Formation of hard very high energy gamma-ray spectra of blazars due to internal photon–photon absorption

The energy spectra of TeV gamma-rays from blazars, after being corrected for intergalatic absorption in the extragalactic background light (EBL), appear unusually hard, a fact that poses challenges to the conventional models of particle acceleration in TeV blazars and/or to the EBL models. In this paper, we show that the internal absorption of gamma-rays caused by interactions with dense narrow-band radiation fields in the vicinity of compact gamma-ray production regions can lead to the formation of gamma-ray spectra of an almost arbitrary hardness. This allows significant relaxation of the current tight constraints on particle acceleration and radiation models, although at the expense of enhanced requirements to the available non-thermal energy budget. The latter, however, is not a critical issue, as long as it can be largely compensated by the Doppler boosting, assuming large (>10) Doppler factors of the relativistically moving gamma-ray production regions. The suggested scenario of formation of hard gamma-ray spectra predicts detectable synchrotron radiation of secondary electron–positron pairs which might require a revision of the current 'standard paradigm' of spectral energy distributions of gamma-ray blazars. If the primary gamma-rays are of hadronic origin related to pp or   p γ  interactions, the 'internal gamma-ray absorption' model predicts neutrino fluxes close to the detection threshold of the next generation high-energy neutrino detectors.     

Numerical modeling of three‐phase dissolution of underground cavities using a diffuse interface model

Natural evaporite dissolution in the subsurface can lead to cavities having critical dimensions in the sense of mechanical stability. Geomechanical effects may be significant for people and infrastructures because the underground dissolution may lead to subsidence or collapse (sinkholes). The knowledge of the cavity evolution in space and time is thus crucial in many cases. In this paper, we describe the use of a local nonequilibrium diffuse interface model for solving dissolution problems involving multimoving interfaces within three phases, that is, solid–liquid–gas as found in superficial aquifers and karsts. This paper generalizes developments achieved in the fluid–solid case, that is, the saturated case [1]. On one hand, a local nonequilibrium dissolution porous medium theory allows to describe the solid–liquid interface as a diffuse layer characterized by the evolution of a phase indicator (e.g., porosity). On the other hand, the liquid–gas interface evolution is computed using a classical porous medium two‐phase flow model involving a phase saturation, that is, generalized Darcy's laws. Such a diffuse interface model formulation is suitable for the implementation of a finite element or finite volume numerical model on a fixed grid without an explicit treatment of the interface movement. A numerical model has been implemented using a finite volume formulation with adaptive meshing (e.g., adaptive mesh refinement), which improves significantly the computational efficiency and accuracy because fine gridding may be attached to the dissolution front. Finally, some examples of three‐phase dissolution problems including density effects are also provided to illustrate the interest of the proposed theoretical and numerical framework. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于北极黄河站观测的日侧极光研究新进展

回顾了基于中国黄河站全天空极光观测对日侧弥散极光与喉区极光研究的最新进展。首先,利用黄河站极光观测,对日侧弥散极光展开系统性分类与统计研究,对这一重要空间物理现象取得新认识,指出日侧弥散极光对研究日侧外磁层冷等离子体的分布、形成及磁鞘粒子进入磁层都具有重要启示作用;同时发现并定义了一种新型分立极光结构——喉区极光,并推断其可能对应磁层顶的局地变形。喉区极光是指发生在电离层对流喉区附近、从极光卵赤道侧向低纬方向延伸出来的分立极光结构。全天空极光观测表明喉区极光走向大致与电离层对流方向一致。之后,观测验证了喉区极光对应磁层顶局地内陷式变形的推测;统计发现喉区极光是一种非常高发的现象,对应的磁层顶变形尺度可达2—3 Re,并指出这种变形最可能由磁鞘高速流冲击磁层顶产生;发现在喉区极光产生过程中还可能触发磁重联;证实伴随喉区极光的产生,磁鞘粒子会进入磁层并诱发产生一种新型弥散极光。通过喉区极光研究,可以将已有的磁鞘瞬态过程研究和触发式磁重联研究有机地结合在一起,对太阳风-磁层耦合过程形成一种新的认识,即:在磁鞘中局地产生(而不是存在于太阳风中)的瞬态过程可以在日下点附近频繁地导致磁层顶局地变形、触发重联、引发系列地球空间效应,可能对太阳风-磁层耦合具有不可忽略的重要性。以此为基础,讨论了日侧极光研究引出的新课题。     

The composition of nutrient fluxes from contrasting UK river basins

Accurate estimates of N and P loads were obtained for four contrasting UK river basins over a complete annual cycle. The fractionation of these loads into dissolved and particulate, and inorganic and organic components allowed a detailed examination of the nutrient load composition and of the factors influencing both the relative and absolute magnitude of these components. The particulate phosphorus (TPP) loads account for 26–75% of the annual total phosphorus (TP) transport and are predominantly inorganic. The inorganic (PIP) and organic (POP) fractions of the TPP loads represent 20–47% and 6–28% of the annual TP transport, respectively. In contrast, the particulate nitrogen loads (TPN) represent 8% or less of the annual total nitrogen (TN) loads and are predominately organic. For dissolved P transport, the dissolved inorganic fraction (DIP) is more important, representing 15–70% of the TP loads, whereas the dissolved organic fraction (DOP) represents only 3–9% of the TP loads. The TN loads are dominated by the dissolved component and more particularly the total oxidized fraction (TON), which is composed of nitrate and nitrite and represents 76–82% of the annual TN transport. The remaining dissolved N species, ammonium (NH₄-N) and organic N (DON) account for 0·3–1·2% and 13–16% of the annual TN transport, respectively. The TPN and TPP fluxes closely reflect the suspended sediment dynamics of the study basins, which are in turn controlled by basin size and morphology. The dissolved inorganic nutrient fluxes are influenced by point source inputs to the study basins, especially for P, although the TON flux is primarily influenced by diffuse source contributions and the hydrological connectivity between the river and its catchment area. The dissolved organic fractions are closely related to the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics, which are in turn influenced by land use and basin size. The magnitude of the NH₄-N fraction was dependent on the proximity of the monitoring station to point source discharges, because of rapid nitrification within the water column. However, during storm events, desorption from suspended sediment may be temporarily important. Both the magnitude and relative contribution of the different nutrient fractions exhibit significant seasonal variability in response to the hydrological regime, sediment mobilization, the degree of dilution of point source inputs and biological processes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河北省太阳散射辐射时空分布特征研究

为更好地利用太阳能资源,对河北省太阳散射辐射时空分布特征进行研究。利用1961--2010年河北省周边7个太阳辐射观测站的资料,计算河北省周边7个太阳辐射观测站的散射辐射误差,拟合得出河北省太阳散射辐射经验公式,分析其时空分布特征。结果表明：（1）河北省近50年太阳散射辐射年总量总体呈微小的升高趋势。其中,升高幅度相对较大的秦皇岛为4．0％,升高幅度相对较小的廊坊为0．7％。（2）河北省水平面太阳散射辐射年总量近50年平均值空间差异不大,〈2240MI·m^-2主要分布在张家口西北部和秦皇岛西南部,〉2480MJ·m^-2主要分布在保定北部,大部分地区介于2320-2480MJ·m^-2。     

The impact of agricultural land use on stream chemistry and inputs to an inland reservoir: case of the Sauce Grande River,Argentina

Abstract

Water quality in the Paso Piedras Reservoir has deteriorated, primarily due to periodic blue-green algal blooms, making it temporarily unfit for human consumption. This phenomenon results from the eutrophication of waters of the watershed, and nutrients are considered to be the primary contributors to degradation of freshwater quality. In order to reduce the levels of nitrogen and, most of all, phosphorus, entering the Paso Piedras Reservoir, it is necessary to understand the incidence of diffuse transfers of nutrients from agricultural soils. The nitrogen composition, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and other physico-chemical parameters of the water were analysed in various different parts of the watershed in order to characterize water input to the reservoir from areas with different anthropogenic activity. The upper Sauce Grande basin was divided into three areas with different edaphic characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters measured in sampling surveys included: SRP, ammonium and nitrate, pH, conductivity, turbidity, and total solids. The results showed that the water of the Sauce Grande (areas 1 and 2) was not strongly contaminated, but in El Divisorio (Area 3, which is a sub-watershed whose stream flows directly into the Paso Piedras Reservoir), the levels of conductivity, total suspended sediments and SRP were so high that its contribution to the reservoir accounts for nearly 50% of the total SRP input. The main characteristics of El Divisorio watershed that make it a diffuse source of SRP were not only that its soils, under agricultural-livestock production, have significant slopes, so that water and wind erosion are faster, but also that human intervention had caused the destruction of aggregates. The results showed the influence of the soil characteristics, production systems and the micro-environment developed in the reservoir on the characteristics of waters flowing out of the reservoir. The two villages located in Area 2 had no significant influence on the concentration of nitrogen compounds and SRP found downstream.     

非对流性云中龙B-1 AgI烟迹扩散的研究

利用ＡｇⅠ和空气混合物的扩散方程,对催化剂在高空云中的传输,扩散进行了分析,计算了龙Ｂ－１焰弹催化系统播散的ＡｇⅠ气溶胶在云中的扩散,并给出龙Ｂ－１焰弹催化剂使用量的理论值,供在实际应用中参考。     

The contribution of unresolved radio-loud AGN to the extragalactic diffuse gamma-ray background

We present a calculation of the blazar contribution to the extragalactic diffuse γ -ray background (EGRB) in the EGRET energy range. Our model is based on inverse-Compton scattering as the dominant γ -ray production process in the jets of flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and BL Lac objects, and on the unification scheme of radio-loud AGN. According to this picture, blazars represent the beamed fraction of the Fanaroff–Riley radio galaxies (FR galaxies).
The observed log  N –log  S distribution and redshift distribution of both FSRQs and BL Lacs constrain our model. Depending slightly on the evolutionary behaviour of blazars, we find that unresolved AGN underproduce the intensity of the extragalactic background radiation. With our model only 20–40 per cent of the extragalactic background emission can be explained by unresolved blazars if we integrate to a maximum redshift of Z _max=3. For Z _max=5, blazars could account for 40–80 per cent of the EGRB. Roughly 70–90 per cent of the AGN contribution to the EGRB would result from BL Lacs. While the systematic uncertainties in our estimate for the FSRQ contribution appear small, in the case of BL Lacs our model parameters are not consistent with the results from studies in other wavelength regimes, and therefore may have larger systematic uncertainties. Thus we end up with two possibilities, depending on whether we underpredict or overpredict the BL Lac contribution: either unresolved AGN cannot account for the entire EGRB, or unresolved BL Lacs produce the observed background.
We predict a significant flattening of the γ -ray log  N –log  S function in the next two decades of flux below the EGRET threshold.     

Nature of the background ultraviolet radiation field at high redshifts

We have tried to determine the flux of the ultraviolet background radiation field from the column density ratios of various ions in several absorption systems observed in the spectra of QSOs. We find that in most cases the flux is considerably higher than what has been estimated to be contributed by the AGNs. The excess flux could originate locally in hot stars. In a few cases we have been able to show that such galactic flux can only contribute a part of the total required flux. The results suggest that the background gets a significant contribution from an unseen QSO population.     

Radiation–hydrodynamical collapse of pre-galactic clouds in the ultraviolet background

To explain the effects of the ultraviolet (UV) background radiation on the collapse of pre-galactic clouds, we implement a radiation–hydrodynamical calculation, combining one-dimensional spherical hydrodynamics with an accurate treatment of the radiative transfer of ionizing photons. Both absorption and scattering of UV photons are explicitly taken into account. It turns out that a gas cloud contracting within the dark matter potential does not settle into hydrostatic equilibrium, but undergoes run-away collapse even under the presence of the external UV field. The cloud centre is shown to become self-shielded against ionizing photons by radiative transfer effects before shrinking to the rotation barrier. Based on our simulation results, we further discuss the possibility of H₂ cooling and subsequent star formation in a run-away collapsing core. The present results are closely relevant to the survival of subgalactic Population III objects as well as to metal injection into intergalactic space.