Near-field effects of Cherenkov radiation induced by ultra high energy cosmic neutrinos

The radio approach based on the Askaryan effect for detecting the ultra-high energy cosmic neutrinos has become a mature experimental technique. So far the existing calculations of the Cherenkov radiation associated with the Askaryan effect has been mostly based on the far-field approximation, whose validity maybe challenged when the detector is close to the event. In this paper we present an alternative approach to calculate the Cherenkov pulse by a numerical code based on the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) method. This approach has the advantage of providing the solution everywhere in space, contrary to other methods that rely on the far-field approximation. We also present a one-dimensional theoretical model for the shower with analytical solution, which helps to elucidate our nonzero-width simulation results. We show that for a shower with symmetric longitudinal development, the resulting near-field waveform would be asymmetric in time. In addition, we demonstrate that for a shower elongated by the LPM (Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal) effect and thus with a multi-peak structure, a bipolar, asymmetric waveform is still preserved in the near-field regime irrespective of the specific variations of the multi-peak structure, which makes it a generic, distinctive feature. This should provide an important characteristic signature for the identification of ultra-high energy cosmogenic neutrinos.     

二维梯形沉积盆地放大效应的数值模拟研究

盆地效应作为场地效应的一种特殊类型,其对地震动的影响仍在持续研究当中。建立二维梯形沉积盆地模型,模型边界采用透射人工边界,利用显式有限元法作为求解方法。根据Buckingham提出的π定理定义了多个影响盆地效应的无量纲参数,包括盆地深宽比、介质波速比、盆地深度与入射波长之比、盆地开口宽度与入射波长之比。以Ricker子波作为输入波,研究SH波垂直入射盆地模型时,以上无量纲参数对盆地放大效应的影响。研究发现盆地深宽比越大盆地诱发的聚焦效应越明显,盆地深宽比越小盆地边缘效应越明显。在盆地的深宽比和入射波确定时,随着盆地开口宽度与入射波长之比不断增大盆地的最值放大系数逐渐从盆地中心移向盆地边缘,表现出越来越明显的边缘放大效应。其中波速比差异对放大系数的影响最大,波速比差异越大介质的波阻抗比越大,放大效应越显著。通过将影响盆地放大效应的参数无量纲化,使梯形盆地对地震动放大效应的研究的结论更具有普遍意义。     

消光法反演腾格里沙漠地区沙尘气溶胶谱分布

对腾格里沙漠4～9月份的整层大气气溶胶的光学遥感观测结果进行了分析。结果表明,由于消光因子对大粒径粒子消光效应的不敏感性,决定了消光法仅可较好地反演粒径在0.1～5μm之间的气溶胶谱分布特征,特别是对0.1～1μm的大粒子谱分布的反演结果更为稳定;腾格里沙漠气溶胶粒度谱分布基本符合Junge谱;浮尘天气的谱分布同干洁晴好天气的谱分布有着很大的差异,浮尘天气下粒径在0.1～1.0μm的大粒子以及粒径>1.0μm的巨粒子数有明显的增加,浓度要比干洁天气下的大几个量级。在干洁晴好天气下,腾格里沙漠的气溶胶是均一的、稳定的,而且>1μm的大粒子浓度很小;气溶胶的谱分布几乎是一致的,谱形大致为Junge谱,在粒度0.4～1.0μm范围内有一明显峰值。     

封闭条件下抛石路堤降温效果及机理的试验研究

在多年冻土地区道路工程的修筑与维护中, 如何保证多年冻土不退化所采取措施的长期可靠度问题日益为人们所关注. 通过室内试验研究了实际工程中半开放半封闭抛石路堤受到风沙或积雪填埋后,在不同温度变幅条件下的降温效果. 实验结果发现: 在满足一定厚度时, 封闭条件下的块石层仍具有良好的降温效果, 具有可变等效导热系数的特性, 在实验中充分体现了"热二极管效应". 在外界温度变幅较大的条件下, 降温速度和降温效率均大于温度变幅较小的情况. 通过对块石层顶底温差与其顶部温度变化关系, 以及块石层内温度场特征的分析, 证实了封闭块石层内自然对流的真实存在和对流的运动发展趋势. 试验结果为抛石路堤降温的长期可靠性提供了依据.     

The brightness of the galactic radio loops at 1420 MHz: Some indications for the existence of Loops V and VI

In this article we use 1420 MHz data to demonstrate the likely reality of Galactic radio Loops V and VI. We further estimate distances and spectral indices for both these and the four main radio loops. In the cases of Loops I–IV, radio spectral indices are calculated from the mean brightnesses at 1420 and 820/404 MHz. The spectral indices of Loops V and VI are obtained from T –T plots between 1420 and 408 MHz. Using the supernova remnant (SNR) hypothesis for the origin of radio loops, distances are calculated from the surface brightnesses and the angular diameters at 1420 MHz. We also study how results for brightnesses and distances of radio loops agree with current theories of SNR evolution. For this purpose, the ambient density and initial explosion energy of the loops are discussed. We also discuss applications of different Σ–D relations. The results obtained confirm a non‐thermal origin and nearby locations for the Galactic radio loops. Therefore, we have indications that they are very old SNRs that evolve in low ambient densities, with high initial explosion energies. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The nature of the hard state of Cygnus X-3

The X-ray binary Cygnus X-3 (Cyg X-3) is a highly variable X-ray source that displays a wide range of observed spectral states. One of the main states is significantly harder than the others, peaking at ∼20 keV, with only a weak low-energy component. Due to the enigmatic nature of this object, hidden inside the strong stellar wind of its Wolf–Rayet companion, it has remained unclear whether this state represents an intrinsic hard state, with truncation of the inner disc, or whether it is just a result of increased local absorption. We study the X-ray light curves from RXTE /ASM and CGRO /BATSE in terms of distributions and correlations of flux and hardness and find several signs of a bimodal behaviour of the accretion flow that are not likely to be the result of increased absorption in a surrounding medium. Using INTEGRAL observations, we model the broad-band spectrum of Cyg X-3 in its apparent hard state. We find that it can be well described by a model of a hard state with a truncated disc, despite the low cut-off energy, provided the accreted power is supplied to the electrons in the inner flow in the form of acceleration rather than thermal heating, resulting in a hybrid electron distribution and a spectrum with a significant contribution from non-thermal Comptonization, usually observed only in soft states. The high luminosity of this non-thermal hard state implies that either the transition takes place at significantly higher   L / L _E  than in the usual advection models, or the mass of the compact object is  ≳20 M_⊙  , possibly making it the most-massive black hole observed in an X-ray binary in our Galaxy so far. We find that an absorption model as well as a model of almost pure Compton reflection also fit the data well, but both have difficulties explaining other results, in particular the radio/X-ray correlation.     

High-energy afterglow emission from gamma-ray bursts

We calculate the very high-energy (sub-GeV to TeV) inverse Compton emission of GRB afterglows. We argue that this emission provides a powerful test of the currently accepted afterglow model. We focus on two processes: synchrotron self-Compton emission within the afterglow blast wave, and external inverse Compton emission which occurs when flare photons (produced by an internal process) pass through the blast wave. We show that if our current interpretations of the Swift X-ray telescope (XRT) data are correct, there should be a canonical high-energy afterglow emission light curve. Our predictions can be tested with high-energy observatories such as GLAST , Whipple, HESS and MAGIC. Under favourable conditions we expect afterglow detections in all these detectors.