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Home / US National Parks / Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is located high in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon. Summer weekends in May-September are peak season, when the loop drive around the lake clogs with traffic.
Situated atop a volcano, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, and its clarity is unmatched.
Places to Stay When Visiting Crater Lake
If you want lodging inside the park, you may have some trouble finding any availability during the busy summer season. All in-park lodging is on the south rim of the lake. Crater Lake Lodge is the most popular stay, but the Cabins at Mazama Village also offer nights, however these are bare-bones and do not come with any extra amenities like A/C or TVs. There are a handful of campgrounds in this area as well.
Nearby towns that can easily reach Crater Lake's Visitor Center from:
Chiloquin, OR (36 miles away)
Shady Cove, OR (58 miles)
Klamath Falls, OR (60 miles)
Medford, OR (80 miles)
Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of amenities within 40-50 miles of this park. Medford is the largest "close" town, and it is an hour and a half away. We stayed in Chiloquin – a small reservation town south of Crater Lake, and there wasn't much there other than a few Airbnbs. Klamath Falls is probably the best place to stay if you are looking for a decent array of lodging, food, and grocery options near Crater Lake NP.
VISIT Crater Lake National Park:
Park Details
Crater Lake National Park was established on May 22, 1902, and has a total area of 183,224 acres (286 square miles, or 742 square kilometers).
Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake, OR, 97604
The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. But many of the park's roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow.
$30 in the summer (May 22-October 31), $20 in the winter (November 1-May 21). Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Good for 7 days.
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Crater Lake National Park is the 101st most visited park in the country.
Crater Lake is open year round, but the famed Rim Drive around the lake is closed in the winter. Crater Lake gets an unusually large amount of snowfall in the winter, and enormous banks of snow often stick around well into July. We visited this park in 2022, and the West Rim drive was still closed as of June 2nd. That year, it opened up on the 12th of June, which is later than usual, but still within its stated range of Late May to Mid June.
Using Historical Data to Predict
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Crater Lake National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Crater Lake National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Crater Lake National Park are July, August, September & June.
Park Visits
8,026 7,803 15,312 25,680 56,746 95,155 194,712 106,379 64,152 47,196 19,410 7,180
197 140 136 97 68 39 13 13 24 73 184 211
Avg Temp
Min Temp
10 9 14 17 21 27 34 34 28 20 14 9
Temperature values in °F; Precipitation in Inches
Crater Lake National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Crater Lake National Park is visited.
Trip Miles
Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods to Crater Lake 767 8
Crater Lake, Redwoods to Golden Gate Bridge 720 9
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Crater Lake National Park.
Tule Lake National Monument 72 mi
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve 85 mi
Lava Beds National Monument 89 mi
Redwood National Park 146 mi
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area 159 mi
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument 169 mi
Lassen Volcanic National Park 171 mi
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site 189 mi
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 191 mi
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park 238 mi
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Crater Lake National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
Mazama - Crater Lake National Park OR more
RV Hookups: none
Santitary Dump: available
Toilets: flush
Drinking Water: available
Showers: none
Reservations: none
Fees: free or under $12
Spots: 200
Lost Creek - Crater Lake National Park OR more
Santitary Dump: none
Reservations: accepted
Spots: 16
Open: Mid May - Late August
Huckleberry City Prospect, OR more
Scott Creek Chiloquin, OR more
Spots: 6
Hamaker Prospect, OR more
Farewell Bend Prospect, OR more
Jackson F. Kimball State Park Chiloquin, OR more
Toilets: none
Union Creek Prospect, OR more
RV Hookups: electric
Broken Arrow Diamond Lake, OR more
Showers: available
Pets: allowed
Open: Early June - Late August
Natural Bridge Prospect, OR more
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Crater Lake National Park:
Willamette Pass Crecent Lake, OR 6,683 ft 49% 49 mi
Mount Ashland Ashland, OR 7,500 ft 53% 64 mi
Mountain High Wrightwood, CA 8,200 ft 52% 67 mi
Hoodoo Ski Area Sisters, OR 5,703 ft 47% 77 mi
Mt. Bachelor Bend, OR 9,065 ft 73% 78 mi
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Crater Lake National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Crater Lake National Park.
Portland International Airport PDX Portland, OR 186 mi
Reno–Tahoe International Airport RNO Reno, NV 266 mi
Sacramento International Airport SMF Sacramento, CA 293 mi
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport SEA Seattle, WA 313 mi
Oakland International Airport OAK Oakland, CA 358 mi
San Francisco International Airport SFO San Francisco, CA 366 mi
Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport SJC San Jose, CA 383 mi
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Crater Lake National Park.
Rogue Valley International Medford Airport MFR Medford, OR 52 mi
Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport LMT Klamath Falls, OR 56 mi
Eugene Airport (Mahlon Sweet Field) EUG Eugene, OR 99 mi
Roberts Field RDM Redmond, OR 105 mi
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport OTH North Bend, OR 111 mi
Jack Mc Namara Field Airport CEC Crescent City, CA 132 mi
Redding Municipal Airport RDD Redding, CA 166 mi
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.


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Creating a culture of giving back
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\section{Introduction}
\setcounter{equation}{0}

Over the recent years it has become clear that
gauge/gravity correspondence \cite{maldacena} can be used to extract
information about four-dimensional strongly coupled gauge theories
by mapping them onto gravitational theories in five dimensions. The
term AdS/QCD is often used to
describe the efforts to apply a
five-dimensional theory on an anti-de Sitter (AdS) gravity
background to learn something about QCD
\cite{wittenqcd,ps,flavor,ps1,csaki,girardello,babington,kruczenski,braga,teramond,amison,pomarol,amimeson,sakai,hirn,hong}.
Although for QCD the exact form of the gravity dual is not yet known,
there are two complementary approaches to the problem. One is to
start from a string theory, choosing the background in such a way as to
reproduce such essential ingredients of QCD as confinement \cite{ps} or
matter in the fundamental representation \cite{flavor}, and study
the resulting QCD-like theories. Another, bottom-up, approach is
to begin with QCD and attempt to determine or constrain the dual
theory properties by matching them to known properties of QCD using
gauge/gravity correspondence.
From a practical point of view, one can model experimental
data surprisingly well~\cite{amison,pomarol,amimeson} by a local effective
theory on a cutoff AdS space (AdS ``slice'').  The ultraviolet (UV) conformal
invariance of QCD (due to asymptotic freedom)
is matched by the conformal isometry of the AdS
background of the dual 5d theory, while confinement, in the simplest
realization, is modeled by a hard wall cutting off AdS space in the
infrared (IR) region,
as first introduced in \cite{ps1}.
The bottom-up approach is related to an attempt undertaken by A.A.~Migdal
in the 1970's \cite{migdal} to determine the meson spectrum by imposing the
requirement of conformal invariance on QCD two-point correlators
and using the Pad\'e approximation, as well as to the open-moose
models based on an infinite number of hidden local symmetries
\cite{moose}, as discussed in \cite{Erlich:2006hq}.

One criticism that has been brought against this program is that it so
far appeared to be unable to describe correctly either (radially) excited rho
mesons or higher spin mesons~\cite{schreiber,shifman}. The
meson spectrum in AdS/QCD is determined by solving for the eigenmodes
of a 5d gauge field living on the cutoff AdS. With the simplest cutoff
-- the hard IR wall -- the spectrum of squared masses $m_n^2$
is similar to that of a Schr\"odinger equation for a particle in a box,
i.e., for high excitation number, $n\gg1$, $m_n^2$ grow as~$n^2$.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centerline{\epsfig{file=rho-slope.eps,width=0.6\textwidth}}
  \caption[]{The squared masses of the first few $\rho$ resonances
versus their consecutive number $n$ \cite{PDG}. The straight line is
the fit $m_n^2\sim n$.}
  \label{fig:fit}
\end{figure}

On the other hand, data shows growth consistent with $m_n^2 \sim
n$, see, e.g.,
Fig.~\ref{fig:fit} and \cite{collins}.
Furthermore, for large $n$ a heuristic semiclassical
argument in favor of the behavior \mbox{$m_n^2\sim n$} for QCD can be given
\cite{shifman}. The highly excited mesons can be thought of as an
ultrarelativistic quark-antiquark pair executing the semiclassical
motion in a potential growing linearly with the separation (due to the
confining flux tube). With the typical momentum and energy of the
quark motion related to the mass of the meson as $p=E=m_n/2$ and the
energy related to the typical separation $L$ (the size of the meson)
as $E=\sigma L$, where $\sigma$ is the confining string (chromoelectric
flux tube) tension, the
typical size of an excited meson is
\begin{equation} L\sim m_n/\sigma \label{size}.\end{equation}
On the other hand, semiclassical Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization requires
$\int p dx\sim n$, which means
\begin{equation} m_n^2\sim \sigma n. \label{mn}\end{equation}
Such a behavior is also observed in the 1+1 dimensional 't Hooft
model~\cite{hooft} where linear confinement can be demonstrated
analytically.

A similar situation occurs for high spin $S\gg1$.
The well-known argument
based on a picture of a high spin meson as a semiclassically rotating
relativistic open string -- the confining flux tube --
predicts Regge behavior $m_S^2=2\pi\sigma S$.
However, as was shown in \cite{amimeson}, in
that case one finds a very similar problem in the hard wall model:
while one can nicely match the experimental properties of the first
few resonances, the growth of the squared masses with spin $S$ is
$m_S^2 \sim S^2$ as opposed to the expected Regge behavior.

The purpose of this note is to point out that the asymptotic
behavior of the spectrum of highly excited mesons $m_n^2\sim n^2$ is
by no means an intrinsic property of AdS/QCD.  We wish to emphasize
that, contrary to thus far rather common assumption, the spectrum of
the highly excited mesons is not determined by the {\em ultraviolet}
behavior of the AdS/QCD (which is already constrained to be
asymptotically AdS). Rather, it crucially depends on the details of
the {\em infrared} region. That this must be so can be clearly seen
by recalling that the size $L$ of the mesons {\em grows} with their
excitation number \eqref{size}.

Below we shall give an explicit example of the IR wall that gives
the desired
\begin{equation}\label{MnMS}
  m_{n}^2 \sim n \qquad\mbox{and}\qquad  m_S^2 \sim S
\end{equation}
growth of the masses at large $n$ and $S$.
At this point, we can give no explicit example of a background in an
{\it ab initio}
string theory that behaves in the way that we propose.  However, since
the growth~(\ref{MnMS}) is a generic property of any linearly confining
gauge theory, we may formulate our result as an IR constraint on the
holographic dual of any such theory, including QCD. We shall
speculate briefly about how such an IR behavior could arise from
tachyon condensation in string theory.

\section{Background geometry and overview}

The gravitational backgrounds we are interested in can still be
thought of as cutoff AdS spaces, but instead of the hard-wall IR
cutoff we shall look at spacetimes that smoothly cap off. The only
background fields we are considering are the dilaton $\Phi$ and the
metric $g_{MN}$. The mesons are described by 5d fields propagating
on this background with the action given by
\begin{equation}\label{action}
I = \int d^5x\, \sqrt g\, e^{-\Phi}\, {\cal L},
\end{equation}
where $\cal L$ is the Lagrangian density and $g=|\det g_{MN}|$.
We shall begin by considering a generic background parameterized
by two functions $A(z)$ and $\Phi(z)$ such that:
\begin{eqnarray}
&&g_{MN}\,dx^Mdx^N
= e^{2A(z)} (dz^2 + \eta_{\mu\nu}dx^{\mu} dx^{\nu}); \label{metric}
 \\
&&\Phi= \Phi(z);
\end{eqnarray}
where $\eta_{\mu\nu}={\rm diag}(-1,1,1,1)$.
We shall then determine the conditions that the background $A(z)$ and
$\Phi(z)$ should obey to reproduce the Regge-like behavior of the mass
spectrum Eq.~(\ref{MnMS}). By considering the spectrum of radial $\rho$
excitations only we conclude that the linear combination $\Phi-A$ must
behave as $z^2$ at large $z$ to agree with Eq.~(\ref{mn}). In addition,
conformal symmetry in the UV demands that $\Phi-A\sim \log z$ at
small $z$. The simplest solution to both these constraints is
$\Phi-A=z^2+\log z$. It has the advantage that the spectrum of excited
$\rho$ masses can be determined exactly: $m_n^2=4(n+1)$.

In order to determine $A$ and $\Phi$ functions separately we then
consider higher spin mesons. We find that the behavior as in
\eqref{MnMS} requires that the metric function $A$ does not have
any contribution growing as $z^2$ at large $z$.
In the simplest case obeying this constraint,
$A=-\log z$, $\Phi=z^2$, the spectrum can be found exactly:
$m_{n,S}^2=4(n+S)$.

\section{Rho mesons}
\label{sec:rho}

We shall work under the assumption that there exists a local
effective action on this background that is dual to QCD, i.e.,
terms with a higher number of derivatives have to be suppressed.
An incomplete
justification of this assumption together with a discussion of the
associated limitations can be found in Section~\ref{sec:conclusion}.
For the vector and axial meson sector the simplest action one can
write down
containing up to 2 derivatives
is the SU$(N_F)_L \times$ SU$(N_F)_R$ gauge field action with a
bifundamental scalar whose vacuum expectation value is responsible
for both the explicit and the spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.
This is the picture advertised in \cite{amison, pomarol} and it
directly implements the ideas of \cite{flavor} regarding how flavor
is included in AdS/CFT as gauge fields living on the worldvolume of
flavor branes. The analogy with \cite{flavor} also fixes the
coupling to the background dilaton to be an overall $e^{-\Phi}$ as
expected from a D-brane. The gauge coupling $g_5$ is fixed by
matching the UV asymptotics of current-current two-point function
between bulk and boundary theories \cite{moose,amison}. The action
at quadratic order in the fields and derivatives reads
\begin{equation}\label{action-g5}
I = \int d^5x\, e^{-\Phi(z)} \sqrt{g} \left \{
-|DX|^2 + 3 |X|^2 - \frac{1}{4 g_5^2} ( F_L^2 + F_R^2) \right \}
\end{equation}
with $g_5^2 = 12 \pi^2/N_c$.
The boundary condition on the gauge fields $A_L$ and $A_R$ at
$z=0$ as required by the holographic
correspondence, is given by the value of the sources of the currents
$J_L$ and $J_R$ in 4d theory. The IR boundary condition
now, in the case of the smooth wall extending to $z=\infty$,  is simply
that the action is finite. The ambiguity of the choice of the IR
boundary condition in a theory with hard wall \cite{amison}
is not present in the theory with the smooth wall cutoff.

To determine the spectrum of the $\rho$ mesons we need only the
quadratic part of the action for the vector-like gauge field
$V=A_L+A_R$.  We use the gauge invariance of the action to go to the
axial gauge $V_z=0$ \cite{amison}.  The equation for the 4d-transverse
components $V_\mu^T$ ($\partial^\mu V_\mu^T=0$) has normalizable solutions,
$v_n$, only for discrete values of 4d momentum $q^2$ equal to $m_n^2$:
 \begin{equation} \label{rhomode}
\partial_z \left ( e^{-B} \partial_z v_n \right )
+ m_n^2 e^{-B} v_n  = 0,
\end{equation}
where $B=\Phi(z)-A(z)$. Via the
substitution
\begin{equation} v_n=e^{B/2} \psi_n \label{vpsi}
\end{equation}
this equation can be brought into the form
of a Schr\"odinger equation
\begin{equation}
\label{sch} - \psi_n'' + V(z) \psi_n = m_n^2 \psi_n,
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}
V(z) =  \frac{1}{4} (B')^2 - \frac{1}{2} B''.
\end{equation}

In the particular case of $B=\Phi-A=z^2+\log z$, we have $V=z^2+3/(4z^2)$ and
the Schr\"odinger equation (\ref{sch}) is exactly solvable.
More generally, for the quantum mechanical system%
\footnote{For integer values of $m$ Eq. \eqref{sch-a} can be
viewed as a radial equation for a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator
with orbital momentum $m$.}
\begin{equation} \label{sch-a}
-\psi'' + \left[ z^2  + \frac{ m^2-1/4}{z^2}\right] \psi = E \psi
\end{equation}
the eigenvalues are ($n=0,1,2,\ldots$)
\begin{equation}\label{en}
E = 4n + 2 m + 2
\end{equation}
and the corresponding normalized eigenfunctions are
\begin{equation}
\psi_n(z) =  e^{-\frac{z^2}2} z^{m+1/2}
    \sqrt{\frac{2n!}{(m+n)!}}\, L_n^{m}\left(z^2\right).
\end{equation}
where $L_n^m$ are associated Laguerre polynomials. The $\rho$ meson
mode equation
\eqref{sch} is of this form with $m=1$. We can easily read
off the squared masses of the $\rho$s from this:
\begin{equation} m_n^2 =4 (n+1). \label{mn1} \end{equation}
The scale of the masses is fixed by the coefficient of the $z^2$
term in $B$, which violates explicitly the scale invariance.%
\footnote{In the theory with hard IR wall this role was played by the
position of the wall $z_m$.}
Matching to Eq. \eqref{mn}
we conclude that this coefficient is proportional to
the QCD string tension $\sigma$.
We measure masses in units in which this coefficient is equal to 1.

Undoing the change of variables \eqref{vpsi},
we get the original mode functions
$v_n = e^{z^2/2}\, \sqrt{z}\, \psi_n$, hence
\begin{equation}
v_n(z) =   z^{2}
    \sqrt{\frac{2 n!}{(1+n)!}}\, L_n^{1}\left(z^2\right).
\end{equation}
From the analytic form of the wavefunction we also can read
off the corresponding decay constants \cite{amison}:
\begin{equation}
F_{\rho_n}^2 = \frac{1}{g_5^2} \left [ v_n''(0) \right ]^2 =
\frac{8 (n+1)}{g_5^2},
\end{equation}
whose large $n$ behavior is also in accord with semiclassical QCD
arguments \cite{shifman}.
It is interesting to note that, since $F_{\rho_n}^2/m_n^2=2/g_5^2$ is
$n$-independent, our simplest choice of the background $B=z^2+\log z$
reproduces the {\it ad hoc} resonance model of duality discussed in
\cite{shifman-dual}.

Note that in order to get the correct $m_n^2 \sim n$ behavior for large $n$
it was crucial that the analog Schr\"odinger potential describes
essentially a harmonic oscillator at large $z$. This is easy to see
applying the WKB approximation for large $n$. The distance between successive
levels $m_n^2$ of the Schr\"odinger equation \eqref{sch}
is given by the frequency of the classical oscillation in the potential $V$:
\begin{equation}
\frac {dm_n^2}{dn} = \pi \left[\int_{z_1}^{z_2}\!
\frac{dz}{\sqrt{m_n^2-V(z)}} \right]^{-1},
\end{equation}
where $z_{1,2}$ are the turning points. For large $m_n$, i.e., large
$z_2$, and $z_1\to0$,
the integral is dominated by large $z\sim z_2\sim m_n$. This
matches the expected growth of the
size of the highly excited mesons in QCD  -- $L\sim m_n$
(see Eq.~\eqref{size}).%
\footnote{The proper definition of the meson size should be based on
the meson formfactor, which is determined by cubic terms in the
action. In this paper we only consider quadratic part of the action
and indirectly infer the size of the meson from the extent of its wave
function in the 5-th dimension.}

By choosing a different function $V(z)$ (i.e., a different background
$B(z)$) one can adjust the constant $O(1)$ term in $m_n^2$, but as
long as $V(z)\sim z^2$ for large $z$, the spectrum will remain
equidistant at large $n$.\footnote{One can also notice that the
choice of $B\sim -z^2$ leads to the same asymptotics of $V(z)$ as
the choice $B\sim z^2$ we made. The former, however, is physically
unacceptable because it leads to an $m_n^2=0$ solution to the $\rho$
mode equation \eqref{rhomode}.}

Matching only the spectrum of the $\rho$ mesons we are only able
to constrain the linear combination $B=\Phi-A$ of the dilaton and
the metrics background functions $\Phi$ and $A$. In the next section
we shall see that all the $z^2$ asymptotics must all be in $\Phi$
and none in $A$.%

\section{Higher spin mesons}

In order to create higher spin mesons we need to act with a higher
spin current on the vacuum. Just like for the vector mesons, on the
gravity side, we have to introduce a higher spin field whose
normalizable modes determine meson masses and decay constants.
In the free theory in the far UV the
corresponding current becomes a conserved twist 2 current, so the
higher spin field has to become a massless higher spin field whose
equations of motion are uniquely fixed by gauge and coordinate
invariance \cite{fronsdal}.

In the full theory
the higher spin field will have to acquire a mass in the IR by a
generalization of the Higgs mechanism. As long as the mass of the
higher spin field remains finite in the IR, it is easy to see that it
will not affect the highly excited modes. We will discuss this
phenomenon in detail in the next section in the special case of the
spin $S=1$ axial vectors. For our discussion of higher spin mesons we
will only consider massless higher spin fields in the 5d bulk.

Since we will only be concerned with the spectrum of the higher spin
mesons, we shall not consider the full 5d action, but only its
quadratic (free) part. It is known that simultaneously gauge and
general-coordinate invariant action can be written for a higher spin
field in a space with vanishing Weyl tensor (the part of the Riemann
tensor which does not affect the Ricci tensor)
\cite{deser,fronsdalads,action}. The background we consider
\eqref{metric} is conformally flat and obeys this condition. Thus we
proceed on assumption that such action does exist.

The gauge field of spin $S$ is represented by a tensor
$\phi_{M_1\ldots M_S}$ of rank $S$ totally symmetric over its
indices. As discussed above, we require the action to be invariant
with respect to the gauge transformation with gauge parameter
$\xi_{M_2\ldots M_S}$ itself a symmetric rank $S-1$ tensor: \begin{equation}
\delta\phi_{M_1\ldots M_S}=\nabla_{(M_1}\xi_{M_2\ldots M_S)}, \end{equation}
where $\nabla$ is (general coordinate) covariant derivative and
parentheses denote index symmetrization.%
\footnote{It is known that gauge invariance can be imposed at most
for a restricted class of gauge transformations with traceless
$\xi^N_{\phantom NN\ldots}=0$ gauge parameter. This fact will not
play a role in our discussion.} The quadratic part of the gauge and
coordinate invariant action for this field must have the form \begin{equation}
\label{LS} I = \frac12 \int d^5x\,\sqrt g\,e^{-\Phi}\left\{ \nabla_N
\phi_{M_1\ldots M_S}\nabla^N\phi^{M_1\ldots M_S} + M^2(z)
\phi_{M_1\ldots M_S} \phi^{M_1\ldots M_S} + \ldots \right\} \end{equation}
where the omitted terms are similar to the two written out but with
coordinate indices contracted in alternative ways. The mass
coefficient $M^2(z)$ would be zero for flat space, but must be
nonzero otherwise to cancel terms arising from commutation of
covariant derivatives to ensure gauge invariance of $I$. For the
pure AdS space $M^2(z)$ is a constant $M^2=S^2-S-4$. Using the
method outlined below we can find $M^2(z)$ for a general metric
\eqref{metric}, however, as we shall see, the same method gives the
mode equation directly, bypassing
 $M^2(z)$.

Firstly, similar to the $S=1$ case (Section \ref{sec:rho}), we
utilize the gauge invariance to go over to the axial gauge
$\phi_{z\ldots}=0$. In this gauge, the part of the action involving
the transverse and traceless part of the field $\phi$
($\partial_\mu\phi^\mu_{\phantom\nu\ldots}=0$ and
$\phi^\nu_{\phantom\nu\nu\ldots}=0$) decouples. It is also easy to
see that this part of the action only involves the terms explicitly
written out in \eqref{LS}, while the omitted terms do not
contribute.

Secondly, we use the fact that the axial gauge still allows
residual gauge transformations obeying
$\xi_{z\ldots}=0$ and
\begin{equation} \label{residual}
\delta\phi_{z\ldots}=
\nabla_z \xi_{\ldots}  + \nabla_{(.} \xi_{\ldots)
z} =  \xi'_{\ldots} - 2 (S-1) A' \xi_{\ldots}=0.
\end{equation}
This can be easily integrated to find that the $z$ dependence of the
residual gauge parameter $\xi$ is given by
\begin{equation}
\label{resint} \xi_{\mu_2 \ldots \mu_{S}}(z,x^\mu) = e^{2 (S-1) A(z)} \,
\tilde{\xi}_{\mu_2 \ldots \mu_{S}} (x^{\mu}).
\end{equation}

The  action \eqref{LS} for transverse
traceless modes must be invariant under the gauge
transformations with parameter \eqref{resint}.
As in \cite{amimeson}
this requirement is easiest to implement working in terms of a
rescaled higher spin field $\tilde\phi$ defined by
\begin{equation} \phi_{\ldots} =e^{2 (S-1) A}
\, \tilde{\phi}_{\ldots} \label{tildephi}
\end{equation}
This field simply shifts by a value independent of $z$
 under gauge transformations \eqref{resint},
$\delta\tilde\phi_{\ldots}=\partial_{(.}\tilde\xi_{\ldots)}$.
Therefore
the action written in terms of $\tilde\phi$ should contain only
derivatives of  $\tilde\phi$. Thus if we are to substitute
\eqref{tildephi} into action \eqref{LS} we must find
(discarding appropriate boundary terms)
\begin{equation}\label{LStilde}
I = \frac12 \int d^5x\, e^{5A}\, e^{-\Phi}\left\{
 e^{4(S-1)A}\, e^{-2A(1+S)}
\partial_N\tilde\phi_{\mu_1\ldots \mu_S}
\partial_N\tilde\phi_{\mu_1\ldots \mu_S}\right\}.
\end{equation}
The equation for the modes $\tilde\phi_n$ of the transverse
traceless field $\tilde\phi_{\ldots}$ can be now
easily derived from the action
\eqref{LStilde}:
\begin{equation}
\partial_z \left ( e^{(2S-1)A} e^{-\Phi} \partial_z
\tilde{\phi}_n  \right )+  m_n^2\,e^{(2S-1) A} e^{-\Phi}\,
\tilde{\phi}_n =0
\end{equation}
which has the form \eqref{rhomode} with $B=\Phi-(2S-1)A$.

Converting to
Schr\"odinger form using the procedure from Section \ref{sec:rho}
we see that the only way to have the slope $dm_n^2/dn$
independent of $S$ is to keep all $z^2$ asymptotics in $\Phi$
and none in $A$. For
$A=-\log z$ and $\Phi=z^2$ the Schr\"odinger potential reads
\begin{equation}
V(z) = z^2 + 2(S - 1) + \frac{S^2-1/4}{z^2}.
\end{equation}
This has the same form as the potential in Eq. \eqref{sch-a}.
The eigenvalues corresponding to the
squared masses of the mesons now can easily be read off using
\eqref{en}
\begin{equation}\label{mns}
m_{n,S}^2 =  4(n+S),
\end{equation}
which generalizes our result \eqref{mn1} to higher $S$.

We can also read off the UV conformal dimension of the operators
${\cal O}^{\ldots}$ in QCD dual to the higher spin field
$\phi_{\ldots}$. Since the rescaled field $\tilde\phi$ allows a solution
going to a constant at $z=0$ boundary, its boundary value should be
identified with the source of the operator ${\cal O}^{\ldots}$. The
scaling dimension of the field $\tilde\phi$ is
$[\tilde\phi_{\ldots}]=[\phi_{\ldots}]-2(S-1)=2-S$ (in units in
which $[z]=-1$). Thus $[{\cal
O}^{\ldots}]=4-[\tilde\phi_{\ldots}]=2+S$, i.e., the twist is indeed
equal to 2.

\section{The axial sector}

Similar to the $\rho$ mesons, the axial vector meson $a_1$ masses and decay
constants can be obtained from the modes of the axial gauge field
$A=\frac{1}{2} (A_L - A_R)$ in the bulk. Unlike the vector sector
however the axial field picks up a  $z$-dependent 5d mass via the
Higgs mechanism from the background scalar $X$ that
encodes the chiral symmetry breaking~\cite{amison}.
The axial vector meson mode equation, which follows from
Eq.~\eqref{action-g5}, reads:
\begin{equation}
\label{axialmode}
\partial_z \left ( e^{-\Phi(z)} e^{A(z)} \partial_z a_n \right )
+ [m_n^2 - g_5^2\, e^{2A(z)}\, X(z)^2]
e^{-\Phi(z)} e^{A(z)}
a_n(z)  = 0\, .
\end{equation}
The linearized equation of motion for the field $X$ reads:
\begin{equation}\label{vev}
\partial_z \left ( e^{-\Phi(z)} e^{3 A(z)} \partial_z X(z) \right )
+ 3 e^{-\Phi(z)} e^{5 A(z)} X(z)  = 0\, .
\end{equation}
We are looking for a solution with asymptotic form
\begin{equation} \label{XUV}
X(z)\ \stackrel{z\to0}{\to}\
\frac{1}{2} M z + \frac{1}{2}\Sigma z^3.
\end{equation}
around
$z=0$ (in the UV), where the coefficient $M$ is the UV ($z=0$) boundary
condition given by the
quark mass matrix, while the coefficient $\Sigma$ -- the chiral
condensate -- is determined dynamically by the boundary condition
in the IR.
For large $z$ (in the IR)
on the background $\Phi=z^2$ the equation for $X$ becomes
\begin{equation}
X'' - 2 z X' + \frac3{z^2}X = 0 \qquad(z\gg1).
\end{equation}
Two linearly independent
solutions of this equation have asymptotics $e^{z^2}\to\infty$ and
$\exp\{-(3/4) z^{-2}\}\to 1$. Since the equation is linear,
selecting one of the
solutions in the IR (the $X<\infty$ one, of course) gives
 $\Sigma$ simply proportional to $M$. This is not
what one wants in a theory with spontaneous symmetry breaking
such as QCD. It is clear that one has to consider higher order
terms in the potential $U(X,\ldots)$ for $X$ and all other scalar
condensates. Such a potential
would introduce nonlinearity
in the equation \eqref{vev} for $X$ and consequently in the relation between
$\Sigma$ and $M$. In addition, one expects higher order derivative
terms to become important in determining the precise background
at intermediate values of $z$.

For a generic $U(X,\ldots)$ there will be a solution approaching a constant
as $z\to\infty$. For such a solution, as $z\to\infty$,
the term $X''$ becomes negligible (together with all other higher derivatives)
compared to $-2zX'$, and equation behaves as a 1st order, rather than
a 2nd order equation. That means only one parameter family of
solutions exist in the IR region (that parameter being the value
$X(\infty)$).  Continuing each such  solution into the UV we find
corresponding value for $M$ and $\Sigma$, therefore determining
(parametrically) the function $\Sigma(M)$, which is nonlinear for generic
nonlinear $U(X,\ldots)$.

We conclude that the spectrum in the
axial sector depends sensitively on
 the precise form of the 5d potential $U(X,\ldots)$, as well
as other higher order terms.
However, we expect that
in the IR $X$ will have a solution that goes to a constant as
$z\to\infty$. The constant value that $X$ approaches gives the IR
value of the mass of the axial gauge field.
As can be seen from the axial
mode equation (\ref{axialmode}), the contribution from finite $X$ is
suppressed by a factor $e^{2A}=z^{-2}$. Therefore, the large $z$
asymptotics of the Schr\"odinger equation potential $V(z)$ will be
the same as for the $\rho$ mesons. Hence, the slope of the $a_1$
radial excitation trajectory will be the same as the slope for the
$\rho$-mesons $dm_n^2/dn=4$ as expected from semiclassical arguments
in the Introduction.

As we mentioned in the previous section, the higher spin mesons
find themselves in a similar situation. We know that the corresponding
currents will not be conserved in the interacting theory, so the
dual higher spin field has to pick up a mass in the IR and hence our
analysis based on massless higher spin fields will not be valid.
However, as long as the mass of the higher spin field
remains finite in the IR, at large $z$ and hence at large
$n$ the mass term can be neglected and our result
\begin{equation}
m_{n,S}^2 \sim 4(n+S)
\end{equation}
is reliable for large $n$ and $S$.

\section{Conclusions and discussion}
\label{sec:conclusion}

In this paper we demonstrated that
under the assumption of a local 5d bulk description of QCD
there is a smoothing of the IR wall (asymptotically unique) that
gives the right large $n$ and large $S$ behavior for highly radially
or orbitally excited mesons characteristic of linear confinement
$m_{n,S}^2\sim (n+S)$. We have found that such a spectrum can be
achieved in a nontrivial dilaton background $\Phi$ in \eqref{action}
with the following large $z$ (IR) asymptotics: $\Phi\sim z^2$. We
have also found that the metric background function $A$ in
\eqref{action} cannot have a $z^2$ contribution at large $z$ if the
slope of the radial excitation trajectories $dm_{n,S}^2/dn$ is to be
the same for all $S$.

It is interesting to observe that  in such a dilaton/metric background
the slopes of $n$ and $S$ trajectories automatically coincide:
\begin{equation}\label{mnS}
 \frac{dm_{n,S}^2}{dn} = \frac{dm_{n,S}^2}{dS}\,
\end{equation}
This matches the expectation from QCD if one considers highly excited
mesons as semiclassically oscillating ($n\gg1$) or rotating ($S\gg1$)
strings -- the confining flux tubes connecting quark and
antiquark.  Indeed, the frequencies of the classical oscillatory and
rotational motions of the relativistic
Nambu-Goto open string at the same energy
coincide \cite{zwiebach}. The poles of the Veneziano amplitude also
correspond to the spectrum obeying \eqref{mnS} \cite{collins}.

We also found the size of the mesons growing linearly with their mass
as required by semiclassical arguments
in QCD Eq.~\eqref{size}. In comparison, with hard IR wall at $z_m$,
excited mesons would have all the same size  $L\sim z_m$.

It is worth pointing out that the semiclassical arguments which
picture highly excited mesons as excited confining flux tubes apply
in the limit of large $N_c$ when the string breaking is suppressed.
In the dual theory, the meson coupling $g_5^2=12\pi^2/N_c$ is small
in this limit, making resonances narrow and allowing us to neglect
loop corrections to the action \eqref{action-g5}.

One interesting phenomenological
aspect of the quadratic dilaton is that the coupling~$g_5^2 e^{\Phi}$
becomes strong in the IR. Modes of excitation number $n$ explore $z$
values of order~$\sqrt{n}$. Thus their self-coupling grows as $e^{z^2}
\sim e^n$. For any given excitation number $n$ the modes will be
weakly coupled for sufficiently large $N_c$: $g_{nnn}\sim e^n/N_c$.
This then suggests that for a fixed large
$N_c$ the meson resonances will become strongly coupled not at $n
\sim N_c$ but already at $n \sim \log(N_c)$.

Let us close with a detailed discussion of the assumptions we made
and the limitations of this line of thought. Our approach
relies on the proposition that QCD can be described
holographically by a local 5d action, that is, the terms
with a higher number of derivatives
are suppressed. In this local description all higher spin fields
have to be included as elementary fields.
One should think of this as being the spacetime action corresponding
to string field theory
where all excitations of the string get explicitly incorporated as
spacetime fields.

Since in QCD there is no parametric separation between the string
tension and the mass gap, the dual gravity will have curvatures of
order the string scale and hence there will be no scale separation
 between the massless and massive string modes; it is hence
very natural to include them all on an equal footing.
However, it appears unjustified from this point of view to expect
the action of those fields to be dominated by the low derivative
terms, that is, to be local. Without separation of scales, it is not
clear what is suppressing the higher derivative terms. And without
that knowledge, it is not clear how to improve systematically on the
approximations made.

Nevertheless,
our assumption that such a local action
is sensible from the string-theory point of view
might be supported by a theorem proposed in \cite{witten}, stating
 that at large $N_c$ the action should always be local\footnote{One
can argue that as long as one is only interested in on-shell
properties described by the quadratic part of the action, like the
masses and decay constants, all higher derivative terms are
essentially equivalent to the standard quadratic terms on a modified
background \cite{inprogress}. However we want to claim that in the
effective action fields of all spins propagate on the same
background geometry, which would not be justified by the arguments
in \cite{inprogress} alone.}.
If this claim is correct, it would be the large $N_c$ that is
suppressing the non-local terms, quite contrary to standard AdS/CFT
intuition.

A conservative point of view on the 5d Lagrangian would be to consider
it as a phenomenologically driven approach, along the line of
Refs.~\cite{amison,pomarol}, intelligently interpolating between the
low-energy and high-energy limits of QCD.  This approach, while
being inspired
by the AdS/CFT correspondence, may or may not have any direct
relationship to the latter.

The background we found has an AdS geometry with a quadratic
dilation $\Phi\sim z^2$ turned on. Obviously, one interesting
question is how such a background would arise from a string theory.
That is, what other fields have to be turned on in order to make
this a good background for strings to propagate on?
This would require us to construct the classical string theory on a
spacetime with stringy curvature and presumably RR-fluxes turned on.
This type of background has been sought after now for over a decade
without significant progress. While such a construction would
obviously be desirable, our construction shows that as long as the
assumption of locality holds many of the spacetime properties of
such a theory can be reconstructed.

At least qualitatively we can see how the quadratic dilaton might
arise.
Confinement in the gauge theory is believed to be dual to closed
string tachyon condensation in the bulk, so the simplest hypothesis
is that in addition to the dilaton the only other field that is
turned on is a closed string tachyon of a non-critical super string
theory. It was shown in \cite{barton1} that quite generically it is
possible to engineer a closed string tachyon condensation process in
which the only fields turned on are the dilaton and the tachyon,
while all other fields, in particular the metric, can retain the
background values. So it seems to be completely consistent in this
framework to have an undisturbed background on top of which the
closed string tachyon and the dilaton run. Of course from this point
of view it is far from obvious why the dilaton profile should be
quadratic. So in this respect our finding raises the interesting
prospect that QCD data and/or semiclassical arguments using
confining flux tubes can actually be used to gain new insights into
the fascinating process of closed string tachyon condensation!

Last but not least, one might wonder why none of the known string
theory duals to confining gauge theories exhibit the particular IR
behavior we found. The point here is that up to this date the only
4d examples of the gauge/string theory correspondence that are worked
out have the string theory be well approximated by its low energy
supergravity. On the gauge theory side this is reflected in a separation
of scales --- the string tension is much larger than the mass gap in
the theory. Only the modes with masses above the mass gap but below
the string tension are described by fields propagating on the
gravity background. Note that even the confining examples in that
class do not exhibit meson spectrum characteristic of the linear
confinement.
The squared meson masses in these theories grow as $n^2$ and not as
$n$. Of course, at very high $n$, when the masses are much larger
than the string tension one has to find linear growth in $n$. These
modes however are stringy even in the known examples and will see a
different background than the supergravity modes. Our results
indicate that they will have to see the same exponential wall.

\textbf{Acknowledgments}

D.T.S. thanks the Institute for Advanced Study, where part of this
work was completed, for hospitality. M.A.S. thanks the Institute for
Nuclear Theory, University of Washington for hospitality. The work
of A.K. was supported, in part, by the DOE under Contract No.\
DE-FG02-96-ER40956.  The work of D.T.S. was supported, in part, by
the DOE Grant No.\ DE-FG02-00ER41132 and by an IBM
Einstein Endowed Fellowship from the Institute for Advanced Study.
The work of M.A.S. was supported, in
part, by DOE Grant No.\ DE-FG02-01ER41195 and the Alfred P.\ Sloan
Foundation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Public transportation in High Point began as it did in many cities in the early 1900s as electric street railway better known as trolleys. The City of High Point city council granted three men from New York City the franchise to operate the electric street railway. The initial fare was $0.05 per trip. Sometime later Duke Power took over the operation of the system. With the popularity of the automobile, the rail system evolved into a bus system.
In the 1960s there were two bus systems that served High Point. Consolidated Bus Lines and City Transportation, however only Consolidated Bus Lines continued operation. In August 1975 the City of High Point took over the operation of the system from Consolidated Bus Lines and changed the name of the service to Furn-Tex Transit. In 1978 Furn-Tex Transit was renamed, Hi Tran. In 2017, the transit system rebranded and changed its name to High Point Transit System and changed its logo.
HPTS ACCESS
In order to assist the elderly and disabled population in High Point, the City began operating what was known as the Dial-A-Lift service in October 1977 as a subdivision of the fixed route transportation system. The program was specifically limited to those mobility-disadvantaged persons of all ages who were physically or mentally unable to access the regular transportation system due to the need of an escort, a specially equipped vehicle, or no other means of transportation. The program began with three vehicles leased from the Council on Aging and a community action group. The cost of a one-way trip anywhere in the city limits was $0.50.
In July 1978 the price of a one-way trip increased to $1. At this same time demand for service exceeded capacity on the city vehicles, and the City entered into a contract with the local cab company to assist in the transportation of those individuals who did not require an escort or a specially equipped vehicle. Over the years the price of trips has increased to $2, and in 2012 the City began operating all services with its own employees and fleet. In 2017 the service was renamed ACCESS as part of the transit system rebranding. The service provides those who have no or limited options access to the services they need.
716 W Martin Luther King Jr Dr
716 W Martin Luther King Jr Dr High Point NC 27262
Angela Wynes
Transit Advertising


To be held at the Indoor Lonestar PV Facility!
This meet is geared for all ages and abilities.
Bring chairs as seats are limited! Food and drinks are welcome as long as they are cleaned up.
Entry Fee: $20 if paid on or before 5/17/18, $30 otherwise.
You will NOT receive a separate confirmation of your registration.


Mixed use plot of 1679 m² located in Potamos Germasogeias, within walking distance to the beach.
The immediate area is considered to be one of the best commercial and residential areas in Limassol and is characterised by upper income properties.
The property falls within the Commercial Zone Eβ6 and the Residential Planning Zone Κα7 with total building allowance of 1495sqm.


← 'Monkey Business' for Michelle's Pet Challenge.
Florida Water Birds for 'Feathers on Friday'.
I'm so excited that we'll soon be heading back to our home in Florida. We'll be going via England, in order to visit my MiL, who at 101 is still fighting fit. I'm so looking forward to seeing her again, and then after our visit with her, we'll be on our way to Miami. Or tickets are all booked and seats reserved, so we'll soon be flying out of here. Wouldn't it be great to have our own wings like these beautiful water birds which feature quite a lot in my Florida posts? Here are just a few of the feathered friends I've been missing, for Charlotte's 'Feathers on Friday Challenge'.
Don't forget the cute Mottled Ducks.
The 'King of the Pond'….Mr. Great Blue Heron.
To take part in Charlotte's Friday Challenge, Just click here.
The great blue is my favourite. You are not going to have a dull moment in your house by the river Sylvia.
I mean. "Welcome back" to the continent.
These were taken on our last visit. We'll be back soon though.
Nice collection of photos. Is the unidentified one a cormorant?
Thanks, John. Sorry, I forgot to do the caption the caption. It's an Anhinga, sometimes called a Snake Bird. They do look very similar to Cormorants, but Anhingas have pointed bills while cormorants have a hooked bill.
What wonderful birds. I particularly love the Roseate Spoonbill.
I like the White Ibis the most with the pink-ish bill. Now, I feel girly. Excuse me as brand some cows.. 🙂 I'll be back.
Oh how exciting you must be getting as the date approaches.
So nice that you will be visiting your mil before heading to the US.
Always so nice to hear the MiL in doing well. Enjoy!
It is always good to see the wild life especially birds as these. I recalled seeing an alligator or rattle snakes in Fl.
Wow! What wonderful images. Seems like you're just itching to get back there.
Ahh wonderful. I'm sorry England is going to be a bit chilly!
I'm sure you must be really excited to go back!
Bon voyage! Have a save trip!
The like won't stick but your feathered friends are fabulous!
Are these birds to be found near your new home in Florida?
What a beautiful spot you have chosen to go to then.
exciting days ahead, Sylvia. so happy for you! 🙂 beautiful photos of winged friends!
You take such gorgeous bird photos Sylvia. Great collection!
Having tried my luck with birds, I know it's more than that my friend. Well done!


text:
State Department Daily Briefing
2007-10-05T19:21:57-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/729/201379-m.jpgSean McCormack talked with reporters about the situation in Iraq. He said State Department officials had announced new rules and regulations for security contractors operating in Iraq and said there was a proposal to mount video cameras on security vehicles. He responded to reporters' questions.
Sean McCormack talked with reporters about the situation in Iraq. He said State Department officials had announced new rules and… read more
Sean McCormack talked with reporters about the situation in Iraq. He said State Department officials had announced new rules and regulations for security contractors operating in Iraq and said there was a proposal to mount video cameras on security vehicles. He responded to reporters' questions. close
Filter by Speaker All Speakers Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack Spokesman Department of State
Department of State | Briefing RoomDepartment of State | Briefing Room
News Briefing
Oct 05, 2007 | 1:24pm EDT | C-SPAN 1
Oct 06, 2007 | 1:38am EDT | C-SPAN 1
See all on Iraq Occupation/Reconstruction (05/02/03-08/31/10)
Mr. McCormack briefed reporters and answered questions on a number of issues including the decision by the Iraqi…
Mr. McCormack briefed reporters and answered questions about a number of issues including private security contractors…
Sean McCormack talked with reported about attacks on the 'green zone' in Baghdad, the situation in Tibet, the new…
Sean McCormack responded to questions from reporters about Iraq and Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs.


Tip: if you want to learn more about importing files in Python, check out DataCamp's Importing Data in Python course. Flat Files Versus Text Files... One small tip: instead of dirPath+"/"+fileName I would recommend os.path.join(dirPath, fileName), which will insert a forward slash for Unix and Linux users, and a backslash for the Windows guys.
#!/usr/bin/python import os # Delete file test2.txt os.remove("text2.txt") Directories in Python. All files are contained within various directories, and Python has no problem handling these too. The os module has several methods that help you create, remove, and change directories. The mkdir() Method. You can use the mkdir() method of the os module to create directories in the current how to clean a french horn Introduction. Handling files is an entry-level and fundamental skill for any programmer. They're very commonly used to store application data, user configurations, videos, images, etc.
27/10/2018 · How to Uninstall Python. This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the Python application and its related files and folders from your computer. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers. Open Start . Click the Windows logo in the... This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the Python application and its related files and folders from your computer. You can do this on both … how to make custom cut files photoshop If the tif images are referenced in your Python code as variables, you will need to delete the variables once the code has finished running, in order to remove the lock.
Introduction. Handling files is an entry-level and fundamental skill for any programmer. They're very commonly used to store application data, user configurations, videos, images, etc.
If the tif images are referenced in your Python code as variables, you will need to delete the variables once the code has finished running, in order to remove the lock.


text:
Nirbhaya Rape Case: SC Rejects Review Plea On Death Penalty Filed By Akshay, One Of Four Convicts
by IANS - Dec 18, 2019 10:39 AM
Nirbhaya's parents
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (18 December) dismissed the petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the four convicts on death row, seeking review of death penalty handed down to him in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case.
A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi observed that Akshay's review petition was similar to the petitions filed by the other convicts, which was dismissed by the top court in 2018. "We found no ground for review of the sentence", said the court.
Justice Banumathi said the bench has given due consideration to grounds, which the petitioner sought to assail evidence, and it is not permitted.
"These grounds were considered earlier. This cannot be allowed. All these have been examined in trial court, High Court and the Supreme Court", said the court.
Justice Banumathi said the court examined the matter under parameters of review jurisdiction and it is not rehearing of the case.
"Grounds and flaws in investigation raised by him, were earlier rejected (referring to the rejection of review petitions of three other accused)", said the court.
Akshay's lawyer contended before the court that his client wants to file mercy petition before the President, and sought three weeks time.
Centre's counsel contested it stating the prescribed time limit is only one week. The top court refused to pass on order on the time limit to file mercy petition before the President.
"we are not expressing view in this regards, and the accused can avail the relief for mercy petition as per the stipulated time limit available in law", said the court.
(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
Supreme Court of India
Nirbhaya rape case
Nirbhaya Death Verdict
Rapes
Nirbhaya gangrape
Nirbhaya's Rapists
Rape Cases


Swizz Thinks We Believe He & Alicia "Will Make A Great Family"
Alicia Keys is a proud mom-to-be, and in a recent interview in the UK's Mirror, she expresses the joys of being pregnant by Swizz Beatz.
Swizz Beatz is equally happy to be making a family with girlfriend Alicia Keys.
GALLERY: Alicia Keys' Baby Bump Is Growing!


text:
Mark earns respect
in Golf
This article appeared in Pitchcare Magazine Issue 37
0 Mark earns respect
"I like my staff to take on challenging winter projects, and use the opportunity to learn new skills and experiences"
In an area rich in golf clubs - Robin Hood, Forest of Arden, Gay Hill and Hatchford Brook are just a short 'drive' away - and close to Birmingham International Airport, Olton Golf Club is a green oasis in the sprawl of the city suburbs.
Founded at Olton in 1893, the club moved to its current site in Solihull in 1903, choosing to retain its name following the move.
The Midland Counties Championship was the first major tournjament to be held at Olton in 1908. A professional tournament followed in 1910, with many top players of the day taking part. These included Arnaud Massey, James Braid, Harry Vardon, Alex Herd, Tom Ball, Ted Ray, James Sherlock and George Duncan who, between them, won The Open Championship on twenty occasions.
Spread over ninety-five acres of attractive parkland, the course is a good test for all levels of golfer. It is highly regarded in the Midlands, and remains a regular venue for prestigious tournaments.
Last November, Olton's long standing head greenkeeper took retirement, and the search was on for his replacement. Out of eighty-two applicants, Mark Smith, formerly an assistant head greenkeeper at the Belfry, was appointed as Course Manager. It is his Belfy experience that, Mark believes, helped him to get the nod.
He has a young team of five greenkeepers, along with a part-time gardener during the summer months, and has recently promoted Ben Timms as his deputy, who is an experienced member of the team, to help with the management of the course.
In the short time Mark has been at the club, he has already made significant improvements, as he tells our editor.
"After the bad spell of weather, up until the end of January, I felt we had some serious catch up to do with the greens, as they were left very badly scarred from the disease during the last two months of 2010. After the Graden treatment in October they didn't seem to recover too well and this is still visible to this day.
The greens, in general, looked very tired and weak, with moss patches appearing in early February, whilst the turf seemed very spongy and soft to walk on. This was particularly noticeable during spraying operations, as the tyre tracks left severe indentations.
In my view, the greens could have been prepared a little better going into the late autumn/winter period, and a preventative spray applied well in advance of the cold weather and snow.
After taking a few profiles on certain greens I found, in general, that the soil profile was quite good, but the top 20-25mm contained a high percentage of thatch. This surprised me as the Graden work had been carried out quite late in the year and I had, therefore, expected to see a lower percentage. After looking closely at the profile, I could see that the moisture was trapped in the top 10mm of the turf, causing the softness and high risk of disease re-occurrence.
The greens do seem to drain fairly well, but I have approached the start of this year by trying to attack this top 20-25mm thatch layer and also increase surface firmness.
I have put a preventative spraying programme in place and the greens have been treated once a month and, so far, we have had no signs of disease returning.
We solid tined the greens in early February, down to about 5" depth, and left the tine holes exposed for a week before rolling. We have had two demo trials of greens rollers (Smithco side roller and Greentek vibro units), and have noticed a significant improvement to the surface of the greens considering the poor coverage and scarring. The pace has also increased slightly, stimping at around 9.5, along with the mowing.
The first topdressing of the year was Chelford 30 dried sand, applied at about half a tonne per green, to lightly dust the surface and fill in any scars or old Graden grooves that had not recovered which, again, improved the overall level of the surface and run on the ball. The sand did take a while to work into the the turf but, obviously, at the time of writing, we had not had sufficient growth to take in the sand quicker, but the greens do seem better for it.
A liquid soluble iron was applied to toughen up the turf and control the rapid moss increase on certain greens.
We double verticut the greens at around 1.5mm to lightly lift out material and moss patches and encourage new growth through the fusarium scars.
We fertilised the greens with 17.6.10 Yara Turf Royale, five days before carrying out our Graden treatment in the first week of April. We also went down the sand injection route to help stabilise the turf and draw out any unwanted moisture. I am confident the greens will respond better with an early year treatment, and also recover fairly quickly with the better temperatures and drier working conditions.
We will then concentrate on recovery and surface improvement, with the use of PrimoMaxx and soluble urea to encourage lateral growth and to repair and heal scars.
The tees are mown at 12mm all year round and have also been solid tined, treated with soluble iron and heavily topdressed with Fendress 70/30 mix, ready for the season. The tees seem to be in good condition, and only a few built with rootzone seem to leach a bit quicker. These may need additional treatments to match in with the rest, as they seem to lose growth and colour more quickly.
The fairways were deep vertidrained to a depth of 12 inches in February, to relieve the heavy compaction, and then treated with Headland soluble iron for moss control and a general pick me up for the turf.
This year, instead of scarifying with the Beaver equipment, I set the groomers on the fairway units to 5mm to stand up the grasses and gently lift any moss patches out. The scarifying equipment seemed too abrasive on the undulated fairways and, with the dry weather, would put us behind on these surfaces.
We will use Monsoon soil wetter when conditions allow, to prepare the turf for the drier conditions throughout the season. This is very important as we have no fairway irrigation to compensate.
I have decided to keep the fairways at 12mm throughout the season, as 10mm seems a bit too low for the plant and this will help cause less stress. The overall coverage isn't bad for the time of year, and the growth is picking up well.
This year, I am changing the presentation of the course slightly and cutting the fairways in a clockwise (half/half) method. This will allow us to keep on top of them better as it takes less time to carry out. It suits the look of the course and also uses less fuel, less man hours and minimal turning in the rough, which means less wear and tear on the mower arms. This will allow me more time to improve other areas of the course.
I will not be applying any fertiliser to the fairways throughout the season, only liquid seaweed to keep a good colour and avoid rapid growth. This will help to reduce the frequency of cuts.
So, in a nutshell, the changes I have made to the ongoing maintenance since joining Olton Golf Club have been; the introduction of rolling greens to improve firmness, speed and trueness; cutting patterns and contours on greens, tees and fairways; introducing a preventative spraying programme, rather than 'spray when you see'; early year greens renovation work for increased recovery, so they are stronger going into the end of year; changed the raking methods, using shorter teeth on rake heads and adjusting sand levels and changed topdressing and sand types.
I've also replaced all the course furniture that was very old and tarnished.
On top of that the staff have been busy, completing their winter works programme, which included some new tees and paths, plus a complete refurbishment of the 4th green.
I like my staff to take on challenging winter projects, and use the opportunity to learn new skills and experiences. I was keen to improve the aesthetics and challenge of the 4th green, which was achieved by adding a new bunker and reshaping the green and contours around it. It also means that the members see the value and quality of the work being done by the greenkeeping staff, and this helps to improve the way the greenkeepers are perceived. It's an important factor.
We have also invested in new Ransomes Jacobsen greens and fairway mowers to help improve the cut quality and general presentation out on the course. We bought two of the latest Jacobsen Eclipse 322 triple greensmowers and a Jacobsen R-311T batwing rotary mower for the fairways. The club have been using Ransomes Jacobsen equipment for many years and I've been impressed with these new models. It generally takes less than two hours to cut all the greens using the two Eclipse mowers which, in turn, has allowed us extra time to improve the aesthetics of the course.
I'm really looking forward to my first full season at the club and to gauge how both the grass and the members respond. To that end, I have introduced a regular newsletter to the members (see side bar) so that they are fully informed about the work being carried out, and the reasons why we do what we do."
Mark Smith is one of a number of young course managers making their 'mark' in the industry. Like his friend and colleague at nearby Robin Hood Golf Club, Andy Wood, he has taken a tired club and brought a fresh approach to its maintenance.
Talking to a few members during my visit, they where very complimentary about the work Mark and his staff have carried out since his arrival last November, particularly the new 4th green and the way the course is now being presented.
Footnote: since my visit, Mark has provided the following update: "Andy Cole's visit went very well, and he was pleased with the course surfaces and presentation. He loved the 4th hole. Readings from moisture meter and clegg were very good for the time of year."
"The greens are recovering very well from the graden work in April, and have nearly healed up already with the high temps and rain."
"We have applied a good few topdressings since then - 70/30 fendress and 80/20 mix - to help recovery and level/firmness on greens."
"I'm already looking and planning my winter projects for 2011 to make my 'mark' at Olton Golf Club."
Mark Smith has introduced a regular monthly newsletter to the members to keep them informed about the work being undertaken by the greenkeeping staff
"This is my first monthly message to the members, I intend to report each month on greens activities over the previous month and for the following month.
We have managed to make good progress on the 4th project work over the last few weeks despite the 'up and down' weather conditions.
The turf that has been laid will need time to knit together and settle in as we approach the spring. I am constantly being asked when I think we can open the 4th hole, but this will strongly depend on the growing conditions during the month of March and early April.
When conditions allow, our plan is to work on the three bunker bases, by importing 2" of sand and then compact it as necessary. The rest of the sand will be added just before we open the hole, but with enough time to settle down.
The front section of the green will need time to recover fully and, by regular dressing and rolling, it will improve the overall level and firmness.
We have started the course preparation for the new season. Some of the bunkers have been edged and topped up with sand. The team have also been busy stripping, preparing and re-turfing some of the G.U.R /worn areas around the course, including the lay-up area in front of the brook at the 5th hole.
The greens, tees and fairways will have all been vertidrained to aerate and decompact the soil ready for the season. This will aid drainage as well as improve the soil structure before a season of heavy machine and foot traffic on them.
A sand dressing will be applied to the greens and tees to help improve the surfaces but can only be carried out when we have a dry window to do so.
Disease control measures are in place on the greens as we have aerated, sprayed and are removing dew on a daily basis and, when nature takes its course, the scars will grow out and heal. No one has been more frustrated with the fusarium damage than me and the team but, hopefully, we can monitor it more closely and prepare better in future.
The winter course condition policy is now in place, and available to view on the website, giving information on greens protection procedures and trolley/buggy use notification.
Obviously, this time of year is very difficult to be consistent on some of the decisions made, but we try to keep a balance of meeting golfer's needs whilst protecting the course.
Course Manager


text:
You are here: Home / News / Woodbury County supervisor gives up residency fight, resigns
Woodbury County supervisor gives up residency fight, resigns
January 31, 2020 By Radio Iowa Contributor
Jeremy Taylor.
Woodbury County supervisor Jeremy Taylor is resigning after his residency was canceled last week when the county auditor ruled Taylor now lives in a new home outside the county district he was elected to serve.
He says he plans to continue to be a candidate for the 4th District Congressional seat. Taylor did not attend the supervisor meeting Tuesday. Taylor a Republican, says he doesn't agree with the decision on his residency.
"We did all that we could to balance the needs of the county supervisors district and the residency requirement where I was elected to serve with a home that was suited to our large family of eight," Taylor says. "I want to make clear that I sought legal counsel early on in the decision process — and was given some assurance that I had met the legal requirements"
He had announced he was going to fight the decision in court — but says he does not subject his family to a long legal battle.
"And while I believe that there may be a better verdict for us on appeal — I have also come to know that that is going to cost us tens of thousands of dollars. And I think that my family has gone through enough in this," according to Taylor.
Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill and County Attorney Patrick Jennings will meet Monday to determine a time frame for a special election to replace Taylor.
(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)
Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Republican Party


text:
For those of you who
by Matt | Oct 15, 2001 | Imported Entry
For those of you who remember, a few weeks ago, my credit card number was stolen. Some fraudulent charges were made and the credit company called to straiten everything out. They did and I soon had my new card. Everything was peachy. I was told to wait for an affidavit saying that I hadn't made those charges and sign it and return it when it showed up. Well, apparently it went to NH before it came here. My parents got it and forwarded it to me. But, as I was reading it, it said to sign it and return it by the 17th. "Umm, today is the 15th" I thought to myself… "I wonder when my parents sent it?" I checked the date/time stamp on the envelope and it says the 12th. This means two things. First, my parents have had this letter for days and didn't send it to me, and secondly there's no way I can get this to WI in two days. Especially since it's nearly 6:00 and I'd have to send it first thing tomorrow. Oh, did I mention that the letter said that if it wasn't returned by the 17th, that the charges would be reapplies. Cool Huh?
Oi. It's time for a nap.


text:
Home Webstory Articles
Wonders of Nebraska That Are Worth Seeing
by Robert Robert
in Webstory Articles
The state of Nebraska has some natural wonders that can't be missed if you're traveling through it, and others that are must-sees if you live there and have the time to explore them all. Here's our list of wonders of Nebraska that are worth seeing on your next trip to the Cornhusker State or when you live there full time.
1) Scotts Bluff National Monument
Scotts Bluff National Monument is a beautiful wonder that is sure to bring relaxation and enjoyment to any visitor. It is home to the largest natural area in Nebraska, with over 4,000 acres to explore. The topographical features are exceptional and it's hard not to feel like you've discovered something special when you arrive. There are various hiking trails for all levels of fitness and the views at the top make it worth every step!
2) Chimney Rock National Historic Site
Chimney Rock National Historic site is a great place to take a break and enjoy some time in nature. The park is home to the famous Chimney Rock, which is an amazing sight that you can't miss when you visit. Hiking the trails at Chimney Rock National Historic Site is a great way to relax, enjoy nature, and experience the beauty of this national park. So if you're looking for an escape from your busy life and want to spend some time relaxing in nature, be sure to stop by!
3) Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
One of the most important fossil sites in North America is the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. In 1877, an enterprising railroad surveyor for the Union Pacific Railroad, named John Berkey unearthed the first find at this site—an eight-foot tall petrified redwood tree. The petrification process occurred around 15 million years ago when volcanic ash from a nearby eruption covered the forest floor and gradually buried it with silt and sand. The fossilized remains of these trees can be found throughout the park and make up much of its landscape.
If you are looking for a short hike to explore some local history then Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a perfect spot to start!
4) Homestead National Monument of America
The Homestead National Monument of America is one such place in Nebraska that you should try to see. It's a monument to the family farm and rural life, and includes 15 historic buildings on over 2,000 acres. The museum houses an impressive collection of agricultural artifacts, including some of the world's largest tractors. But at the heart of this site are two giant stone gateposts that frame a well-worn trail leading up to a large white home with a porch swing. The house looks like any other old farmhouse from the Midwest until you start taking notice that it has no doors or windows! This is where it gets creepy: inside, there are hundreds and hundreds of chairs… but not one person!
5) Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a 2,200 mile long trail that follows the route taken by Lewis and Clark on their expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase. The trail begins in present day Kansas City and travels through 10 states before ending in present day Astoria, Oregon. Along the way, it passes through some of America's most beautiful scenery including the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone National Park and the Badlands. In addition to being an amazing historical experience, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail also provides ample opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts with fishing access on all but six miles of its length as well as hunting access from October 1st to December 15th.
It's hard to think about one place that defines Nebraska better than any other; it has many different landscapes because it's so big!
6) Niobrara National Scenic River
The Niobrara National Scenic River is a federally protected, free-flowing river that is one hundred and fifty miles long. It's home to an array of wildlife and was named by the U.S. Department of Interior as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers in 1990 due to its endangered species, like the pallid sturgeon and endangered freshwater mussels that call it home. The area has been targeted for oil development, which would be devastating because it is already under threat from human activities such as natural gas production, sand mining, and irrigation. It is also threatened by a proposed uranium mine that could pollute the water with radioactive tailings and make the river uninhabitable for aquatic life.
7) Oglala National Grassland
Oglala National Grassland is a federal conservation area in the northwestern part of the state. It is bordered on the north by Badlands National Park and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, on the east by Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, and on the south by Custer County. The park encompasses 861,180 acres (3,487 km2) of land which contains a number of natural features. These include rimrocks, wetlands, canyons, buttes and pinnacles. The grassland is home to a diverse population including elk, deer and pronghorn.
8) Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway
From the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway in north central Nebraska, you can see some of the most picturesque views in the state. The byway is a driving tour that takes travelers through several small towns and over many miles of rolling hills and grasslands. You'll also be able to spot herds of bison grazing on these wide open spaces. This is one trail that's definitely worth taking! If you're not into cars, there are two additional hiking trails available as well. Both feature beautiful views of the rugged landscape and provide opportunities for spotting wildlife such as deer, coyotes, bobcats, or even black bears.
Incredible places the Brady Bunch visited while in Hawaii
Exploitation Of Former Child Musicians: What Stars Are Saying About The Industry's Dark Side
Exploitation Of Former Child Musicians: What Stars Are Saying About The Industry's Dark Side


Milestone of $400 billion surpassed in mid-December.
Total trade turnover has recently exceeded $400 billion, a four-fold increase in the decade since 2007 and a major milestone for Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said on December 19.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, import and export turnover stood at $30 billion in 2001. Six years later, the figure rose to $100 billion after Vietnam joined the WTO. By 2011, trade had doubled to $200 billion and then stood at $300 billion in 2015.
Trade turnover broke thought the $400-billion mark in mid-December and Vietnam Customs expects the annual figure to come in at $410 billion.
Vietnam's exports rose from 50th in 2007 to 26th in 2016 in the WTO rankings, while its imports moved from 41st in 2007 to 25th in 2016 and will continue upwards this year.
"Export-import turnover increasing from $30 billion to $400 billion is a miracle," Deputy PM Hue said. In 1990, he explained, trade turnover was just $2.5 billion, compared to $26 billion in Africa. Africa's trade now stands at just $100 billion.
Among the many export achievements, fruit and vegetables have been positive this year. In the first eleven months, growth in fruit and vegetable exports reached nearly 44 per cent year-on-year and exceeded the figure for 2016 as a whole. The 2017 figure is expected to reach $3.5 billion, surpassing both rice and oil exports.
On December 18, in the Mekong Delta's Dong Thap province, the Provincial People's Committee, the Institute of Organic Agriculture Economics, and two companies - Vietnam's Lavifood Company and China's Greenland Business Group - signed the first import agreement sending Vietnamese agricultural products to China, worth at least $500 million over two years.


O Nino é um dos mais talentosos dentistas que tive o privilégio de conhecer ao longo da minha carreira. Ele é estudioso, dterminado e totalmente comprometido em oferecer o melhor para seus clientes. Tenho muito orgulho de poder dizer que sou amigo desse admirável dentista, da mesma forma que me sinto srguro em recomendá-lo para quem quer que seja.
I first met Nino in 2014 at Dr.Cofar's clinic(Dentcof),Timisoara, Romania.
I heard a lot of good things about him before, but his clinical work is really exceptional.
He is for me the perfect example of the "multifunctional" dentist , having both the surgical and prosthodontic skills.
He is also one of the most talented speakers of his generation with very high quality educational material.
I am extremely honored to be able to work with him in different projects and I really wish him all the best with the opening of his new clinic.
I've met NINO several years ago when I was part of Bio-Emulation group as a mentor.
I remember I was immediately impressed by this professional and talented Japanese dentist.
He's a fantastic clinician, really one of the best I've ever been face with in my career, and I've been always impressed by his educational presentations.
His knowledge in restorative and implant dentistry is very very high and all his clinical cases are amazing.
In my opinion, He's absolutely one of the best worldwide young clinicians!!!