Comparison of three collection techniques for capture of Coleoptera, with an emphasis on saproxylic species, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

Collection methods and/or habitats sampled influence how many and which species are captured during entomological surveys. Here we compare Coleoptera catches among three survey activities, each using a single collection method, at the same study sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Activities included: short-term flight intercept trapping (FITs); sifting/Berlese funneling of leaf litter and extremely decayed downed coarse woody debris; and using emergence chambers containing coarse woody debris of various decay classes. In total, 2472 adult beetle specimens, representing 217 lowest identifiable taxa within 164 genera and 42 families, were collected during the FIT survey. Each survey activity yielded more than 2000 specimens, and a combined total of 413 species was collected. A combination of all surveys yielded the highest species richness when normalized for number of specimens indicating that variation of habitat and/or collection method significantly increases species richness. Of single surveys the FIT survey had the highest absolute species richness (217) and the highest richness when normalized for number of specimens. Species overlap among survey activities was low (Sorensen’s quotient of similarity was 0.20–0.27), which showed that each was about equally dissimilar from all others. Overlap of catch between FITs and emergence chambers was too low to justify substitution of emergence surveys with the FIT survey protocol used when attempting to collect saproxylic Coleoptera

Microfield Dynamics of Black Holes

The microcanonical treatment of black holes as opposed to the canonical formulation is reviewed and some major differences are displayed. In particular the decay rates are compared in the two different pictures.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, Revtex, Minor change in forma

Infinite average lifetime of an unstable bright state in the green fluorescent protein

The time evolution of the fluorescence intensity emitted by well-defined ensembles of Green Fluorescent Proteins has been studied by using a standard confocal microscope. In contrast with previous results obtained in single molecule experiments, the photo-bleaching of the ensemble is well described by a model based on Levy statistics. Moreover, this simple theoretical model allows us to obtain information about the energy-scales involved in the aging process.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Music in California State Institutions

The institutions included in this study are all maintained and controlled by the State of California. However, the music program is not outlined or prescribed by the State but is arranged by the administration of each institution. Consequently, one institution music program differs from another, and it was necessary to contact each institution in order to get the information included in this report. Since very little material is available on this subject, it was necessary to obtain most of this information first hand. The methods employed were questionnaire and correspondence, direct interviews with superintendents and musical directors, and observation. An effort was made to get a complete picture of the music situation in each institution. The Department of Institutions does not keep a record of music schedules in the various institutions and no reports concerning music are available. Direct quotations concerning the value of music were recorded in order to note the opinions of various superintendents and other authorities in charge. The superintendents and other employees concerned extended me every courtesy in their power, and co-operated to the fullest extent in making this survey

Subtraction-noise projection in gravitational-wave detector networks

In this paper, we present a successful implementation of a subtraction-noise projection method into a simple, simulated data analysis pipeline of a gravitational-wave search. We investigate the problem to reveal a weak stochastic background signal which is covered by a strong foreground of compact-binary coalescences. The foreground which is estimated by matched filters, has to be subtracted from the data. Even an optimal analysis of foreground signals will leave subtraction noise due to estimation errors of template parameters which may corrupt the measurement of the background signal. The subtraction noise can be removed by a noise projection. We apply our analysis pipeline to the proposed future-generation space-borne Big Bang Observer (BBO) mission which seeks for a stochastic background of primordial GWs in the frequency range $\sim 0.1-1$Hz covered by a foreground of black-hole and neutron-star binaries. Our analysis is based on a simulation code which provides a dynamical model of a time-delay interferometer (TDI) network. It generates the data as time series and incorporates the analysis pipeline together with the noise projection. Our results confirm previous ad hoc predictions which say that BBO will be sensitive to backgrounds with fractional energy densities below $\Omega=10^{-16}$Comment: 54 pages, 15 figure

BBO and the Neutron-Star-Binary Subtraction Problem

The Big Bang Observer (BBO) is a proposed space-based gravitational-wave (GW) mission designed primarily to search for an inflation-generated GW background in the frequency range 0.1-1 Hz. The major astrophysical foreground in this range is gravitational radiation from inspiraling compact binaries. This foreground is expected to be much larger than the inflation-generated background, so to accomplish its main goal, BBO must be sensitive enough to identify and subtract out practically all such binaries in the observable universe. It is somewhat subtle to decide whether BBO's current baseline design is sufficiently sensitive for this task, since, at least initially, the dominant noise source impeding identification of any one binary is confusion noise from all the others. Here we present a self-consistent scheme for deciding whether BBO's baseline design is indeed adequate for subtracting out the binary foreground. We conclude that the current baseline should be sufficient. However if BBO's instrumental sensitivity were degraded by a factor 2-4, it could no longer perform its main mission. It is impossible to perfectly subtract out each of the binary inspiral waveforms, so an important question is how to deal with the "residual" errors in the post-subtraction data stream. We sketch a strategy of "projecting out" these residual errors, at the cost of some effective bandwidth. We also provide estimates of the sizes of various post-Newtonian effects in the inspiral waveforms that must be accounted for in the BBO analysis.Comment: corrects some errors in figure captions that are present in the published versio

Gravitational Waves and Dark Energy

The idea that dark energy is gravitational waves may explain its strength and its time-evolution. A possible concept is that dark energy is the ensemble of coherent bursts (solitons) of gravitational waves originally produced when the first generation of super-massive black holes was formed. These solitons get their initial energy as well as keep up their energy density throughout the evolution of the universe by stimulating emission from a background, a process which we model by working out this energy transfer in a Boltzmann equation approach. New Planck data suggest that dark energy has increased in strength over cosmic time, supporting the concept here. The transit of these gravitational wave solitons may be detectable. Key tests include pulsar timing, clock jitter and the radio background