Analysis of cataclysmic variable GSC02197-00886 evolution

We present the spectral analysis of the physical state and evolution of the WZSge-type cataclysmic variable GSC02197-00886. The spectra of the system, covering the total orbital period at the time of the outburst on May 8, 2010, at the late relaxation stage, and in the quiescent state, were obtained at the SAO RAS 6-m BTA telescope in 2010–2012. From the absorption and emission HI, He I, and Fe II lines, we have determined the radial velocities for all the nights of observations and constructed the maps of Doppler tomography for the quiescent state. It was found that during the outburst the spectra of the object were formed in an optically thick accretion disk with an effective temperature of T _eff ≈ 45 000 K and in a hotter boundary layer. During the relaxation of the system, the accretion disk gradually became optically thinner in the continuum and in the emission lines. In the quiescent state (July 2012), the continuous spectrum was dominated by the radiation of the cooling white dwarf with T _eff = 18 000 K. The emission lines are formed on the surface of the cool star by the X-ray irradiation of the 1RXSJ213807.1+261958 source. We propose a method for determining the parameters of the white dwarf, based on the numerical modeling of the system spectra in the quiescent state and their comparison with the observed spectra. It is shown that the effective temperature of white dwarf has decreased by ΔT _eff = 6000 K during the relaxation from August 2010 to July 2012. We have obtained a set of parameters for GSC02197-00886 and shown their good agreement with the average parameters of the W Z Sge-type systems, presented in the literature.     

Volgian–Early Berriasian Marginal Filter in the West Siberian Marine Basin and Its Influence on Sediment Distribution

Lithology and Mineral Resources - The West Siberian marine basin of the Volgian–initial Berriasian ages is described. It is shown that a marginal filter (according to A.P. Lisitsyn)...     

The Dust in Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) during Its Disintegration: Narrow-Band Images, Color Maps, and Dynamical Models

Comet C/1999 S4 was observed with the 2m-telescopes of the Bulgarian National Observatory and Pik Terskol Observatory, Northern Caucasus, Russia, at the time of its disintegration. Maps of the dust brightness and color were constructed from images obtained in red and blue continuum windows, free from cometary molecular emissions. We analyze the dust environment of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) taking into account the observed changes apparent in the brightness images and in plots of Afρ profiles as function of the projected distance ρ from the nucleus. We also make use of the syndyne-synchrone formalism and of a Monte Carlo model based on the Finson-Probstein theory of dusty comets. The brightness and color of individual dust particles, which is needed to derive theoretical brightness and color maps of the cometary dust coma from the Monte Carlo model, is determined from calculations of the light scattering properties of randomly oriented oblate spheroids. In general, the dust of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) is strongly reddened, with reddening values up to 30%/1000 Å in some locations. Often the reddening is higher in envelopes further away from the nucleus. We observed two outbursts of the comet with brightness peaks on July 14 and just before July 24, 2000, when the final disintegration of the comet started. During both outbursts an excess of small particles was released. Shortly after both outbursts the dust coma “turns blue.” After the first outburst, the whole coma was affected; after the second one only a narrow band of reduced color close to the tail axis was formed. This difference is explained by different terminal ejection speeds, which were much lower than normal in case of the second outburst. In particular in the second, final outburst the excess small particles could originate from fragmentation of “fresh” larger particles.     

PG 1316+678: A young pre-cataclysmic binary with weak reflection effects

The PG 1316+678 star is classified as a pre-cataclysmic binary, as is evidenced by its photometric and spectroscopic observations. Its orbital period is determined to be P _orb = 3.3803^d, which coincides with the photometric period. The intensities of the emission HI and HeI lines are shown to vary synchronously with the brightness of the object (Δm _V = 0.065 ^m , Δm _R = 0.08 ^m ). These variations arise as the UV radiation from the DAO white dwarf is reflected from the surface of the cold companion. The parameters of the binary are estimated and the time of its evolution after the common-envelope phase is determined to be t ≈ 240 000 years. Thus, PG 1316+678 is a young pre-cataclysmic NN Ser variable with the smallest known photometric reflection effect.     

Mutual interaction of redox pairs in silicate melts: V5+/V4+/V3+/V2+ tetrad and other equilibria

Mutual interaction of redox pairs was evaluated using the concept of intrinsic oxygen fugacity in a melt. A “rose of $f_{O_2 } $ trends” was proposed for the visualization of possible directions of mutual oxidation/reduction of redox pairs for a given melt composition. Missing thermodynamic data were estimated for vanadium redox pairs in sodium disilicate melt, and the V⁵⁺/V⁴⁺/V³⁺/V²⁺ tetrad was quantitatively described. The redistribution of vanadium in different valence states was estimated during quenching to glass of model iron-free and natural iron-bearing melts.     

Analysis of observations of the dwarf nova pegasi 2010

Analysis of photometric and spectroscopic observations of GSC 02197-00886 at the outburst maximum (on May 8, 2010) and at the stage of relaxation towards the quiescent (on August 4, 2010) was performed. Radiation of an optically thick accretion disc with a hot boundary layer dominates the spectra, which are consistent with the spectra of a WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. In the relaxation phase, an optically thin accretion disc with radiation in the HI and HeI emission lines is observed against the background of the absorption spectrum of a white dwarf. The parameters of GSC 02197-00886, which were determined by combining the radial velocities of the components with the assumption that the secondary component is close to mainsequence stars, differ significantly from the parameters that characterize other WZ Sge-type systems. We hypothesize that the secondary component was excited in the course of the outburst and experienced long-lasting relaxation towards the main-sequence state.     

Investigations of Lateral Sedimentation and Water Mass Properties in the Tropical Atlantic during Cruise 60 of the R/V Akademik Ioffe

Oceanology - Herein we provide information on the integrated geological, geophysical, sedimentological, and hydrophysical investigations and passing meteorological and biological observations, as...     

Rotation of the Nucleus, Gas Kinematics and Emission Pattern of Comet 8P/Tuttle: Preliminary Results from Optical Imaging of the CN Coma

We present preliminary results of the narrow-band CN observations of comet 8P/Tuttle from early January 2008, realized as part of a project consisting of near-simultaneous spectroscopic monitoring of HCN at millimeter-wavelengths and optical imaging of the coma. The mean-image subtraction method revealed low-contrast CN envelopes. Using the image cross-correlation technique we measured the projected velocity of these shells. For the sunward part we found it to be equal to 0.96 ± 0.03 km s^?1 on January 4 and 1.10 ± 0.01 km s^?1 on January 9, whereas the anti-sunward part reached 0.73 ± 0.05 and 0.80 ± 0.02 km s^?1, respectively. The periodicity of gas emission was investigated using a repeatability of the shells, their kinematics, and an aperture photometry of the near nucleus region. We found a period of 5.70 ± 0.07 h (along with multiples), consistent with previous findings by other authors. A toy Monte Carlo model was implemented to reproduce the time-series of the CN images. We show that emission of HCN into a relatively wide cone by a single active region on a rotating nucleus is the most probable scenario.     

Experimental testing of olivine–melt equilibrium models at high temperatures

Data are presented on the equilibrium compositions of olivine and melts in the products of 101 experiments performed at 1300–1600°C, atmospheric pressure, and controlled oxygen fugacity by means of new equipment at the Vernadsky Institute. It was shown that the available models of the olivine–melt equilibrium describe with insufficient adequacy the natural systems at temperatures over 1400°C. The most adequate is the model by Ford et al. (1983). However, this model overestimates systematically the equilibrium temperature with underestimating by 20–40°C at 1450–1600°C. These data point to the need for developing a new, improved quantitative model of the olivine–melt equilibrium for high-temperature magnesian melts, as well as to the possibility of these studies on the basis of the equipment presented.     

Optical brightness variability of LSI+61°303: Improving the photometric period

The U BV observations of the variable radio source LSI+61°303 carried out at the Crimean Station of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute in 1989–1990 and 1999–2002 are presented. We constructed a combined light curve of the star spanning ～6400 days from our and published data. Slow brightness variability with an amplitude of \( \sim 0^m .1\) was detected. Using the entire combined series, we searched for a periodicity in a frequency range close to the radio period \(P = 26^d .5\). The optical period was found to be exactly equal to the radio period. The shape and amplitude of the mean curves constructed with the radio period change from V to U: the detected double wave shows up most clearly in the U band.