The response of antioxidant systems in Nostoc sphaeroides against UV-B radiation and the protective effects of exogenous antioxidants

UV radiation is one of many harmful factors found in space that are detrimental to organisms on earth in space exploration. In the present work, we examined the role of antioxidant system in Nostoc sphaeroides Kutz (Cyanobacterium) and the effects of exogenously applied antioxidant molecules on its photosynthetic rate under UV-B radiation. It was found that UV-B radiation promoted the activity of antioxidant system to protect photosystem 11 (PSII) and exogenously applied antioxidant: sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) had an obvious protection on PSII activity under UV-B radiation. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) and content of NIDA (malondialdehyde) and ASC (ascorbate) were improved by 0.5 mM and 1 mM SNP, but 0.1 mM SNP decreased the activity of antioxidant system. Addition of exogenous NAC decreased the activity of SOD, POD, CAT and the content MDA and ASC. In contrast, exogenously applied NAC increased GSH content. The results suggest that exogenous SNP and NAC may protect algae by different mechanisms: SNP may play double roles as both sources of reactive free radicals as well as ROS scavengers in mediating the protective role of PSII on algae under UV-B radiation. On the other hand, NAC functions as an antioxidant or precursor of glutathione, which could protect PSII directly from UV-B radiation. (c) 2007 COSPAR, Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Kiloparsec-scale structure of 3C 286

We present radio images of the compact steep spectrum (CSS) quasar 3C 286 acquired with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 8.4 and 22.5 GHz. The source exhibits a two-sided core-jet structure with a bright central component and two extended components one to the east (P.A. 100degrees) and another to the southwest (P.A. -116degrees). From the compact core, an extension runs towards the southwest component up to similar to 0.7 arcsecond. The emission between the primary central component and the southwest component exhibits a knotty structure. A gradual change of the jet position angles from -135degrees to -120degrees in the inner southwest jet suggests a local bend. The position angle changes of the major eastern components E2 and E1 suggest that the eastern jet likely follows a curved trace. The bends in the jet trace may be associated with a relativistic precession or some interaction between the jet and the ambient matter. A mean spectral index of alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -0.76 (S-nu proportional to nu(alpha)) is estimated for the core component. Steep spectra are also obtained for the extended southwest component (2.6", P.A. -116degrees) and eastern component (0.8", P.A. 100degrees), with alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -0.88 and alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -1.79, respectively. The radio morphologies and spectral index distributions suggest that the core seen in our images is likely to be the beamed inner jet while the real nucleus is dimmed by it beaming away from us.

The radio counter-jet of the QSO 3C 48

We present multi- frequency radio observational results of the quasar 3C 48. The observations were carried out with the Very Large Array ( VLA) at five frequencies, 0.33, 1.5, 4.8, 8.4, and 22.5 GHz, and with the Multi- Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) at the two frequencies of 1.6 and 5 GHz. The source shows a one- sided jet to the north within 1", which then extends to the northeast and becomes diffuse. Two bright components ( N2 and N3), containing most of the flux density, are present in the northern jet. The spectral index of the two components is alpha(N2) similar to -0.99 +/- 0.12 and alpha(N3) similar to - 0.84 +/- 0.23 ( S proportional to nu(alpha)). Our images show the presence of an extended structure surrounding component N2, suggestive of strong interaction between the jet and the interstellar medium ( ISM) of the host galaxy. A steep- spectrum component, labelled S, located 0.25 " southwest to the flat- spectrum component which could be the core of 3C 48, is detected at a significance of > 15 sigma. Both the location and the steepness of the spectrum of component S suggest the presence of a counter- jet in 3C 48.

Two-component model for the interstellar scattering in direction to the Vela pulsar

This paper discusses a rigorous treatment of the refractive scintillation of pulsar PSR B0833-45 caused by a two-component interstellar scattering medium. It is assumed that the interstellar scattering medium is composed of a thin screen ISM and an extended interstellar medium. We consider that the scattering of the thin screen concentrates in a thin layer presented by a delta function distribution and that the scattering density of the extended irregular medium satisfies the Gaussian distribution. We investigate and develop equations for the flux density structure function corresponding to this two-component ISM geometry in the scattering density distribution and compare our result with that of the Vela pulsar observations. We conclude that the refractive scintillation caused by this two-component ISM scattering gives a more satisfactory explanation for the observed flux density variation of the Vela pulsar than does the single extended medium model. The level of refractive scintillation is strongly sensitive to the distribution of scattering material along the line of sight. The logarithmic slope of the structure function is sensitive to thin screen location and is relatively insensitive to the scattering strength of the thin screen medium. Therefore, the proposed model can be applied to interpret the structure function of flux density observed in pulsar PSR B0833-45. The result suggests that the medium consists of a discontinuous distribution of plasma turbulence embedded in the Vela supernova remnant. Thus our work provides some insight into the distribution of the scattering along the line of sight to the Vela pulsar.

Bending of jets in the QSO NRAO 530

We present radio images of NRAO 530 on scales ranging from pc to kpc. The observations include the EVN at 5 GHz, the VLBA at 1.6, 8.6 and 15 GHz, the MERLIN at 1.6 and 5 GHz, and the VLA at 5, 8.4, 15, 22, and 43 GHz. The VLBI images show a core-jet structure with an oscillating trajectory on a scale of about 30 mas north of the strongest compact component (core). Superluminal motions are detected in five of the jet components with apparent velocities in the range of 13.6 to 25.2c. A new component is detected at 15 GHz with the VLBA observations, which appears to be associated with the outburst in 2002. Significant polarized emission is detected around the core with the VLBA observations at 15 GHz. Rapid variations of the polarization intensity and angle are found between the epochs in 2002 and 2004. On the kpc-scale, a distant component (labelled as WL) located 11 aresec west (PA=-86 degrees) of the core is detected beyond the core-jet structure which extended to several hundreds of mas in the north-west direction (-50 degrees). A significant emission between the core-jet structure and the WL is revealed. A clump of diffuse emission (labelled EL, 12 arcsec long) at PA 70 degrees to the core, is also detected in the VLA observations, suggesting the presence of double lobes in the source. The core component shows a flat spectrum, while the distant components WL and EL have steep spectra. The steep spectra of the distant components and the detection of the arched emission suggest that the distant components are lobes or hot-spots powered by the core of NRAO 530. The morphologies from pc- to kpc-scales and the bending of jets are investigated. The observed radio morphology from pc to kcp appears to favor the model in which precession or wobbling of the nuclear disk drives the helical motion of the radio plasma and produces the S-shaped structure on kpc scale.

Bubble Dynamics and Heat Transfer in Microgravity Pool Boiling

Boiling is an extremely complicated and illusive process. Microgravity experiments offer a unique opportunity to study the complex interactions without external forces, such as buoyancy, which can affect the bubble dynamics and the related heat transfer. Furthermore, they can also provide a means to study the actual influence of gravity on the boiling. Two research projects on pool boiling in microgravity have been conducted aboard the Chinese recoverable satellites. Ground-based experiments both in normal gravity and in short-term microgravity in the Drop Tower Beijing and numerical simulations have also been performed. Steady boiling of R113 on thin platinum wires was studied with a temperature-controlled heating method, while quasi-steady boiling of FC-72 on a plane plate was investigated with an exponentially increasing heating voltage. It was found that the bubble dynamics in microgravity has a distinct difference from that in normal gravity, and that the heat transfer characteristic is depended upon the bubble dynamics. Lateral motions of bubbles on the heaters were observed before their departure in microgravity. The surface oscillation of the merged bubbles due to lateral coalescence between adjacent bubbles drove it to detach from the heaters. Slight enhancement of heat transfer on wires is observed in microgravity, while diminution is evident for high heat flux in the plate case.

核物质对称能的高密行为研究

One of the major tasks of studying isospin physics via heavy-ion collisions with neutron-rich nuclei, is to explore the isospin dependence of in-medium nuclear effective interactions and the equation of state of neutron-rich nuclear matter, i.e., the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy. Because of its great importance for understanding many phenomena in both nuclear physics and astrophysics, the study of the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy has been the main focus of the intermediate。中文摘要：同位旋物理的主要任务之一是通过放射性核束引起的核反应来探索介质中有效核子  核子相互作用的同位旋依赖性，尤其是同位旋相关的核物质状态方程，即，密度依赖的核物质对称能。由于对称能，尤其是其高密行为，对核物理学和天体物理学具有重要意义，密度依赖的对称能在过去10年一直是中能重离子物理研究领域的主要焦点之一。近年来，低密对称能的研究已经取得了重要进展，而对称能的高密行为仍然很不确定。在理论方面，人们提出了许多对高密对称能敏感的观测量。实验方面，关于对称能高密行为研究的实验计划已经展开，世界各地正在建造的放射性核束装置为对称能的高密行为研究提供了新的机遇。基于Ｉ ＢＵＵ输运模型综述了研究对称能高密行为的一些敏感观测量及其最新进展，以及所面临的挑战与机遇。

Superfluid nuclear matter in BCS theory and beyond

Medium polarization effects are studied for S-1(0) pairing in nuclear matter within BHF approach. The screening potential is calculated in the RPA limit, suitably renormalized to cure the low density mechanical instability of nuclear matter. The self-energy corrections are consistently included resulting in a strong depletion of the Fermi surface. The self-energy effects always lead to a quenching of the gap, whereas it is almost completely compensated by the anti-screening effect in nuclear matter.