Super-Fast Line-Profile Variability in the Spectra of OBA-Stars: B1-Star <Emphasis Type="Italic">ρ</Emphasis> Leo

This study continues our investigation of the super-fast variability of line profiles in the spectra of early-type stars. We have investigated the line-profile variability in spectra of OBA-stars with the SCORPIO multi-mode focal reducer mounted at the 6-m SAO RAS telescope. Regular short-period variations of the H and He lines in the spectra of the B1I star ρ Leo were detected with periods ranging from 2 to 90 minutes, as well as irregular line-profile variations on time intervals less than 1 minute. A possible origin of rapid spectral variations is discussed.     

Estimates of abundance of the short-baseline (1-3 meters) slopes for different Venusian terrains using terrestrial analogues

The interplanetary mission, Venera-D, which is currently being planned, includes a lander. For a successful landing, it is necessary to estimate the frequency distributions of slopes of the Venusian surface at baselines that are comparable with the horizontal dimensions of lander (1–3 m). The available data on the topographic variations on Venus preclude estimates of the frequency of the short-wavelength slopes. In our study, we applied high-resolution digital terrain models (DTM) for specific areas in Iceland to estimate the slopes on Venus. The Iceland DTMs have 0.5 m spatial and 0.1 m vertical resolution. From the set of these DTMs, we have selected those that morphologically resemble typical landscapes on Venus such as tessera, shield, regional, lobate, and smooth plains. The mode of the frequency distribution of slopes on the model tessera terrain is within a 30°–40° range and a fraction of the surface has slopes <7°, which is considered as the upper safety limit. This is the primary interest. The frequency distribution of slopes on the model tessera is not changed significantly as the baseline is changed from 1 m to 3 m. The terrestrial surfaces that model shield and regional plains on Venus have a prominent slope distribution mode between 8°–20° and the fraction of the surfaces with slopes <7° is less than 30% on both 1 m and 3 m baselines. A narrow, left-shifted histogram characterizes the model smooth plains surfaces. The fraction of surfaces with slopes <7° is about 65–75% for the shorter baseline (1 m). At the longer baseline, the fraction of the shallow-sloped surfaces is increased and fraction of the steep slopes is decreased significantly. The fraction of surfaces with slopes <7° for the 3-m baseline is about 75–88% for the terrains that model both lobate and smooth plains.     

Effect of small-scale bernstein turbulence on low-frequency plasma waves in the preflare solar chromosphere

The studied region is a part of the current circuit of a magnetic loop in a solar active region in the altitude range of 1400–2500 km above the photosphere. At the earliest stage of development of a flare process, the magnetic field of the loop was assumed to be stationary and uniform in the interval corresponding to weak fields (the so-called deca-hectogauss fields). The conditions for emergence and development of instability of the second harmonic of Bernstein modes in this previously unexamined region were determined. This instability (and low-frequency instabilities emerging later) was assumed to be caused by the sub-Dreicer electric field of the loop, while pair Coulomb collisions were considered to be the major factor hindering its development. The obtained extremely low instability thresholds point to the possibility of subsequent emergence of low-frequency instabilities (and plasma waves corresponding to them) with much higher threshold values against the background of saturated Bernstein turbulence. The frequency of electron scattering by turbulence pulsations in this scenario normally exceeds the frequency of pair Coulomb (primarily ion–electron) collisions. Both the quasistatic sub-Dreicer field in the loop and the weak spatial inhomogeneity of plasma temperature and density were taken into account in the process of derivation and analysis of the dispersion relation for low-frequency waves. It was demonstrated that the solutions of the obtained dispersion relation in the cases of prevalent pair Coulomb collisions and dominant electron momentum losses at pulsations of saturated Bernstein turbulence are morphologically similar and differ only in the boundary values of perturbation parameters. In both cases, these solutions correspond to the two wave families, namely, kinetic Alfven waves and kinetic ion acoustic waves. These waves have their own electric fields and may play the important role in the process of preflare acceleration of energetic electrons.     

Molecules in the early universe

The formation of first molecules, negative Hydrogen ions, and molecular ions in a model of the Universe with cosmological constant and cold dark matter is studied. The cosmological recombination is described in the framework of modified model of the effective 3-level atom, while the kinetics of chemical reactions is described in the framework of the minimal model for Hydrogen, Deuterium, and Helium. It is found that the uncertainties of molecular abundances caused by the inaccuracies of computation of cosmological recombination are approximately 2–3%. The uncertainties of values of cosmological parameters affect the abundances of molecules, negative Hydrogen ions, and molecular ions at the level of up to 2%. In the absence of cosmological reionization at redshift z = 10, the ratios of abundances to the Hydrogen one are 3.08 × 10^–13 for H^–, 2.37 × 10^–6 for H₂, 1.26 × 10^–13 for H₂⁺, 1.12 × 10^–9 for HD, and 8.54 × 10^–14 for HeH⁺.     

Scientific prospects for spectroscopy of the gamma-ray burst prompt emission with SVOM

SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor) is a Sino-French space mission dedicated to the study of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) in the next decade, capable to detect and localise the GRB emission, and to follow its evolution in the high-energy and X-ray domains, and in the visible and NIR bands. The satellite carries two wide-field high-energy instruments: a coded-mask gamma-ray imager (ECLAIRs; 4–150 keV), and a gamma-ray spectrometer (GRM; 15–5500 keV) that, together, will characterise the GRB prompt emission spectrum over a wide energy range. In this paper we describe the performances of the ECLAIRs and GRM system with different populations of GRBs from existing catalogues, from the classical ones to those with a possible thermal component superimposed to their non-thermal emission. The combination of ECLAIRs and the GRM will provide new insights also on other GRB properties, as for example the spectral characterisation of the subclass of short GRBs showing an extended emission after the initial spike.     

Calibration of the ART-XC mirror modules at MSFC

The Astronomical Röntgen Telescope X-ray Concentrator (ART-XC) is a hard X-ray telescope with energy response up to 30 keV, to be launched on board the Spectrum Röntgen Gamma (SRG) spacecraft in 2018. ART-XC consists of seven identical co-aligned mirror modules. Each mirror assembly is coupled with a CdTe double-sided strip (DSS) focal-plane detector. Eight X-ray mirror modules (seven flight and one spare units) for ART-XC were developed and fabricated at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), NASA, USA. We present results of testing procedures performed with an X-ray beam facility at MSFC to calibrate the point spread function (PSF) of the mirror modules. The shape of the PSF was measured with a high-resolution CCD camera installed in the focal plane with defocusing of 7 mm, as required by the ART-XC design. For each module, we performed a parametrization of the PSF at various angular distances Θ. We used a King function to approximate the radial profile of the near on-axis PSF (Θ < 9 arcmin) and an ellipse fitting procedure to describe the morphology of the far off-axis angular response (9 < Θ < 24 arcmin). We found a good agreement between the seven ART-XC flight mirror modules at the level of 10%. The on-axis angular resolution of the ART-XC optics varies between 27 and 33 arcsec (half-power diameter), except for the spare module.     

Lead and Mg isotopic age constraints on the evolution of the HED parent body

The large collection of howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite (HED) meteorites allows us to study the initial magmatic differentiation of a planetesimal. We report Pb‐Pb ages of the unequilibrated North West Africa (NWA) 4215 and Dhofar 700 diogenite meteorites and their mass‐independent ²⁶Mg isotope compositions (²⁶Mg*) to better understand the timing of differentiation and crystallization of their source reservoir(s). NWA 4215 defines a Pb‐Pb age of 4484.5 ± 7.9 Myr and has a ²⁶Mg* excess of +2.3 ± 1.6 ppm whereas Dhofar 700 has a Pb‐Pb age of 4546.4 ± 4.7 Myr and a ²⁶Mg* excess of +25.5 ± 1.9 ppm. We interpret the young age of NWA 4215 as a thermal overprint, but the age of Dhofar 700 is interpreted to represent a primary crystallization age. Combining our new data with published Mg isotope and trace element data suggests that approximately half of the diogenites for which such data are available crystallized within the first 1–2 Myr of our solar system, consistent with a short‐lived, early‐formed magma ocean undergoing convective cooling. The other half of the diogenites, including both NWA 4215 and Dhofar 700, are best explained by their crystallization in slowly cooled isolated magma chambers lasting over at least ~20 Myr.     

Observations of a Radio-Quiet Solar Preflare

The preflare phase of the flare SOL2011-08-09T03:52 is unique in its long duration, in that it was covered by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Nobeyama Radioheliograph, and because it showed three well-developed soft X-ray (SXR) peaks. No hard X-rays (HXR) are observed in the preflare phase. Here we report that no associated radio emission at 17 GHz was found either, despite the higher sensitivity of the radio instrument. The ratio between the SXR peaks and the upper limit of the radio peaks is higher by more than one order of magnitude than the ratio in regular flares. The result suggests that the ratio between acceleration and heating in the preflare phase was different than in regular flares. Acceleration to relativistic energies, if any, occurred with lower efficiency.