Cosmological parameters from velocities, cosmic microwave background and supernovae

We compare and combine likelihood functions of the cosmological parameters Ω_m, h and σ ₈, from peculiar velocities, cosmic microwave background (CMB) and type Ia supernovae. These three data sets directly probe the mass in the Universe, without the need to relate the galaxy distribution to the underlying mass via a 'biasing' relation. We include the recent results from the CMB experiments BOOMERANG and MAXIMA-1. Our analysis assumes a flat Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology with a scale-invariant adiabatic initial power spectrum and baryonic fraction as inferred from big-bang nucleosynthesis. We find that all three data sets agree well, overlapping significantly at the 2 σ level. This therefore justifies a joint analysis, in which we find a joint best-fitting point and 95 per cent confidence limits of     (0.17,0.39),     (0.64,0.86) and     (0.98,1.37). In terms of the natural parameter combinations for these data     (0.40,0.73),     (0.16,0.27). Also for the best-fitting point,     and the age of the Universe is 13.2 Gyr.     

Chemical evolution of the high redshift galaxies

We have tried to determine the rate of chemical evolution of high redshift galaxies from the observed redshift distribution of the heavy element absorption systems in the spectra of QSOs, taking into account the evolution in the intensity of the metagalactic UV ionizing radiation background, the radius and/or the co-moving number density of, and the fraction of mass in the form of gas in, the absorbers. The data for both the Lyman limit systems and the C IV systems have been fitted simultaneously. It seems that the abundance of carbon has possibly increased by about a factor of 5 to 20 from the cosmic time corresponding to the redshift ≃ 4 to 2. The data also suggest that either the radius or the co-moving number density of the galaxies increased with redshift up to z = 2.0 and decreased slowly thereafter. The total mass of the halo gas was higher in the past, almost equal to the entire mass of the galaxy at z = 4. The hydrogen column density distribution for Lyman limit systems predicted by the model is in agreement with the observed distribution.     

The QUaD experiment

QUaD is a 31 pixel array of polarization sensitive bolometer pairs coupled to a 2.6 m Cassegrain radio telescope. The telescope is attached to the mount originally built for the DASI experiment and located at the South Pole. The telescope system is described along with details of instrumental characterization studies which we have performed. A first season of CMB observations is complete and the second season underway. Details of the current status of these observations and their analysis are presented.     

区域地下水污染综合评价研究现状与建议

区域地下水污染综合评价研究是一项总结区域地下水水质特征、评估地下水水质和污染状况、分析其驱动机制、研判其演化趋势的重要基础性工作,也是地下水污染防控以及水质改善的重要依据。受水文地质领域一些传统概念、观念以及技术方法的限制,在水质综合评价、污染评价、天然劣质水与污染的区分、人类活动影响等方面存在诸多问题和挑战,认知的科学性和可靠性不断受到质疑,给政府管理部门的应用和决策带来困惑。本研究通过梳理分析近年来区域地下水污染综合评价的研究现状,回顾总结了在水质综合评价、背景值、污染评价、劣质水和劣变水评估以及人类活动识别等方面存在的问题,提出了几点认识和建议:(1)“指标分类评价-组合表达”的水质及污染综合评价思路,可为解决现阶段水质及污染综合评估容易造成歧义和误导的问题提供新的方向;(2)视背景值的建立不仅能够解决传统概念背景值无法获取的问题,还能有效进行污染判定、劣质水和劣变水评估以及人类活动识别,是一项亟待全面开展的基础性工作;(3)劣质水和劣变水概念及评价思路的提出,对区分天然劣质水和污染水具有借鉴意义,在科学回答这两类水对我国地下水水质的影响、帮助决策者理解水质不安全成因等方面有重要意义,但是方法学方面需要进一步探讨;(4)对人类活动影响的识别和量化,进一步推动了对输入型污染、诱导型水质恶化以及水化学场变化所引起的各种水质问题的认识,进而对判断水质演化趋势、污染防控、分类解决水质问题具有重要的意义。     

山东省青州市表层土壤硒元素地球化学特征

为研究山东省青州市表层土壤硒元素地球化学特征,在青州市按照平均5.2件/km²的密度采集了8 132件表层土壤样品,分析了硒、有机质、pH等指标。结果表明:青州市表层土壤硒含量范围在0.02~2.77 mg/kg,背景值为0.21 mg/kg(n=7 462)。研究区富硒土壤面积为140.56 km²,占研究区总面积的9.00%;足硒土壤面积为1 248.39 km²,占研究区总面积的79.93%;潜在硒不足土壤面积为148.45 km²,占研究区总面积的9.50%;硒缺乏土壤面积为24.52 km²,占研究区总面积的1.57%。不同的成土母质、土壤类型、地貌类型、土地利用类型区的表层土壤硒含量特征不同,寒武纪—奥陶纪地层成土母质区、钙质粗骨土分布区、溶蚀—切割中山地貌类型区、草地和林地土地利用类型区的表层土壤中硒相对富集。相关分析表明,研究区表层土壤中pH和硒含量无相关性,而有机质与硒含量呈显著正相关关系。     

黔西北地区土壤重金属地球化学背景及管理目标值

基于贵州省毕节地区1∶25万土地质量地球化学调查的1 308件深层土壤样品重金属含量数据,研究了土壤重金属含量分布及其地球化学背景特征,与全国土壤比较,黔西北土壤重金属地球化学背景值显著高于全国土壤元素背景值,但是,与我国西南地区土壤元素背景值接近。黔西北地区土壤重金属含量与地质背景关系密切,不同地质单元区土壤重金属含量存在显著差异,石炭系地层发育的土壤呈Pb、Zn地球化学高背景,二叠系中统风化形成的土壤呈Cd、Hg地球化学高背景,黔西北地区不仅存在土法炼锌造成的土壤重金属污染,土壤重金属地球化学高背景也是影响土壤重金属富集的重要因素。统计表明,黔西北地区二叠系中统风化土壤Cd管理目标值高于我国农用地土壤Cd风险管制值(2.0×10^-6),认为在确定黔西北地区土壤重金属管理目标时,应充分考虑不同地质单元区土壤重金属地球化学背景值差异及其生态环境效应的影响。