Semi-Probabilistic Evaluation of System Redundancy for Existing Offshore Structures

In this paper, a new definition of structure system redundancy is proposed in view of the various measures for structure redundancy. By introducing the terms of structure system failure at the mechanism level and equivalent reliability index, the safety for existing offshore platforms can be evaluated by the semi-probabilistic method presented in this paper. Some numerical examples are given and satisfactory results have been obtained.     

东海区近海强风预报模式

本文探讨东海区近海强风预报模式，首先介绍建立预报模式的思路和步骤，及使用说明，为了验证强风预报模式和判别条件，用１９８６、１９８７上日本传真天气图进行试报，准确和基本准确度为９１．１％，并给出了１９８９、１９９５年随船试验预报结果，准确和基本准确率为９０％以上。     

Determination of palladium and platinum in seaweed

Palladium and platinum concentrations were determined for twenty two species of seaweed from the California coast, U.S.A.. A new sensitive analytical technique using atomic absorption spectrometry was developed for palladium in seaweed. For the first time, palladium contents in seaweed were obtained. The contents of palladium and platinum varied from 0.09 to 0.61 ng g^–1 and 0.25 to 1.75 ng g^–1 in dried material, respectively.The average ratio of Pt/Pd found in seaweed was 3.5, while the ratio of Pt/Pd was 4.5 in seawater. Therefore, it is postulated that there is no discrimination for seaweed to accumulate palladium and platinum from the ambient seawater due to the chemical similarity of the metals.     

Temperature changes on the Tibetan Plateau during the past 600 years inferred from ice cores and tree rings

The climatological signal of δ¹⁸O variations preserved in ice cores recovered from Puruogangri ice field in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) was calibrated with regional meteorological data for the past 50 years. For the period AD 1860–2000, 5-yearly averaged ice core δ¹⁸O and a summer temperature reconstruction derived from pollen data from the same ice core were compared. The statistical results provide compelling evidence that Puruogangri ice core δ¹⁸O variations represent summer temperature changes for the central TP, and hence regional temperature history during the past 600 years was revealed. A comparison of Puruogangri ice core δ¹⁸О with several other temperature reconstructions shows that broad-scale climate anomalies since the Little Ice Age occurred synchronously across the eastern and southern TP, and the Himalayas. Common cold periods were identified in the 15th century, 1625–1645 AD, 1660–1700 AD, 1725–1775 AD, 1795–1830 AD, 1850–1870 AD, 1890–1920 AD, 1940–1950 AD, and 1975–1985 AD. The period 1725–1775 AD was one of the most prolonged cool periods during the past 400 years and corresponded to maximum Little Ice Age glacier advance of monsoonal temperate glaciers of the TP.     

A Study on the Light Curves of GRBs

It is generally believed that the complexity and variability of the light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are caused by the internal shocks, which would occur when a rapid shell catches up a slower one and collides with it. The electrons in the shock layer are heated by the shocks and radiate via the mechanisms of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering. Based on relativistic kinematics, a relation between the photon number of the emission from the rapidly moving shock layer and the number of the photons received by an observer is derived. Then, employing the angular spreading of the internal shock emission, the curve equation and profile of a single pulse are obtained, and the shape is typically in the shape of a fast rise and exponential decline. Furthermore, by using the model of the successive collisions of multiple shells under the condition of reasonable parameters, the observed light curves are fitted with a rather good effect. Therefore, by this means, more different types of light curves of GRBs can be explained.     

Precise Synchrotron Radiation Spectrum of Fast-cooling Electrons and the Prompt GRB Emission

It is generally believed that the synchrotron radiation of electrons from the internal shock is the main radiation mechanism of the prompt GRB (gamma-ray burst) emission. However, what this model predicts can not explain observations well. In this paper, we confirm that electrons are quickly cooled due to radiation losses and also point out that the synchrotron radiation spectrum presented in previous papers is a relatively rough estimation. We get the precise synchrotron radiation spectrum of fast-cooling electrons by carrying out a numerical calculation, and thereby reasonably explain the observed distribution of low-energy spectral index (α) of long GRBs based on a unified model. In addition, we fit the correlation between α and the peak energy of the νFν spectrum (E_p).     

A multidimensional magnetohydrodynamics code based on semidiscrete central WENO and PPM schemes

We present a multidimensional magnetohydrodynamics code based on semidiscrete central Godunov-type schemes and high order weighted essentially non-oscillatory data reconstruction and incorporate elements of the piecewise parabolic method into the reconstruction schemes. This algorithm avoids spectral decomposition into characteristic waves and is easily implemented. We have implemented this algorithm and carried out one and two dimensional tests, which verifies that this code can achieve the accuracy and efficiency to solve the astrophysical problems.     

Dependence of the holmberg effect on separations between paired galaxies

To investigate the dependence of the Holmberg effect of paired galaxies on three-dimensional separations, we have constructed four subsamples characterized by three-dimensional separations s ≤ 50 kpc, 50 kpc < s ≤ 100 kpc , 100kpc < s ≤150kpc , and 150 kpc < s ≤ 200 kpc , respectively. In this study, linear correlation coefficients and surplus standard deviations of color indices, luminosity, and size between two components of paired galaxies are calculated. It is found that there is a weak tendency for correlation coefficients of color indices to increase with decreasing three-dimensional separations, but such a tendency does not exist for ones of luminosity and size. We also note that there is no tendency for surplus standard deviations to decrease with decreasing three-dimensional separations. This suggests that it is still very difficult to clearly affirm the dependence of the Holmberg Effect of paired galaxies on three-dimensional separations.     

Seven-frequency VLBI Observations of the GHz-Peaked-Spectrum Source OQ 208

We present quasi-simultaneous VLBI images of the GHz-Peaked-Spectrum radio source OQ 208 obtained with the Very Long Baseline Array at 1.4,1.7,2.3,5.0,8.4,15.4GHz and the European VLBI Network at 6.7 GHz.The low frequency(1.4,1.7 and 2.3GHz)ob- servations reveal a weak and extended steep-spectrum component at about 30mas away at position angle-110°,which may be a remnant emission.The radio structure of OQ 208 con- sists of two mini-lobes at 5.0,6.7,8.4 and 15.4 GHz.Our spectral analysis further confirms that the southwest lobe undergoes free-free absorption and finds that the free-free absorption is stronger in the inner region.By fitting the 8.4 GHz images from 1994 to 2005,we obtain a separation speed of 0.031±0.006 mas yr~(-1)between the two mini-lobes.This indicates a jet proper motion of 0.105±0.020 c and a kinematic age of 219±42 yr for the radio source.     

The Asymmetrical Eruption of a Quiescent Filament and Associated Halo CME

We will present detailed observations of the asymmetrical eruption of a large quiescent filament on 24 November 2002, which was followed by a two-ribbon flare, three coronal dimmings, endpoint brightenings, and a very fast halo-type coronal mass ejection (CME). Before the eruption, the filament lay along the main neutral line (MNL) underneath a single-arcade helmet streamer with a simple bipolar configuration. However, photospheric magnetic fields on both sides of the filament showed an asymmetrical distribution, and the filament and MNL were not located just at the center of the streamer base but were closer to the eastern leg of the streamer arcade. Therefore, instead of erupting along the streamer’s symmetrical axis, the filament showed a nonradial and asymmetrical eruption. It lifted from the eastern flank of the streamer arcade to impact the western leg directly, leading to an asymmetrical CME that expanded westward; eventually the streamer was disrupted significantly. Accordingly, the opposite-polarity coronal dimmings at both sides of the filament forming in the eruption also showed an asymmetrical area distribution. We thus assume that the streamer arcade could guide the filament at the early eruption phase but failed to restrain it later. Consistent with previous results, these observations suggest that the global background magnetic field can impose additional action on the initial eruption of the filament and CME, as well as the dimming configuration.