| When and Where | Title |
| 3pm Thurs July 26
001-120 |
Min An (CSU) Allelopathic hormesis, stimulation or attraction at low concentrations of allelochemicals and inhibition or repellence as the concentration increases, is one of the most consistent features in the studies of allelopathy and has been well recognised. However, we are still facing the challenges of interpreting such a phenomena and its significance is yet to be fully explored. It is demonstrated that allelopathic hormesis plays a vital link among disparate aspects of allelopathy. Through modelling hormesis it is possible to quantify and to link issues such as assessment of allelopathic potentials, allelochemical production from living plants, residue allelopathy, and density-dependent chemical interference, etc. It also helps to increase understanding of some fundamental issues. In this presentation practical applications of modelling hormesis will also be discussed from field as well as statistical point of view. |
| 3pm Thurs June 28
001-120 |
Paul O'Neill (CSU) Airborne remote sensing with microwave receivers offers the potential of measuring the near-surface soil moisture content. The moisture retrieval algorithms require an estimate of various parameters, the most important being soil temperature. I shall present an overview of the complications involved in estimating the soil temperature and discuss briefly a multi-sensor approach. This approach will be developed through an analysis of data collected during a one-month long experimental campaign conducted last year near Yanco. |
| When and Where | Title |
| 2pm Wed Aug 9
001-120 |
Allan D. Ernest (CSU) A wealth of astronomical observations has lead us to believe that over 90% of our universe consists of particles that we cannot "see" or "touch". The nature and origin of this "Dark Matter" has puzzled astronomers for over 65 years. The traditional explanation of Dark Matter has been to invoke the existence of esoteric (and as yet undiscovered) invisible particles that form the dominant material component of the universe. A recent theory by the author however attempts to interpret Dark Matter in terms of traditional particles occupying an ensemble of gravity bound, stationary quantum states (a gravitational "eigenstructure"). This theory has been very successful at predicting almost all of the Dark Matter properties without the need for new physics or esoteric particles (1.2). Using a mathematical method developed to study the spatial properties of the high-n Laguerre polynomials, it has been possible to demonstrate that application of quantum theory to weak gravity directly predicts the existence of correctly sized stationary structures which are not only stable, but also invisible and weakly interacting, particularly with photons. It is significant that the existence of gravitational eigenstates of particles in the Earth's gravitational field has now been experimentally demonstrated in the laboratory(3). The eigenstructures, formed in the gravity wells of the last phase-transition-induced primordial black holes, are consistent with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations and also explain how an "all-baryonic" cosmos can be reconciled with an early "two fluid" matter model, and also circumvent the problem of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) ratios which normally limit the baryon fraction to ~1/5 of the total matter. Additionally, the formation scenario explains the dark matter-baryon coincidence, correctly predicts the baryon to total mass ratio, solves the problem of missing baryons and predicts "high-l" structure in the CMB anisotropy spectrum. The model is not without issues however, including the requirement of superluminal quantum connectivity over astronomical scales and concerns regarding decoherence. Results of the quantum dark matter model and its successes and issues will be presented, as well as suggestions of how the model may be tested by astronomical observations. 1. A. D. Ernest in ESA-ESO-CERN Conference / EPS13 SP-605, Ed. Bruce Battrick, ISBN 92-9092-916-2, ISSN 1609-042X , 2005. 2. A. D. Ernest in "Dark Matter: New Research", editor J. Val Blain, NOVA Science publishers, New York, ISBN: 1-59454-549-9, 2005. 3. Nesvizhevsky V. V., Borner H. G., A. K. Petukhov A. K., et al, Nature, 415, 297-99, 2002. |