Spatial environment of polar-ring galaxies from the SDSS

Based on SDSS data, we have considered the spatial environment of galaxies with extended polar rings. We used two approaches: estimating the projected distance to the nearest companion and counting the number of companions as a function of the distance to the galaxy. Both approaches have shown that the spatial environment of polar-ring galaxies on scales of hundreds of kiloparsecs is, on average, less dense than that of galaxies without polar structures. Apparently, one of the main causes of this effect is that the polar structures in a denser environment are destroyed more often during encounters and mergers with other galaxies.     

Diffusion of elements in the interstellar medium in early-type galaxies

The role of diffusion in the redistribution of elements in the hot interstellar medium of earlytype galaxies is considered. It is well known that gravitational sedimentation can affect significantly the abundances of helium and heavy elements in the hot intergalactic gas of massive galaxy clusters. The universal temperature profile in cool-core clusters and the theoretical mass–temperature relation suggest that the maximum effect of sedimentation must take place in the most massive virialized objects in the Universe. However, observational data from the Chandra and XMM-Newton observatories demonstrate more complex scaling relations between the masses of early-type galaxies and other parameters, such as the mass fraction and temperature of the interstellar gas. An important fact is that the radial temperature profile can have both falling and rising patterns. We have calculated the diffusion based on the observed gas density and temperature distributions for 13 early-type galaxies that have different envelope types and cover a wide range of X-ray luminosities. To estimate the maximum effect of sedimentation and thermal diffusion, we have solved the full set of Burgers equations for a non-magnetized interstellar plasma. The results obtained demonstrate a considerable increase of the He/H ratio within one effective radius for all galaxies of our sample. For galaxies with a falling or constant temperature profile the average increase of the helium abundance is 60% in one billion years of diffusion. The revealed effect can introduce a significant bias into the metal abundance estimate based on X-ray spectroscopy and can affect the evolution of stars that could be formed from a gas with a high helium abundance.     

Systematic error of the Gaia DR1 TGAS parallaxes from data for the red giant clump

Based on the Gaia DR1 TGAS parallaxes and photometry from the Tycho-2, Gaia, 2MASS, andWISE catalogues, we have produced a sample of ~100 000 clump red giants within ~800 pc of the Sun. The systematic variations of the mode of their absolute magnitude as a function of the distance, magnitude, and other parameters have been analyzed. We show that these variations reach 0.7 mag and cannot be explained by variations in the interstellar extinction or intrinsic properties of stars and by selection. The only explanation seems to be a systematic error of the Gaia DR1 TGAS parallax dependent on the square of the observed distance in kpc: 0.18R ² mas. Allowance for this error reduces significantly the systematic dependences of the absolute magnitude mode on all parameters. This error reaches 0.1 mas within 800 pc of the Sun and allows an upper limit for the accuracy of the TGAS parallaxes to be estimated as 0.2 mas. A careful allowance for such errors is needed to use clump red giants as “standard candles.” This eliminates all discrepancies between the theoretical and empirical estimates of the characteristics of these stars and allows us to obtain the first estimates of the modes of their absolute magnitudes from the Gaia parallaxes: mode(M _H ) = ?1.49 ^m ± 0.04 ^m , mode(M _Ks ) = ?1.63 ^m ± 0.03 ^m , mode(M _W1) = ?1.67 ^m ± 0.05 ^m mode(M _W2) = ?1.67 ^m ± 0.05 ^m , mode(M _W3) = ?1.66 ^m ± 0.02 ^m , mode(M _W4) = ?1.73 ^m ± 0.03 ^m , as well as the corresponding estimates of their de-reddened colors.     

Kinematics of the structure of the active region in Orion-KL

The kinematics of the superfine structure of the active star-forming region in the dense molecular cloud Orion-KL has been investigated in the Н₂О maser emission for the period 1998–2003. It has been established that the surrounding gas inflows onto the disk and is transferred in a spiral trajectory to the center. An excess angular momentum as it is accumulated is carried away by a bipolar outflow; a highvelocity central flow surrounded by low-velocity components is formed. The outer low-velocity component observed at the detection limit has a diameter Ø₃ ≈ 4.5 AU, further out, Ø₂ ≈ 0.5 AU and Ø₁ ≈ 0.24 AU. The gas transfer velocity increases exponentially as the center is approached. The maser emission from the central flow is decisive. A rise in the velocity leads to a flow discontinuity and a reduction in the amount of inflowingmaterial and, accordingly, the emission level. The emission in the period under consideration was reduced exponentially for ~6 months, whereupon its restoration began.     

Multiple X-ray bursts and the model of a spreading layer of accreting matter over the neutron star surface

We report the detection of series of close type I X-ray bursts consisting of two or three events with a recurrence time much shorter than the characteristic (at the observed mean accretion rate) time of matter accumulation needed for a thermonuclear explosion to be initiated on the neutron star surface during the JEM-X/INTEGRAL observations of several X-ray bursters. We show that such series of bursts are naturally explained in the model of a spreading layer of accreting matter over the neutron star surface in the case of a sufficiently high (? ? 1 × 10^?9 M _⊙ yr^?1) accretion rate (corresponding to a mean luminosity L _tot ? 1 × 10³⁷erg s^?1). The existence of triple bursts requires some refinement of the model—the importance of a central ring zone is shown. In the standard model of a spreading layer no infall of matter in this zone is believed to occur.     

IGR J17445-2747—Yet another X-ray burster in the galactic bulge

The discovery of a type I X-ray burst from the faint unidentified transient source IGR J17445-2747 in the Galactic bulge by the JEM-X telescope onboard the INTEGRAL observatory is reported. Type I bursts are believed to be associated with thermonuclear explosions of accreted matter on the surface of a neutron star with a weak magnetic field in a low-mass X-ray binary. Thus, this observation allows the nature of this source to be established.     

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.     

A model of possible variations of the galactic cosmic ray intensity over the recent billion years

Based on the analysis of published data on exposure ages of iron meteorites determined with the ⁴⁰K/K method (T _K) and ages calculated using short-lived cosmogenic radionuclides (with the half-life T _1/2 < 1 Myr) in combination with stable cosmogenic isotopes of noble gases (T_RS), the following results have been obtained. (1) The distribution of T _RS ages (106 values) has an exponential shape, similar to that for ordinary chondrites, but different from the distribution of T _K ages (80 values). The difference is most likely due to small amounts of data for meteorites with low T _K ages (less than ~200–300 Myr). The latter can be ascribed to the difficulty of measurement of small concentrations of cosmogenic potassium isotopes. This circumstance makes the selection of meteorites with ⁴⁰K/K ages nonrepresentative and casts doubt on the correctness of conclusions about the variations of the intensity of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) based on the analysis of distribution of these ages. (2) The magnitude of the known effect (systematic overestimation of T _K ages in comparison with T _RS ages) has been refined. The value k = T _K/T _RS = 1.51 ± 0.03 is acquired for the whole population of data. We have shown the inefficiency of the explanation of this effect on account of an exponential change in the GCR intensity (I _T ) with time (T) according to the relation I _T = I ₀exp(–γT) over the whole range of ages of iron meteorites. (3) In order to explain the overestimation of T _K ages in comparison with T _RS ages, a model has been proposed, according to which the GCR intensity has exponentially increased in the interval of 0–1500 Myr governed by the relation: I _T = I _{T = 1500} (1 + αexp(–βT)). For one of the variants of this model, the GCR intensity has exponentially increased by a factor of two only over the recent ~300 Myr, remaining approximately constant for the rest of the time. The data acquired with the use of this model indicate that the measured T _K ages are close to the actual time that the meteorites existed in space; the data are in agreement with the observed exponential distribution of T _RS ages.     

The nature of terrains of different types on the surface of Venus and selection of potential landing sites for a descent probe of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Venera-D</Emphasis> Mission

We discuss a change in the resurfacing regimes of Venus and probable ways of forming the terrain types that make up the surface of the planet. The interpretation of the nature of the terrain types and their morphologic features allows us to characterize their scientific priority and the risk of landing on their surface to be estimated. From the scientific point of view, two terrain types are of special interest and represent easily achievable targets: the lower unit of regional plains and the smooth plains associated with impact craters. Regional plains are probably a melting from the upper fertile mantle. The material of smooth plains of impact origin is a well-mixed and representative sample of the Venusian crust. The lower unit of regional plains is the most widespread one on the surface of Venus, and it occurs within the boundaries of all of the precalculated approach trajectories of the lander. Smooth plains of impact origin are crossed by the approach trajectories precalculated for 2018 and 2026.     

Method for Validation of the Onboard Attitude Control System Software of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Auriga</Emphasis> Earth Remote Sensing Small Spacecraft

The paper considers a digital modeling complex for the attitude control system of the Auriga Earth remote sensing small spacecraft. Mathematical models of measuring and executive devices are described. The results of spacecraft orbital attitude tests are presented.