RXTE highlights of 34.85-day cycle of Her X-1

An analysis of the publically available RXTE archive on Her X-1 including data on 23 34.85-day cycles is performed. The turn-on times for these cycles are determined. The number of cycles with a duration of 20.5 orbits has been found exceedingly larger than of shorter (20 orbits) or longer (21 orbits). A correlation between the duration of a cycle and its mean X-ray flux is noted. The mean X-ray light curve shows a very distinct short-on state. The anomalous X-ray absorption dip is found during the first orbit after the turn-on in the main-on state for the cycles starting near the binary phase 0.25, while is present during two successive orbits in the low-on state. The post-eclipse recovery feature have not been found in the main-on state but appears at least for two orbits during the low-on state. The pre-eclipse dips are present both in main-on and low-on state and demonstrate the behaviour as in early observations. The comparison of durations of the main-on and short-on states enabled us to constrain the accretion disk semi-thickness and its inclination to the orbital plane.Comment: 7 pages with 4 eps figures (large figures 1, 4a,b, 5a,b are available at ftp://xray.sai.msu.su/pub/preprints/Prokhorov/rxte/ or at ftp://xray.sai.msu.ru/pub/preprints/Prokhorov/rxte/), LaTeX, uses mn.sty. Submitted to MNRA

Hard production of a Z boson plus heavy flavor jets at LHC and the intrinsic charm content of a proton

The cross section of associated production of a Z boson with heavy flavor jets in $pp$ collisions is calculated using the SHERPA Monte Carlo generator and the analytical combined QCD approach based on kt-factorization at small x and conventional collinear QCD at large x. A satisfactory description of the ATLAS and CMS data on the $p_T$ spectra of Z bosons and c-jets in the whole rapidity, y, region is shown. Searching for the intrinsic charm (IC) contribution in these processes, which could be visible at large y > 1.5, we study observables very sensitive to non-zero IC contributions and less affected by theoretical QCD scale uncertainties. One of such observables is the so-called double ratio: the ratio of the differential cross section of Z + c production in the central region of |y| < 1.5 and in the forward region 1.5 < |y| < 2.5, divided by the same ratio for Z + b production. These observables could be more promising for the search of IC at LHC as compared to the observables considered earlier.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

Can electron distribution functions be derived through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect?

Measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (hereafter SZ) effect distortion of the cosmic microwave background provide methods to derive the gas pressure and temperature of galaxy clusters. Here we study the ability of SZ effect observations to derive the electron distribution function (DF) in massive galaxy clusters. Our calculations of the SZ effect include relativistic corrections considered within the framework of the Wright formalism and use a decomposition technique of electron DFs into Fourier series. Using multi-frequency measurements of the SZ effect, we find the solution of a linear system of equations that is used to derive the Fourier coefficients; we further analyze different frequency samples to decrease uncertainties in Fourier coefficient estimations. We propose a method to derive DFs of electrons using SZ multi-frequency observations of massive galaxy clusters. We found that the best frequency sample to derive an electron DF includes high frequencies $\nu$=375, 600, 700, 857 GHz. We show that it is possible to distinguish a Juttner DF from a Maxwell-Bolzman DF as well as from a Juttner DF with the second electron population by means of SZ observations for the best frequency sample if the precision of SZ intensity measurements is less than 0.1%. We demonstrate by means of 3D hydrodynamic numerical simulations of a hot merging galaxy cluster that the morphologies of SZ intensity maps are different for frequencies $\nu$=375, 600, 700, 857 GHz. We stress that measurements of SZ intensities at these frequencies are a promising tool for studying electron distribution functions in galaxy clusters.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, published in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Ultrasound picture of Cowper’s glands in adults

The results of ultrasonography Cowper’s glands (CG) using the rectal probe 5-9 MHz of 260 male volunteers aged 16 to 95 years of age, formed the control group and 253 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are presented. In the control group, CG was visualized in 243 (93.5%) cases among patients with BPH - in 238 (94.1%). For CG were characterized by diaphragm-bulbar localization, ovoid form, clear and smooth contours, homogeneous structure, comparable in echogenicity with the echogenicity of the bulb of the penis and the urogenital diaphragm. Average dimensions of CG were as follows: length - 6.5 mm thick, and the width is 4 mm, the volume of each CG - 0.06 cm3. Vascular density in CG was equal to 0 -1. In the control group intraglandular blood flow was recorded only in 6 (2.3%) cases. Blood flow was highly resistant and low speed with maximum linear speed (V max) is less than 12 cm Is and the index of peripheral resistance (RI) is equal to 0.70. Age restructuring of CG began with 60 years of age and included the reduction of the dimensions of CG, enhancing their echogenicity, appearance of small retention cysts in the parenchyma of CG. The minor strength of the relationship, reflecting a decrease of the total volume of CG in elderly and senile age (r = - 0.13, p = 0.0093) was identified. Dimensions of CG in patients with BPH and men volunteers of the control group statistically differed (p < 0.05). The minor and a weak inverse correlations between CG dimensions and the size of the BPH host: for length of CG (r = - 0.24; p = 0.0017), the width of the CG (r = - 0.35; p = 0.0001), for the thickness of CG (r = - 0.32; p = 0.0001), total volume of CG (r = - 0.33; p = 0.0012) were identified. The ultrasound criteria for a normal CG were proposed.Представлены результаты ультразвукового исследования куперовых желез (КЖ) с применением ректального датчика 5-9 МГц у 260 мужчин-добровольцев в возрасте 16 - 95 лет, составивших контрольную группу, и у 253 пациентов с доброкачественной гиперплазией предстательной железы (ДГПЖ). В контрольной группе КЖ были визуализированы в 243 (93,5%) случаях, среди пациентов с ДГПЖ - в 238 (94,1%). Для КЖ были характерны диафрагма-бульбарная локализация, овоидная форма, четкие и ровные контуры, однородная структура, сопоставимая по эхогенности с эхогенностью луковицы полового члена или мочеполовой диафрагмы. Средние размеры КЖ составили: длина - 6,5 мм, толщина и ширина - по 4 мм, объем каждой КЖ - 0,06 см. Сосудистая плотность КЖ была равна 0 -1. В контрольной группе внутрижелезистый кровоток регистрировался только в 6 (2,3%) случаях и был высокорезистентным, низкоскоростным с максимальной линейной скоростью (V max) меньше 12 см/с и индексом периферического сосудистого сопротивления (RI) равном 0,70. Возрастная перестройка КЖ начиналась с 60-летнего возраста и включала уменьшение размеров КЖ, повышение их эхогенности, появление мелких ретенционных кист в паренхиме КЖ. Установлена незначительная по силе взаимосвязь, отражающая уменьшение суммарного объема КЖ в пожилом и старческом возрасте (r = - 0,13; р = 0,0093). Размеры КЖ у пациентов с ДГПЖ и мужчин-добровольцев группы контроля статистически различались (р < 0,05). Выявлены незначительные и слабые обратные корреляции между размерами КЖ и размерами узла ДГПЖ: для длины КЖ (r = - 0,24; р = 0,0017), для ширины КЖ (г = - 0,35; р = 0,0001), для толщины КЖ (r = - 0,32; р = 0,0001), для суммарного объема КЖ (r = - 0,33; р = 0,0012). Предложены ультразвуковые критерии нормальных КЖ