Formation of the radio profile components of the Crab pulsar

The induced Compton scattering of radio emission off the particles of the ultrarelativistic electron–positron plasma in the open field line tube of a pulsar is considered. We examine the scattering of a bright narrow radio beam into the background over a wide solid angle and specifically study the scattering in the transverse regime, which holds in a moderately strong magnetic field and gives rise to the scattered component nearly antiparallel to the streaming velocity of the scattering particles. Making use of the angular distribution of the scattered intensity and taking into account the effect of rotational aberration in the scattering region, we simulate the profiles of the backscattered components as applied to the Crab pulsar. It is suggested that the interpulse (IP), the high-frequency interpulse (IP') and the pair of so-called high-frequency components (HFC1 and HFC2) result from the backward scattering of the main pulse (MP), precursor (PR) and low-frequency component (LFC), respectively. The components of the high-frequency profiles, the IP' and HFCs, are interpreted for the first time. The HFC1 and HFC2 are argued to be a single component split by the rotational aberration close to the light cylinder. It is demonstrated that the observed spectral and polarization properties of the profile components of the Crab pulsar as well as the giant pulse phenomenon outside the MP can be explained in terms of our model.     

Optical polarization of the Crab pulsar: precision measurements and comparison to the radio emission

The linear polarization of the Crab pulsar and its close environment was derived from observations with the high-speed photopolarimeter Optical Pulsar TIMing Analyser at the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope in the optical spectral range (400–750 nm). Time resolution as short as 11 μs, which corresponds to a phase interval of 1/3000 of the pulsar rotation, and high statistics allow the derivation of polarization details never achieved before. The degree of optical polarization and the position angle correlate in surprising details with the light curves at optical wavelengths and at radio frequencies of 610 and 1400 MHz. Our observations show that there exists a subtle connection between presumed non-coherent (optical) and coherent (radio) emissions. This finding supports previously detected correlations between the optical intensity of the Crab and the occurrence of giant radio pulses. Interpretation of our observations requires more elaborate theoretical models than those currently available in the literature.     

Mechanism of generation of the emission bands in the dynamic spectrum of the Crab pulsar

We show that the proportionately spaced emission bands in the dynamic spectrum of the Crab pulsar fit the oscillations of the square of a Bessel function whose argument exceeds its order. This function has already been encountered in the analysis of the emission from a polarization current with a superluminal distribution pattern: a current whose distribution pattern rotates (with an angular frequency ω) and oscillates (with a frequency  Ω > ω  differing from an integral multiple of ω) at the same time. Using the results of our earlier analysis, we find that the dependence on frequency of the spacing and width of the observed emission bands can be quantitatively accounted for by an appropriate choice of the value of the single free parameter  Ω/ω  . In addition, the value of this parameter, thus implied by Hankins & Eilek's data, places the last peak in the amplitude of the oscillating Bessel function in question at a frequency  (∼Ω³/ω²)  that agrees with the position of the observed ultraviolet peak in the spectrum of the Crab pulsar. We also show how the suppression of the emission bands by the interference of the contributions from differing polarizations can account for the differences in the time and frequency signatures of the interpulse and the main pulse in the Crab pulsar. Finally, we put the emission bands in the context of the observed continuum spectrum of the Crab pulsar by fitting this broad-band spectrum (over 16 orders of magnitude of frequency) with that generated by an electric current with a superluminally rotating distribution pattern.     

Observations of Giant Pulses of the Crab Pulsar

The Crab Pulsar was observed at 1540 MHz with the 25m radio telescope at Urumqi with a filterbank de-dispersion backend. A total of 2436 giant pulses with pulse energies larger than 4300 Jy μs were detected in two observing sets. All of these giant pulses are located in the main pulse (MP) and inter pulse (IP) windows of the average profile of the Crab Pulsar. The ratio of the numbers of giant pulses detected in the IP and MP windows is about 0.05. Our results show that, at 1540 MHz, the emission in the IP is contributed by giant and normal pulses, while that in the MP is almost dominated by giant pulses. The distribution of energy of the 2436 giant pulses at 1540 MHz can be described by a power-law with index α=3.13±0.09. The intrinsic threshold of giant pulse energy in the MP window is about 1400 Jy μs at 1540 MHz.     

Impacts of a bottom trawling exclusion zone on Snow Crab abundance and fish harvester behavior in the Labrador Sea, Canada

The Hawke Box trawling exclusion zone off southern Labrador is a 8610 km² closed area implemented in 2003 to protect soft-shelled pre-recruit Snow Crab and juvenile cod from mortality imposed by shrimp trawling and other bottom-impact fisheries. This study utilizes survey, logbook, and observer data from the Snow Crab and Northern Shrimp fisheries to assess the effectiveness of the Hawke Box in protecting and possibly enhancing the Snow Crab resource off southern Labrador. The results indicate that the exclusion zone has failed to protect pre-recruit crabs largely due to a redistribution and intensification of directed Snow Crab effort inside the Box in the years following closure. This unexpected outcome resulted in a high level of fishery-induced mortality to pre-recruit crabs and masked any potential positive outcomes from the cessation of trawling. The shortcomings that contributed to the failure of this exclusion area are discussed in relation to the current state of knowledge on the effectiveness of marine protected areas in general as management tools for conserving aquatic resources.     

东海蟹类群落结构特征的研究

依据1998年5月(春季)、8月(夏季)、11月(秋季)和1999年2月(冬季)在东海26°00′—33°00′N、127°00′E以西海域的蟹类资源调查资料,对东海蟹类群落结构的特征进行了定量分析。结果表明,东海蟹类优势种有双斑、银光梭子蟹、细点圆趾蟹、长手隆背蟹、日本、武士、锈斑、三疣梭子蟹、泥脚隆背蟹、锐刺长蟹和纤手梭子蟹。其中银光梭子蟹、细点圆趾蟹、双斑和三疣梭子蟹是东海蟹类的主要优势种。常见种是艾氏牛角蟹、红星梭子蟹、绵蟹、变态、光掌、十一刺栗壳蟹、七刺栗壳蟹、象牙长螯蟹、卷折馒头蟹、直额、武装筐形蟹和显著琼娜蟹。种类组成特征方面,冬、春季蟹类少数优势种的优势性明显,秋季优势度种间差异不明显。种类数比较:东海南部最多(57种),中部次之(45种),北部最少(仅37种);不同季节间,春季最多(57种),其次是夏季(53种),秋、冬季较少(仅49种);水深越深的水域,种类数越多。多样性比较:冬、春、秋3季,从北到南,蟹类多样性逐渐增高,且随着水深加深而增大;夏季不同,水深小于40m的浅海多样性指数最高。东海蟹类共可分为3个生态类群,即广温广盐生态类群、高温广盐生态类群和高温高盐生态类群。     

对虾白斑综合症病毒病围栏封闭预防技术研究简报

病毒性流行病使世界的养虾业遭受到了严重挫折 ,其中又以白斑综合症病毒 (ＷＳＳＶ)病流行最广 ,危害最大。针对这种病的病原、病理和流行病学已进行了大量的研究 ,对于如何预防也做了很多探索 ,但迄今没有得到很好的解决。养虾界总结出高位池塘养殖、内地淡化养殖、远海岸卤水、井水或渗水养殖和虾池配养肉食性鱼类等办法 ,都有一定的效果。但这些办法大多要求一定的条件 ,缺乏普适性 ,而且往往有时效限制 (即养殖年久后也会发病 ) ;有的则只是减小了发病机率 ,并不是十分可靠 (如配养肉食性鱼类 )。因此 ,研制出一种具有普适性 (特别是能…     

The major upgrade of the MAGIC telescopes,Part II: A performance study using observations of the Crab Nebula

MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located in the Canary island of La Palma, Spain. During summer 2011 and 2012 it underwent a series of upgrades, involving the exchange of the MAGIC-I camera and its trigger system, as well as the upgrade of the readout system of both telescopes. We use observations of the Crab Nebula taken at low and medium zenith angles to assess the key performance parameters of the MAGIC stereo system. For low zenith angle observations, the standard trigger threshold of the MAGIC telescopes is ∼ 50  GeV. The integral sensitivity for point-like sources with Crab Nebula-like spectrum above 220 GeV is (0.66 ± 0.03)% of Crab Nebula flux in 50 h of observations. The angular resolution, defined as the σ of a 2-dimensional Gaussian distribution, at those energies is ≲ 0.07°, while the energy resolution is 16%. We also re-evaluate the effect of the systematic uncertainty on the data taken with the MAGIC telescopes after the upgrade. We estimate that the systematic uncertainties can be divided in the following components: < 15% in energy scale, 11%–18% in flux normalization and ± 0.15 for the energy spectrum power-law slope.