Potential Applications of X-ray Fluorescence Core Scanner in Elemental Analyses of the Muddy Sediments on the Coastal Shelves of China and in Ecological Study

Large areas of muddy sediments on the coastal shelves of China provide important samples for studying climate and ecological changes. Analysis of a large number of such samples, which is essential for systematic study on environmental information recorded in mud areas because of complicated sedimentary environment and variable sedimentary rate, requires a fast and economical method. In this study, we investigated the potential of X-ray fluorescence core scanner （XRFS）, a fast analytical instrument for measuring the elemental concentrations of muddy sediments, and observed a significant correlation between the element concentrations of muddy sediments determined by regular X-ray fluorescence spectrometer （XRF） and XRFS, respectively. The correlations are mainly determined by excitation energy of elements, but also influenced by solubility of element ions. Furthermore, we found a striking link between A1 concentrations and marine-originated organic carbon （MOC）, a proxy of marine primary productivity. This indicates that MOC is partly controlled by sedimentary characteristics. Therefore, XRFS method has a good potential in fast analysis of a large number of muddy sediment samples, and it can also be used to calibrate MOC in ecological study of coastal seas.

The optical/UV excess of X-ray-dim isolated neutron star Ⅱ.Nonuniformity of plasma on a strangeon star surface

Several X-ray-dim isolated neutron stars （XDINSs）, also known as the Magnificent Seven, exhibit a Planck-like soft X-ray spectrum. In the optical/ultraviolet （UV） band, there is an excess of radiation compared to an extrapolation from the X-ray spectrum. However, the majority exhibits ＂spec- tral deviations＂： the fact that there is more flux at longer wavelengths makes spectra deviate from the Rayleigh-Jeans law. A model of bremsstrahlung emission from a nonuniform plasma atmosphere is proposed in the regime of a strangeon star to explain the optical/UV excess and its spectral devi- ation as well as X-ray pulsation. The atmosphere is on the surface of strangeon matter, which has negligible emission, and is formed by the accretion of ISM-fed debris disk matter moving along the magnetic field lines to near the polar caps. These particles may spread out of the polar regions which makes the atmosphere non-uniform. The modeled electron temperatures are ~ 100 - 200 eV with radi- ation radii Ropt ~ 5 - 14km. The spectra of five sources （RX J0720.4-3125, RX J0806.4-4123, RX J1308.6＋2127, RX J1605.3＋3249, RX J1856.5-3754） from optical/UV to X-ray bands can be fitted well by the radiative model, and exhibit Gaussian absorption lines at ~ 100 - 500 eV as would be expected. Furthermore, the surroundings （i.e., fallback disks or dusty belts） of XDINSs could be tested by future infrared/submillimeter observations.

Analysis of the X-ray emission of OB stars:O stars

We investigate the global properties of X-ray emission from O stars, analyzing the X-ray spec- tra of 32 O stars from archival data of the XMM-Newton space observatory. We examine two hypotheses about of the origin of X-ray emission from O stars. The first is a paradigm proposed by Pollock, that was revealed from an analysis of the （ Ori X-ray observation. The second is the magnetically confined wind-shock （MCWS） model. For checking Pollock＇s hypothesis, we determine the distribution of the ratio of half width at half maximum （HWHM） to the wind terminal velocity for lines in spectra of all examined stars. In addition, we check three probable consequences from the MCWS model. We analyze if a correlation exists between the spectral hardness and such stellar parameters as the wind terminal velocity, stellar magnetic field and mass loss rate. The result showed that Pollock＇s hypothesis is not correct. We also established that not all consequences of the MCWS model considered by us are con- firmed. In addition, our spectral analysis method indicated that O stars probably have clumped stellar winds with spherical clumps.

Analysis of X-Ray Emission from OB Stars. IV. About X-Ray Emission from Inhomogeneous Winds of OB Stars

We study the origin of X-ray emission from OB stars due to collisions of stellar winds and/or inhomogeneities in the winds. The low-resolution X-ray spectra of a big sample of OB stars were fitted by both the stationary APEC/MEKAL models and by this model with an additional PSHOCK component describing the nonstationary X-ray emission. These spectra were also described by two-temperature PSHOCK models. More than ~50% of considered spectra can be described by the above-mentioned model combinations including the PSHOCK model and the quality of the fits appears to be better for O stars. The plasma temperature of the PSHOCK component is about 1–5 keV with the ionization timescale τ_(u)~ 10^(8)–10^(13)s cm^(-3). The temperature of the PSHOCK component increases with the momentum and kinetic energy of the stellar wind by a power law with an index ~0.12–0.14.Such dependencies were not revealed through modeling by the stationary APEC/MEKAL models only. At the same time the X-ray luminosity of OB stars depends on momentum and kinetic energy of their winds similarly either for stationary or for nonstationary models. We conclude that many O stars and some B stars can be sources of the nonstationary X-rays formed in their inhomogeneous stellar wind.

An active M star with X-ray double flares disguised as an ultra-luminous X-ray source

Here we present research on an ultra-luminous X-ray source （ULX） candidate 2XMM J 140229.91＋542118.8. The X-ray light curves of this ULX candidate in M 101 exhibit features of a flare star. More importantly, the Chandra light curve displays unusual X-ray double flares, which is comprised of two close peaks. The X-ray （0.3-11.0 keV） flux of the first peak was derived from the two-temperature APEC model as ～ 1.1 ±0.1× 10-12 ergcm-2 s-1. The observed flux at its first peak increased by about two orders of magnitude in X-ray as compared to quiescence. The slope of the second fast decay phase is steeper than the slope of the first fast decay phase, indicating that the appearance of a second flare accelerated the cooling of the first flare in a way we do not understand yet. We also observed its optical counterpart using a 2.16 m telescope administered by National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By optical spectral fitting, it is confirmed to be a late type dMe2.5 star. According to the spectral type and apparent magnitude of its optical counterpart, we estimate the photometric distance to be ～ 133.4 ±14.2 pc. According to the X-ray spectral fitting, a possible explanation is provided. However, more similar close double flares are needed to confirm whether this accelerated cooling event is a unique coincidence or a common physical process during double flaring.

Analysis of the X-ray emission of OB stars II: B stars

This paper is the second part of an investigation into the mechanism for the origin of X-rays in early-type stars. Archival X-ray observations of 25 B stars, obtained by the XMM-Newton satellite, are analysed. We check two hypotheses on the origin of X-ray emission: the Magnetically Confined Wind Shock Model(MCWS) and Pollock’s paradigm. For all studied stars, the mean ratio of the half widths at half maximum to the terminal velocities appears to be R ≈ 0.15-0.20 in contradiction to Pollock’s hypothesis that R ≈ 0.5. We checked three possible consequences of the MCWS model: correlations between the hardness of the X-ray spectra for B stars and terminal wind velocities, mass loss rates and magnetic fields.It was shown that such correlations are marginal or even absent both for magnetic and non-magnetic B stars.

Analysis of the X-ray emission from OB stars Ⅲ: low-resolution spectra of OB stars

This paper is the third in our series of papers devoted to the investigation of X-ray emission from OB stars.In our two previous papers,we study the high-resolution X-ray spectra of 32 O stars and 25 B stars to investigate the correlations between the properties of X-ray emission and stellar parameters.We checked if the X-ray hardness and post-shock plasma temperature grow with increasing stellar magnetic field,mass loss rate and terminal wind velocity.Our previous analysis of high-resolution spectra showed that the correlations are weak or even absent.In the present paper,we analyzed low-resolution X-ray spectra,using model-independent X-ray hardness values for checking the above mentioned dependencies.We establish that X-ray luminosities LX weakly depend on the stellar magnetic field.At the same time,Lx ∝ M0.5 and LX ∝ Ekin0.5,where M is the mass loss rate and Ekin is the kinetic energy of the wind.The X-ray luminosities decrease with growing magnetic confinement parameter η.We also argue that there is an additional(probably non-thermal) component contributed to the stellar X-ray emission.

Computer-Aided Design of X-Ray Microtomographic Scanners

The article is to study the development of computer-aided design of X-ray microtomography—the device for investigating the structure and construction of three-dimensional images of organic and inorganic objects on the basis of shadow projections. This article provides basic information regarding CAD of X-ray microtomography and a scheme consisting of three levels. The article also shows basic relations of X-ray computed tomography, the generalized scheme of an X-ray microtomographic scanner. The methods of X-ray imaging of the spatial microstructure and morphometry of materials are described. The main characteristics of an X-ray microtomographic scanner, the X-ray source, X-ray optical elements and mechanical components of the positioning system are shown. The block scheme and software functional scheme for intelligent neural network system of analysis of the internal microstructure of objects are presented. The method of choice of design parameters of CAD of X-ray microtomography aims at improving the quality of design and reducing costs of it. It is supposed to reduce the design time and eliminate the growing number of engineers involved in development and construction of X-ray microtomographic scanners.

M dwarf stars—the by-product of X-ray selected AGN candidates

X-ray loud M dwarfs are a major source of by-products （contamination） in the X-ray band of the multiwavelength quasar survey. As a by-product, the low dispersion spectra of 22 M dwarfs are obtained in which the spectra of 16 sources are taken for the first time. The spectral types and distances of the sample are given based on spectral indices CaH2, CaH3, and TiO5. The parameter ζ TiO/CaH is calculated to separate the different metallicity classes among dwarfs, subdwarfs and extreme subdwarfs. We also discuss the distributions in the diagrams of log（L x /L bol ）, the ratio between X-ray and bolometric luminosity versus spectral type and infrared colors.

Flaring activity from quiescent states in neutron-star X-ray binaries

We examine systematically the observed X-ray luminosity jumps(or flares) from quiescent states in millisecond binary pulsars(MSBPs) and high-mass X-ray binary pulsars(HMXBPs). We rely on the published X-ray light curves of seven pulsars: four HMXBPs, two MSBPs and the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2. We discuss the physics of their flaring activities or lack thereof, paying special attention to their emission properties when they are found on the propeller line, inside the Corbet gap or near the light-cylinder barrier. We provide guiding principles for future interpretations of faint X-ray observations, as well as a method of constraining the propeller lines and the dipolar surface magnetic fields of pulsars using a variety of quiescent states. In the process, we clarify some disturbing inaccuracies that have made their way into the published literature.

A Brief Review for Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in Neutron-Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries

In accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), the turbulent flow in accretion disk may show magnetic structures. Its emission will vary in time due to inhomogeneous motions through and with the accretion flow. These emissions contribute to considerable X-ray variability on a wide range of timescales in all wavelengths, and down to milliseconds. In this article, we give a brief review for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), one of a periodic X-ray variability, in NS/ LMXBs. Firstly, we give a brief introduction to NS/LMXBs and the fruitful QPO components. As an example, the energy dependence of normal branch oscillations in Scorpius X-1 is discussed. We mostly focus on the properties and mechanism of kilohertz QPOs—the fastest variability components that have the same order as the dynamical timescales of the innermost regions of accretion flow. Finally, we discuss the success and questions for theoretical interpretations and present the possible entry for investigation of nature of QPOs.

Study of Secondary Cosmic Rays and Astronomical X-Ray Sources using Small Stratospheric Balloons

The X-ray sources of the universe are extraterrestrial in nature which emit X-ray photons.The closest strong X-ray source is the Sun,which is followed by various compact sources such as neutron stars,black holes,the Crab pulsar,etc.In this paper,we analyze the data received from several low-cost lightweight meteorological balloon-borne missions launched by the Indian Centre for Space Physics.Our main interest is to study the variation of the vertical intensity of secondary cosmic rays,the detection of strong X-ray sources,and their spectra in the energy band of^(1)0–80 keV during the complete flights.Due to the lack of an onboard pointing system,low exposure time,achieving a maximum altitude of only~42 km,and freely rotating the payload about its axis,we modeled the background radiation flux for the X-ray detector using physical assumptions.We also present the source detection method,observation of the pulsation of the Crab(^(3)3 Hz),and spectra of some sources such as the quiet Sun and the Crab pulsar.

Timing and Spectral Analysis of the Black Hole X-Ray Binary MAXI J1803-298 with Insight-HXMT Data

We present a comprehensive analysis of the 2021 outburst of MAXI J1803–298 utilizing observations of the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT)spanning from the low hard state to the high soft state.Within the Insight-HXMT data set,compared to the previous work,we identify a more prolonged presence of typeC quasi-periodic oscillations(QPOs)with centroid frequencies ranging from~0.16 to 6.3 Hz,which present correlations with the hardness ratio and the photon index of the Comptonized component.For QPO frequencies less than~2 Hz,the QPO phase lags are hard(photons of 10–19 keV arrive later than those of 1–4 keV),while at higher frequencies,the lags become soft at and above~4 Hz.Furthermore,the spectra in all Insight-HXMT observations consist of a multi-color blackbody component and a Comptonized component,as commonly observed in classical black hole X-ray binaries.We analyze state transitions and the evolution of accretion geometry in this work.The fitted inner disk radius increases abnormally during the low hard state,hypothesized to result from the corona condensing onto the inner disk.Additionally,two significant drops in flux are observed during the soft intermediate state,maybe implying changes in the corona/jet and the disk,respectively.

The Completeness of Accreting Neutron Star Binary Candidates from the Chinese Space Station Telescope

A neutron star(NS)has many extreme physical conditions,and one may obtain some important information about an NS via accreting neutron star binary(ANSB)systems.The upcoming Chinese Space Station Telescope(CSST)provides an opportunity to search for a large sample of ANSB candidates.Our goal is to check the completeness of the potential ANSB samples from CSST data.In this paper,we generate some ANSBs and normal binaries under the CSST photometric system by binary evolution and binary population synthesis method and use a machine learning method to train a classification model.Although the Precision(94.56%)of our machine learning model is as high as before study,the Recall is only about 63.29%.The Precision/Recall is mainly determined by the mass transfer rate between the NSs and their companions.In addition,we also find that the completeness of ANSB samples from CSST photometric data by the machine learning method also depends on the companion mass and the age of the system.ANSB candidates with a low initial mass companion star(0.1 M_(⊙)to 1 M_(⊙))have a relatively high Precision(94.94%)and high Recall(86.32%),whereas ANSB candidates with a higher initial mass companion star(1.1 M_(⊙)to 3 M_(⊙))have similar Precision(93.88%)and quite low Recall(42.67%).Our results indicate that although the machine learning method may obtain a relatively pure sample of ANSBs,a completeness correction is necessary for one to obtain a complete sample.

Morphologic changes of simple star dunes during the growth process in Dunhuang,China

Star dune is one typical kind of aeolian geomorphology in global sand seas.It has attracted scholars in various research fields for years because of its unique morphologic features like Egyptian pyramid.The landform pattern of star dune is mainly dominated by factors such as regional wind regime,sand availability,and local topography.Star dunes grow vertically as they accumulate sand brought in from different directions;however,little is known regarding morphologic changes during this process.The stability of star dunes based on quantitative data is another unsolved question due to the limitation in measuring equipment or other factors.And whether the star dune can grow into star sand hills is another scientific problem which needs to be discussed.In this paper,the heightening development process and morphological changes of star dunes were monitored in Mingsha Mountain of Dunhuang with the 3D laser scanner.Results show that the star dunes in Mingsha Mountain were formed by a group of relatively steady winds,which were northwest,northeast and south winds.With the increase of the height of the star dunes,the morphological parameters of the dune,such as the volume and bottom area,did not show regular changes.The surface erosion of both Dune 1 and Dune 2 during the observation period was closely related to the regional wind conditions.During the growth of the star dunes,the overall trend of the dunes was relatively steady and the dune shape maintained its stability although the aspect and slope of the sand dunes changed,indicating that the stability of star dune was not complete and was dynamic.Moreover,the variation range of the dune slope was proportional to the volume change of the dune.

Statistical Properties of X-Ray Bursts from SGR J1935+2154 Detected by Insight-HXMT

As one class of the most important objects in the universe,magnetars can produce a lot of different frequency bursts including X-ray bursts.In Cai et al.,75 X-ray bursts produced by magnetar SGR J1935+2154 during an active period in 2020 are published,including the duration and net photon counts of each burst,and waiting time based on the trigger time difference.In this paper,we utilize the power-law model,dN(x)/dx∝(x+x_0)~((-α)_x),to fit the cumulative distributions of these parameters.It can be found that all the cumulative distributions can be well fitted,which can be interpreted by a self-organizing criticality theory.Furthermore,we check whether this phenomenon still exists in different energy bands and find that there is no obvious evolution.These findings further confirm that the X-ray bursts from magnetars are likely to be generated by some self-organizing critical process,which can be explained by a possible magnetic reconnection scenario in magnetars.

Optical and X-Ray Studies of Marginal Contact Binary RW Dor Using TESS and XMM-Newton Observatories

Marginal short-period contact binaries are important to understand as they pose a different physical scenario than the predicted theoretical model based on the thermal relaxation oscillation mechanism due to their shallow degree of contact.Here we present the optical and X-ray studies of a contact binary source RW Dor using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS)and XMM-Newton telescopes.For the first time we report the varying O'Connell effect and explain the asymmetry with a spot model.Based on the new times of minima,we make a robust estimate of the orbital period of the third body at 47.01~0.52 yr with an eccentricity e=0.21.We show that the period-decreasing trend observed in O-C variation can be explained by both conservative mass transfer from primary to secondary and AML via stellar wind.The X-ray luminosity exhibited by RW Dor did not vary significantly on three different occasions and was found to be about 3.34×10~(29)erg s~(-1).Assuming that the quiescent X-ray emission is emitted from an undisturbed loop structure,the loop size is estimated to be 0.6-1×10~(10)cm which is≤Alfvén radius r_A~8×10~(10)cm.

X-ray Spectroscopy of Dips of Cir X-1

We present X-ray spectral analyses of the low-mass X-ray binary Cir X-1 during X-ray dips, using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer （RXTE） data. Each dip was divided into several segments, and the spectrum of each segment was fitted with a three-component blackbody model, in which the first two components are affected by partial covering and the third one is unaffected. A Gaussian emission line is also included in the spectral model to represent the Fe Kα line at - 6.4 keV. The fitted temperatures of the two partially covered components are about 2 keV and 1 keV, while the uncovered component has a temperature of -0.5-0.6 keV. The equivalent blackbody emission radius of the hottest component is the smallest and that of the coolest component is the largest. During the dips the fluxes of the two hot components are linearly correlated, while that of the third component does not show any significant variation. The Fe line flux remains constant, within the errors, during the short dips. However, during the long dips the line flux varies significantly and is positively correlated with the fluxes of the two hot components. These results suggest; （1） that the temperature of the X-ray emitting region decreases with radius, （2） that the Fe Kα line emitting region is close to the hot continuum emitting region, and （3） that the size of the Fe line emitting region is larger than that of the obscuring matter causing the short dips but smaller than the region of that causing the long dips.

Effects of dynamo magnetic fields on observational properties of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars

In this paper,we have investigated accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars,which are rapidly rotating neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries.These systems exhibit coherent X-ray pulsations that arise when the accretion flow is magnetically channeled to the stellar surface.Here,we have developed the fundamental equations for an accretion disk around accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars in the presence of a dynamo generated magnetic field in the inner part of the disk.We have also formulated the numerical method for the structure equations in the inner region of the disk and the highest accretion rate is enough to form the inner region of the disk,which is overpowered by radiation pressure and electron scattering.Finally,we have examined our results with the effects of dynamo magnetic fields on accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.

Merging strangeon stars

The state of supranuclear matter in compact stars remains puzzling, and it is argued that pul- sars could be strangeon stars. What would happen if binary strangeon stars merge？ This kind of merger could result in the formation of a hyper-massive strangeon star, accompanied by bursts of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation （and even a strangeon kilonova explained in the paper）. The tidal polarizability of binary strangeon stars is different from that of binary neutron stars, because a strangeon star is self-bound on the surface by the fundamental strong force while a neutron star by the gravity, and their equations of state are different. Our calculation shows that the tidal polarizability of merging bi- nary strangeon stars is favored by GW170817. Three kinds of kilonovae （i.e., of neutron, quark and strangeon） are discussed, and the light curve of the kilonova AT 2017gfo following GW170817 could be explained by considering the decaying strangeon nuggets and remnant star spin-down. Additionally, the energy ejected to the fireball around the nascent remnant strangeon star, being manifested as a gamma-ray burst, is calculated. It is found that, after a prompt burst, an X-ray plateau could follow in a timescale of 102 - 103 s. Certainly, the results could be tested also by further observational synergies between gravitational wave detectors （e.g., Advanced LIGO） and X-ray telescopes （e.g., the Chinese HXMT satellite and eXTP mission）, and especially if the detected gravitational wave form is checked by peculiar equations of state provided by the numerical relativistical simulation.