Photometric survey near the main Galactic meridian: 2.2. Finding charts and photoelectric UBVR stellar magnitudes in 26 fields

Finding charts and photoelectric magnitudes of stars in the UBVR system in 26 fields of the MEGA programme are presented. This part of the photometric survey near the Main Galactic Meridian includes the fields with right ascentions 8^h < α < 16^h30^m and declinations −2° < δ < 58°. Together with the finding charts of 2.5° × 2.5° the equatorial coordinates of the stars are given for epoch and equinox 1950. Photometric properties of the night sky at the Mount Terskol observatory near Mount Elbrus are derived from the photoelectric observations.     

Study of RCR Catalogue Radio Source Integral Spectra

We present the characteristics of the sources found on the averaged scans of the “Cold” experiment 1980–1999 surveys in the right-ascension interval 2^h< RA < 7^h. Thereby, a refinement of the parameters of the RC catalog sources (RATANCold) for this interval is complete. To date, the RCR catalog (RATAN Cold Refined) covers the right-ascension interval 2^h< RA < 17^h and includes 830 sources. The spectra are built for them with the use of new data in the range of 70–230 MHz. The dependence between the spectral indices α_0.5, α_3.94 and integral flux density at the frequencies of 74 and 150 MHz, at 1.4, 3.94 and 4.85 GHz is discussed.We found that at 150 MHz in most sources the spectral index α_0.5 gets steeper with increasing flux density. In general, the sources with flat spectra are weaker in terms of flux density than the sources with steep spectra, which especially differs at 150 MHz. We believe that this is due to the brightness of their extended components, which can be determined by the type of accretion and the neighborhood of the source.     

Circumzenithal sky region survey at the frequency of 30 GHz with 32-element radiometer matrix of the RATAN-600

We report the preliminary results of a deep sky survey in the field of 00^h < RA < 24^h, 40 _. ^° 5 < 42 _. ^° 5 with the RATAN-600 and its new focal 32-feed receiver matrix at the limiting radio frequency of 30 GHz, with the resolution up to 5″ in right ascension and 30″ in declination. The first results, including new estimates of the anisotropy of background radiation at the scales of (l > 3000) and noise from discrete radio sources in the wavelength range between the NVSS and IRAS catalogs are listed.     

Search for Candidate Objects with the Sunyaev–Zeldovich Effect in the Radio Source Vicinities—galaxies: clusters: general

Based on the data from the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey performed at a frequency of 325 MHz in the range of right ascensions 0^h ≤ α < 2^h and declinations 29° < δ < 78° and using multi-frequency Planck maps, we selected candidate objects with the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect. The list of the most probable candidates includes 381 sources. It is shown that the search for such objects can be accelerated by using a priori data on the negative level of fluctuations in the CMB map with removed low multipoles in the direction to radio sources.     

The action of the satellite 1981 S13, and the optical depth profile of the Encke-gap ringlet in the Saturn A ring

The radial optical depth profile of the Encke ringlet obtained by the occultation experiment of the Voyager photopolarimeter (PPS data) is explained to be caused by the gravitational action of the recently discovered stallite 1981 S13 and a second smaller moonlet orbiting near one of its either libration points — L₄ or L₅. To this aim the results of previous and new numerical particle simulations as well as an extension of the scattering theory concerning a single moonlet to a pair of satellites have been used leading to a triple-peaked ringlet near the orbits of the moonlets. The width and the shape of that ringlet and its separate peaks depend on the mass ratio of both moonlets and on their orbital eccentricites. The best resemblance between the PPS data and the theoretical profile is obtained if the mass ratio of the either moonlets takes M₂/M_1981S13 ≈ (0.8 … 3.0) × 10⁻² and the eccentricities hold: e_1981S13 < h_1981S13; e₂ ≈ h₂ (the values h are the Hill scales of either moonlets defined by h_1981S13/2 ≈ (M_1981S13/2/3M_h)^1/3, M_h = Saturn mass). Furthermore, our results yield a size of 1981 S13 of < 15 km in diameter.     

Optical identification of iras point sources based on low-dispersion fbs spectra. stars. iii

A third list of point sources from the IRAS Point Source Catalog (PSC), optically identified with late-type stars, is given. The list contains data on 34 objects. The identification was based on the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS), the First Byurakan Survey (FBS). blue and red maps of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, and infrared fluxes at wavelengths of 12, 25, 60, and 100 mm in the regions of +61° ≤ δ ≤ +65°, 06^h45^m ≤ α ≤ 17^h28^m and +69° ≤ δ ≤ +73°, 03^h50^m ≤ α ≤ 18^h10^m. Of 34 objects given in the IRAS PSC as unidentified sources of infrared radiation, 11 are associated with known stars in existing catalogs, 6 are objects from the FBS survey of late-type stars, and 17 sources remained unknown in the optical range, 3 of them also being sources in the IRAS Serendipitous Survey Catalog (SSC). The optical coordinates, their departures from the 1R coordinates, the V magnitudes, the color indices CI, and the preliminary spectral subtypes were determined. The objects have optical magnitudes in the range of 7^h.6-13^m.6. Finder charts from the DSS are given for 23 objects. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 77-84, January–March, 2000.     

Cooling rates of type I chondrules from Renazzo: Implications for chondrule formation

Cooling rates are one of the few fundamental constraints on models of chondrule formation. In this study, we used Cu and Ga diffusion profiles in metal grains to determine the cooling rates of type I chondrules in the Renazzo CR2 chondrite. To improve previous estimations of cooling rates obtained using this method, we used CT scanning and serial polishing of our sections to analyze equatorial sections of large metal grains. Through the cores of these metal grains situated at the surface of chondrules, the cooling rates calculated range from 21 to 86 K h⁻¹ for a peak temperature T_p ~ 1623–1673 K. A metal grain embedded in the core of a chondrule exhibits a cooling rate of 1.2 K h⁻¹ at a T_p ~ 1573 K. We also measured Cu-Ga diffusion profiles from nonequatorial sections of metal grains and calculated a lower range of cooling rates of 15–69 K h⁻¹ for T_p ~ 1473–1603 K compared to our results from equatorial sections. The high cooling rates inferred from the lightning model (several thousand K h⁻¹) are clearly at odds with the values obtained in this work. The X-wind model predicts cooling rates (~6–10 K h⁻¹) lower than most of our results. The cooling rates calculated here are in close agreement with those inferred from shock wave models, in particular for temperatures at which olivine crystallizes (from ~10 to several hundreds K h⁻¹ between 1900 and 1500 K). However, the chemical compositions of metal grains in Renazzo are consistent with the splashing model, in which a spray of metal droplets originated from a partially molten planetesimal. Volatile siderophile element depletion is explained by evaporation before metal was engulfed within silicate droplets. Liquid metal isolated from the liquid silicate crystallized during cooling, reacted with the ambient gas, and then re-accreted within partially molten chondrules.     

Three Periods in Asteroid 4197 Brightness Variations

In 1996, photometric observations of the near-Earth asteroid NEA 4197 (1982 TA) were performed at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. More than 2000 brightness measurements in the V band were made. The harmonic data analysis at a fairly high significance level revealed two close periods, P ₁= 3^h _.5372 ± 0^h _.0005 (amplitude 0 ^m _.4) and P ₂= 4^h _.367 ± 0^h _.001 (amplitude 0 ^m _.2). The third period, P ₃= 20^h _.26 ± 0^h _.05 (amplitude about 0 ^m _.15), was found at a lower significance level. The conclusion was drawn that the asteroid is a binary system. Its components rotate with the periods P ₁and P ₂, and P ₃is probably related to the orbital motion of the components. Assuming that the diameters of both components are equal to 2 km, the orbital radius equals 4.4 km.     

Isotropization by scalar field driven inflation and the cosmological quantum boundary

We derive the Wheeler-de Witt equation for the scalar field of mass m > 0 in a Bianchi-type I universe. We argue that classical trajectories become possible at h² ⩽ αt_p^-2, h being the mean Hubble value and t_p the Planck time. We feel justified to set the numerical constant α ≈︁ 1. We discuss this condition in geometrically invariant quantities and compare it with ⩽t_p^-4. The proposed quantum boundary of classical trajectories represents a 3-dimensional sphere in the 4-space of the dynamical system. Equipartition of the initial energy over field (m < m_p) and shear variables at the quantum boundary will cause inflation with a probability p of the order p = 1 - m/m_p thus, p = 1 - 10^-4 for m taken from GUT. In the course of the inflationary stage the initially arbitrarily large shear-anisotropy exponentially decays.     

Daytime ionosphere of Venus as studied with Veneras 9 and 10 dual-frequency radio occultation experiments

We present results of the dual-frequency radio sounding of the Venusian ionosphere carried out by the Venera 9 and 10 satellites in 1975. Thirteen height profiles of electron density for different solar zenith angles varying from 10 to 87° have been obtained by analyzing the refraction bending of radiorays in the sounded ionssphere. The main maximum of electron density at a height of 140–150 km depends on the solar zenith angle and is 1.4 to 5 × 10⁵ cm^?3. The lower maximum is determined definitely to be at ～130 km high. In the main and lower maxima the electron density variations with solar zenith angle are in good agreement with the Chapman layer theory. For the first time it is found that the height of the upper boundary for the daytime ionosphere (h_i) depends regularly on the solar zenith angle. At Z_⊙ < 60°, h_i does not exceed 300 km while at Z_⊙ > 60°, it increases with Z_⊙ and comes up to ～ 600 km at Z_⊙ ～ 80°.     

Shrinking and Cooling of Flare Loops in a Two-Ribbon Flare

We analyze the evolution of the flare/postflare-loop system in the two-ribbon flare of November 3, 2003, utilizing multi-wavelength observations that cover the temperature range from several tens of MK down to 10⁴ K. A non-uniform growth of the loop system enables us to identify analogous patterns in the height–time, h(t), curves measured at different temperatures. The “knees,” “plateaus,” and “bends” in a higher-temperature curve appear after a certain time delay at lower heights in a lower-temperature curve. We interpret such a shifted replication as a track of a given set of loops (reconnected field lines) while shrinking and cooling after being released from the reconnection site. Measurements of the height/time shifts between h(t) curves of different temperatures provide a simultaneous estimate of the shrinkage speed and cooling rate in a given temperature domain, for a period of almost ten hours after the flare impulsive phase. From the analysis we find the following: (a) Loop shrinkage is faster at higher temperatures – in the first hour of the loop-system growth, the shrinkage velocity at 5 MK is 20 – 30 km s⁻¹, whereas at 1 MK it amounts to 5 km s⁻¹; (b) Shrinking becomes slower as the flare decays – ten hours after the impulsive phase, the shrinkage velocity at 5 MK becomes 5 km s⁻¹; (c) The cooling rate decreases as the flare decays – in the 5 MK range it is 1 MK min⁻¹ in the first hour of the loop-system growth, whereas ten hours later it decreases to 0.2 MK min⁻¹; (d) During the initial phase of the loop-system growth, the cooling rate is larger at higher temperatures, whereas in the late phases the cooling rate apparently does not depend on the temperature; (e) A more detailed analysis of shrinking/cooling around one hour after the impulsive phase reveals a deceleration of the loop shrinkage, amounting to ā ≈ 10 m s⁻² in the T < 5 MK range; (f) In the same interval, conductive cooling dominates down to T ≈ 3 MK, whereas radiation becomes dominant below T ≈ 2 MK; (g) A few hours after the impulsive phase, radiation becomes dominant across the whole T < 5 MK range. These findings are compared with results of previous studies and discussed in the framework of relevant models.     

Multi-frequency survey of background radiations of the Universe. The “Cosmological Gene” project. First results

The results of the first stage of the “Cosmological Gene” project of the Russian Academy of Sciences are reported. These results consist in the accumulation of multi-frequency data in 31 frequency channels in the wavelength interval 1–55 cm with maximum achievable statistical sensitivity limited by the noise of background radio sources at all wavelengths exceeding 1.38 cm. The survey region is determined by constraints 00 ^h < RA < 24 ^h and 40°30′ < DEC < 42°30′. The scientific goals of the project are refined in view of recent proposals to use cosmological background radiation data for the development of a unified physical theory. Experimental data obtained with the RATAN-600 radio telescope are used to refine the contribution of the main “screens” located between the observer and the formation epoch of cosmic background radiation (z = 1100). Experimental data for synchrotron radiation and free-free noise on scales that are of interest for the anisotropy of cosmic microwave background are reported as well as the contribution of these noise components in millimeter-wave experiments to be performed in the nearest years. The role of dipole radio emission of fullerene-type dust nanostructures is shown to be small. The most precise estimates of the role of background radio sources with inverted spectra are given and these sources are shown to create no serious interference in experiments. The average spectral indices of the weakest sources of the NVSS and FIRST catalogs are estimated. The “saturation” data for all wavelengths allowed a constraint to be imposed on the Sunyaev-Zeldovich noise (the SZ noise) at all wavelengths, and made it possible to obtain independent estimates of the average sky temperature from sources, substantially weaker than those listed in the NVSS catalog. These estimates are inconsistent with the existence of powerful extragalactic synchrotron background associated with radio sources. Appreciable “quadrupole” anisotropy in is detected in the distribution of the spectral index of the synchrotron radiation of the Galaxy, and this anisotropy should be taken into account when estimating the polarization of the cosmic microwave background on small l. All the results are compared to the results obtained by foreign researchers in recent years.     

RATAN-600 7.6-cm deep sky strip surveys at the declination of the SS433 source during the 1980–1999 period. Data reduction and the catalog of radio sources in the right-ascension interval 7h ≤ R.A. < 17h

We use two independent methods to reduce the data of the surveys made with RATAN-600 radio telescope at 7.6 cm in 1988–1999 at the declination of the SS433 source. We also reprocess the data of the “Cold” survey (1980–1981). The resulting RCR (RATAN COLD REFINED) catalog contains the right ascensions and fluxes of objects identified with those of the NVSS catalog in the right-ascension interval 7 ^h ≤ R.A. < 17 ^h . We obtain the spectra of the radio sources and determine their spectral indices at 3.94 and 0.5 GHz. The spectra are based on the data from all known catalogs available from the CATS, Vizier, and NED databases, and the flux estimates inferred from the maps of the VLSS and GB6 surveys. For 245 of the 550 objects of the RCR catalog the fluxes are known at two frequencies only: 3.94 GHz (RCR) and 1.4 GHz (NVSS). These are mostly sources with fluxes smaller than 30mJy. About 65% of these sources have flat or inverse spectra (α > −0.5). We analyze the reliability of the results obtained for the entire list of objects and construct the histograms of the spectral indices and fluxes of the sources. Our main conclusion is that all 10–15 mJy objects found in the considered right-ascension interval were already included in the decimeter-wave catalogs.     

Photometric and Colorimetric Observations of Asteroid 423 Diotima and Their Analysis

Series of photometric and colorimetric observations of the Main-Belt asteroid 423 Diotima during its five oppositions were obtained at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. It was concluded, based on the results of a frequency analysis of the V-band photometry obtained in 1990, that the asteroid is a binary system: the rotation period of the primary component is equal to 4_. ^h56, and the period of rotation and the orbital period of the satellite are equal to 14_. ^h90. An analysis of simultaneous BV and BVR observations made in 1993 and 1998–1999 yielded a rotation period of 4_. ^h54 ± 0_. ^h01 for the primary component. An analysis of the sets of V-band observations of the asteroid made from 1982 through 2000 allowed us to find the period of forced precession, which was equal to 113^d (or 226^d). It was suggested that the axis of the primary component of the binary asteroid precesses and the large amplitude of brightness variations (about 1 ^m ) is due to its lenticular shape.     

The peaks and gaps in the redshift distributions of active galactic nuclei and quasars

The distributionsf(z) of the redshifts for active galaxies (Seyfert galaxies, radio galaxies, and quasars) have been studied. Some statistically-significant maxima and minima are observed in the distributionsf(z) for these objects. The significance of peaks and gaps increases for the brighter objects, for which the samples are more complete. The clustering of the Seyfert galaxies is significantly different from that of the nearby normal galaxies. The distributionf(z) for the radio galaxies is similar to the analogous distribution for the galaxy clusters. Three of the five peaks in the distributionf(z) for the radio quasars may be caused by the selection effects. Two peaks within the intervalsz (0.5, 0.7) and (1.0, 1.1) are probably real. The corresponding scales of the QSO clustering along the line-of-sight are about 100h ^–1 Mpc (h is the Hubble constant in the units of 75 km s^–1 Mpc^–1). The possibility of some global quasi-periodical cycles for the processes of activity is discussed. The period of a cycle for the Seyfert and radio galaxies is about 1×10⁸ years that corresponds to the distances of about 30h ^–1 Mpc between the shells.     

Methane evolution from UV-irradiated spacecraft materials under simulated martian conditions: Implications for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission

Fifteen organic and three inorganic compounds were tested for methane (CH₄) evolution under simulated martian conditions of 6.9 mbar; UVC (200-280 nm) flux of 4 W m⁻²; 20 °C; simulated optical depth of 0.1; and a Mars gas composition of CO₂ (95.3%), N₂ (2.7%), Ar (1.7%), O₂ (0.13%), and water vapor (0.03%). All three inorganic compounds (i.e., NaCl, CaCO₃, graphite) failed to evolve methane at the minimum detection level 0.5 ppm, or above. In contrast, all organic compounds evolved methane when exposed to UV irradiation under simulated martian conditions. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, pyrene, released the most methane per unit of time at 0.175 nmol CH₄ g⁻¹ h⁻¹, and a spectral reflectance target material used for the MER rovers and Phoenix lander released the least methane at 0.00065 nmol CH₄ cm⁻² h⁻¹. Methane was also released from UV-killed bacterial endospores of Bacillus subtilis. Although all organic compounds evolved methane when irradiated with UV photons under martian conditions, the concentrations of residual organics, biogenic signature molecules, and dead microbial cells should be relatively low on the exterior surfaces of the MSL rover, and, thus, not significant sources of methane contamination. In contrast, kapton tape was found to evolve methane at the rate of 0.00165 nmol CH₄ cm⁻² h⁻¹ (16.5 nmol m⁻² h⁻¹) under the UV and martian conditions tested. Although the evolution of methane from kapton tape was found to decline over time, the large amount of kapton tape used on the MSL rover (lower bound estimated at 3 m²) is likely to create a significant source of terrestrial methane contamination during the early part of the mission.     

Decametric bursts caused by the fragment S of comet SL-9

On July 21, 1994, 13 ^h - 15 ^h UT, decametric bursts had been recorded at frequencies from 24.0 MHz to 28.5 MHz in Xin Xiang station (longitude =-113.8°, latitude =35.3°), Henan province, China. Three maps of the three hour data are presented. Some of the bursts appears to be relative to the impact of the fragment S(No. 5) of the comet SL-9.The Project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of gamma-ray bursts

The distribution of pairwise distances f(l) for different dependences r(z) of the metric distance is used to reveal inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of 201 long (T ₉₀>2^s) gamma-ray bursts with measured redshifts z. For a fractal set with dimensionality D, this function behaves asymptotically as f(l) ∼ l ^D−1 for small l. Signs of fractal behavior with dimensionality D = 2.2–2.5 show up in all the models considered for the spatial distribution of the gamma-ray bursts. Several spatially distinct groups of gamma-ray bursts are identified. The group with equatorial coordinates ranging from 23^h56^m to 0^h49^m and δ from +19° to +23° with redshifts of 0.81–0.94 is examined separately.     

Water production and release in Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang (C/2002 C1): accurate rotational temperature retrievals from hot-band lines near 2.9-μm

Multiple non-resonance fluorescence lines of water (H₂O) were detected in Comet 153/P Ikeya-Zhang (2002 C1) between UT 2002 March 21.9 (R_h=0.51 AU) and April 13.9 (R_h=0.78 AU), using the Cryogenic Echelle Spectrometer (CSHELL) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Analysis of 2.9-μm water lines enabled accurate determination of rotational temperatures on three dates. The derived H₂O rotational temperatures were 138⁺⁶₋₅, 141⁺¹⁰₋₉, and 94±3 K on UT 2002 March 22.0, March 23.0, and April 13.8, respectively. Water production rates were retrieved from spectral lines measured in nineteen separate grating settings over seven observing periods. The derived heliocentric dependence of the water production rate was Q=(9.2±1.1)×10²⁸[R_h^{(−3.21±0.26)}] molecules s⁻¹. The spatial distribution of H₂O in the coma was consistent with its release directly from the nucleus (as a native source) on all dates.     

Tremolite decomposition on Venus II. Products, kinetics, and mechanism

We present revised tremolite powder thermal decomposition kinetics using previous and newly acquired data from longer time (years instead of months) and lower temperature experiments (<1073 K). We also present kinetic results for decomposition of millimeter- to centimeter-sized tremolite grains. Natural tremolite samples were heated at ambient pressure in flowing CO₂ or N₂ gas from 1023-1238 K. The tremolite decomposition products are a physical mixture of two pyroxene solid solutions (with the bulk composition Dp₅₉En₄₁), a silica polymorph, and water vapor. Decomposition rates were calculated by using the mass loss of the heated samples. Tremolite crystals and crystalline powder decompositions follow different but related Avrami-Erofe'ev (nucleation and growth) kinetic models. The rate equations for thermal decomposition of tremolite crystalline powder and the larger crystal grains are log₁₀k_powder (h⁻¹)=18.69(±0.19)−23,845(±833)/T and log₁₀k_crystal (h⁻¹)=19.82(±0.07)−25,670(±916)/T. The associated apparent activation energies are 456(±16) kJ mol⁻¹ and 491(±18) kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. We propose a decomposition mechanism and suggest that decomposition and dehydroxylation occur simultaneously. The rate-limiting step is proposed to be structural rearrangement of the amphibole structure to the two pyroxenes and silica. This step and the overall decomposition rate are predicted to be independent of pressure from 1 to 100 bars. These kinetic analyses strengthen our previous conclusion (Johnson and Fegley, 2000, Icarus 146, 301-306) that if hydrous minerals, such as tremolite, formed on Venus during a wetter past, then these minerals could still exist at current conditions on Venus' surface today.