Details of the spatial structure and kinematics of the Castor and Ursa Major streams

A list of the Castor stream members is compiled based on the data from various authors. The membership probabilities for some stars are revised based on the individual apex, multiplicity, observational errors, and peculiarity. The apex of the Castor moving group is determined using the apex diagram method. The parameters of the Castor and Ursa Major streams are compared and the positions of the two streams on the apex diagram are found to differ by 225deg, implying that the two groups move in almost opposite directions. Stars of both moving groups are intermixed in space, the Castor stream occupies a smaller volume than the UMa stream and is located inside it. Our results can be useful for understanding the morphology of the Galactic disk in the Sun's vicinity

Radial velocity dispersions of star groups in M 67

High-precision measurements of radial velocities of the M 67 cluster members are used to calculate the radial-velocity dispersions in the stellar groups found earlier in the cluster's corona. The previously detected feature in one of the groups (Group 60) consisting of stars with almost identical space velocities was confirmed. The possibility of more accurate future studies of the parameters of star groups using the Gaia catalogues is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Electromagnetic field of a charge asymptotically approaching spherically symmetric black hole

We consider a test charged particle falling onto a Schwarzschild black hole and evaluate its electromagnetic field. The Regge-Wheeler equation is solved analytically by approximating the potential barrier with Dirac delta function and rectangular barrier. We show that for asymptotically large time measured by a distant observer the electromagnetic field approaches the spherically symmetric electrostatic field exponentially fast. This implies that in the region accessible to a distant observer the initial state of separated charge and Schwarzschild black hole becomes asymptotically indistinguishable from the Reisnner-Nordstr\"om solution. Implications of this result for models with plasma accretion on black holes are discussed.7 aComment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Electromagnetic radiation and electromagnetic self-force of a point charge in the vicinity of Schwarzschild black hole

Point charge, radially moving in the vicinity of a black hole is considered. Electromagnetic field in wave zone and in the small neighbourhood of the charge is calculated. Numerical results of the calculation of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation of the point charge are presented. Covariant approach for the calculation of electromagnetic self-force is used for the case of the slowly moving charge. Numerical results for the self-force in the case of slow motion of the particle are obtained and compared to the results in literature.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Pair plasma relaxation time scales

By numerically solving the relativistic Boltzmann equations, we compute the time scale for relaxation to thermal equilibrium for an optically thick electron-positron plasma with baryon loading. We focus on the time scales of electromagnetic interactions. The collisional integrals are obtained directly from the corresponding QED matrix elements. Thermalization time scales are computed for a wide range of values of both the total energy density (over 10 orders of magnitude) and of the baryonic loading parameter (over 6 orders of magnitude). This also allows us to study such interesting limiting cases as the almost purely electron-positron plasma or electron-proton plasma as well as intermediate cases. These results appear to be important both for laboratory experiments aimed at generating optically thick pair plasmas as well as for astrophysical models in which electron-positron pair plasmas play a relevant role.Comment: Phys. Rev. E, in pres