17,503 research outputs found
On the GBM event seen 0.4 sec after GW 150914
In view of the recent report by Connaughton we analyse continuous TTE data of
Fermi-GBM around the time of the gravitational wave event GW 150914. We find
that after proper accounting for low count statistics, the GBM transient event
at 0.4 s after GW 150914 is likely not due to an astrophysical source, but
consistent with a background fluctuation, removing the tension between the
INTEGRAL/ACS non-detection and GBM. Additionally, reanalysis of other short
GRBs shows that without proper statistical modeling the fluence of faint events
is over-predicted, as verified for some joint GBM-ACS detections of short GRBs.
We detail the statistical procedure to correct these biases. As a result, faint
short GRBs, verified by ACS detections, with significances in the broad-band
light curve even smaller than that of the GBM-GW150914 event are recovered as
proper non-zero source, while the GBM-GW150914 event is consistent with zero
fluence.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, ApJL (acc.); subm. 2016 March 10, Apr 21 (1st
rev.), May 13 (2nd rev), Jun 1 (3rd rev), and editorial changes by Jun 2 (4th
rev), Jun 8 (5th rev): Our manuscript refers exclusively to
arXiv:1602.03920.v3 since we had no prior access to arXiv:1602.03920.v4/5
(2016 May 31). Note that JG and HFY are not co-authors on
arXiv:1602.03920.v4/
An overview of tea research in Tanzania - with special reference to the Southern Highlands.
The history of tea development in Tanzania from the early part of this century
to the present is summarised. Average yields of made tea from well managed
estates in the Mufindi district have increased from around 600 kg ha-1 in the
late 1950s to 3000 kg ha-1 at the present time: by comparison, yields from
smallholder farms have remained much lower, averaging only 400-500 kg ha-1.
There have been a large number of technical, economic and other changes over the
last 30 to 40 years. The removal of shade trees, the use of herbicides, the
application of NPK compound fertilisers, the introduction of irrigation (on some
estates) and changes in harvesting policy have all contributed to the increases
in yield. Financial and infrastructural problems have contributed to the low
yields from many smallholders and others, and have limited the uptake of new
technology. The contribution of research is reviewed, from the start of the Tea
Research Institute of East Africa in Kenya in 1951, through to the development
of the Marikitanda Tea Research Centre in Amani in 1967; the Ngwazi Tea Research
Unit in Mufindi (1967 to 1970, and from 1986), and lastly the Kifyulilo Tea
Research Station, also in Mufindi in 1986. The yield potential of well
fertilized and irrigated clonal tea, grown at an altitude of 1800 m, is around
6000 kg ha-1. This potential is reduced by drought, lack of fertilizer, bush
vacancies and inefficient harvesting practices. The corresponding potential
yields at high (2200 m) and low (1200 m) altitude sites range from 3000-3500 kg
ha-1 up to 9000-10000 kg ha-1 and are largely a function of temperature. The
opportunities for increasing yields of existing tea, smallholder and estate, are
enormous. Tea production in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania is about to
expand rapidly. Good, appropriate research is needed to sustain this development
over the long term, and suggestions on how best this is done in order to assist
the large scale producers as well as the smallholders, are discussed
A comparison of the responses of mature and young clonal tea to drought.
To assist commercial producers with optimising the use of irrigation water, the
responses to drought of mature and young tea crops (22 and 5 years after field
planting respectively) were compared using data from two adjacent long-term
irrigation experiments in Southern Tanzania. Providing the maximum potential
soil water deficit was below about 400-500 mm for mature, and 200-250 mm for
young plants (clone 6/8), annual yields of dry tea from rainfed or partially
irrigated crops were similar to those from the corresponding well-watered crops.
At deficits greater than this, annual yields declined rapidly in young tea (up
to 22 kg (ha mm)-1) but relatively slowly in mature tea (up to 6.5 kg (ha mm)-
1). This apparent insensitivity of the mature crop to drought was due
principally to compensation that occurred during the rains for yield lost in the
dry season. Differences in dry matter distribution and shoot to root ratios
contributed to these contrasting responses. Thus, the total above ground dry
mass of well-irrigated, mature plants was about twice that for young plants.
Similarly, the total mass of structural roots (>1 mm diameter), to 3 m depth,
was four times greater in the mature crop than in the young crop and, for fine
roots (<1 mm diameter), eight times greater. The corresponding shoot to root
ratios (dry mass) were about 1:1 and 2:1 respectively. In addition, each unit
area of leaf in the canopy of a mature plant had six times more fine roots (by
weight) available to extract and supply water than did a young plant. Despite
the logistical benefits resulting from more even crop distribution during the
year when crops are fully irrigated, producers currently prefer to save water
and energy costs by allowing a substantial soil water deficit to develop prior
to the start of the rains, up to 250 mm in mature tea, knowing that yield
compensation will occur later
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