76 research outputs found
The movement of spray drift near a live shelterbelt
Non-Peer ReviewedThere has been recent interest in the use of shelterbelts to mitigate spray drift and protect downwind areas. Previous research has investigated the interaction of spray drift and shelterbelts using model shelterbelts, wind tunnel experiments, and numerical modeling; however, there is limited knowledge on the movement of spray drift near a live shelterbelt in field conditions. These experiments measured the ground deposition and airborne concentration of drift near a live carragana/chokecherry mix shelterbelt. It was found that when compared to open field experiments where there was no shelterbelt, the mass of ground deposit was less in the lee of the shelterbelt for a distance of 0-10H downwind of the shelterbelt (where H is the height of the shelterbelt). Further than 10H downwind of the shelterbelt, the mass of ground deposit was similar to the open field. There was an 88% reduction in airborne drift exiting the shelterbelt as compared to the drift entering the shelterbelt, which likely caused the reduction in deposition in the shelterbelt’s lee. It was shown that there was a larger proportion of drift diverted over the top of the shelterbelt as compared to the drift exiting the shelterbelt. Although not apparent in these experiments, this suggested that there may be increased deposition further downwind from the shelterbelt as compared to the open field
Comparison of ground and aerial application of fungicide for control of Ascochyta blight in chickpeas
Non-Peer ReviewedAscochyta rabiei control from aerial and ground application was assessed near Saskatoon in 2003 and 2004. Each year, a site of about 12 ha was seeded to kabuli (cv. CDC Xena) chickpeas. At the first sign of disease, applications of fungicide were commenced and maintained at approximately 10-day intervals. In 2003, four applications (two with Headline (pyraclostrobin), two with Lance (boscalid)) were conducted. In 2004, the last Lance application was not done. Aerial application was made using a Cessna AgTruck applying 37 L/ha using CP nozzles emitting a spray with a VMD of approximately 271 μm. Ground applications were conducted using a Melroe SpraCoupe applying 100 L/ha using XR8003 nozzles with a VMD of approximately 246 μm. Disease ratings were done throughout the season, and seed yields were
taken at crop maturity. Disease incidence progressed to 80 to 90% in the untreated plots, and fungicide application reduced disease incidence (to 20 to 30%) and increased seed yield in both years. Disease incidence and seed yield were not affected by application method in either season
Neutrino Signal Variation in KamLAND
Large Mixing Angle (LMA) neutrino oscillation is the main solution for the
long-standing Solar Neutrino Problem (SNP). Whether there is any subdominant
effect accompanying the dominant LMA solution can not be ruled out at the
moment, but will be settled by the forthcoming data from highly skilled real
time experiments targeting essentially the low energy domain of solar
neutrinos. Assuming a subdominant effect converting one of the active neutrinos
into a sterile partner in the varying solar field with changing sunspot
activity, we performed field-profile-independent predictions for
neutrino signal variation, which might be tested in the KamLAND's future solar
neutrino detection program. We found that after a substantial reduction of
background and running of KamLAND solar mode through the sunspot maximum period
(around 2010 - 2012), when the solar field at the resonance may vary from few
to , the subdominant time variation effect might be clearly
visible (more than ) for neutrinos.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, typos corrected. To appear in JHE
Degradation of pesticides in biobeds
Non-Peer ReviewedPesticides are used to protect crops from unwanted pests thereby increasing food quality and quantity. However, one side-effect of using pesticides is their ability to pollute surface and groundwaters through diffuse (non-localized) or localized (point) sources. Biobeds were introduced in Sweden in 1993 as a means to protect the environment from point source pollution by pesticides arising from farm activities such as filling of sprayers and sprayer rinsate. A biobed is a hole in the ground into which a mixture of straw, compost and topsoil (2:1:1 by volume) is added and cover with a grass layer. The biobed mix creates a favourable environment for containment and microbial degradation of applied pesticides. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between active ingredient breakdown and carbon dioxide emission in both topsoil and biobed mix after pesticide application. Results indicate a five-fold reduction in the half-life of 2,4-D in the biobed mix compared to topsoil. Rapid degradation of some sulphonylurea herbicides occurred in the biobed mix despite their known persistence in soil. There was a correlation between active ingredient breakdown and carbon dioxide emission
Comparative Analysis of Super-Kamiokande and SNO Solar-Neutrino Data and the Photospheric Magnetic Field
We analyze Super-Kamiokande, SNO, and photospheric magnetic-field data for
the common time interval, namely the SNO D2O phase. Concerning rotational
modulation, the magnetic-field power spectrum shows the strongest peaks at the
second and sixth harmonics of the solar synodic rotation frequency [3 nu(rot)
and 7 nu(rot)]. The restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset shows strong modulation
at the second harmonic. The SNO D2O dataset shows weak modulation at that
frequency, but strong modulation in the sixth-harmonic frequency band. We
estimate the significance level of the correspondence of the Super-Kamiokande
second-harmonic peak with the corresponding magnetic-field peak to be 0.0004,
and the significance level of the correspondence of the SNO D2O sixth-harmonic
peak with the corresponding magnetic-field peak to be 0.009. By estimating the
amplitude of the modulation of the solar neutrino flux at the second harmonic
from the restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset, we find that the weak power at
that frequency in the SNO D2O power spectrum is not particularly surprising.
Concerning 9.43 yr-1, we find no peak at this frequency in the power spectrum
formed from the restricted Super-Kamiokande dataset, so it is no surprise that
this peak does not show up in the SNO D2O dataset, either.Comment: 32 pages, 8 tables, 16 figure
Phase transition in Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime
Using a static massive spherically symmetric scalar field coupled to gravity
in the Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) background, first we consider some
asymptotic solutions near horizon and their local equations of state(E.O.S) on
them. We show that near cosmological and event horizons our scalar field
behaves as a dust. At the next step near two pure de-Sitter or Schwarzschild
horizons we obtain a coupling dependent pressure to energy density ratio. In
the case of a minimally couplling this ratio is -1 which springs to the mind
thermodynamical behavior of dark energy. If having a negative pressure behavior
near these horizons we concluded that the coupling constant must be
>. Therefore we derive a new constraint on the value of our coupling .
These two different behaviors of unique matter in the distinct regions of
spacetime at present era can be interpreted as a phase transition from dark
matter to dark energy in the cosmic scales and construct a unified scenario.Comment: 7 pages,no figures,RevTex, Typos corrected and references adde
Low Energy Solar Neutrinos and Spin Flavour Precession
The possibility that the Gallium data effectively indicates a time modulation
of the solar active neutrino flux in possible connection to solar activity is
examined on the light of spin flavour precession to sterile neutrinos as a
subdominant process in addition to oscillations. We distinguish two sets of
Gallium data, relating them to high and low solar activity. Such modulation
affects principally the low energy neutrinos ( and ) so that the
effect, if it exists, will become most clear in the forthcoming Borexino and
LENS experiments and will provide evidence for a neutrino magnetic moment.
Using a model previously developed, we perform two separate fits in relation to
low and high activity periods to all solar neutrino data. These fits include
the very recent charged current spectrum from the SNO experiment. We also
derive the model predictions for Borexino and LENS experiments.Comment: 20 pages, 5 ps figures, 1 eps figure, final version to be published
in JHE
Dynamics of Logamediate and Intermediate Scenarios in the Dark Energy Filled Universe
We have considered a model of two component mixture i.e., mixture of
Chaplygin gas and barotropic fluid with tachyonic field. In the case, when they
have no interaction then both of them retain their own properties. Let us
consider an energy flow between barotropic and tachyonic fluids. In both the
cases we find the exact solutions for the tachyonic field and the tachyonic
potential and show that the tachyonic potential follows the asymptotic
behavior. We have considered an interaction between these two fluids by
introducing a coupling term. Finally, we have considered a model of three
component mixture i.e., mixture of tachyonic field, Chaplygin gas and
barotropic fluid with or without interaction. The coupling functions decays
with time indicating a strong energy flow at the initial period and weak stable
interaction at later stage. To keep the observational support of recent
acceleration we have considered two particular forms (i) Logamediate Scenario
and (ii) Intermediate Scenario, of evolution of the Universe. We have examined
the natures of the recent developed statefinder parameters and slow-roll
parameters in both scenarios with and without interactions in whole evolution
of the universe.Comment: 28 pages, 20 figure
Cosmological expansion and local systems: a Lema\^{i}tre-Tolman-Bondi model
We propose a Lema\^{i}tre-Tolman-Bondi system mimicking a two-body system to
address the problem of the cosmological expansion versus local dynamics. This
system is strongly bound but participates in the cosmic expansion and is
exactly comoving with the cosmic substratum
Higher Dimensional Cosmology with Some Dark Energy Models in Emergent, Logamediate and Intermediate Scenarios of the Universe
We have considered N-dimensional Einstein field equations in which
four-dimensional space-time is described by a FRW metric and that of extra
dimensions by an Euclidean metric. We have chosen the exponential forms of
scale factors a and d numbers of b in such a way that there is no singularity
for evolution of the higher dimensional Universe. We have supposed that the
Universe is filled with K-essence, Tachyonic, Normal Scalar Field and
DBI-essence. Here we have found the nature of potential of different scalar
field and graphically analyzed the potentials and the fields for three scenario
namely Emergent Scenario, Logamediate Scenario and Intermediate Scenario. Also
graphically we have depicted the geometrical parameters named statefinder
parameters and slow-roll parameters in the higher dimensional cosmology with
the above mentioned scenarios.Comment: 21 pages, 36 figure
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