Phenomenological Theory of the Photoevaporation Front Instability

The dynamics of photoevaporated molecular clouds is determined by the ablative pressure acting on the ionization front. An important step in the understanding of the ensuing motion is to develop the linear stability theory for an initially flat front. Despite the simplifications introduced by linearization, the problem remains quite complex and still draws a lot of attention. The complexity is related to the large number of effects that have to be included in the analysis: acceleration of the front, possible temporal variation of the intensity of the ionizing radiation, the tilt of the radiation flux with respect to the normal to the surface, and partial absorption of the incident radiation in the ablated material. In this paper, we describe a model where all these effects can be taken into account simultaneously, and a relatively simple and universal dispersion relation can be obtained. The proposed phenomenological model may prove to be a helpful tool in assessing the feasibility of the laboratory experiments directed towards scaled modeling of astrophysical phenomena. PACS Numbers: 98.38.Dq, 98.38.Hv, 52.38.Mf, 5257.FG, 52.72.+v     

On the maximum value of the cosmic abundance of oxygen and the oxygen yield

We search for the maximum oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies. Because this maximum value is expected to occur in the centres of the most luminous galaxies, we have constructed the luminosity – central metallicity diagram for spiral galaxies, based on a large compilation of existing data on oxygen abundances of H  ii regions in spiral galaxies. We found that this diagram shows a plateau at high luminosities  (−22.3 ≲ M _B ≲−20.3)  , with a constant maximum value of the gas-phase oxygen abundance  12 + log (O/H) ∼ 8.87  . This provides strong evidence that the oxygen abundance in the centres of the most luminous metal-rich galaxies reaches the maximum attainable value of oxygen abundance. Since some fraction of the oxygen (about 0.08 dex) is expected to be locked into dust grains, the maximum value of the true gas + dust oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies is 12 + log(O/H) ∼ 8.95. This value is a factor of ∼2 higher than the recently estimated solar value. Based on the derived maximum oxygen abundance in galaxies, we found the oxygen yield to be about 0.0035, depending on the fraction of oxygen incorporated into dust grains.     

Near-infrared and optical emission-line structure of the Keyhole Nebula in NGC 3372

Narrow-band infrared and optical images of the Keyhole Nebula in NGC 3372 reveal which structures are caused by extinction, and show the underlying morphology of photoionized and shock-excited gas. Dark clouds conspire with ionized gas to create the apparent keyhole shape, which is prominent at blue wavelengths and less apparent in the infrared. The  Pa β /H α   line ratio shows the spatial distribution of foreground extinction. The wavelength dependence of this extinction indicates a reddening law with   R ≈4.8  , different from the normal interstellar medium. This confirms previous estimates of reddening toward the Carina Nebula determined from stellar photometry, and reveals that the anomalous extinction is patchy and within the H  ii region. The morphology of the ionized gas is different from the extinction clouds; it shows an edge-on ionization front running NE to SW, with a limb-brightened indentation that forms the upper outline of the keyhole shape. A fast polar wind from η Carinae may have punctured the ionization front, since the indentation is directly along a projection of the polar axis of the star. This is supported by the morphology of shock-excited gas revealed by a high  [S  ii ]/H α   ratio. High-excitation gas emitting [O  iii ] and He  i has a smoother distribution. Molecular clumps in the region are also discussed.     

南极地区气温变化的一些特征

本文利用南极地区考察站的气温资料,对该地区气温的季节变化和年变化进行统计分析。结果表明,南极地区气温的季节变化有明显的区域性和两季特点,东南极大陆是冷中心,在南极地区气温变化中起重要作用,极点气温的年际变率不大,南极地区气温场中存在ENSO事件的信号。     

中国城市(包括辖县)的工业职能分类——理论、方法和结果

在城市发展的经济基础理论的指导下,作者提出城市工业职能的概念包括城市的专业化部门、职能强度和职能规模三个要素。城市工业职能分类就是按照上述三要素的相似性和差异性对城市进行分类。本研究曾采用主因素分析、聚类分析和纳尔逊的统计分析等多种方法。最后以沃德误差法的聚类分析结果作为分类的基础,稍加修正,并以纳尔逊法分析结果作补充。中国1984年的295个城市被分成三个大类、十九个亚类和五十四个职能组。     

变分原理和非线性Lyapunov稳定性判据

本文通过构造斜压大气运动的原始方程模式和两层模式的Hamilton守恒量及积分不变的Casimir泛函,并使用变分法,得到了斜压大气运动的非线性Lyapunov稳定性判据,这个判据是Arnold-Blumen-Zeng判据的推广。     

Extragalactic Astronomy with the VLTI: a new window on the Universe

Interferometry in the optical and near infrared has so far played a marginal role in Extragalactic Astronomy. Active Galactic Nuclei are the brightest and most compact extragalactic sources, nonetheless only a very limited number could be studied with speckle interferometry and none with long baseline interferometry. The VLTI will allow the study of moderately faint extragalactic objects with very high spatial resolution thus opening a new window on the universe. With this paper we focus on three scientific cases to show how AMBER and MIDI can be used to tackle open issues in extragalactic astronomy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

COUNTERURBANIZATION IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY*

Since Berry argued in 1976 that counterurbanization had replaced urbanization in the U.S., a debate has ensued as to whether the phenomenon also exists in Western Europe. Proponents of a developmental theory of counterurbanization contend that the phenomenon should be evident in countries which have achieved a very high level of socioeconomic development, including the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Most of the German and English language literature on the topic suggests the contrary for the FRG. Here urbanization and counterurbanization are restricted to specific geographic meanings, i.e., spatial agglomeration and deglomeration. Results from four interrelated tests show a trend toward counterurbanization evident as early as the 1960s in the post-war regional demographic data of the FRG.     

SOFTWARE REVIEWS

software reviews are in this article BMDP/PC CONCEPTS COMPUTERIZED ATLAS EVALUATION OF ALTERNATE PROPOSALS (EAP) EXTRA: EXPRESS TRANSIT ANALYSIS MATC CAD MOTORS TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE PCMAP: Thematic Mapping Software for the IBM Personal Computer, Version 2.3 PLACE TRANPLAN . US-ATLAS     

EMPLOYMENT DATA AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF URBAN SETTLEMENTS

Classifications of urban settlements have traditionally used total employment data in place of basic (export-oriented) employment data. While urban analysis agree upon the superiority of basic employment data for these classifications, usually only total employment data are available. This paper uses the Arizona Community Data Set, a unique survey-generated body of information that describes the major economic characteristics of numerous Southwestern communities and includes both basic and total employment data, to explore the extent to which misclassification results when using total employment data.