Wildlife linkages: volumes and values of residual timber in riparian zones in eastern Texas

In regenerating southern pine, maintenance of riparian zones (RZs) is a major land concession for soil and water protection and wildlife habitat enhancement. However, there are few data quantifying the volume and value of residual timber in such areas. We inventoried merchantable timber in nine RZs of three widths in sapling-class East Texas pine plantations. Present, discounted, and projected volumes and values of residual timber were determined. Average per-acre volumes of narrow, medium, and wide RZs were 337, 1438, and 2542 board feet (Doyle log rule) and 4.6, 8.2, and 7.2 cords, respectively. At US $154.00 and US$57.00 per thousand board feet for pine and hardwood saw timber, respectively, and US $15.00 and US$5.00 per cord for pine and hardwood pulpwood, respectively, average present per-acre values were US $46.41, US$209.93 and US $352.75 for narrow, medium, and wide RZs. Interest rates for the growth of trees from 1981 to 1989 ranged 3.7$4.52, US $20.46, and US$34.38, respectively. Stumpage values at the time of harvest projected at 7% compound interest for 30 years ranged US $10.66-US$3547.54 per acre and for 80 years ranged US $313.93-US$104 499.95 per acre. The impact of these results on wildlife is discusse

The LANSCE RICE control system upgrade.

The LANSCE (Los Alamos Neutron Science Center) control system upgrade program continues with the impending replacement of the RICE (Remote Instrumentation and Control Equipment) subsystem. The RICE subsystem upgrade is a challenge because of its technology (late 1960s), number of channels (>10,000), and unique characteristics (all-modules data takes, timed/flavored data takes). The plan is to replace at least the non-timed data and the command portions of the subsystem with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). We discuss motivations, technological challenges, proof-of-principle, and planning. The boundary condition, as usual, is that we must implement these major changes on a running accelerator

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum