Long-term studies with the Ariel 5 ASM. 2: The strong Cygnus sources

The three bright 3-6 keV X-ray sources in Cygnus are examined for regular temporal variability with a 1300-day record from the Ariel 5 All Sky Monitor. The only periods consistently observed are 5.6 days for Cyg X-1, 11.23 days for Cyg X-2, and 4.8 hours for Cyg X-3

Iron line emission from X-ray sources

Iron line emission from X ray source

Towards a unified list of ethical principles for emerging technologies. An analysis of four European reports on molecular biotechnology and artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular biotechnologies (MB) are among the most promising, but also ethically hotly debated emerging technologies. In both fields, several ethics reports, which invoke lists of ethics principles, have been put forward. These reports and the principles lists are technology specific. This article aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on ethics of emerging technologies by comparatively analysing four European ethics reports from the two technology fields. Adopting a qualitative and in-depth approach, the article highlights how ethics principles from MB can inform AI ethics and vice versa. By synthesizing the respective ethical cores of the principles included in the analysed reports, the article derives, moreover, a unified list of principles for assessing emerging technologies. The suggested list consists of nine principles: autonomy; individual and social well-being and prevention of harm; reliability, safety and security; informational privacy; transparency; accountability; communication, participation and democracy; justice, fairness, and non-discrimination; sustainability

HEAO 1 measurements of the galactic ridge

The HEAO A2 experiment data was systematically searched for unresolved galactic disc emission. Although there were suggestions of non-uniformities in the emission, the data were consistent with a disc of half-thickness 241 + 22 pc and surface emissivity (2-10 keV) at galactic radius R(kpc) of 2.2 10 to the minus 7th power exp(-R/3.5) erg/sq cm to the (-2)power/s (R 7.8 kpc). giving a luminosity of approximately 4.4 10 to the 37th power erg S to the (-1) power. If the model is extrapolated to radii less than 7.8 kpc, the unresolved disc emission is approximately 1.4 10 to the 38th power erg S to the (-1) power (2-10 keV) i.e., a few percent of the luminosity of the galaxy in resolved sources. the disc emission has a spectrum which is significantly softer than that of the high galactic latitude diffuse X-ray background and it is most probably of discrete source origin

Recurrent X-ray outbursts from Aquila X-1

Aquila X-1 observations by the All Sky Monitor on Ariel 5 are presented. Data is compared with that obtained by rocket survey, and by the Uhuru, OSO 7, and OAO 3 satellites. The variability of brightness is discussed as a connection between dwarf novae and long term transient X ray sources

Long-term X-ray studies of Sco X-1

No modulation of the 3-6 keV X-ray intensity of Sco X-1 at a level of excess of 1% was observed at the optical period of .787313d. Evidence is found for shot-noise character in a large fraction of the X-ray emission. Almost all of the Sco X-1 emission can be synthesized in terms of approximately 200 shots per day, each with a duration of approximately 1/3 day. A pinhole camera was used to obtain data and the data were statistically analyzed

Cyg X-1: A return to the pre-1971 intensity level and a 5.6-day modulation

Ariel-5 all sky monitor data on Cyg X-1 X-ray intensity increase during 1975 are analyzed. Data cover rise, maximum, and decay variability of the constellation. Special attention was given to the failure of the increase to decay over the specified period of 5.6 days

Evidence for a 16d.6 period from Circinus X-1

Analysis of All-Sky Monitor observations of Cir X-1 (3U1516-56) over the period October 1975 - April 1976 revealed a well-defined modulation of the 3-6 keV flux at a period of 16.585 + or - 0.01. The light-curve is characterized by an abrupt drop in emission occurring on a timescale of 0.07, with epoch JD 2,442,877.181 + or - 0.07. No clear correspondingly sharp increase in emission is observed during the cycle, so that a noneclipse origin for this effect cannot be ruled out

Low intensity H-beta emission from the interstellar medium

A search for diffuse galactic H beta emission not associated with any known H II regions was conducted using a 2-inch-diamenter pressure-scanned Fabry-Perot spectrometer at the Coude focus of a 36-inch telescope. Observations were made near the directions of four pulsars. Emissions with intensities from 40,000 to 400,000 photons/sq cm sec ster (corresponding to emission measures of approximately 10 - 100) were detected in three of the directions. The data indicate an average ionization rate (assuming steady state) of approximately 10 to the minus 14th power/H-atom sec for the interstellar hydrogen in these directions and temperatures between 1000 and 10,000 K for the emitting regions. Plans were made to continue the investigation of these very faint hydrogen emission sources using a 6-inch-diameter Fabry-Perot spectrometer

Long-term studies with the Ariel-5 asm. 1: Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3

Twelve hundred days of 3-6 keV X-ray data from Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3 accumulated with the Ariel-5 all-sky monitor are interrogated. The binary periodicities of all three can be clearly observed, as can the approximately 35-d variation of Her X-1, for which we can refine the period to 34.875 plus or minus .030-d. No such longer-term periodicity less than 200-d is observed from Vela X-1. The 26.6-d low-state recurrence period for Cen X-3 previously suggested is not observed, but a 43.0-d candidate periodicity is found which may be consistent with the precession of an accretion disk in that system. The present results are illustrative of the long-term studies which can be performed on approximately 50 sources over a temporal base which will ultimately extend to at least 1800 days