Binary stars

Most stars in the solar neighborhood are either double or multiple systems. They provide a unique opportunity to measure stellar masses and radii and to study many interesting and important phenomena. The best candidates for black holes are compact massive components of two x-ray binaries: Cygnus X-1 and LMC X-3. The binary radio pulsar PSR 1913 + 16 provides the best available evidence for gravitational radiation. Accretion disks and jets observed in close binaries offer a very good testing ground for models of active galactic nuclei and quasars.     

The formation and evolution of massive black holes

The past 10 years have witnessed a change of perspective in the way astrophysicists think about massive black holes (MBHs), which are now considered to have a major role in the evolution of galaxies. This appreciation was driven by the realization that black holes of millions of solar masses and above reside in the center of most galaxies, including the Milky Way. MBHs also powered active galactic nuclei known to exist just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Here, I summarize the current ideas on the evolution of MBHs through cosmic history, from their formation about 13 billion years ago to their growth within their host galaxies.     

Infrared Stars: The interaction between stars and interstellar clouds produces "infrared stars" of two different kinds

Our searches for very cool stars have revealed three kinds of objects: very cool Mira stars, perhaps cooler than any of this type previously known; extremely dense interstellar clouds, more dense than any known heretofore; and, probably, cool circumstellar clouds that may be planetary systems in an early stage of formation.     

酵母重复基因在蛋白质互作网络中的分歧进化

【目的】分析全基因组重复后,蛋白质互作网络对重复基因分歧模式的作用机制。【方法】结合高精度的蛋白质互作数据集和具有相同进化年代的重复基因数据集,在全基因组范围关联分析拷贝间进化距离与网络结构的相关性,并通过对拷贝间连接水平的差异程度分类,分析不同阶段网络结构对基因功能的影响。【结果】重复基因两拷贝间的进化距离与其祖先基因在网络中的连接水平呈显著负相关,与重复基因间的连接度差异率呈显著正相关;网络结构完全歧化的重复基因间的非同义替换均值,较未完全歧化的重复基因显著高出30.2%。【结论】网络结构对重复基因的进化起调节作用,网络系统在保持核心稳定的同时,使外围组分发生了更大变化;重复基因在网络结构改变的前期为基因组提供功能冗余,但在网络结构差别较大后,显著增加的突变更有利于基因新功能的产生。