Corrections to Solar Thermal Structure when a Turbulent Magnetic Field is Included

Correction of non-ideal effect due to a magnetic fluctuating tensor is derived from the ideal MHD equations. The inclusion of a magnetic turbulent field leads to modifications of the hydrostatic equilibrium equation and thermodynamical variables such as the temperature T, the adiabatic exponent γ, the adiabatic temperature gradient ?ad and the temperature gradient ?. In particular, the modifications in the adiabatic and radiative temperature gradients will result in a change in the Schwarzchild criterion, hence in the location of the base of the convective zone. Incorporating the modifications, we construct a modified thermodynamical equilibrium structure of the Sun.

Statistical Properties of the Highest Pulses in Gamma-Ray Bursts

We study the statistical properties of the highest pulses within individual gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). A wavelet package analysis technique and a developed pulse-finding algorithm have been applied to identify the highest pulses from burst profiles observed by BATSE on board CGRO from 1991 April 21 to 1999 January 26. The statistical light curves of the highest pulses in four energy channels have been derived by an aligning method, which illustrate the temporal evolution of the pulse emission. Our result that narrower pulses go with higher energies is consistent with previous findings. By normalizing both the pulse durations and counts to unity, 'characteristic' profiles of the highest pulses in the four channels are also derived. The four characteristic profiles are turned out to be almost the same, thus strongly support the previous conclusion that the temporal profiles in different energy channels are self-similar and the previous conjecture on GRB pulses, implying that the emission process is similar at different energies. The cosmological time dilation effect is examined by investigating the relationship between the pulse flux and pulse duration. An anti-correlation between the two was found, which agrees with the expectation of the cosmological time dilation effect. Also, the evolution of the pulse duration with the observational epoch is studied. The result shows that the pulse duration tends to be shorter in later epochs. This trend cannot be explained by the present theoretical models, and may represent a great challenge to current theories.

Sequences in the Hardness Ratio-Peak Energy Plane of Gamma-Ray Bursts

The narrowness of the distribution of the peak energy of the νFν spectrum of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and the unification of GRB populations are great puzzles yet to be solved. We investigate the two puzzles based on the global spectral behaviors of different GRB populations, the long GRBs, the short GRBs, and the X-ray flashes (XRFs), in the HR?Ep plane (HR the spectral hardness ratio) with BATSE and HETE-2 observations. It is found that the long GRBs and the XRFs observed by HETE-2 seem to follow the same sequence in the HR?Ep plane, with the XRFs at the low end of this sequence. We fit the sequence by a universal Band function, and find that this sequence is mainly defined by the low energy index α, and is insensitive to the high energy index, β. With fixed β = ?5, a best fit is given by α = ?1.00 with χ2min/dof = 2.2. The long and short GRBs observed by BATSE follow significantly different sequences in the HR?Ep plane, with most of the short GRBs having a larger hardness ratio than the long GRBs at a given Ep. For the long GRBs a best-fit yields α = ?0.30 and β = ?2.05. For the short GRBs, a best fit gives α = ?0.60 with χ2min = 1.1 (with β fixed at -2.0 because it is numerically unstable). The α value for the short GRBs is significantly greater than that for the long GRBs. These results indicate that the global spectral behaviors of the long GRB sample and the XRF sample are similar, while that of the short GRBs is different. The short GRBs seem to be a unique subclass of GRBs, and they are not the higher energy extension of the long GRBs.

On the Line Formation in Stellar Magnetized Atmospheres

The line formation process in stellar magnetized atmospheres is studied by observing the wavelength- dependence of Stokes contribution functions. The influence of magnetic field on the escape line photon distribution and line absorption is obtained by comparing with the null magnetic field case. Two models airs adopted. One assumes limited distributions of both the line absorption and magnetic field where a hypothetical magneto-sensitive line is formed. The other is a model atmosphere of sunspot umbra in which MgI 5172.7 forms. It is found that the magnetic field influences the formation region of Stokes I at wavelengths sufficient close to the Zeeman splitting points ±△ H. The formation regions at wavelengths far away from the Zeeman splitting points generally show a non-magnetic behaviour. Further, if the line core is split by the Zeeman effect, the line formation core introduced in the previous paper disappears. On the other hand, Stokes Q, U, V at each wavelength within the line form in the same layers where both the line absorption and magnetic field are present in the models accepted for the lines used. When the line absorption and magnetic field ubiquitously exist, the formation regions of the T peaks or valleys of Stokes Q, U and those of σ of Stokes V generally cover the widest depth range. It is pointed out that such a study is instructive in the explanation of solar polarized filtergrams. It can tell us at each observation point where the received line photons of wavelengths within the bandpass come from and where their polarization states are formed or give us the distributions of these photons as well as their polarization intensities. Thus a three-dimensional image can be constructed for a morphologic study of the observed area from serial filtergrams.

Spectral Analysis of the Flare of 1998 November 11 based on the Multi-cloud Model

We have obtained 2D spectra of Ha and CaII λ8542A for the flare of 1998 November 11, and derived its 2D velocity field and integrated intensity field. The velocity distribution shows that the red-shift and blue-shift velocities lie respectively in the northern and southern parts of the flare and that the maximum velocity seems to be located in two footpoints of the flare loop system. The integrated intensity distribution shows that the CaIIλ8542A line is formed at a lower height than the Ha line, we used 'multi-cloud model' (MCM) to obtain four parameters for the two lines (Doppler width, △λD, Doppler shift, △λ0, line source function, S, and optical depth at the line center, TO). We also estimated the column number densities of hydrogen at the second level, N2, and of the ionized calcium at the third level, N3, as well as the kinetic temperature, Tc. The wide Hα profile at the loop top may be explained by an overlapping of two or more elementary profiles. It is shown that the uncertainty in calibration does not affect the derived Doppler shift and line broadening, only the source function and optical depth.

A time series of filament eruptions observed by three eyes from space:from failed to successful eruptions

We present stereoscopic observations of six sequential eruptions of a filament in the active region NOAA 11045 on 2010 Feb 8, with the advantage of the STEREO twin viewpoints in combination with Earth＇s viewpoint from SOHO instruments and ground-based telescopes. The last one of the six eruptions is a coronal mass ejection, but the others are not. The flare in this successful one is more intense than in the others. Moreover, the velocity of filament material in the successful one is also the largest among them. Interestingly, all the filament velocities are found to be proportional to the power of their flares. We calculate magnetic field intensity at low altitude, the decay indexes of the external field above the filament, and the asymmetry properties of the overlying fields before and after the failed eruptions and find little difference between them, indicating the same coronal confinement exists for both the failed and successful eruptions. The results suggest that, besides the confinement of the coronal magnetic field, the energy released in the low corona should be another crucial element affecting a failed or successful filament eruption. That is, a coronal mass ejection can only be launched if the energy released exceeds some critical value, given the same initial coronal conditions.

Key Properties of Solar Chromospheric Line Formation Process

The distribution or wavelength-dependence of the formation regions of frequently used solar lines, Hα, Hβ, CaIIH and Car18542, in quiet Sun, faint and bright flares is explored in the unpolarized case. We stress four aspects characterising the property of line formation process: 1) width of line formation core; 2) line formation region; 3) influence of the temperature minimum region; and 4) wavelength ranges within which one can obtain pure chromospheric and photospheric filtergrams. It is shown that the above four aspects depend strongly on the atmospheric physical condition and the lines used. The formation regions of all the wavelength points within a line may be continuously distributed over one depth domain or discretely distributed because of no contribution coming from the temperature minimum region, an important domain in the solar atmosphere that determines the distribution pattern of escape photons. Cm the other hand, the formation region of one wavelength point may cover only one heigh t range or spread over two domains which are separated again by the temperature minimum region. Different lines may form in different regions in the quiet Sun. However, these line formation regions become closer in solar flaring regions. Finally, though the stratification of line-of-sight velocity can alter the position of the line formation core within the line band and result in the asymmetry of the line formation core about the shifted line center, it can only lead to negligible changes in the line formation region or the line formation core width. All these results can be instructive to solar filtering observations.

Can Asymmetry of Solar Activity be Extended into Extended Cycle?

With the use of the Royal Greenwich Observatory data set of sunspot groups, an attempt is made to examine the north-south asymmetry of solar activity in the 'extended' solar cycles. It is inferred that the asymmetry established for individual solar cycles does not extend to the 'extended' cycles.

Properties of BL Lac Objects with Redshift ≤ 0.2

We present a large sample which includes 82 BL Lac objects with red- shifts below 0.2 from recent literature. We find strong correlations in both flux and luminosity between the radio (5 GHz) and optical bands (5500 A). The correlations in other bands are very weak. Five TeV BL Lacs and two suspect sources are found to have similar properties as high- frequency- peaked BL Lacs (HBLs). Our results suggest that both the radio and optical emissions are from the same radiation mech- anism in the SSC model. The TeV BL Lac candidates should be HBLs or HBL-like objects with small redshifts.

A Probable Short Decimetric Type Ⅰ-like Noise Storm: Associated with Type Ⅲ Bursts?

A rare Type I-like noise storm was observed with the solar radio spectrometers (1.0-2.0 GHz and 2.60-3.8 GHz) at National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) on September 23, 1998. We concentrate on checking the Type I-like noise storm occurred in the decay phase of a Type Ⅳ radio burst. This noise storm consists of many Type I bursts and isolated Type Ⅲ or Type Ⅲ pair bursts. It has a bandwidth of ≤0.5 GHz. The duration of each Type I burst is of the order of 100-300 ms. The total duration is greater than 11 minutes. The circular polarization degree of the components of Type Ⅰ and associated Type Ⅲ bursts are about 40%-100% and almost 100%, respectively, which is greater than that of the background continuum (nearly the precision of our instrument). This short decimetric Type Ⅰ-like storm may be another kind or the extension of the kind of metric Type Ⅰ storm, and may possess the duality of metric and decimetric radio emission. It may be in favor of an earlier emission mechanism of the fundamental plasma radiation due to the coalescence of Langmuir waves with low-frequency waves.

A Photometry Campaign for IR Geminorum in Quiescence

We report a V band photometry of the SU UMa star IR Gem at quiescence in January 2002. The observations were made with two telescopes spaced ~ 160° apart in longitude. Several photometric modulations have been found. One gives a period of 98.50(13) min, exactly equal to the orbital period determined spectroscopically. Two others occasionally strengthen and seem to be positive and negative superhumps with periods of 103.6(4) and 95.4(4) min, 5.2 % longer and 3.1 % shorter than the orbital period, respectively. A signal at ~ 0.6 c/d in the power spectrum is roughly consistent with the expected period of nodal precession of the disk. There is a puzzling peak at 0.21(3) c/d corresponding to the ~ 4.3 d sine wave seen in the raw light curve. We suspect it to be a beat frequency between the frequencies of apsidal and nodal precessions of the disk. Quasi-periodic cycles with amplitudes 0.15–0.6 mag can be seen in the light curve. The mechanism underlying this modulation is not clear.

The Synchrotron Emission of Jets with Transverse Velocity Discrepancy

It has been commonly accepted that the bulk velocity of extragalactic jets varies in all directions. We examined the synchrotron radiation of a jet with velocity structure in the direction perpendicular to its axis and found that the spectral energy distribution (SED) is not strongly influenced by this circumstance, that there is only a small increase in the emission intensity and almost no shift in the peak frequency. For objects with smaller inclined angles θ0 between the jet axis and the line of our sight, such as Blazars, the effect is more important. When θ0 exceeds a critical value there is no longer any change in the SED. To compare the bulk speed with different velocity structure, an equivalent speed β is defined which would reproduce the same spectral profile. There possibly exists a stress fμ(y) between layers of the outflow when the velocity is not the same in the jet.

Variability Analysis of EGRET Gamma-Ray Sources

The variability of γ-ray sources listed in the third EGRET catalog is studied using three variability indices. These indices are found to be statistically equivalent if the observed data are sufficiently accurate. Using the three indices, 30 EGRET point sources which are positionally coincident with pulsars and 40 persistent unidentified sources at low latitudes are analyzed for their variability status. It is found that 14 of the 30 point sources may have genuine or plausible associations with pulsars, and 16 of the 40 persistent unidentified sources are possible pulsar candidates.

The Role of T_(50) in the Classification of Gamma-ray Bursts

The role of T50 in classifying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is investigated. We take T50 = 0.7 s as the line of division and find that some bursts belonging to the class of long bursts defined by T90 ≥ 2 s now become short bursts (sample 1), while some belonging to the class of short bursts defined by T90 < 2 s now become long bursts (sample 2). We study how these sources are affected by the two methods of classification and find the change of classes of sample 1 is due to some peculiar properties of the light curves. Based on their characters, most of the bursts of sample 1 should be taken as short bursts.

A Model of the Circumstellar Envelope of Luminous Blue Variables

The continuum energy distributions of the luminous blue variables R127 and R110 in the outburst phase are fitted with a circumstellar envelope model. Both stars show two peaks in their continuum, one near 1250? and the other in the optical band. We suggest that their UV and optical fluxes may have different origins: the UV flux comes from the central star while the optical flux comes from an expanding circumstellar envelope. We construct a model for LBVs consisting of two LTE atmosphere models with different temperatures, and find it to be in agreement with the observed spectral energy distributions of R127 and R110. According to our numerical experiments, R127's continuum is composed of fluxes from a circumstellar envelope of Teff = 8000 K, R = 485R⊙, and log g = 1, and from a central star of Teff = 17?000 K, R = 135R⊙, and log g = 2.5 with a permeating factor f = 0.5; while R110's continuum can be fitted by a circumstellar envelope of Teff = 7000 K, R = 350R⊙, and log g = 0.5, and a central star of Teff = 25?000 K, R = 27R⊙, and log g = 3.0 with a permeating factor f = 0.65. Both models show that the non-spherically symmetric, optically thick regions are formed surrounding the central star in the outburst phase. The light of the central star is shielded by the circumstellar envelope so that the visual brightness increases with the decrease/increase of the temperature/radius of the optically thick regions.

Absolute parameters and physical nature of two W-UMa type binaries:V1123 Tau and V1128 Tau

We present high-precision, multi-band CCD photometry of two less-studied close binaries V1123 Tau and V1128 Tau. Complete covered light curves and a number of new times of light minima of the two eclipsing systems were obtained, based on which, revised orbital elements and new ephemerides were given. By adopting the Wilson-Devinney method, the light curves were analyzed. The photometric solutions confirm the W UMa-type nature of the binary systems. With the less-massive secondary slightly cooler than the primary, V1123 Tau could be classified as an A- type contact system. While V1128 Tau is typically considered a W-type W UMa star, the surface temperature of its secondary component is determined to be absolutely higher than the primary by about 270 K. Combining with the results of radial-velocity solutions, we determined absolute parameters of the two systems. The mass, radius and luminosity for each component of V1123 Tau were derived as： 1.36 ±0.05M⊙, 1.37 ± 0.02R⊙, and 2.01± O.07L⊙ and 0.40±0.02M⊙, 0.80±0.01R⊙, and 0.67±0.04L⊙, respectively. For V1128 Tau, the absolute parameters were computed to be 1.09±0.03M⊙, 1.01±0.01R⊙, and 1.34±0.06Le and 0.58 ± 0.01M⊙, 0.76±0.01R⊙, and 0.91±0.05L⊙, respectively. Based on these results, the evolutionary status and the physical nature of the two binary systems are discussed, while also connecting with the theoretical models.

A Restriction on the Duration and Peak Energy of Gamma-Ray Bursts

Two dimensional distributions of T90 versus Epeak (or Ebreak) for three bright GRB samples have been investigated. The result shows that although both T90 and Epeak (or Ebreak) each span over a wide range, they are restricted to the region log(T90)≤ - log(Epeak) + 5.24. This cannot be explained by the current fireball model. It may represent a constraint on the fireball model.

Hydrodynamic Evolution of GRB Afterglow

We investigate the dynamics of a relativistic fireball which decelerates as it sweeps up ambient matter. Not only the radiative and adiabatic cases, but also the realistic intermediate cases are calculated. We perform numerical calculation for various ambient media and sizes of beaming expansion, and find that the deceleration radius R0 may play an important role for the hydrodynamic evolution of GRB afterglow.

On the Light Curves of GRB Afterglows

We present gamma-ray burst afterglow light curves in X-ray, optical and radio bands for various distributions of accelerated electrons behind the shock. The effects of lateral expansion of the jet and of winds in typical Wolf-Rayet star on the evolution are discussed. The light curves in the radiative case decline more rapidly than those in the adiabatic case. Under the combined effect of jet expansion and wind environment, the light curves have the greatest deviation from those of the standard model. All these results refer to the relativistic phase.

Influence of the Choice of Core-Envelope Transition Point on the Binary Merger of Two Main-sequence Components

We have studied the influence of different choices of core-envelope transition point on the final merger of contact binaries with two main-sequence components. A binary of 1.00 + 0.90M⊙ with an initial orbital period of 0.35d is examined. The mass fraction of the primary mixed with the matter of the secondary, qmix, determined by the chosen core-envelope transition point, ranges from 0.04 to 1.00 in our analysis. If as qmix< 0.8, none of the helium-rich matter in the center of the primary is mixed into the envelope, and there is little distinction in the evolutionary tracks of the mergers. The timescales of the mergers remaining on the main sequence, tBS are very similar (-6.2×108yr) if qmix< 0.71, since no hydrogen-rich matter of the secondary is mixed into the core of the mergers; for qmix > 0.71, the larger qmix is, the greater the mixing, hence the longer the blue straggler lifetime, tBS, and also the greater the luminosity. For qmix= 1.00, tBS -8.5×108yr. Estimation by (?)r - (?)a = 0.0 shows that the point at which tBS begins to increase is about qmix= 0.68. In comparison with the homogeneously mixed models, the merger with a helium profile similar to that of the primary is less luminous and has a shorter tBS.