Role of Insects and Diseases in a Jack Pine Provenance Study

Two jack pine plantations were established at the Cloquet Forestry Center, Cloquet, Minnesota, in 1942 and 1943, using trees originating from 22 sites in the United States and 10 in Canada. From 1945 to 1953 the incidence of attack by insects and diseases was recorded individually for all trees, and in 1980-1981 the diameter and form of both living and dead trees were recorded. There were differences in the incidence of attack by the pests and in tree response to early injury among the various seed sources. In 1980 and in 1981 there were differences in tree form resulting from insect and both living and dead pest-free trees had the best form. The diameter increases from 1955 to 1980-1981 were almost identical for all categories with the exception of the dead pest-free trees which had the smallest diameters

Low-density series expansions for directed percolation II: The square lattice with a wall

A new algorithm for the derivation of low-density expansions has been used to greatly extend the series for moments of the pair-connectedness on the directed square lattice near an impenetrable wall. Analysis of the series yields very accurate estimates for the critical point and exponents. In particular, the estimate for the exponent characterizing the average cluster length near the wall, $\tau_1=1.00014(2)$, appears to exclude the conjecture $\tau_1=1$. The critical point and the exponents $\nu_{\parallel}$ and $\nu_{\perp}$ have the same values as for the bulk problem.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Low-density series expansions for directed percolation III. Some two-dimensional lattices

We use very efficient algorithms to calculate low-density series for bond and site percolation on the directed triangular, honeycomb, kagom\'e, and $(4.8^2)$ lattices. Analysis of the series yields accurate estimates of the critical point $p_c$ and various critical exponents. The exponent estimates differ only in the $5^{th}$ digit, thus providing strong numerical evidence for the expected universality of the critical exponents for directed percolation problems. In addition we also study the non-physical singularities of the series.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure

Large boron--epoxy filament-wound pressure vessels

Advanced composite material used to fabricate pressure vessel is prepeg (partially cured) consisting of continuous, parallel boron filaments in epoxy resin matrix arranged to form tape. To fabricate chamber, tape is wound on form which must be removable after composite has been cured. Configuration of boron--epoxy composite pressure vessel was determined by computer program

Vanishing of Gravitational Particle Production in the Formation of Cosmic Strings

We consider the gravitationally induced particle production from the quantum vacuum which is defined by a free, massless and minimally coupled scalar field during the formation of a gauge cosmic string. Previous discussions of this topic estimate the power output per unit length along the string to be of the order of $10^{68}$ ergs/sec/cm in the s-channel. We find that this production may be completely suppressed. A similar result is also expected to hold for the number of produced photons.Comment: 10 pages, Plain LaTex. Minor improvements. To appear in PR

Scattering into Cones and Flux across Surfaces in Quantum Mechanics: a Pathwise Probabilistic Approach

We show how the scattering-into-cones and flux-across-surfaces theorems in Quantum Mechanics have very intuitive pathwise probabilistic versions based on some results by Carlen about large time behaviour of paths of Nelson diffusions. The quantum mechanical results can be then recovered by taking expectations in our pathwise statements.Comment: To appear in Journal of Mathematical Physic

Directed percolation near a wall

Series expansion methods are used to study directed bond percolation clusters on the square lattice whose lateral growth is restricted by a wall parallel to the growth direction. The percolation threshold $p_c$ is found to be the same as that for the bulk. However the values of the critical exponents for the percolation probability and mean cluster size are quite different from those for the bulk and are estimated by $\beta_1 = 0.7338 \pm 0.0001$ and $\gamma_1 = 1.8207 \pm 0.0004$ respectively. On the other hand the exponent $\Delta_1=\beta_1 +\gamma_1$ characterising the scale of the cluster size distribution is found to be unchanged by the presence of the wall. The parallel connectedness length, which is the scale for the cluster length distribution, has an exponent which we estimate to be $\nu_{1\parallel} = 1.7337 \pm 0.0004$ and is also unchanged. The exponent $\tau_1$ of the mean cluster length is related to $\beta_1$ and $\nu_{1\parallel}$ by the scaling relation $\nu_{1\parallel} = \beta_1 + \tau_1$ and using the above estimates yields $\tau_1 = 1$ to within the accuracy of our results. We conjecture that this value of $\tau_1$ is exact and further support for the conjecture is provided by the direct series expansion estimate $\tau_1= 1.0002 \pm 0.0003$.Comment: 12pages LaTeX, ioplppt.sty, to appear in J. Phys.

Low-density series expansions for directed percolation IV. Temporal disorder

We introduce a model for temporally disordered directed percolation in which the probability of spreading from a vertex $(t,x)$, where $t$ is the time and $x$ is the spatial coordinate, is independent of $x$ but depends on $t$. Using a very efficient algorithm we calculate low-density series for bond percolation on the directed square lattice. Analysis of the series yields estimates for the critical point $p_c$ and various critical exponents which are consistent with a continuous change of the critical parameters as the strength of the disorder is increased.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Priorities for sustainable turfgrass management: a research and industry perspective

This paper provides a brief review and assessment of the key environmental, regulatory and technical issues facing the turfgrass sector with specific reference to the European context. It considers the range of externalities or ‘drivers for change' facing the industry, and the challenges and opportunities available for promoting and achieving more sustainable turfgrass management within the sports, landscape and amenity sectors. The analysis confirms that there are a number of key areas where a concerted research and industrial effort is required. These include responding to the pressures from government demands for greater environmental regulation, the increasing pressure on natural resources (notably water, energy and land), the emerging role of turf management in supporting ecosystem services and enhancing biodiversity, the continued need to promote integrated pest management, and the looming challenges posed by a changing climate, and urgent need to adapt. Whilst many of these externalities appear to be risks to the sports turf industry, there will also be significant opportunities, for those where the labour, energy and agronomic costs are minimized and where the drive to adopt a multifunctional approach to sportsturf management is embraced

Structure of the clean Ta(100) surface

The clean Ta(100) surface and some aspects of hydrogen adsorption have been studied by LEED and AES. The thorough examination of LEED patterns did not provide any evidence for an atomic reconstruction of the clean surface over the entire temperature range investigated, 150–600 K. The r-factor analysis used for comparison between measured and calculated I–V spectra yields a contraction of the topmost layer spacing of about 11% and an expansion of the second layer spacing of about 1% compared to the bulk value. The hydrogen adsorption does not induce any superstructures, but small hydrogen exposures lass then 1 L influence I–V spectra substantially