Entre Fanny i Aloma : Personatges femenins en l'època de la represa de la novel·la (1923-1939)

Anàlisi dels personatges femenins construïts en sis novel·les representatives de l'època de la represa de la novel·la a Catalunya (1923-1939), tot remarcant si hi podem reconèixer trets socials o històrics de l'època, si hi observem trets feministes, i també observant com els tractaven o enfocaven els seus autors.

Aproximació geogràfica als projectes hidràulics del Ter selvatà (1850-1930). Reflexions a propòsit d’un llibre recent

This contribution tries to do a geographical approach about the hydraulic works in the River Ter, in the area of the Selva county. The reflections included here are based in the considerations of the research contained in the book of the historian Gerard Buxeda recently published. The interest will be focused in the scale of the projects proposed, in the differentiation of their characteristics according to the zone where will be proposed, in the relation of these works with the policy and the ideology dominant in the state, etc. In short, the aim is to frame the hydraulic works in a larger context and with the geographical specifies during the period 1850-1930

Evolució, justificacions i propostes de la gran obra hidràulica a les conques de la Muga i del Fluvià (1850-1980). La irrigació com a protagonista

Als darrers 150 anys, les grans infraestructures hidràuliques, per acció o per omissió, han jugat un paper destacat però força desconegut a les conques hidrogràfiques gironines de la Muga i del Fluvià. Així, s’efectua, a continuació, una reconstrucció retrospectiva i comparada de les propostes de gran obra hidràulica (embassaments, canals complementaris...) que, en aquest període, han estat ideades i en el seu cas executades, a ambdues conques. S’atorgarà una atenció especial a les justificacions, finalitats, discursos i agents socials que han inspirat la seva concepció i les causes que han conduït al seu èxit o al seu fracàs. Tot plegat es contextualitza dins dels plans, les polítiques i la legislació hidràulica estatals. Aquí s’afegirà la influència del proper riu Ter, a partir de la dècada de 1950-59, des del moment en què es decideix l’abastament parcial amb els seus cabals a Barcelona i a la seva zona d’influència

Optimized back-focal-plane interferometry directly measures forces of optically trapped particles

Back-focal-plane interferometry is used to measure displacements of optically trapped samples with very high spatial and temporal resolution. However, the technique is closely related to a method that measures the rate of change in light momentum. It has long been known that displacements of the interference pattern at the back focal plane may be used to track the optical force directly, provided that a considerable fraction of the light is effectively monitored. Nonetheless, the practical application of this idea has been limited to counter-propagating, low-aperture beams where the accurate momentum measurements are possible. Here, we experimentally show that the connection can be extended to single-beam optical traps. In particular, we show that, in a gradient trap, the calibration product κ·β (where κ is the trap stiffness and 1/β is the position sensitivity) corresponds to the factor that converts detector signals into momentum changes; this factor is uniquely determined by three construction features of the detection instrument and does not depend, therefore, on the specific conditions of the experiment. Then, we find that force measurements obtained from back-focal-plane displacements are in practice not restricted to a linear relationship with position and hence they can be extended outside that regime. Finally, and more importantly, we show that these properties are still recognizable even when the system is not fully optimized for light collection. These results should enable a more general use of back-focal-plane interferometry whenever the ultimate goal is the measurement of the forces exerted by an optical trap.

Optimized back-focal-plane interferometry directly measures forces of optically trapped particles

Back-focal-plane interferometry is used to measure displacements of optically trapped samples with very high spatial and temporal resolution. However, the technique is closely related to a method that measures the rate of change in light momentum. It has long been known that displacements of the interference pattern at the back focal plane may be used to track the optical force directly, provided that a considerable fraction of the light is effectively monitored. Nonetheless, the practical application of this idea has been limited to counter-propagating, low-aperture beams where the accurate momentum measurements are possible. Here, we experimentally show that the connection can be extended to single-beam optical traps. In particular, we show that, in a gradient trap, the calibration product κ·β (where κ is the trap stiffness and 1/β is the position sensitivity) corresponds to the factor that converts detector signals into momentum changes; this factor is uniquely determined by three construction features of the detection instrument and does not depend, therefore, on the specific conditions of the experiment. Then, we find that force measurements obtained from back-focal-plane displacements are in practice not restricted to a linear relationship with position and hence they can be extended outside that regime. Finally, and more importantly, we show that these properties are still recognizable even when the system is not fully optimized for light collection. These results should enable a more general use of back-focal-plane interferometry whenever the ultimate goal is the measurement of the forces exerted by an optical trap.