Recharge assessment in the context of expanding agricultural activity: Urucuia Aquifer System, western State of Bahia, Brazil

Groundwater recharge rate estimation is crucial to sustainable development of aquifers in intensely pumped regions, such as the Urucuia Aquifer System (UAS). A sedimentary aquifer in Western Bahia, Brazil, that underlies one of the major agricultural areas of the country where there has been major growth of irrigated areas. This study seeks to evaluate the recharge component of the water budget in the UAS area, based on three complementary techniques. The double-ring infiltrometer test was used to evaluate surface infiltration capacity, an important control on recharge. Water level data from wells (2011–2019 period, 19 wells) in the Brazilian Geological Survey’s Integrated Groundwater Monitoring Network (RIMAS-CPRM) was used to estimate the aquifer recharge using the water table fluctuation (WTF) method. Additionally, this study used the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in two selected sub-basins to estimate deep recharge from the surface hydrological data. The results of the infiltrometer tests show a notable difference in the infiltration rates between the natural vegetation zones and cropped areas. The WTF and SWAT simulations results suggest similar ranges of recharge rate (an average of 24% of precipitation, in both methods). Results of the study indicate equivalence of these methods to estimate the recharge in sedimentary unconfined aquifers as UAS

The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It consists of a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level and a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The "hybrid" detection mode combines the information from the two subsystems. We describe the determination of the hybrid exposure for events observed by the fluorescence telescopes in coincidence with at least one water-Cherenkov detector of the surface array. A detailed knowledge of the time dependence of the detection operations is crucial for an accurate evaluation of the exposure. We discuss the relevance of monitoring data collected during operations, such as the status of the fluorescence detector, background light and atmospheric conditions, that are used in both simulation and reconstruction.Comment: Paper accepted by Astroparticle Physic

Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density, affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

Protein requirement of tambaqui juveniles (Colossoma macropomum) after feed deprivation

The aim of this work was evaluate protein requirement of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) juveniles after feed deprivation. During 60 days, fish (50,3 ± 0,26 g) were fed on four isoenergetics diets with different protein content (28, 32, 36 and 40% crude protein) at two feeding regimes (with and without feed deprivation) under completely random factorial design (4x2) in triplicate. Water quality parameters and performance index were evaluated at 1º, 15º and 60º days. Water quality parameters were kept at normal fish cultivation patterns. No mortality in the tested treatments. There were observed differences among treatments for performance indexes analyzed: growth rate, feed efficiency, daily feed consumption, crude protein consumption, efficiency protein rate and relative weight gain, except for hepatosomatic index. Hyperfagia was detected indicating the occurrence of compensatory growth. Fat content and body protein deposition increased in fishes refed on 36% of crude protein. These results explain some data observed belong the experiment like the increase of weight gain, of the hyperfagia time extension, of the growth rate and of the feed efficiency. Therefore those fish shows increase on weight gain, hyperfagia time, growth rate and feed efficiency. There is no influence of feed deprivation on protein requirement tambaqui juveniles.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a exigência protéica de juvenis de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) após a privação alimentar. Os peixes (50,3 ± 0,26g) foram submetidos a quatro rações isoenergéticas com diferentes concentrações protéicas (28, 32, 36 e 40% proteína bruta) e dois regimes alimentares (com privação e sem privação) durante 60 dias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4x2, em triplicata. Avaliaram-se os parâmetros de qualidade de água e de desempenho no 1º, 15º e 60º dia de experimento. Os parâmetros da qualidade da água permaneceram dentro dos padrões de cultivo. Não houve mortalidade nos tratamentos testados. Foram observados diferenças entre os tratamentos para os índices de desempenho analisadostaxa de crescimento específico, eficiência alimentar, consumo diário de ração, consumo de proteína bruta, taxa de eficiência protéica e ganho de peso relativo, com exceção do índice hepatossomático. Houve hiperfagia, indicando a existência de crescimento compensatório. Os peixes realimentados com 36% proteína bruta tiveram incremento no teor de gordura visceral e maior deposição de proteína corporal. Estes resultados explicam uma melhora nos dados de ganho de peso, duração da hiperfagia, taxa de crescimento e eficiência alimentar. A privação alimentar não influencia a exigência protéica em juvenis de tambaqui