A complete relativistic ionized accretion disc in Cygnus X-1

The galactic black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 is observed to be in one of two X-ray spectral states: either the low/hard (low soft X-ray flux and a flat power-law tail) or high/soft (high blackbody-like soft X-ray flux and a steep power-law tail) state. The physical origin of these two states is unclear. We present here a model of an ionized accretion disc, the spectrum of which is blurred by relativistic effects, and fit it to the ASCA , Ginga and EXOSAT data of Cygnus X-1 in both spectral states. We confirm that relativistic blurring provides a much better fit to the low/hard state data and, contrary to some previous results, find the data of both states to be consistent with an ionized thin accretion disc with a reflected fraction of unity extending to the innermost stable circular orbit around the black hole. Our model is an alternative to those that, in the low/hard state, require the accretion disc to be truncated at a few tens of Schwarzschild radii, within which there is a Thomson-thin, hot accretion flow. We suggest a mechanism that may cause the changes in spectral state.     

Chandra measurements of the distribution of mass in the luminous lensing cluster Abell 2390

We present spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of the luminous lensing cluster Abell 2390, using observations made with the Chandra observatory. The temperature of the X-ray gas rises with increasing radius within the central ∼ 200 kpc of the cluster, and then remains approximately isothermal, with kT =11.5_−1.6^+1.5 keV , out to the limits of the observations at r ∼1.0 Mpc . The total mass profile determined from the Chandra data has a form in good agreement with the predictions from numerical simulations. Using the parametrization of Navarro, Frenk and White, we measure a scale radius r _s∼0.8 Mpc and a concentration parameter c ∼3 . The best-fitting X-ray mass model is in good agreement with independent gravitational lensing results and optical measurements of the galaxy velocity dispersion in the cluster. The X-ray gas to total mass ratio rises with increasing radius with f _gas∼21 per cent at r =0.9 Mpc . The azimuthally averaged 0.3–7.0 keV surface brightness profile exhibits a small core radius and a clear 'break' at r ∼500 kpc , where the slope changes from S _X ∼^∝  r ^−1.5 to S _X ∼^∝  r ^−3.6 . The data for the central region of the cluster indicate the presence of a cooling flow with a mass deposition rate of 200–300 M_⊙ yr⁻¹ and an effective age of 2–3 Gyr .     

Intercomparison of NO column measurements during MAP/GLOBUS 1985

Column measurements of nitric oxide were made using several techniques during the MAP/GLOBUS campaign in France in September 1985. The data sets are nearly co-located and simultaneous, therefore allowing a valid intercomparison of the various measurement methods. The range of altitudes sampled differs from instrument to instrument. This complicates the comparison because the data sets are to some extent complementary. The NO distributions apparently vary significantly from day to day, and possibly over shorter timescales. Changes in dynamics may be responsible for these variations. The results from the instruments which measure in the infrared and the ultraviolet are self-consistent, and show good agreement with photochemical predictions. On 19 September, when the intercomparison was made, the profile measured by the in-situ chemiluminescent instrument differed significantly from the predicted profile, and the measured columns were generally higher.     

A new concept for estimating the influence of vegetation on throughfall kinetic energy using aerial laser scanning

Soil loss caused by erosion has enormous economic and social impacts. Splash effects of rainfall are an important driver of erosion processes; however, effects of vegetation on splash erosion are still not fully understood. Splash erosion processes under vegetation are investigated by means of throughfall kinetic energy (TKE). Previous studies on TKE utilized a heterogeneous set of plant and canopy parameters to assess vegetation's influence on erosion by rain splash but remained on individual plant- or plot-levels. In the present study we developed a method for the area-wide estimation of the influence of vegetation on TKE using remote sensing methods. In a literature review we identified key vegetation variables influencing splash erosion and developed a conceptual model to describe the interaction of vegetation and raindrops. Our model considers both amplifying and protecting effect of vegetation layers according to their height above the ground and aggregates them into a new indicator: the Vegetation Splash Factor (VSF). It is based on the proportional contribution of drips per layer, which can be calculated via the vegetation cover profile from airborne LiDAR datasets. In a case study, we calculated the VSF using a LiDAR dataset for La Campana National Park in central Chile. The studied catchment comprises a heterogeneous mosaic of vegetation layer combinations and types and is hence well suited to test the approach. We calculated a VSF map showing the relation between vegetation structure and its expected influence on TKE. Mean VSF was 1.42, indicating amplifying overall effect of vegetation on TKE that was present in 81% of the area. Values below 1 indicating a protective effect were calculated for 19% of the area. For future work, we recommend refining the weighting factor by calibration to local conditions using field-reference data and comparing the VSF with TKE field measurements. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd