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.     

Parametric rolling behaviour of azimuthing propulsion-driven ships

The study investigates the experimental and numerical analysis of the occurrence of auto-parametric rolling for large, high-speed pod-driven ships in waves. Considering unique design and performance targets, the aim here is to exploit susceptibility to auto-parametric rolling behaviour and to identify probable design and operational precautions. In order to achieve this aim, an existing non-linear time-domain software to simulate capsizing and other critical manoeuvring behaviours of slow- to medium-speed conventional and podded ships in waves is being enhanced for fast pod-driven vessels and then compared against the dedicated model test conducted in long-crested regular and random waves for a large, pod-driven containership model. This paper includes the presentation of current numerical modifications for pod-driven ships and the verification analysis.     

A memory-matrix-based identification methodology for structural and mechanical systems

This paper uses an associative memory approach to identify the properties of structural and mechanical systems. The methodology differs from standard identification methods in that it uses a set of parameter vectors simultaneously to generate the estimated parameter vector. The method develops a technique for sequentially generating genetically engineered relevant parameter vectors whose use results in accurate identification, while still using small data sets. This makes the approach promising for on-line, rapid, identification of structures and their health monitoring. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Production of neutrons, neutrinos and gamma-rays by a very fast pulsar in the Galactic Centre region

We consider the possibility that the excess of cosmic rays near ∼10¹⁸ eV, reported by the AGASA and SUGAR groups from the direction of the Galactic Centre, is caused by a young, very fast pulsar in the high-density medium. The pulsar accelerates iron nuclei to energies ∼10²⁰ eV, as postulated by the Galactic models for the origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays. The iron nuclei, about 1 yr after pulsar formation, leave the supernova envelope without energy losses and diffuse through the dense central region of the Galaxy. Some of them collide with the background matter creating neutrons (from disintegration of Fe), neutrinos and gamma-rays (in inelastic collisions). We suggest that neutrons produced at a specific time after the pulsar formation are responsible for the observed excess of cosmic rays at ∼10¹⁸ eV. From normalization of the calculated neutron flux to the one observed in the cosmic ray excess, we predict the neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes. It has been found that the 1 km² neutrino detector of the IceCube type should detect from a few up to several events per year from the Galactic Centre, depending on the parameters of the considered model. Moreover, future systems of Cherenkov telescopes (CANGAROO III, HESS, VERITAS) should be able to observe  1–10 TeV  gamma-rays from the Galactic Centre if the pulsar was created inside a huge molecular cloud about  3–10×10³ yr  ago.     

γ-rays from binary system with energetic pulsar and Be star with aspherical wind: PSR B1259−63/SS2883

At least one massive binary system containing an energetic pulsar, PSR B1259−63/SS2883, has been recently detected in the TeV γ-rays by the HESS telescopes. These γ-rays are likely produced by particles accelerated in the vicinity of the pulsar and/or at the pulsar wind shock, in comptonization of soft radiation from the massive star. However, the process of γ-ray production in such systems can be quite complicated due to the anisotropy of the radiation field, complex structure of the pulsar wind termination shock and possible absorption of produced γ-rays which might initiate leptonic cascades. In this paper, we consider in detail all these effects. We calculate the γ-ray light curves and spectra for different geometries of the binary system PSR B1259−63/SS2883 and compare them with the TeV γ-ray observations. We conclude that the leptonic inverse-Compton model, which takes into account the complex structure of the pulsar wind shock due to the aspherical wind of the massive star, can explain the details of the observed γ-ray light curve.     

Quantification of the effect of forest harvesting versus climate on streamflow cycles and trends in an evergreen broadleaf catchment

ABSTRACT

A new method known as Unobserved Components–Dynamic Harmonic Regression (UC-DHR) was applied to a 39-year record of rainfall and streamflow for three sub-catchments of the Sarukawa Experimental Watershed in southwestern Japan. Some 25% of the timber was harvested from one of the sub-catchments in May–July 1982 and the objective was to quantify the magnitude of this effect relative to the effects of climate cycles (e.g. Southern Oscillation Index). The observed effects of inter-annual climate cycles (i.e. 0.89–1.36 mm/d) were seen to be comparable (i.e. 0.70–1.17 mm/d) to the effects of harvesting 25% of the standing timber. This result underlines the importance of always quantifying the effect of climate on streamflow response when harvesting impacts are studied.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor T. Okruszko     

High energy processes in pulsar wind nebulae

Young pulsars produce relativistic winds which interact with matter ejected during the supernova explosion and the surrounding interstellar gas. Particles are accelerated to very high energies somewhere in the pulsar winds or at the shocks produced in collisions of the winds with the surrounding medium. As a result of the interactions of relativistic leptons with the magnetic field and low energy radiation (of synchrotron origin, thermal, or microwave background), non-thermal radiation is produced from the lowest possible energies up to ～100 TeV. The high energy (TeV) γ-ray emission has been originally observed from the Crab Nebula and recently from several other objects. Recent observations by the HESS Cherenkov telescopes allow to study for the first time the morphology of the sources of high energy emission, showing unexpected spectral features. They might be also interpreted as due to acceleration of hadrons. However, theory of particle acceleration in the PWNe and models for production of radiation are still at their early stage of development since it becomes clear that realistic modeling of these objects should include their time evolution and three-dimensional geometry. In this paper we concentrate on the attempts to create a model for the high energy processes inside the PWNe which includes existence of not only relativistic leptons but also of hadrons inside the nebula. Such model should also take into account evolution of the nebula in time. Possible high energy expectations based on such a model are discussed in the context of new observations.     

Cascades in the Earth’s magnetosphere initiated by photons with the parameters of the highest energy AGASA events

We investigate the cascading effects of extremely high energy (EHE) photons in the Earth’s magnetosphere assuming that these photons arrive with the parameters of the highest energy AGASA events (energies, arrival directions). For the location of the AGASA Observatory, we determine the directions in the sky from which photons can cascade with a high (low) probability. In the case of the primary photons with the parameters of the events with the energies >10²⁰ eV, we compute the average cascade spectra of secondary photons entering the Earth’s atmosphere, and estimate their fluctuations around these average values by selecting the events with the largest and smallest number of secondary cascade photons. It is shown that most photons with the parameters of the highest energy AGASA events should initiate cascades in the Earth’s magnetosphere with a high probability even though they tend to arrive from directions in the sky for which the perpendicular component of the magnetic field is weaker. On the other hand, if these events are caused by the photons with lower energies, then the fluctuations in their shower development in the magnetosphere and the atmosphere should be higher than in the case of photons with the energies estimated by the AGASA experiment.