The Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect in elliptical galaxies

The history of the discovery of hot gas in galaxies is briefly reviewed, and the main properties of this gas described, emphasizing the need to refine these properties, in particular, the mass of the gas. It is proposed to do this via observations of the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect due to hot gas in the coronas of elliptical galaxies. The absolute and relative perturbations of the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation due to scattering of the CMB photons by electrons with a Maxwellian energy distribution are calculated. The possibility of observing the SZ effect is demonstrated using three elliptical galaxies as examples. The kinematic SZ effect arising due to the peculiar motions and rotations of the galaxies is also accessible to observations. Together with X-ray data, such observations would enable refinement of the properties of gas in galaxies, and also yield additional information about the rotation of galaxies, possible accretion flows in the galactic gas, and hot galactic winds.     

Elpasolite from hyperalkaline pegmatite of the Khibiny pluton, Kola Peninsula. Symmetry of elpasolite

Elpasolite, K₂NaAlF₆, has been found for the first time in a pegmatite related to peralkaline foid syenite at Mt. Koashva, Khibiny alkaline pluton, Kola Peninsula, Russia, as pale pink octahedral crystals up to 2 mm in size within cavities in the natrolite core of pegmatite in association with amicite, sodalite, aegirine, pectolite, catapleiite, sitinakite, lemmleinite-K, and vinogradovite. The chemical composition determined with an electron microprobe is as follows, wt %: 31.53 K; 9.22 Na; 11.20 Al; 47.21 F; total is 99.16. The empirical formula is K_1.96Na_0.98Al_1.01F_6.05. The infrared spectrum is given. The crystal structure has been refined to R = 0.030, space group Fm $ \bar 3 Elpasolite, K₂NaAlF₆, has been found for the first time in a pegmatite related to peralkaline foid syenite at Mt. Koashva, Khibiny alkaline pluton, Kola Peninsula, Russia, as pale pink octahedral crystals up to 2 mm in size within cavities in the natrolite core of pegmatite in association with amicite, sodalite, aegirine, pectolite, catapleiite, sitinakite, lemmleinite-K, and vinogradovite. The chemical composition determined with an electron microprobe is as follows, wt %: 31.53 K; 9.22 Na; 11.20 Al; 47.21 F; total is 99.16. The empirical formula is K_1.96Na_0.98Al_1.01F_6.05. The infrared spectrum is given. The crystal structure has been refined to R = 0.030, space group Fm m, a = 8.092 ?. The result of a special X-ray powder diffraction study confirmed the suggestion made by Morss (1974) that reflections violating space group Fm m in some published X-ray powder patterns of natural elpasolite are Kβ-lines. Original Russian Text ? I.V. Pekov, N.V. Chukanov, N.N. Kononkova, N.V. Zubkova, M.Kh. Rabadanov, D.Yu. Pushcharovsky, 2007, published in Zapiski Rossiiskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva, 2007, No. 6, pp. 76–84.     

Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonics and geodynamics of Altai, Tien Shan, and Northern Kazakhstan, from apatite fission-track data

Apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronological modeling as a diagnostic tool for periods of stability (peneplanation) and tectonic activity (orogeny) has been broadly used in tectonic studies of Central Asia in recent years. We discuss more than 100 AFT ages of samples from the Kyrgyz Tien Shan and Altai and compare them with AFT data from northern Kazakhstan. Geological, geomorphological, and AFT data indicate intense activity in the Late Cenozoic Eurasian continental interior. The impact from the India-Eurasia collision on the northern Tien Shan, Altai, and northern Kazakhstan regions showed up at 11, 5, and 3 Ma, respectively, as a result of stress propagation into the continent, with the ensuing reactivation and mountain growth. We hypothesize that a distant effect of the Late Cenozoic India-Eurasia collision was to rejuvenate Paleozoic fault zones and to deform the Mesozoic sedimentary cover north of the collision front as far as the West Siberian Plate. The reactivation facilitated formation of tectonic oil and gas traps. The activity in northern Central Asia under the effect of the Indian indentation into Eurasia appears to continue and may evolve to include uplift of southern West Siberian plate with uplift.     

Intrayear irregularities of the Earth’s rotation

The methods of celestial mechanics can be used to construct a mathematical model for the perturbed rotational motions of the deformable Earth that can adequately describe the astrometric measurements of the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS). This model describes the gravitational and tidal influences of the Sun and Moon. Fine resonant interactions of long-period zonal tides (annual, semiannual, monthly, and biweekly) with the diurnal and semidiurnal tides are revealed. These interactions can be reliably confirmed via a spectral analysis of the IERS data. Numerical modeling of tidal irregularities of the Earth’s axial rotation was carried out, focusing on the analysis and forecasting of variations of the day length occurring within short time intervals of a year or shorter (intrayear variations).     

MT Ser, a binary blue subdwarf

We have classified and determined the parameters of the evolved close binary MT Ser. Our moderate-resolution spectra covering various phases of the orbital period were taken with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. The spectra of MT Ser freed from the contribution of the surrounding nebula Abell 41 contained no emission lines due to the reflection effect. The radial velocities measured from lines of different elements showed them to be constant on a time scale corresponding to the orbital period. At the same time, we find effects of broadening for the HeII absorption lines, due to the orbital motion of two hot stars of similar types. As a result, we classify MT Ser as a system with two blue subdwarfs after the common-envelope stage. We estimate the component masses and the distance to the object from the Doppler broadening of the HeII lines. We demonstrate that the age of the ambient nebula, Abell 41, is about 35 000 years.     

DLG数据任意范围接边算法及实现

DLG数据接边在数据入库和数据更新中都有着非常重要的作用,当前在DLG数据接边方面研究的成果主要是基于图幅的接边,这种接边算法不够灵活,局限明显,难以满足接边范围不规则时数据接边的需要。提出一种任意范围接边的算法,并基于ArcEngine实现了相应的功能,该算法也适用于GIS数据入库时的批量图幅接边。     

地籍管理数据库特色研究

在总结目前地籍管理工作的基础上,较为详细地研究地籍管理工作中的基本管理特点,即城乡一体化地籍管理、地籍数据检查、时空地籍数据管理和基于Web Service的目录数据库管理.并利用ArcEngine组件,在.NET平台基础上,以广东省地籍管理数据库系统建设为例.实现了这些特色管理,它将对我国城乡一体化地籍数据库的建设具有一定的借鉴意义.     

土城住宅楼工程锚杆拉力监测及数值模拟分析

支护结构中锚杆的受力在一定程度上反映了作用在支护结构上的土压力大小.对锚杆受力进行原位监测,通过对数据进行研究、分析,可以了解土压力的大小和分布规律,这对于优化深基坑支护结构设计具有重要的实际意义.以某基坑工程为依托,对锚杆在张拉锁定及工作过程中的实际受力情况进行了全程监测,通过FLAC数值模拟分析,研讨了作用于支护结构上的土压力计算问题.     

Cambrian explosion: Birth of tree of animals

Excluding the sponges the Kingdom Animalia is usually divided into three subkingdoms: Diploblasta, Protostomia and Deuterostomia. The Cambrian Explosion consists of three major episodes, two of which were in the early Early Cambrian (one represented by the small skeletal fossils “SSFs” at the base of the Cambrian and the other represented by the succeeding Chengjiang faunas “CFs”), and the other episode as their prelude took place in the “Eocambrian” (i.e. the latest Precambrian), represented by the Ediacaran faunas. This unique Big Bang of life has been recognized as giving birth to the entire morphological Tree Of Animals (or metazoans), in short the TOA. Its “seed” in the deep Precambrian, represented by some sort of protist from which the complete TOA must have grown, remains unknown paleontologically. However, the fossil evidence suggests that the three major episodes of the Cambrian Explosion are responsible for the earliest radiations of the three subkingdoms of animals respectively. While the observed Ediacaran fauna might constitute only a small part of the whole Ediacaran biota, our evidence supports that it was dominated by diploblasts (the “trunk” of the TOA) with only a few possible stem-group triploblasts. The Early Cambrian in turn in two phases explosively yielded almost all the major triploblastic crown-branches (Bilateria: the huge “crown” of the TOA), which include the other two subkingdoms: first the extremely diverse protostomes in the Meishucunian Age and then followed by a nearly entire lineage of early deuterostomes from the Chengjiang, including even its most derived member – the earliest true vertebrates. Among the four most significant milestones of morphological origins and radiations in animal history, the first one (i.e. appearance of metazoans) took place in the Ediacaran Period or earlier times, and the other three can be seen in the windows available from the Chengjiang and the Meishucunian fossil assemblages. The newly discovered extinct Phylum Vetulicolia, which has primitively segmented body with simple gill slits in its anterior division, most probably represents one of the roots of the deuterostome subkingdom. Showing a mosaic of basic features possessed in both the bilateral vetulicolians and some primitive echinoderms, the soft-bodied vetulocystids are best regarded as one of the roots of the extant pentamerous echinoderms. Standing on the “top” of the deuterostome super-branch in the early Cambrian TOA are the “the first fish” Myllokunmingia and Haikouichthys, which bear paired eyes and salient proto-vertebrae. These animals represent the real root of the remainder of the vertebrates or craniates. On the contrary, yunnanozoans, including Yunnanozoon and Haikouella, possess neither eyes nor unequivocal vertebrae, and may have nothing to do with the craniates, let alone the vertebrates. Those enigmatic creatures share a similar body-plan with vetulicolians and should be treated as a side-branch within the lower deuterostomes.