On the intensity ratio variation of the Si IV 1394/1403 \r{A} lines during solar flares

Context. The Si IV lines at 1394 \r{A} and 1403 \r{A} form in the solar atmosphere at a temperature of $\sim10^{4.8}$ K. They are usually considered optically thin, but their opacity can be enhanced during solar flares. Traditionally, the intensity ratio of these lines are used as an indicator of the optical thickness. However, observations have shown a wavelength-dependent intensity ratio profile $r(\Delta\lambda)$ of the the 1394 \r{A} to 1403 \r{A} lines. Aims. We aim to study the variation of the intensity ratio profile in solar flares and the physical reasons behind it. Method. The Si IV lines and their intensity ratio profiles are calculated from the one-dimensional radiative hydrodynamics flare model with non-thermal electron heating. Result. During flares, $r(\Delta\lambda)$ is smaller than 2 at the line core but larger than 2 at the line wings. We attribute the deviation of the ratio from 2 to two effects: the resonance scattering effect and the opacity effect. Resonance scattering increases the population ratio of the upper levels of the two lines, and as a result, increases $r(\Delta\lambda)$, in all wavelengths. The opacity effect decreases $r(\Delta\lambda)$, especially at the line core where the opacity is larger. These two effects compete with each other and cause the U-shape of $r(\Delta\lambda)$.Comment: 11 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Properties of Steady Sub-Alfv\'enic Solar Wind in Comparison with Super-Alfv\'enic Wind from Measurements of Parker Solar Probe

We identify more than ten steady sub-Alfv\'enic solar wind intervals from the measurements of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) from encounter 8 to encounter 14. An analysis of these sub-Alfv\'enic intervals reveals similar properties and similar origins. In situ measurements show that these intervals feature a decreased radial Alfv\'en Mach number resulting from a reduced density and a relatively low velocity, and that switchbacks are suppressed in these intervals. Magnetic source tracing indicates that these sub-Alfv\'enic streams generally originate from the boundaries inside coronal holes, or narrow/small regions of open magnetic fields. Such properties and origins suggest that these streams are low Mach-number boundary layers (LMBLs), which is a special component of the pristine solar wind proposed by Liu et al. We find that the LMBL wind, the fast wind from deep inside coronal holes, and the slow streamer wind constitute three typical components of the young solar wind near the Sun. In these sub-Alfv\'enic intervals, the Alfv\'en radius varies between 15 and 25 solar radii, in contrast with a typical 12 radii for the Alfv\'en radius of the super-Alfv\'enic wind. These results give a self-consistent picture interpreting the PSP measurements in the vicinity of the Sun.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Exact Distribution of Linkage Disequilibrium in the Presence of Mutation, Selection, or Minor Allele Frequency Filtering

Linkage disequilibrium (LD), often expressed in terms of the squared correlation (r2) between allelic values at two loci, is an important concept in many branches of genetics and genomics. Genetic drift and recombination have opposite effects on LD, and thus r2 will keep changing until the effects of these two forces are counterbalanced. Several approximations have been used to determine the expected value of r2 at equilibrium in the presence or absence of mutation. In this paper, we propose a probability-based approach to compute the exact distribution of allele frequencies at two loci in a finite population at any generation t conditional on the distribution at generation t−1. As r2 is a function of this distribution of allele frequencies, this approach can be used to examine the distribution of r2 over generations as it approaches equilibrium. The exact distribution of LD from our method is used to describe, quantify, and compare LD at different equilibria, including equilibrium in the absence or presence of mutation, selection, and filtering by minor allele frequency. We also propose a deterministic formula for expected LD in the presence of mutation at equilibrium based on the exact distribution of LD

Source, transport and impacts of a heavy dust event in the Yangtze River Delta, China, in 2011

Dust invasion is an important type of particle pollution in China. During 1 to 6 May in 2011, a dust event was observed in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRD). The highest PM₁₀ (particles up to 10 μ in diameter) concentration reached over 1000 μg m⁻³ and the visibility was below 3 km. In this study, the Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ5.0) coupled with an in-line windblown dust model was used to simulate the formation, spatial and temporal characteristics of this dust event, and analyze its impacts. The threshold friction velocity for loose, fine-grained soil with low surface roughness in the dust model was revised based on Chinese data to improve the model performance. This dust storm broke out in Xinjiang and Mongolia during 28 to 30 April and arrived in the YRD region on 1 May. The transported dust particles contributed to the mean surface layer concentrations of PM₁₀ in the YRD region 78.9% during 1 to 6 May with their impact weakening from north to south due to the removal of dust particles along the path. The dry deposition, wet deposition and total deposition of PM₁₀ in the YRD reached 184.7 kt, 172.6 kt and 357.32 kt, respectively. The dust particles also had significant impacts on optical/radiative characteristics by absorption and scattering. In Shanghai, the largest perturbations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and irradiance were about 0.8 DU and −130 W m⁻², which could obviously influence the radiation balance in this region. The decrease of actinic fluxes impacts future photochemistry. In Shanghai, the negative effects on the NO₂ and O₃ photolysis could be −35% when dust particles arrived. The concentrations of O₃ and OH were reduced by 1.5% and 3.1% in the whole of China, and by 9.4% and 12.1% in the YRD region, respectively. Such changes in O₃ and OH levels can affect the future formation of secondary aerosols in the atmosphere by directly determining the oxidation rate of their precursors. The work of this manuscript is meaningful for understanding the dust emissions in China as well as for the application of CMAQ in Asia. It is also helpful for understanding the formation mechanism and impacts of dust pollution in the YRD

Contribution of antibiotics to the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic treatment processes of swine wastewater: A review.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water environment have become a global health concern. Swine wastewater is widely considered to be one of the major contributors for promoting the proliferation of ARGs in water environments. This paper comprehensively reviews and discusses the occurrence and removal of ARGs in anaerobic treatment of swine wastewater, and contributions of antibiotics to the fate of ARGs. The results reveal that ARGs' removal is unstable during anaerobic processes, which negatively associated with the presence of antibiotics. The abundance of bacteria carrying ARGs increases with the addition of antibiotics and results in the spread of ARGs. The positive relationship was found between antibiotics and the abundance and transfer of ARGs in this review. However, it is necessary to understand the correlation among antibiotics, ARGs and microbial communities, and obtain more knowledge about controlling the dissemination of ARGs in the environment