Polynomial approximation of Poincaré maps for hamiltonian systems

Different methods are proposed and tested for transforming a nonlinear differential system, and more particularly a hamiltonian one, into a map without having to integrate the whole orbit as in the well known Poincaré map technique. We construct piecewise polynomial maps by coarse-graining the phase surface of section into parallelograms using values of the Poincaré maps at the vertices to define a polynomial approximation within each cell. The numerical experiments are in good agreement with the standard map taken as a model problem. The agreement is better when the number of vertices and the order of the polynomial fit increase. The synthetic mapping obtained is not symplectic even if at vertices there is an exact interpolation. We introduce a second new method based on a global fitting . The polynomials are obtained using at once all the vertices and fitting by least square polynomes but in such a way that the symplectic character is not lost.     

Electron Excitation Rates in the Solar Corona for non-Maxwellian Electron Distributions

The influence of electron non-Maxwellian distributions (power and -distribution) on the electron excitation rate in the solar corona is demonstrated. It is shown that the deviations in electron excitation rate are sufficient to affect intensities of spectral lines. As an example the diagnostics of a power-law distribution are demonstrated for a simplified calculation of the resonance lines of Fexxiv, Fexxv and Fexxvi. The results can be used in diagnosing solar flare plasmas, where the deviations of the electron distribution from a Maxwellian distribution can be large.     

Kinematics of gas and stars in circumnuclear star-forming regions of early-type spirals

We present high-resolution (R～20,000) spectra in the blue and the far red of circumnuclear star-forming regions (CNSFRs) in three early-type spirals (NGC3351, NGC2903 and NGC3310), which have allowed the study of the kinematics of the stars and the ionized gas in these structures and, for the first time, the derivation of their dynamical masses for the first two. In some cases, these regions, about 100 to 150 pc in size, are composed of several individual star clusters with sizes between 1.5 and 4.9 pc, estimated from Hubble Space Telescope images. The stellar dispersions have been obtained from the Calcium triplet (CaT) lines at λ λ 8494, 8542, 8662 Å, while the gas velocity dispersions have been measured by means of Gaussian fits to the Hβ and [Oiii]λ 5007 Å lines in the high-dispersion spectra. Values of the stellar velocity dispersions are between 30 and 68 km?s^?1. We apply the virial theorem to estimate dynamical masses of the clusters, assuming that systems are gravitationally bounded and spherically symmetric, and using previously measured sizes. The measured values of the stellar velocity dispersions yield dynamical masses of the order of 10⁷ to 10⁸ M_⊙ for the entire CNSFRs. Stellar and gas velocity dispersions are found to differ by about 20 to 30 km?s^?1, with the Hβ emission lines being narrower than both the stellar lines and the [Oiii]λ 5007 Å lines. The douby-ionized oxygen, on the other hand, exhibits velocity dispersions comparable to those of the stars or, in some cases, even larger. We have found indications of the presence of two different kinematical components in the ionized gas of the regions. We have mapped the velocity field in the central kpc of the spiral galaxies NGC3351 and NGC2903. For the first object, the radial velocity curve shows deviations from circular motions for the ionized hydrogen consistent with its infall towards the central regions of the galaxy, at a velocity of about 25 km?s^?1. For NGC3310, we present preliminary results for the velocity dispersions for one of the two observed slit position angles, two CNSFRs and the nucleus.     

Kinematics and Stellar Populations of Seyfert Galaxies

We have analyzed high signal-to-noise spectra of 10 active galaxies in order to investigate the stellar populations of these objects and the kinematics of the gas and stars in their nuclei. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Glacier changes in the Tien Shan as determined from topographic and remotely sensed data

This research presents a precise evaluation of the Tien Shan glacier's recession based on data of geodetic surveys 1861–1869, aerial photographs from 1943, 1963, 1977, 1981, 1:25,000 scale topographic maps, SRTM, and ASTER data from 2000/2003 for the Akshiirak glacierized massif in the central Tien Shan with 178 glaciers covering 317.6 km², and for the Ala Archa glacier basin in the northern Tien Shan with 48 glaciers covering 36.31 km².The Tien Shan glaciers retreated as much as 3 km from the 1860s to 2003. From 1943 to 1977, Akshiirak and Ala Archa shrunk 4.2% and 5.1% respectively, and from 1977 to 2003 the area shrunk 8.6% and 10.6%, respectively. The volume of the Akshiirak glaciers was reduced by 3.566 km³ from 1943 to 1977 and 6.147 km³ from 1977 to 2000.The total reduction of the Tien Shan glacier is 14.2% during the last 60 yr. The northern and central Tien Shan have not experienced a significant increase of precipitation during the last 100 yr, but they have experienced an increase in summer air temperatures, especially observable since the 1970s, which caused an acceleration of the Tien Shan glaciers recession.     

Synthetic Spectra of the Fe VIII – Fe XVI Emission Lines for Electron Non-Thermal Distributions

A certain class of non-thermal electron distributions can exhibit more mono-energetic shape and a higher peak than the Maxwellian distribution. This type of electron distribution can be observed mainly in flaring plasmas. We have studied the influence of this kind of electron energy distribution on the excitation equilibrium of Fe VIII – Fe XVI in the solar corona. The changes in synthetic spectra of the emission lines belonging to these ions due to this non-thermal distribution are shown. The possibilities of finding the shape of the energy distribution function of electrons from the Fe line ratios are also discussed. The results can be used for diagnostics of coronal plasmas where the deviations of particle energy distributions from the Maxwellian one can be significant.     

Early Norian flora from Partizansk River Basin of Primorye, Russia

An early Norian flora from the Partizansk River Basin of Primorye, Far-East of Russia, is described in detail for the first time, in which over 25 taxa are reported. The flora is dominated by cycadoalean, bennettitalean and coniferous plants, associated with a lot of ferns and czekanowskialean plants, and with a few ginkgoalean. In floristic characteristics, the flora can be well comparable with Late Triassic Mongugai flora of southwestern Primorye and its neighboring Tianqiaoling flora of eastern Jilin, China, as well with the Yamanoi and Nariwa floras from southwestern Japan. As the plant-bearing strata are sandwiched in the lower Norian marine beds yielding marine fauna, the age of the Partizansk flora is well evidenced as the early Norian. Paleophytogeographically, the flora appears to be in the ecotone of the Medio-Triassic and Arcto-Triassic floristic regions in Eurasia, and indicates probably warm temperate or subtropic vegetation in nature. Four new species are reported in this paper, including Ctenis elegantus sp. nov, Ixostrobus pacificus sp. nov., Elatocladus elegantus sp. nov. and E. prynadae sp. nov.     

Coverage of Mars by Probes Slightly Off the Areostationary Orbit

This paper aims at investigating the feasibility of gaining complete and continuous coverage of an extended equatorial belt of Mars, under the effects of orbital perturbations. The problem could be solved by considering a minimum number of three probes, which move slightly off the Martian Areostationary Orbit. The proposed configurations allow the achievement of the goal without entailing corrective manoeuvres and presenting only a longitudinal motion with respect to the surface of Mars.