4,586 research outputs found
Management of the Rice Tungro Virus Vector \u3ci\u3eNephotettix virescens\u3c/i\u3e (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) with Controlled-Release Formulations of Carbofuran
Field trials were conducted in lowland flooded rice in the Philippines to evaluate a number of carbofuran controlled-release formulations in comparison with commercial formulations. The test formulations were based on a biodegradable matrix of pine kraft lignin and were used as granules of different sizes and also in the form of small strips. The release rates were assessed under field conditions by bioassaying rice plants in the field, using adult rice green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens Distant. The lignin formulations with a high level of active ingredient (15–45% by weight) gave as good or better control than the commercial 3% granules in tests based on three application techniques: broadcast into the floodwater, soil incorporation, and root zone injection. The improvements in control levels of green leafhoppers were most marked with soil incorporation and root zone application. The best lignin-based formulation reduced levels of tungro virus infection from 23% for a conventional flowable carbofuran formulation to 1.0% at an application rate of 0.5 kg (AI)/ha. At the same rate, the grain yield was increased from 3.56 t/ha to 5.5 t/ha, using the controlled-released formulation
Revealing structure and evolution within the corona of the Seyfert galaxy I Zw 1
X-ray spectral timing analysis is presented of XMM-Newton observations of the
narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy I Zwicky 1 (I Zw 1) taken in 2015 January. After
exploring the effect of background flaring on timing analyses, X-ray time lags
between the reflection-dominated 0.3-1.0keV energy and continuum-dominated
1.0-4.0keV band are measured, indicative of reverberation off the inner
accretion disc. The reverberation lag time is seen to vary as a step function
in frequency; across lower frequency components of the variability, 3e-4 to
1.2e-3Hz a lag of 160s is measured, but the lag shortens to (59 +/- 4)s above
1.2e-3Hz. The lag-energy spectrum reveals differing profiles between these
ranges with a change in the dip showing the earliest arriving photons. The low
frequency signal indicates reverberation of X-rays emitted from a corona
extended at low height over the disc while at high frequencies, variability is
generated in a collimated core of the corona through which luminosity
fluctuations propagate upwards. Principal component analysis of the variability
supports this interpretation, showing uncorrelated variation in the spectral
slope of two power law continuum components. The distinct evolution of the two
components of the corona is seen as a flare passes inwards from the extended to
the collimated portion. An increase in variability in the extended corona was
found preceding the initial increase in X-ray flux. Variability from the
extended corona was seen to die away as the flare passed into the collimated
core leading to a second sharper increase in the X-ray count rate.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Management of the Rice Tungro Virus Vector \u3ci\u3eNephotettix virescens\u3c/i\u3e (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) with Controlled-Release Formulations of Carbofuran
Field trials were conducted in lowland flooded rice in the Philippines to evaluate a number of carbofuran controlled-release formulations in comparison with commercial formulations. The test formulations were based on a biodegradable matrix of pine kraft lignin and were used as granules of different sizes and also in the form of small strips. The release rates were assessed under field conditions by bioassaying rice plants in the field, using adult rice green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens Distant. The lignin formulations with a high level of active ingredient (15–45% by weight) gave as good or better control than the commercial 3% granules in tests based on three application techniques: broadcast into the floodwater, soil incorporation, and root zone injection. The improvements in control levels of green leafhoppers were most marked with soil incorporation and root zone application. The best lignin-based formulation reduced levels of tungro virus infection from 23% for a conventional flowable carbofuran formulation to 1.0% at an application rate of 0.5 kg (AI)/ha. At the same rate, the grain yield was increased from 3.56 t/ha to 5.5 t/ha, using the controlled-released formulation
Keldysh study of point-contact tunneling between superconductors
We revisit the problem of point-contact tunnel junctions involving
one-dimensional superconductors and present a simple scheme for computing the
full current-voltage characteristics within the framework of the
non-equilibrium Keldysh Green function formalism. We address the effects of
different pairing symmetries combined with magnetic fields and finite
temperatures at arbitrary bias voltages. We discuss extensively the importance
of these results for present-day experiments. In particular, we propose ways of
measuring the effects found when the two sides of the junction have dissimilar
superconducting gaps and when the symmetry of the superconducting states is not
the one of spin-singlet pairing. This last point is of relevance for the study
of the superconducting state of certain organic materials like the Bechgaard
salts and, to some extent, for ruthenium compounds.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Real roots of Random Polynomials: Universality close to accumulation points
We identify the scaling region of a width O(n^{-1}) in the vicinity of the
accumulation points of the real roots of a random Kac-like polynomial
of large degree n. We argue that the density of the real roots in this region
tends to a universal form shared by all polynomials with independent,
identically distributed coefficients c_i, as long as the second moment
\sigma=E(c_i^2) is finite. In particular, we reveal a gradual (in contrast to
the previously reported abrupt) and quite nontrivial suppression of the number
of real roots for coefficients with a nonzero mean value \mu_n = E(c_i) scaled
as \mu_n\sim n^{-1/2}.Comment: Some minor mistakes that crept through into publication have been
removed. 10 pages, 12 eps figures. This version contains all updates, clearer
pictures and some more thorough explanation
Long XMM observation of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS13224-3809: rapid variability, high spin and a soft lag
Results are presented from a 500ks long XMM-Newton observation of the
Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS13224-3809. The source is rapidly variable on
timescales down to a few 100s. The spectrum shows strong broad Fe-K and L
emission features which are interpreted as arising from reflection from the
inner parts of an accretion disc around a rapidly spinning black hole. Assuming
a power-law emissivity for the reflected flux and that the innermost radius
corresponds to the innermost stable circular orbit, the black hole spin is
measured to be 0.988 with a statistical precision better than one per cent.
Systematic uncertainties are discussed. A soft X-ray lag of 100s confirms this
scenario. The bulk of the power-law continuum source is located at a radius of
2-3 gravitational radii.Comment: 7 pages, 14 figures, submitted to MNRA
Nonequilibrium effects in tunnel Josephson junctions
We study nonequilibrium effects in current transport through voltage biased
tunnel junction with long diffusive superconducting leads at low applied
voltage, , and finite temperatures. Due to a small value of the
Josephson frequency, the quasiparticle spectrum adiabatically follows the time
evolution of the superconducting phase difference, which results in the
formation of oscillating bound states in the vicinity of the tunnel junction
(Andreev band). The quasiparticles trapped by the Andreev band generate higher
even harmonics of the Josephson ac current, and also, in the presence of
inelastic scattering, a non-equilibrium dc current, which may considerably
exceed the dc quasiparticle current given by the tunnel model. The distribution
of travelling quasiparticles also deviates from the equilibrium due to the
spectrum oscillations, which results in an additional contribution to the dc
current, proportional to .Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
The phase-dependent linear conductance of a superconducting quantum point contact
The exact expression for the phase-dependent linear conductance of a weakly
damped superconducting quantum point contact is obtained. The calculation is
performed by summing up the complete perturbative series in the coupling
between the electrodes. The failure of any finite order perturbative expansion
in the limit of small voltage and small quasi-particle damping is analyzed in
detail. In the low transmission regime this nonperturbative calculation yields
a result which is at variance with standard tunnel theory. Our result predicts
the correct sign of the quasi-particle pair interference term and exhibits an
unusual phase-dependence at low temperatures in qualitative agreement with the
available experimental data.Comment: 12 pages (revtex) + 1 postscript figure. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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