420 research outputs found
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
- …