Variability of the Fe K line relativistic component in a sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies

We present the analysis of X‐ray spectral variability made on a sample of 7 Seyfert 1 bright galaxies, using XMM‐Newton data. From the “XMM‐Newton Science Archive” we selected those bright Seyfert 1 showing one or more prominent flares in their 2–10 keV light curves. For each of them we extracted spectra in 3 different time intervals: before, during and after the flare. We fitted them with a simple power law and then shifted a narrow emission and absorption line template across the 2.5–10 keV data, in order to investigate the presence of line‐like features with a confidence level greater than 99%. Some highly significant features were detected in 3 out of 7 sources studied. In particular, the 3 sources, namely PG 1211+143, NGC 4051 and NGC 3783, showed the presence of a variable emission feature in the 4.5–5.8 keV band, characterized by an increase of its intensity after the flare peak. Because of the observed variability pattern, this feature seems to be ascribable to a reverbered redshifted relativistic component of the Fe K line. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental test of a radiative transfer model of the optical effects of space weathering

We compare laboratory measurements of the optical effects of nanophase iron on near-IR reflectance spectra of transparent silica gel infused with small iron particles [Noble, S.K., Pieters, C.M., Keller, L.P., 2007. Icarus 192, 629-642] with a radiative transfer model of the process [Hapke, B., 2001. J. Geophys. Res. 106 (E5), 10039-10074]. We find that the measurements exhibit reddening and darkening effects of nanophase (<50 nm) iron particles, a darkening effect of somewhat larger particles (>50 nm) and mixing effects of silica gel particles of varying total iron abundance. The radiative transfer model reproduces the effects of nanophase iron within the experimental uncertainties.     

An analysis of 1983 observations of facular contrast with an extreme limb photometer

Analysis of facular contrast I/I _qs from Extreme Limb Photometer (ELP) data of the summer of 1983 yield a mean contrast of 0.91 ± 0.19% and 1.57 ± 0.16% for apertures 1 and 2 located at = 0.198 and at = 0.111, respectively. The ratio of the mean contrast in the outer aperture (closer to the limb) to that of the inner one is 1.71 ± 0.40, indicating an increase in the mean facular contrast toward the limb. This result is in agreement with observations made in 1975, 1979, and 1982. The errors are dominated by the random presence of solar active regions. The combined results from all seasons follow an approximately ^–1 curve. Facular excess solar oblateness signals for 1983 are 33.8 ± 6.6 arc ms and 16.5 ± 2.1 arc ms for ELP apertures 1 and 2, respectively, in reasonable agreement with the 1983 excess solar oblateness results of Dicke, Kuhn, and Libbrecht (1985).     

The lack of chemical separation during the diffusion of gas into solar magnetic tubes

At a temperature well above T _min, so that hydrogen is mainly ionized and diffuses negligibly into magnetic tubes, helium can still be mainly neutral so that chemical differentiation could occur. Calculation shows that the rate is too small to acccount for variations in chemical abundance found in the solar wind.     

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF MAJOR ELEMENTS AND HEAVY TRACE METALS IN CHONDRITES PARAMBÙ AND MARILIA

The chemical composition of the newly observed fallen chondrites Parambù, 1967, and Marilia, 1971, was determined. Wet chemical methods were used for major elements analyses and the abundances of heavy trace elements from tungsten to uranium were determined by spark source mass spectrometry. The chemical composition confirmed the classification of Marilia as an H-group chondrite by Avanzo et al. (1973): Parambù was classified as an LL-group chondrite.     

A study to discriminate local,urban and regional source contributions to the particulate matter concentrations in the city of Dresden,Germany

The fractions of local traffic (LT), urban background (UBG) and regional background (RBG) of the particle pollution at a traffic-influenced kerbside in Dresden, Germany, were determined by measurements of size-segregated mass concentration, chemical composition and particle size distributions in a network of five measurement stations partly existing and partly set up for this study. Besides the kerbside station, one urban background site and three rural sites were included in the study. Using data from these different sites, the LT, UBG, and RBG contributions were calculated, following the approach of Lenschow et al. (2001). At the kerbside site, 19% of the total number concentration (Dp_St = 10–600 nm) could be attributed to the RBG, 15% to the UBG, and 66% to the LT immediately nearby. Particle mass concentrations up to Dp_aer = 420 nm RBG amounts to 68%, UBG to 21%, and LT only to 11%. Highest mass concentrations were observed at all stations in autumn and winter during easterly inflow directions. The local traffic fraction of PM₁₀ mass at the kerbside station was found to be 30% for westerly inflow, but only 7% for southeasterly inflow due to the dominating transport fraction from up to 80% of the particle mass at this inflow direction. Size-resolved investigation showed the main fractions in both the particle size ranges of Dp_aer = 0.42 to 1.2 and 0.14 to 0.42 μm at all stations. The main components sulphate, ammonium and total carbon showed higher concentrations at south-eastern/eastern inflow in autumn at all stations, while nitrate at the kerbside and urban background site was higher during westerly inflow in winter. The chemical composition at the regional background site at westerly inflow (12% nitrate, 8% sulphate, 11% total carbon) was significantly different from that at easterly inflow (3% nitrate, 15% sulphate, 22% total carbon). The prevailing part of the ionic mass was always found in the fine particle range of Dp_aer = 0.14 to 1.2 μm at all stations. For all inflow directions highest total carbon concentrations were observed at the kerbside station, especially in the ultra-fine size range of Dp_aer = 0.05 to 0.14 μm with up to 30% of the whole carbon. PAH concentrations were always higher at south-eastern/eastern inflow especially during wintertime. Trace metal components and silicon were found mainly in the coarse mode fraction at the kerbside resulting from abrasion or resuspension.     

Optical polarization of the Crab pulsar: precision measurements and comparison to the radio emission

The linear polarization of the Crab pulsar and its close environment was derived from observations with the high-speed photopolarimeter Optical Pulsar TIMing Analyser at the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope in the optical spectral range (400–750 nm). Time resolution as short as 11 μs, which corresponds to a phase interval of 1/3000 of the pulsar rotation, and high statistics allow the derivation of polarization details never achieved before. The degree of optical polarization and the position angle correlate in surprising details with the light curves at optical wavelengths and at radio frequencies of 610 and 1400 MHz. Our observations show that there exists a subtle connection between presumed non-coherent (optical) and coherent (radio) emissions. This finding supports previously detected correlations between the optical intensity of the Crab and the occurrence of giant radio pulses. Interpretation of our observations requires more elaborate theoretical models than those currently available in the literature.     

Spectroscopy of solar prominences from space and ground

Two quiescent solar prominences were observed in July 2000 from SUMER aboard SOHO and from the two German solar telescopes at Tenerife. Two‐dimensional images taken at the VTT simultaneously in the spectral lines Hβ at 4862 Å and Ca II at 8542 Å show no significant spatial variation of their pressure‐sensitive emission ratio. Slit spectra of the Ca II 8542 Å and He I 10830 Å lines obtained at the Gregory‐Coudé telescope yield 8000 K < T_kin < 9000 K and 3 km/s < V_n–th < 8 km/s. Among the various spectral ranges observed with SUMER, we first investigate the Lyman emission lines, which were fitted by Gaussians yielding reliable spectral radiances and line widths for the series members 5 < k < 18. A determination of the level population gives for the lower series members a Boltzmann temperature of 60 000 K, the higher members being over‐populated. This temperature indicates an origin of the Lyman lines from hot surroundings of the cool prominence body seen in the ground‐based data; this also holds for the ‘hotter’ SUMER lines.