Thermalization by synchrotron absorption in compact sources: electron and photon distributions

The high-energy continuum in Seyfert galaxies and galactic black hole candidates is likely to be produced by a thermal plasma. There are difficulties in understanding what can keep the plasma thermal, especially during fast variations of the emitted flux. Particle–particle collisions are too inefficient in hot and rarefied plasmas, and a faster process is called for. We show that cyclo-synchrotron absorption can be such a process: mildly relativistic electrons thermalize in a few synchrotron cooling times by emitting and absorbing cyclo-synchrotron photons. The resulting equilibrium function is Maxwellian at low energies, with a high-energy tail when Compton cooling is important. Assuming that electrons emit completely self-absorbed synchrotron radiation and at the same time Compton scatter their own cyclo-synchrotron radiation and ambient UV photons, we calculate the time-dependent behaviour of the electron distribution function, and the final radiation spectra. In some cases, the 2–10 keV spectra are found to be dominated by the thermal synchrotron self-Compton process rather than by thermal Comptonization of UV disc radiation.     

Nature of microstructure in pulsar radio emission

We present a model for microstructure in pulsar radio emission. We propose that micropulses result from alteration of the radio wave generation region by nearly transverse drift waves propagating across the pulsar magnetic field and encircling the bundle of the open magnetic field lines. It is demonstrated that such waves can modify the curvature of the field lines significantly. This, in turn, affects strongly fulfilment of the resonance conditions necessary for the excitation of radio waves. The time-scale of micropulses is therefore determined by the wavelength of the drift waves. The main features of the microstructure are naturally explained within the framework of this model.     

X-ray synchrotron emission from the oblique shock in the jet of the powerful radio galaxy 3C 346

We report the first detection, with Chandra , of X-ray emission from the jet of the powerful narrow-line radio galaxy 3C 346. X-rays are detected from the bright radio and optical knot at which the jet apparently bends by approximately 70°. The Chandra observation also reveals a bright galaxy-scale atmosphere within the previously known cluster and provides a good X-ray spectrum for the bright core of 3C 346. The X-ray emission from the knot is synchrotron radiation, as seen in lower-power sources. In common with these sources, there is evidence of morphological differences between the radio/optical and X-ray structures, and the spectrum is inconsistent with a one-component continuous-injection model. We suggest that the X-ray-bright knot is associated with a strong oblique shock in a moderately relativistic, light jet, at ∼ 20° to the line of sight, and that this shock is caused by the jet interacting with the wake in the cluster medium behind the companion galaxy of 3C 346. The general jet curvature can result from pressure gradients in the cluster atmosphere.     

北京耕地流失的时空动态与调控途径研究

在国际学术前沿土地变化科学的概念框架下, 耕地非农化及其调控机制研究成为核心问 题之一。研究中国快速城市化地区耕地非农化的驱动力及其调控机制, 不仅是现实的迫切需求, 也可在国际相关学术领域做出独特贡献。以北京为案例进行研究发现: 1996~2004 年北京土地利 用变化中, 大多数地类转换都与耕地直接有关, 耕地流失是北京土地利用变化的核心问题; 城镇 扩展主要占用耕地, 且耕地生产力高的平原地区因建设占用而流失的耕地量大; 远郊山区耕地被 建设占用的压力相对较小, 但被生态用地占用的压力相对较大; 人口增长、经济发展、政府行为与 决策是北京等经济快速发展地区耕地流失的重要驱动因素, 解决途径关键在于寻求耕地保护与 耕地非农利用之间的平衡点、积极发挥土地管理政策的调控作用。     

新疆萨热克巴依盆地中—新生代构造变形特征及其找矿意义

基于野外地质调查和构造测量工作,系统解析了萨热克巴依盆地边缘及内部的断裂-褶皱构造的几何学、运动学和动力学特征,重建盆地演化过程,探究控矿规律,促进深部找矿预测。研究表明：①盆地经历了早—中侏罗世拉分盆地发育、中侏罗世末—晚侏罗世初构造隆升剥蚀、晚侏罗世沉降、晚侏罗世末—早白垩世初构造隆升剥蚀、早白垩世早期沉降、早白垩世中晚期—古近纪隆升剥蚀、中新世压剪性构造变形、上新世—第四纪挤压收缩变形8个构造演化阶段,其中前6个阶段表现为沉降-抬升垂直运动,后2个阶段（新近纪—第四纪）表现为挤压收缩水平运动。②盆地叠加有2期挤压收缩构造变形,早期形成规模不大的北（西）西—南（东）东向宽缓向背斜构造;后期形成一系列北东东—南西西向褶皱-断层构造,表现为盆地边缘南北边界断层（ST、NT）朝盆地内对冲,导致在断层附近下盘形成的伴生褶皱趋于紧闭,而在远离断层的复式向斜（Sf）核部的次级褶皱多呈开阔宽缓状。③盆地构造控矿可以分为2个阶段：在成矿期阶段（早侏罗世—早白垩世）,由盆地沉降、隆升形成的正断层、反转断层及伴生断裂-节理-裂隙为重要的导矿构造,上侏罗统库孜贡苏组砂砾岩层内发育的顺层裂隙为萨热克铜矿重要的储矿构造,导矿构造与储矿构造交汇部位成为矿液富集成矿的最佳部位;在成矿后阶段,由后期（上新世—第四纪）北北西—南南东向区域挤压应力作用形成的收缩构造变形,明显控制了矿体的空间展布形态,造成矿体卷入褶皱变形,以及被断裂-裂隙带切穿或错断。④在30勘探线以东一带,南矿带深部隐伏的库孜贡苏组上段（J3k2）为铜（锌）矿（化）体的有利赋存层位,具有良好的找矿前景。     

Gamma-ray probe of cosmic ray pressure in galaxy clusters and cosmological implications

Cosmic rays produced in cluster accretion and merger shocks provide pressure to the intracluster medium (ICM) and affect the mass estimates of galaxy clusters. Although direct evidence for cosmic ray ions in the ICM is still lacking, they produce γ-ray emission through the decay of neutral pions produced in their collisions with ICM nucleons. We investigate the capability of the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope ( GLAST ) and imaging atmospheric Čerenkov telescopes (IACTs) for constraining the cosmic ray pressure contribution to the ICM. We show that GLAST can be used to place stringent upper limits, a few per cent for individual nearby rich clusters, on the ratio of pressures of the cosmic rays and thermal gas. We further show that it is possible to place tight (≲10 per cent) constraints for distant  ( z ≲ 0.25)  clusters in the case of hard spectrum, by stacking signals from samples of known clusters. The GLAST limits could be made more precise with the constraint on the cosmic ray spectrum potentially provided by IACTs. Future γ-ray observations of clusters can constrain the evolution of cosmic ray energy density, which would have important implications for cosmological tests with upcoming X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect cluster surveys.     

The geological and geodynamic evolution of the eastern Black Sea basin: insights from 2-D and 3-D tectonic modelling

Subsidence mechanisms that may have controlled the evolution of the eastern Black Sea have been studied and simulated using a numerical model that integrates structural, thermal, isostatic and surface processes in both two- (2-D) and three-dimensions (3-D). The model enables the forward modelling of extensional basin evolution followed by deformation due to subsequent extensional and compressional events. Seismic data show that the eastern Black Sea has evolved via a sequence of interrelated tectonic events that began with early Tertiary rifting followed by several phases of compression, mainly confined to the edges of the basin. A large magnitude (approximately 12 km) of regional subsidence also occurred in the central basin throughout the Tertiary. Models that simulate the magnitude of observed fault controlled extension (β=1.13) do not reproduce the total depth of the basin. Similarly, the modelling of compressional deformation around the edges of the basin does little to enhance subsidence in the central basin. A modelling approach that quantifies lithosphere extension according to the amount of observed crustal thinning and thickening across the basin provides the closest match to overall subsidence. The modelling also shows that deep crustal and mantle–lithosphere processes can significantly influence the rate and magnitude of syn- to post-rift subsidence and shows that such mechanisms may have played an important role in forming the anomalously thin syn-rift and thick Miocene–Quaternary sequences observed in the basin. It is also suggested that extension of a 40–45 km thick pre-rift crust is required to generate the observed magnitude of total subsidence when considering a realistic bathymetry.     

Spectral variability in Cygnus X-3

We model the broad-band X-ray spectrum of Cyg X-3 in all states displayed by this source as observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer . From our models, we derive for the first time unabsorbed spectral shapes and luminosities for the full range of spectral states. We interpret the unabsorbed spectra in terms of Comptonization by a hybrid electron distribution and strong Compton reflection. We study the spectral evolution and compare with other black hole as well as neutron star sources. We show that a neutron star accretor is not consistent with the spectral evolution as a function of L _E and especially not with the transition to a hard state. Our results point to the compact object in Cyg X-3 being a massive,  ∼30 M_⊙  black hole.