A Micro-glitch in the Millisecond Pulsar B1821-24 in M28

We report on the observation of a very small glitch observed for the first time in a millisecond pulsar, PSR B1821-24 located in the globular cluster M28. Timing observations were mainly conducted with the Nancay radiotelescope (France) and confirmation comes from the 140ft radiotelescope at Green Bank and the new Green Bank Telescope data. This event is characterized by a rotation frequency step of 3 nHz, or 10^-11 in fractional frequency change along with a short duration limited to a few days or a week. A marginally significant frequency derivative step was also found. This glitch follows the main characteristics of those in the slow period pulsars, but is two orders of magnitude smaller than the smallest ever recorded. Such an event must be very rare for millisecond pulsars since no other glitches have been detected when the cumulated number of years of millisecond pulsar timing observations up to 2001 is around 500 for all these objects. However, pulsar PSR B1821-24 is one of the youngest among the old recycled ones and there is likely a correlation between age, or a related parameter, and timing noise. While this event happens on a much smaller scale, the required adjustment of the star to a new equilibrium figure as it spins down is a likely common cause for all glitches.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters, 5 pages, 2 figures, LaTex (uses emulateapj.sty

Risky Honors

Most educators today are likely to proclaim a commitment to teaching critical thinking. Willingness to take intellectual risks such as questioning orthodox teachings or proposing unconventional solutions is an important component of critical thinking and the larger project of liberal education, yet the reward structures of educational institutions may actually function to discourage such risk-taking. In light of the extra importance placed on grades and high-stakes entrance exams in an increasingly competitive educational marketplace, this problem might presumably be magnified among honors students. This essay concludes by calling on honors educators and other interested parties to contribute their voices, their questions, and their proposed solutions to a new JNCHC Forum focusing on the tension among talented students between taking intellectual risks and a desire to avoid the personal struggle and possible failure that sometimes come from taking such risks

Radio Properties of the Auroral Ionosphere, Final Report (Phase I)

It has been found in recent years that a study of the fluctuations in the signals received from radio stars affords a powerful means of investigating the irregular structure of the ionosphere. In 1955 studies of this type, using frequencies of 223 Me and 456 Me, were initiated at the Geophysical Institute, with a view to investigating the smallscale structure of the highly disturbed auroral ionosphere. The purpose of this report is to present a complete description of the initial experimental arrangement. Further developments of the equipment and some results of analysis of the data have been presented in Quarterly Progress Reports covering the period since 1 June 1956, The report is divided into three sections. Section I contains a description of the basic philosophy of the experiment with an elementary discussion of the various parameters involved. Section II contains a brief description of the actual field installation, and Section III is devoted to the electronic design features. The diagrams pertaining to each section are located at the end of the section.Air Force Contract No. AF 30(635)-2887 Project No. 5535 - Task 45774 Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss Air Force Base Rome, New YorkABSTRACT AND GENERAL INTRODUCTION -- [SECTION I] Investigation of the Ionosphere Using Extra- Terrestrial Radio Sources : 1.1 Introduction ; 1.2 Extra-Terrestrial Sources ; Apparent Positions ; 1.3 Instrumental Techniques for the Study of Radiation from Radio Stars ; Interferometer Methods ; Advantages of the Phase-Switch Interferometer ; Interferometer Parameters ; 1.5 Limitations on Accuracy -- References -- [SECTION II] The Field Installation : 2.1 Introduction ; 2.2 The Radio Telescope Towers ; 2.3 The Antennas ; 2.4 Acknowledgements -- [SECTION III] Electronic Design of Phase-Switch Interferometers : 3.1 Introduction ; 3.2 223 Mc Phase-Switch Equipment ; 3.3 456 Mc Phase-Switch Equipment ; 3.4 Auxiliary EquipmentYe

Taming of the Shrew(s) : Explorations of Gender and Power in Directing an Original Adaptation of William Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew

In Fall 2021, I directed my own adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, entitled “Taming of the Shrew(s).” This project served as both the creative portion of my honors thesis as well as a Senior Showcase within the Bucknell Department of Theatre & Dance. From a young age, I have been fascinated by the malleability of Shakespeare’s plays, and having acted in and seen multiple productions of The Taming of the Shrew, my project began with a desire to take on the gendered complexities of this so-called “problem play.” The Taming of the Shrew is problematic in its sexist depiction of courting and married life. The central premise revolves around a male, Petruchio, “taming” a female, Katherine, as one might tame a bird or an animal. In the play, Kate is shamed for being a purported “shrew,” and it is on the grounds of her “shrewishness” that Petruchio feels entitled to tear her clothes, starve her, and deprive her of sleep. However, the play itself calls into question who the “real” shrew may be, with a secondary character named Curtis saying, “By this reck’ning, he is more shrew than she” (4.1.79). Because I didn’t understand how a text could seemingly be played for laughs at a wife’s expense while also showcasing a fierce and brilliant woman, I decided to explore how the very same script could be performed in drastically different ways, especially if actors altered their intonation, movement, and/or interactions with each other. Thus, I adapted Shakespeare’s text, cutting it down to a 25-minute script which would be performed three times, with three sets of actors playing Katherine and Petruchio, and with each version taking on a distinct interpretation of their power dynamics. I then cast, rehearsed, and devised additional parts of the script in collaboration with my actors, particularly a series of interstitial sections where the three Katherines addressed the audience, taking on the blatant sexism within the text. Ultimately, my cast performed the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” three times from September 24th–26th, 2021. In this thesis, then, I discuss my process of conceiving of, researching, and adapting Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew into the “Taming of the Shrew(s),” and I also detail my directorial decisions. In Section I, I introduce my project and examine the overall cultural perception of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. In Section II, I analyze how the original text of The Taming of the Shrew supports the three distinct interpretations I directed in the “Taming of the Shrew(s).” In Section III, I explore the performance history of The Taming of the Shrew from the Renaissance to the present day, touching on previous performances and adaptations that influenced my project. In Section IV, I talk about the process of adapting Shakespeare’s script, including how my adaptation occurred both on the page and also through the rehearsal process, creating moments of theatre in collaboration with my actors. In this section, I also discuss the technical choices I made for the costumes, props, and the set of my production. In Section V, I offer a conclusion about why the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” strives to ask questions about gender and power rather than answer them. Finally, my Supplementary Materials include a recording of the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” performance, my adapted script, and production photos, while my Appendix provides artifacts from the production, including samples of my notes, props and costume sheets, and production posters

Introduction: The Demonstrable Value of Honors Education

In May of 2016, a small cadre of scholars was called to the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, for the Honors Education Research Colloquium, a two-day meeting focusing on the future direction of research in honors education. The participants were assembled by Jerry Herron, who at the time was president of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), close on the heels of a decision by the NCHC Board of Directors in June of the previous year to make research—along with professional development and advocacy—one of three strategic priorities. After a day of presentations, in turn, by each of the participants, the colloquium discussion turned on the second day to an enumeration of ways in which the goal of encouraging honors research might best be effected. That enumeration included such topics as bridging the gap between those scholars doing related educational research inside and outside of honors and the establishment of an infrastructure to facilitate data collection and other collaborative research across multiple NCHC member institutions. One of the concepts that emerged most forcefully from those discussions was vocal consensus about the need for more, and more robust, research evidence addressing the question of whether honors education adds value—for a society that helps to support the educational enterprise, for faculty and others who work to provide honors programming, for the institutions that house honors programs and colleges, and, especially, for the students who participate in such programs