405 research outputs found
Groundwater dependence and drought within the southern African development community
A groundwater situation analysis of the SADC region has been undertaken as part of the World Bank GEF Programme as a basis for ensuring equitable use of groundwater resources, particularly during periods of drought, both for human needs and for sustaining ecosystems. Much of the groundwater in the region occurs in weathered crystalline rocks suitable for dispersed supply to rural communities, although there are several aquifers capable of sustaining urban demand that contribute to the supply of several major cities and towns. A number of SADC Member States, such as Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, are very dependent on groundwater, whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo is least dependent. Groundwater dependence and groundwater demand, together providing an indication of drought vulnerability, have been assessed from the availability and coverage of groundwater data, but it is very apparent that reliable and comprehensive groundwater data are major deficiencies throughout the SADC region. Few attempts have thus been made to calculate renewable groundwater resource volumes or develop optimum use of groundwater, despite the fact that susceptibility of many Member States to drought requires them to consider mitigation strategies to lessen the hardships imposed largely on their rural population. Such strategy requires long-term intervention and not short-term emergency responses, a process that is directly related to availability of comprehensive groundwater datasets. Considerable effort in groundwater assessment and monitoring and the accumulation, evaluation and dissemination of essential datasets will thus be required to maintain population livelihoods in future years when water supply is projected to be in deficit in over half of the SADC Member States
Southern African development community regional situation analysis
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) groups fourteen sovereign states in
the southern and eastern Africa region for the main purpose of fostering co-operation for
mutual benefit from development of the resources of the whole region. The region accounts
for almost 70% gross domestic product of sub-Saharan Africa and is home to almost a third of
its people. In the context of water resources, conditions in the SADC region are highly
variable with respect to the relative reliance of each of the Member States on surface or
groundwater sources. However, studies already indicate that water resources will be scarce in
9 of the 14 Member States within the next 10 to 30 years, most especially in the southern and
eastern portion of the SADC region. Clearly, water resource conservation and comprehensive
national and regional planning is going to be crucial.
SADC recognised the critical importance of water to regional integration and economic
development and established its own Water Sector in 1996. A SADC Protocol on Shared
Watercourse Systems was adopted to set the rules for joint management of resources. A
Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resource Development and Management
has been compiled; this is being implemented to address key water management issues,
concerning both surface water bodies and aquifers (groundwater).
The region is also characterised by rapid population growth. Extremes of climate bring
frequent drought and substantial flood events that impact on rural populations as well as
national productivity. The region is already highly dependent on groundwater for rural water
supply, and it is clear that groundwater is a key element in the alleviation of the effects of
drought on rural communities.
However, policy responses to drought have, in the past, been based on short-term crisis
reactions, which have generally proved to be inefficient or ineffective. To address this
undesirable situation, proactive, sustainable and integrated management of groundwater
resources needs to be instigated, but with due sympathy to the requirements of ecosystems
Predicting the dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from the wastewater treatment plant to the coast
Viral pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 RNA have been detected in wastewater treatment effluent, and untreated sewage overflows, that pose an exposure hazard to humans. We assessed whether SARS-CoV-2 RNA was likely to have been present in detectable quantities in UK rivers and estuaries during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. We simulated realistic viral concentrations parameterised on the Camel and Conwy catchments (UK) and their populations, showing detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations for untreated but not for treated loading, but also being contingent on viral decay, hydrology, catchment type/shape, and location. Under mean or low river flow conditions, viral RNA concentrated within the estuaries allowing for viral build-up and caused a lag by up to several weeks between the peak in community infections and the viral peak in the environment. There was an increased hazard posed by SARS-CoV-2 RNA with a T90 decay rate >24 h, as the estuarine build-up effect increased. High discharge events transported the viral RNA downstream and offshore, increasing the exposure risk to coastal bathing waters and shellfisheries – although dilution in this case reduced viral concentrations well below detectable levels. Our results highlight the sensitivity of exposure to viral pathogens downstream of wastewater treatment, across a range of viral loadings and catchment characteristics – with implications to environmental surveillance
Bose-Einstein condensate collapse: a comparison between theory and experiment
We solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equation numerically for the collapse induced
by a switch from positive to negative scattering lengths. We compare our
results with experiments performed at JILA with Bose-Einstein condensates of
Rb-85, in which the scattering length was controlled using a Feshbach
resonance. Building on previous theoretical work we identify quantitative
differences between the predictions of mean-field theory and the results of the
experiments. Besides the previously reported difference between the predicted
and observed critical atom number for collapse, we also find that the predicted
collapse times systematically exceed those observed experimentally. Quantum
field effects, such as fragmentation, that might account for these
discrepancies are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Semiparametric theory and empirical processes in causal inference
In this paper we review important aspects of semiparametric theory and
empirical processes that arise in causal inference problems. We begin with a
brief introduction to the general problem of causal inference, and go on to
discuss estimation and inference for causal effects under semiparametric
models, which allow parts of the data-generating process to be unrestricted if
they are not of particular interest (i.e., nuisance functions). These models
are very useful in causal problems because the outcome process is often complex
and difficult to model, and there may only be information available about the
treatment process (at best). Semiparametric theory gives a framework for
benchmarking efficiency and constructing estimators in such settings. In the
second part of the paper we discuss empirical process theory, which provides
powerful tools for understanding the asymptotic behavior of semiparametric
estimators that depend on flexible nonparametric estimators of nuisance
functions. These tools are crucial for incorporating machine learning and other
modern methods into causal inference analyses. We conclude by examining related
extensions and future directions for work in semiparametric causal inference
Control of an atom laser using feedback
A generalised method of using feedback to control Bose-Einstein condensates
is introduced. The condensates are modelled by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation,
so only semiclassical fluctations can be suppressed, and back-action from the
measurement is ignored. We show that for any available control, a feedback
scheme can be found to reduce the energy while the appropriate moment is still
dynamic. We demonstrate these schemes by considering a condensate trapped in a
harmonic potential that can be modulated in strength and position. The
formalism of our feedback scheme also allows the inclusion of certain types of
non-linear controls. If the non-linear interaction between the atoms can be
controlled via a Feshbach resonance, we show that the feedback process can
operate with a much higher efficiency.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
Non-destructive, dynamic detectors for Bose-Einstein condensates
We propose and analyze a series of non-destructive, dynamic detectors for
Bose-Einstein condensates based on photo-detectors operating at the shot noise
limit. These detectors are compatible with real time feedback to the
condensate. The signal to noise ratio of different detection schemes are
compared subject to the constraint of minimal heating due to photon absorption
and spontaneous emission. This constraint leads to different optimal operating
points for interference-based schemes. We find the somewhat counter-intuitive
result that without the presence of a cavity, interferometry causes as much
destruction as absorption for optically thin clouds. For optically thick
clouds, cavity-free interferometry is superior to absorption, but it still
cannot be made arbitrarily non-destructive . We propose a cavity-based
measurement of atomic density which can in principle be made arbitrarily
non-destructive for a given signal to noise ratio
Mode Selectivity and Stability of Continuously Pumped Atom Lasers
A semiclassical, multimode model of a continuously pumped atom laser is presented. For a spatially independent coupling process it is found that the system is unstable below a critical scattering length. As large atomic interactions will increase the phase diffusion of the lasing mode, it is desirable to obtain a stable atom laser with low nonlinearity. It is shown that spatially dependent pumping stabilizes the atom laser to a finite number of modes, and can induce single-mode operation
Bottom Production
We review the prospects for bottom production physics at the LHC.Comment: 74 pages, Latex, 71 figures, to appear in the Report of the ``1999
CERN Workshop on SM physics (and more) at the LHC'', P. Nason, G. Ridolfi, O.
Schneider G.F. Tartarelli, P. Vikas (conveners
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