特殊类型脉冲星的研究进展

脉冲星是演化末期的大质量恒星经过核坍缩形成的产物,它们在天体物理学、粒子物理学和卫星导航等方面具有重要的应用。自脉冲星发现50年来,其观测和理论研究取得了巨大进展。脉冲星主要在射电波段被探测到,部分脉冲星也有X射线和γ射线等波段的辐射,它们的信息非常丰富。根据其不同的观测特征可以把脉冲星分为多种类型。主要对射电、X射线以及γ射线波段的特殊类型脉冲星,包括旋转射电暂现源、间歇脉冲星、态转换X射线脉冲星、磁星、暗X射线孤立中子星、中心致密天体以及γ射线脉冲星的基本性质及其研究进展进行综述。     

作为X射线脉冲星的磁星

研究表明，与磁星模型相比较，反常X射线脉冲星的加速模型不能说明所观测到的自转周期的分布。为了解释熟知的最慢X射线脉冲星2S 0114＋650的性质，其磁场强度必须大于10^14Gs，即它诞生时即为一磁体。     

宇宙信息

小麦哲伦云中发现慢自转脉冲星 综合美国宇航局钱德拉X射线天文台和欧洲空间局牛顿X射线多镜面望远镜的数据,天文学家第一次在小麦哲伦云的超新星遗迹中发现了脉冲星。     

Crab脉冲星X射线计时观测数据处理与分析

对我国公开发布的空间试验卫星X射线探测器观测Crab脉冲星的数据进行了处理与分析,描述了利用X射线脉冲星观测数据与卫星轨道数据建立积分脉冲轮廓与标准脉冲轮廓的方法,给出了在频域测量脉冲星脉冲到达时刻(toa)的原理方法与算法.利用每组观测数据,计算得到Crab脉冲星脉冲toa,通过与Crab脉冲星星历预报脉冲toa的比较,分析得到卫星载荷X射线探测器观测Crab脉冲星,在消除掉系统误差后,50 min积分时间的观测精度约14μs.     

脉冲星参数统计和演化

统计分析了目前发现的几种脉冲星的自转周期和表面磁场以及空间的分布情况,揭示出毫秒脉冲星比普通射电脉冲星、LMXB(低质量X射线双星)比HMXB(高质量X射线双星)的空间分布要更加弥散;孤立毫秒脉冲星自转周期分布的峰值为4.7 ms,而普通脉冲星的相应值为0.6 s,双星中毫秒脉冲星这一值为3.5 ms; FERMI脉冲...     

X射线脉冲星导航可用目标源研究

脉冲星具有自转非常稳定的特性,在空间自主导航中有重要的应用前景.选择和研究一组适合于脉冲星导航使用的候选目标源非常重要,决定脉冲星导航精度的主要因素有:导航目标源X射线流量强度、目标源的位置精度和旋转参数精度.对可用于导航的一些X射线源进行了讨论研究,并对最适合做导航研究的转动能驱动的X射线脉冲星进行统计分析.     

反常X射线脉冲星的研究进展

反常X射线脉冲星（Anomalous X-ra Pulsars，简称AXP）是一类特殊的X射线源。与X射线脉冲星（通常处于大质量X射线双星系统中）相比，它们具有以下特征：X射线谱较软、光度低页稳定（≈10^27－10^29J.s^-1）、自转周期集中在10s左右稳定增长、迄今没有找到它们的光学、红外、射电的对应体、有一些可能戌超新星遗迹成协等。由观测到的自转周期变化可以确定它们的自转能损不足以提供有X射线辐射。解释AXP能源机制的理论模型目前主要有两大类：在吸积模型中，AXP被认为具有正常磁场强度（≈10^8T）的中子量，物质吸积提供X射线辐射原能源，并造成中子星的自转变化；另一种观点认为AXP是具有超强磁场（≈10^10-10^11T）的中子量（即磁星），其辐射能源来自它们巨大的磁或残余的热能，观测到的自转周期及其变化被归因子中子星的磁偶极辐射和物质抛射。两种模型各有优缺点，但目前看来观测事实对磁星模型较为有利。为了进一步明确AXP的性质，提供解释它们能源机制的线索，在介绍AXP的基本观测特征和理论解释的基础上，还将AXP与射电脉冲星、特强磁场射电脉冲量、射电宁静脉冲星侯选体及软γ射线复现源分别进行了比较。     

Geminga脉冲星的COS-B和HEAO-B卫星资料分析

本文利用COS-B和HEAO-B卫星资料对Geminga脉冲星进行了守时性分析和谱分析,结果进一步证实了Geminga脉冲星是一颗具有强γ辐射,弱X辐射的γ射线脉冲星.     

4U0115 63:一个高能γ射线双脉冲星

自从发现短周期X射线双脉冲星武仙座X-1发射1,000GeV γ脉冲辐射以后,学者们认为,可能其他的有类似短周期的X射线双脉冲星也有间歇的甚高能γ辐射,最近Chadwick等人对发射间歇性硬X射线双星系统4U0115 63中的3.6秒脉冲星进行了γ射线观测。观测是在1984年9月21日至29日用Dugway γ射线望远镜进行的,观测技术采用的是大气切伦柯夫光探测。选择这个天体作为可能的γ射线发射体,是由于它的光度、自转加速率及脉冲周期等是在北半球可观测天体中最接近武仙座X-1的相应值。     

脉冲星观测研究的某些进展

近年来,对日益增加的脉冲星观测资料的分析和对毫秒脉冲星、射电和X射线脉冲双星的观测,对脉冲星的形成、演化和辐射机制等提出了越来越多的新问题。本文对这些新问题的观测依据进行了介绍。主要涉及下述几方面的问题:是否存在着在结构、形成和演化上均不相同的两类脉冲星?脉冲星是否有两种或两种以上的辐射机制在同时起作用?脉冲星射电辐射中的两种相互垂直的偏振模式,以及近年来在毫秒脉冲星、射电和X射线脉冲双星的观测中所发现的新现象等。     

Instructions for authors

正Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics publishes original research papers and reviews on all branches of astronomy and astrophysics.Reviews are by invitation only.Important new results that require rapid publication can be submitted as a Letter(Letters must be restricted in length to 6 printed pages).Authors who submit a paper are expected to be able to certify that the paper is original work,     

Alkali and halogen chemistry in volcanic gases on Io

We use chemical equilibrium calculations to model the speciation of alkalis and halogens in volcanic gases emitted on Io. The calculations cover wide temperature (500-2000 K) and pressure (10⁻⁶ to 10⁺¹ bars) ranges, which overlap the nominal conditions at Pele (T=1760 K, P=0.01 bars). About 230 compounds of 11 elements (O, S, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, F, Cl, Br, I) are considered. The elemental abundances for O, S, Na, K, and Cl are based upon observations. CI chondritic elemental abundances relative to sulfur are used for the other alkalis and halogens (as yet unobserved on Io). We predict the major alkali species in Pele-like volcanic gases and the percentage distribution of each alkali are LiCl (73%), LiF (27%); NaCl (81%), Na (16%), NaF (3%); KCl (91%), K (5%), KF (4%); RbCl (93%), Rb (4%), RbF (3%); CsCl (92%), CsF (6%), Cs (2%). Likewise the major halogen species and the percentage distribution of each halogen are NaF (88%), KF (10%), LiF (2%); NaCl (89%), KCl (11%); NaBr (89%), KBr (10%), Br (1%); NaI (61%), I (30%), KI (9%). We predict the major halogen condensates and their condensation temperatures at P=0.01 bar are NaF (1115 K), LiF (970 K); NaCl (1050 K), KCl (950 K); KBr (750 K), RbBr (730 K), CsBr (645 K); and solid I₂ (200 K). We also model disequilibrium chemistry of the alkalis and halogens in the volcanic plume. Based on this work and our prior modeling for Na, K, and Cl in a volcanic plume, we predict the major loss processes for the alkali halide gases are photolysis and/or condensation onto grains. Their estimated photochemical lifetimes range from a few minutes for alkali iodides to a few hours for alkali fluorides. Condensation is apparently the only loss process for elemental iodine. On the basis of elemental abundances and photochemical lifetimes, we recommend searching for gaseous KCl, NaF, LiF, LiCl, RbF, RbCl, CsF, and CsCl around volcanic vents during eruptions. Based on abundance considerations and observations of brown dwarfs we also recommend a search of Io's extended atmosphere and the Io plasma torus for neutral and ionized Li, Cs, Rb, and F.     

Instructions for authors

正Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics publishes original research papers and reviews 011 all liranchcs of astronoiriy and astrophysics.Reviews arc by invitation only.Important new results that require rapid publication can be submitted as a Letter(Letters must be restricted in length     

The climatic and physiographic controls of the eastern Mediterranean over the late Pleistocene climates in the southern Levant and its neighboring deserts

Modern-day synoptic-scale eastern Mediterranean climatology provides a useful context to synthesize the diverse late Pleistocene (60–12 ka) paleohydrologic and paleoenvironmental indicators of past climatic conditions in the Levant and the deserts to its south and east. We first critically evaluate, extract, and summarize paleoenvironmental and paleohydrologic records. Then, we propose a framework of eastern Mediterranean atmospheric circulation features interacting with the morphology and location of the southeast Mediterranean coast. Together they strongly control the spatial distribution of rainfall and wind pattern. This cyclone–physiography interaction enforces the observed rainfall patterns by hampering rainfall generation south and southeast of the latitude of the north Sinai coast, currently at 31°15′.The proposed framework explains the much-increased rains in Lebanon and northern Israel and Jordan as deduced from pollen, rise and maintenance of Lake Lisan, and speleothem formation in areas currently arid and semiarid. The proposed framework also accounts for the southward and eastward transition into semiarid, arid, and hyperarid deserts as expressed in thick loess accumulation at the deserts' margins, dune migration from west to east in the Sinai and the western Negev, and the formation of hyperarid (< 80 mm yr^− 1) gypsic–salic soils in the southern Negev and Sinai. Our climatic synthesis explains the hyperarid condition in the southern Negev, located only 200–250 km south of the much-increased rains in the north, probably reflecting a steeper rainfall gradient than the present-day gradient from the wetter Levant into its bordering southern and eastern deserts.At present, the rainiest winter seasons in Lebanon and northern and central Israel are associated with more frequent (+ 20%), deeper Cyprus Lows traversing the eastern Mediterranean at approximately the latitude of southern Turkey. Even these wettest years in northern Israel do not yield above average annual rainfall amounts in the hyperarid southern Negev. This region is mainly influenced by the Active Red Sea Troughs that produce only localized rains. The eastern Mediterranean Cyprus Lows also produce more dust storms and transport higher amounts of suspended dust to the loess area than any other atmospheric pattern. Concurrent rainfall and dust are essential to the late Pleistocene formation of the elongated thick loess zone along the desert northern margin. Even with existing dust storms, the lack of rain and very sparse vegetation account for the absence of late Pleistocene loess sequences from the southern Negev and the formation of hyperarid soils.When the north Sinai coast shifted 30–70 km northwest due to last glacial global sea level lowering, the newly exposed coastal areas supplied the sand and dust to these active eastern Mediterranean cyclones. This enforced the latitude of the northern boundary of the loess zone to be directly due east of the LGM shoreline. This shift of coast to the northwest inhibited rainfall in the southern Levant deserts and maintained their hyperaridity. Concurrently, frequent deep eastern Mediterranean Cyprus Lows were funneled along the northern Mediterranean increasing (probably doubling) the rains in central and northern Israel, Lebanon, southwestern Syria and northern Jordan. These storms and rains formed lakes, forests, and speleothems only a short distance north of the deserts in the southern Levant.     

Active hot star shells

Interferometry in the visible provides milliarcsecond spatial resolution and thus has been used for studying the circumstellar environment of active hot stars. In this paper I will illustrate how the visibility modulus and phase can be used to better constrain the physics of Be disks through results from the VLA, the MkII and the GI2T interferometers. I will insist on the importance and the potential of coupling high angular resolution with high spectral resolution to the study of Be shells. Finally I will present a possible study of the circumstellar disk of Be stars using the VLTI. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fitting X-ray Afterglow Light curves of Gamma-ray Bursts by Using the Magnetar Energy Injection Model

The central compact object for some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may be a strongly magnetized millisecond pulsar. It can inject energy to the outer shock of the GRB by through the magnetic dipole radiation, and therefore causes the shallow decay of the early afterglow. Recently, from a large number of GRB X-ray afterglows observed by Swift/XRT(X-ray telescope), it is revealed that many of them exhibit the shallow decay about 10²∼10⁴ s after the burst prompt emission. We have fitted the X-ray afterglow light curves of 11 GRBs by using the energy injection model of a magnetar with the rotation period in the millisecond order of magnitude. The obtained result shows the validity and universality of the magnetar energy injection model in explaining the shallow decay of afterglows, and simultaneously provides some constraints on the magnetic field strength and rotation period of the central magnetar.     

Dynamical study of wide pairs of stars based on data from the WDS catalog

Using the method of apparent motion parameters, we have studied the relative motion of the components in 561 pairs of wide (ρ > 2″) and relatively nearby (Hipparcos parallaxes > 0.01″) visual double stars based on data from the WDS catalog. The minimum masses of the double stars have been calculated at given parallaxes. We have identified 358 optical pairs. For 11 stellar pairs, we have found the minimum mass to exceed the estimate corresponding to their spectral types and luminosities. This excess is 5–7 M _⊙ for two stars, ADS 7446 and 9701.     

Microscopic black hole detection in UHECR: the double bang signature

According to recent conjectures on the existence of large extra dimensions in our universe, black holes could be produced during the interaction of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays with the atmosphere. However, and so far, the proposed signatures are based on statistical effects, not allowing identification on an event by event basis, and may lead to large uncertainties. In this note, events with a double bang topology, where the production and instantaneous decay of a microscopic black hole (first bang) is followed, at a measurable distance, by the decay of an energetic tau lepton (second bang) are proposed as an almost background free signature. The characteristics of these events and the capability of large cosmic ray experiments to detect them are discussed.