The Spin-X wide-field X-ray monitor of the Spectrum-X-Gamma astrophysical observatory

The Spin-X wide-field X-ray monitor of the Spectrum-X-Gamma astrophysical observatory, which is based on the principle of a coded-aperture telescope, is designed to detect and localize cosmic gammaray-burst (GRB) sources; to survey large areas of the sky in search of new transients; and to carry out long-term observations of bright Galactic sources, including X-ray bursters. The monitor consists of two noncoaxial identical modules, Spin-X1 and Spin-X2, which together cover 6.8% of the sky. The high-apogee, four-day orbit of the Spectrum-XG satellite allows the instrument to be in observing mode more than 50% of the time. Having simulated the rate of GRB detection by Spin-X, we show that extrapolating BATSE 50–300-keV average data on the number of GRBs, their duration, and their mean energy spectrum to the X-ray energy band leads to disagreement with the observed detection rate of GRBs in the X-ray band. The number of GRBs that can be detected and localized with an accuracy r≤3′ (3σ) (the error-circle radius) by Spin-X is estimated to be ten bursts per year. We present data on the Spin-X sensitivity achievable during long-term observations of persistent and transient sources and on its sensitivity to X-ray bursts from Galactic sources in the 2–30-keV energy band.     

Cosmic rays from the galactic center

We examine the possibility that recent data on cosmic ray anisotropies presented by the AGASA group may lead to the conclusion that our Galactic Center is a major source of the highest energy cosmic rays in our galaxy. We discuss how such a source would contribute to the magnitude and directional properties of the observed flux when measured against a background of extragalactic cosmic rays. We do this using the results of previous propagation calculations and our own more recent calculations which are specifically for a Galactic Center source.We find that the AGASA data can indeed be plausibly interpreted in this way and also that an argument can be made that the Galactic Center has the appropriate physical properties for acceleration to energies of the order of 10¹⁸ eV. We show that data from the SUGAR array are compatible with the AGASA result.     

江淮梅雨季亚洲阻塞高压活动统计特征

利用1960—2018年6—7月NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料和同期中国国家气象站日降水量资料,对江淮梅雨季亚洲地区阻塞高压活动地理分布、关键区阻塞高压事件活动频次、生命周期以及年际和年代际变化,及其与江淮梅雨异常的关系进行了系统分析。结果表明:（1）近59年江淮梅雨季（6—7月）,亚洲阻塞高压事件共计363次,其中心主要分布在乌拉尔山区域（40°—80°E）、贝加尔湖区域（80°—120°E）和鄂霍次克海区域（120°—160°E）3个关键区。（2）3个关键区阻塞高压事件的次数和累计日数由高到低依次为:鄂霍次克海、乌拉尔山和贝加尔湖区域。双阻塞形势以乌拉尔山-鄂霍次克海双阻居多,约占亚洲地区双阻日数的60%。阻塞事件的平均生命周期7 d左右,最长维持时间为13 d。（3）3个关键区总的及分区的阻塞次数和日数都有明显的年际变化并呈增加的趋势,其中线性增加趋势最为明显的是鄂霍次克海区域,与近59年江淮梅雨季的累计雨量增加趋势一致。（4）江淮梅雨季降雨量多寡与阻塞高压活动密切相关,梅雨正（负）异常年鄂霍次克海区域、乌拉尔山-鄂霍次克海双阻日数和次数显著偏多（偏少）,而乌拉尔山和贝加尔湖区域的阻塞高压事件与梅雨关系并不显著。（5）江淮梅雨季鄂霍次克海阻塞高压的日数多寡可能与前期海表温度异常信号ENSO有关。      

Determination of the Proper Motions and Membership of the Globular Cluster M3 and of its Orbit in the Galaxy

We examine 14 plates of the globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272) taken with the 40 cm refractor at the Sheshan station of Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. The plates span over a period of about 77 years. The positions and absolute proper motions of eight stars in the Hipparcos Catalogue and of 49 stars in the Tycho-2 Catalogue are used as the reference frame. The astrometric reduction is made with the central overlapping principle. The absolute proper motions of 534 stars in a region of about 100' × 100' around the cluster are measured. With the new proper motion data the membership probabilities of the stars are determined. The average absolute proper motion obtained for the cluster is -0.06@0.30 mas yr-1 in R.A. and -2.6@0.30 mas yr-1 in Decl. By combining this result with the known distance and radial velocity of the cluster, we also obtained the Galactic orbit of M3 for a chosen three-component Galactic potential.     

Local galactic evolution

The evolution of the Solar neighbourhood is followed using a unique, magnitude complete and kinematically unbiased sample of 14,000 F, G, and K dwarfs. Metallicity, age, space motion and galactic orbits have been determined for all stars. The result is a detailed view of the complex evolution of the local Milky Way, which must be matched by any model for the chemical and dynamical evolution of the Galactic disk. E.g., such models must explain the shape and large scatter in the age-metallity relation as well as the overall metallicity distribution; the evolution of stellar kinematics with age; the distribution of stars in velocity space; and the contributions from the thick and thin disks to all these relations. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hemispheric Imaging of Galactic Neutral Hydrogen with a Phased Array Antenna System

The thousand element array (THEA) system is a phased array system consisting of 1 m² tiles having 64 Vivaldi elements each, arranged on a regular 8-by-8 grid, which has been developed as a demonstrator of technology and applicability for SKA. In this paper we present imaging results of Galactic neutral hydrogen with THEA. Measurements have been taken using a dense 2-by-2 array of four tiles as a four tile adder. The results are compared with results from the Leiden-Dwingeloo Survey, showing qualitative agreement, but also indicating that further studies are needed on the instrumental characteristics.     

Long-term effects of the Galactic tide on cometary dynamics

We introduce a model for integrating the effects of Galactic tides on Oort cloud comets, which involves two procedures, according to the values of the osculating semi-major axis a and eccentricity e. Ten simulations of the dynamics of 10⁶ comets over 5 Gyr are performed using this model. We thus investigate the long-term effects of the Galactic tide with and without a radial component, the effects of the local density of the Galactic disk, and those of the Oort constants. Most of the results may be understood in terms of the integrability or non-integrability of the system. For an integrable system, which occurs for moderate semi-major axes with or without radial component, the dynamics is explained by periodic variation of the cometary perihelion, inducing the depletion of the outer region of the Oort cloud, a constant flux from the inner region after 500 Myr, and the quick formation of a reservoir of comets with argument of perihelion near 26.6°. When the system is non-integrable, the efficiency of the tide in reducing the cometary perihelion distance is enhanced both by replenishing the Oort cloud domain from which comets are sent toward the planetary system, and by reducing the minimal value that the perihelion distance may reach. No effects of varying the Oort constants were observed, showing that the flat rotation curve is a satisfactory approximation in Oort cloud dynamics.     

中国东北及邻近地区夏半年极端暖事件的时空和环流特征分析

夏半年（5—10月）是我国东北农作物生长的关键期,但偏高的气温尤其是大范围极端偏暖事件会对农业生产造成不良影响。基于强度、范围和持续时间等指标,对1980—2019年夏半年发生在我国东北及其邻近地区的16个极端暖事件进行分析。结果表明,东北及邻近地区的极端暖事件的强度和频率呈明显增加的趋势,夏初（5—6月）和秋初（9—10月）发生的暖事件频次较多。地面极端增暖事件发生时,东北区域的西北侧大陆地面低压异常和东侧西北太平洋海上高压异常导致东北地区出现异常偏南风及暖平流;对流层至平流层呈现出准正压的结构,最大位势高度异常中心多出现在250 hPa附近,其下方的正温度异常（暖气柱）会延伸到地面,有利于地面异常增温。暖事件发生时,地面增暖区位于对流层上层急流入口区的左侧,利于下沉气流出现。上述大气温压场扰动结构和环流特征通过影响短波辐射和绝热增温过程,共同导致地面极端暖事件的发生。在预报意义上,有90%以上的东北极端暖事件可以在250 hPa上至少提前10天追踪到位势高度的扰动信号。