4,328 research outputs found
A Critical Evaluation of the Capital Theory Approach to Sustainable Development
Irrigation farmers in the lower reaches of the Vaal and Riet Rivers are experiencing substantial yield reductions in certain crops and more profitable crops have been withdrawn from production, hypothesised, as a result of generally poor but especially fluctuating water quality. In this paper secondary data is used in a linear programming model to test this hypothesis by calculating the potential loss in farm level optimal returns. The model is static with a time frame of two production seasons. Linear crop-water quality production functions (Ayers & Westcot, 1983; adapted from Maas & Hoffmann, 1977) are used to calculate net returns for the eight most common crops grown. Results show optimal enterprise composition under various water quality situations. Leaching is justified financially and there is a strong motivation for a change in the current water pricing system. SALMOD (Salinity and Leaching Model for Optimal irrigation Development) is the Excel Solver model used to derive the preliminary results, but is currently being developed further in GAMS (General Algebraic Modelling System). Useful results have already been obtained on which this paper is based. The ultimate aim for SALMOD is a mathematical model using dynamic optimisation, simulation and risk modelling techniques to aid in whole farm and system level management decisions to ensure sustainable irrigation agriculture under stochastic river water quality conditions.International Development,
Solar Neutrinos Before and After KamLAND
We use the recently reported KamLAND measurements on oscillations of reactor
anti-neutrinos, together with the data of previously reported solar neutrino
experiments, to show that: (1) the total 8B neutrino flux emitted by the Sun is
1.00(1.0 \pm 0.06) of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted flux, (2) the
KamLAND measurements reduce the area of the globally allowed oscillation
regions that must be explored in model fitting by six orders of magnitude in
the Delta m^2-tan^2 theta plane, (3) LMA is now the unique oscillation solution
to a CL of 4.7sigma, (4) maximal mixing is disfavored at 3.1 sigma, (5)
active-sterile admixtures are constrained to sin^2 eta<0.13 at 1 sigma, (6) the
observed ^8B flux that is in the form of sterile neutrinos is
0.00^{+0.09}_{-0.00} (1 sigma), of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted
flux, and (7) non-standard solar models that were invented to completely avoid
solar neutrino oscillations are excluded by KamLAND plus solar at 7.9 sigma .
We also refine quantitative predictions for future 7Be and p-p solar neutrino
experiments.Comment: Published version, includes editorial improvement
Global Analysis with SNO: Toward the Solution of the Solar Neutrino Problem
We perform a global analysis of the latest solar neutrino data including the
SNO result on the CC-event rate. This result further favors the LMA solution of
the solar neutrino problem. The best fit values of parameters we find are:
\Delta m^2 = (4.8 - 5.0)10^{-5} eV^2, tan^2 \theta = 0.35 - 0.38, f_B = 1.08 -
1.12, and f_{hep} = 1 - 4. With respect to this best fit the LOW solution is
accepted at 90% C.L.. The Vacuum oscillation solution with \Delta m^2 = 1.4
10^{-10} eV^2, gives good fit of the data provided that the boron neutrino flux
is substantially smaller than the SSM flux (f_B \sim 0.5). The SMA solution is
accepted only at 3\sigma level. We find that vacuum oscillations to sterile
neutrino, VAC(sterile), with f_B \sim 0.5 also give rather good global fit of
the data. All other sterile solutions are strongly disfavored. We check the
quality of the fit by constructing the pull-off diagrams of observables.
Predictions for the day-night asymmetry, spectrum distortion and NC/CC ratio at
SNO are calculated. In the best fit points of the global solutions we find:
A_{DN}^{CC} \approx (7 - 8)% for LMA, \sim 3% for LOW, and (2 - 3)% for SMA. It
will be difficult to see the distortion of the spectrum expected for LMA as
well as LOW solutions. However, future SNO spectral data can significantly
affect the VAC and SMA solutions. We also calculate expectations for the
BOREXINO rate.Comment: 35 pages, latex, 9 figures; results of analysis slightly changed due
to different treatment of the hep neutrino flux; predictions for NC/CC ratio
and Borexino rate adde
Report of a pilot study on the insertion of a lippes loop early in the puerperium for contraception
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Liquid-gas phase transition in finite nuclei
In a finite temperature Thomas-Fermi framework, we calculate density
distributions of hot nuclei enclosed in a freeze-out volume of few times the
normal nuclear volume and then construct the caloric curve, with and without
inclusion of radial collective flow. In both cases, the calculated specific
heats show a peaked structure signalling a liquid-gas phase transition.
Without flow, the caloric curve indicates a continuous phase transition whereas
with inclusion of flow, the transition is very sharp. In the latter case, the
nucleus undergoes a shape change to a bubble from a diffuse sphere at the
transition temperature.Comment: Proc. of 6th Int. Conf. on N-N Collisions (Gatlinburg); Nuclear
Physics A (in press
Solar Neutrino Rates, Spectrum, and its Moments : an MSW Analysis in the Light of Super-Kamiokande Results
We re-examine MSW solutions of the solar neutrino problem in a two flavor
scenario taking (a) the results on total rates and the electron energy spectrum
from the 1117-day SuperKamiokande (SK) data and (b) those on total rates from
the Chlorine and Gallium experiments. We find that the SMA solution gives the
best fit to the total rates data from the different experiments. One new
feature of our analysis is the use of the moments of the SK electron spectrum
in a analysis. The best-fit to the moments is broadly in agreement
with that obtained from a direct fit to the spectrum data and prefers a comparable to the SMA fit to the rates but the required mixing angle is
larger. In the combined rate and spectrum analysis, apart from varying the
normalization of the B flux as a free parameter and determining its
best-fit value we also obtain the best-fit parameters when correlations between
the rates and the spectrum data are included and the normalization of the B
flux held fixed at its SSM value. We observe that the correlations between the
rates and spectrum data are important and the goodness of fit worsens when
these are included. In either case, the best-fit lies in the LMA region.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Model Independent Information On Solar Neutrino Oscillations
We present the results of a Bayesian analysis of solar neutrino data in terms
of nu_e->nu_{mu,tau} oscillations, independent from the Standard Solar Model
predictions for the solar neutrino fluxes. We show that such a model
independent analysis allows to constraint the values of the neutrino mixing
parameters in limited regions around the usual SMA, LMA, LOW and VO regions.
Furthermore, there is a strong indication in favor of large neutrino mixing and
large values of Delta m^2 (LMA region). We calculate also the allowed ranges of
the neutrino fluxes and we show that they are in good agreement with the
Standard Solar Model prediction. In particular, the ratio of the 8B flux with
its Standard Solar Model prediction is constrained in the interval [0.45,1.42]
with 99.73% probability. Finally, we show that the hypothesis of no neutrino
oscillations is strongly disfavored in a model independent way with respect to
the hypothesis of neutrino oscillations.Comment: 40 pages, 20 figures. Added references and improved figure
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