Comet nuclei: Morphology and implied processes of surface modification

Surface morphology and related issues for nuclei of three comets: Halley, Borrelly and Wild 2, are considered in the paper. Joint consideration of publications and results of our analysis of the comets’ images led to conclusions, partly new, partly repeating conclusions published by other researchers. It was found that typical for all three nuclei is the presence of rather flat areas: floors of craters and other depressions, mesas and terraces. This implies that flattening surfaces or planation is a process typical for the comet nuclei. Planation seems to work through the sublimation-driven slope collapse and retreat. This requires effective sublimation so this process should work only when a comet is close to the Sun and if on the nucleus there are starting slopes, steep and high enough to support the “long-distance” avalanching of the collapsing material. If the surface had no starting slopes, then instead of planation, the formation of pitted-and-hilly surfaces should occur. An example of this could be the mottled terrain of the Borelly nucleus. Both ways of the sublimational evolution on the nucleus surface should lead to accumulation of cometary regolith. The thickness of the degassed regolith is not known, but it is obvious that in surface depressions, including the flat-floor ones, it should be larger compared with nondepression areas. This may have implications for the in situ study of comets by the Deep Impact and Rosetta missions.Our morphological analysis puts constraints on the applicability of the popular “rubble-pile comet nucleus” hypothesis (Weissman, 1986. Are cometery nuclei primordial rubble piles? Nature 320, 242-244.). We believe that the rubble pile hypothesis can be applicable to the blocky Halley nucleus. The Borelly and Wild 2 nuclei also could be rubble piles. But in these cases the “rubbles” have to be either smaller than 30-50 m (a requirement to keep lineament geometry close to ideal), or larger than 1-2 km (a requirement to form the rather extended smooth, flat surfaces of mesa tops and crater floors). Another option is that the Borelly and Wild 2 nuclei are not rubble piles.In relation to surface morphology we suggest that three end-member types of the comet nuclei may exist: (1) impact cratered “pristine” bodies, (2) non-cratered fragments of catastrophic disruption, and (3) highly Sun-ablated bodies. In this threefold classification, the Wild 2 nucleus is partially ablated primarily cratered body. Borrelly is significantly ablated and could be either primarily cratered or not-cratered fragment. Halley is certainly partially ablated but with the available images it is difficult to say if remnants of impact craters do exist on it.Recently published observations and early results of analysis of the Tempel 1 nucleus images taken by Deep Impact mission are in agreement with our conclusions on the processes responsible for the Halley, Borrelly and Wild 2 nuclei morphologies. In particular, we have now more grounds to suggest that decrease in crater numbers and increase of the role of smooth flat surfaces in the sequence Wild 2?Tempel 1?Borelli reflects a progress in the sublimational degradation of the nucleus surface during comet passages close to the Sun.     

Phytochemical changes in leaves of subtropical grasses and fynbos shrubs at elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations

The effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on plant polyphenolic, tannin, nitrogen, phosphorus and total nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations were investigated in leaves of subtropical grass and fynbos shrub species. The hypothesis tested was that carbon-based secondary compounds would increase when carbon gain is in excess of growth requirements. This premise was tested in two ecosystems involving plants with different photosynthetic mechanisms and growth strategies. The first ecosystem comprised grasses from a C₄-dominated, subtropical grassland, where three plots were subjected to three different free air CO₂ enrichment treatments, i.e., elevated (600 to 800 μmol mol⁻¹), intermediate (400 μmol mol⁻¹) and ambient atmospheric CO₂. One of the seven grass species, Alloteropsis semialata, had a C₃ photosynthetic pathway while the other grasses were all C₄. The second ecosystem was simulated in a microcosm experiment where three fynbos species were grown in open-top chambers at ambient and 700 μmol mol⁻¹ atmospheric CO₂ in low nutrient acid sands typical of south western coastal and mountain fynbos ecosystems. Results showed that polyphenolics and tannins did not increase in the grass species under elevated CO₂ and only in Leucadendron laureolum among the fynbos species. Similarly, foliar nitrogen content of grasses was largely unaffected by elevated CO₂, and among the fynbos species, only L. laureolum and Leucadendron xanthoconus showed changes in foliar nitrogen content under elevated CO₂, but these were of different magnitude. The overall decrease in nitrogen and phosphorus and consequent increase in C:N and C:P ratio in both ecosystems, along with the increase in polyphenolics and tannins in L. laureolum in the fynbos ecosystem, may negatively affect forage quality and decomposition rates. It is concluded that fast growing grasses do not experience sink limitation and invest extra carbon into growth rather than polyphenolics and tannins and show small species-specific chemical changes at elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Responses of fynbos species are varied and were species-specific.     

Some Bianchi Type I Viscous Fluid Cosmological Models with a Variable Cosmological Constant

Some Bianchi type I viscous fluid cosmological models with a variable cosmological constant are investigated in which the expansion is considered only in two direction i.e. one of the Hubble parameter is zero. The viscosity coefficient of bulk viscous fluid is assumed to be a power function of mass density whereas the coefficient of shear viscosity is considered as constant in first case whereas in other case it is taken as proportional to scale of expansion in the model. The cosmological constant Λ is found to be positive and is a decreasing function of time which is supported by results from recent supernovae Ia observations. Some physical and geometric properties of the models are also discussed.     

Ekman层风速随高度分布方程的数值解试验

根据大气水平运动方程推导出Ekman层风速随高度分布方程,该分布可用二阶线性微分方程表示,用有限差分法求解该二阶线性微分方程的边值问题的数值解,并给出计算程序,输出结果。将结果与经典解析解比较,讨论了经典解的正确性和适用范围。     

Preliminary Analysis of Photometric Variations of the Central Star of the Planetary Nebula Sh 2-71

We confirm the presence of regular UBV(RI)_C light variations of the object in the center of the planetary nebula Sh 2-71, with an improved period of P = 68.132 ± 0.005 days. The shapes and amplitudes of light curves, in particular colours, are briefly discussed.     

地月系L_2点中继星激光测距成功率的估算

为了模拟位于地月系L2点的中继星"鹊桥"与月球的位置关系,进而估算中继星激光测距的成功率,按照轨道周期约为14天的要求对中继星所在的晕轨道进行计算,建立了一个综合考虑望远镜抖动、大气抖动和预报轨道横向偏离的模型。从数值上给出了一条轨道周期为14. 78天,X方向(地月连线方向)振幅为12 493 km,Y方向为34 596 km,Z方向(垂直于地月轨道平面方向)为11 916 km的周期轨道。由于晕轨道的最小振幅远大于月球遮挡的临界振幅4 000 km,因此月球对中继星不存在遮挡问题。基于建立的测距成功率模型,根据昆明站(国际编号:7820)的激光测距系统对运行在该轨道上的中继星进行测距成功率分析,结果表明:测距成功率随着中继星横向轨道标准差的增大呈快速降低的趋势。对于中继星到测站的平均距离而言,当中继星没有横向偏离时,探测器产生的光电子数为0. 151,成功率为14. 07%;横向偏离2 km时,光电子数降为0. 035,成功率降为3. 46%。对比最近距离与最远距离的情况,无横向偏离的情况下,探测器产生的光电子数从0. 174降为0. 139,成功率从16. 01%降为13. 02%。该计算结果可为云南天文台1. 2 m望远镜实现中继星激光测距提供参考。     

Gamma-rays and cosmic rays from a pulsar in Cygnus OB2

We argue that γ-ray sources observed in the direction of the Cygnus OB2 association in the GeV and TeV energy range are due to a pulsar that was created by a supernova a few tens of thousands of years ago. The GeV emission is produced by a middle-aged pulsar, a factor of 2 older than the Vela pulsar. The TeV emission is produced by high-energy hadrons and/or leptons accelerated in pulsar wind nebulae. We suggest, moreover, that the excess of cosmic rays at ∼10¹⁸ eV observed from the direction of the Cygnus region can also be related to the appearance of this very energetic pulsar in the Cyg OB2 association. Some of the relativistic hadrons, captured in strong magnetic fields of a high-density region of Cyg OB2, produce neutrons and γ-rays in collisions with matter. These neutrons can arrive from Cyg OB2, creating an excess of cosmic rays.     

X-ray spectral evolution of low-mass X-ray binary GX 349+2

We present the results of a systematic investigation of spectral evolution in the Z source GX 349+2, using data obtained during 1998 with the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on-board the RXTE satellite. The source traced a extended normal branch (NB) and flaring branch (FB) in the colour–colour diagram (CD) and the hardness-intensity diagram (HID) during these observations. The spectra at different positions of the Z-track were best fitted by a model consisting of a disc blackbody and a Comptonized spectrum. A broad (Gaussian) iron line at ∼6.7 keV is also required to improve the fit. The spectral parameters showed a systematic and significant variation with the position along the Z-track. The evolution in spectral parameters is discussed in view of the increasing mass accretion rate scenario, proposed to explain the motion of Z sources in the CD and the HID.