To the 175-th anniversary of the birth of V.V. Dokuchaev

The article shows the relevance and modernity of the scientific ideas of V.V. Dokuchaev, whose 175th birthday anniversary is dedicated to the XXIV Dokuchaev Readings. The digitalization of soil science is the basis for creating a scientific base for the state system of soil conservation land use

New reading

The article provides the summary analysis of the content of the monograph “Soils of the Republic of Belarus” published in 2019 in Minsk. The book is a synthesis of the main achievements of scientific thought in the field of theoretical and applied soil science. It represents the new reading of the accumulated works over the past 40 years in the field of genetic research, soil mapping and land assessment. The monograph “Soils of the Republic of Belarus” will attract a lot of attention of specialists and scientists of various natural science profiles, as well as of practitioners who constantly work in the field

Climatically driven loss of calcium in steppe soil as a sink for atmospheric carbon

During the last several thousand years the semi‐arid, cold climate of the Russian steppe formed highly fertile soils rich in organic carbon and calcium (classified as Chernozems in the Russian system). Analysis of archived soil samples collected in Kemannaya Steppe Preserve in 1920, 1947, 1970, and fresh samples collected in 1998 indicated that the native steppe Chernozems, however, lost 17–28 kg m−2 of calcium in the form of carbonates in 1970–1998. Here we demonstrate that the loss of calcium was caused by fundamental shift in the steppe hydrologic balance. Previously unleached soils where precipitation was less than potential evapotranspiration are now being leached due to increased precipitation and, possibly, due to decreased actual evapotranspiration. Because this region receives low levels of acidic deposition, the dissolution of carbonates involves the consumption of atmospheric CO2. Our estimates indicate that this climatically driven terrestrial sink of atmospheric CO2 is ∼2.1–7.4 g C m−2 a−1. In addition to the net sink of atmospheric carbon, leaching of pedogenic carbonates significantly amplified seasonal amplitude of CO2 exchange between atmosphere and steppe soil

Milestones of the history (to the 95-th anniversary of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute)

The article considers the logic and periods of V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute development as well as the driving forces during the mentioned periods and the most important outcomes and tasks for the near future. One can distinguish four main periods in the history of the Institute, they are: organization, sustainable development, survival, revival. Some factors like scientific and organizational structure of the Institute, its contribution to the development of theoretical and applied soil science are considered as the indicators typical of each period. Firstly, the Institute structure during the initial organization period shows the priority of fundamental soil research in the leading areas: soil physics, soil chemistry, soil genesis, biology, etc. Advanced development of theoretical research allowed scientists to promptly respond to actual needs of the developing country: search for soil resources for cultivation of technical crops, development of new territories, land reclamation and hydrotechnical construction. By the 1970s a kind of sustainable scientific and organizational structure had finally formed in the Institute. In the early 90s, the Soil Science Institute entered a critical phase of development. The second decade of the XXI century became a turning point in its fate. A new strategy in the development of scientific activities of the Institute was sorely needed. The new strategy consisted of three interrelated elements. The first one was modernization of the material and technical basis for researches; the second one was strengthening of the human resources potential through attraction of motivated young researchers; and the third one was in establishing unilateral and multilateral interactions between the partners – users of scientific knowledge. The main areas of interaction were the topical issues: food security, global climate change and their implications for the country. It has been shown that society can recognize and support the scientific research only if a constant flow of information, obtained by means of different tools and methods, is provided. The significance of soil science as a fundamental discipline in the socio-economic development of the country was confirmed by the Government Resolution (2022) on the celebration of the 100-th anniversary of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute. The modern noosphere paradigm in soil research poses new challenges to the science, at the forefront of which is V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute

Recognition (to the 175-th anniversary of the birth of V. V. Dokuchaev)

The article is dedicated to the assessment and the recognition of the merits of V.V. Dokuchaev in different periods. We have divided the stages of the evaluation into three periods, the boundaries of which are taken by the memorable dates since the birth of Dokuchaev (100, 150, 175 years). The recognition of Dokuchaev's merits in each period took different forms and depended on the subject under assessment (what was assessed) and the evaluating subject (who made an assessment). The first period is based on the perception of his contemporaries. In the history of natural science, it is hardly possible to find any other scientist, whose works so seamlessly combined theoretical research with its practical application. Dokuchaev's scientific achievements were highly appreciated in Russia and abroad (gold medal of the International Geographical Congress in Paris, special gratitude from the Imperial Free Economic Society, full Makariev Prize of the Imperial Free Economic Society, full Makariev Prize of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Grand Prix of the World Exhibition in Paris and others). The high state recognition of Dokuchaev is evidenced by the presence of the orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anna. The second period of recognition is associated with the triumph of the scientist's ideas, which were almost completely realized in Russia: a network of research and educational institutions and experimental stations were created, large-scale soil research was carried out, a plan for the transformation of nature was implemented. During this period, events were organized that included: the installation of a monument and a memorial plaque in St. Petersburg, the establishment of a gold medal and an award named after V.V. Dokuchaev, the establishment of grants in universities, the creation of the Central Soil Museum named after V.V. Dokuchaev. The third period is rather a tribute to the scientific merits of the scientist. The highest award of the International Union of Soil Scientists is established (2002); a documentary film dedicated to the 165-th anniversary of the birth of the scientist is released; exhibitions are organized on memorable dates. As recognition of the merits in the creation of a scientific school of fundamental soil science, a scientific conference “Docuchaev conference for young scientists” is organized and held annually

Observation of Excess J/ψ Yield at Very Low Transverse Momenta in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and U+U Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193 GeV.

We report on the first measurements of J/ψ production at very low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.2  GeV/c) in hadronic Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV. Remarkably, the inferred nuclear modification factor of J/ψ at midrapidity in Au+Au (U+U) collisions reaches about 24 (52) for p_{T}<0.05  GeV/c in the 60%-80% collision centrality class. This noteworthy enhancement cannot be explained by hadronic production accompanied by cold and hot medium effects. In addition, the dN/dt distribution of J/ψ for the very low p_{T} range is presented for the first time. The distribution is consistent with that expected from the Au nucleus and shows a hint of interference. Comparison of the measurements to theoretical calculations of coherent production shows that the excess yield can be described reasonably well and reveals a partial disruption of coherent production in semicentral collisions, perhaps due to the violent hadronic interactions. Incorporating theoretical calculations, the results strongly suggest that the dramatic enhancement of J/ψ yield observed at extremely low p_{T} originates from coherent photon-nucleus interactions. In particular, coherently produced J/ψ's in violent hadronic collisions may provide a novel probe of the quark-gluon plasma

Isolation of Flow and Nonflow Correlations by Two- and Four-Particle Cumulant Measurements of Azimuthal Harmonics in sNN=\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 200 GeV Au+Au Collisions

A data-driven method was applied to measurements of Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} =$ 200 GeV made with the STAR detector at RHIC to isolate pseudorapidity distance $\Delta\eta$-dependent and $\Delta\eta$-independent correlations by using two- and four-particle azimuthal cumulant measurements. We identified a component of the correlation that is $\Delta\eta$-independent, which is likely dominated by anisotropic flow and flow fluctuations. It was also found to be independent of $\eta$ within the measured range of pseudorapidity $|\eta|<1$. The relative flow fluctuation was found to be $34\% \pm 2\% (stat.) \pm 3\% (sys.)$ for particles of transverse momentum $p_{T}$ less than $2$ GeV/$c$. The $\Delta\eta$-dependent part may be attributed to nonflow correlations, and is found to be $5\% \pm 2\% (sys.)$ relative to the flow of the measured second harmonic cumulant at $|\Delta\eta| > 0.7$

Measurements of the transverse-momentum-dependent cross sections of J /ψ production at mid-rapidity in proton+proton collisions at s =510 and 500 GeV with the STAR detector

We present measurements of the differential cross sections of inclusive J/ψ meson production as a function of transverse momentum (pTJ/ψ) using the μ+μ- and e+e- decay channels in proton+proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 510 and 500 GeV, respectively, recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The measurement from the μ+μ- channel is for

Charged-to-neutral correlation at forward rapidity in Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV

Event-by-event fluctuations of the ratio of inclusive charged to photon multiplicities at forward rapidity in Au+Au collision at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=200 GeV have been studied. Dominant contribution to such fluctuations is expected to come from correlated production of charged and neutral pions. We search for evidences of dynamical fluctuations of different physical origins. Observables constructed out of moments of multiplicities are used as measures of fluctuations. Mixed events and model calculations are used as baselines. Results are compared to the dynamical net-charge fluctuations measured in the same acceptance. A non-zero statistically significant signal of dynamical fluctuations is observed in excess to the model prediction when charged particles and photons are measured in the same acceptance. We find that, unlike dynamical net-charge fluctuation, charge-neutral fluctuation is not dominated by correlation due to particle decay. Results are compared to the expectations based on the generic production mechanism of pions due to isospin symmetry, for which no significant (<1%) deviation is observed.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Charge-dependent pair correlations relative to a third particle in p + Au and d + Au collisions at RHIC

Quark interactions with topological gluon configurations can induce chirality imbalance and local parity violation in quantum chromodynamics. This can lead to electric charge separation along the strong magnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions – the chiral magnetic effect (CME). We report measurements by the STAR collaboration of a CME-sensitive observable in p+Au and d+Au collisions at 200 GeV, where the CME is not expected, using charge-dependent pair correlations relative to a third particle. We observe strong charge-dependent correlations similar to those measured in heavy-ion collisions. This bears important implications for the interpretation of the heavy-ion data