1,970 research outputs found
Evaluation of extractants for estimation of the phytoavailable trace metals in soils
Despite its environmental (and financial) importance, there is no agreement in the literature as to which extractant most accurately estimates the phytoavailability of trace metals in soils. A large dataset was taken from the literature, and the effectiveness of various extractants to predict the phytoavailability of Cd, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Pb examined across a range of soil types and contamination levels. The data suggest that generally, the total soil trace metal content, and trace metal concentrations determined by complexing agents (such as the widely used DTPA and EDTA extractants) or acid extractants (such as 0.1 M HCl and the Mehlich 1 extractant) are only poorly correlated to plant phytoavailability. Whilst there is no consensus, it would appear that neutral salt extractants (such as 0.01 M CaCl2 and 0.1 M NaNO3) provide the most useful indication of metal phytoavailability across a range of metals of interest, although further research is required
Toxic effects of low concentrations of Cu on nodulation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
Although Cu is phytotoxic at Cu(2+) activities as low as 1-2 mu M, the effect of Cu(2+) on the nodulation of legumes has received little attention. The effect of Cu(2+) on nodulation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. cv. Caloona) was examined in a dilute solution culture system utilising a cation exchange resin to buffer solution Cu(2+). The nodulation process was more sensitive to increasing Cu(2+) activities than both shoot and root growth; whilst a Cu(2+) activity of 1.0 mu M corresponded to a 10% reduction in the relative yield of the shoots and roots, a Cu(2+) activity of 0.2 mu M corresponded to a 10% reduction in nodulation. This reduction in nodulation with increasing Cu(2+) activity was associated with an inhibition of root hair formation in treatments containing >= 0.77 mu M Cu(2+), rather than to a reduction in the size of the Rhizobium population. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
An Atlas of Spectrophotometric Landolt Standard Stars
We present CCD observations of 102 Landolt standard stars obtained with the
R-C spectrograph on the CTIO 1.5 m telescope. Using stellar atmosphere models
we have extended the flux points to our six spectrophotometric secondary
standards, in both the blue and the red, allowing us to produce flux-calibrated
spectra that span a wavelength range from 3050 \AA to 1.1 \micron. Mean
differences between UBVRI spectrophotometry computed using Bessell's standard
passbands and Landolt's published photometry is found to be 1% or less.
Observers in both hemispheres will find these spectra useful for
flux-calibrating spectra and through the use of accurately constructed
instrumental passbands be able to compute accurate corrections to bring
instrumental magnitudes to any desired standard photometric system
(S-corrections). In addition, by combining empirical and modeled spectra of the
Sun, Sirius and Vega, we calculate and compare synthetic photometry to observed
photometry taken from the literature for these three stars.Comment: Added referee's comments, minor corrections, replaced Table 1
Spitzer Space Telescope spectral observations of AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy
We have observed five carbon-rich AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal
(dSph) galaxy, using the Infrared Spectrometer on board the Spitzer Space
Telescope. The stars were selected from a near-infrared survey of Fornax and
include the three reddest stars, with presumably the highest mass-loss rates,
in that galaxy. Such carbon stars probably belong to the intermediate-age
population (2-8 Gyr old and metallicity of [Fe/H] -1) of Fornax. The primary
aim of this paper is to investigate mass-loss rate, as a function of luminosity
and metallicity, by comparing AGB stars in several galaxies with different
metallicities. The spectra of three stars are fitted with a radiative transfer
model. We find that mass-loss rates of these three stars are 4-7x10^-6 Msun
yr-1. The other two stars have mass-loss rates below 1.3x10^-6 Msun yr-1. We
find no evidence that these rates depend on metallicity, although we do suggest
that the gas-to-dust ratio could be higher than at solar metallicity, in the
range 240 to 800. The C2H2 bands are stronger at lower metallicity because of
the higher C/O ratio. In contrast, the SiC fraction is reduced at low
metallicity, due to low silicon abundance. The total mass-loss rate from all
known carbon-rich AGB stars into the interstellar medium of this galaxy is of
the order of 2x10^-5 Msun yr-1. This is much lower than that of the dwarf
irregular galaxy WLM, which has a similar visual luminosity and metallicity.
The difference is attributed to the younger stellar population of WLM. The
suppressed gas-return rate to the ISM accentuates the difference between the
relatively gas-rich dwarf irregular and the gas-poor dwarf spheroidal galaxies.
Our study will be useful to constrain gas and dust recycling processes in low
metallicity galaxies.Comment: MNRAS accepte
Meeting the Cool Neighbours, II: Photometry of southern NLTT stars
We present BVRI photometry of 180 bright, southern nearby-star candidates.
The stars were selected from the New Luyten Two-Tenths proper motion catalogue
based on optical/infrared colours, constructed by combining Luytens's m(r)
estimates with near-infrared photometry from the 2-Micron All Sky Survey.
Photometric parallaxes derived from (V-K), (V-I) and (I-J) colours, combined
with the limited available astrometry, show that as many as 108 stars may lie
within 20 parsecs of the Sun. Of these, 53 are new to nearby star catalogues,
including three within 10 parsecs of the Sun.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, to be published in The Astronomical Journal.
More information can be found at http://www.stsci.edu/~inr/nstars.htm
All-Sky spectrally matched UBVRI-ZY and u'g'r'i'z' magnitudes for stars in the Tycho2 catalog
We present fitted UBVRI-ZY and u'g'r'i'z' magnitudes, spectral types and
distances for 2.4M stars, derived from synthetic photometry of a library
spectrum that best matches the Tycho2 BtVt, NOMAD Rn and 2MASS JHK_{2/S}
catalog magnitudes. We present similarly synthesized multi-filter magnitudes,
types and distances for 4.8M stars with 2MASS and SDSS photometry to g<16
within the Sloan survey region, for Landolt and Sloan primary standards, and
for Sloan Northern (PT) and Southern secondary standards.
The synthetic magnitude zeropoints for BtVt, UBVRI, ZvYv, JHK_{2/S},
JHK_{MKO}, Stromgren uvby, Sloan u'g'r'i'z' and ugriz are calibrated on 20
calspec spectrophotometric standards. The UBVRI and ugriz zeropoints have
dispersions of 1--3%, for standards covering a range of color from -0.3 < V-I <
4.6; those for other filters are in the range 2--5%.
The spectrally matched fits to Tycho2 stars provide estimated 1-sigma errors
per star of ~0.2, 0.15, 0.12, 0.10 and 0.08 mags respectively in either UBVRI
or u'g'r'i'z'; those for at least 70% of the SDSS survey region to g<16 have
estimated 1-sigma errors per star of ~0.2, 0.06, 0.04, 0.04, 0.05 in u'g'r'i'z'
or UBVRI.
The density of Tycho2 stars, averaging about 60 stars per square degree,
provides sufficient stars to enable automatic flux calibrations for most
digital images with fields of view of 0.5 degree or more. Using several such
standards per field, automatic flux calibration can be achieved to a few
percent in any filter, at any airmass, in most workable observing conditions,
to facilitate inter-comparison of data from different sites, telescopes and
instruments.Comment: 36 pages, 30 figures, 3 printed tables, several electronic tables,
accepted PASP Dec 201
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