CMB temperature polarization correlation and primordial gravitational waves

We examine the use of the TE cross-correlation power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) as a complementary test to detect primordial gravitational waves (PGWs). The first method used is based on the determination of the lowest multipole, ℓ₀, where the TE power spectrum,   C ^TE_ℓ  , first changes sign. The second method uses Wiener filtering on the CMB TE data to remove the density perturbations contribution to the TE power spectrum. In principle this leaves only the contribution of PGWs. We examine two toy experiments (one ideal and another more realistic) to see their ability to constrain PGWs using the TE power spectrum alone. We found that an ideal experiment, one limited only by cosmic variance, can detect PGWs with a ratio of tensor to scalar metric perturbation power spectra   r = 0.3  at 99.9 per cent confidence level using only the TE correlation. This value is comparable with current constraints obtained by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe based on the 2σ upper limits to the B-mode amplitude. We demonstrate that to measure PGWs by their contribution to the TE cross-correlation power spectrum in a realistic ground-based experiment when real instrumental noise is taken into account, the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r , should be approximately three times larger.     

Environment and mass dependencies of galactic λ spin parameter: cosmological simulations and observed galaxies compared

We use a sample of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to search for correlations between the λ spin parameter and the environment and mass of galaxies. In order to calculate the total value of λ for each observed galaxy, we employed a simple model of the dynamical structure of the galaxies, which allows a rough estimate of the value of λ using only readily obtainable observables from the luminous galaxies. Use of a large volume-limited sample (upwards of 11 000) allows reliable inferences of mean values and dispersions of λ distributions. We find, in agreement with some N -body cosmological simulations, no significant dependence of λ on the environmental density of the galaxies. For the case of mass, our results show a marked correlation with λ, in the sense that low-mass galaxies present both higher mean values of λ and associated dispersions, than high-mass galaxies. These results provide interesting constrain on the mechanisms of galaxy formation and acquisition of angular momentum, a valuable test for cosmological models.     

Covariance of dark energy parameters and sound speed constraints from large H i surveys

An interesting probe of the nature of dark energy is the measure of its sound speed, c _s. We review the significance for constraining sound speed models of dark energy using large neutral hydrogen (H  i ) surveys with the square kilometre array (SKA). Our analysis considers the effect on the sound speed measurement that arises from the covariance of c _s with the dark energy density, Ω_de, and a time-varying equation of state,   w ( a ) = w ₀+ (1 − a ) w _a   . We find that the approximate degeneracy between dark energy parameters that arises in power spectrum observations is lifted through redshift tomography of the H  i -galaxy angular power spectrum, resulting in sound speed constraints that are not severely degraded. The cross-correlation of the galaxy and the integrated Sachs Wolfe (ISW) effect spectra contributes approximately 10 per cent of the information that is needed to distinguish variations in the dark energy parameters, and most of the discriminating signal comes from the galaxy auto-correlation spectrum. We also find that the sound speed constraints are weakly sensitive to the H  i bias model. These constraints do not improve substantially for a significantly deeper H  i survey since most of the clustering sensitivity to sound speed variations arises from   z ≲ 1.5  . A detection of models with sound speeds close to zero,   c _s≲ 0.01,  is possible for dark energy models with   w ≳−0.9  .     

Limitations of Bayesian Evidence applied to cosmology

There has been increasing interest by cosmologists in applying Bayesian techniques, such as Bayesian Evidence, for model selection. A typical example is in assessing whether observational data favour a cosmological constant over evolving dark energy. In this paper, the example of dark energy is used to illustrate limitations in the application of Bayesian Evidence associated with subjective judgements concerning the choice of model and priors. An analysis of recent cosmological data shows a statistically insignificant preference for a cosmological constant over simple dynamical models of dark energy. It is argued that for nested problems, as considered here, Bayesian parameter estimation can be more informative than computing Bayesian Evidence for poorly motivated physical models.     

Model-based pattern speed estimates for 38 barred galaxies

We have modelled 38 barred galaxies by using near-infrared and optical data from the Ohio State University Bright Spiral Galaxy Survey. We constructed the gravitational potentials of the galaxies from H -band photometry, assuming a constant mass-to-light ratio. The halo component we choose corresponds to the so-called universal rotation curve. In each case, we used the response of gaseous and stellar particle disc to rigidly rotating potential to determine the pattern speed.
We find that the pattern speed of the bar depends roughly on the morphological type. The average value of corotation resonance radius to bar radius,     , increases from 1.15 ± 0.25 in types SB0/a–SBab to 1.44 ± 0.29 in SBb and 1.82 ± 0.63 in SBbc–SBc. Within the error estimates for the pattern speed and bar radius, all galaxies of type SBab or earlier have a fast bar     , whereas the bars in later type galaxies include both fast and slow rotators. Of 16 later type galaxies with a nominal value of     , there are five cases, where the fast-rotating bar is ruled out by the adopted error estimates.
We also study the correlation between the parameter     and other galactic properties. The clearest correlation is with the bar size: the slowest bars are also the shortest bars when compared to the galaxy size. A weaker correlation is seen with bar strength in a sense that slow bars tend to be weaker. These correlations leave room for a possibility that the determined pattern speed in many galaxies corresponds to actually that of the spiral, which rotates more slowly than the bar. No clear correlation is seen with either the galaxy luminosity or the colour.     

Using the quasar VLBI network for the fundamental time—positioning service of the GLONASS space system

Regular high-precision determinations of the Earth’s orientation parameters (EOPs) on the Quasar VLBI Network were begun in August 2006. The observations are performed within the framework of two national programs: daily sessions at three observatories of the Network to determine all five EOPs (the RU-E program) and 8-h sessions on the Zelenchukskaya-Badary and Svetloe-Badary baselines to determine the Universal Time (the RU-U program). The observations from August 2006 through May 2007 are analyzed. The rms deviations of the EOP values obtained in the RU-E program from the IERS C04 series are 1.1 mas for X _p and Y _p, 37 μs for UT1-UTC, and 0.7 and 0.6 mas for X _c and Y _c, respectively. These results closely match the prospective requirements of GLONASS. The rms deviations of the Universal Times obtained in the RU-U program from the IERS C04 series are 146 μs. We consider the immediate prospects for improving the accuracy of EOP determinations in daily sessions and for implementing the e-VLBI mode for an online determination of the Universal Time. Original Russian Text ? A.M. Finkelstein, E.A. Skurikhina, I.F. Surkis, A.V. Ipatov, I.A. Rakhimov, S.G. Smolentsev, 2008, published in Pis’ma v Astronomicheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2008, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 66–76.     

细粒含量对冰碛土抗剪强度影响的实验研究

为研究细粒组颗粒在浸水/降雨条件下产生迁移对冰碛土抗剪强度的影响,从西藏林芝市帕隆藏布嘎隆寺沟流域内采取冰碛土样品,进行7种不同细粒（粒径小于2 mm）含量情况下的冰碛土比重和相对密度的测试,开展了不同围压下的大型饱和固结不排水三轴（CU）实验。结果表明：（1）细粒含量对干密度的影响较小,不同细粒含量的冰碛土孔隙比大致相同,细颗粒对孔隙具有改造作用,不同细粒含量会引起孔隙结构的差异,从而导致冰碛土的结构差异,最终导致抗剪强度的不同;（2）细颗粒迁移导致冰碛堤坡脚和内部一定深度细粒含量较高,达到一定的量值时,抗剪强度明显降低,冰碛堤容易发生剪切破坏;（3）细粒含量对抗剪强度参数的变化具有重要影响,从中还可以反映出冰碛土结构控制的变化：粗颗粒控制→粗细颗粒共同控制→细颗粒控制。研究结果对于评价冰碛堤的稳定性具有重要意义。     

扬中金源时代购物中心基坑降水数值模拟分析

基坑降水的成功与否,将对基坑开挖和周边环境产生重要影响,因此有必要对基坑降水方案进行评估。针对扬中金源时代购物中心基坑降水问题,采用MIDAS/GTS对基坑降水效果进行研究。首先,依据地勘报告中提供的土体渗透系数,结合单井、双井抽水试验结果,反演出MIDAS/GTS中需要的土层渗流系数和边界函数;然后利用反演得到的参数,建立了考虑回灌井补水效应的三维基坑降水效果分析模型,模拟基坑内水位降深与时间的变化关系,并对基坑降水效果进行分析和评估,以期指导土方开挖工程的施工。     

基于混料设计的WC基复合胎体性能研究

采用混料设计方法,研究了WC、YG8、663-Cu含量变化对WC基复合胎体抗弯强度的影响规律。3种成分含量变化对抗弯强度有显著性影响,呈线性模型关系,得出了相应的回归方程。三者之间的影响大小是YG8＞WC＞663-Cu;3种成分含量变化对强度损失率影响很小,通过调整三者的成分比例,无法有效地提高胎体对金刚石的把持力。