The first data release of LAMOST low-resolution single-epoch spectra

LAMOST Data Release 5,covering~17 000 deg~2from-10?to 80?in declination,contains 9million co-added low-resolution spectra of celestial objects,each spectrum combined from repeat exposure of two to tens of times during Oct 2011 to Jun 2017.In this paper,we present the spectra of individual exposures for all the objects in LAMOST Data Release 5.For each spectrum,the equivalent width of 60lines from 11 different elements are calculated with a new method combining the actual line core and fitted line wings.For stars earlier than F type,the Balmer lines are fitted with both emission and absorption profiles once two components are detected.Radial velocity of each individual exposure is measured by minimizingχ~2between the spectrum and its best template.The database for equivalent widths of spectral lines and radial velocities of individual spectra are available online.Radial velocity uncertainties with different stellar type and signal-to-noise ratio are quantified by comparing different exposure of the same objects.We notice that the radial velocity uncertainty depends on the time lag between observations.For stars observed in the same day and with signal-to-noise ratio higher than 20,the radial velocity uncertainty is below 5 km s~(-1),and increases to 10 km s~(-1)for stars observed in different nights.     

The deconvolution of brightness profiles of galaxies from seeing: Application to M32

The integral equation relating to the brightness distribution in a galaxy and in its image formed by an optical system characterized by a Gaussian (or a sum of Gaussians) point-spread function (PSF) is derived. Since the solution of this equation, attainable by any classical method, is numerically unstable, according to the ill-posed nature of the problem, an approximate and stable solution is obtainable by a first-order regularization in Tikhonov's sense. For the bright spike the application to M32 gives a radius of 2.1 arc sec a central surface brightness of 13.10 V mag arc sec^–2 and a 12 V integrated magnitude.     

A computational method to help identify and measure metallines in high resolution QSO spectra

A computational code is developed to help identify metal absorption linesin high resolution QSO spectra,especially in the Lyα forest.The input to the codeincludes a list of line central wavelengths,column densities and Doppler widths.Thecode then searches for candidate metal absorption systems and assesses the probability that each system could be real.The framework of the strategy we employ isdescribed in detail and we discuss how to estimate the errors in line profile fitting thatare essential to identifi...     

On the intensity ratio of emission lines of Nai D1 to D2 in prominences

Spectroscopic observations of the Nai D emission lines of prominences were made with the Domeless Solar Telescope in Hida Observatory. When active prominences are bright in the D₂ emission line, the intensity ratio of D₁ to D₂ is found to deviate significantly from the theoretical ratio of the optically-thin case. On the other hand, the intensity ratio is close to the theoretical ratio for the most part of quiescent prominences. Furthermore, the full widths at half maximum intensity of the D₂ emission line for active prominences become wider than those of the D₁ line, as the intensity of the D₂ line gets higher. These observed features clearly show that the emitting region of the Nai D lines is optically thick in some types of prominences. Non-LTE calculations were made by taking the ionization degree of hydrogen atoms and the thickness of the prominences and the electron temperature as free parameters. It is shown that the electron temperature of the emitting region of the Nai D lines should be as low as 4000 K for an explanation of the large optical thickness of the Nai D lines for active prominences. Brief discussions are included about the possible existence of low temperatures in active prominences.     

New insights on the QSO radio-loud/radio-quiet dichotomy: SDSS spectra in the context of the 4D eigenvector1 parameter space

We search for a dichotomy/bimodality between radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ) type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN). We examine several samples of Slogan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) with high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra and matching Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm/NRAO VLA Sky Survey (FIRST/NVSS) radio observations. We use the radio data to identify the weakest RL sources with a Fanaroff–Riley type II (FR II) structure to define a RL/RQ boundary which corresponds to log   L _1.4 GHz= 31.6  erg s⁻¹ Hz⁻¹. We measure the properties of broad-line Hβ and Fe  ii emission to define the optical plane of a 4DE1 spectroscopic diagnostic space. The RL quasars occupy a much more restricted domain in this optical plane compared to the RQ sources, which a 2D Kolmogorov–Smirnov test finds to be highly significant. This tells us that the range of broad-line region kinematics and structure for RL sources is more restricted than for the RQ QSOs, which supports the notion of dichotomy. FR II and CD RL sources also show significant 4DE1 domain differences that likely reflect differences in line-of-sight orientation (inclined versus face-on, respectively) for these two classes. The possibility of a distinct radio-intermediate (RI) population between RQ and RL source is disfavoured because a 4DE1 diagnostic space comparison shows no difference between RI and RQ sources. We show that searches for dichotomy in radio versus bolometric luminosity diagrams will yield ambiguous results mainly because in a reasonably complete sample, the radio brightest RQ sources will be numerous enough to blur the gap between RQ and RL sources. Within resolution constraints of NVSS and FIRST, we find no FR I sources among the broad-line quasar population.     

The line-ratio method applied to vectormagnetographic measurements

Since solar magnetic fields are inhomogeneous, the averaging of Stokes parameter I within the entrance slit of the magnetograph is different from averaging Stokes Q₀ and V, because the former contains also light from non-magnetic, while the latter only contain light from magnetic regions. If the magnetographic calibration functions are calculated for homogeneous magnetic fields, errors arise, when they are used to reduce measurements of inhomogeneous fields. Therefore, we propose to use the line-ratio method to transform magnetographic measurements into the parameters of the magnetic vector field. The Q ratios and the V ratios of two carefully selected lines are free from errors of this kind. This is also the case for the Q ratios in line core and line wings in single-line magnetographs. An iterative method is presented to calculate the magnetic field parameters using the corresponding new calibration functions. An important advantage is, that the influence of scattered light in sunspots is also eliminated in a good approximation and the filling factor in plages can be estimated. This method is now used to determine magnetic vector fields in plages and sunspots of active regions with a new double-vector magnetograph.     

Radio scintillations due to plasma irregularities with power law spectra: The interplanetary medium

The scintillation effects which are produced when radiation is incident on a medium containing phase changing irregularities which have power law spectra are discussed. The results are then applied to the interplanetary medium and it is concluded that the small scale sizes (≈100 km) for irregularities measured by interplanetary scintillation represent a genuine ‘outer scale’ distinct from the 10⁶ km scales detected by space probes. It is also shown that the small scale irregularities contain discontinuities which are finite or almost finite, with a sharpness as yet undetermined.     

Application of a relativistic accretion disc model to X-ray spectra of LMC X-1 and GRO J1655-40

We present a general relativistic accretion disc model and its application to the soft-state X-ray spectra of black hole binaries. The model assumes a flat, optically thick disc around a rotating Kerr black hole. The disc locally radiates away the dissipated energy as a blackbody. Special and general relativistic effects influencing photons emitted by the disc are taken into account. The emerging spectrum, as seen by a distant observer, is parametrized by the black hole mass and spin, the accretion rate, the disc inclination angle and the inner disc radius.
We fit the ASCA soft-state X-ray spectra of LMC X-1 and GRO J1655-40 by this model. We find that, having additional limits on the black hole mass and inclination angle from optical/UV observations, we can constrain the black hole spin from X-ray data. In LMC X-1 the constraint is weak, and we can only rule out the maximally rotating black hole. In GRO J1655-40 we can limit the spin much better, and we find 0.68 a 0.88 . Accretion discs in both sources are radiation-pressure dominated. We do not find Compton reflection features in the spectra of any of these objects.     

The quenching rate of O(1D) by O(3P)

The rate coefficient for the quenching ofO(¹D) by O(³P) has recently been calculated by Yee et al. (1985). Their results indicate that quenching by atomic oxygen should not be ignored in the analysis of the 6300 Å emission airglow. Data obtained by the Visible Airglow Experiment (VAE) on board the AE satellites have been reanalyzed to determine the quenching rate of O(¹D) by atomic oxygen. The results of this analysis are presented.     

The CaT strength in Seyfert nuclei revisited: analysing young stars and non-stellar light contributions to the spectra

In a former paper, we have presented spectra of 64 active, nine normal and five starburst galaxies in the region around the near-infrared calcium triplet (CaT) absorption lines and the [S  iii ]λ9069 line. In the present paper, we analyse the CaT strength ( W _CaT) and kinematical products derived in that study, namely stellar  (σ_★)  and ionized gas (σ_gas) velocity dispersions. Our main results may be summarized as follows. (1) Type 2 Seyfert galaxies show no sign of dilution in W _CaT with respect to the values spanned by normal galaxies, even when optical absorption lines such as the Ca  ii K band at 3933 Å are much weaker than in old, bulge-like stellar populations. (2) The location of type 2 Seyfert galaxies in the   W _CaT– W _CaK  plane is consistent with evolutionary synthesis models. The implication is that the source responsible for the dilution of optical lines in these active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a young stellar population, rather than an AGN featureless continuum, confirming the conclusion of the pioneer study of Terlevich, Díaz & Terlevich. (3) In type 1 Seyfert galaxies, both   W _{[S  iii ]}  and W _CaT tend to be diluted due to the presence of a non-stellar component, in agreement with the unification paradigm. (4) A comparison of  σ_★  with σ_gas (obtained from the core of the [S  iii ] emitting line) confirms the existence of a correlation between the typical velocities of stars and clouds of the narrow line region. The strength and scatter around this correlation are similar to those previously obtained from the [O  iii ]λ5007 linewidth.     

The metallographic cooling rate method revised: Application to iron meteorites and mesosiderites

Abstract— A major revision of the current Saikumar and Goldstein (1988) cooling rate computer model for kamacite growth is presented. This revision incorporates a better fit to the α/α + γ phase boundary and to the γ/α + γ phase boundary particularly below the monotectoid temperature of 400 °C. A reevaluation of the latest diffusivities for the Fe‐Ni system as a function of Ni and P content and temperature is made, particularly for kamacite diffusivity below the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition. The revised simulation model is applied to several iron meteorites and several mesosiderites. For the mesosiderites we obtain a cooling rate of 0.2 °C/Ma, about 10x higher than the most recent measured cooling rates. The cooling rate curves from the current model do not accurately predict the central nickel content of taenite halfwidths smaller than ～10 μm. This result calls into question the use of conventional kamacite growth models to explain the microstructure of the mesosiderites. Kamacite regions in mesosiderites may have formed by the same process as decomposed duplex plessite in iron meteorites.     

The estimation of distances to Hyades and Praesepe clusters by a geometrical method

Die Tauglichkeit einer geometrischen Methode zur Entfernungsbestimmung wird am Praesepehaufen überprüft. Die mit der Hertzsprungmethode berechnete Entfernung beträgt r = 175 ± 47 pc. Die gleiche Methode ergibt für die Hyaden r = 48.4 ± 2.2 pc.     

The SMART-1 AMIE experiment: implication to the lunar opposition effect

The lunar surface reveals a sharp opposition effect, which is to be explained by the shadowing and coherent backscattering mechanisms. Generalizing the radiative transfer theory via Monte Carlo methods, we are carrying out studies of backscattering in regolith-like scattering media. We have also started systematic laboratory measurements of structural simulators of lunar regolith. The SMART-1 AMIE and D-CIXS/XSM experiments provide us a unique opportunity for a simultaneous multiwavelength study of the lunar regolith close to opposition, since the SMART-1 spacecraft will pass over several different types of lunar surface at zero phase angles. Results of our theoretical and laboratory investigations can be used as a basis to interpret the SMART-1 AMIE and D-CIXS/XSM experiments. In particular, it seems to be possible to estimate regional variations of regolith particle volume fraction and their size. A short review of observational, experimental and theoretical works is also presented here.     

The contribution from active galactic nuclei to the diffuse 1 MeV background

A method is proposed to estimate the contribution from Seyfert galaxies and quasars to the diffuse 1 MeV background. First of all, we calculate the contribution from these active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to the 2 keV background using traditional methods. We then choose a suitable spectral X-ray index, which is found to be universal, to find the 1 MeV contribution from these AGNs by extrapolation. Results show that quasars generate about 40% of the 1 MeV background while Seyfert galaxies produce more than 40% taking into account the Penrose Compton Scattering gamma ray emissions. These results indicate that the 1 MeV background is likely to be generated by discrete objects.     

The proximity of Mercury's spin to Cassini state 1 from adiabatic invariance

In determining Mercury's core structure from its rotational properties, the value of the normalized moment of inertia, C/MR², from the location of Cassini 1 is crucial. If Mercury's spin axis occupies Cassini state 1, its position defines the location of the state, where the axis is fixed in the frame precessing with the orbit. Although tidal and core-mantle dissipation drive the spin to the Cassini state with a time scale O(¹⁰⁵) years, the spin might still be displaced from the Cassini state if the variations in the orbital elements induced by planetary perturbations, which change the position of the Cassini state, cause the spin to lag behind as it attempts to follow the state. After being brought to the state by dissipative processes, the spin axis is expected to follow the Cassini state for orbit variations with time scales long compared to the 1000 year precession period of the spin about the Cassini state because the solid angle swept out by the spin axis as it precesses is an adiabatic invariant. Short period variations in the orbital elements of small amplitude should cause displacements that are commensurate with the amplitudes of the short period terms. The exception would be if there are forcing terms in the perturbations that are nearly resonant with the 1000 year precession period. The precision of the radar and eventual spacecraft measurements of the position of Mercury's spin axis warrants a check on the likely proximity of the spin axis to the Cassini state. How confident should we be that the spin axis position defines the Cassini state sufficiently well for a precise determination of C/MR²? By following simultaneously the spin position and the Cassini state position during long time scale orbital variations over past 3 million years [Quinn, T.R., Tremaine, S., Duncan, M., 1991. Astron. J. 101, 2287-2305] and short time scale variations for 20,000 years [JPL Ephemeris DE 408; Standish, E.M., private communication, 2005], we show that the spin axis will remain within one arcsec of the Cassini state after it is brought there by dissipative torques. In this process the spin is located in the orbit frame of reference, which in turn is referenced to the inertial ecliptic plane of J2000. There are no perturbations with periods resonant with the precession period that could cause large separations. We thus expect Mercury's spin to occupy Cassini state 1 well within the uncertainties for both radar and spacecraft measurements, with correspondingly tight constraints on C/MR² and the extent of Mercury's molten core. Two unlikely caveats for this conclusion are: (1) an excitation of a free spin precession by an unknown mechanism or (2) a displacement by a dissipative core mantle interaction that exceeds the measurement uncertainties.     

The scientific rationale for the C1XS X-ray spectrometer on India's Chandrayaan-1 mission to the moon

The UK-built Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS) will fly as an ESA instrument on India's Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon, launched in October 2008. C1XS builds on experience gained with the earlier D-CIXS instrument on SMART-1, but will be a scientifically much more capable instrument. Here we describe the scientific objectives of this instrument, which include mapping the abundances of the major rock-forming elements (principally Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Ca and Fe) in the lunar crust. These data will aid in determining whether regional compositional differences (e.g., the Mg/Fe ratio) are consistent with models of lunar crustal evolution. C1XS data will also permit geochemical studies of smaller scale features, such as the ejecta blankets and central peaks of large impact craters, and individual lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. These objectives all bear on important, and currently unresolved, questions in lunar science, including the structure and evolution of any primordial magma ocean, as revealed by vertical and lateral geochemical variations in the crust, and the composition of the lunar mantle, which will further constrain theories of the Moon's origin, thermal history and internal structure.     

The manifolds of families of 3D periodic orbits associated to Sitnikov motions in the restricted three-body problem

This paper deals with the Sitnikov family of straight-line motions of the circular restricted three-body problem, viewed as generator of families of three-dimensional periodic orbits. We study the linear stability of the family, determine several new critical orbits at which families of three dimensional periodic orbits of the same or double period bifurcate and present an extensive numerical exploration of the bifurcating families. In the case of the same period bifurcations, 44 families are determined. All these families are computed for equal as well as for nearly equal primaries (μ = 0.5, μ = 0.4995). Some of the bifurcating families are determined for all values of the mass parameter μ for which they exist. Examples of families of three dimensional periodic orbits bifurcating from the Sitnikov family at double period bifurcations are also given. These are the only families of three-dimensional periodic orbits presented in the paper which do not terminate with coplanar orbits and some of them contain stable parts. By contrast, all families bifurcating at single-period bifurcations consist entirely of unstable orbits and terminate with coplanar orbits.     

The application of the quickest descent method to the analysis of the Hα line in loops

The quickest descent method and the multi-layer model are proposed to analyse symmetrical and asymmetrical line profiles of loops in this paper. By fitting observed lines, the physical parameters such as Doppler width, Δλ _D , the optical thickness at line centre,τ _λ0, and the line displacement, Δλ ₀, can be directly obtained, Using this method, some symmetrical and asymmetrical line profiles of both the loop prominence on February 18, 1984 and the loop on August 17, 1989 are fitted. It is found that the method mentioned in this paper is characterized by rapid convergence, high precision, and less scatter.