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

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

Scaling Solutions and reconstruction of Scalar Field Potentials

Starting from the hypothesis of scaling solutions, the general exact form of the scalar field potential is found. In the case of two fluids, it turns out to be a negative power of hyperbolic sine. In the case of three fluids the analytic form is not found, but is obtained by quadratures.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, some changes in references and figures caption

Stable phantom-divide crossing in two scalar models with matter

We construct cosmological models with two scalar fields, which has the structure as in the ghost condensation model or k-essence model. The models can describe the stable phantom crossing, which should be contrasted with one scalar tensor models, where the infinite instability occurs at the crossing the phantom divide. We give a general formulation of the reconstruction in terms of the e-foldings N by including the matter although in the previous two scalar models, which are extensions of the scalar tensor model, it was difficult to give a formulation of the reconstruction when we include matters. In the formulation of the reconstruction, we start with a model with some arbitrary functions, and find the functions which generates the history in the expansion of the universe. We also give general arguments for the stabilities of the models and the reconstructed solution. The viability of a model is also investigated by comparing the observational data.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

Generalized Holographic Dark Energy Model

In this paper, the model of holographic Chaplygin gas has been extended to two general cases: first is the case of modified variable Chaplygin gas and secondly of the viscous generalized Chaplygin gas. The dynamics of the model are expressed by the use of scalar fields and the scalar potentials.Comment: 12 pages, to appear in Eur. Phys. J.

Observer dependence of the quasi-local energy and momentum in Schwarzschild space-time

The observer dependence of the quasi-local energy (QLE) and momentum in the Schwarzschild geometry is illustrated. Using the Brown-York prescription, the QLE for families of non-geodesic and geodesic observers penetrating the event horizon is obtained. An explicit shell-building process is presented and the binding energy is computed in terms of the QLE measured by a static observer field at a radius outside the horizon radius. The QLE for a radially geodesic observer field freely-falling from infinity is shown to vanish. Finally, a simple relation for the dynamics of the quasi-local momentum density for a geodesic observer field is noted.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Gen. Rel. Gra

Comparative analysis of Gallex and GNO solar neutrino data

Since the GALLEX and GNO datasets were derived from closely related experiments, there is a natural tendency to merge them. This is perhaps appropriate for any analysis based on the hypothesis that the solar neutrino flux is constant, but it is not necessarily appropriate for an analysis that allows for possible variability, since the GALLEX and GNO experiments belong to different solar cycles. Moreover, we find significant differences between the GALLEX and GNO datasets. It appears, from inspection of the time series and histograms, that GNO measurements are compatible with the assumption that the solar neutrino flux is constant, but GALLEX measurements are not. Furthermore, power-spectrum analysis yields evidence of rotational modulation in GALLEX data but not in GNO data. We compare our results with those of Pandola, who claims that GALLEX-GNO data show no evidence for variability.Comment: 20 pages plus 6 tables plus 11 figure

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

Late-time cosmology in (phantom) scalar-tensor theory: dark energy and the cosmic speed-up

We consider late-time cosmology in a (phantom) scalar-tensor theory with an exponential potential, as a dark energy model with equation of state parameter close to -1 (a bit above or below this value). Scalar (and also other kinds of) matter can be easily taken into account. An exact spatially-flat FRW cosmology is constructed for such theory, which admits (eternal or transient) acceleration phases for the current universe, in correspondence with observational results. Some remarks on the possible origin of the phantom, starting from a more fundamental theory, are also made. It is shown that quantum gravity effects may prevent (or, at least, delay or soften) the cosmic doomsday catastrophe associated with the phantom, i.e. the otherwise unavoidable finite-time future singularity (Big Rip). A novel dark energy model (higher-derivative scalar-tensor theory) is introduced and it is shown to admit an effective phantom/quintessence description with a transient acceleration phase. In this case, gravity favors that an initially insignificant portion of dark energy becomes dominant over the standard matter/radiation components in the evolution process.Comment: LaTeX file, 48 pages, discussion of Big Rip is enlarged, a reference is adde

Holographic Dark Energy Model and Scalar-Tensor Theories

We study the holographic dark energy model in a generalized scalar tensor theory. In a universe filled with cold dark matter and dark energy, the effect of potential of the scalar field is investigated in the equation of state parameter. We show that for a various types of potentials, the equation of state parameter is negative and transition from deceleration to acceleration expansion of the universe is possible.Comment: 11 pages, no figure. To appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio