Gamma-Hadron Separation using Čerenkov Photon Density Fluctuations

In the atmospheric Čerenkov technique γ-rays are detected against the abundant background produced by hadronic showers. In order to improve the signal to noise ratio of theexperiment, it is necessary to reject a significant fraction of hadronic showers. Traditional background rejection methods based on image shape parameters have been extensively used for the data from imaging telescopes. However, non-imaging Čerenkov telescopes have to develop very different means of statistically identifying and removing cosmic ray events. Some of the parameters, which could be potentially important for non-imaging arrays, are the temporal and spectral differences, the lateral distributions and density fluctuations of Čerenkov photons generated by γ-ray and hadron primaries. Here we study the differences in fluctuations of Čerenkov photon density in the light pool at the observation level from showers initiated by photons and those initiated by protons or heavier nuclei. The database of simulated events for the PACT array has been used to evaluate the efficiency of the new technique. Various types of density fluctuations like the short range and medium range fluctuations as well as flatness parameter are studied. The estimated quality factors reflect the efficiencies with which the hadrons can be rejected from the data. Since some of these parameters are independent, the cuts may be applied in tandem and we demonstrate that the proton rejection efficiency of ∼90% can be achieved. Use of density fluctuations is particularly suited for wavefront sampling observations and it seems to be a good technique to improve the signal to noise ratio. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

2021-04-16河北滦州MS4.3地震前的大气电场异常信号分析

中国科学院国家空间科学中心分布在天津市宝坻区和廊坊市永清县的2个观测台站在2021-04-16河北滦州M_S4.3地震前均观测到大气电场异常。宝坻站监测到过境云与地质活动混合型电场异常信号;永清站监测到湾型持续电场异常信号,属于典型的临震前小时尺度先兆信号,其幅度和持续时间均明显高于宝坻站的异常电场信号。对比电场异常期间2个台站的气象活动和空间天气活动发现,虽然2台站电场异常信号的表现方式不同,但背景变化中均隐含大型地质活动信号。分析结果表明,未来可通过分析多源活动导致的空间静电演变过程,形成有效的识别方法,在一定的气象活动范围内,从大气静电监测数据中提取中等以上强度地震的前兆信息。     

乌鲁木齐大气混合层厚度和稳定度与大气污染的关系

利用乌鲁木齐市4座10层100 m梯度气象塔2013年6月~2014年4月气象观测资料和7个环境监测站[WTBX]AQI[WTBZ]资料,计算并分析了大气混合层厚度和稳定度特征,探讨了大气混合层厚度和稳定度与污染的关系。结果表明：乌鲁木齐市混合层厚度夏季郊区高、城区低,冬季从南郊—城区—北郊随地势降低依次降低;夏季和冬季分别在1 559～1 772 m和526～1 156 m之间。地面至2 km以上每500 m高度间隔统计混合层厚度,500～1 000 m出现频率最多;月变化为6～9月基本在500 m以上,且每个高度区间其概率均超过10%,10月～次年2月1 500 m以上区间概率明显减小;日变化为中午13:00～16:00达到最高值,下午和傍晚迅速下降。白天较大的感热输送提供充足的热力条件,这也体现出白天以不稳定层结为主,夜间则以稳定层结为主。大气稳定度分类结果,夏季郊区和城区不稳定（A～C类）所占比例差不多,冬季北郊稳定（E、F类）所占比较最大、城区最弱。[WTBX]AQI指数冬季最大,从南郊—城区—北郊依次增大,这与采暖期污染物多、南郊比北郊地势高有利于扩散输送有关。总体来看,乌鲁木齐大气混合层厚度空间分布与气象要素、大气稳定度、地形等密切相关,对AQI[WTBZ]指数分布有重要影响,这对近地层大气污染状况预报有着重要的指导意义。     

青藏高原强降水日数的时空分布特征

 根据青海和西藏48个气象台站近48 a（1961-2008年）的逐日降水和气温资料,分别以日降水量超过5 mm和25 mm作为冬半年（11月～翌年3月）和夏半年（5～9月）强降水的临界值,分析了青藏高原冬、夏半年强降水日数的时空分布特征。结果表明：（1）高原强降水日数与总降水量的空间分布型非常相似,夏半年均表现为由东南向西北递减,而冬半年则为由高原腹地向四周递减。（2）夏（冬）半年强降水主要集中在7月上旬～8月中旬（11月上旬和3月中下旬）。（3）夏（冬）半年强降水存在准6 a（5～6 a）的年际振荡以及准10～11 a（15 a）的年代际振荡。（4）强降水日数变化趋势的空间差异较大,夏半年高原北（南）部强降水日数普遍以增加（减少）趋势为主,而冬半年除雅鲁藏布江流域呈减少趋势外,高原大多数地区均表现出显著增加趋势。     

Orbit of Comet C/1857 D1 (d'Arrest)

Comet C/ 1857 D1 (d'Arrest) is one of a large number of comets with parabolic orbits. Given that there are sufficient observations of the comet, 299 in right ascension and 279 in declination, it proves possible to calculate a better orbit. The calculations are based on a 12th order predictor‐corrector method. The comet's orbit is highly elliptical, e = 0.99982 and, from calculated mean errors, statistically different from a parabola. The comet will not return for at least 44000 years and thus represents no immediate NEO threat (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The impact of binary-star yields on the spectra of galaxies

One of the complexities in modelling integrated spectra of stellar populations is the effect of interacting binary stars besides Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa). These include common envelope systems, cataclysmic variables, novae, and are usually ignored in models predicting the chemistry and spectral absorption line strengths in galaxies. In this paper, predictions of chemical yields from populations of single and binary stars are incorporated into a galactic chemical evolution model to explore the significance of the effects of these other binary yields. Effects on spectral line strengths from different progenitor channels of SNeIa are also explored. Small systematic effects are found when the yields from binaries, other than SNeIa, are included, for a given star formation history. These effects are, at present, within the observational uncertainties on the line strengths. More serious differences can arise in considering different types of SNIa models, their rates and contributions.     

相控阵馈源MVDR波束合成器缓解RFI仿真

相控阵馈源(Phased array feeds, PAFs)接收机作为下一代微波接收机,为大口径射电天文望远镜的射电干扰(Radio Frequency Interference, RFI)缓解工作带来了新的解决方法. PAFs接收机对射电望远镜焦平面的电磁波进行空域采样,返回时域阵列信号,使用最小方差无失真响应(Minimum Variance Distortionless Response, MVDR)波束合成器可以自适应地识别RFI的方向,同时抑制RFI在输出信号中的功率,从而达到提升射电望远镜灵敏度的效果.仿真结果表明MVDR波束合成器对有源高能量的射电干扰有很强的识别能力和一定程度的缓解能力,同时,该波束合成器对各阵元信道中加性噪声累积引起的无源干扰有很强的抑制能力,因此, PAFs接收机的MVDR波束合成器可以增强日益复杂电磁波环境下射电望远镜的抗干扰能力.