Comparative analysis on soil engineering classifications of China and America

Based on China National Standard of Soil Engineering Classification (GB/T 50145-2007) and the Unified Soil Classification System of American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM D-2478), two kinds of soil laboratory engineering classification methods were discussed and analyzed from the aspects of the definition in particle fraction, classification of soil type and evaluation standard for soil gradation. There is a same limit of fine grains fraction in the two standards, and there are three main types of soil in GB/T 50145-2007 and two in ASTM D-2487. Different evaluation standards of gradation are put forward for gravels and sands in ASTM D-2487. Same criteria of A line, B line and controlling value of plastic index are in the plasticity chart of both standards.     

青藏铁路冻土路基温度场随机有限元分析

从一阶Taylor展开式入手,结合冻土温度场计算有限元法,推导了冻土路基温度场随机有限元方程及有关计算公式,并对青藏铁路北麓河试验段冻土路基温度场进行了随机有限元分析,结果表明温度标准差与温度场的分布趋势大致相同,在垂直方向上,最大值都出现在路基上部,向下逐渐减小,但两者分布范围略有不同,路基内部标准差的分布范围明显较大,在一定深度处达到均化。     

邓肯-张E-B模型参数对软土路堤沉降计算结果的影响

有限单元法是计算路堤沉降常见的数值计算方法,其土体模型参数的准确性是计算结果可靠性高的保证。邓肯-张E-B模型是岩土工程分析计算中常用的一种非线性弹性模型。本文针对模型参数敏感性进行大量非线性有限元计算,得到了各参数与路堤沉降和侧向位移之间的关系,确定了该模型中影响软基路堤沉降和侧向变形的主要参数。     

ULAS J234311.93-005034.0: a gravitational lens system selected from UKIDSS and SDSS

We report the discovery of a new gravitational lens system. This object, ULAS J234311.93-005034.0, is the first to be selected by using the new UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), together with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The ULAS J234311.93-005034.0 system contains a quasar at redshift 0.788 which is doubly imaged, with separation 1.4 arcsec. The two quasar images have the same redshift and similar, though not identical, spectra. The lensing galaxy is detected by subtracting point spread functions from R -band images taken with the Keck telescope. The lensing galaxy can also be detected by subtracting the spectra of the A and B images, since more of the galaxy light is likely to be present in the latter. No redshift is determined from the galaxy, although the shape of its spectrum suggests a redshift of about 0.3. The object's lens status is secure, due to the identification of two objects with the same redshift together with a lensing galaxy. Our imaging suggests that the lens is found in a cluster environment, in which candidate arc-like structures, that require confirmation, are visible in the vicinity. Further discoveries of lenses from the UKIDSS survey are likely as part of this programme, due to the depth of UKIDSS and its generally good seeing conditions.     

On the variability and spectral distortion of fluorescent iron lines from black hole accretion discs

We investigate the properties of fluorescent iron lines that arise as a result of the illumination of a black hole accretion disc by an X-ray source located above the disc's surface. We study in detail the light-bending model of the variability of the lines, extending previous work on the subject. We indicate that the bending of photon trajectories to the equatorial plane (a distinct property of the Kerr metric) is the most feasible effect underlying the reduced variability of the lines observed in several objects. A model involving an X-ray source with a varying radial distance, located within a few central gravitational radii around a rapidly rotating black hole, close to the disc's surface, may explain both the elongated red wing of the line profile and the complex variability pattern observed in MCG–6-30-15 by XMM–Newton . We also point out that illumination by radiation that returns to the disc (following the previous reflection) contributes significantly to the formation of the line profile in some cases. As a result of this effect, the line profile always has a pronounced blue peak (which is not observed in the deep minimum state in MCG–6-30-15), unless the reflecting material is absent within the innermost 2–3 gravitational radii.     

Deciphering the pulsations of G 29-38 with optical time series spectroscopy

We present optical time series spectroscopy of the pulsating white dwarf star G 29-38 taken at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). By measuring the variations in brightness, Doppler shift and line shape of each spectrum, we explore the physics of pulsation and measure the spherical degree (ℓ) of each stellar pulsation mode. We measure the physical motion of the g modes correlated with the brightness variations for three of the eight pulsation modes in this data set. The varying line shape reveals the spherical degree of the pulsations, an important quantity for properly modelling the interior of the star with asteroseismology. Performing fits to the Hβ, Hγ and Hδ lines, we quantify the changing shape of the line and compare them to models and previous time series spectroscopy of G 29-38. These VLT data confirm several ℓ identifications and add four new values, including an additional ℓ= 2 and a possible ℓ= 4. In total, from both sets of spectroscopy of G 29-38, eleven modes now have known spherical degrees.     

A New Approach for Estimating Kinetic Luminosity of Jet in AGNs

The Konigl inhomogeneous jet model can successfully reproduce most observational features of jets in active galactic nuclei （AGN）, when suitable physical parameters are adopted. We improve Konigl＇s calculations on the core emission from the jet with a small viewing angle θ0 - φ （φ is half opening angle of the conical jet）. The proper motion of the jet component provides a constraint on the jet kinematics. Based on the inhomogeneous jet model, we use the proper motion data of the jet component to calculate the minimal kinetic luminosity of the jet required to reproduce the core emission measured by the very-long- baseline interferometry （VLBI） for a sample of BL Lac objects. Our results show that the minimal kinetic luminosity is slightly higher than the bolometric luminosity for most sources in the sample, which implies that radiatively inefficient accretion flows （RIAFs） may be in those BL Lac objects, or/and the properties of their broad-line regions （BLRs） are significantly different from flat-spectrum radio-loud quasars.     

Model-Synthesized Rate of Type Ia Supernovae and its Influence on the Chemical Enrichment of the ISM

Using Hurley＇s rapid binary stellar evolution code, we have studied the model-synthesized rate of Type Ia Supernovae （SNe Ia） and its influence on the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium ejected by stellar populations. We adopt two popular scenarios, i.e., single degenerate scenario （SD） and double degenerate scenario （DD）, for the progenitors of SNe Ia to calculate the rates of SNe Ia. Rates calculated in this work agree with that of Hachisu et al. and Han ＆ Podsiadlowski, but are different from that usually adopted in chemical evolution models of galaxies. We apply the rates of SNe Ia to the chemical enrichment （especially Fe enrichment）, then compare the results with previous studies. As known SNe Ia slightly affect the enrichment of C, N, O and Mg elements, while significantly affect the enrichment of Fe. We find that the occurrence and the value of the Fe enrichment in our models are earlier and smaller than that commonly adopted in chemical evolution models. We also study the evolution of [Mg/Fe] ratios, which are almost reciprocals of the Fe enrichment. The study may provide constraints on the free parameters of chemical evolution models of galaxies and evolutionary population synthesis.