43,157 research outputs found
On the Feasibility of Fine-Grained TLS Security Configurations in Web Browsers Based on the Requested Domain Name
Most modern web browsers today sacrifice optimal TLS security for backward
compatibility. They apply coarse-grained TLS configurations that support (by
default) legacy versions of the protocol that have known design weaknesses, and
weak ciphersuites that provide fewer security guarantees (e.g. non Forward
Secrecy), and silently fall back to them if the server selects to. This
introduces various risks including downgrade attacks such as the POODLE attack
[15] that exploits the browsers silent fallback mechanism to downgrade the
protocol version in order to exploit the legacy version flaws. To achieve a
better balance between security and backward compatibility, we propose a
mechanism for fine-grained TLS configurations in web browsers based on the
sensitivity of the domain name in the HTTPS request using a whitelisting
technique. That is, the browser enforces optimal TLS configurations for
connections going to sensitive domains while enforcing default configurations
for the rest of the connections. We demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal
by implementing a proof-of-concept as a Firefox browser extension. We envision
this mechanism as a built-in security feature in web browsers, e.g. a button
similar to the \quotes{Bookmark} button in Firefox browsers and as a
standardised HTTP header, to augment browsers security
Measuring gravitational lens time delays using low-resolution radio monitoring observations
Obtaining lensing time delay measurements requires long-term monitoring
campaigns with a high enough resolution (< 1 arcsec) to separate the multiple
images. In the radio, a limited number of high-resolution interferometer arrays
make these observations difficult to schedule. To overcome this problem, we
propose a technique for measuring gravitational time delays which relies on
monitoring the total flux density with low-resolution but high-sensitivity
radio telescopes to follow the variation of the brighter image. This is then
used to trigger high-resolution observations in optimal numbers which then
reveal the variation in the fainter image. We present simulations to assess the
efficiency of this method together with a pilot project observing radio lens
systems with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) to trigger Very
Large Array (VLA) observations. This new method is promising for measuring time
delays because it uses relatively small amounts of time on high-resolution
telescopes. This will be important because instruments that have high
sensitivity but limited resolution, together with an optimum usage of followup
high-resolution observations from appropriate radio telescopes may in the
future be useful for gravitational lensing time delay measurements by means of
this new method.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRA
ULAS J234311.93-005034.0: A gravitational lens system selected from UKIDSS and SDSS
We report the discovery of a new gravitational lens system. This object, ULAS
J234311.93-005034.0, is the first to be selected by using the new UKIRT
Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), together with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS). The ULAS J234311.93-005034.0 system contains a quasar at redshift 0.788
which is doubly imaged, with separation 1.4". The two quasar images have the
same redshift and similar, though not identical, spectra. The lensing galaxy is
detected by subtracting point-spread functions from R-band images taken with
the Keck telescope. The lensing galaxy can also be detected by subtracting the
spectra of the A and B images, since more of the galaxy light is likely to be
present in the latter. No redshift is determined from the galaxy, although the
shape of its spectrum suggests a redshift of about 0.3. The object's lens
status is secure, due to the identification of two objects with the same
redshift together with a lensing galaxy. Our imaging suggests that the lens is
found in a cluster environment, in which candidate arc-like structures, that
require confirmation, are visible in the vicinity. Further discoveries of
lenses from the UKIDSS survey are likely as part of this programme, due to the
depth of UKIDSS and its generally good seeing conditions.Comment: Accepted by MNRA
Normal Mode Spectrum of the Deuteron in the Skyrme Model
The normal mode spectrum of the deuteron in the Skyrme model is computed. We
find a bound doublet mode below the pion mass, which can be related to the
well-known scattering of two skyrmions. We also find a singlet
`breather' mode and another doublet above the pion mass. The qualitative
pattern of the spectrum is similar to that recently found for the B=4
multiskyrmion. The symmetries of all the vibrational modes are presented.Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages, 3 figure
Estimation of Delamination Crack Depth Using Passive Thermography
Passive thermography is used to monitor small increases in temperature resulting from delamination damage formation in a composite hat-stiffened panel during quasi-static loading. The heating is composed of two heat generation components. The first component is an instantaneous response due to a strain release during quasi-static loading. The second component is mechanical heating, at the interface of failure, due to fracture damage. This second component produces a transient rise in temperature that is a function of the damage depth and thermal diffusivity. The first component defines the thermal start time for the transient response. A one-dimensional thermal model is used to determine the damage depth. The results are compared to ultrasonic and X-ray CT data. The advantages and limitations of the thermal technique for damage depth detection are discussed
A Descriptive Study of the Population Dynamics of Adult \u3ci\u3eDiabrotica Virgifera Virgifera\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Artificially Infested Corn Fields
The influence of corn plant phenology on the dynamics of adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, populations was studied during 1988 and 1989 in com fields artificially infested with eggs. Fifty percent of adult emergence from the soil occurred by day 194 in 1988 and day 203 in 1989. In both years, adult emergence was synchronized with corn flowering, eggs were recovered in soil samples approximately four days after reproductive females were first observed in the population, and oviposition was essentially complete about 25 days after it began. The number of reproductive female beetle-days accumulating per m2 was similar in both years. Approximately two times as many eggs were laid in 1988 (1239 eggs 1m2) as in 1989 (590 eggs 1m2). The difference in egg density may have been caused by differences among years in the temporal synchrony of reproductive beetles with flowering corn. Daily survival rates of adults were high while corn was flowering; exhibited a gradual decline during grain filling; and decreased rapidly during the grain drying stage
Impacts of igneous intrusions on source reservoir potential in prospective sedimentary basins along the western Australian continental margin
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Uneven distribution of cobamide biosynthesis and dependence in bacteria predicted by comparative genomics.
The vitamin B12 family of cofactors known as cobamides are essential for a variety of microbial metabolisms. We used comparative genomics of 11,000 bacterial species to analyze the extent and distribution of cobamide production and use across bacteria. We find that 86% of bacteria in this data set have at least one of 15 cobamide-dependent enzyme families, but only 37% are predicted to synthesize cobamides de novo. The distribution of cobamide biosynthesis and use vary at the phylum level. While 57% of Actinobacteria are predicted to biosynthesize cobamides, only 0.6% of Bacteroidetes have the complete pathway, yet 96% of species in this phylum have cobamide-dependent enzymes. The form of cobamide produced by the bacteria could be predicted for 58% of cobamide-producing species, based on the presence of signature lower ligand biosynthesis and attachment genes. Our predictions also revealed that 17% of bacteria have partial biosynthetic pathways, yet have the potential to salvage cobamide precursors. Bacteria with a partial cobamide biosynthesis pathway include those in a newly defined, experimentally verified category of bacteria lacking the first step in the biosynthesis pathway. These predictions highlight the importance of cobamide and cobamide precursor salvaging as examples of nutritional dependencies in bacteria
Core surface magnetic field evolution 2000-2010
We present new dedicated core surface field models spanning the decade from 2000.0 to 2010.0. These models, called gufm-sat, are based on CHAMP, Ørsted and SAC-C satellite observations along with annual differences of processed observatory monthly means. A spatial parametrization of spherical harmonics up to degree and order 24 and a temporal parametrization of sixth-order B-splines with 0.25 yr knot spacing is employed. Models were constructed by minimizing an absolute deviation measure of misfit along with measures of spatial and temporal complexity at the core surface. We investigate traditional quadratic or maximum entropy regularization in space, and second or third time derivative regularization in time. Entropy regularization allows the construction of models with approximately constant spectral slope at the core surface, avoiding both the divergence characteristic of the crustal field and the unrealistic rapid decay typical of quadratic regularization at degrees above 12. We describe in detail aspects of the models that are relevant to core dynamics. Secular variation and secular acceleration are found to be of lower amplitude under the Pacific hemisphere where the core field is weaker. Rapid field evolution is observed under the eastern Indian Ocean associated with the growth and drift of an intense low latitude flux patch. We also find that the present axial dipole decay arises from a combination of subtle changes in the southern hemisphere field morpholog
NICMOS images of JVAS/CLASS gravitational lens systems
We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) infrared images of four gravitational
lens systems from the JVAS/CLASS gravitational lens survey and compare the new
infrared HST pictures with previously published WFPC2 HST optical images and
radio maps. Apart from the wealth of information that we get from the flux
ratios and accurate positions and separations of the components of the lens
systems that we can use as inputs for better constraints on the lens models we
are able to discriminate between reddening and optical/radio microlensing as
the possible cause of differences observed in the flux ratios of the components
across the three wavelength bands. Substantial reddening has been known to be
present in the lens system B1600+434 and has been further confirmed by the
present infrared data. In the two systems B0712+472 and B1030+074 microlensing
has been pinpointed down as the main cause of the flux ratio discrepancy both
in the optical/infrared and in the radio, the radio possibly caused by the
substructure revealed in the lensing galaxies. In B0218+357 however the results
are still not conclusive. If we are actually seeing the two "true" components
of the lens system then the flux ratio differences are attributed to a
combination of microlensing and reddening or alternatively due to some
variability in at least one of the images. Otherwise the second "true"
component of B0218+357 maybe completely absorbed by a molecular cloud and the
anomalous flux density ratios and large difference in separation between the
optical/infrared and radio that we see can be explained by emission from either
a foreground object or from part of the lensing galaxy.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures (original higher resolution figures can be
obtained at the e-mail above), to appear in MNRAS (accepted
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