An IR,optical and X-ray study of the two state behaviour of GX 339-4

We review results of correlated IR, optical and X-ray observations of GX 339-4 made from March 1981 through May 1984. In the soft X-ray state, the object does not show outstanding optical and X-ray variability. Night-to-night smooth optical variations of 0.3 magnitudes were however present during one observing run. In contrast, the hard X-ray state is characterised by strong erratic optical and X-ray fluctuations on time scales from 20 milliseconds to seconds, as well as 7 to 20 second quasi-periodic oscillations. The optical counterpart appears much redder in the IR during the hard state. Particular attention is drawn to the hard to soft X-ray transition which occured in June 1981. The shape of the IR to X-ray energy distribution is discussed. The unusual features of this black hole candidate are examined in the framework of the current theories of accretion.Based partly on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.     

The sun in the far infrared and sub-mm region

A review is given of the solar radiation between wavelengths of approx. 5 m. and 1 mm. After discussing the astrophysical background (Section 2), we review the brightness temperatures measured in the continuous spectrum in the disk center (Section 3), and compare them with model predictions. The observed limb darkening (or brightening) is described in Section 4, and the line spectrum in Section 5. In Section 6 considerations are given on the usefulness of infrared observations for the investigation of small structures on the Sun.     

Observing the Sun at 20–650 MHz at Thermopylae with Artemis

Fine structure of type IV radio solar bursts with a great variety and complexity often give much information in different ways and enable estimation of various coronal characteristics. In this work, we expose our new method for fine structure revealing and separation of two basic kinds of type IV fine structure, as fibers and pulsations. We also estimate frequency drift of fibers from dynamic spectra, clean from continuous background, with a prototype method using 2-D Fourier transform and we estimate periodicities of fibers as well as pulsations with continuous wavelet transform. Working with the last method we found periodicities close to 3 min umbral oscillations and 5 min global solar oscillations.     

CME Theory and Models

This chapter provides an overview of current efforts in the theory and modeling of CMEs. Five key areas are discussed: (1) CME initiation; (2) CME evolution and propagation; (3) the structure of interplanetary CMEs derived from flux rope modeling; (4) CME shock formation in the inner corona; and (5) particle acceleration and transport at CME driven shocks. In the section on CME initiation three contemporary models are highlighted. Two of these focus on how energy stored in the coronal magnetic field can be released violently to drive CMEs. The third model assumes that CMEs can be directly driven by currents from below the photosphere. CMEs evolve considerably as they expand from the magnetically dominated lower corona into the advectively dominated solar wind. The section on evolution and propagation presents two approaches to the problem. One is primarily analytical and focuses on the key physical processes involved. The other is primarily numerical and illustrates the complexity of possible interactions between the CME and the ambient medium. The section on flux rope fitting reviews the accuracy and reliability of various methods. The section on shock formation considers the effect of the rapid decrease in the magnetic field and plasma density with height. Finally, in the section on particle acceleration and transport, some recent developments in the theory of diffusive particle acceleration at CME shocks are discussed. These include efforts to combine self-consistently the process of particle acceleration in the vicinity of the shock with the subsequent escape and transport of particles to distant regions.     

Oxygen Isotope Processes and Transfer Reactions

A unique kinetic isotope effect has been found in the formation process of ozone molecules. Isotope enrichments of about 10% above statistically expected values were first discovered in atmospheric isotopomers ⁴⁹O₃ and ⁵⁰O₃ and later in many other molecular combinations. Most recently the source of this effect was identified through measurement of isotope-specific ozone formation rate coefficients which show a large variability of over 50%. Ozone molecule formation is a complex process since different reaction channels contribute to a specific isotopomer. In addition, fast oxygen isotope exchange reactions determine the abundance of atomic oxygen participating in ozone formation. The isotope enrichments observed are both pressure and temperature-dependent and they decrease at pressures above 100 mbar and toward lower temperatures. Ozone possesses not only one of the most unusual isotope anomalies, it also serves as a mediator by transferring heavy oxygen from the O₂ reservoir to other species. Stratospheric isotope composition of CO₂ has been recently measured with high accuracy and a pronounced isotopic signature was found which shows that ¹⁷O is preferentially transferred from O₃ into CO₂. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radar: The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper

The Cassini RADAR instrument is a multimode 13.8 GHz multiple-beam sensor that can operate as a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imager, altimeter, scatterometer, and radiometer. The principal objective of the RADAR is to map the surface of Titan. This will be done in the imaging, scatterometer, and radiometer modes. The RADAR altimeter data will provide information on relative elevations in selected areas. Surfaces of the Saturn’s icy satellites will be explored utilizing the RADAR radiometer and scatterometer modes. Saturn’s atmosphere and rings will be probed in the radiometer mode only. The instrument is a joint development by JPL/NASA and ASI. The RADAR design features significant autonomy and data compression capabilities. It is expected that the instrument will detect surfaces with backscatter coefficient as low as −40 dB.RADAR Team LeaderThis revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Development of three-phase switch-mode rectifier using single-phase modules

This paper presents a three-phase (3/spl phi/) switch-mode rectifier (SMR) consisting of three 1 /spl phi/ SMRs, two center-tapped autotransformers and three changeover switches. The ac input sides of three modules are /spl Delta/-connected, and their dc output sides are connected in parallel. As any one module fault occurs, the remaining two modules becomes modified T-connected and continuously perform three-phase rectification with good line drawn power quality. When two constituted 1/spl phi/ modules are faulted, the proposed 3/spl phi/ SMR will be operated as 1/spl phi/ SMR. The quantitative and robust voltage regulation controls for the developed SMR are made to consider the effects of changes of system parameters, operating condition, and number of connected modules.     

The plasma Environment of Mars

Space Science Reviews -     

OB Associations, Wolf–Rayet Stars, and the Origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays

We have measured the isotopic abundances of neon and a number of other species in the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) using the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) aboard the ACE spacecraft. Our data are compared to recent results from two-component (Wolf–Rayet material plus solar-like mixtures) Wolf–Rayet (WR) models. The three largest deviations of galactic cosmic ray isotope ratios from solar-system ratios predicted by these models, ¹²C/¹⁶O, ²²Ne/²⁰Ne, and ⁵⁸Fe/⁵⁶Fe, are very close to those observed. All of the isotopic ratios that we have measured are consistent with a GCR source consisting of ∼20% of WR material mixed with ∼80% material with solar-system composition. Since WR stars are evolutionary products of OB stars, and most OB stars exist in OB associations that form superbubbles, the good agreement of our data with WR models suggests that OB associations within superbubbles are the likely source of at least a substantial fraction of GCRs. In previous work it has been shown that the primary ⁵⁹Ni (which decays only by electron-capture) in GCRs has decayed, indicating a time interval between nucleosynthesis and acceleration of >10⁵ y. It has been suggested that in the OB association environment, ejecta from supernovae might be accelerated by the high velocity WR winds on a time scale that is short compared to the half-life of ⁵⁹Ni. Thus the ⁵⁹Ni might not have time to decay and this would cast doubt upon the OB association origin of cosmic rays. In this paper we suggest a scenario that should allow much of the ⁵⁹Ni to decay in the OB association environment and conclude that the hypothesis of the OB association origin of cosmic rays appears to be viable.     

Alice: The rosetta Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph

We describe the design, performance and scientific objectives of the NASA-funded ALICE instrument aboard the ESA Rosetta asteroid flyby/comet rendezvous mission. ALICE is a lightweight, low-power, and low-cost imaging spectrograph optimized for cometary far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectroscopy. It will be the first UV spectrograph to study a comet at close range. It is designed to obtain spatially-resolved spectra of Rosetta mission targets in the 700–2050 Å spectral band with a spectral resolution between 8 Å and 12 Å for extended sources that fill its ～0.05^ × 6.0^ field-of-view. ALICE employs an off-axis telescope feeding a 0.15-m normal incidence Rowland circle spectrograph with a toroidal concave holographic reflection grating. The microchannel plate detector utilizes dual solar-blind opaque photocathodes (KBr and CsI) and employs a two-dimensional delay-line readout array. The instrument is controlled by an internal microprocessor. During the prime Rosetta mission, ALICE will characterize comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's coma, its nucleus, and nucleus/coma coupling; during cruise to the comet, ALICE will make observations of the mission's two asteroid flyby targets and of Mars, its moons, and of Earth's moon. ALICE has already successfully completed the in-flight commissioning phase and is operating well in flight. It has been characterized in flight with stellar flux calibrations, observations of the Moon during the first Earth fly-by, and observations of comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) in 2004 and comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the 2005 Deep Impact comet-collision observing campaign.