Aggregating available soil water holding capacity data for crop yield models

The total amount of water available to plants that is held against gravity in a soil is usually estimated as the amount present at -0.03 MPa average water potential minus the amount present at -1.5 MPa water potential. This value, designated available water-holding capacity (AWHC), is a very important soil characteristic that is strongly and positively correlated to the inherent productivity of soils. In various applications, including assessing soil moisture status over large areas, it is necessary to group soil types or series as to their productivity. Current methods to classify AWHC of soils consider only total capacity of soil profiles and thus may group together soils which differ greatly in AWHC as a function of depth in the profile. A general approach for evaluating quantitatively the multidimensional nature of AWHC in soils is described. Data for 902 soil profiles, representing 184 soil series, in Indiana were obtained from the Soil Characterization Laboratory at Purdue University. The AWHC for each of ten 150-mm layers in each soil was established, based on soil texture and parent material. A multivariate clustering procedure was used to classify each soil profile into one of 4, 8, or 12 classes based upon ten-dimensional AWHC values. The optimum number of classes depends on the range of AWHC in the population of oil profiles analyzed and on the sensitivity of a crop to differences in distribution of water within the soil profile

Analysis of the project fire re-entry package flow field final technical report

Theoretical prediction of state of gas in flow field surrounding Apollo type vehicle in reentry at hypersonic speed

PKS1932-46: a radio source in an interacting group?

We present the results of a multiwavelength study of the z=0.23 radio source PKS1932-46. VIMOS IFU spectroscopy is used to study the morphology, kinematics and ionisation state of the EELR surrounding this source, and also a companion galaxy at a similar redshift. Near- and far-IR imaging observations obtained using the NTT and SPITZER are used to analyse the underlying galaxy morphologies and the nature of the AGN. The host galaxy is identified as an ~M* elliptical. Combining Spitzer mid-IR with X-ray, optical and near-IR imaging observations of this source, we conclude that its AGN is underluminous for a radio source of this type, despite its status as a BLRG. However, given its relatively large [OIII] luminosity it is likely that the AGN was substantially more luminous in the recent past (<10^4 years ago). The EELR is remarkably extensive and complex, reminiscent of the systems observed around sources at higher redshifts/radio powers, and the gas is predominantly ionised by a mixture of AGN photoionisation and emission from young stars. We confirm the presence of a series of star-forming knots extending N-S from the host galaxy, with more prodigious star formation occuring in the merging companion galaxy to the northeast, which has sufficient luminosity at mid- to far-IR wavelengths to be classified as a LIRG. The most plausible explanation of our observations is that PKS1932-46 is a member of an interacting galaxy group, and that the impressive EELR is populated by star-forming, tidal debris. We suggest that the AGN itself may currently be fuelled by material associated either with the current interaction, or with a previous merger event. Surprisingly, it is the companion object, rather than the radio source host galaxy, which is undergoing the bulk of the star formation activity within the group.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures (compressed for astro-ph, 1 colour). Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Abstract abridge

Observations of the Ca II K line in Hel0830A dark points on August 3, 1985

Spectroheliograms taken in the light of He I 10830 A at the National Solar Observatory Vacuum Telescope on Kitt Peak were used to identify coronal holes and bright points (BPs). Target points were identified, coordinates calculated, and spectra recorded. For each spectrum, the difference in wavelength between the Ca II K minimum and the FeI reference line was calculated. It was noteworthy that the overall effect is a blueshift. It should be noted that if material of chromospheric density moves outward at this velocity, it could supply the mass flux of the solar wind if this chromospheric flow was concentrated in a few dozen sources, each of a diameter of a few arc seconds

Dominant Nuclear Outflow Driving Mechanisms in Powerful Radio Galaxies

In order to identify the dominant nuclear outflow mechanisms in Active Galactic Nuclei, we have undertaken deep, high resolution observations of two compact radio sources (PKS 1549-79 and PKS 1345+12) with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Not only are these targets known to have powerful emission line outflows, but they also contain all the potential drivers for the outflows: relativistic jets, quasar nuclei and starbursts. ACS allows the compact nature (<0.15") of these radio sources to be optically resolved for the first time. Through comparison with existing radio maps we have seen consistency in the nuclear position angles of both the optical emission line and radio data. There is no evidence for bi-conical emission line features on the large-scale and there is a divergance in the relative position angles of the optical and radio structure. This enables us to exclude starburst driven outflows. However, we are unable to clearly distinguish between radiative AGN wind driven outflows and outflows powered by relativistic radio jets. The small scale bi-conical features, indicative of such mechanisms could be below the resolution limit of ACS, especially if aligned close to the line of sight. In addition, there may be offsets between the radio and optical nuclei induced by heavy dust obscuration, nebular continuum or scattered light from the AGN.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, emulateapj, ApJ Accepte

Structural studies of hydrated samples of amorphous calcium phosphate and phosphoprotein nanoclusters

There are abundant examples of nanoclusters and inorganic microcrystals in biology. Their study under physiologically relevant conditions remains challenging due to their heterogeneity, instability, and the requirements of sample preparation. Advantages of using neutron diffraction and contrast matching to characterize biomaterials are highlighted in this article. We have applied these and complementary techniques to search for nanocrystals within clusters of calcium phosphate sequestered by bovine phosphopeptides, derived from osteopontin or casein. The neutron diffraction patterns show broad features that could be consistent with hexagonal hydroxyapatite crystallites smaller than 18.9 Å. Such nanocrystallites are, however, undetected by the complementary X-ray and FTIR data, collected on the same samples. The absence of a distinct diffraction pattern from the nanoclusters supports the generally accepted amorphous calcium phosphate structure of the mineral core