基于浮标观测的东海赤潮高发区秋、冬季漫射衰减系数的反演

浮标测量的光学数据时间序列长、分辨率高, 能可靠地测量快速变化的漫射衰减系数(K_d)。东海赤潮高发区水体中的浮游植物生物量及悬浮泥沙含量存在较大的变化, 光学性质复杂。文章利用2013年9月至2014年1月的海洋光学浮标数据, 获得了该海域水体的表观光学特性, 基于K_d(490)与遥感反射比[R_rs(λ)]的相关关系建立了K_d(490)的经验算法, 并与已有7种反演算法进行了比较。结果表明, 该海域的K_d(λ)及R_rs(λ)具有显著的Ⅱ类水体光谱特征, 其中, K_d(490)的范围为0.01~4.31m^-1, 水体的浑浊程度变化大。K_d(490)与R_rs比值的相关性较好, 据此建立了以R_rs(650)/R_rs(510)、R_rs(555)/R_rs(510)作为自变量的K_d(490)双比值经验算法。将新建算法反演获得的K_d(490)与实测K_d(490)相比, 均方根误差、平均相对误差百分比和线性回归的决定系数分别为0.27m^-1、27.08%和0.77, 优于其他7种算法。算法精度的提高源于新建算法选择的R_rs能充分反映水体信息, 并适应水体组分的变化, 可为东海赤潮高发区K_d(490)的反演提供较好的选择, 并为海洋光学浮标在水体环境监测中的应用提供示例。     

Prototyping a global soft X‐ray imaging instrument for heliophysics,planetary science,and astrophysics science

We describe current progress in the development of a prototype wide field‐of‐view soft X‐ray imager that employs Lobster‐eye optics and targets heliophysics, planetary, and astrophysics science. The prototype will provide proof‐of‐concept for a future flight instrument capable of imaging the entire dayside magnetosheath from outside the magnetosphere. Such an instrument was proposed for the ESA AXIOM mission (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Topography-adjusted solar radiation indices and their importance in hydrology

Abstract

Solar radiation, direct and diffuse, is affected by surface characteristics, such as slope, aspect, altitude and shading. The paper examines the effects of topography on radiation, at multiple spatiotemporal scales, using suitable geometric methods for the direct and diffuse components. Two indices are introduced for comparing the direct radiation received by areas at the same and different latitudes. To investigate the profile of direct radiation across the whole of Greece, these are evaluated from an hourly to annual basis, via GIS techniques. Moreover, different approaches are examined for estimating the actual global radiation at operational spatial scales (sub-basin and terrain), according to the available meteorological data. The study indicates that the errors of typical hydrometeorological modelling formulas, which ignore the topographic effects and the seasonal allocation of direct and diffuse radiation, depend on the spatial scale and are non-uniformly distributed in time. In all cases, the estimations are improved by applying the proposed adjustment approaches. In particular, the adjustment of the measured global radiation ensures up to 10% increase of efficiency, while the modified Angström formula achieves slight (i.e. 2–4%) increase of efficiency and notable reduction of bias.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Mamassis, N., Efstratiadis, A. and Apostolidou, I.-G., 2012. Topography-adjusted solar radiation indices and their importance in hydrology. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (4), 756–775.     

On using visibility correlations to probe the H i distribution from the dark ages to the present epoch – I. Formalism and the expected signal

Redshifted 21-cm radiation originating from the cosmological distribution of neutral hydrogen (H  i ) appears as background radiation in low-frequency radio observations. The angular and frequency domain fluctuations in this radiation carry information concerning cosmological structure formation. We propose that correlations between visibilities measured at different baselines and frequencies in radio-interferometric observations be used to quantify the statistical properties of these fluctuations. This has an inherent advantage over other statistical estimators in that it deals directly with the visibilities which are the primary quantities measured in radio-interferometric observations. Also, the visibility correlation has a very simple relation with the power spectrum. We present estimates of the expected signal for nearly the entire post-recombination era, from the dark ages to the present epoch. The epoch of reionization, where H  i has a patchy distribution, has a distinct signature where the signal is determined by the size of the discrete ionized regions. The signal at other epochs, where H  i follows the dark matter, is determined largely by the power spectrum of dark matter fluctuations. The signal is strongest for baselines where the antenna separations are within a few hundred times the wavelength of observation, and an optimal strategy would preferentially sample these baselines. In the frequency domain, for most baselines the visibilities at two different frequencies are uncorrelated beyond  Δν∼ 1 MHz  , a signature which, in principle, would allow the H  i signal to be easily distinguished from the continuum sources of contamination.     

X-rays in the Solar System

Soft X-ray observations from comets are analysed on the assumption that the X-rays arise from electron captures by multiply charged ions of the solar wind in collisions with the neutral atoms and molecules of the cometary atmospheres. The collisions populate excited states of the ion formed in the transfer of charge which then decay in a cascade of radiative transitions in the soft X-ray and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. A comparison of detailed models of the resulting spectra with observations of Comet McNaught-Hartley yield information on the solar wind ion composition. A similar process in which solar wind ions interact with neutral atoms in the heliosphere contributes to the diffuse soft X-ray background. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Future trends in transport and fate of diffuse contaminants in catchments,with special emphasis on stable isotope applications

A summary is provided of the first of a series of proposed Integrated Science Initiative workshops supported by the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme. The workshop brought together hydrologists, environmental chemists, microbiologists, stable isotope specialists and natural resource managers with the purpose of communicating new ideas on ways to assess microbial degradation processes and reactive transport at catchment scales. The focus was on diffuse contamination at catchment scales and the application of compound‐specific isotope analysis (CSIA) in the assessment of biological degradation processes of agrochemicals. Major outcomes were identifying the linkage between water residence time distribution and rates of contaminant degradation, identifying the need for better information on compound specific microbial degradation isotope fractionation factors and the potential of CSIA in identifying key degradative processes. In the natural resource management context, a framework was developed where CSIA techniques were identified as practically unique in their capacity to serve as distributed integrating indicators of process across a range of scales (micro to diffuse) of relevance to the problem of diffuse pollution assessment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The obscured QSO 1SAX J1218.9+2958

We present results from XMM–Newton observations of the obscured quasi-stellar object 1SAX J1218.9+2958. We find that the previously reported optical and soft X-ray counterpart positions are incorrect. However, we confirm the spectroscopic redshift of 0.176. The optical counterpart has a K magnitude of 13.5 and an R – K colour of 5.0 and is therefore a bright extremely red object. The X-ray spectrum is well described by a power law  (Γ= 2.0 ± 0.2)  absorbed by an intrinsic neutral column density of  8.2^+1.1_−0.7× 10²² cm⁻²  . We find that any scattered emission contributes at most 0.5 per cent to the total X-ray flux. From the optical/near-infrared colour we estimate that the active nucleus must contribute at least 50 per cent of the total flux in the K band and that the ratio of extinction to X-ray absorption is 0.1–0.7 times that expected from a Galactic dust–gas ratio and extinction curve. If 1SAX J1218.9+2958 were 100 times less luminous it would be indistinguishable from the population responsible for most of the 2–10 keV X-ray background. This has important implications for the optical/infrared properties of faint absorbed X-ray sources.