Measurement of the group velocity of light in sea water at the ANTARES site

The group velocity of light has been measured at eight different wavelengths between 385 nm and 532 nm in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of about 2.2 km with the ANTARES optical beacon systems. A parametrisation of the dependence of the refractive index on wavelength based on the salinity, pressure and temperature of the sea water at the ANTARES site is in good agreement with these measurements.     

The search for the elusive Zeeman effect in HI

The paper describes the early endeavours by radioastronomers to detect the weak signature of the Zeeman effect in interstellar neutral hydrogen clouds in an effort to measure the Galactic magnetic field strength. The search is set in the context of the neutral hydrogen programme at Jodrell Bank. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

太阳射电快速记录系统中方波隔离放大器的研制

本文指出了太阳射电快速记录系统中方波隔离放大器研制的必要性，并简要介绍了设计出发点，工作原理，设计特点及主要技术指标的测试     

太阳宏观电场测量进展

太阳耀斑爆发时,日冕中磁自由能通过磁重联在短时间内转换成其他形式的能量,并伴随等离子体的加速和加热,以及带电粒子的加速。在这些过程中,宏观电场的出现起到关键的作用。但是到目前为止,由于太阳上宏观电场的探测比较困难,对电场的研究较少。近几年来随着一系列空间探测卫星被投入使用,加深了人们对日地空间事件发生、发展的物理过程的认识。但是太阳爆发和日冕加热机制等磁活动现象没有得到本质上的认识。太阳宏观电场的探测对突破这一瓶颈具有重要作用。综述了国内外在太阳宏观电场测量上的进展,并提出中国巨型望远镜(ChineseGiant Solar Telescope)在宏观电场观测上可能的科学目标。     

Analyzing the capability of a radio telescope in a bistatic space debris observation system

A bistatic space debris observation system using a radio telescope as the receiving part is introduced. The detection capability of the system at different working frequencies is analyzed based on real instruments. The detection range of targets with a fixed radar cross section and the detection ability of small space debris at a fixed range are discussed. The simulations of this particular observation system at different transmitting powers are also implemented and the detection capability is discussed. The simulated results approximately match the actual experiments. The analysis in this paper provides a theoretical basis for developing a space debris observation system that can be built in China.     

Using spherical wavelets to search for magnetically-induced alignment in the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays

Due to the action of the intervening cosmic magnetic fields, ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) can be deflected in such a way as to create clustered energy-ordered filamentary structures in the arrival direction of these particles, the so-called multiplets. In this work we propose a new method based on the spherical wavelet transform to identify multiplets in sky maps containing arrival directions of UHECRs. The method is illustrated in simulations with a multiplet embedded in isotropic backgrounds with different numbers of events. The efficiency of the algorithm is assessed through the calculation of Type I and II errors.     

Electronic Multi-beam Radio Astronomy Concept: Embrace a Demonstrator for the European SKA Program

ASTRON has demonstrated the capabilities of a 4 m², dense phased array antenna (Bij de Vaate et al., 2002) for radio astronomy, as part of the Thousand Element Array project (ThEA). Although it proved the principle, a definitive answer related to the viability of the dense phased array approach for the SKA could not be given, due to the limited collecting area of the array considered. A larger demonstrator has therefore been defined, known as “Electronic Multi-Beam Radio Astronomy Concept”, EMBRACE, which will have an area of 625 m², operate in the band 0.4–1.550 GHz and have at least two independent and steerable beams. With this collecting area EMBRACE can function as a radio astronomy instrument whose sensitivity is comparable to that of a 25-m diameter dish. The collecting area also represents a significant percentage area (∼10%) of an individual SKA “station.” This paper presents the plans for the realisation of the EMBRACE demonstrator.     

Systematics in the interpretation of aggregated neutrino flux limits and flavor ratios from gamma-ray bursts

Gamma-ray burst analyses at neutrino telescopes are typically based on diffuse or stacked (i.e., aggregated) neutrino fluxes, because the number of events expected from a single burst is small. The interpretation of aggregated flux limits implies new systematics not present for a single burst, such as by the integration over parameter distributions (diffuse fluxes), or by the low statistics in small burst samples (stacked fluxes). We simulate parameter distributions with a Monte Carlo method computing the spectra burst by burst, as compared to a conventional Monte Carlo integration. With this approach, we can predict the behavior of the flux in the diffuse limit as well as in low statistics stacking samples, such as used in recent IceCube data analyses. We also include the flavor composition at the detector (ratio between muon tracks and cascades) into our considerations. We demonstrate that the spectral features, such as a characteristic multi-peak structure coming from photohadronic interactions, flavor mixing, and magnetic field effects, are typically present even in diffuse neutrino fluxes if only the redshift distribution of the sources is considered, with z ? 1 dominating the neutrino flux. On the other hand, we show that variations of the Lorentz boost can only be interpreted in a model-dependent way, and can be used as a model discriminator. For example, we illustrate that the observation of spectral features in aggregated fluxes will disfavor the commonly used assumption that bursts with small Lorentz factors dominate the neutrino flux, whereas it will be consistent with the hypothesis that the bursts have similar properties in the comoving frame.     

The Influence of Spatial Resolution on Estimating the Force-freeness of Magnetic Fieldtwo

It is a common practice in the solar physics community to judge whether the measured photospheric vector magnetograms are force-free or not. In the previous work, it was studied how the measurement limitations such as the limited field of view, instrument sensitivity, and measurement error could affect the judgement of force-freeness based on the observed magnetograms. A further research on the influence of the spatial resolution on the force-freeness judgement is carried out in this article. The result shows that changing (mainly reducing) the spatial resolution has little influence on the force-freeness judgement in the ideal noiseless case. In the case when there are white noises in the magnetograms as those in the really observed magnetograms, it is opposite to the common intuition that properly reducing the spatial resolution can actually suppress the error, and significantly reduce the heavy influence of the measurement error on the force-freeness judgement, thus to enhance effectively the accuracy of the force-freeness judgement of magnetic field. This result sets up a theoretical foundation and an instructive guidance for judging the force-freeness of solar magnetic field correctly by using the observed magnetograms.     

新疆天文台25m南山射电望远镜日照温度场研究

中国科学院新疆天文台25 m南山射电望远镜(25 m NSRT)受日照导致天线结构温度不均匀,其指向精度和效率均有一定程度的损失.为研究25 m NSRT日照下的热力学特性,构建了晴空下射电望远镜热环境参数和热力学有限元模型,考虑了射电望远镜背架、面板等结构件对光线的反射和遮挡作用,通过比较25 m NSRT典型观测工况下各构件的平均温度、均方根温差、单位温差特征距离等特性参数,发现各部件热容量的差异是天线部件间存在大尺度温差现象的主要原因;分析了各类俯仰角和太阳照射角下天线背架结构的温度分布特征,表明日照区域的背架结构温度呈近似线性分布,平均梯度可达0.25℃·m^-1.     

Unveiling the formation of stars and planets with a large infrared-optical telescope

Diffraction-limited imaging in the near-IR (with the aid of adaptive optics) to middle-IR wavelengths will be a major breakthrough with 8m IR-optical telescopes. Special interest is on the scale of planet formation, that is, within 100 AU of the embedded sources in the nearby Taurus or Ophiuchus clouds. In this report, we demonstrate the sensitivity of a telescope with a virtual instrument that covers a wide spectral range.     

红外波段太阳观测技术方法研究

1m红外太阳塔是我国未来重点发展的地面太阳观测设备 ,本文的所有工作均围绕着与此相关的红外波段太阳观测技术方法展开。1 .针对望远镜实验平台—云台太阳光谱仪 ,建立了光谱仪分光流量模型 ,并用多种实验手段验证了其可靠性。利用该模型计算了FeⅠ 1 .56μm红外太阳光谱的分光流量 ,分析了实验观测的可行性及改进方案。2 .针对探测器实验平台—PtSi红外焦平面阵列相机 ,建立了FeⅠ 1 .56μm光谱观测信噪比模型 ,模拟了各种噪声对观测的影响。在此基础上 ,在国内首次成功进行了FeⅠ1 .56μm红外太阳光谱的面阵观测实验。3 .在红外观测实验所处的高背景低对比度条件下 ,讨论了红外太阳光谱观测的图像处理方法 ,分析了观测中出现的干涉条纹的来源及解决办法 ,初步建立起了一整套红外太阳光谱与成像的定标方法和图像处理方法。4 .首次利用PVA材料 ,设计研制了一套FeⅠ 1 .56μm近红外Stokes参量偏振仪 ,并将该偏振仪安装在美国国立天文台McMath望远镜上进行了观测实验。针对一太阳黑子 ,通过扫描进行了二维的Stokes参量观测。同时建立了一套从Stokes参量反演磁矢量场的方法 ,并将反演的结果与怀柔太阳磁场望远镜的观测结果进行了比对。5.针对 1m红外太阳塔的太阳光谱仪系统 ,给出了垂直多波段光谱仪和红外     

Evaluation of a Selected Case of the Minimum Dissipative Rate Method for Non-Force-Free Solar Magnetic Field Extrapolations

The minimum dissipative rate (MDR) method for deriving a coronal non-force-free magnetic field solution is partially evaluated. These magnetic field solutions employ a combination of three linear (constant-α) force-free-field solutions with one being a potential field (i.e., α=0). The particular case of the solutions where the other two α’s are of equal magnitude but of opposite sign is examined. This is motivated by studying the SOLIS (Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigation of the Sun (SOLIS), a National Solar Observatory facility) vector magnetograms of AR 10987, which show a global α value consistent with an α=0 value as evaluated by (∇×B) _z /B _z over the region. Typical of the current state of the observing technology, there is no definitive twist for input into the general MDR method. This suggests that the special α case, of two α’s with equal magnitudes and opposite signs, is appropriate given the data. Only for an extensively twisted active region does a dominant, nonzero α normally emerge from a distribution of local values. For a special set of conditions, is it found that (i) the resulting magnetic field is a vertically inflated magnetic field resulting from the electric currents being parallel to the photosphere, similar to the results of Gary and Alexander (Solar Phys. 186:123, 1999), and (ii) for α≈(α _max/2), the Lorentz force per unit volume normalized by the square of the magnetic field is on the order of 1.4×10⁻¹⁰ cm⁻¹. The Lorentz force (F _L) is a factor of ten higher than that of the magnetic force d(B ²/8π)/dz, a component of F _L. The calculated photospheric electric current densities are an order of magnitude smaller than the maximum observed in all active regions. Hence both the Lorentz force density and the generated electric current density seem to be physically consistent with possible solar dynamics. The results imply that the field could be inflated with an overpressure along the neutral line. However, the implementation of this or any other extrapolation method using the electric current density as a lower boundary condition must be done cautiously, with the current magnetography.     

The Neutrino Energy Loss of Nuclides via K-shell Continuum State Electron Capture in the Late Stage of Stellar Evolution

On the basis of Weinberg-Salam theory and in consideration of the in?uence of Coulomb effect on the electron gas in continnum state, an investiga- tion of the neutrino energy losses has been carried out for the nuclides 12C, 16O, 20Ne, 24Mg, 28Si, and 56 Fe in the process of free electron capture in the K-shell continuum under the circumstance of complete ionization. The results yielded with the method of Beaudet, Petrosian and Salpeter (BPS) and those of ours are compared, and this shows that for the circumstance of comparatively high temperature (e.g., T9 = 0.1 and T9 = 1, where T9 is the temperature in units of 109 K) these two kinds of results very well agree with each other. But for the circumstance of low temperature (e.g., T9 = 0.01 and T9 = 0.001) the neutrino energy losses of 16O, 20Ne, 24Mg, and 28Si found by BPS are in 10–70 times larger than our results. For the nuclide 12C, the former is in two orders of magnitude higher. Our research may have important signi?cance for the investigation of the cooling mechanism in the late period of stellar evolution, especially in the period from the core collapse of white dwarfs to the stage of low temperature and medium density.     

On-line recognition of supernova neutrino bursts in the LVD

In this paper we show the capabilities of the Large Volume Detector (INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory) to identify a neutrino burst associated with a supernova explosion, in the absence of an “external trigger”, e.g., an optical observation. We describe how the detector trigger and event selection have been optimized for this purpose, and we detail the algorithm used for the on-line burst recognition. The on-line sensitivity of the detector is defined and discussed in terms of supernova distance and intensity at the source.     

云台红外太阳望远镜中光电导行系统的像场旋转

红外太阳望远镜中的光电导行系统是高精度的反馈跟踪系统。在开环控制下,难以实现太阳望远镜的跟踪指标,所以必须使用光电导行作为目标位置反馈系统。但是在地平式系统跟踪过程中,光电导行望远镜中的像场会旋转,如果不进行消旋,光电导行系统就不能工作,这就需要解决光电导行系统中的像场旋转。本文在理论上分析了红外望远镜中光电导行系统的像场旋转,并给出了像在CCD面上的运动变化公式。