Die Entdeckung eines neuen Asteroiden (1988BJ) vom “Hungaria”-Typ

During an observational program of asteroids at the observatory of Haute Provence (France) an asteroid of 17^th magnitude was discovered on 22^nd January 1988 (Elst 1988). Further observations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and a preliminary determination of an orbit revealed that it belongs to the “Hungaria” family.     

Density profiles and luminosity functions of the globular clusters M3 and M92

Tautenburg Schmidt plates with the globular clusters M3 and M92 were measured on the APM facility in Cambridge, mainly for astrometric purposes. The data were used to derive the radial density profiles and the luminosity functions of these clusters. There is a good agreement of our results with formerly ones derived by other authors. In both clusters effects of mass segregation are observed.     

Stellar populations and dust in the galaxy NGC 2976, a low-luminosity member of the M81 group

Photographic UBV photometry of NGC 2976, a low-luminosity member of the central M81 group of galaxies, is presented. Young stars in the central disk determine the optical view and the classification of this Sc(pec) galaxy. It is surrounded by a halo of an old population which contains nearly all the mass and half the luminosity of the system. This halo has some properties typical of spheroidal dwarf galaxies: an exponential brightness profile, an ellipticity trend of the isophotes typical of low-mass systems, and mass and luminosity near the upper limit of typical dwarfs. In the central population I disk, star formation proceeds in dense associations scattered irregularly in a broad ringlike region of 1.2 kpc radius just inside the turnover of the rotation curve. This star formation episode may last since some 10⁸ a; it is possibly triggered by gas infall from the interstellar cloud generated during encounters between other group members in the central M81 group. A direct triggering by recent encounters is excluded since NGC 2976 is undisturbed in its outer parts.     

Micrometer measurements of visual double stars at Calar Alto

We present 93 micrometer measurements of 55 double stars observed with the 152 cm telescope at the Spanish observatory at Calar Alto (Almeria, Spain).     

A Long Way to Go: Collective Paths to Racial Justice in Geography

Despite decades of recognition and worry about diversity, our discipline remains persistently white. That is, it is dominated by white bodies and it continues to conform to norms, practices, and ideologies of whiteness. This is a loss. At best, it limits the possibilities and impact of our work as geographers. At worst, it perpetuates harmful exclusions in our discipline: its working environments, its institutions, and its knowledge production. This remains deeply concerning for many geographers, and there has been important research, commentary, and institutional activity over the years. Yet, research shows us that little meaningful progress has been made. We know that mentoring is one vital part of the journey toward change. As such, we reflect here on our experience developing a research collective built on a transformative mentoring practice. We outline the key challenges, strategies, and tentative successes of the collective in supporting women of color undergraduate, graduate, and faculty geographers, arguing that such feminist formations are a vital part of the path to intellectual racial justice in our field. Key Words: diversity, feminist geography, higher education, mentoring, race.     

天山雪岭云杉个体生物量分配及其变化规律的研究

为了探讨天山雪岭云杉林生物量在个体组织中的分配情况及其变化规律,在研究区进行了大量的野外测量,利用已有的雪岭云杉林估算方程,分析了天山雪岭云杉林生物量在各器官（干、枝、叶、皮、根）中的分配及其变化规律。结果表明：（1） 研究区雪岭云杉林的平均生物量为388.74 t·hm^-2,树木各器官中,干、枝、根、叶和皮分别占生物量的43.65%、28.60%、13.49%、11.08%和3.18%。（2）各径级生物量所占百分比为：33.53%（40~50 cm）、20.13%（20~30 cm）、19.59%（30~40 cm）、18.19%（50~60 cm）和2.05%（10~20 cm）;树木生物量在不同树高中的分配表现为：48.78%（20~30 m）＞35.27%（10~20 m）＞14.70%（30~40 m）＞1.25%（0~10 m）;地上和地下生物量的分配比例为：87.54%和12.46%,分别为340.30 t·hm^-2和48.44 t·hm^-2。（3） 随海拔升高,天山雪岭云杉林生物量呈“单峰”变化,在海拔2 100~2 400 m处达到最大值611.58 t·hm^-2;干、皮生物量所占比例随海拔升高而减小,枝生物量逐渐增加,叶、根生物量呈先减小后增加的趋势;径级20~30 cm、30~40 cm和50~60 cm的生物量随海拔升高均呈“单峰型”变化趋势,都在海拔2 100~2 400 m处达到最大;雪岭云杉林不同树高生物量随海拔的升高呈现的趋势不同。天山雪岭云杉林生物量和年均降水量随经纬度的升高均呈降低变化,研究区林分生物量自西向东总体呈现逐渐降低的趋势;林分密度、海拔和降水共同决定了森林生物量的大小及其变化规律,海拔2 100~2 400 m是本研究区雪岭云杉林生长的最适宜场所。结果可为雪岭云杉林生态系统的恢复和重建提供基础资料,对研究区进行综合管理与生态健康分析具有重要意义。     

Flora小行星族自转特性研究

小行星族作为灾变碰撞的残留物,其基础物理性质提供了其母体以及后续演化信息.其中轨道以及自转特性分别反映了Yarkovsky效应以及Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack效应(YORP效应)对于小行星族演化的影响.基于小行星光变数据库(Asteroid Lightcurve Database),通过对Flora小行星族自转速率分布进行研究,发现随着直径减小,族成员自转速率倾向于主要集中在3–5 d^-1的范围内.同时,可以注意到Flora小行星族整体表现出更倾向于顺行自转状态的现象,但对于轨道半长轴小于2.2au的成员来说,其顺行自转与逆行自转状态成员数目比接近于近地小行星中顺逆行自转状态源1:3的比例;此外,对于轨道半长轴大于2.2 au且具有顺行自转状态的部分族成员,在轨道半长轴-绝对星等分布中表现出聚集现象,并在聚集区域中有9颗成员展现出类似Slivan状态特征.     

银河系铝元素丰度研究

恒星的Al元素丰度可以为探索星团和星系的化学演化提供重要线索.通过系统分析银河系薄盘、厚盘、核球、银晕以及M4、M5等球状星团中恒星的[Al/Fe]随恒星金属丰度[Fe/H]的变化趋势,得出银河系薄盘、厚盘和核球恒星的[Al/Fe]随着[Fe/H]的增加而缓慢下降,而球状星团M4和M5恒星的[Al/Fe]随[Fe/H]增加没有下降趋势,这暗示Ia超新星对M4和M5恒星元素丰度的贡献比较小.详细研究了银河系恒星[Al/Fe]与[Mg/Fe]、[Na/Fe]的相关性,结果表明银河系场星的[Al/Fe]与[Mg/Fe]正相关,但在球状星团M4和M5恒星中未见此相关性;银河系盘星及M4和M5等球状星团恒星的[Al/Fe]与[Na/Fe]都存在正相关.     

宇宙线的超新星遗迹起源

宇宙线的起源是高能天体物理的核心问题之一.一直以来,超新星爆发被认为是能谱膝区以下宇宙线的主要来源.多波段观测表明,超新星遗迹有能力加速带电粒子至亚PeV (10~(15)eV)能量.扩散激波加速被认为是最有效的天体高能粒子加速机制之一,而超新星遗迹的大尺度激波正好为这一机制提供平台.近年来,一系列较高精度的地面和空间实验极大地推动了对宇宙线以及超新星遗迹的研究.新的观测事实挑战着传统的扩散激波加速模型以及其在银河系宇宙线超新星遗迹起源学说上的应用,深化了人们对宇宙高能现象的认识.结合超新星遗迹辐射能谱的时间演化特性,构建的时间依赖的超新星遗迹粒子加速模型,不仅能够解释200 GV附近宇宙线的能谱反常,还自然地形成能谱膝区,甚至可以将超新星遗迹粒子加速对宇宙线能谱的贡献延伸至踝区.该模型预期超新星遗迹中粒子的输运行为表现为湍流扩散,这需要未来的观测以及与粒子输运相关的等离子体数值模拟工作来进一步验证.     

基于图像的天体搜索研究与自动化集成软件开发

天体搜索是天文数据处理流程的一个重要环节,也是以平方公里阵列射电望远镜(Square Kilometre Array, SKA)为代表的下一代射电望远镜在面向海量数据处理中的挑战之一.现今天体自动搜索算法、软件已日趋成熟并投入应用,不过在自动化、兼容性等方面仍具有提升空间.以更自动化、更适应海量数据需求的天体搜索算法研究为宗旨,以现有算法为研究基础,天体自动搜索软件系统得到设计和开发.该系统包含友好的交互式用户操作界面,具备可视化输出数据显示、兼容不同数据输入和输出并包含为实际应用服务的文件管理功能.该系统对于大天区图以及图像集,均能够很好地进行自动化处理.测试结果显示,上述方法对于天体搜索的改进有一定成效.后续将在此基础上对该集成系统做进一步的改进开发,以适应更多的需求.