The “four sigma” limit for significant periodicities

Most of the pulsations which have been observed in sdB stars have very low amplitudes. Detection of modes from photometric observations is usually performed by noting the most prominent peaks in a periodogram or, equivalently, an amplitude spectrum. A common strategy is to assume that peaks which exceed four times the mean noise level correspond to significant periodicities. The efficiency of the assumption is investigated by simulation. It is found that the actual significance levels corresponding to the four sigma limit may vary by orders of magnitude, depending on the exact data configuration.     

The 2–4-μm spectrum of Saturn's rings

Observations of the rings of Saturn at 2–4 μm reveal the presence of a 3.6-μm peak in the infrared reflectivity. This peak is consistent with a particle size of ? 50 μm, and a composition of pure H₂O ice. The quoted size may only be indicative of the textural scale of frost on the surface of larger particles. The presence of small amounts of CH₄ in the form of a clathrate, however, cannot be ruled out by our measurements.     

The design,construction and performance of a large Hα and [Nii] interference filter for the SRC 48-inch Schmidt

The design, construction and performance of a 15-in. square mosaic interference filter is described. This is designed to improve the sensitivity of the SRC 48-in. Schmidt for the detection of gaseous nebulae in the light of H and [Nii] by approximately seven times. Its bandwidth with Kodak 098-04 emulsion is 105 Å but when combined with 103aE emulsion the effective bandwidth is around 80 Å.     

Search for variable sources using data of “Cold” surveys

We search for variable sources, using the data of the surveys conducted on the RATAN-600 radio telescope in 1980–1994 at 3.94 GHz. To test the radio sources of the RCR (RATAN Cold Refined) catalog for variability, we estimated the long-term variability indices V of the studied objects, their relative variability amplitudes V _χ , and the χ ² probabilities p. Out of about two hundred considered sources, 41 proved to have positive long-term variability indices, suggesting that these sources may be variable. Fifteen objects can be considered to be reliably variable according to the χ ² criterion p > 0.98, three of these sources have χ ² probabilities p ≥ 0.999. The corresponding probabilities for six sources lie in the 0.95 < p < 0.98 interval, and those of the remaining 20 objects in the 0.73 ≤ p < 0.95 interval. Twenty four of 41 objects are variable or possibly variable in the optical range, and five objects are known variable radio sources. We construct the light curves and spectra for the sources with positive long-term variability indices.     

The peculiar case of the “double-humped” super-luminous supernova SN 2006oz

SN 2006oz is a super-luminous supernova with a mysterious bright precursor that has resisted explanation in standard models.However,such a precursor has been predicted in the dual-shock quark nova model of super-luminous supernovae–the precursor is the supernova event while the main light curve of the super-luminous supernova is powered by the Quark-Nova（explosive transition of the neutron star to a quark star）.As the supernova is fading,the Quark-Nova re-energizes the supernova ejecta,producing a＂double-humped＂light curve.We show that the quark nova model successfully reproduces the observed light curve of SN 2006oz.     

The “FIP Effect” and the Origins of Solar Energetic Particles and of the Solar Wind

We find that the element abundances in solar energetic particles (SEPs) and in the slow solar wind (SSW), relative to those in the photosphere, show different patterns as a function of the first ionization potential (FIP) of the elements. Generally, the SEP and SSW abundances reflect abundance samples of the solar corona, where low-FIP elements, ionized in the chromosphere, are more efficiently conveyed upward to the corona than high-FIP elements that are initially neutral atoms. Abundances of the elements, especially C, P, and S, show a crossover from low to high FIP at \({\approx}\,10~\mbox{eV}\) in the SEPs but \({\approx}\,14~\mbox{eV}\) for the solar wind. Naively, this seems to suggest cooler plasma from sunspots beneath active regions. More likely, if the ponderomotive force of Alfvén waves preferentially conveys low-FIP ions into the corona, the source plasma that eventually will be shock-accelerated as SEPs originates in magnetic structures where Alfvén waves resonate with the loop length on closed magnetic field lines. This concentrates FIP fractionation near the top of the chromosphere. Meanwhile, the source of the SSW may lie near the base of diverging open-field lines surrounding, but outside of, active regions, where such resonance does not exist, allowing fractionation throughout the chromosphere. We also find that energetic particles accelerated from the solar wind itself by shock waves at corotating interaction regions, generally beyond 1 AU, confirm the FIP pattern of the solar wind.     

The “Atmosphere” Model: Analysis of the Time Series of Updates to the Deformations of the Earth Surface

RT-22 radio telescope in Katsiveli (“Simeiz” VLBI station) is used extensively in international projects aimed at supporting spacetime reference systems for monitoring global changes on the Earth and for precise navigation in space. This paper discusses the results of the analysis of the data about the variations of the updates to the deformations of the Earth surface at Katsiveli site computed in terms of the “Atmosphere” model of a DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) project. Significant oscillation with a one-year period is found in the Eastern and vertical components of the update vector to the deformations of the Earth surface at Katsiveli sit and the parameters of the sine model of this oscillation are computed.     

“Falling Star”: Software for Processing of Double-Station TV Meteor Observations

Software named “Falling Star” has been developed for digital processing of double-station TV meteor observations. It was designed for measurement and calculation of both kinematic and photometric parameters of faint meteors observed with any video system. Data from video recordings are first digitized as standard AVI files, and then converted into the software’s TVS (TV sequence) format. Additional astronomical information like date, time of observations, geographic position of point of the observation and horizontal coordinates of TV camera optical axis orientation are added to the files. These parameters allow the right ascension and declination of the optical center of camera for the moment of meteor flight to be calculated. “Falling Star” includes a range of automated procedures for the identification of frame stars with star catalogues, search of movable meteor-like objects inside frame, calculation of equatorial coordinates and photometry. Finally, meteor trajectory parameters, orbital elements and brightness curves are calculated. Errors of calculations are determined using Monte-Carlo method.     

The Martian Hadley circulation: Comparison of “viscous” model predictions to observations

The predictions of an analytical steady thermally forced viscous model for the zonally averaged global circulation of the Martian atmosphere are compared to observations of atmospheric temperatures and eolian feature directions. The temperature of the winter polar atmosphere is a sensitive indicator of the value of the mean eddy diffusivity v of the atmosphere. For global dust storm season, the observed large warming of the atmosphere over the winter (north) pole during the 1977b storm as well as the distribution and azimuths of Type I(b) dust streaks can be well reproduced if v = 10⁷−10⁸cm²sec⁻¹. Observed northeasterly surface winds at high northern latitudes could be produced by plausible fluxes of CO₂ from the northern polar cap. The thermal structure at southern latitudes during this storm is satisfactorily produced, but a major discrepancy exists between observations and predictions of the temperature structure at middle northern latitudes. By comparing these results with those from previous inviscid models of the zonal mean circulation on Mars, we suggest v > 10⁷cm²sec⁻¹ at heights above 30 km and v ⪡ 10⁷cm²sec⁻¹ at lower altitudes may yield a meridional circulation which produces the dynamical warming necessary to account for the observed thermal structure at 0.6 mbar at all latitudes. For late southern summer when the dust content of the atmosphere has decreased to levels characteristic of much of the Martian year, the lack of dynamical warming of the winter pole implies v ≤ 10⁶cm²sec⁻¹. In addition, the predicted surface wind azimuths at this season agree well with the observed azimuths of Type I(d) dust streaks, which are observed to form at this season. The observed latitudinal concentration of the streaks is not explained by the model and may require additional processes which have not been included.     

Tidal gravitational forces: The infall of “new” comets and comet showers

The tidal gravitational field of the Galaxy directed into the galactic plane changes the angular momentum of comets in the Oort cloud. For comet orbits with semimajor axis greater than 2 × 10⁴ AU, the change of angular momentum in one orbit is sufficient to bring comets from the Oort cloud into the visible region, causing the infall of “new” comets. The limiting size orbit is weakly dependent on the angle between the major axis of the comet orbit and the galactic plane. The flux of comets into the inner Solar System caused by the galactic tidal field will be continuous and nearly isotropic. This effect appears to exclude any determination of the trajectories of passing stars by analysis of the angular distribution of new comets. The production of intense comet showers by the tidal field of a solar companion or of an interstellar cloud is considered. We show that the direction of a solar companion cannot be found from the present distribution of observable comets. The frequency of comet showers induced by encounters with interstellar clouds is found to be much lower than that from passing stars, and the tidal fields of interstellar clouds are not strong enough to cause comet showers of sufficient intensity to result in Earth impacts.