γ-rays from binary system with energetic pulsar and Be star with aspherical wind: PSR B1259−63/SS2883

At least one massive binary system containing an energetic pulsar, PSR B1259−63/SS2883, has been recently detected in the TeV γ-rays by the HESS telescopes. These γ-rays are likely produced by particles accelerated in the vicinity of the pulsar and/or at the pulsar wind shock, in comptonization of soft radiation from the massive star. However, the process of γ-ray production in such systems can be quite complicated due to the anisotropy of the radiation field, complex structure of the pulsar wind termination shock and possible absorption of produced γ-rays which might initiate leptonic cascades. In this paper, we consider in detail all these effects. We calculate the γ-ray light curves and spectra for different geometries of the binary system PSR B1259−63/SS2883 and compare them with the TeV γ-ray observations. We conclude that the leptonic inverse-Compton model, which takes into account the complex structure of the pulsar wind shock due to the aspherical wind of the massive star, can explain the details of the observed γ-ray light curve.     

A New Approach for Estimating Kinetic Luminosity of Jet in AGNs

The Konigl inhomogeneous jet model can successfully reproduce most observational features of jets in active galactic nuclei （AGN）, when suitable physical parameters are adopted. We improve Konigl＇s calculations on the core emission from the jet with a small viewing angle θ0 - φ （φ is half opening angle of the conical jet）. The proper motion of the jet component provides a constraint on the jet kinematics. Based on the inhomogeneous jet model, we use the proper motion data of the jet component to calculate the minimal kinetic luminosity of the jet required to reproduce the core emission measured by the very-long- baseline interferometry （VLBI） for a sample of BL Lac objects. Our results show that the minimal kinetic luminosity is slightly higher than the bolometric luminosity for most sources in the sample, which implies that radiatively inefficient accretion flows （RIAFs） may be in those BL Lac objects, or/and the properties of their broad-line regions （BLRs） are significantly different from flat-spectrum radio-loud quasars.     

Time dependent monochromatic scattering of radiation in one dimensional media: Analytical and numerical solutions

In order to choose a numerical method for solving the time dependent equations of radiative transport, we obtain an exact solution for the time dependent radiation field in a one dimensional infinite medium with monochromatic, isotropic scattering for sources with an arbitrary spatial distribution and an arbitrary time variation of their power. The Lax-Wendroff method seems to be the most suitable. Because it is assumed that radiation delay is caused by the finite speed of light, the following difficulty arises when the numerical method is used: the region of variation of the variables (position τ and time t) is triangular (the inequality τ ≤ t). This difficulty is overcome by expanding the unknown functions in series in terms of small values of the time and position. By comparing the numerical and exact solutions for a point source with a given time dependence for its power and with pure scattering, the number of steps in the variables required to obtain a desired accuracy is estimated. This numerical method can be used to calculate the intensity and polarization of the radiation from sources in the early universe during epochs close to the recombination epoch. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 109–123 (February 2008).     

Seasonal temperature responses to land-use change in the western United States

In the western United States, more than 79 000 km² has been converted to irrigated agriculture and urban areas. These changes have the potential to alter surface temperature by modifying the energy budget at the land–atmosphere interface. This study reports the seasonally varying temperature responses of four regional climate models (RCMs) – RSM, RegCM3, MM5-CLM3, and DRCM – to conversion of potential natural vegetation to modern land-cover and land-use over a 1-year period. Three of the RCMs supplemented soil moisture, producing large decreases in the August mean (− 1.4 to − 3.1 °C) and maximum (− 2.9 to − 6.1 °C) 2-m air temperatures where natural vegetation was converted to irrigated agriculture. Conversion to irrigated agriculture also resulted in large increases in relative humidity (9% to 36% absolute change). Modeled changes in the August minimum 2-m air temperature were not as pronounced or consistent across the models. Converting natural vegetation to urban land-cover produced less pronounced temperature effects in all models, with the magnitude of the effect dependent upon the preexisting vegetation type and urban parameterizations. Overall, the RCM results indicate that the temperature impacts of land-use change are most pronounced during the summer months, when surface heating is strongest and differences in surface soil moisture between irrigated land and natural vegetation are largest.     

Differential UVB‐sensitivities of five New Zealand freshwater zooplankton species

Abstract

The ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity of five species of freshwater zooplankton (three Cladocera, two Copepoda) were investigated. The animals were exposed to varying levels of UV‐radiation in a sunshine‐simulator and the UV doses for 10 and 50% mortality (LD₁₀, LD₅₀) were estimated using a dose‐response model. To place these doses in context they were compared with modelled clear‐sky surface UV irradiances in New Zealand. The cladocerans Daphnia carinata and Ceriodaphnia dubia were sensitive to levels of UVB irradiance of LD₁₀ = 18–25 kJ m^?2 and LD₅₀ = 35–37 kJ m^?2. These sensitivities are consistent with published values for other cladocera. In contrast a third cladoceran, Bosmina meridionalis, exhibited no higher mortality over the full range of the cumulative UVB‐doses used (3–40 kJ m^?2) than controls receiving no UV exposure. The copepod Boeckella delicata showed the highest UV‐sensitivity of all organisms tested (LD10 = 7 kJ m^?2, LD50 = 33 kJ m^?2) whereas for Boeckella triarticulata, which was more heavily pigmented than B. delicata, no UV‐induced mortality was observed. Under natural conditions UV irradiances of up to 100 kJ m^?2 day^?1 can fall on the surface of New Zealand lakes. Although this is attenuated in natural waters, these data suggest that UVB irradiance may be a significant ecological variable to some zooplankton species.     

Muscle myogens in the New Zealand Galaxiidae

The muscle myogen proteins of 10 species of the family Galaxiidae exhibited a high degree of species specificity when separated by starch gel electrophoresis. Non‐diadromous, non‐lacustrine species had some variation in the proteins present, while diadromous and lacustrine species, except for Galaxias maculatus, had remarkably uniform muscle myogen electrophero‐grams. The variation can be explained by polymorphism and mosaic evolution of isolated freshwater populations. It was found that previously erected specific and generic categories, except for G. vulgaris, are clearly defined by differences in muscle protein. The standardised electropherogram types obtained were subjected to cluster analysis using both squared Euclidean distance and the complement of Jacard's coefficient with average sorting strategy. A principal component analysis was also carried out. The first two components of the principal component analysis widely spaced the three genera included in this study (Salmo, Galaxias, and Neochanna), with N. burrowsius occupying an intermediate position between Galaxias and Neochanna. Previous workers have considered this species to be a connecting link between the two genera. The dendrogram produced by using squared Euclidean distance (which included all available information) first clustered the types into Salmoniidae and Galaxiidae. The latter were split into the genus Neochanna and the genus Galaxias which was then subdivided into stout‐bodied species (G. argenleus and G. jasciatus) and slender‐bodied species. G. brevipinnis and G. vulgaris types were further separated from the three alpine Galaxias species and G. maculatus. The substantial agreement of these results with previous taxonomic efforts indicates that electrophoretic data can be a valid taxonomic tool.     

弱辐射特征遥感影像的自动伽马校正

为了有效地消除光照不均对成像效果的影响,还原原始图像信息,通过分析Gamma校正函数及对函数包含参数的适应性实验,研究并提出了依据原始图像像素分布自动确定Gamma函数参数值的伽马校正方法,实现了弱辐射特征图像的自动灰度修正。对近海区域的遥感影像进行了辐射校正实验,证明该方法对弱辐射特征的遥感影像有很好的校正效果。     

基于网络加权Voronoi图分析的南京市商业中心辐射域研究

道路网络在城市社会和经济活动中发挥重要作用.它是联系商业中心与需求间的桥梁.道路系统的更新与变化必然会对它们的关联产生影响Voronoi图足划分势力空间的有效工具,基于道路网络分析构建的加权Voronoi图可以模拟城市商业中心功能辐射的实际情形.本文给出了基于道路网络分析的Voronoi图和加权Voronoi图构建方法.通过对各种Voronoi图的比较分析,认为基于网络路径时间分析构建的加权Voronoi面域图在商业中心辐射域模拟中最为有效.将空间相互作用和断裂点理论与网络加权Voronoi面域图相结合.模拟不同交通条件下南京市商业中心辐射域空间格局及其需求覆盖变化,并提取了辐射域的覆盖面积、覆盖人口、最远辐射路径距离和平均辐射路径距离等信息.对商业中心的地铁邻近度与其辐射域的扩张面积进行相关分析.采用域邻接矩阵描述空间划分平衡与不平衡之间的相互转变过程,可分析道路系统变更后商业中心之间空间竞争的变化趋势.分析结果表明商业中心的地铁邻近度与辐射域的扩张具有较大的相关性,快速轨道交通在商业中心空间竞争中发挥关键作用.