On the polarimetric variability of bright O-type stars

Polarimetric data associated with multi-parameter observational campaigns of selected bright O-type stars and their variable winds, are analysed in relation to the outcomes of the UV and optical spectroscopic studies. For the stars ξ Per and λ Cep, individual measurement uncertainties are Δρ~±0.0002 with nightly mean uncertainties of Δρ~±0.00007. Although variability is apparent on a night-to-night basis, with differences in δρ~0.0002, no correlations are found between these and the periodic behaviours associated with the stellar Si IV and H α lines. Similar polarimetric variability is seen in the data for the standard star ø Cas used as a reference in this observing campaign. It is suggested that all of these low level fluctuations are not intrinsic to the stars but are engendered by structured instrumental polarization in the diffraction pattern and depolarization effects in combination with inconsistent target acquisition and with variable seeing conditions in the Earth's atmosphere. Reassessment of older data for λ Cep from Hayes (1978) also supports this thesis

The Fiddle Burning Priest of Mabou

Father Kenneth MacDonald was the priest of Mabou, Cape Breton, from 1865-1894. Written accounts detail him as a strict disciplinarian and social advocate: against the consumption of alcohol; disliking picnics; and telling parishioners how to vote. But the written word seems to leave out the one event that locals still discuss: how he went door to door and burnt their fiddles. Although a small rural town, Mabou is one of cultural importance in Cape Breton, considered the heart of Cape Breton traditional music. Of central iconic importance in both the folk and popular manifestations of this music is the fiddle.Le père Kenneth MacDonald a été le curé de Mabou, à l’île du Cap-Breton, de 1865 à 1894. Les documents écrits le dépeignent comme un censeur social pratiquant une discipline très stricte : condamnant la consommation d’alcool, réprouvant les pique-niques et dictant à ses paroissiens pour qui il fallait voter. Toutefois, les écrits semblent passer sous silence l’événement dont les habitants parlent encore : comment il est allé de porte en porte pour brûler leurs violons. Bien qu’elle ne soit qu’une petite ville rurale, Mabou revêt une grande importance culturelle au Cap-Breton, en étant même considérée comme le berceau de la musique traditionnelle du Cap-Breton. C’est en effet le violon qui est l’icône centrale des manifestations à la fois traditionnelles et populaires de cette musique

Specific wavelength colorimeter

A self contained, specific wavelength, single beam colorimeter is described for direct spectrophotometric measurement of the concentration of a given solute in a test sample. An electrical circuit employing a photoconductive cell converts the optical output into a linear, directly readable meter output. The colorimeter is simple to operate and is adapted for use in zero gravity conditions. In a specific application, the colorimeter is designed to analyze the concentration of iodine in potable water carried aboard a space vehicle such as the 4B stage of Skylab

The Diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder

This paper represents an attempt to facilitate the clinician or psychiatrist in making a diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder, the most severe of the dissociative disorders. Emphasis will be placed on detecting signs, symptoms, and information that occur within the constituent parts of a typical psychiatric interview, and that are highly suggestive of MPD even in the absence of alter presentation