Table of contents

By employing the previous Voronoi approach and replacing its nearest neighbor approximation with Drizzle in iterative signal extraction, we develop a fast iterative Drizzle algorithm, named fiDrizzle, to reconstruct the underlying band-limited image from undersampled dithered frames. Compared with the existing iDrizzle, the new algorithm improves rate of convergence and accelerates the computational speed. Moreover, under the same conditions (e.g. the same number of dithers and iterations), fiDrizzle can make a better quality reconstruction than iDrizzle, due to the newly discovered High Sampling caused Decelerating Convergence (HSDC) effect in the iterative signal extraction process. fiDrizzle demonstrates its powerful ability to perform image deconvolution from undersampled dithers.

The integrated HI emission from hierarchical structures such as groups and clusters of galaxies can be detected by FAST at intermediate redshifts. Here we propose to use FAST to study the evolution of the global HI content of clusters and groups over cosmic time by measuring their integrated HI emissions. We use the Virgo Cluster as an example to estimate the detection limit of FAST, and have estimated the integration time to detect a Virgo type cluster at different redshifts (from z = 0.1 to z = 1.5).We have also employed a semi-analytic model (SAM) to simulate the evolution of HI contents in galaxy clusters. Our simulations suggest that the HI mass of a Virgo-like cluster could be 2–3 times higher and the physical size could be more than 50% smaller when redshift increases from z = 0.3 to z = 1. Thus the integration time could be reduced significantly and gas rich clusters at intermediate redshifts can be detected by FAST in less than 2 hours of integration time. For the local Universe, we have also used SAM simulations to create mock catalogs of clusters to predict the outcomes from FAST all sky surveys. Comparing with the optically selected catalogs derived by cross matching the galaxy catalogs from the SDSS survey and the ALFALFA survey, we find that the HI mass distribution of the mock catalog with 20 s of integration time agrees well with that of observations. However, the mock catalog with 120 s of integration time predicts many more groups and clusters that contain a population of low mass HI galaxies not detected by the ALFALFA survey. A future deep HI blind sky survey with FAST would be able to test such prediction and set constraints on the numerical simulation models. The observational strategy and sample selections for future FAST observations of galaxy clusters at high redshifts are also discussed.

We calculate the mass-radius relationship of quark stars with the magnetized density-dependent quark mass model in this work, considering two magnetic field geometries: a statistically isotropic, tangled field and a force-free configuration. In both cases, magnetic field production decreases in the case of maximum quark star mass. Furthermore, a tangled, isotropic magnetic field has a relatively smaller impact on the mass and radius, compared to the force-free configuration, which implies that the geometry of the interior magnetic field is at least as important as the field strength itself when the influence of the strong magnetic field on the mass and radius is assessed.

The primary goal of pulsar timing array projects is to detect ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves. Pulsar data sets are affected by numerous noise processes including varying dispersive delays in the interstellar medium and from the solar wind. The solar wind can lead to rapidly changing variations that, with existing telescopes, can be hard to measure and then remove. In this paper we study the possibility of using a low frequency telescope to aid in such correction for the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) and also discuss whether the ultra-wide-bandwidth receiver for the FAST telescope is sufficient to model solar wind variations. Our key result is that a single wide-bandwidth receiver can be used to model and remove the effect of the solar wind. However, for pulsars that pass close to the Sun such as PSR J1022 + 1022, the solar wind is so variable that observations at two telescopes separated by a day are insufficient to correct the solar wind effect.

The correlated and coupled dynamics of accretion and outflow around black holes (BHs) are essentially governed by the fundamental laws of conservation as outflow extracts matter, momentum and energy from the accretion region. Here we analyze a robust form of 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in BH systems. We solve the complete set of coupled MHD conservation equations self-consistently, through invoking a generalized polynomial expansion in two dimensions. We perform a critical analysis of the accretion-outflow region and provide a complete quasi-analytical family of solutions for advective flows. We obtain the physically plausible outflow solutions at high turbulent viscosity parameter α (≳ 0.3), and at a reduced scale-height, as magnetic stresses compress or squeeze the flow region. We found that the value of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field B_P is enhanced with the increase of the geometrical thickness of the accretion flow. On the other hand, differential magnetic torque ($-{r}^{2}{\bar{B}}_{\varphi }{\bar{B}}_{z}$) increases with the increase in $\dot{M}$. ${\bar{B}}_{{\rm{P}}}$, $-{r}^{2}{\bar{B}}_{\varphi }{\bar{B}}_{z}$ as well as the plasma beta β_P get strongly augmented with the increase in the value of α, enhancing the transport of vertical flux outwards. Our solutions indicate that magnetocentrifugal acceleration plausibly plays a dominant role in effusing out plasma from the radial accretion flow in a moderately advective paradigm which is more centrifugally dominated. However in a strongly advective paradigm it is likely that the thermal pressure gradient would play a more contributory role in the vertical transport of plasma.

Radio stars have attracted astronomers' attention for several decades. To better understand the physics behind stellar radio emissions, it is important to study their optical behaviors. The LAMOST survey provides a large database for researching stellar spectroscopic properties of radio stars. In this work, we concentrate on their spectroscopic properties and infer physical properties from their spectra, such as stellar activity and variability. We mined big data from the LAMOST spectral survey Data Release 2 (DR2), published on 2016 June 30, by cross-matching them with radio stars from FIRST and other surveys. We obtained 783 good stellar spectra with high signal to noise ratio for 659 stars. The criteria for selection were positional coincidence within 1.5'' and LAMOST objects classified as stars. We calculated the equivalent widths (EWs) of the Ca ii H&K, Hδ, Hγ, Hβ, Hα and Ca ii IRT lines by integrating the line profiles. Using the EWs of the Hα line, we detected 147 active stellar spectra of 89 objects having emissions above the Hα continuum. There were also 36 objects with repeated spectra, 28 of which showed chromospheric activity variability. Furthermore, we found 14 radio stars emitting noticeably in the Ca ii IRT lines. The low value of the EW₈₅₄₂/EW₈₄₉₈ ratio for these 14 radio stars possibly alludes to chromospheric plage regions.

In deriving the physical properties of asteroids from their photometric data, the scattering law plays an important role, although the shape variations of asteroids result in the main variations in lightcurves. By following the physical behaviors of light reflections, Hapke et al. deduced complex functions to represent the scattering process, however, it is very hard to accurately simulate the surface scattering law in reality. For simplicity, other numerical scattering models are presented for efficiently calculating the physical properties of asteroids, such as the Lommel-Seeliger (LS) model. In this article, these two models are compared numerically. It is found that in some numerical applications the LS model in simple form with four parameters can be exploited to replace the Hapke model in complex form with five parameters. Furthermore, the generated synthetic lightcurves by the Cellinoid shape model also show that the LS model can perform as well as the Hapke model in the inversion process. Finally, by applying the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique to the parameters of the LS model, we present an efficient method to classify C and S type asteroids, instead of the conventional method using the parameters of the Hapke model.

Taking into account the effect of electron screening on electron energy and electron capture threshold energy, by using the method of Shell-Model Monte Carlo and random phase approximation theory, we investigate the capture rates of chromium isotopes with strong electron screening according to the linear response theory screening model. Strong screening rates can decrease by about 40.43% (e.g., for ⁶⁰Cr at T₉ = 3.44, Y_e = 0.43). Our conclusions may be helpful to researches on supernova explosions and related numerical simulation methods.

XB 1254–690 is a dipping low mass X-ray binary system hosting a neutron star and showing type I X-ray bursts. We aim at obtaining a more accurate orbital ephemeris and at constraining the orbital period derivative of the system for the first time. In addition, we want to better constrain the distance to the source in order to locate the system in a well defined evolutive scenario. We apply, for the first time, an orbital timing technique to XB 1254–690, using the arrival times of the dips present in the light curves that have been collected during 26 yr of X-ray pointed observations acquired from different space missions. We estimate the dip arrival times using a statistical method that weights the count-rate inside the dip with respect to the level of persistent emission outside the dip. We fit the obtained delays as a function of the orbital cycles both with a linear and a quadratic function. We infer the orbital ephemeris of XB 1254–690, improving the accuracy of the orbital period with respect to previous estimates. We infer a mass of M₂ = 0.42 ± 0.04 M_ʘ for the donor star, in agreement with estimations already present in literature, assuming that the star is in thermal equilibrium while it transfers part of its mass via the inner Lagrangian point, and assuming a neutron star mass of 1.4 M_ʘ. Using these assumptions, we also constrain the distance to the source, finding a value of 7.6 ± 0.8 kpc. Finally, we discuss the evolution of the system, suggesting that it is compatible with a conservative mass transfer driven by magnetic braking.

We measure the distance to the supernova remnant G15.4+0.1 which is likely associated with TeV source HESS J1818–154. We build the neutral hydrogen (Hi) absorption and ¹³CO spectra for supernova remnant G15.4+0.1 by employing data from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS) and the Hi/OH/Recombination line survey (THOR). The maximum absorption velocity of about 140 kms⁻¹ constrains the lower limit of its distance to about 8.0 kpc. Further, the fact that the Hi emission feature at about 95 km s⁻¹ seems to have no corresponding absorption suggests that G15.4+0.1 likely has an upper limit for distance of about 10.5 kpc. The ¹³CO spectrum for the remnant supports our measurement. The new distance provides revised parameters on its associated pulsar wind nebula and TeV source.