Definitions of celebrity authorship and material textuality at the turn of the twenty-first century have predominantly emphasised the implicitly negative aspects of contemporary developments in the literary marketplace. Particularly prominent are arguments that the practice of authorship has become subject to homogenisation by the matrix of celebrity in which successful writers are now expected to function; and, further, that the changing nature of texts themselves and the ways in which they are marketed is eroding the implicitly superior position traditionally held by literature in the cultural marketplace. This thesis views such readings as pessimistic, and offers an alternative, seeking to formulate a new critical approach to literary value in the contemporary sphere which would appreciate notions of celebrity, populism, and digital mediation as integral and productive aspects of how literary value is formed today. Through in-depth focus on the cases of a number of unconventional contemporary American authors whose work demonstrates differing, innovative approaches to the process of authorship, this thesis exposes the ways in which contemporary, atypically ‘literary’ instances of writing can and do work within and develop beyond traditional conceptualisations of authorship and literary value. Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney, largely critically considered prototypical ‘celebrity’ authors, are in the first chapter reconsidered as writers whose understanding of their position within the literary marketplace affords them a self-conscious, critical perspective on the notion of celebrity in their work and public personae. The productively self-conscious author-figure is reconsidered in the second chapter, which reads the individual and joint works of author Paul Auster and visual artist Sophie Calle as foregrounding the process of creative collaboration as uniquely illuminating and transformative within the contemporary literary sphere. The notion of dual authorship is revisited and reconceptualised in the third chapter, which considers JT LeRoy and the practice of hoax authorship, outlining how this process forces the reformulation of literary value, particularly in a contemporary setting in which authors are accountable for their work in newer, more visible ways. The final chapter expands these previously-introduced themes to consider bloggers-turned-authors, particularly Tucker Max and Julie Powell, and the impact of the merging of old and new textualities on both the orientation of the figure of the writer and the way in which value is attached to his texts by readers. Ultimately, the unconventional nature of these examples is shown to belie the universality of the representations of value they enact, contributing to a full and salient account of how literary value is determined at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Cette thèse se compose de deux parties. La première partie présente l'étude de la réalisation d'une lentille à atomes utilisant l'interaction dipolaire. Une étude théorique propose plusieurs séquences expérimentales possibles permettant la réalisation d'une lentille achromatique avec un grandissement contrôlable. Des tentatives de réalisation ont mis en évidence des pertes d'atomes induites par le laser utilisé. Le processus de photoassociation, fortement probable dans les conditions de l'expérience, est le responsable de ces pertes. La deuxième partie de cette thèse relate donc de l'enregistrement des spectres de photoassociation. L'analyse des spectres obtenus a été effectuée par la méthode des graphes de Lu-Fano, méthode souvent utilisée pour l'étude des séries de Rydberg. Appliqué aux trois séries vibrationnelles observées, la méthode a montré que la formule de LeRoy-Bernstein, établie pour décrire des niveaux vibrationnels situés dans la zone asymptotique du puits de potentiel moléculaire, doit être améliorée. Les deux améliorations proposées consistent à prendre en compte la région courte portée du puits de potentiel ainsi que le deuxième terme du développement multipolaire. Pour une troisième série, le graphe de Lu-Fano a mis en évidence un couplage dû à l'interaction spin-orbite et l'interaction spin-spin entre deux séries vibrationnelles. Le graphe a permis la caractérisation quantitative de ce couplage.

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La tesi intende analizzare l’idea coloniale in Francia durante la Terza Repubblica, le modalità attraverso cui essa veniva veicolata e gli argomenti con cui l’espansione veniva giustificata. Dopo un’introduzione storica, la ricerca si concentra sulle diverse “voci” che concorsero alla promozione e propaganda coloniale. Vengono analizzati il contributo dei diversi attori – primo fra tutti il “parti colonial” - che parteciparono a sostenere le motivazioni dell’espansione, oltre alle modalità e ai canali utilizzati, in un contesto in cui l’opinione pubblica era restia ad affezionarsi e a comprendere la necessità di un impero. La parte successiva si concentra sui contenuti del discorso di giustificazione e motivazione dell’imperialismo francese, tramite il richiamo di alcuni teorici e politici del periodo e dei principali temi -economici, politici e umanitari (la cd. “mission civilisatrice”) - evocati in tale contesto. L’ultimo capitolo è dedicato in modo particolare alla diffusione della cosiddette “scienze coloniali” e alla creazione, influenzata dall’esigenza di formare i futuri amministratori coloniali, di cattedre o sezioni coloniali negli istituti di studi superiori. E’ possibile in tal modo individuare un collegamento tra diversi gruppi ed entità operanti nel campo politico, economico e scientifico e, attraverso l’analisi degli appunti dei corsi, esaminare in che modo l’idea coloniale fosse trasmessa in tale ambito. / The research aims at analyzing the colonial idea in France during the Third Republic, the different ways it was conveyed and the main themes adopted to justify the colonial expansion. After a first historical overview, the second chapter focuses on the different actors that contributed in promoting the colonies and the colonial propaganda (above all the “parti colonial”), in a context in which the majority of the French citizens seemed not really interested in supporting the colonial empire nor in understanding its needs and methods. Subsequently, the research analyzes the different themes the supporters of the French colonial movement adopted to justify the need of a colonial empire at the economic, political and “humanitarian” levels. The last chapter is focused on the diffusion of the “colonial sciences” and the creation of ad hoc colonial sections or schools aimed at training the future colonial administrators. The analysis highlights the links between the different actors of the political, economic and scientific circles. Also, thanks to the exam of the student’s notes it is possible to see how the colonial idea was conveyed in this field.

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude expérimentale et l'interprétation théorique des processus de photoassociation et de formation de molécules froides de césium, ainsi que sur l'étude des forces dipolaires entre une paire d'atomes de césium froids excités. La photoassociation moléculaire d'atomes froids de césium a été réalisée expérimentalement : deux atomes absorbent un photon pour former une molécule électroniquement excitée dans un état de rotation-vibration donné. L'expérience a permis la première observation de molécules translationnellement froides obtenues après désexcitation spontanée des molécules photoassociées. La forme en double puits des courbes de potentiel des états moléculaires $0_g^- (6s+6p_(3/2))$ et $1_u (6s+6p_(3/2))$ du césium est la clé de l'efficacité du processus. Ces molécules froides formées sont détectées sélectivement par temps de vol après leur photoionisation en ions Cs$_2^+$. Des températures de $20-200\,\mu$K ont été mesurées. La photoassociation offre une méthode de spectroscopie à haute résolution qui permet d'atteindre des états moléculaires de grande élongation, donnant accès aux données asymptotiques. La spectroscopie du puits de potentiel externe de l'état $0_g^-(6s+6p_(3/2))$ du césium a été effectuée et est analysée par une approche R.K.R.. Une théorie unifiée de la photoassociation en champ faible, vue comme une collision assistée par laser, est développée dans ce manuscrit. Les expériences avec les atomes froids permettent l'étude des collisions entre deux atomes soumis à une interaction mutuelle à grande distance de type dipôle-dipôle. Deux systèmes physiques différents sont étudiés : une assemblée d'atomes de Rydberg et la photoassociation. La modification du mouvement d'une paire d'atomes offre la possibilité de ``contrôler" les forces dipolaires et de ``choisir" les vitesses relatives entre atomes.