Ground observations of post-noon aurora: a case study

The characteristics of the post-noon aurora observed at Antarctic Zhongshan station on June 12, 1999, were discussed and analyzed. In the condition of the magnetic activity is not large (K _p≈1), for post-noon 630.0 nm emissions, the total fluxes of soft precipitating particles were increasing from 10∶50 UT to 13∶35 UT and were decreasing from 13∶35 UT to 18∶00 UT in almost monotonous way. Away from noon, the 557.7 nm emissions increased gradually from 10∶50 UT to 17∶10 UT. The behaviors of the precipitating particles for exciting 630.0 nm aurora and 557.7 nm aurora were quite different. The peak intensity of 630.0 nm and 557.7 nm emissions appeared at about 13∶35 UT and 15∶40 UT respectively, the time difference of two peaks is about 2 h. The energy of precipitating electrons remained fairly steady until 15∶00 UT when it rose dramatically. Foundation item: Support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (49634160) Biography: Ai Yong (1958-), male, Associate professor, research direction: upper atmosphere physics.     

超低速压铸慢压射速度下ADC12铝合金的显微组织和性能

采用光学显微镜、扫描电镜、X线衍射和能谱等显微分析技术,结合力学性能检测,研究超低速压铸条件下慢压射速度对ADC12铝合金铸件显微组织及力学性能的影响,以优化超低速压铸工艺及其参数。通过对相同高速起速位置、不同低速速度及不同起速位置、相同低速速度2种超低速工艺得到的铸件比较发现:在超低速压铸工艺下,慢压射速度对铸件密度的影响不明显;当起速位置相同时,随着低速速度的增大,铸件的α(Al)枝晶越来越粗大,其性能降低;在相同低速速度、不同高速起速位置时,起速位置有最佳值,当铸件性能在高速起速位置为260mm时,α(Al)枝晶较细小,其性能也较好。     

An optical spectrum of the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst at a redshift of z = 6.295

The prompt gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) should be detectable out to distances of z > 10 (ref. 1), and should therefore provide an excellent probe of the evolution of cosmic star formation, reionization of the intergalactic medium, and the metal enrichment history of the Universe. Hitherto, the highest measured redshift for a GRB has been z = 4.50 (ref. 5). Here we report the optical spectrum of the afterglow of GRB 050904 obtained 3.4 days after the burst; the spectrum shows a clear continuum at the long-wavelength end of the spectrum with a sharp cut-off at around 9,000 A due to Lyman alpha absorption at z approximately 6.3 (with a damping wing). A system of absorption lines of heavy elements at z = 6.295 +/- 0.002 was also detected, yielding the precise measurement of the redshift. The Si ii fine-structure lines suggest a dense, metal-enriched environment around the progenitor of the GRB.     

A newly discovered species of living baleen whale

In the late 1970s eight Balaenoptera specimens of unknown identity were caught in the lower latitudinal Indo-Pacific waters by Japanese research whaling vessels. The combination of the allozyme patterns and physical maturity of the eight specimens separated them from all acknowledged Balaenoptera species. In September 1998 we collected a medium-sized baleen whale carcass on a coastal island in the Sea of Japan. This specimen and the previously collected eight specimens resembled Balaenoptera physalus (fin whale) in external appearance but were much smaller. Comparison of external morphology, osteology and mitochondrial DNA data grouped the nine specimens as a single species but separated them from all known baleen whale species. Therefore, here we describe a new species of Balaenoptera, which is characterized by its unique cranial morphology, its small number of baleen plates, and by its distant molecular relationships with all of its congeners. Our analyses also separated Balaenoptera brydei (Bryde's whale) and Balaenoptera edeni (Eden's whale) into two distinct species, raising the number of known living Balaenoptera species to eight.