Addressing non-traditional security threats under climate change conditions ; towards a new research agenda on norm diffusion in EU-Asia security relations

While scholarly work and policy speeches have mostly dealt with the EU’s capabilities and performance in traditional security issues like wars and war- like intrastate conflicts, the EU’s source of influence in Asia-Pacific seems rather to lie within its vast amount of expertise and technology concerning those threats that are most imminent in the Asia Pacific region: non- traditional security threats such as water, food, energy (in-)securities and potential conflicts arising over access to scarce, transboundary resources and impacts of growth policies – intensified by the consequences of climate change. Drawing on previous research on diffusion mechanisms in EU security policies towards the Asia- Pacific region, this paper will make the case for enlarging norm diffusion research in EU-Asia relations to non-traditional security threats (NTS) and will demonstrate its theoretical as well as social relevance

Security in an interpolar world

Eff ective multilateralism has always been a goal the EU has pursued by promoting its norms and paradigms in international relations. As the world becomes more interdependent and multipolar- what is often characterized as ‘interpolar’- Asian powers are increasingly gaining signifi cance. The EU has worked with China and India, two emerging key players, with growing intensity. However, has the EU’s approach worked? Have these and other Asian countries adopted EU norms, adapted to them, or possibly even rejected them? What are the reasons behind their responses? What shapes Asian perceptions of the EU? In an attempt to explore these questions, the following NFG Working Paper outlines the research agenda of the NFG Research Group “Asian Perceptions of the EU”

Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Correlated Electron Transfer in Molecular Chains

The relaxation dynamics of correlated electron transport (ET) along molecular chains is studied based on a substantially improved numerically exact path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) approach. As archetypical model we consider a Hubbard chain containing two interacting electrons coupled to a bosonic bath. For this generalization of the ubiquitous spin-boson model, the intricate interdependence of correlations and dissipation leads to non-Boltzmann thermal equilibrium distributions for many-body states. By mapping the multi-particle dynamics onto an isomorphic single particle motion this phenomenon is shown to be sensitive to the particle statistics and due to its robustness allows for new control schemes in designed quantum aggregates.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

European Contributions to Secure Peace and Stability in Asia-Pacific?

Next to traditional security challenges, defence ministers at the 2013 Shangri-La Dialogue emphasised the new prominence of “non-traditional” security threats facing the Asia-Pacific region. With a security environment predominantly shaped by a “realist” paradigm, rising tensions are calling into question the ability of the existing institutional architecture to manage regional security. Stability in the region and keeping maritime routes open are also key interests for the Europeans. Amid growing potential for conflict, there are still more declarations than deeds in EU-Asia security cooperation; Europe’s role is constrained by colonial baggage and a “tyranny of distance” – and a primacy of trade. This paper argues that Europe and Asia-Pacific, facing many of the same challenges, can learn from each other and find particularly in the field of non-traditional security challenges promising areas for cooperation, exchange and confidence building. Having been presented at the 27th Asia- Pacifc Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur in June 2013, this paper identifies areas in which the EU and its Member States could act as a source of inspiration, expertise and technology as well as partners for Asian-Pacific states and organisations in addressing both traditional and non-traditional security challenges

Chalk cliff retreat in East Sussex and Kent 1870s to 2001

The retreat of chalk cliffs fringing the eastern English Channel contributes shingle to the beaches which helps to protect the cliffs and slow down erosion. Conversely, cliff retreat endangers settlements and infrastructure on the clifftop. Rates of retreat have been calculated by a variety of methods over the past century, but no attempt has been made to provide a complete coverage that allows for a true comparison of retreat rates over the entire coastline. Using historic maps and recent orthophotos, cliff retreat rates have been calculated for consecutive 50 m sections of chalk cliff along the English side of the entire eastern English Channel for a period of 125 years. The chalk cliffs of East Sussex erode at an average rate of 0.25 - 0.3 m y−1 while those in Kent at a rate of 0.1 m y−1

The S0_0(0) structure in highly compressed hydrogen and the orientational transition

A calculation of the rotational S$_0$(0) frequencies in high pressure solid para-hydrogen is performed. Convergence of the perturbative series at high density is demonstrated by the calculation of second and third order terms. The results of the theory are compared with the available experimental data to derive the density behaviour of structural parameters. In particular, a strong increase of the value of the lattice constant ratio $c/a$ and of the internuclear distance is determined. Also a decrease of the anisotropic intermolecular potential is observed which is attributed to charge transfer effects. The structural parameters determined at the phase transition may be used to calculate quantum properties of the rotationally ordered phase.Comment: accepted Europhysics Letter

Electron Transfer in Donor-Acceptor Systems: Many-Particle Effects and Influence of Electronic Correlations

We investigate electron transfer processes in donor-acceptor systems with a coupling of the electronic degrees of freedom to a common bosonic bath. The model allows to study many-particle effects and the influence of the local Coulomb interaction U between electrons on donor and acceptor sites. Using the non-perturbative numerical renormalization group approach we find distinct differences between the electron transfer characteristics in the single- and two-particle subspaces. We calculate the critical electron-boson coupling alpha_c as a function of $U$ and show results for density-density correlation functions in the whole parameter space. The possibility of many-particle (bipolaronic) and Coulomb-assisted transfer is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

NFG Final Report 2015

In order to discuss intermediate findings and progress of the project "External Views on the EU as a Civilian Power – India and China in Comparison", the NFG held international conferences on 'Asian Views of the European Union as a Security Actor: Perspectives from India and China' in China, India and Germany, with participants from Europe, China, India, the US and Australia. The conference reports cover major points of the presentations and discussions on external perceptions of the EU, and the EU’s role of norm diffusion in the cases of peacekeeping and export controls. Read Working Paper