6,093 research outputs found
A Critical View of Current State of Phytotechnologies to Remediate Soils: Still a Promising Tool?
Phytotechnologies are often shown as an emerging tool to remediate contaminated soils. Research in this field has resulted in many important findings relating to plant and soil sciences. However, there have been scant private and public investments and little commercial success with this technology. Here, we investigate the barriers to the adoption of phytotechnologies and determine whether it is still a fertile area for future research. The terminology used in phytotechnologies includes a confusing mish-mash of terms relating to concepts and processes increasing the difficulty of developing a unique commercial image. We argue that the commercial success of phytotechnologies depends on the generation of valuable biomass on contaminated land, rather than a pure remediation technique that may not compare favourably with the costs of inaction or alternative technologies. Valuable biomass includes timber, bioenergy, feedstock for pyrolosis, biofortified products, or ecologically important species
Prediction of dissolved reactive phosphorus losses from small agricultural catchments: calibration and validation of a parsimonious model
Eutrophication of surface waters due to diffuse phosphorus (P) losses continues to be a severe water quality problem worldwide, causing the loss of ecosystem functions of the respective water bodies. Phosphorus in runoff often originates from a small fraction of a catchment only. Targeting mitigation measures to these critical source areas (CSAs) is expected to be most efficient and cost-effective, but requires suitable tools. <br><br> Here we investigated the capability of the parsimonious Rainfall-Runoff-Phosphorus (RRP) model to identify CSAs in grassland-dominated catchments based on readily available soil and topographic data. After simultaneous calibration on runoff data from four small hilly catchments on the Swiss Plateau, the model was validated on a different catchment in the same region without further calibration. The RRP model adequately simulated the discharge and dissolved reactive P (DRP) export from the validation catchment. Sensitivity analysis showed that the model predictions were robust with respect to the classification of soils into "poorly drained" and "well drained", based on the available soil map. Comparing spatial hydrological model predictions with field data from the validation catchment provided further evidence that the assumptions underlying the model are valid and that the model adequately accounts for the dominant P export processes in the target region. Thus, the parsimonious RRP model is a valuable tool that can be used to determine CSAs. Despite the considerable predictive uncertainty regarding the spatial extent of CSAs, the RRP can provide guidance for the implementation of mitigation measures. The model helps to identify those parts of a catchment where high DRP losses are expected or can be excluded with high confidence. Legacy P was predicted to be the dominant source for DRP losses and thus, in combination with hydrologic active areas, a high risk for water quality
Delocalization of states in two component superlattices with correlated disorder
Electron and phonon states in two different models of intentionally
disordered superlattices are studied analytically as well as numerically. The
localization length is calculated exactly and we found that it diverges for
particular energies or frequencies, suggesting the existence of delocalized
states for both electrons and phonons. Numerical calculations for the
transmission coefficient support the existence of these delocalized states.Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 2 PS figures adde
The Anderson Transition in Two-Dimensional Systems with Spin-Orbit Coupling
We report a numerical investigation of the Anderson transition in
two-dimensional systems with spin-orbit coupling. An accurate estimate of the
critical exponent for the divergence of the localization length in this
universality class has to our knowledge not been reported in the literature.
Here we analyse the SU(2) model. We find that for this model corrections to
scaling due to irrelevant scaling variables may be neglected permitting an
accurate estimate of the exponent
Three-dimensional effects on extended states in disordered models of polymers
We study electronic transport properties of disordered polymers in the
presence of both uncorrelated and short-range correlated impurities. In our
procedure, the actual physical potential acting upon the electrons is replaced
by a set of nonlocal separable potentials, leading to a Schr\"odinger equation
that is exactly solvable in the momentum representation. We then show that the
reflection coefficient of a pair of impurities placed at neighboring sites
(dimer defect) vanishes for a particular resonant energy. When there is a
finite number of such defects randomly distributed over the whole lattice, we
find that the transmission coefficient is almost unity for states close to the
resonant energy, and that those states present a very large localization
length. Multifractal analysis techniques applied to very long systems
demonstrate that these states are truly extended in the thermodynamic limit.
These results reinforce the possibility to verify experimentally theoretical
predictions about absence of localization in quasi-one-dimensional disordered
systems.Comment: 16 pages, REVTeX 3.0, 5 figures on request from FDA
([email protected]). Submitted to Phys. Rev. B. MA/UC3M/09/9
Two Interacting Electrons in a Quasiperiodic Chain
We study numerically the effect of on-site Hubbard interaction U between two
electrons in the quasiperiodic Harper's equation. In the periodic chain limit
by mapping the problem to that of one electron in two dimensions with a
diagonal line of impurities of strength U we demonstrate a band of resonance
two particle pairing states starting from E=U. In the ballistic (metallic)
regime we show explicitly interaction-assisted extended pairing states and
multifractal pairing states in the diffusive (critical) regime. We also obtain
localized pairing states in the gaps and the created subband due to U, whose
number increases when going to the localized regime, which are responsible for
reducing the velocity and the diffusion coefficient in the qualitatively
similar to the non-interacting case ballistic and diffusive dynamics. In the
localized regime we find propagation enhancement for small U and stronger
localization for larger U, as in disordered systems.Comment: 14 pages Revtex file, 8 figures (split into 19 jpg figures).
(postscript versions of the jpg figures are also available upon request)
submitted to PR
Sparse random matrices and vibrational spectra of amorphous solids
A random matrix approach is used to analyze the vibrational properties of
amorphous solids. We investigated a dynamical matrix M=AA^T with non-negative
eigenvalues. The matrix A is an arbitrary real NxN sparse random matrix with n
independent non-zero elements in each row. The average values =0 and
dispersion =V^2 for all non-zero elements. The density of vibrational
states g(w) of the matrix M for N,n >> 1 is given by the Wigner quarter circle
law with radius independent of N. We argue that for n^2 << N this model can be
used to describe the interaction of atoms in amorphous solids. The level
statistics of matrix M is well described by the Wigner surmise and corresponds
to repulsion of eigenfrequencies. The participation ratio for the major part of
vibrational modes in three dimensional system is about 0.2 - 0.3 and
independent of N. Together with term repulsion it indicates clearly to the
delocalization of vibrational excitations. We show that these vibrations spread
in space by means of diffusion. In this respect they are similar to diffusons
introduced by Allen, Feldman, et al., Phil. Mag. B 79, 1715 (1999) in amorphous
silicon. Our results are in a qualitative and sometimes in a quantitative
agreement with molecular dynamic simulations of real and model glasses.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure
Stationary Properties of a Randomly Driven Ising Ferromagnet
We consider the behavior of an Ising ferromagnet obeying the Glauber dynamics
under the influence of a fast switching, random external field. Analytic
results for the stationary state are presented in mean-field approximation,
exhibiting a novel type of first order phase transition related to dynamic
freezing. Monte Carlo simulations performed on a quadratic lattice indicate
that many features of the mean field theory may survive the presence of
fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages in RevTex format, 7 eps/ps figures, send comments to
"mailto:[email protected]", submitted to PR
Distribution of fractal dimensions at the Anderson transition
We investigated numerically the distribution of participation numbers in the
3d Anderson tight-binding model at the localization-delocalization threshold.
These numbers in {\em one} disordered system experience strong level-to-level
fluctuations in a wide energy range. The fluctuations grow substantially with
increasing size of the system. We argue that the fluctuations of the
correlation dimension, of the wave functions are the main reason for
this. The distribution of these correlation dimensions at the transition is
calculated. In the thermodynamic limit () it does not depend on
the system size . An interesting feature of this limiting distribution is
that it vanishes exactly at , the highest possible value of
the correlation dimension at the Anderson threshold in this model
Change in school ethnic diversity and intergroup relations: The transition from segregated elementary to mixed secondary school for majority and minority students
This research examined the impact of a change in school diversity on school children’s intergroup relations. A longitudinal survey tracked 551 White British and Asian British students (Mage = 11.32) transitioning from elementary (time 1) to secondary (time 2) school in an ethnically segregated town in the United Kingdom. We estimated a multivariate, multilevel model. A cross-sectional comparison of segregated schools and a mixed elementary school at time 1 revealed that both Asian and White British in the mixed school reported more positive intergroup relations. A longitudinal analysis found that the transition from segregated elementary to mixed secondary schools was associated with Asian British developing more positive intergroup relations. White British reported overall less positive intergroup relations, although only trust decreased, evidence from other measures remains inconclusive. The findings are important for understanding early stages of diversity exposure, and the impact of changing diversity levels on majority and minority groups
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