On the evolution of the SFR in galactic disks

A simple semi-empirical model of the evolution of observed ring-shaped radial distributions of SFR surface density in galaxies NGC 628 and NGC 6946 provides us with exponential stellar disks with cooresponding scale length of the surface brightness radial distributions and constraints for the some nonobservable parameters: characteristic SFR decreasing time scale, characteristic collapse time scale, etc. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

盘状星系形成中的角动量问题

目前的星系形成理论认为，盘状星系由暗晕中的重子物质冷却并坍缩而成。在这一演化图像中，重子物质的角动量及其分布起着关键作用，它直接决定了盘状星系的结构。然而，在盘状星系形成和演化的各种解析、半解析模型及数值模拟中，出现了一系列与角动量有关的问题。其中包括角动量灾变(angular momentum catastrophe)及角动量分布不匹配(mismatch of angulamomentum profile)等。近年来，为解决此类问题，人们进行了大量的研究，引入并建立了各种机制和模型。详细表述了星系形成与演化中两类主要的角动量问题，并系统地综述了目前针对此类问题所提出的各种可能的解决方法和途径。     

粒子在标量张量理论的二阶后闵可夫斯基近似弱引力场中的引力偏转

标量张量理论是目前为止最成功的相对论性引力理论之一,经受住了已有实验和观测的检验.随着实验和观测精度的提高,理论将得到进一步的检验.为此将该理论的可观测效应计算到二阶后牛顿近似非常必要.标量张量理论的二阶后牛顿近似结果已经由Xie等人给出.为得到有质量粒子在弱引力场中的偏转情况,利用二阶后闵可夫斯基近似下的度规解得到了粒子的测地线方程,并通过迭代的方法求得在非束缚条件下,粒子在弱引力场中的轨迹的解析解.进一步利用此结果计算了粒子在弱引力场中的偏转角(与光线的偏转角不同)并与前人的结果进行了比较.     

激变双星的角动量损失机制和演化

本文详细研究了激变双星系统的演化，发现磁制动机制导致的角动量损失要求星风的量级为１０￣（－１１）－１０￣（－１２）Ｍ＿⊙ｙｒ￣－１，这比太阳风强１０￣２－１０￣３倍，表明磁星风机制失效，作者认为驱动双星系统演化的角动量损失是由来自致密星的吸积盘外边缘物质溢出的惯性离心力所致。     

The warped gas and dust lane in NGC 3718

We present the first observations of molecular line emission in NGC 3718 with the IRAM 30m and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. This galaxy is an excellent example for a strongly warped gas disk harboring an active galactic nucleus (AGN). An impressive dust lane is crossing the nucleus and a warp is developing into a polar ring. The molecular gas content is found to be typical of an elliptical galaxy with a relatively low molecular gas mass content (∼ 4 × 10⁸ M _⊙). The molecular gas distribution is found to warp from the inner disk together with the HI distribution. The CO data were also used to improve the kinematic modeling in the inner part of the galaxy, based on the so-called tilted ring-model. The nature of NGC 3718 is compared with its northern sky `twin' Centaurus A and the possible recent swallowing of a small-size gas-rich spiral is discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Gravitational waves: The future of black hole physics

The new millennium will witness the operation of several long-baseline ground-based interferometric detectors, possibly a space-based detector too, which will make it possible to directly observe black holes by catching gravitational waves emitted by them during their formation or when they are perturbed or when a binary consisting of black holes in-spirals due to radiation reaction. Such observations will help us not only to test some of the fundamental predictions of Einstein's general relativity but will also give us the unique opportunity to map black hole spacetimes, to measure the masses and spins of black holes and their population, etc.     

The properties of 70 μm-selected high-redshift galaxies in the Extended Groth Strip

We examine the infrared properties of 43 high-redshift (0.1 < z < 1.2), infrared-luminous galaxies in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS), selected by a deep 70 μm survey with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on Spitzer (MIPS). In addition and with reference to starburst-type spectral energy distributions (SEDs), we derive a set of equations for estimating the total infrared luminosity ( L _IR) in the range 8–1000 μm using photometry from at least one MIPS band. 42 out of 43 of our sources' optical/infrared SEDs (λ_observed < 160 μm) are starburst type, with only one object displaying a prominent power-law near-infrared continuum. For a quantitative analysis, models of radiation transfer in dusty media are fit on to the infrared photometry, revealing that the majority of galaxies are represented by high extinction, A _v > 35, and for a large fraction (∼50 per cent) the SED turns over into the Rayleigh–Jeans regime at wavelengths longward of 90 μm. For comparison, we also fit semi-empirical templates based on local galaxy data; however, these underestimate the far-infrared SED shape by a factor of at least 2 and in extreme cases up to 10 for the majority (∼70 per cent) of the sources. Further investigation of SED characteristics reveals that the mid-infrared (70/24 μm) continuum slope is decoupled from various galaxy properties such as the total infrared luminosity and far-infrared peak, quantified by the L ₁₆₀/ L ₇₀ ratio. In view of these results, we propose that these high-redshift galaxies have different properties to their local counterparts, in the sense that large amounts of dust cause heavy obscuration and are responsible for an additional cold emissive component, appearing as a far-infrared excess in their SEDs.     

The axial angular momentum of the general circulation of the oceans

With the Hamburg geostrophic ocean general circulation model, the temporal variation of the angular momentum of the oceans is studied. The input wind stresses consist of climatological winds plus the deviations of the actual winds 1981–1989. The motion part of the angular momenta of the two hemispheres resembles the (counter-phase) behaviour of the corresponding atmospheric angular momentum. The dominating matter part however shows no phase shift between the hemispheres. The sum of the angular momenta of the solid Earth and the atmosphere is deduced from observations; in principle it should be inversely correlated to the oceanic angular momentum. A first attempt to recognize the correlation between these empirical data and the theoretical values is described.     

The effects of ram pressure stripping on cluster galaxies

We investigate the effects of ram pressure stripping of spiral galaxies using a numerical model that is directly confronted with interferometric observations. The current status of our research is presented. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Gravitational singularities via acceleration: The case of the Schwarzschild solution and Bach's gamma metric

The so called gamma metric corresponds to a two‐parameter family of axially symmetric, static solutions of Einstein's equations found by Bach. It contains the Schwarzschild solution for a particular value of one of the parameters, that rules a deviation from spherical symmetry. It is shown that there is invariantly definable singular behaviour beyond the one displayed by the Kretschmann scalar when a unique, hypersurface orthogonal, timelike Killing vector exists. In this case, a particle can be defined to be at rest when its world‐line is a corresponding Killing orbit. The norm of the acceleration on such an orbit proves to be singular not only for metrics that deviate from Schwarzschild's metric, but also on approaching the horizon of Schwarzschild metric itself, in contrast to the discontinuous behaviour of the curvature scalar.     

The evolution of active galaxies in clusters

The results of deep radio, sub-mm and X-ray observations of samples of high redshift (z∼1) clusters are presented. These reveal significant excesses of active galaxies associated with the clusters at all three wavelengths. The cluster radio source population shows evolution consistent with the (1+z)³ evolution typical of many AGN classes. A large fraction of the AGN are hosted by apparently passive early-type galaxies, often with a close companion. These results essentially constitute the detection of a counterpart of the Butcher-Oemler effect for both strongly star bursting galaxies and AGN. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Deflection of jets induced by jet–cloud and jet–galaxy interactions

The model first introduced by Raga & Cantó in which astrophysical jets are deflected on passing through an isothermal high‐density region is generalized by taking into account gravitational effects on the motion of the jet as it crosses the high‐density cloud. The problem is also generalized for relativistic jets in which gravitational effects induced by the cloud are neglected. Two further cases, classical and relativistic, are discussed for the cases in which the jet is deflected on passing through the interstellar gas of a galaxy in which a dark matter halo dominates the gravitational potential. The criteria for the stability of jets due to the formation of internal shocks are also discussed.     

引力波理论和实验的新进展

引力波的存在是爱因斯坦在广义相对论理论中提出的一个重要预言．由于目前技术水平的限制,无法在实验室产生足以被探测到的引力波,因此宇宙中大量的大质量剧烈活动的天体成为科学家研究引力波的首选,从而诞生了引力波天文学．引力波探测将开启研究宇宙的新窗口,是继电磁辐射、宇宙线和中微子探测后探索宇宙奥秘的又一重要手段,对天文学研究有着极为重要的意义.新一代应用了高灵敏度的迈克耳逊干涉仪装置的长基线引力波探测仪正在建造中．该综述从引力波理论出发,阐述了目前研究较多的可探测引力波源,给出了目前观测上的最新进展,并展望了今后的发展前景．     

The onset of General Relativity: gravitationally redshifted emission lines

We study and quantify gravitational redshift by means of relativistic ray tracing simulations of emission lines. The emitter model is based on thin, Keplerian rotating rings in the equatorial plane of a rotating black hole. Emission lines are characterised by a generalized fully relativistic Doppler factor or redshift associated with the line core. Two modes of gravitational redshift, shift and distortion, become stronger with the emitting region closer to the Kerr black hole. Shifts of the line cores reveal an effect at levels of 0.0015 to 60% at gravitational radii ranging from 10⁵ to 2. The corresponding Doppler factors range from 0.999985 to 0.4048. Line shape distortion by strong gravity, i.e. very skewed and asymmetric lines occur at radii smaller than roughly ten gravitational radii. Gravitational redshift decreases with distance to the black hole but remains finite due to the asymptotical flatness of black hole space–time. The onset of gravitational redshift can be tested observationally with sufficient spectral resolution. Assuming a resolving power of ∼100000, yielding a resolution of ≈0.1 Å for optical and near‐infrared broad emission lines, the gravitational redshift can be probed out to approximately 75000 gravitational radii. In general, gravitational redshift is an indicator of black hole mass and spin as well as for the inclination angle of the emitter, e.g. an accretion disk. We suggest to do multi‐wavelength observations because all redshifted features should point towards the same central mass. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey – II. Gravitational lens candidate selection and follow-up

We report the final results of the search for gravitationally lensed flat-spectrum radio sources found in the combination of CLASS (Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey) and JVAS (Jodrell Bank VLA Astrometric Survey). VLA (Very Large Array) observations of 16 503 sources have been made, resulting in the largest sample of arcsec-scale lens systems available. Contained within the 16 503 sources is a complete sample of 11 685 sources which have two-point spectral indices between 1.4 and 5 GHz flatter than −0.5, and 5-GHz flux densities  ≥30 mJy  . A subset of 8958 sources form a well-defined statistical sample suitable for analysis of the lens statistics. We describe the systematic process by which 149 candidate lensed sources were picked from the statistical sample on the basis of possessing multiple compact components in the 0.2-arcsec resolution VLA maps. Candidates were followed up with 0.05-arcsec resolution MERLIN and 0.003-arcsec VLBA observations at 5 GHz and rejected as lens systems if they failed well-defined surface brightness and/or morphological tests. To illustrate the candidate elimination process, we show examples of sources representative of particular morphologies that have been ruled out by the follow-up observations. 194 additional candidates, not in the well-defined sample, were also followed up. Maps for all the candidates can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/research/gravlens/index.html . We summarize the properties of each of the 22 gravitational lens systems in JVAS/CLASS. 12 are double-image systems, nine are four-image systems and one is a six-image system. 13 constitute a statistically well-defined sample giving a point-source lensing rate of  1:690 ± 190  . The interpretation of the results in terms of the properties of the lensing galaxy population and cosmological parameters will be published elsewhere.     

The emission line spectrum of active galactic nuclei and the unifying scheme

Summary. Recent papers dealing with the most controversial aspects of AGNs are reviewed. They suggest interesting conclusions: all Seyferts can be described by a single parameter, the X-ray column density; radio loud AGNs may host a rapidly spinning black hole and radio quiet AGNs a slowly spinning black hole; high-ionization AGNs (Seyfert galaxies and QSOs) contain an optically thick, geometrically thin accretion disk, while low-ionization AGNs (Liners) contain an optically thin, geometrically thick accretion disk; a number of blazars have been classified as BLLs on the basis of insufficient data; most objects with weak broad emission lines are in fact HPQs; many objects have been called Liners although they are not AGNs but rather the result of stellar activity; type 2 QSOs exist, but are quite inconspicuous if radio quiet. Received 16 November 1999 / Published online: 15 February 2000