327 research outputs found
Plant invasions in South Africa: Insights from the 2017 National Status Report on Biological Invasions
The impacts of biological invasions are increasing and are felt by all sectors of society. The Department of Environmental Affairs currently invests over R1.5 billion a year on managing biological invasions, mostly on alien plant control. In this talk we discuss the key findings of the first National Status Report on Biological Invasions in South Africa (produced October 2017). In contrast to many other countries, the most diverse, widespread, and damaging invaders in South Africa are plants. They are the third-largest threat to South Africa’s terrestrial biodiversity; invasive trees and shrubs reduce surface water resources by between 3 and 5%; and they have reduced the capacity of natural rangelands to support livestock production by over 100 000 large livestock units. The size of the problem is increasing. While the risk from legally introduced alien species is being addressed, the risk due to accidental introductions is probably increasing. Data from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas (SAPIA) show that over the past decade, an average of ten plant species per year have naturalised, and even the most widespread invaders are still spreading. In short, South Africa has a major plant invasion debt. More taxa should be listed under national regulations, but ultimately more needs to be done to ensure that management is strategic and effective. One of the main success stories, however, is biological control. The technology has led to significant and on-going economic returns. If we are to improve policy and management decisions we need more systematic estimates of the area and abundance of plant invasions; more studies documenting the ecological and socio-economic impacts of plant invasions; better planning, including the setting of goals; and better monitoring of the effectiveness of current control operations. We welcome ideas, in particular for how SAPIA should develop in future
Is there a Jordan geometry underlying quantum physics?
There have been several propositions for a geometric and essentially
non-linear formulation of quantum mechanics. From a purely mathematical point
of view, the point of view of Jordan algebra theory might give new strength to
such approaches: there is a ``Jordan geometry'' belonging to the Jordan part of
the algebra of observables, in the same way as Lie groups belong to the Lie
part. Both the Lie geometry and the Jordan geometry are well-adapted to
describe certain features of quantum theory. We concentrate here on the
mathematical description of the Jordan geometry and raise some questions
concerning possible relations with foundational issues of quantum theory.Comment: 30 page
Holography, Fractionalization and Magnetic Fields
Four dimensional gravity with a U(1) gauge field, coupled to various fields
in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetime, provides a rich arena for the
holographic study of the strongly coupled (2+1)-dimensional dynamics of finite
density matter charged under a global U(1). As a first step in furthering the
study of the properties of fractionalized and partially fractionalized degrees
of freedom in the strongly coupled theory, we construct electron star solutions
at zero temperature in the presence of a background magnetic field. We work in
Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory. In all cases we construct, the magnetic source
is cloaked by an event horizon. A key ingredient of our solutions is our
observation that starting with the standard Landau level structure for the
density of states, the electron star limits reduce the charge density and
energy density to that of the free fermion result. Using this result we
construct three types of solution: One has a star in the infra-red with an
electrically neutral horizon, another has a star that begins at an electrically
charged event horizon, and another has the star begin a finite distance from an
electrically charged horizon.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to Springer Lecture Notes: Strongly
interacting matter in magnetic fields. v2: Updated references and adjusted
some phrasing in the introductio
N-body simulations of gravitational dynamics
We describe the astrophysical and numerical basis of N-body simulations, both
of collisional stellar systems (dense star clusters and galactic centres) and
collisionless stellar dynamics (galaxies and large-scale structure). We explain
and discuss the state-of-the-art algorithms used for these quite different
regimes, attempt to give a fair critique, and point out possible directions of
future improvement and development. We briefly touch upon the history of N-body
simulations and their most important results.Comment: invited review (28 pages), to appear in European Physics Journal Plu
Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy
We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable
and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is
presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and
systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of
globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude,
with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may
have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky
Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the
second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the
HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The
relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level
and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax
measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance
modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are
studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of
low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and
Space Scienc
The Physical Activity Messaging Framework (PAMF) and Checklist (PAMC): International consensus statement and user guide
Effective physical activity messaging plays an important role in the pathway towards changing physical activity behaviour at a population level. The Physical Activity Messaging Framework (PAMF) and Checklist (PAMC) are outputs from a recent modified Delphi study.
This sought consensus from an international expert panel on how to aid the creation and evaluation of physical activity messages. In this paper, we (1) present an overview of the various concepts within the PAMF and PAMC, (2) discuss in detail how the PAMF and PAMC can be used to create physical activity messages, plan evaluation of messages, and aid understanding and categorisation of existing messages, and (3) highlight areas for future development and research. If adopted, we propose that the PAMF and PAMC could improve physical activity messaging practice by encouraging evidence-based and target population focused messages with clearly stated aims and consideration of potential working pathways.
They could also enhance the physical activity messaging research base by harmonising key messaging terminologies, improving quality of reporting, and aiding collation and synthesis of the evidence
Searches for invisible decays of the Higgs boson in pp collisions at root S=7, 8, and 13 TeV
Peer reviewe
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