Discovery of the Most X-ray Luminous Quasar SRGE J170245.3+130104 at Redshift $$\boldsymbol{z\approx 5.5}$$

Astronomy Letters - During the first all-sky survey of the SRG orbital observatory, the X-ray source SRGE J170245.3+130104 was discovered with the eROSITA telescope on March 13–15, 2020. Its...     

On the possibility of crater formation associated with an ascending plume

A hypothetical possibility of a qualitative explanation of large crater formation on the surfaces of the Moon and Mercury is discussed in terms of the concept of thermal mantle plumes. Prerequisites to this hypothesis are revealed under the assumption that the model equation of state of SiO₂ exhibiting an anomaly (a negative coefficient of thermal expansion) in the range of states approximately corresponding to average conditions typical of mantles of minor planets is applicable, in a first approximation, to mantle material. The anomaly reduces the buoyancy of hot plume material in such a way that, under conditions of moderate overheating, only relatively high columns comparable in size to the mantle are capable of ascending from the mantle bottom to the crust; allows cold peripheral material surrounding the hot column to be pushed away; causes compaction of the vertical zone of the contact of the column with the surrounding medium at the first stages after the plume ascent; and leads to compaction of the deep mantle due to the long-term heat supply. Such phenomena can lead to vertical craterlike deformations of the crust in areas of ascending large plumes whose presence can be supposed at early stages of the existence of minor planets. Significant implications of such an anomaly for geophysical processes can also be postulated.     

Variability of the Baltic Sea level and floods in the Gulf of Finland

The statistical analysis of the long-term data on the variability of the Baltic Sea level has revealed the complicated character of the wave field structure. The wave field formed by the variable winds and the disturbances of the atmospheric pressure in the Baltic Sea is a superposition of standing oscillations with random phases. The cross spectral analysis of the synchronous observation series of the level in the Gulf of Finland has shown that the nodal lines of the standing dilatational waves are clearly traced with frequencies corresponding to the distance from the nodal line to the top of the gulf (a quarter of the wave length). Several areas of the water basin with clearly expressed resonant properties may be distinguished: the Gulfs of Finland, Riga, and Bothnia, Neva Bay, etc. The estimations of the statistical correlation of the sea level oscillations with the variation of the wind and atmospheric pressure indicate the dominant role of the zonal wind component during the formation of the floods in the Gulf of Finland. The probable reason for the extreme floods in St. Petersburg may be the resonance rocking of the eigenmode oscillations corresponding to the basic fundamental seiche mode of the Gulf of Finland with a period of 27 h when the repeated atmospheric disturbances in the Baltic Sea occur with a period of 1–2 days.     

Tidal oscillations in the Caspian Sea

Long-term hourly data from 12 tide gauge stations were used to examine the character of tidal oscillations in the Caspian Sea. Diurnal and semidiurnal tidal peaks are well-defined in sea level spectra in the Middle and South Caspian basins. High-resolution spectral analysis revealed that the diurnal sea level oscillations in the Middle Caspian Basin have a gravitational origin, while those in the South Caspian Basin are mainly caused by radiational effects: the amplitude of diurnal radiational harmonic S₁ is much higher than those of gravitational harmonics О₁, P₁, and K₁. In the North Caspian Basin, there are no gravitational tides and only weak radiational tides are observed. A semidiurnal type of tide is predominant in the Middle and South Caspian basins. Harmonic analysis of the tides for individual annual series with subsequent vector averaging over the entire observational period was applied to estimate the mean amplitudes and phases of major tidal constituents. The amplitude of the M₂ harmonic reaches 5.4 cm in the South Caspian Basin (at Aladga). A maximum tidal range of 21 cm was found at the Aladga station in the southeastern part of the Caspian Sea, whereas the tidal range in the western part of the South Caspian Basin varies from 5 to 10 cm.     

Water Structure in the Bransfield Strait (Antarctica) in January 2020: Hydrophysical,Optical, and Hydrochemical Features

Oceanology - Abiotic characteristics of the waters in the Bransfield Strait were studied in a section from the South Shetland Islands to the Antarctic Peninsula. The Bransfield Current was recorded...     

New edition of the catalogue of short-period comets

The Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in St. Petersburg and the Astronomical Institute in Bratislava are preparing a new edition of the Catalogue of short-period comets. This edition will be supplemented by short-period comets discovered after the year 1983 and comprises some new features, e. g. the evolution of orbital elements between the years 1750 and 2050, and the perihelion passages of comets within the 1994–2050 years. A new method has been employed for the determination of nongravitational parameters from the osculating elements of a comet based on all its observed returns.The method has been tested on the comets P/Comas Solá and P/Forbes with all returns, except the last one. The results have been compared with the osculating elements of the last return and those used in the old edition of the Catalogue of short-period comets. The new method enables a good prediction of osculating elements for the future, at least for the next return.     

Radar observations of the asteroid 2011 UW158

In July 2015 intercontinental bistatic radar observations of the potentially dangerous asteroid 2011 UW158 during its close approach to the Earth were carried out. The asteroid was illuminated at a frequency of 8.4 GHz with the 70-m DSS-14 antenna of the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, while the signal reflected from the asteroid was received with the 32-m radio telescopes of the Quasar VLBI network at the Zelenchukskaya and Badary Observatories. The spectra of the reflected radio signals were obtained. The sizes and rotation period of the asteroid consistent with photometric observations and the ratio of the powers of the reflected signals with left- and right-hand circular polarizations were determined. The derived values suggest that the asteroid has an inhomogeneous surface and a prolate shape. The observations of the Doppler shift of the reflected signal frequency were obtained, which allowed the orbital parameters of the asteroid to be improved.