Using gamma-ray burst prompt emission to probe relativistic shock acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV–10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broad-band spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).     

Coronal mass ejection detection using wavelets,curvelets and ridgelets: Applications for space weather monitoring

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale eruptions of plasma and magnetic field that can produce adverse space weather at Earth and other locations in the Heliosphere. Due to the intrinsic multiscale nature of features in coronagraph images, wavelet and multiscale image processing techniques are well suited to enhancing the visibility of CMEs and suppressing noise. However, wavelets are better suited to identifying point-like features, such as noise or background stars, than to enhancing the visibility of the curved form of a typical CME front. Higher order multiscale techniques, such as ridgelets and curvelets, were therefore explored to characterise the morphology (width, curvature) and kinematics (position, velocity, acceleration) of CMEs. Curvelets in particular were found to be well suited to characterising CME properties in a self-consistent manner. Curvelets are thus likely to be of benefit to autonomous monitoring of CME properties for space weather applications.     

Study of GNSS-measured ionospheric total electron content variations generated by powerful HF-heating

The purpose of this work is to report the experimental evidences for the influence of perturbations in the electron density in the dayside mid-latitude ionosphere, that are caused by high-frequency heating of the F2 layer, on the GNSS signals. The experiments were carried out at the Sura heater (Radio Physical Research Institute, N. Novgorod). During the sessions of ionospheric heating with different time modulations of the radiated power the rays linking the navigational satellites with the ground receiver intersected the heated region. Variations in the total electron content (TEC) were studied; these variations are proportional to the reduced phases of navigational signals. It is shown that with the square-wave modulation of the radiated power (with periods of 1, 6, 10 and 15 min), perturbations with periods of the main modulation of heating and its harmonics appear in the spectrum of TEC variations. Examples are presented of identification of the heating-induced variations in TEC, including determination of the amplitudes and time characteristics of these variations.     

Modeling of ionospheric scintillation at low-latitude

The presence and movement of plasma density fluctuations in the F-region of the ionosphere are studied by monitoring phase and amplitude of radio waves propagating through the region. In this paper, we have used weak scattering theory and assumed the plasma density fluctuations to behave like phase changing diffraction screen. Appropriate relations for scintillation index S₄, and phase variance δ? are derived and computed for different parameters of the plasma density irregularities of the ionosphere. SROSS-C2 satellite in situ measurements of plasma density fluctuations, which provide direct information about the structure and morphology of irregularities that are responsible for scintillation of radio waves, were used first time to develop a scintillation model for low latitude. It is observed that the scintillation index S₄ and phase variance δ? depends on the strength of the plasma turbulence. Finally, the results obtained from modeling are compared and discussed with the available recent results.     

Determination of station positions and velocities from laser ranging observations to Ajisai,Starlette and Stella satellites

The positions and velocities of the four Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations: Yarragadee (7090), Greenbelt (7105), Graz (7839) and Herstmonceux (7840) from 5-year (2001–2005) SLR data of low orbiting satellites (LEO): Ajisai, Starlette and Stella were determined. The orbits of these satellites were computed from the data provided by 20 SLR stations. All orbital computations were performed by means of NASA Goddard’s GEODYN-II program. The geocentric coordinates were transformed to the topocentric North–South, East–West and Vertical components in reference to ITRF2005. The influence of the number of normal points per orbital arc and the empirical acceleration coefficients on the quality of station coordinates was studied. To get standard deviation of the coordinates determination lower than 1 cm, the number of the normal points per site had to be greater than 50. The computed positions and velocities were compared to those derived from LAGEOS-1/LAGEOS-2 data. Three parameters were used for this comparison: station coordinates stability, differences from ITRF2005 positions and velocities. The stability of coordinates of LEO satellites is significantly worse (17.8 mm) than those of LAGEOS (7.6 mm), the better results are for Ajisai (15.4 mm) than for Starlette/Stella (20.4 mm). The difference in positions between the computed values and ITRF2005 were little bit worse for Starlette/Stella (6.6 mm) than for LAGEOS (4.6 mm), the results for Ajisai were five times worse (29.7 mm) probably due to center of mass correction of this satellite. The station velocities with some exceptions were on the same level (≈1 mm/year) for all satellites. The results presented in this work show that results from Starlette/Stella are better than those from Ajisai for station coordinates determination. We can applied the data from LEO satellites, especially Starlette and Stella for determination of the SLR station coordinates but with two times lower accuracy than when using LAGEOS data.     

An Artificial Neural Network based approach for estimation of rain intensity from spectral moments of a Doppler Weather Radar

By using a Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Shriharikota (13.66°N & 80.23°E), an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based technique is proposed to improve the accuracy of rain intensity estimation. Three spectral moments of a Doppler spectra are utilized as an input data to an ANN. Rain intensity, as measured by the tipping bucket rain gauges around the DWR station, are considered as a target values for the given inputs. Rain intensity as estimated by the developed ANN model is validated by the rain gauges measurements. With the help of a developed technique, reasonable improvement in the estimation of rain intensity is observed. By using the developed technique, root mean square error and bias are reduced in the range of 34–18% and 17–3% respectively, compared to Z–R approach.     

Median filtering algorithms for multichannel detectors

Particle detectors of worldwide networks are continuously measuring various secondary particle fluxes incident on Earth surface. At the Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC), the data of 12 cosmic ray particle detectors with a total of ∼280 measuring channels (count rates of electrons, muons and neutrons channels) are sent each minute via wireless bridges to a MySQL database. These time series are used for the different tasks of off-line physical analysis and for online forewarning services. Usually long time series contain several types of errors (gaps due to failures of high or low voltage power supply, spurious spikes due to radio interferences, abrupt changes of mean values of several channels or/and slowly trends in mean values due to aging of electronics components, etc.). To avoid erroneous physical inference and false alarms of alerting systems we introduce offline and online filters to “purify” multiple time-series. In the presented paper we classify possible mistakes in time series and introduce median filtering algorithms for online and off-line “purification” of multiple time-series.     

The properties of hard X-ray emitting symbiotic stars

Hard X-ray emitting symbiotic stars are candidates for SN Ia progenitors. The importance of Type Ia SNe as standard candles for cosmology makes the study of their progenitor systems particularly important. Additionally, they provide one of the most promising laboratories for the study of astrophysical jets. Typically, the X-ray emission in these systems is modeled with a collisional plasma model, sometimes with an emission measure distribution taken from a cooling flow model. The lack of any coherent periods in both X-rays and optical wave band strongly suggests that the accreting white dwarfs in the hard X-ray symbiotic stars are non-magnetic. Although relatively few have been discovered to date, but we believe that there are very many of them in our galaxy and could be possible candidates for the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emissions (GRXE).     

Evolution of periodic orbits near the Lagrangian point L2

A study of the evolution of the periodic and the quasi-periodic orbits near the Lagrangian point L₂, which is located to the right of the smaller primary on the line joining the primaries and whose distance from the more massive primary is greater than the distance between the primaries, in the framework of restricted three-body problem for the Sun–Jupiter, Earth–Moon (relatively large mass ratio) and Saturn–Titan (relatively small mass ratio) systems is made. Two families of periodic orbits around the smaller primary are identified using the Poincaré surface of section method – family I (initially elliptical, gradually becomes egg-shaped with the increase in the Jacobi constant C and elongated towards the more massive primary) and family II (initially egg-shaped orbits elongated towards L₂ and gradually becomes elliptical with the increase in C). The family I in the Sun–Jupiter and Saturn–Titan systems contains two separatrix caused by third-order and fourth-order resonances, while the Earth–Moon system has only one separatrix which is caused by third-order resonances. Also in the Sun–Jupiter and the Saturn–Titan systems, family I merge with family II, around Jacobian constant 3.0393 and 3.0163, respectively, while in the Earth–Moon system, family II evolves separately from two different branches. The two branches merge at C = 3.184515. In the Earth–Moon system, the family II contains a separatrix due to third-order resonances which is absent in the other two systems.     

Results of solar observations by the CORONAS-F payload

The CORONAS-F mission experiments and results have been reviewed. The observations with the DIFOS multi-channel photometer in a broad spectral range from 350 to 1500 nm have revealed the dependence of the relative amplitudes of p-modes of the global solar oscillations on the wavelength that agrees perfectly well with the earlier data obtained in a narrower spectral ranges. The SPIRIT EUV observations have enabled the study of various manifestations of solar activity and high-temperature events on the Sun. The data from the X-ray spectrometer RESIK, gamma spectrometer HELICON, flare spectrometer IRIS, amplitude–temporal spectrometer AVS-F, and X-ray spectrometer RPS-1 have been used to analyze the X- and gamma-ray emission from solar flares and for diagnostics of the flaring plasma. The absolute and relative content of various elements (such as potassium, argon, and sulfur) of solar plasma in flares has been determined for the first time with the X-ray spectrometer RESIK. The Solar Cosmic Ray Complex monitored the solar flare effects in the Earth’s environment. The UV emission variations recorded during solar flares in the vicinity of the 120-nm wavelength have been analyzed and the amplitude of relative variations has been determined.