The Alternative for Germany’s radicalization in historical-comparative perspective

This article chronicles the AfD’s rightward repositioning and compares it with the programmatic development of three postwar German parties on the ideological wings. By highlighting factors that tilt the balance of power away from moderate reformers towards hardliners, this comparative analysis sheds light on the conditions that lead a relatively successful party on the ideological wings, such as the AfD, to radicalize its programme. Four variables stand out: whether party hardliners take the blame for the recent election loss; whether they offer a convincing programmatic and strategic alternative to the reformers; whether changes in party composition strengthen hardliners; and whether external factors enhance their weight within the party. The essay concludes that the AfD’s radicalization was unusual, but not exceptional. It is however too early to conclude that the Federal Republic’s distinctive institutions and political culture no longer impose significant costs on parties that shift their programmes away from the centre

Prototyp-Trennelemente für eine Mehrzweck-Thermodiffusions Isotopentrennanlage für Gase

With the aim of developing a prototype separation element for use in a multi-purpose thermal diffusion isotope separator three different types of a concentric tube thermal diffusion column design have been constructed. The qualities of these elements have been compared to the theory of Jones and Furry as well as to data from columns designed by other authors. For the maximum differential separative power especially favourable values have been obtained. Differences between theory and experiment are treated in detail. In testing the reliability a two-stage cascade has been constructed using the prototype columns. The cascade reached equilibrium within 520 hours enriching mass 17 in methane from 1.1 % to 20.6 % (equilibrium without withdrawal)

Eine 3-stufige Mehrzweck-Thermodiffusions-Trennrohr-Kaskade

This paper is a continuation of the investigations reported in Jül-46-PC (Prototype separation elements for a multipurpose thermal diffusion isotope separator for gases). It describes construction and operation of a 3-stage isotope separation cascade consisting of 7 thermal diffusion columns for gases designed for multipurpose operation. The working data of the single columns and the cascade for transient and steady state operation have been measured for the $N^{14}_{2}/N^{14} N^{15}$ separation. The experimentally determined data are compared with the results of theoretical calculations. The optimization of the conditions of operation has been discussed according to the theory of G. Dickel and coworkers