Strong magnetic field in W75N OH maser flare

A flare of OH maser emission was discovered in W75N in 2000. Its location was determined with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to be within 110 au from one of the ultracompact H  ii regions, Very Large Array 2 (VLA2). The flare consisted of several maser spots. Four of the spots were found to form Zeeman pairs, all of them with a magnetic field strength of about 40 mG. This is the highest ever magnetic field strength found in OH masers, an order of magnitude higher than in typical OH masers. Three possible sources for the enhanced magnetic field are discussed: (i) the magnetic field of the exciting star dragged out by the stellar wind; (ii) the general interstellar field in the gas compressed by the magnetohydrodynamic shock; and (iii) the magnetic field of planets which orbit the exciting star and produce maser emission in gaseous envelopes.     

On the influence of magnetic fields on level populations

The influence of magnetic fields on the energy level populations of atoms is firstly studied by analysing the Stokes profiles of Fe  i 6302.5 forming in the solar magnetized atmosphere, with the aid of a departure factor defined to evaluate the deviation from the normal Boltzmann distribution without a magnetic field. This factor is directly related to the ratio of line-source function to the continuum one. The relationship between the departure and the magnetic field reveals an effect that the magnetic field induces an exponential increase in the level population of the lower level of Fe  i 6302.5 (Landé factor   g = 2.5  ) with the field strength. This indicates that the magnetic field can cause the redistribution of populations of those levels whose Landé factors are non-zero. Therefore, this effect should be included in the calculation of the statistical equilibrium. Secondly, an experiment utilizing the Hg5461 line in the laboratory on the Earth is carried out to reveal that the exponential relation is independent of variations in temperature, and the excitation is completely magneto-induced. Finally, the exponential relation is explained by taking account of the magnetic energy in the Boltzmann distribution.     

Spine–sheath polarization structures in four active galactic nuclei jets

We present the results of multifrequency (15 + 8 + 5 GHz) polarization Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the three BL Lacertae objects 0745+241, 1418+546 and 1652+398 together with 5-GHz VLBI Space Observatory Programme (VSOP) observations of 1418+546 and 1.6- and 5-GHz VSOP observations of the blazar 1055+018. The jets of all these sources have polarization structure transverse to the jet axis, with the polarization E vectors aligned with the jet along the jet spine and 'sheaths' of orthogonal E vectors at one or both edges of the jet. The presence of polarization aligned with the jet near the 'spine' may indicate that the jets are associated with helical B fields that propogate outward with the jet flow; the presence of orthogonal polarization near the edges of the jet may likewise be a consequence of a helical jet B field, or may be owing to an interaction with the ambient medium on parsec scales. We have tentatively detected interknot polarization in 1055+018 with E aligned with the local jet direction, consistent with the possibility that the jet of this source is associated with a helical B field.     

A Faraday rotation template for the Galactic sky

Using a set of compilations of measurements for extragalactic radio sources, we construct all-sky maps of the Faraday rotation produced by the Galactic magnetic field. In order to generate the maps, we treat the radio source positions as a kind of 'mask' and construct combinations of spherical harmonic modes that are orthogonal on the masked sky. As long as relatively small multipoles are used, the resulting maps are quite stable to changes in the selection criteria for the sources, and show clearly the structure of the local Galactic magnetic field. We also suggest the use of these maps as templates for cosmic microwave background (CMB) foreground analysis, illustrating the idea with a cross-correlation analysis between the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ) data and our maps. We find a significant cross-correlation, indicating the presence of a significant residual contamination.     

Magnetic susceptibility variations of the Edicaran cap carbonates in the Yangtze platform and their implications for paleoclimate

1 INTRODUCTION One of the most intriguing phenomena in the late Neoproterozoic (~750 to 543 Ma) is the globa occurrence of thin carbonates that directly overlie glacial deposits in almost every continent (Kennedy 1996; Hoffman et al., 1998; Hoffman and Schrag 2002; Brasier and Shields, 2000; James et al., 2001 Jiang et al., 2003; Nogueira et al., 2003). These “cap carbonates”, commonly several to tens of meters thick, have attracted enormous interests because o their unusually negati…     

Free radical scavenging abilities of polypeptide from Chlamys farreri

1 INTRODUCTION Active oxygen free radicals can damage cell structure, even kill the cells, causing aging and cer- tain serious diseases (Bors et al., 1989). Usually, the production and scavenging of active oxygen free radicals are in balance in healthy hu…     

太湖平原西北部全新世古河道沉积特征及环境演变

粒度、磁化率定量数据分析在判明第四系沉积物的来源、识别沉积分异作用、解译古沉积相和环境方面有着重要作用。对太湖平原西北部卜弋桥ZK01钻孔上部全新统如东组进行了粒度和磁化率测试分析,结合该孔孢粉成果,揭示研究区全新世古河道沉积环境和气候明显经历了3个阶段:1)11000—9500cal.aBP,沉积物主要由粉砂组成,粒度证据表明水动力条件较强,孢粉证据显示该阶段气候较温暖湿润;2)9500—3900cal.aBP,沉积物砂组分含量大幅增加,粒度资料显示古河道水动力明显增强,孢粉植被表明该时期处于全新世大暖期,气候暖湿稳定;3)3900cal.aBP以来,粉砂组分在沉积物中占优势,粒度结果表明该阶段水动力显著减弱,孢粉资料和磁化率证据表明研究区自该阶段特别是后期以来逐步出现了明显的人类活动迹象。     

山东省济宁强磁异常区深部铁矿初步验证及其意义

山东省济宁磁异常是一个重、磁同源体,面积大于100 km2,磁异常峰值为3800nT。钻探验证在孔深1041.57～1796.54m位置发现铁矿体,矿体总厚度74.04～220m,磁性铁平均品位15.89～25.19%。矿石类型有条带状方解磁铁石英岩和条带状磁铁石英大理岩,矿石的主要组成矿物为石英、方解石、磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿、菱铁矿。矿体产于济宁岩群浅变质岩系中,矿床特征与条带状铁建造（BIF）铁矿或鞍山式铁矿有明显区别,铁矿成因类型属与千枚岩、变质中酸性火山岩、大理岩有关的沉积变质型铁矿床。该区铁矿资源潜力巨大。     

新疆可可托海—四川简阳地学断面岩石圈与软流圈结构

运用现代构造解析理论和方法,对新疆可可托海—四川简阳人工地震测深剖面与天然地震面波层析成像进行构造解析基础上,综合地质学、深源岩石包体构造岩石学和地球化学以及其他地球物理学标志等多学科综合研究显示,高速块体或幔块构造的几何结构型式是控制该区岩石圈构造格局和岩石圈表层构造变形基本条件之一。本文建立起该地学断面地壳及岩石圈与软流圈速度结构模型和物质组成结构模型,划分出岩石圈3种几何结构模式:克拉通陆根状结构、造山带楔状结构和高原陆根状结构,以及岩石圈二类构造演化类型:克拉通型岩石圈和增厚型岩石圈。在系统论述断面地壳及岩石圈结构构造类型特征基础上,探讨了该断面软流圈结构特征,岩石圈与软流圈相互作用及其地幔动力学模式。