Chinese Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics

J0737-3039 is the recently-discovered, first-known double-pulsar binary, a very compact double neutron star system in which both stars are observable as radio pulsars. In this review, we briefly describe the discovery and the studies which have been enabled by the unique properties of the system. These range from the most precise confirmation yet of the theory of general relativity, with the possibility of even more new tests and the measurement of second-order post-Newtonian effects, to studies of the magnetospheres and emission properties of the two pulsars. The discovery also resulted in a significant increase in the expected rate of occurrence of the mergers of double neutron star systems, and hence the likely rate of detection of such events by the new ground-based gravitational wave detectors.

The ``guest star'' of AD185, recorded in the ancient Chinese history the Houhanshu, has been widely regarded as a supernova. However, some authors have suggested that the guest star might have been a comet. It has also been proposed that the record is the concatenation of a nova with a comet made by an early compiler. We have checked the record of the guest star, comparing it with records of comets in the same history. We find that most descriptions of comets clearly indicate motion, whereas the record of the guest star does not. We further argue that the term ``yan'' used to describe the star's ``size'' might be short for yan-chuang (seat bed), and ``half a yan'' would be simply as an imaginary figuration of the ancient observer. Moreover, we show that the term ``hou -year" (hou-nian) most probably means the year after next. We argue that the asterism Southern Gate consisted of the stars α and β Cen. We conclude that the record describing the guest star of AD 185 is completely different from any comet record in the same history, and that it almost certainly was a supernova.

In the literature, the Siberian forest destruction of 30 June 1908 - north of the Stony Tunguska river - is almost unanimously explained by the impact of some huge meteorite even though no trace of it has ever been found, and even though some 20 facts argue in favour of a tectonic event. An in-depth discussion plus a comparison with smaller, more recent events suggest that we deal with the - first recorded - present-day formation of a kimberlite.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the mineral composition of major lunar rocks (highland anorthosite, lunar mare basalt and KREEP rock), we investigate the reflectance spectral characteristics of the lunar rock-forming minerals, including feldspar, pyroxene and olivine. The affecting factors, the variation of the intensity of solar radiation with wavelength and the reflectance spectra of the lunar rocks are studied. We also calculate the reflectivity of lunar mare basalt and highland anorthosite at 300, 415, 750, 900, 950 and 1000 nm. It is considered that the difference in composition between lunar mare basalt and highland anorthosite is so large that separate analyses are needed in the study of the reflectivity of lunar surface materials in the two regions covered by mare basalt and highland anorthosite, and especially in the region with high Th contents, which may be the KREEP-distributed region.

Employing the Poincaré index of isolated null-points in a vector field, we worked out a mathematical method of searching for 3D null-points in coronal magnetic fields. After introducing the relevant differential topology, we test the method by using the analytical model of Brown & Priest. The location of null-point identified by our method coincides precisely with the analytical solution. Finally we apply the method to the 3D coronal magnetic fields reconstructed from an observed MDI magnetogram of a super-active region (NOAA 10488). We find that the 3D null-point seems to be a key element in the magnetic topology associated with flare occurrence.

The Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS) is a positioning system based on satellite communication that is fundamentally different from the 3``G'' (GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO) systems. The latter use special-purpose navigation satellites to broadcast navigation information generated on-board to users, while the CAPS transfers ground-generated navigation information to users via the communication satellite. In order to achieve accurate Positioning, Velocity and Time (PVT), the CAPS employs the following strategies to overcome the three main obstacles caused by using the communication satellite: (a) by real-time following-up frequency stabilization to achieve stable frequency; (b) by using a single carrier in the transponder with 36 MHz band-width to gain sufficient power; (c) by incorporating Decommissioned Geostationary Orbit communication satellite (DGEO), barometric pressure and Inclined Geostationary Orbit communication satellite (IGSO) to achieve the 3-D positioning. Furthermore, the abundant transponders available on DGEO can be used to realize the large capacity of communication as well as the integrated navigation and communication. With the communication functions incorporated, five new functions appear in the CAPS: (1) combination of navigation and communication; (2) combination of navigation and high accuracy orbit measurement; (3) combination of navigation message and wide/local area differential processing; (4) combination of the switching of satellites, frequencies and codes; and (5) combination of the navigation message and the barometric altimetry. The CAPS is thereby labelled a PVT5C system of high accuracy. In order to validate the working principle and the performance of the CAPS, a trial system was established in the course of two years at a cost of about 20 million dollars. The trial constellation consists of two GEO satellites located at E87.5° and E110.5°, two DGEOs located at E130° and E142°, as well as barometric altimetry as a virtual satellite. Static and dynamic performance tests were completed for the Eastern, the Western, the Northern, the Southern and the Middle regions of China. The evaluation results are as follows: (1) land static test, plane accuracy range: C/A code, 15∼25 m; P code, 5∼10 meters; altitude accuracy range, 1∼3 m; (2) land dynamic test, plane accuracy range, C/A code, 15∼25 m; P code, 8∼10 m; (3) velocity accuracy, C/A code, 0.13∼0.3 m s⁻¹, P code, 0.15∼0.17 m s⁻¹; (4) timing accuracy, C/A code, 160 ns, P code, 13 ns; (5) timing compared accuracy of Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer (TWSTFT), average accuracy, 0.068 ns; (6) random error of the satellite ranging, 10.7 mm; (7) orbit determination accuracy, better than 2 m. The above stated random error is 1σ error. At present, this system is used as a preliminary operational system and a complete system with 3 GEO, 3 DGEO and 3 IGSO is being established.

Feedback from supernovae (SNe) and from active galactic nuclei (AGN) accompanies the history of star formation and galaxy evolution. We present an analytic model to explain how and when the SNe and AGN exert their feedback effects on the star formation and galaxy evolution processes. By using SNe and AGN kinetic feedback mechanisms based on the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model, we explore how these feedback mechanisms affect the star formation history (SFH), the Near-Infrared Background (NIRB) flux and the cosmological reionization. We find the values of the feedback strengths, _AGN = 1.0^+0.5_−0.3 and _SN = 0.04^+0.02_−0.02, can provide a reasonable explanation of most of the observational results, and that the AGN feedback effect on star formation history is quite different from the SNe feedback at high redshifts. Our conclusions manifest quantitatively that these feedback effects decrease star formation rate density (SFRD) and the NIRB flux (in 1.4 - 4.0 μm), and postpone the time of completion of the cosmological reionization.

We used the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 5 (DR5) to study the morphological properties of 1137 nearby infrared (IR) galaxies, most of which are brighter than 15.9 mag in r-band. This sample was drawn from a cross-correlation of the Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) point source catalog redshift survey with DR5 at z≲ 0.08. Based on this IR galaxy sample, we constructed five volume-limited sub-samples with IR luminosity ranging from 10^9.5L_⊙ to 10¹²L_⊙. By deriving the IR luminosity functions (LF) for different morphological types, we found that normal spiral galaxies are the dominant population below L_IR∼8×10¹⁰ L_⊙; while the fraction of barred spiral galaxies increases with increasing IR luminosity and becomes dominant in spiral galaxies beyond L_IR≃5×10¹⁰L_⊙. As the IR luminosity decreases, the IR galaxies become more compact and have lower stellar masses. The analysis also shows that normal spiral galaxies give the dominant contribution to the total comoving IR energy density in the nearby universe, while, in contrast, the contribution from peculiar galaxies is only 39%.

We report on our results of X-ray spectral analysis for a sample of radio-loud quasars covering a wide range of the radio core-dominance parameter, R, from core-dominated to lobe-dominated objects, using data obtained mostly with the XMM-Newton Observatory. We find that the spectral shape of the underlying power-law continuum is flat even for the lobe-dominated objects (average photon index ∼1.5), indistinguishable from that of core-dominated quasars. For lobe-dominated objects, contribution of X-rays from the jets is expected to be very small based on previous unification schemes, more than one order of magnitude lower than the observed X-ray luminosities. Assuming that radio-loud quasars follow the same X-ray–UV/optical luminosity relation for the disk-corona emission as found for radio-quiet quasars, we estimate the X-ray flux contributed by the disk-corona component from the optical/UV continuum. We find that neither the luminosity, nor the spectral shape, of the disk-corona X-ray emission can account for the bulk of the observed X-ray properties. Thus in lobe-dominated quasars, either the disk-corona X-ray emission is much enhanced in strength and flatter in spectral shape (photon index ∼1.5) compared to normal radio-quiet quasars, or their jet X-ray emission is much enhanced compared to their weak radio core-jet emission. If the latter is the case, our result may imply that the jet emission in X-rays is less Doppler beamed than that in the radio. As a demonstrating example, we test this hypothesis by using a specific model in which the X-ray jet has a larger opening angle than the radio jet.

We use observations of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and X-ray surface brightness to reconstruct the radial profiles of gas temperature and density under the assumption of a spherically symmetric distribution of the gas. The method of reconstruction, first raised by Silk & White, depends directly on the observations of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and the X-ray surface brightness, without involving additional assumptions such as the equation of state of the gas or the conditions of hydrostatic equilibrium. We applied this method to the cluster RX J1347.5–1145, which has both the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and X-ray observations with relative high precision. It is shown that it will be an effective method to obtain the gas distribution in galaxy clusters. Statistical errors of the derived temperature and density profiles of gas were estimated according to the observational uncertainties.

We review the long-term survival chances of young massive star clusters (YMCs), hallmarks of intense starburst episodes often associated with violent galaxy interactions. We address the key question as to whether at least some of these YMCs can be considered proto-globular clusters (GCs), in which case these would be expected to evolve into counterparts of the ubiquitous old GCs believed to be among the oldest galactic building blocks. In the absence of significant external perturbations, the key factor determining a cluster's long-term survival chances is the shape of its stellar initial mass function (IMF). It is, however, not straightforward to assess the IMF shape in unresolved extragalactic YMCs. We discuss in detail the promise of using high-resolution spectroscopy to make progress towards this goal, as well as the numerous pitfalls associated with this approach. We also discuss the latest progress in worldwide efforts to better understand the evolution of entire cluster systems, the disruption processes they are affected by, and whether we can use recently gained insights to determine the nature of at least some of the YMCs observed in extragalactic starbursts as proto-GCs. We conclude that there is an increasing body of evidence that GC formation appears to be continuing until today; their long-term evolution crucially depends on their environmental conditions, however.

Since the successful launch of NASA's dedicated gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission, Swift, the study of cosmological GRBs has entered a new era. Here I review the rapid observational and theoretical progress in this dynamical research field during the first two-year of the Swift mission, focusing on how observational breakthroughs have revolutionized our understanding of the physical origins of GRBs. Besides summarizing how Swift helps to solve some pre-Swift mysteries, I also list some outstanding problems raised by the Swift observations. An outlook of GRB science in the future, especially in the GLAST era, is briefly discussed.