly 200,000 farmers, bundling index insurance with agricultural credit and farm inputs. ACRE has built on strong partnerships with regional initiatives such as M-PESA mobile banking. In Ethiopia and Senegal, the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative has scaled unsubsidized index insurance to over 20,000 poor smallholder farmers who were previously considered uninsurable, using insurance as an integral part of a comprehensive risk management portfolio. With strong public and private sector support, the Mongolia Index-Based Livestock Insurance Project (IBLIP) insures more than 15,000 nomadic herders and links commercial insurance with a government disaster safety net. Finally, the Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) project in Kenya and Ethiopia demonstrates innovative approaches to insuring poor nomadic pastoralists in challenging circumstances.
A few common features appear to have contributed to recent progress within these case studies:
explicitly targeting obstacles to improving farmer income;
integration of insurance with other development interventions;
giving farmers a voice in the design of products;
investing in local capacity; and
investing in science-based index development.
Evidence from these case studies can inform the ongoing debate about the viability of scaling up index-based insurance for vulnerable smallholder farmers in the developing world. The rapid progress observed in recent years suggests that index insurance has the potential to benefit smallholder farmers at a meaningful scale, and suggests the need to reassess arguments that lack of demand and practical implementation challenges prevent index-based insurance from being a useful tool to reduce rural poverty
Genetic variations within human gained enhancer elements affect human brain sulcal morphology.
The expansion of the cerebral cortex is one of the most distinctive changes in the evolution of the human brain. Cortical expansion and related increases in cortical folding may have contributed to emergence of our capacities for high-order cognitive abilities. Molecular analysis of humans, archaic hominins, and non-human primates has allowed identification of chromosomal regions showing evolutionary changes at different points of our phylogenetic history. In this study, we assessed the contributions of genomic annotations spanning 30 million years to human sulcal morphology measured via MRI in more than 18,000 participants from the UK Biobank. We found that variation within brain-expressed human gained enhancers, regulatory genetic elements that emerged since our last common ancestor with Old World monkeys, explained more trait heritability than expected for the left and right calloso-marginal posterior fissures and the right central sulcus. Intriguingly, these are sulci that have been previously linked to the evolution of locomotion in primates and later on bipedalism in our hominin ancestors
Investigation of the thermal stability of Mg/Co periodic multilayers for EUV applications
We present the results of the characterization of Mg/Co periodic multilayers
and their thermal stability for the EUV range. The annealing study is performed
up to a temperature of 400\degree C. Images obtained by scanning transmission
electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy clearly show the good
quality of the multilayer structure. The measurements of the EUV reflectivity
around 25 nm (~49 eV) indicate that the reflectivity decreases when the
annealing temperature increases above 300\degreeC. X-ray emission spectroscopy
is performed to determine the chemical state of the Mg atoms within the Mg/Co
multilayer. Nuclear magnetic resonance used to determine the chemical state of
the Co atoms and scanning electron microscopy images of cross sections of the
Mg/Co multilayers reveal changes in the morphology of the stack from an
annealing temperature of 305\degreee;C. This explains the observed reflectivity
loss.Comment: Published in Applied Physics A: Materials Science \& Processing
Published at
http://www.springerlink.com.chimie.gate.inist.fr/content/6v396j6m56771r61/ 21
page
Cr/Sc multilayer radiator for parametric EUV radiation in "water-window" spectral range
The results of experimental investigation of parametric radiation generated by 5.7 MeV electrons in a multilayer structure consisting of 100 Cr/Sc bi-layers deposited on a Si[3]N[4] membrane are presented. The multilayer structure was specially created for generation of parametric radiation with photon energy in "water-window" spectral range. First test measurements of angular distributions of radiation have been done and discussed
- …