3,034 research outputs found
Clovers Around the World: A Symposium in Memory and Honor of Dr. Norman L. Taylor
Trifolium is arguably the largest and most diverse genera of herbaceous forage legumes (Zohary and Heller, 1984). Dr. Norman L. Taylor, Professor Emeritus, Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Kentucky, deceased, was a pioneer and champion of collection and preservation of Trifolium species throughout his 57-year career. Dr. Taylor was a native of northern Kentucky, born near where this Conference is being held
Balloon-borne radiometer measurement of Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude stratospheric HNO3 profiles spanning 12 years
Low-resolution atmospheric thermal emission spectra collected by balloon-borne radiometers over the time span of 1990â2002 are used to retrieve vertical profiles of HNO3, CFC-11 and CFC-12 volume mixing ratios between approximately 10 and 35 km altitude. All of the data analyzed have been collected from launches from a Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude site, during late summer, when stratospheric dynamic variability is at a minimum. The retrieval technique incorporates detailed forward modeling of the instrument and the radiative properties of the atmosphere, and obtains a best fit between modeled and measured spectra through a combination of onion-peeling and global optimization steps. The retrieved HNO3 profiles are consistent over the 12-year period, and are consistent with recent measurements by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier transform spectrometer satellite instrument. This suggests that, to within the errors of the 1990 measurements, there has been no significant change in the HNO3 summer mid-latitude profile
Derivation of tropospheric methane from TCCON CHâ and HF total column observations
The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global ground-based network of Fourier transform spectrometers that produce precise measurements of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of atmospheric methane (CHâ). Temporal variability in the total column of CHâ due to stratospheric dynamics obscures fluctuations and trends driven by tropospheric transport and local surface fluxes that are critical for understanding CHâ sources and sinks. We reduce the contribution of stratospheric variability from the total column average by subtracting an estimate of the stratospheric CHâ derived from simultaneous measurements of hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF provides a proxy for stratospheric CHâ because it is strongly correlated to CHâ in the stratosphere, has an accurately known tropospheric abundance (of zero), and is measured at most TCCON stations. The stratospheric partial column of CHâ is calculated as a function of the zonal and annual trends in the relationship between CHâ and HF in the stratosphere, which we determine from ACE-FTS satellite data. We also explicitly take into account the CHâ column averaging kernel to estimate the contribution of stratospheric CHâ to the total column. The resulting tropospheric CHâ columns are consistent with in situ aircraft measurements and augment existing observations in the troposphere
The first Frontier Fields cluster: 4.5{\mu}m excess in a z~8 galaxy candidate in Abell 2744
We present in this letter the first analysis of a z~8 galaxy candidate found
in the Hubble and Spitzer imaging data of Abell 2744, as part of the Hubble
Frontier Fields legacy program. We applied the most commonly-used methods to
select exceptionally high-z galaxies by combining non-detection and
color-criteria using seven HST bands. We used GALFIT on IRAC images for fitting
and subtracting contamination of bright nearby sources. The physical properties
have been inferred from SED-fitting using templates with and without nebular
emission. This letter is focussed on the brightest candidate we found
(m=26.2) over the 4.9 arcmin field of view covered by the WFC3.
It shows a non-detection in the ACS bands and at 3.6{\mu}m whereas it is
clearly detected at 4.5{\mu}m with rather similar depths. This break in the
IRAC data could be explained by strong [OIII]+H{\beta} lines at z~8 which
contribute to the 4.5{\mu}m photometry. The best photo-z is found at
z~8.0, although solutions at low-redshift (z~1.9) cannot be
completely excluded, but they are strongly disfavoured by the SED-fitting work.
The amplification factor is relatively small at {\mu}=1.490.02. The Star
Formation Rate in this object is ranging from 8 to 60 Mo/yr, the stellar mass
is in the order of M=(2.5-10) x 10Mo and the size is
r~0.350.15 kpc. This object is one of the first z~8 LBG candidates showing
a clear break between 3.6{\mu}m and 4.5{\mu}m which is consistent with the IRAC
properties of the first spectroscopically confirmed galaxy at a similar
redshift. Due to its brightness, the redshift of this object could potentially
be confirmed by near infrared spectroscopy with current 8-10m telescopes. The
nature of this candidate will be revealed in the coming months with the arrival
of new ACS and Spitzer data, increasing the depth at optical and near-IR
wavelengths.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysics Letter
A Learning Curve Model Accounting for the Flattening Effect in Production Cycles
We investigate production cost estimates to identify and model modifications to a prescribed learning curve. Our new model examines the learning rate as a decreasing function over time as opposed to a constant rate that is frequently used. The purpose of this research is to determine whether a new learning curve model could be implemented to reduce the error in cost estimates for production processes. A new model was created that mathematically allows for a âflattening effect,â which typically occurs later in the production process. This model was then compared to Wrightâs learning curve, which is a popular method used by many organizations today. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in error through the measurement of the two error terms, Sum of Squared Errors and Mean Absolute Percentage Error
The Circumnuclear Molecular Gas in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC4945
We have mapped the central region of NGC 4945 in the transition of
CO, CO, and CO, as well as the continuum at 1.3 mm, at an
angular resolution of 5\farc \times 3\farc with the Submillimeter Array. The
relative proximity of NGC 4945 (distance of only 3.8 Mpc) permits a detailed
study of the circumnuclear molecular gas and dust in a galaxy exhibiting both
an AGN (classified as a Seyfert 2) and a circumnuclear starburst in an inclined
ring with radius 2\farcs5 (50 pc). We find that all three molecular
lines trace an inclined rotating disk with major axis aligned with that of the
starburst ring and large-scale galactic disk, and which exhibits solid-body
rotation within a radius of 5\farc (95 pc). We infer an inclination
for the nuclear disk of , somewhat smaller than the
inclination of the large-scale galactic disk of . The
continuum emission at 1.3 mm also extends beyond the starburst ring, and is
dominated by thermal emission from dust. If it traces the same dust emitting in
the far-infrared, then the bulk of this dust must be heated by star-formation
activity rather than the AGN. We discover a kinematically-decoupled component
at the center of the disk with a radius smaller than 1\farcs4 (27 pc), but
which spans approximately the same range of velocities as the surrounding disk.
This component has a higher density than its surroundings, and is a promising
candidate for the circumnuclear molecular torus invoked by AGN unification
models.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures,accepted by Ap
Risk of Climate-Related Impacts on Global Rangelands â A Review and Modelling Study
Climate change threatens the ability of global rangelands to provide food, support livelihoods and deliver important ecosystems services. The extent and magnitude of potential impacts are however poorly understood. In this study, we review the risk of climate impacts along the rangeland systems food supply chain. We also present results from biophysical modelling simulations and spatial data analyses to identify where and to what extent rangelands may be at climatic risk. Although a quantification of the net impacts of climate change on rangeland production systems is beyond the reach of our current understanding, there is strong evidence that there will be impacts throughout the supply chain, from feed and animal production to processing, storage, transport, retailing and human consumption. Regarding grazing biomass production, this study finds that mean herbaceous biomass is projected to decrease across global rangelands between 2000 and 2050 under RCP 8.5 (-4.7%), while inter- (year-to-year) and intra- (month-to-month) annual variabilities are projected to increase (+21.3% and +8.2%, respectively). These averaged global estimates mask large spatial heterogeneities, with 74% of global rangeland area projected to experience a decline in mean biomass, 64% an increase in inter-annual variability and 54% an increase in intra-annual variability. The potentially most damaging vegetation trends for livestock production (i.e., simultaneous decreases in mean biomass and increases in inter-annual variability) are projected to occur in rangeland communities that are currently the most vulnerable (here, with the lowest livestock productivities and economic development levels and with the highest projected increases in human population densities). Large uncertainties remain as to climate futures and the exposure and responses of the interlinked human and natural systems to climatic changes over time. Consequently, adaptation choices will need to build on robust methods of designing, implementing and evaluating detailed development pathways, and account for a wide range of possible futures
Why, what, and how? case study on law, risk, and decision making as necessary themes in built environment teaching
The paper considers (and defends) the necessity of including legal studies as a core part of built environment undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. The writer reflects upon his own experience as a lawyer working alongside and advising built environment professionals in complex land remediation and site safety management situations in the United Kingdom and explains how themes of liability, risk, and decision making can be integrated into a practical simulation in order to underpin more traditional lecture-based law teaching. Through reflection upon the writer's experiments with simulation-based teaching, the paper suggests some innovations that may better orientate law teaching to engage these themes and, thereby, enhance the relevance of law studies to the future needs of built environment professionals in practice.</p
Grasses continue to trump trees at soil carbon sequestration following herbivore exclusion in a semiarid African savanna
Although studies have shown that mammalian herbivores often limit aboveground carbon storage in savannas, their effects on belowground soil carbon storage remain unclear. Using three sets of longâterm, large herbivore exclosures with paired controls, we asked how almost two decades of herbivore removal from a semiarid savanna in Laikipia, Kenya affected aboveground (woody and grass) and belowground soil carbon sequestration, and determined the major source (C3 vs. C4) of belowground carbon sequestered in soils with and without herbivores present. Large herbivore exclusion, which included a diverse community of grazers, browsers, and mixedâfeeding ungulates, resulted in significant increases in grass cover (~22%), woody basal area (~8 m2/ha), and woody canopy cover (31%), translating to a ~8.5 t/ha increase in aboveground carbon over two decades. Herbivore exclusion also led to a 54% increase (20.5 t/ha) in total soil carbon to 30âcm depth, with ~71% of this derived from C4 grasses (vs. ~76% with herbivores present) despite substantial increases in woody cover. We attribute this continued high contribution of C4 grasses to soil C sequestration to the reduced offtake of grass biomass with herbivore exclusion together with the facilitative influence of open sparse woody canopies (e.g., Acacia spp.) on grass cover and productivity in this semiarid system
Planck's Dusty GEMS: Gravitationally lensed high-redshift galaxies discovered with the Planck survey
We present an analysis of 11 bright far-IR/submm sources discovered through a
combination of the Planck survey and follow-up Herschel-SPIRE imaging. Each
source has a redshift z=2.2-3.6 obtained through a blind redshift search with
EMIR at the IRAM 30-m telescope. Interferometry obtained at IRAM and the SMA,
and optical/near-infrared imaging obtained at the CFHT and the VLT reveal
morphologies consistent with strongly gravitationally lensed sources.
Additional photometry was obtained with JCMT/SCUBA-2 and IRAM/GISMO at 850 um
and 2 mm, respectively. All objects are bright, isolated point sources in the
18 arcsec beam of SPIRE at 250 um, with spectral energy distributions peaking
either near the 350 um or the 500 um bands of SPIRE, and with apparent
far-infrared luminosities of up to 3x10^14 L_sun. Their morphologies and sizes,
CO line widths and luminosities, dust temperatures, and far-infrared
luminosities provide additional empirical evidence that these are strongly
gravitationally lensed high-redshift galaxies. We discuss their dust masses and
temperatures, and use additional WISE 22-um photometry and template fitting to
rule out a significant contribution of AGN heating to the total infrared
luminosity. Six sources are detected in FIRST at 1.4 GHz. Four have flux
densities brighter than expected from the local far-infrared-radio correlation,
but in the range previously found for high-z submm galaxies, one has a deficit
of FIR emission, and 6 are consistent with the local correlation. The global
dust-to-gas ratios and star-formation efficiencies of our sources are
predominantly in the range expected from massive, metal-rich, intense,
high-redshift starbursts. An extensive multi-wavelength follow-up programme is
being carried out to further characterize these sources and the intense
star-formation within them.Comment: A&A accepte
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