H_2O Megamasers: Accretion Disks, Jet Interaction, Outflows or Massive Star Formation?

The 25 years following the serendipitous discovery of megamasers have seen tremendous progress in the study of luminous extragalactic H₂O emission. Single-dish monitoring and high-resolution interferometry have been used to identify sites of massive star formation, to study the interaction of nuclear jets with dense molecular gas and to investigate the circumnuclear environment of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Accretion disks with radii of 0.1–3 pc were mapped and masses of nuclear engines of order 10⁶–10⁸ M were determined. So far, 50 extragalactic H₂O maser sources have been detected, but few have been studied in detail.     

Spectral variation in the X-ray pulsar GX 1+4 during a low-flux episode

The X-ray pulsar GX 1+4 was observed with the RXTE satellite for a total of 51 ks between 1996 July 19 and 21. During this period the flux decreased smoothly from an initial mean level of ≈6×10³⁶ erg s⁻¹ to a minimum of ≈4×10³⁵ erg s⁻¹ (2–60 keV, assuming a source distance of 10 kpc) before partially recovering towards the initial level at the end of the observation.
BATSE pulse timing measurements indicate that a torque reversal took place approximately 10 d after this observation. Both the mean pulse profile and the photon spectrum varied significantly. The observed variation in the source may provide important clues as to the mechanism of torque reversals.
The single best-fitting spectral model was based on a component originating from thermal photons with kT ₀≈1 keV Comptonized by a plasma of temperature kT ≈7 keV. Both the flux modulation with phase during the brightest interval and the evolution of the mean spectra over the course of the observation are consistent with variations in this model component; with, in addition, a doubling of the column density n _H contributing to the mean spectral change.
A strong flare of duration ≲50 s was observed during the interval of minimum flux, with the peak flux ≈20 times the mean level. Although beaming effects are likely to mask the true variation in M ˙ thought to give rise to the flare, the timing of a modest increase in flux prior to the flare is consistent with dual episodes of accretion resulting from successive orbits of a locally dense patch of matter in the accretion disc.     

Extragalactic water masers, geometric estimation of H0, and characterization of dark energy

High precision estimation of the equation of state of dark energy depends on constraints external to analyses of Cosmic Microwave Background fluctuations. A geometric estimation of the local expansion rate, H₀, would provide the most direct and robust constraint. Traditional techniques to estimate H₀ have depended on observations of standard candles for which systematic effects can be 10% or more. Observations of water maser sources in the accretion disks that feed the central engines of active galaxies enable simplified, robust, and largely geometric analyses. Many thousand maser sources will be discovered in studies with the SKA, owing to its great sensitivity. Spectroscopic monitoring and interferometric mapping – with intercontinental baselines – will allow estimation of H₀ to 1% and possibly better.     

阿尔泰南缘早泥盆世康布铁堡组的SIMS锆石U-Pb年龄及其向东向北延伸的范围

麦兹火山-沉积盆地康布铁堡组的年龄及其东界,以及阿尔泰南缘早泥盆世火山活动往东往北延伸的范围仍然没有确定;康布铁堡组火山岩的源岩及其形成的构造环境还有待阐明。近年来在麦兹盆地东侧发现了萨吾斯铅锌矿床,矿床赋存于康布铁堡组火山岩,与别斯萨拉玢岩体密切有关。本研究对萨吾斯铅锌矿床的康布铁堡组流纹岩和别斯萨拉玢岩进行了SIMS锆石U-Pb定年以及主微量元素组成测定,以期回答上述问题。流纹岩锆石的18个靶点给出了一致的谐和年龄和加权平均年龄(401Ma);花岗闪长玢岩锆石的15个靶点给出了一致的谐和年龄和加权平均年龄(401Ma)。因此,萨吾斯铅锌矿床康布铁堡组流纹岩和别斯萨拉玢岩是同期喷发/侵入的;康布铁堡组火山活动的时代在早泥盆世;麦兹火山-沉积盆地的东界应抵达卡拉先格尔断裂西侧。在～400Ma时期,阿尔泰地区不仅存在着广泛的花岗岩类深成岩浆活动,也发生了强烈的酸性火山喷发,两者共同构成了阿尔泰南缘的大陆边缘岩浆弧。但是,火山喷发主要集中于阿尔泰南缘,受断裂控制。花岗闪长玢岩的一些锆石给出513.8Ma和3134Ma的U-Pb年龄,反映区内陆壳由寒武纪—奥陶纪岩石组成,并且还有前寒武纪微陆块。硅-碱、SiO_2-K_2O、logτ-logσ、SiO_2-FeO/(FeO+MgO)图以及构造环境判别图表明,萨吾斯铅锌矿床的流纹岩、凝灰岩、石英闪长玢岩-花岗闪长玢岩以及阿尔泰南缘早泥盆世康布铁堡组火山岩形成于活动大陆边缘或岛弧环境。康布铁堡组中下段细碧角斑岩在岛弧海底环境喷发,上段流纹岩喷发于大陆边缘环境。原始地幔标准化的多元素蛛网图表明,萨吾斯矿床的三类岩石具有明显的Nb、Ta、Ti和Sr、P、Ba负异常,显著富集Th、U、K、La、Ce、Pr、Zr、Hf。结合锆石U-Pb年龄,作者认为它们的源岩应以寒武纪-奥陶纪的岛弧岩石为主;同时,可能还含有一定比例的前寒武纪古老陆壳岩石。冲乎尔、克兰、麦兹三个火山-沉积盆地在所属构造单元、陆壳基底、火山岩岩石地球化学以及沉积岩的比例上都表现出系统变化,这些变异控制了阿尔泰南缘块状硫化物矿床从西部到中部到东部的成矿元素组合上的变化。     

Accretion column eclipses in the X-ray pulsars GX 1+4 and RX J0812.4−3114

Sharp dips observed in the pulse profiles of three X-ray pulsars (GX 1+4, RX J0812.4−3114 and A 0535+26) have previously been suggested to arise from partial eclipses of the emission region by the accretion column occurring once each rotation period. We present pulse-phase spectroscopy from Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite observations of GX 1+4 and RX J0812.4−3114, which for the first time confirms this interpretation. The dip phase corresponds to the closest approach of the column axis to the line of sight, and the additional optical depth of photons escaping from the column in this direction gives rise to both the decrease in flux and increase in the fitted optical depth measured at this phase. Analysis of the arrival time of individual dips in GX 1+4 provides the first measurement of azimuthal wandering of a neutron star accretion column. The column longitude varies stochastically with a standard deviation ranging between 2° and 6° depending on the source luminosity. Measurements of the phase width of the dip both from mean pulse profiles and from the individual eclipses demonstrate that the dip width is proportional to the flux. The variation is consistent with that expected if the azimuthal extent of the accretion column depends only upon the Keplerian velocity at the inner disc radius, which varies as a consequence of the accretion rate M˙ .     

CuNi-VTiFe复合型矿化镁铁-超镁铁杂岩体岩相学及岩石地球化学特征:以新疆北部为例

铜镍硫化物矿床和钒钛磁铁矿矿床是镁铁-超镁铁杂岩重要的矿床类型,但二者共生的情况在国内还不多见。新疆北部这类铜镍-钒钛铁复合型矿化岩体较为发育,目前已发现有香山、牛毛泉、土墩南和哈拉达拉等4个岩体属于此类。它们的成岩时代多集中在早二叠世,出露面积在2.8～22km~2,介于通道型铜镍矿化小岩体和大型层状岩体之间,韵律构造发育;岩石组合为超基性-基性-中性岩类,以出现浅色的闪长岩或淡色辉长岩为特点,岩石中金属矿物氧化物(钛铁矿、磁铁矿)和硫化物(黄铁矿、磁黄铁矿、黄铜矿,有时有镍黄铁矿)共存和共生;含矿岩石组合和岩石化学特征与典型铜镍硫化物矿床和钒钛磁铁矿矿床相比,具有重叠和过渡特征;稀土和微量元素特征反映出杂岩体不同岩石类型可能具有相同或相似岩浆来源,是经过强烈分异和演化的产物。新疆北部这类复合型矿化,与北疆地区典型铜镍矿床和典型钒钛磁铁矿矿床,共同构成了新疆北部后碰撞幔源岩浆矿床成矿谱系。     

与发射线区成协的类星体CIV吸收系统的研究(Ⅰ)样本

高红移活动星系核的环境是目前亟待研究的领域,与类星体发射线区成协的吸收线系统有可能被使用.为此我们对CIV成协吸收系统进行了统计研究.本文是系列文章的首篇,在本文中我们搜集了87年以前的全部、及87年以后的大部分中、高分辨率CIV吸收线光谱资料,给出了包含228个类星体的均匀无偏统计样本,该样本有CIV吸收线229条,系由228个类星体的所有534条吸收线中选出.此外,我们还定义了4个子样本.     

Reflection of Oblique Incident Waves by Breakwaters with Partially-Perforated Wall

The reflection of oblique incident waves from breakwaters with a partially-perforated front wall is investigated. The fluid domain is divided into two sub-domains and the eigenfunction expansion method is applied to expand velocity poten-tials in each domain. In the eigen-expansion of the velocity potential, evanescent waves are included. Numerical results of the present model are compared with experimental data. The effect of porosity, the relative chamber width, the relative water depth in the wave absorbing chamber and the water depth in front of the structure are discussed.     

A transient I-band excess in the optical spectrum of the accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658

The optical counterpart of the transient, millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658 was observed in four colours ( BVRI ) for five weeks during the 2005 June–July outburst. The optical fluxes declined by ∼2 mag during the first 16d and then commenced quasi-periodic secondary outbursts, with time-scales of several days, similar to those seen in 2000 and 2002. The broad-band spectra derived from these measurements were generally consistent with emission from an X-ray heated accretion disc. During the first 16d decline in intensity the spectrum became redder. We suggest that the primary outburst was initiated by a viscosity change driven instability in the inner disc and note the contrast with another accreting millisecond pulsar, XTE J0929−314, for which the spectrum becomes bluer during the decline. On the night of 2005 June 5 (HJD 245 3527) the I -band flux was ∼0.45-mag brighter than on the preceding or following nights whereas the BV and R bands showed no obvious enhancement. A type I X-ray burst was detected by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer spacecraft during this I -band integration. It seems unlikely that reprocessed radiation from the burst was sufficient to explain the observed increase. We suggest that a major part of the I -band excess was due to synchrotron emission triggered by the X-ray burst. Several other significant short duration changes in V − I were detected. One occurred at about HJD 245 3546 in the early phase of the first secondary outburst and may be due to mass-transfer instability or to another synchrotron emission event.