Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE): Emergency support

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) will conduct a survey of the entire celestial sphere in the extreme ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, 100 to 1000 angstrom units. This survey will be accomplished using four grazing incidence telescopes mounted on a spinning spacecraft whose spin axis is along the Sun line. Data is taken only when the spacecraft is in the Earth's shadow. The EUVE will be placed in a near circular orbit by a Delta expendable launch vehicle. The design orbit is circular at an altitude of 550 km by 28.5 degrees for a period of 96 minutes. The EUVE will be flown on a standardized Explorer Platform (EP) which will be reused for followup Explorer missions. Coverage will be provided by the Deep Space Network (DSN) for EUVE emergencies that would prevent communications via the normal channels of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). Emergency support will be provided by the 26-meter subnet. Data is presented in tabular form for DSN support, frequency assignments, telemetry, and command

Luscher Term for k-string Potential from Holographic One Loop Corrections

We perform a systematic analysis of k-strings in the framework of the gauge/gravity correspondence. We discuss the Klebanov-Strassler supergravity background which is known to be dual to a confining supersymmetric gauge theory with chiral symmetry breaking. We obtain the k-string tension in agreement with expectations of field theory. Our main new result is the study of one-loop corrections on the string theoretic side. We explicitly find the frequency spectrum for both the bosons and the fermions for quadratic fluctuations about the classical supergravity solution. Further we use the massless modes to compute 1/L contributions to the one loop corrections to the k-string energy. This corresponds to the Luscher term contribution to the k-string potential on the gauge theoretic side of the correspondence.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figures. New Calculation showing explicit k -> M - k symmetry of Energy utilizing the new figure. Discussion of non-k-dependence of Luscher term at end of last section right before Conclusion. Same version to be published in JHE

Rapid Thermalization in Field Theory from Gravitational Collapse

Motivated by the duality with thermalization in field theory, we study gravitational collapse of a minimally coupled massless scalar field in Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant. We investigate the system numerically and establish that for small values of the initial amplitude of the scalar field there is no black hole formation, rather, the scalar field performs an oscillatory motion typical of geodesics in AdS. For large enough values of the amplitude of the scalar field we find black hole formation which we detect numerically as the emergence of an apparent horizon. Using the time of formation as an estimate for thermalization in the field theory we conclude that thermalization occurs very rapidly, close to the causal bound for a very wide range of black hole masses. We further study the thermalization time in more detail as a function of the amplitude and the width of the initial Gaussian scalar field profile and detect a rather mild structure.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. v2: References added, improved most grids by a factor of 8, main results unchanged. v3 PRD versio

Corn Grain Yield Trends from 2012 to 2016: A 26-Year Long-Term Experiment

Long-term research trials provide an understanding of long-term effects on crop production. This long-term research studied the effect of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) systems. Factors of this 22-year study of corn (Zea mays L.) production also included the application of nitrogen (N) in the forms of ammonium nitrate and manure at rates of 150 lb/N/a. Corn grain yield trends during 2012 to 2016 were affected by the interaction between N source and year (P \u3c 0.05). The interaction between tillage practices and N source and the overall interaction between the last 5 years did not yield performance (P \u3e 0.05). Under the studied conditions the 75 lb/N/a as N fertilizer or manure achieved high corn yields

Toward NS5 Branes on the Resolved Cone over Y^{p,q}

Motivated by recent developments in the understanding of the connection between five branes on resolved geometries and the corresponding generalizations of complex deformations in the context of the warped resolved deformed conifold, we consider the construction of five branes solutions on the resolved cone over Y^{p,q} spaces. We establish the existence of supersymmetric five branes solutions wrapped on two-cycles of the resolved cone over Y^{p,q} in the probe limit. We then use calibration techniques to begin the construction of fully back-reacted five branes; we present an Ansatz and the corresponding equations of motion. Our results establish a detailed framework to study back-reacted five branes wrapped on the resolved cone over Y^{p,q} and as a first step we find explicit solutions and construct an asymptotic expansion with the expected properties.Comment: 23+17pp, no figures; v2: references added, various clarification

Analytic Non-integrability in String Theory

Using analytic techniques developed for Hamiltonian dynamical systems we show that a certain classical string configurations in AdS_5 x X_5 with X_5 in a large class of Einstein spaces, is non-integrable. This answers the question of integrability of string on such backgrounds in the negative. We consider a string localized in the center of AdS_5 that winds around two circles in the manifold X_5.Comment: 14 page

Turbulence and Chaos in Anti-de-Sitter Gravity

Due to the AdS/CFT correspondence the question of instability of Anti-de-Sitter spacetimes sits in the intersection of mathematical and numerical relativity, string theory, field theory and condensed matter physics. In this essay we revisit that important question emphasizing the power of spectral methods and highlighting the effectiveness of standard techniques for studying nonlinear dynamical systems. In particular we display explicitly how the problem can be modeled as a system on nonlinearly coupled harmonic oscillators. We highlight some of the many open questions that stem from this result and point out that a full understanding will necessarily required the interdisciplinary cooperation of various communities.Comment: 6 pages, 12 figures. Essay awarded honorable mention in the Gravity Research Foundation essay competition 201

Adjuvants : an essential component of neisseria vaccines

Adjuvants may be classified into delivery systems and immune potentiator or modulator molecules based on their mechanism of action. Neisseria vaccines containing traditional adjuvants such as aluminium salts have existed for long time, but meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups, particularly serogroup B, continues to be a global health problem. Novel strategies have applied in silico and recombinant technologies to develop "universal" antigens (e.g. proteins, peptides and plasmid DNA) for vaccines, but these antigens have been shown to be poorly immunogenic even when alum adjuvanted, implying a need for better vaccine design. In this work we review the use of natural, detoxified, or synthetic molecules in combination with antigens to activate the innate immune system and to modulate the adaptive immune responses. In the main, antigenic and imune potentiator signals are delivered using nano-, micro-particles, alum, or emulsions. The importance of interaction between adjuvants and antigens to activate and target dendritic cells, the bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems, will be discussed. In addition, nasal vaccine strategies based on the development of mucosal adjuvants and Neisseria derivatives to eliminate the pathogen at the site of infection provide promising adjuvants effective not only against respiratory pathogens, but also against pathogens responsible for enteric and sexually transmitted diseases