The kinematics of the ionized gas in the Circinus galaxy

The TAURUS-2 Fabry–Perot interferometer, mounted on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, has been used to observe the Circinus galaxy. We have mapped the intensity and velocity distribution of the ionized hydrogen in the galaxy using the Balmer series Hα spectral line.
The semiresolved core (observed with a seeing disc of 30 pc) appears amorphous in shape, which is commonly observed in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Its peak coincides with the core position measured in the radio continuum, suggesting that ionized gas surrounds a non-thermal source.
A circumnuclear ring or spiral of radius 220 pc and a rotational velocity of 350 km s⁻¹ (assuming circular motions) surrounds the core. The inclination angle of this feature, i =40°±10°, is less than that of the previously observed radio continuum disc. The velocity channel maps obtained for the Hα ring show that the kinematics resemble those of a rotating ring and the intensity displays a complex structure indicative of several, unresolved, H II regions. We believe the ring to represent a circumnuclear starburst.
Our Hα data also show the presence of the previously detected [O III ] ionization cone to the north-west of the core, measuring more than 400 pc in length. We suggest that the ionization cone lies in a different plane from that of the starburst ring and is directed away from us. Several kinematic components of the core are derived and we calculate an outflow velocity in excess of 150–200 km s⁻¹ for gas above the core of Circinus. We also present evidence for inflowing ionized gas at the centre of Circinus.
The correlation of the Hα and radio continuum features is discussed, as well as the possible presence of a starburst-driven superwind in the Circinus galaxy.     

Response of the integrals in the Tremaine–Weinberg method to multiple pattern speeds: a counter-rotating inner bar in NGC 2950?

When integrals in the standard Tremaine–Weinberg method are evaluated for the case of a realistic model of a doubly barred galaxy, their modifications introduced by the second rotating pattern are in accord with what can be derived from a simple extension of that method, based on separation of tracer's density. This extension yields a qualitative argument that discriminates between prograde and retrograde inner bars. However, the estimate of the value of inner bar's pattern speed requires further assumptions. When this extension of the Tremaine–Weinberg method is applied to the recent observation of the doubly barred galaxy NGC 2950, it indicates that the inner bar there is counter-rotating, possibly with the pattern speed of  −140 ± 50 km s⁻¹ arcsec⁻¹  . The occurrence of counter-rotating inner bars can constrain theories of galaxy formation.     

冻融过程对景电灌区草窝滩盆地土壤水盐动态的影响

景电灌区为干寒气候,蒸发强烈,季节冻土发育,土壤地下水位以上非饱和带毛细作用发育,在地表蒸发作用下,通过毛细作用,地下水不断地向地表运动,导致大量盐分到达地表.虽然蒸发作用下的毛细水运动在土壤水分垂直运动中占绝对优势,但自上而下的季节冻结和融化过程对土壤中水盐重分布的影响也起着重要的作用.基于冻融作用对水盐迁移驱动力和土壤结构等参数的影响,分析了冻融作用下水盐重分布的综合特征.     

Hydrothermal pattern of frozen soil in Nam Co lake basin,the Tibetan Plateau

Hydrothermal processes and the regimes of frozen soil formed in alpine regions with glaciers and lake area are complex and important for ecological environment but have not been studied in Tibet. Based on soil temperature and moisture data from October 2005 to September 2006 collected in the Nam Co lake basin, Tibetan Plateau (TP), those questions were discussed. The mean annual air temperature was −3.4°C with 8 months below 0°C. Air and soil temperature varied between −25.3~13.1°C and −10.3~8.8°C, respectively. Soil moisture variations in the active layer were small with the minimum value of 1.4%, but were influenced greatly by snowmelt, rainfall and evaporation, varying up to 53.8%. The active layer froze later, thawed earlier and was thinner, however, the lower altitude limit of permafrost is higher than that in most areas of TP. The effects of soil moisture (unfrozen water content) on soil temperature, which were estimated through proposed models, were more significant near ground surface than the other layers. The surface soil temperature decreased with snowcover, the effect of cold snow meltwater infiltration on soil thermal conditions was negligible, however, the effect of rainfall infiltration was evident causing thermal disruptions.     

“93.5”黑风暴发展期中尺度期热量和水汽收支诊断

１９９３年５月４—６日（“９３．５”）在我国西北地区发生了一次极具破坏力的“黑风暴”。为了诊断这次黑风暴发展期的热量和水汽收支，使用了具有高分辨ＰＢＬ参数化及４０ｋｍ细网络的ＭＭ４对该例控制模拟的输出资料和热量与水汽收支方程。对视热源（Ｑ１）和视水汽汇（Ｑ２）的诊断结果指出，Ｑ１的垂直积分在黑风暴的前部和后部分别呈现一条显著的加热带和冷却带。在黑风暴区，Ｑ１和Ｑ２的区域平均垂直廓线揭示，黑风暴的Ｑ１加热主要发生在对流层的上部，而其中部加热主要出现在发展初期；与Ｑ１相应，Ｑ２在低空和中空分别发生明显的增湿变冷和变干加热。这些结果不仅与因黑风暴过程而观测到的强剧强降温率一致，而且也为改进和发展用于模拟和预报黑风暴的中尺度数值模式提供了一些物理依据     

中国区域多源土壤湿度数据的比较研究

利用中国区域1992~2010年的土壤湿度观测资料,对欧洲航天局(European Space Agency)的卫星遥感反演(以下简称ESA)和欧洲中期天气预报中心(European Centre of Medium-Range Weather Forecasts,ECMWF)的ERA-Interim(ECMWF Reanalysis-Interim,以下简称ERA)两套再分析土壤湿度数据在典型区域的可靠性进行了评估。结果表明:两种土壤湿度均能较好的描述观测区域的总体土壤干湿变化,但均值和趋势一致性存在时间和空间差异。ESA、ERA资料都能较好的描述中国区域春、夏、秋3个季节土壤湿度的干、湿分布格局。在干湿程度上,ESA在北方地区较观测偏干,在江淮和西南较观测偏湿;ERA在北方和西南地区较观测偏湿,在江淮较观测偏干;在江淮、华北部分区域,ERA与观测数据的相关性要高于ESA。ESA、ERA与观测在秋季时相关性最好(大部分站点大于0.7);在全国大部分区域,ESA偏差要小于ERA且在大部分地区都表现出与观测一致的变化趋势。在空间上,ERA在东北、华北、西南变干的范围明显大于观测;然而,ERA能更好的体现观测土壤湿度的年际变化。相对于西部地区,东部地区ERA与观测的一致性最好,而ESA在受降水、植被、地形等因素影响较小的时段或区域与观测的一致性更好,对秋季土壤湿度的描述比春、夏季更准确。     

长江口地区地面沉降的深部动力学机制分析

地表变形、活动断裂和地球物理的综合分析表明,菲律宾洋壳向欧亚大陆的俯冲导致的地幔对流是控制中国东部沿海地区晚新生代以来构造作用的主导因素,是长江口地区地面沉降的主要深部动力学机制。由于地幔对流和青藏高原挤压共同作用导致的地壳热流值的差异则是长江口地区西部隆升、东部沉降且向东沉降速率增大的直接驱动力。预测未来长江口地区的基岩沉降范围将以>10cm/a的速率向西扩大,沉降速率将呈明显加速趋势,40000a之内上海市可能被海水淹没,但板块构造演化的“渐变”特征决定其对当地未来的人类活动不会造成显著影响。根据“地壳均衡理论”,建议在长江口南西部(浙江省北东部)的丘陵山区加大重力载荷如加快城市化进程或人工造山以减小和控制上海地区的沉降。     

Hydrochemical dynamics of the “lake–spring” system in the crater of El Chichón volcano (Chiapas,Mexico)

El Chichón volcano (Chiapas, Mexico) erupted violently in March–April 1982, breaching through the former volcano–hydrothermal system. Since then, the 1982 crater has hosted a shallow (1–3.3 m, acidic (pH ∼ 2.2) and warm (∼ 30 °C) crater lake with a strongly varying chemistry (Cl/SO₄ = 0–79 molar ratio). The changes in crater lake chemistry and volume are not systematically related to the seasonal variation of rainfall, but rather to the activity of near-neutral geyser-like springs in the crater (Soap Pool). These Soap Pool springs are the only sources of Cl for the lake. Their geyser-like behaviour with a long-term (months to years) periodicity is due to a specific geometry of the shallow boiling aquifer beneath the lake, which is the remnant of the 1983 Cl-rich (24,000 mg/l) crater lake water. The Soap Pool springs decreased in Cl content over time. The zero-time extrapolation (1982, year of the eruption) approaches the Cl content in the initial crater lake, meanwhile the extrapolation towards the future indicates a zero-Cl content by 2009 ± 1. This particular situation offers the opportunity to calculate mass balance and Cl budget to quantify the lake–spring system in the El Chichón crater. These calculations show that the water balance without the input of SP springs is negative, implying that the lake should disappear during the dry season. The isotopic composition of lake waters (δD and δ¹⁸O) coincide with this crater lake-SP dynamics, reflecting evaporation processes and mixing with SP geyser and meteoric water. Future dome growth, not observed yet in the post-1982 El Chichón crater, may be anticipated by changes in lake chemistry and dynamics.