Deep convective clouds over the northern Pacific and their relationship with oceanic cyclones

Based on combined Cloud Sat/CALIPSO detections, the seasonal occurrence of deep convective clouds(DCCs) over the midlatitude North Pacific(NP) and cyclonic activity in winter were compared. In winter, DCCs are more frequent over the central NP, from approximately 30°N to 45°N, than over other regions. The high frequencies are roughly equal to those occurring in this region in summer. Most of these DCCs have cloud tops above a 12 km altitude, and the highest top is approximately 15 km. These wintertime marine DCCs commonly occur during surface circulation conditions of low pressure, high temperature, strong meridional wind, and high relative humidity. Further, the maximum probability of DCCs,according to the high correlation coefficient, was found in the region 10°–20° east and 5°–10° south of the center of the cyclones. The potential relationship between DCCs and cyclones regarding their relative locations and circulation conditions was also identified by a case study. Deep clouds were generated in the warm conveyor belt by strong updrafts from baroclinic flows. The updrafts intensified when latent heat was released during the adjustment of the cyclone circulation current. This indicates that the dynamics of cyclones are the primary energy source for DCCs over the NP in winter.     

天山南北坡流域气温时空变化特征

利用近50年新疆天山南北坡乌拉斯台河和乌鲁木齐河流域不同气象站点气温资料,对比分析了天山南北坡的气温变化趋势、入春与入夏时间、气温年极值、气温年较差及冬季逆温层变化特征。结果表明:天山南北坡显著升温时间约为1997年,北坡的乌鲁木齐气温增加趋势最大,为0.402℃·(10a)-1;南坡的库尔勒比乌鲁木齐入春、入夏早,乌鲁木齐主要入春、入夏时间分别为4月和6月,而库尔勒分别为3月和5月;北坡比南坡入春连续5天平均气温约高1℃,而两者入夏连续5天的平均气温接近;天山南北坡年最高气温的最大值、最小值和年平均最高气温随海拔的升高逐渐降低,而年最低气温的变化南北坡表现不一致,并且南北坡各站点的气温年较差随着高度的增加而减少;1月北坡逆温层的厚度大于南坡,北坡逆温层小渠子和蔡家湖的气温差变化趋势为-0.208℃·(10a)-1,南坡逆温层巴伦台和和静的气温差变化趋势为0.236℃·(10a)-1。     

Cosmological and astrophysical neutrino mass measurements

Cosmological and astrophysical measurements provide powerful constraints on neutrino masses complementary to those from accelerators and reactors. Here we provide a guide to these different probes, for each explaining its physical basis, underlying assumptions, current and future reach.     

Symplectic adaptive algorithm for solving nonlinear two-point boundary value problems in Astrodynamics

In this paper, from a Hamiltonian point of view, the nonlinear optimal control problems are transformed into nonlinear two-point boundary value problems, and a symplectic adaptive algorithm based on the dual variational principle is proposed for solving the nonlinear two-point boundary value problem. The state and the costate variables within a time interval are approximated by using the Lagrange polynomial and the costate variables at two ends of the time interval are taken as independent variables. Then, based on the dual variational principle, the nonlinear two-point boundary value problems are replaced by a system of nonlinear equations which can preserve the symplectic structure of the nonlinear optimal control problem. Furthermore, the computational efficiency of the proposed symplectic algorithm is improved by using the adaptive multi-level iteration idea. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested by the problems of Astrodynamics, such as the optimal orbital rendezvous problem and the optimal orbit transfer between halo orbits.     

Quadrupolar gravitational radiation as a test-bed for f(R)-gravity

The debate concerning the viability of f(R)-gravity as a natural extension of General Relativity could be realistically addressed by using results coming from binary pulsars like PSR 1913 + 16. To this end, we develop a quadrupolar approach to the gravitational radiation for a class of analytic f(R)-models. We show that experimental results are compatible with a consistent range of f(R)-models. This means that f(R)-gravity is not ruled out by the observations and gravitational radiation (in strong field regime) could be a test-bed for such theories.     

Strange star candidates revised within a quark model with chiral mass scaling

We calculate the properties of static strange stars using a quark model with chiral mass scaling.The results are characterized by a large maximum mass (～ 1.6 M) and radius (～10 km).Together with a broad collection of modern neutron star models,we discuss some recent astrophysical observational data that could shed new light on the possible presence of strange quark matter in compact stars.We conclude that none of the present astrophysical observations can prove or confute the existence of strange stars.     

Ten CoRoT eclipsing binaries: Photometric solutions

Ten eclipsing binaries, identified in the scope of the CoRoT Space Mission, were selected for analysis. The photometric light curves were processed and analyzed, resulting in the first study of eclipsing binary candidates with their possible photometric solution, in the context of the above-mentioned Space Mission. The selected targets are detached and overcontact systems, for which we computed 2MASS temperatures, in addition to different physical parameters, including orbital period, orbit inclination angle, and temperatures, radius and luminosity ratios. This study reveals a large diversity of eclipsing binary systems obtained from the CoRoT data.     

The Landau level-superfluid modified factor and the overal soft X/<Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-ray efficiency coefficient of a magnetar

As soon as the energies of electrons near the Fermi surface exceed Q, the threshold energy of inverse β-decay, electron capture (EC) dominates inside a neutron star. The high-energy neutrons released by EC will destroy anisotropic ³ P ₂ neutron Cooper pairs in the degenerate superfluid. By colliding with the neutrons produced in the process n+(n↑n↓)→n+n+n, the kinetic energies of the neutrons released by EC will be transformed into thermal energy. A portion of this thermal energy will be transported from the star interior to the star surface by conduction, then converted to a thermal spectrum of soft X-rays and γ-rays. By introducing two important parameters: the Landau level-superfluid modified factor and the overal soft X/γ-ray efficiency coefficient, we compute the theoretical luminosity L _X of a magnetar under our model and plot a diagram of L _X as a function of magnetic field strength B. Numerical calculations based on our model agree well with the observed properties of magnetar candidates.