547 research outputs found
Effect of Seed Rate of Trifolium repens in Pasture Overdrilling
In the region of Wielkopolska, unfavourable climatic conditions, particularly periodical shortage of precipitation, have contributed to a rapid degradation of pastures in dairy farms. In grass-clover mixtures Trifolium repens (Tr) is found to disappear very quickly from the sward. In consequence the DM yield and herbage quality in summer is low. One of the methods of improving of pasture sward and reducing the seasonality of forage production is overdrilling (OD). Many factors affect the success of this undertaking (Sheldrick 2000). This research investigated the response to one easily adjustable factor, that of seed rate (SR)
Quasar Selection Based on Photometric Variability
We develop a method for separating quasars from other variable point sources
using SDSS Stripe 82 light curve data for ~10,000 variable objects. To
statistically describe quasar variability, we use a damped random walk model
parametrized by a damping time scale, tau, and an asymptotic amplitude
(structure function), SF_inf. With the aid of an SDSS spectroscopically
confirmed quasar sample, we demonstrate that variability selection in typical
extragalactic fields with low stellar density can deliver complete samples with
reasonable purity (or efficiency, E). Compared to a selection method based
solely on the slope of the structure function, the inclusion of the tau
information boosts E from 60% to 75% while maintaining a highly complete sample
(98%) even in the absence of color information. For a completeness of C=90%, E
is boosted from 80% to 85%. Conversely, C improves from 90% to 97% while
maintaining E=80% when imposing a lower limit on tau. With the aid of color
selection, the purity can be further boosted to 96%, with C= 93%. Hence,
selection methods based on variability will play an important role in the
selection of quasars with data provided by upcoming large sky surveys, such as
Pan-STARRS and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). For a typical
(simulated) LSST cadence over 10 years and a photometric accuracy of 0.03 mag
(achieved at i~22), C is expected to be 88% for a simple sample selection
criterion of tau>100 days. In summary, given an adequate survey cadence,
photometric variability provides an even better method than color selection for
separating quasars from stars.Comment: (v2) 50 pages, accepted to Ap
A Description of Quasar Variability Measured Using Repeated SDSS and POSS Imaging
We provide a quantitative description and statistical interpretation of the
optical continuum variability of quasars. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
has obtained repeated imaging in five UV-to-IR photometric bands for 33,881
spectroscopically confirmed quasars. About 10,000 quasars have an average of 60
observations in each band obtained over a decade along Stripe 82 (S82), whereas
the remaining ~25,000 have 2-3 observations due to scan overlaps. The observed
time lags span the range from a day to almost 10 years, and constrain quasar
variability at rest-frame time lags of up to 4 years, and at rest-frame
wavelengths from 1000A to 6000A. We publicly release a user-friendly catalog of
quasars from the SDSS Data Release 7 that have been observed at least twice in
SDSS or once in both SDSS and the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, and we use it
to analyze the ensemble properties of quasar variability. Based on a damped
random walk (DRW) model defined by a characteristic time scale and an
asymptotic variability amplitude that scale with the luminosity, black hole
mass, and rest wavelength for individual quasars calibrated in S82, we can
fully explain the ensemble variability statistics of the non-S82 quasars such
as the exponential distribution of large magnitude changes. All available data
are consistent with the DRW model as a viable description of the optical
continuum variability of quasars on time scales of ~5-2000 days in the rest
frame. We use these models to predict the incidence of quasar contamination in
transient surveys such as those from PTF and LSST.Comment: 33 pages, 19 figures, replaced with accepted version. Catalog is
available at http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/ivezic/macleod/qso_dr7
Emergence of long memory in stock volatility from a modified Mike-Farmer model
The Mike-Farmer (MF) model was constructed empirically based on the
continuous double auction mechanism in an order-driven market, which can
successfully reproduce the cubic law of returns and the diffusive behavior of
stock prices at the transaction level. However, the volatility (defined by
absolute return) in the MF model does not show sound long memory. We propose a
modified version of the MF model by including a new ingredient, that is, long
memory in the aggressiveness (quantified by the relative prices) of incoming
orders, which is an important stylized fact identified by analyzing the order
flows of 23 liquid Chinese stocks. Long memory emerges in the volatility
synthesized from the modified MF model with the DFA scaling exponent close to
0.76, and the cubic law of returns and the diffusive behavior of prices are
also produced at the same time. We also find that the long memory of order
signs has no impact on the long memory property of volatility, and the memory
effect of order aggressiveness has little impact on the diffusiveness of stock
prices.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures and 1 tabl
The VMC Survey - VI. Quasars behind the Magellanic system
The number and spatial distribution of confirmed quasi-stellar objects (QSOs)
behind the Magellanic system is limited. This undermines their use as
astrometric reference objects for different types of studies. We have searched
for criteria to identify candidate QSOs using observations from the VISTA
survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC) that provides photometry in the
YJKs bands and 12 epochs in the Ks band. The (Y-J) versus (J-Ks) diagram has
been used to distinguish QSO candidates from Milky Way stars and stars of the
Magellanic Clouds. Then, the slope of variation in the Ks band has been used to
identify a sample of high confidence candidates. These criteria were developed
based on the properties of 117 known QSOs presently observed by the VMC survey.
VMC YJKs magnitudes and Ks light-curves of known QSOs behind the Magellanic
system are presented. About 75% of them show a slope of variation in Ks>10^-4
mag/day and the shape of the light-curve is in general irregular and without
any clear periodicity. The number of QSO candidates found in tiles including
the South Ecliptic Pole and the 30 Doradus regions is 22 and 26, respectively,
with a ~20% contamination by young stellar objects, planetary nebulae, stars
and normal galaxies. By extrapolating the number of QSO candidates to the
entire VMC survey area we expect to find about 1200 QSOs behind the LMC, 400
behind the SMC, 200 behind the Bridge and 30 behind the Stream areas, but not
all will be suitable for astrometry. Further, the Ks band light-curves can help
support investigations of the mechanism responsible for the variations.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, replaced with accepted version by Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Influence of the relict cosmological constant on accretion discs
Surprisingly, the relict cosmological constant has a crucial influence on
properties of accretion discs orbiting black holes in quasars and active
galactic nuclei. We show it by considering basic properties of both the
geometrically thin and thick accretion discs in the Kerr-de Sitter black-hole
(naked-singularity) spacetimes. Both thin and thick discs must have an outer
edge allowing outflow of matter into the outer space, located nearby the so
called static radius, where the gravitational attraction of a black hole is
balanced by the cosmological repulsion. Jets produced by thick discs can be
significantly collimated after crossing the static radius. Extension of discs
in quasars is comparable with extension of the associated galaxies, indicating
a possibility that the relict cosmological constant puts an upper limit on
extension of galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, invited pape
Mutation Accumulation May Be a Minor Force in Shaping Life History Traits
Is senescence the adaptive result of tradeoffs between younger and older ages or the nonadaptive burden of deleterious mutations that act at older ages? To shed new light on this unresolved question we combine adaptive and nonadaptive processes in a single model. Our model uses Penna's bit-strings to capture different age-specific mutational patterns. Each pattern represents a genotype and for each genotype we find the life history strategy that maximizes fitness. Genotypes compete with each other and are subject to selection and to new mutations over generations until equilibrium in gene-frequencies is reached. The mutation-selection equilibrium provides information about mutational load and the differential effects of mutations on a life history trait - the optimal age at maturity. We find that mutations accumulate only at ages with negligible impact on fitness and that mutation accumulation has very little effect on the optimal age at maturity. These results suggest that life histories are largely determined by adaptive processes. The non-adaptive process of mutation accumulation seems to be unimportant at evolutionarily relevant ages
Detection of earth faults in electric power cables by analyzing changes in the short-circuit resistance
Paper presents method of earth faults detection in electric power cables based on measurement and analysis of the short circuit resistance value in transient under mechanical bumps exerted on the faulty cable line during detection procedure. Discussed investigated results and formulates conclusions for use in practice.Предложен метод обнаружения дефектов заземления в электрических силовых кабелях, основанный на измерении и анализе сопротивления короткого замыкания при кратковременных механических ударах (толчках), прикладываемых к дефектному кабелю в процессе испытаний. Обсуждаются полученные результаты и формулируются практические рекомендации.Запропоновано метод виявлення дефектів заземлення в електричних силових кабелях, заснований на вимірюванні та аналізі опору короткого замикання при короткочасних механічних ударах (поштовхах), що прикладаються до дефектного кабелю в процесі випробувань. Обговорюються отримані результати і формулюються практичні рекомендації
Role of electric charge in shaping equilibrium configurations of fluid tori encircling black holes
Astrophysical fluids may acquire non-zero electrical charge because of strong
irradiation or charge separation in a magnetic field. In this case,
electromagnetic and gravitational forces may act together and produce new
equilibrium configurations, which are different from the uncharged ones.
Following our previous studies of charged test particles and uncharged perfect
fluid tori encircling compact objects, we introduce here a simple test model of
a charged perfect fluid torus in strong gravitational and electromagnetic
fields. In contrast to ideal magnetohydrodynamic models, we consider here the
opposite limit of negligible conductivity, where the charges are tied
completely to the moving matter. This is an extreme limiting case which can
provide a useful reference against which to compare subsequent more complicated
astrophysically-motivated calculations. To clearly demonstrate the features of
our model, we construct three-dimensional axisymmetric charged toroidal
configurations around Reissner-Nordstr\"om black holes and compare them with
equivalent configurations of electrically neutral tori.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
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