Space astronomy in China: 2008—2010

In 2008 to 2010, the main activities in Chinese space astronomy were focused on: fulfilling the long-term plan of Chinese space astronomy; initiating the long-term plan of Chinese space astronomy; undertaking some astronomical missions set by CNSA in ``Development Program of Space Science for 2006--2010'. This paper summarizes in brief all these activities.     

Space Astronomy in China:2002-2004

More and more proposals, or potential projects have been proposed in recent two years. We try to briefly outline these new proposals, although most of them are in fact only in their conception studies. The progress of previously mentioned projects, like Space Solar Telescope (SST), the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), as well as newly initiated LUnar Resource Explorer (LUREX), will be introduced elsewhere.     

The origin of the prompt optical emission in GRB 060111B

The detection of a bright optical emission measured with good temporal resolution during the prompt phase makes GRB 060111B a rare event that is especially useful for constraining theories of the prompt optical emission. Comparing this burst with other GRBs with evidence of optical peaks, we find that the optical peak epoch (t_p) is anti-correlated with the high energy burst energetic assuming an isotropic energy release (E_iso) in agreement with Liang et al. (2009), and that the steeper is the post-peak afterglow decay, the less is the agreement with the correlation. GRB 060111B is among the latters and it does not match the correlation. The Cannonball scenario is also discussed and we find that this model cannot be excluded for GRB 060111B.     

VHE Gamma-ray supernova remnants

Increasing observational evidence gathered especially in X-rays and γ-rays during the course of the last few years support the notion that Supernova remnants (SNRs) are Galactic particle accelerators up to energies close to the “knee” in the energy spectrum of Cosmic rays. This review summarises the current status of γ-ray observations of SNRs. Shell-type as well as plerionic type SNRs are addressed and prospect for observations of these two source classes with the upcoming GLAST satellite in the energy regime above 100 MeV are given.     

Space Solar Physics in 2012-2014

The main activities of Chinese space solar physics in 2012–2014 include: to continue studying the mid and long-term(2016–2030) plan of Chinese space solar physics; to arrange a group of pre-study projects of space solar physics; to initiate and continue a few solar mission-level projects.This paper summarizes all these activities briefly.     

中国空间天文40周年

过去40年中国空间天文学研究取得了巨大的发展.尤其是近10年内发射了数颗天文卫星,未来几年还将有一些天文卫星计划发射.本文简要回顾了国际空间天文学的发展历程.对中国空间天文学过去40年的发展进行了回顾和总结,包括1970年代第一颗天文卫星计划、气球空间天文探测、基于载人航天工程的空间天文实验以及天文卫星等.此外,介绍了...     

China’s Space Astronomy and Solar Physics in 2011-2012

In the first part of this paper, we describe briefly the mid and long-term plan of Chinese space astronomy, its preliminary study program, the current status of satellite missions undertaken, and the current status of astronomy experiments in China’s manned space flight program. In the second part, the recent research progress made in the fields of solar physics is summarized briefly, including solar vector magnetic field, solar flares, CME and filaments, solar radio and nonthermal processes, EUV waves, MHD waves and coronal waves, solar model and helioseismology, solar wind and behavior of solar cycle.     

Space Solar Physics in China:2014—2016

The activities of Chinese space solar physics in 2014—2016 were mainly undertaken within the framework of Strategic Priority Program on Space Science, sponsored by CAS, which include:to accomplish the last version for the mid and long-term (2016—2030) plan of Chinese space solar physics;to subsidy a few of pre-study projects of space solar physics;to implement two intensive study projects, ASO-S and SPORT. This paper summarizes these activities briefly.     

宇宙黑暗时代探路者−鸿蒙计划

低频射电探测任务构想——鸿蒙计划旨在利用多颗卫星绕月编队形成超长波天文观测阵列,在月球背面开展空间低频射电天文探测。其科学目标是高精度测量全天射电频谱,揭示宇宙黑暗时代与黎明的演化历史;实现首次高分辨率超长波巡天,打开最后一个电磁窗口;观测太阳和行星超长波活动,揭示空间环境相互作用规律。该任务将获得超长波频段全天空图像,获取超长波波段天文射电源的强度、频谱、分布等信息。这些科学数据对于探索宇宙黑暗时代和黎明时代、研究银河系星际介质、宇宙线起源与传播、河外射电星系、类星体和星系团的演化、太阳活动与行星磁场等,具有重要的科学价值。     

CME影响下L1点附近等离子体及共生微波爆发的射电辐射机制研究

CME在产生和发展过程中与日冕和行星际介质相互作用并发出不同波长的射电辐射.在研究了无CME时空间等离子体的各种辐射机制基础上,统计分析了1999年2月至1999年8月期间有较大的CME发生情况下,在CME影响下L1拉格朗日点附近等离子体参数发生变化后的射电辐射机制.分析结果表明,其射电辐射机制主要是轫致辐射、微量的回旋辐射和更加微弱的复合辐射.此外,分析讨论了1999年2月至1999年8月期间与CME共生的太阳微波爆发.分析结果表明,与CME共生的是微波逐渐型爆发、尖峰爆发,其辐射机制主要是轫致辐射、回旋共振辐射、等离子体辐射及电子回旋脉泽辐射.     

Modeling the spectral evolution in the decaying tail of gamma-ray bursts observed by Swift

The detailed study of the spectral evolution during the steep decay phase of early X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is a very important task that can give us information on different emission components contributing to the prompt-to-afterglow transition and help to understand the link between these two stages. Time resolved spectral analysis of bright GRBs detected by Swift has shown that a good modeling of the early X-ray light curves can be obtained with Band or cut-off power-law broad band spectra with evolving parameters (e.g., decaying peak energy). We developed a procedure to simultaneously fit the temporal evolution of all the spectral parameters of a GRB during the prompt-to-afterglow transition based on the analysis of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) count rate and hardness ratio light curves. The procedure has been tested on GRB 060614 and GRB 090618, two very peculiar bright GRB detected by Swift that show a long exponentially decaying tail with strong softening and peak energy crossing the XRT energy band.