Handel\u27s Maser-Soliton Theory of Ball Lightning: The Creation of Stable Three-Dimensional Cavitons by an Atmospheric Maser within an Open Resonator

This dissertation develops details of Handel’s Maser-Soliton Theory of ball lightning. The atmosphere between a thundercloud and the Earth’s surface is modeled as an idealized stable open resonator with water vapor as the active medium and the thundercloud and Earth’s surface as reflecting surfaces. The stable resonator generates a maser beam that narrows to the beam waist at the Earth’s surface, which is assumed to be planar. Two candidate rotational transitions are identified within the v1v2v3 = 010 vibrational band of water having wavelengths of 13.9 cm and 1.12 cm, and relevant spectroscopic parameters are retrieved from the HITRAN 2008 molecular spectroscopic database. The maser is modeled as a continuously pumped four-level maser that includes the effects of nonradiative relaxation due to molecular collisions and of microwave absorption in atmospheric oxygen. Since maser spiking is highly unlikely to occur due to the high rate of collisional relaxation at normal atmospheric pressure, the electrical breakdown of air must be achieved by the steady state output of the atmospheric maser. A parametric analysis is performed to relate the size of the atmospheric maser to the pumping rate needed to create a steady state population inversion sufficient to generate maser radiation intense enough at the beam waist to result in the electrical breakdown of air. The analysis suggests that electric field intensities at the beam waist sufficient to cause electrical breakdown of air could only be created through huge pumping rates (~105 to 107 times the critical pumping rate) and only for the most highly curved clouds (g ≈ 0) that give the narrowest beam waists

\u3cem\u3eRhizobium etli\u3c/em\u3e CE3 Bacteroid Lipopolysaccharides Are Structurally Similar but Not Identical to Those Produced by Cultured CE3 Bacteria

Rhizobium etli CE3 bacteroids were isolated from Phaseolus vulgaris root nodules. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the bacteroids was purified and compared with the LPS from laboratory-cultured R. etli CE3and from cultures grown in the presence of anthocyanin. Comparisons were made of the O-chain polysaccharide, the core oligosaccharide, and the lipid A. Although LPS from CE3 bacteria and bacteroids are structurally similar, it was found that bacteroid LPS had specific modifications to both the O-chain polysaccharide and lipid A portions of their LPS. Cultures grown with anthocyanin contained modifications only to the O-chain polysaccharide. The changes to the O-chain polysaccharide consisted of the addition of a single methyl group to the 2-position of a fucosyl residue in one of the five O-chain trisaccharide repeat units.This same change occurred for bacteria grown in the presence of anthocyanin. This methylation change correlated with the inability of bacteroid LPS and LPS from anthocyanin-containing cultures to bind the monoclonal antibody JIM28. The coreoligosaccharide region of bacteroid LPS and from anthocyanin grown cultures was identical to that of LPS from normal laboratory-cultured CE3. The lipid A from bacteroids consisted exclusively of a tetraacylated species compared with the presence of both tetra-and pentaacylated lipid A from laboratory cultures. Growth in the presence of anthocyanin did not affect the lipid A structure. Purified bacteroids that could resume growth were also found to be more sensitive to the cationic peptides, poly-L-lysine, polymyxin-B, and melittin

Chamber Orchestra Concert Choir

Center for the Performing Arts Wednesday Evening February 28, 2007 8:00p.m

Student Ensemble: Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir

Center for the Performing ArtsMarch 29, 2013Friday Evening8:00 p.m

Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra Illinois State University Concert Choir and Civic Chorale

Center for the Performing Arts Sunday Afternoon October 17, 2004 3:00p.m

Illinois State University Chamber Orchestra Illinois State University Concert Choir

Center for the Performing Arts Sunday Afternoon November 7, 2004 3:00p.m

Microgravity science at Langley Research Center

Although space research is still in an embryonic state, a combination of Earth based and space flight experiments are being coupled to yield a better understanding of the complex interaction of heat and fluid flow on the dynamics of crystal growth. Continued efforts on the ground as well as additional flight opportunities are needed to continue the drive to fully understand the advantages, both scientifically and economically, of microgravity crystal growth

Brahms\u27 German Requiem

Center for the Performing Arts Sunday Afternoon October 23, 2005 3:00p.m