A local void and the accelerating Universe

RCW 114 is a filamentary nebula of about 250 arcmin diameter. Based on its large diameter-to-filament-width ratio, the expansion velocity, distance and size of the shell, it has been suggested that RCW 114 is a supernova remnant in its momentum-conserving phase. Confirmation of this identification is important, as the large angular size and extensive optical emission of this object will allow for detailed study to improve our knowledge of supernova remnants and their interaction with the interstellar medium.
We have used the FLAIR instrument on the UK Schmidt Telescope to obtain optical spectra of several filaments in RCW 114. These confirm that the emission is being produced by the interaction of the shock wave of a supernova remnant with the surrounding interstellar medium. We also obtained narrow-band H α +[N  ii ] and [S  ii ] images to examine the spatial variation in ionization structure.     

Dynamical and pressure structures in winds with multiple embedded evaporating clumps – I. Two-dimensional numerical simulations

Because of its key role in feedback in star formation and galaxy formation, we examine the nature of the interaction of a flow with discrete sources of mass injection. We show the results of two-dimensional numerical simulations in which we explore a range of configurations for the mass sources and study the effects of their proximity on the downstream flow. The mass sources act effectively as a single source of mass injection if they are so close together that the ratio of their combined mass injection rate is comparable to or exceeds the mass flux of the incident flow into the volume that they occupy. The simulations are relevant to many diffuse sources, such as planetary nebulae and starburst superwinds, in which a global flow interacts with material evaporating or being ablated from the surface of globules of cool, dense gas.     

Experimental investigation on the motion of bubbles in the moonpool with a sonar model inside

Bubbles are becoming a threat to the measurement of equipment and human activities in the moonpool, while little is known about the characteristics of bubbles in the moonpool. We aim to investigate the motion patterns and characteristic of bubbles in the moonpool. To support the investigation, experiments were conducted in a water tunnel. Images of bubbles in and under the moonpool were captured by two high-speed cameras. The software Tema and program PolyParticleTracker were used to track the bubbles in the moonpool. We obtain information of bubbles in the moonpool, including movement patterns of bubbles, generation of bubbles, relationship between amount of bubbles and the freesurface, temporal and spatial distribution of bubbles, the size and the velocities of bubbles.     

A threshold for sequentially self-propagating star formation

When a stellar wind bubble expands into an homogeneous medium, there are two possible outcomes. This is due to the fact that the self-gravity of the swept-up shell acts in two orthogonal directions: tangentially , to promote fragmentation of the shell, and radially , to decelerate expansion of the shell. The outcome depends on whether self-gravity works faster in the tangential or the radial direction.
If the wind power ℒ_o is large and the effective isothermal sound speed a _o in the swept-up gas is small – approximately         – tangential self-gravity works faster. A thin dense shell is swept up and fragments while it is still expanding supersonically. This is the scenario often invoked to explain sequentially self-propagating star formation.
However, if ℒ_o is small and/or a _o is large, radial self-gravity works faster. Expansion of the bubble stalls before the shell can fragment. The expansion speed ceases to be supersonic, the outer shock dissipates, and the shell is neither thin nor dense. Under this circumstance, the shell is unlikely to fragment and star formation will not propagate sequentially.
These conclusions are probably not altered significantly when the medium into which the wind blows is inhomogeneous, provided that the mean density on opposite sides of the bubble does not differ by many orders of magnitude.     

Supernova remnants,planetary nebulae and superbubbles: Prospects for new XMM‐Newton observations

Important results achieved over the last years on supernova remnants, planetary nebulae and superbubbles are briefly reviewed in the context of X‐ray observations. I intend to review the important open scientific questions in these fields, and the specific contributions that can be made by XMM‐Newton. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

敦德冰芯过去800a来的甲烷记录

郭德冰芯上部９５ｍ的１２个样品记录了近８００ａ来冰内气泡包裹气体中甲烷的浓度变化,结果表明,最近２００ａ来该冰芯记录的甲烷浓度急剧上升,与南极及格陵兰的甲烷记录反映的趋势相一致,但与两极同时代样品相比,其浓度总体上要高出０．５×１０＾－６～０．６×１０＾－６ｍｏｌ／ｍｏｌ在这之前,３者基本保持一致,在０．７×１０＾－６～０．８×１０＾－６ｍｏｌ／ｍｏｌ之间波动。     

Dark spots,bubbles, and shells in the lobes of extragalactic radio sources

Based on maps of the extragalactic radio sources Cyg A, Her A, Cen A, 3C 277.3 and others, arguments are given that the twin-jets from the respective active galactic nucleus ram their channels repeatedly through thin, massive shells. The jets are thereby temporarily choked and blow radio bubbles. Warm shell matter in the cocoon shows up radio-dark through electron-scattering.     

Expanding shells in low and high density environments

The gravitational instability of expanding shells evolving in a homogeneous and static medium is discussed. In the low density environment (n = 1 cm^-3), the fragmentation starts in shells with diameters of a few 100 pc and fragment masses are in the range of 5 × 10³ - 10⁶ M _⊙. In the high density environment (n = 10⁵ - 10⁷ cm^-3), shells fragment at diameters of pc producing clumps of stellar masses. The mass spectrum in both environments is approximated by a power law dN/dm ∼ m ^-2.3. This is close to the slope of the stellar IMF. To reproduce the observed mass spectrum of clouds (the spectral index close to ∼ -2.0) we have to assume, that the cloud formation time is independent of the cloud size, similarly to the Jeans unstable medium. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evolution of the X-ray luminosity and metallicity of starburst blown superbubbles

We have modelled the evolution of hot superbubbles in starbursts, taking into account the rapid changes in the chemical composition of the interior of the superbubbles resulting from the large stellar mass loss, i.e. stellar winds from massive young stars and type II supernovae. We have followed in detail the time-dependent production and mixing of oxygen and iron in the interior of the hot superbubbles and showed that while the oxygen abundance rapidly climbs to over solar values in less than 10 Myr, iron abundance remains always under solar. This highly enhanced oxygen metallicity boosts the early X-ray luminosity of superbubbles while keeping the iron abundance subsolar. This brings theory and X-ray observations of the luminosity and metal content of young starbursts closer together.