He-like Ar xvii triplet observed by RESIK

We present the observations of He-like Ar triplet lines obtained by RESIK spectrometer aboard CORONAS-F. Interpretation of intensity ratios between triplet lines of lower Z elements is known to provide useful diagnostics of plasma conditions within the emitting source. Here, we investigate whether triplet line ratios are useful for interpretation of higher Z element spectra. A high sensitivity, low background and precise absolute calibration of RESIK allow to consider in addition also the continuum contribution. This provides a way to determine the Ar absolute abundance from the observed triplet component ratios. The method is presented and the results are shown for two selected flares. Derived values of Ar absolute abundance for these flares are found to be similar: 2.6 × 10⁻⁶ and 2.9 × 10⁻⁶. They fall in the range between presently accepted Ar photospheric and coronal abundances.     

Early effects of low dose C ion or X-ray irradiation on human peripheral blood lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to estimate the acute effects of low dose ¹²C⁶⁺ ions or X-ray radiation on human immune function. The human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL) of seven healthy donors were exposed to 0.05 Gy ¹²C⁶⁺ ions or X-ray radiation and cell responses were measured at 24 h after exposure. The cytotoxic activities of HPBL were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT); the percentages of T and NK cells subsets were detected by flow cytometry; mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ were examined by real time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR); and these cytokines protein levels in supernatant of cultured cells were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The results showed that the cytotoxic activity of HPBL, mRNA expression of IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α in HPBL and their protein levels in supernatant were significantly increased at 24 h after exposure to 0.05 Gy ¹²C⁶⁺ ions radiation and the effects were stronger than observed for X-ray exposure. However, there was no significant change in the percentage of T and NK cells subsets of HPBL. These results suggested that 0.05 Gy high linear energy transfer (LET) ¹²C⁶⁺ radiation was a more effective approach to host immune enhancement than that of low LET X-ray. We conclude that cytokines production might be used as sensitive indicators of acute response to LDI.     

UKF方法在脉冲星自主导航中的应用

针对X射线脉冲星自主导航中的非线性系统滤波问题,将无迹卡尔曼滤波方法应用于自主导航计算过程中。首先,在简述脉冲星导航可行性的基础上,研究了脉冲星自主导航系统的基本原理和实施方案。然后,根据牛顿二体引力模型构建了航天器运动状态方程,根据脉冲到达时间模型建立了系统观测方程,并对二者进行了误差分析和建模。最后,将UKF算法应用于航天器自主导航过程中,仿真结果表明该方法能够实现航天器自主导航信息的解算。     

利用增量相位和星光仰角增强XNAV

针对X射线脉冲星导航系统(XNAV)中过程噪声统计特性难以准确获取,对其不当假设导致滤波器估计性能不佳的问题,提出基于自适应差分卡尔曼滤波器(ADDF)的多信息融合算法。为了降低导航误差,在传统脉冲星计时观测的基础上,增加恒星星光仰角及两个时刻间的相位增量观测量,共同增强XNAV。首先,分别建立计时观测模型、相位增量模型及星光仰角模型;然后将多信息测量模型集成到卫星轨道动力学方程中,以建立ADDF滤波模型;最后对所提方法进行仿真验证。实验结果表明,在相同的初始状态和初始噪声误差条件下,与传统X射线脉冲星导航算法相比,多信息融合算法能将导航位置估计精度提高70%以上,位置估计误差降低到 200 m 左右,速度估计精度提高40%以上,且ADDF性能优于无迹卡尔曼滤波器。     

The gas pixel detector as a solar X-ray polarimeter and imager

The Sun is the nearest astrophysical source with a very intense emission in the X-ray band. The study of energetic events, such as solar flares, can help us to understand the behaviour of the magnetic field of our star. There are in the literature numerous studies published about polarization predictions, for a wide range of solar flares models involving the emission from thermal and/or non-thermal processes, but observations in the X-ray band have never been exhaustive.The gas pixel detector (GPD) was designed to achieve X-ray polarimetric measurements as well as X-ray images for far astrophysical sources. Here we present the possibility to employ this instrument for the observation of our Sun in the X-ray band.     

XMM-Newton study of soft excess X-ray emission in clusters of galaxies

We discuss the detection of soft excess X-ray emission in a sample of 19 clusters of galaxies observed by XMM-Newton. In 6/19 clusters evidence for a soft X-ray excess is found. Four of these clusters show soft X-ray and O VII line emission from gas with a temperature of 0.2 keV. The centroid of this oxygen line is consistent with the redshift of the cluster. The intensity and spatial extend of the soft excess agrees with previous PSPC measurements. These observations are interpreted as emission from warm-hot intergalactic medium filaments, with density enhancements near the cluster centers, consistent with theoretical predictions. In the other two soft excess clusters a non-thermal origin is consistent with the data.     

Evolution of galaxy cluster scaling from XMM-Newton observation of the galaxy clusters at z ⩾ 0.4

We present here new XMM-Newton observations of 3 relatively cool clusters at z ≈ 0.4, complemented by archival observations of 3 other clusters at similar redshift. We derived the M–T and R–T relations from the hydrostatic equation using an isothermal temperature distribution.     

Current status and future plans for the general antiparticle spectrometer (GAPS)

We discuss current progress and future plans for the general antiparticle spectrometer experiment (GAPS). GAPS detects antideuterons through the X-rays and pions emitted during the deexcitation of exotic atoms formed when the antideuterons are slowed down and stopped in targets. GAPS provides an exceptionally sensitive means to detect cosmic-ray antideuterons. Cosmic-ray antideuterons can provide indirect evidence for the existence of dark matter in such form as neutralinos or Kaluza–Klein particles. We describe results of accelerator testing of GAPS prototypes, tentative design concepts for a flight GAPS detector, and near-term plans for flying a GAPS prototype on a balloon.     

XMM-Newton survey of non-thermal shell candidates: Preliminary results on DA 530

The investigation of the general properties of non-thermal (NT) X-ray shell supernova remnants (SNRs), of which SN 1006 is the prototype, is important to understand how electrons are accelerated in SNR shocks and what is the origin of cosmic rays. Using the XMM-Newton satellite, we are carrying on a survey of putative non-thermal SNR candidates previously unknown or little studied in the X-ray band, in order to investigate the different manifestations of NT emission in SNR shells. The SNRs we have selected are likely to expand in a low density medium, and therefore to have a low thermal X-ray emission, that usually outshines the non-thermal one. We report here preliminary results obtained on the SNR shell DA 530.     

金属多层膜超晶格结构研究

用高分辨的三晶体x—射线衍射仪测量了Zr、Cu金属交替的多层膜的x—射线小角反射谱。用扩展了的Born—wolf光学模型对Zr、Cu多层膜的x—射线小角反射数据进行了定量分析。结果表明，该金属多层膜在其生长方向具有超晶格结构。在两层金属膜之间的界面上，由于内扩散，形成了界面交混层，它使x—射线小角反射所产生的高阶Bragg峰的强度减弱。由于两种金属膜的晶格不匹配，使高阶Bragg峰加宽。界面的粗糙度可用来模拟x—射线小角反射曲线的阻尼振荡效应。