Potential of imaging spectroscopy as tool for pasture management

The use of imaging spectroscopy to predict the herbage mass of dry matter (DM), DM content of herbage and crude fibre, ash, total sugars and mineral (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn and Fe) concentrations was evaluated. The experimental system used measured reflectance between 404 and 1650 nm at high spatial (0.28-1.45 mm2) and spectral resolution. Data from two experiments with Lolium perenne L. mini-swards were used where the degree of sward damage or N-fertilizer application varied. Regression models were calibrated and validated and the potential reduction in prediction error with multiple observations was estimated. The mean prediction errors for DM mass, DM content and N, total sugars, ash and crude fibre concentrations were 235-268 kg ha-1, 9.6-16.8 g kg-1, 2.4-3.4 g kg DM-1, 16.2-27.7 g kg DM-1, 5.8-6.5 g kg DM-1 and 8.4-10.4 g kg DM-1 respectively. The predictions for concentrations of P, K, S and Mg allowed identification of deficiency levels, in contrast to the concentrations of Na, Zn, Mn and Ca which could not be predicted with adequate precision. Prediction errors of DM mass maybe maximally reduced to 95-142 kg ha-1 with 25 replicate measurements per field.It is concluded that imaging spectroscopy can provide an accurate means for assessment of DM mass of standing grass herbage. Predictions of macro nutrient content and feeding value were satisfactory. The methodology requires further evaluation under field conditions

Upsilon production and nuclear modification at forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV

The production of ϒ mesons in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN=5.02 TeV is measured with the muon spectrometer of the ALICE detector at the LHC. The yields as well as the nuclear modification factors are determined in the forward rapidity region 2.5<y<4.0, as a function of rapidity, transverse momentum and collision centrality. The results show that the production of the ϒ(1S) meson is suppressed by a factor of about three with respect to the production in proton–proton collisions. For the first time, a significant signal for the ϒ(2S) meson is observed at forward rapidity, indicating a suppression stronger by about a factor 2–3 with respect to the ground state. The measurements are compared with transport, hydrodynamic, comover and statistical hadronisation model calculations

Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons

The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, and D+s→φπ+→K−K+π+ and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and D+s mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The bb¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is dσbb¯/dy∣|y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)+4.7−2.9(tot.syst) μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section predicted by perturbative QCD calculations

Upsilon production and nuclear modification at forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV

The production of \u3d2 mesons in Pb\u2013Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN=5.02 TeV is measured with the muon spectrometer of the ALICE detector at the LHC. The yields as well as the nuclear modification factors are determined in the forward rapidity region 2.5<4.0, as a function of rapidity, transverse momentum and collision centrality. The results show that the production of the \u3d2(1S) meson is suppressed by a factor of about three with respect to the production in proton\u2013proton collisions. For the first time, a significant signal for the \u3d2(2S) meson is observed at forward rapidity, indicating a suppression stronger by about a factor 2\u20133 with respect to the ground state. The measurements are compared with transport, hydrodynamic, comover and statistical hadronisation model calculations

Measurements of mixed harmonic cumulants in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

Correlations between moments of different flow coefficients are measured in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. These new measurements are based on multiparticle mixed harmonic cumulants calculated using charged particles in the pseudorapidity region |η| < 0.8 with the transverse momentum range 0.2 < pT < 5.0 GeV/c. The centrality dependence of correlations between two flow coefficients as well as the correlations between three flow coefficients, both in terms of their second moments, are shown. In addition, a collection of mixed harmonic cumulants involving higher moments of v2 and v3 is measured for the first time, where the characteristic signature of negative, positive and negative signs of four-, six- and eight-particle cumulants are observed, respectively. The measurements are compared to the hydrodynamic calculations using iEBE-VISHNU with AMPT and TRENTo initial conditions. It is shown that the measurements carried out using the LHC Run 2 data in 2015 have the precision to explore the details of initial-state fluctuations and probe the nonlinear hydrodynamic response of v2 and v3 to their corresponding initial anisotropy coefficients ε2 and ε3. These new studies on correlations between three flow coefficients as well as correlations between higher moments of two different flow coefficients will pave the way to tighten constraints on initial-state models and help to extract precise information on the dynamic evolution of the hot and dense matter created in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC

Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons

The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at s√s = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, and D+s→φπ+→K−K+π+Ds+→φπ+→K−K+π+ and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and D+sDs+ mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The bb¯¯¯bb¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is dσbb¯¯¯/dy∣∣|y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)+4.7−2.9(tot.syst)dσbb¯/dy||y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)−2.9+4.7(tot.syst) μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section pre- dicted by perturbative QCD calculations

Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons

The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, and D+s→φπ+→K−K+π+ and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and D+s mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The bb¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is dσbb¯/dy∣|y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)+4.7−2.9(tot.syst) μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section predicted by perturbative QCD calculations

Measurement of K*(892)(+/-) production in inelastic pp collisions at the LHC

The first results on K⁎(892)± resonance production in inelastic pp collisions at LHC energies of s=5.02, 8, and 13 TeV are presented. The K⁎(892)± has been reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K⁎(892)→±KS0+π± with the ALICE detector. Measurements of transverse momentum distributions, pT-integrated yields, and mean transverse momenta for charged K⁎(892) are found to be consistent with previous ALICE measurements for neutral K⁎(892) within uncertainties. For pT>1 GeV/c the K⁎(892)± transverse momentum spectra become harder with increasing centre-of-mass energy from 5.02 to 13 TeV, similar to what previously observed for charged kaons and pions. For pT<1 GeV/c the K⁎(892)± yield does not evolve significantly and the abundance of K⁎(892)± relative to K is rather independent of the collision energy. The transverse momentum spectra, measured for K⁎(892)± at midrapidity in the interval 0 < pT<15 GeV/c, are not well described by predictions of different versions of PYTHIA 6, PYTHIA 8 and EPOS-LHC event generators. These generators reproduce the measured pT-integrated K⁎±/K ratios and describe well the momentum dependence for pT<2 GeV/c

Measurements of mixed harmonic cumulants in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

Correlations between moments of different flow coefficients are measured in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. These new measurements are based on multiparticle mixed harmonic cumulants calculated using charged particles in the pseudorapidity region |η|<0.8 with the transverse momentum range 0.2<pT<5.0 GeV/c. The centrality dependence of correlations between two flow coefficients as well as the correlations between three flow coefficients, both in terms of their second moments, are shown. In addition, a collection of mixed harmonic cumulants involving higher moments of v2 and v3 is measured for the first time, where the characteristic signature of negative, positive and negative signs of four-, six- and eight-particle cumulants are observed, respectively. The measurements are compared to the hydrodynamic calculations using iEBE-VISHNU with AMPT and TRENTo initial conditions. It is shown that the measurements carried out using the LHC Run 2 data in 2015 have the precision to explore the details of initial-state fluctuations and probe the nonlinear hydrodynamic response of v2 and v3 to their corresponding initial anisotropy coefficients ε2 and ε3. These new studies on correlations between three flow coefficients as well as correlations between higher moments of two different flow coefficients will pave the way to tighten constraints on initial-state models and help to extract precise information on the dynamic evolution of the hot and dense matter created in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC