Estimates of AGN Black Hole Mass and Minimum Variability Timescale

Black hole mass is one of the fundamental physical parameters of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), for which many methods of estimation have been proposed. One set of methods assumes that the broad-line region (BLR) is gravitationally bound by the central black hole potential, so the black hole mass can be estimated from the orbital radius and the Doppler velocity. Another set of methods assumes the observed variability timescale is determined by the orbital timescale near the innermost stable orbit around the Schwarzschild black hole or the Kerr black hole, or by the characteristic timescale of the accretion disk. We collect a sample of 21 AGNs, for which the minimum variability timescales have been obtained and their black hole masses (Mσ) have been well estimated from the stellar velocity dispersion or the BLR size-luminosity relation. Using the minimum variability timescales we estimated the black hole masses for 21 objects by the three different methods, the results are denoted by Ms, Mk and Md, respectively. We compared each of them with Mσindividually and found that: (1) using the minimum variability timescale with the Kerr black hole theory leads to small differences between Mσand Mk, none exceeding one order of magnitude, and the mean difference between them is about 0.53 dex; (2) using the minimum variability timescale with the Schwarzschild black hole theory leads to somewhat larger difference between Mσand Ms: larger than one order of magnitude for 6 of the 21 sources, and the mean difference is 0.74 dex; (3) using the minimum variability timescale with the accretion disk theory leads to much larger differences between Mσand Md, for 13 of the 21 sources the differences are larger than two orders of magnitude; and the mean difference is as high as about 2.01 dex.     

Precise Synchrotron Radiation Spectrum of Fast-cooling Electrons and the Prompt GRB Emission

It is generally believed that the synchrotron radiation of electrons from the internal shock is the main radiation mechanism of the prompt GRB (gamma-ray burst) emission. However, what this model predicts can not explain observations well. In this paper, we confirm that electrons are quickly cooled due to radiation losses and also point out that the synchrotron radiation spectrum presented in previous papers is a relatively rough estimation. We get the precise synchrotron radiation spectrum of fast-cooling electrons by carrying out a numerical calculation, and thereby reasonably explain the observed distribution of low-energy spectral index (α) of long GRBs based on a unified model. In addition, we fit the correlation between α and the peak energy of the νFν spectrum (E_p).     

Star forming activities in W75N and DR21 – Are the two regions in collision?

We have observed the massive star formation region W75N in ¹²CO J = 3 ? 2 with KOSMA. The profile of ¹²CO J = 3 ? 2 indicated that besides the 9 km s^?1 component, there is another component of ?3 km s^?1, which is associated with another star formation region, DR21N, located to the north of DR21. We derived the physical and dynamical parameters of the core and high velocity gas associated with the two components separately. Star forming activities were investigated, including outflows and infall analysis. The two regions overlap in space and are not connected in velocity. We found that the cloud–cloud collision scenario may not apply for the DR21/W75N case.     

云南天文台基本天体测量工作的发展

介绍了云南天文台天体测量工作的发展过程，论述了在空间时代地面光学基本天体测量的必要性和应具备的条件，并且叙述了在新的要求和条件下，地面光学基本天体测量工作应该发挥的作用和广阔的发展前景。     

茂名地区海雾含水量的演变特征及其与大气水平能见度的关系

2008年3月16—19日,在广东茂名博贺海洋气象科学试验基地,利用美国DMT公司生产的FM-100型雾滴谱仪,连续观测了海雾的雾滴谱、数浓度等微物理量。在此基础上分析了海雾液态含水量的演变特征,并结合同期的气象观测与分析数据,进行了海雾中低能见度成因的天气学分析。研究表明,海雾发展过程中含水量有着上下起伏变化的特点;直径10μm以上雾滴的增多是含水量增大的主要原因;随着含水量的增大,雾滴谱分布有向大雾滴方向增宽的趋势,其峰值高度也不断增大。在相同的含水量区间,不同的大气能见度样本表现出明显不同的谱分布特征;在相同高数浓度区间的情况下,导致大气能见度降低的主要原因是含水量的增大。而海雾过程中低能见度的出现,是众多天气因素共同影响的结果:地面天气图上的均压场范围更大,大气低空及地面风速小,大气低层处于弱不稳定状态,以及高湿度层主要在近地层等等。     

软悬挂状态下隔水管动力特性分析

建立了软悬挂状态下隔水管动力分析模型,采用有限单元法对模型进行离散,结合Newmark-β法对动态方程求解,并对模型进行验证,最后选取南海某口深水井实际参数,对软悬挂状态下隔水管动力特性进行分析。研究结果表明:软悬挂状态下隔水管底端横向位移最大,顶部铰接处弯矩最大。软悬挂状态下,隔水管横向位移与弯矩随着海底隔水管总成(LMRP)重量增加而减小,随着平台运动速度、平台航向与海流方向夹角增大而增大;回收隔水管减小悬挂长度有利于减小最大横向位移,但会造成弯矩轻微增加;采用旋转刚度适当较大的挠性接头则有利于减小隔水管挠性接头以下整体位移与弯矩。研究成果为钻井平台避台撤离时隔水管的安全提供理论指导。     

湖相介形类壳体微量元素在古环境重建中的应用

湖相介形类壳体微量元素（本文主要指Mg和Sr）是重建古环境的重要指标之一,可以定性或定量地反映湖水信息。自20世纪80年开始应用以来,经过30余年的发展取得了很大进展。在古环境重建过程中主要存在两类影响因素：（1）其宿生水体中M/Ca比值（M主要指Mg和Sr）的影响因素：季节变化、微环境差异和湖泊演化过程,这类因素通过对宿生水体中M/Ca比值来影响介形虫壳体中的M/Ca比值,进而造成古环境重建结果的误差增大或可靠性降低;（2）介形类壳体微量元素分配系数的影响因素：宿生水体中M/Ca比值、温度、碱度等,这类因素能够直接影响介形类壳体分泌、钙化的生命-化学过程的因素,是定量重建的重要影响因素。加强现代介形类生活习性和微量元素组成变化过程的研究可以消除或减小以上影响因素对古环境重建的影响,提高介形类壳体化石中微量元素组成在古环境重建研究中的精度和可靠性。     

Last glacial terrestrial vegetation record of leaf wax n-alkanols in the northern South China Sea: Contrast to scenarios from long-chain n-alkanes

Long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes in core sediments from the northern South China Sea (SCS) were measured to make a comparison during terrestrial vegetation reconstruction from ~42 ka to ~7 ka. The results showed that terrestrial vegetation record from long-chain n-alkanes matched well with previous studies in nearby cores, showing that more C₄ plants developed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and C₃ plants dominated in the interglacial period. However, these scenarios were not revealed by terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanols, which showed C₃ plant expansion during the LGM. The discrepancy during the interglacial period could be attributed to the aerobic degradation of functionalized long-chain n-alkanols in the oxygen-rich bottom water, resulting in poor preservation of terrestrial vegetation signals. On the other hand, the different advantages of functionalized n-alkanols and non-functional n-alkanes to record local and distal vegetation signals, respectively, may offer a potential explanation for the contradiction during the LGM when the SCS was characterized by low-oxygen deep water. Nevertheless, large variations on n-alkyl lipid compositions in C₃/C₄ plants could play a part in modulating sedimentary long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes toward different vegetation signals, thereby suggesting that caution must be taken in respect to the terrestrial vegetation reconstruction using long-chain n-alkanes and long-chain n-alkanols.