Nano-Hertz Gravitational Waves Searches with Interferometric Pulsar Timing Experiments

We estimate the sensitivity to nano-Hertz gravitational waves of pulsar timing experiments in which two highly-stable millisecond pulsars are tracked simultaneously with two neighboring radio telescopes that are referenced to the same time-keeping subsystem (i.e. "the clock"). By taking the difference of the two time-of-arrival residual data streams we can exactly cancel the clock noise in the combined data set, thereby enhancing the sensitivity to gravitational waves. We estimate that, in the band ($10^{-9} - 10^{-8}$) Hz, this "interferometric" pulsar timing technique can potentially improve the sensitivity to gravitational radiation by almost two orders of magnitude over that of single-telescopes. Interferometric pulsar timing experiments could be performed with neighboring pairs of antennas of the forthcoming large arraying projects.Comment: Paper submitted to Phys. Rev. Letters. It is 9 pages long, and includes 2 figure

The implications of precise timekeeping of Doppler gravitational wave observations

Gravitational radiation from galactic and extragalactic astrophysical sources will induce spatial strains in the solar system, strains which can be measured directly by the Doppler radio link to distant spacecraft. Current noise sources in Pioneer and Voyager Doppler data are delineated and a comparison is made with expected signal levels from gravitational wave sources. The main conclusion is that it is possible to detect gravitational radiation with current DSN hydrogen maser systems stable in fractional frequency + or - 2 x 10 to the minus 14th power over 1000 sec. In the future, however, a serious Doppler observational program in gravitational wave astronomy will require frequency systems stable to at least 10 to the minus 16th power, but at the same time the current single frequency S-band uplink transmission will have to be replaced by a dual frequency capability

Parkes-CDSCC telemetry array: Equipment design

A unique combination of Deep Space Network (DSN) and non-DSN facilities in Australia provided enhanced data return from the Voyager spacecraft as it encountered the planet Uranus. Many of the key elements are duplicated from Voyager's encounters with Jupiter and Saturn. Some are unique extensions of that technology

Theory of water and charged liquid bridges

The phenomena of liquid bridge formation due to an applied electric field is investigated. A new solution for the charged catenary is presented which allows to determine the static and dynamical stability conditions where charged liquid bridges are possible. The creeping height, the bridge radius and length as well as the shape of the bridge is calculated showing an asymmetric profile in agreement with observations. The flow profile is calculated from the Navier Stokes equation leading to a mean velocity which combines charge transport with neutral mass flow and which describes recent experiments on water bridges.Comment: 10 pages 12 figures, misprints corrected, assumptions more transparen

Introduction

What are the strategies, modalities and aspirations of island-based, stateless nationalist and regionalist parties in the twenty-first century? Political independence is now easier to achieve, even by the smallest of territories; yet, it is not so likely to be pursued with any vigour by the world's various persisting sub-national (and mainly island) jurisdictions. Theirs is a pursuit of different expressions of sub-national autonomy, stopping short of independence. And yet, a number of independence referenda are scheduled, including one looming in Scotland in autumn 2014

IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE IN VITRO: KINETIC STUDIES AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL

When normal mouse spleen, cells in suspension are cultured in vitro in the presence of polymer from S. adelaide flagellin, an immune response can be obtained as measured at the level of single antibody-forming cells. Cultures were stimulated with different doses of antigen, ranging from 0.2 ng to 3 µg/ml of tissue culture fluid and it was found that the peak number of approximately 500 antibody-forming cells per 106 harvested cells by day 4 was antigen dose dependent, 2–20 ng/ml being the optimal concentration. When more than 1 µg/ml of polymer from S. adelaide together with either 20 ng/ml of polymer from S. waycross or with 4 x 106 sheep erythrocytes were placed in the system, unresponsiveness to S. adelaide, but immunity to the other antigens occurred simultaneously. Cells made immunologically tolerant in vitro to S. adelaide H antigens were transferred into syngeneic lethally irradiated recipients and challenged with the same antigen. The adoptive immune capacity in these mice, as measured at the level of the immunologically competent cell was reduced by 80–90% as compared with relevant controls. Attempts to induce low zone tolerance in vitro were without success. To study the kinetics of tolerance induction in vitro, cells were cultured with tolerogenic doses of antigen for various periods of time, washed, and subsequently cultured with immunogenic doses of antigen for 4 days. It was found, that immunological tolerance may be induced to a significant degree in vitro within a period of 15 min. Similar results were obtained when spleen cells were exposed for various lengths of time to tolerogenic doses of antigen but at a temperature of 4°C instead of 37°C. The results are taken as suggestive evidence that the initial step in tolerance induction is related to the direct interaction between the surface of immune competent cells and antigen molecules

Interactions between parental traits, environmental harshness and growth rate in determining telomere length in wild juvenile salmon

A larger body size confers many benefits, such as increased reproductive success, ability to evade predators and increased competitive ability and social status. However, individuals rarely maximise their growth rates, suggesting that this carries costs. One such cost could be faster attrition of the telomeres that cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and play an important role in chromosome protection. A relatively short telomere length is indicative of poor biological state, including poorer tissue and organ performance, reduced potential longevity and increased disease susceptibility. Telomere loss during growth may also be accelerated by environmental factors, but these have rarely been subjected to experimental manipulation in the natural environment. Using a wild system involving experimental manipulations of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in Scottish streams, we found that telomere length in juvenile fish was influenced by parental traits and by direct environmental effects. We found that faster-growing fish had shorter telomeres and there was a greater cost (in terms of reduced telomere length) if the growth occurred in a harsher environment. We also found a positive association between offspring telomere length and the growth history of their fathers (but not mothers), represented by the number of years fathers had spent at sea. This suggests that there may be long term consequences of growth conditions and parental life history for individual longevity

Study of structural-thermal insulation- meteoroid protection integration

Structural integrity, low thermal conductivity, and meteoroid penetration resistance qualities integrated into common tank wal

Why the Water Bridge does not collapse

In 2007 an interesting phenomenon was discovered: a thread of water, the so-called water bridge (WB), can hang between two glass beakers filled with deionized water if voltage is applied to them. We analyze the available explanations of the WB stability and propose a completely different one: the force that supports the WB is the surface tension of water and the role of electric field is not to allow the WB to reduce its surface energy by means of breaking into separate drops.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure