[en] The basic conceptions about cosmic background radiation and its connection with evolution of the Universe are presented in a popular form. The best studied types of radiation in the radiowave and microwave ranges provide a lot of information on the origin of the Universe. Certain cosmological models are discussed

No abstract available

[en] A leading economics expert was asked his opinion regarding the best combination of ways to meet Quebec's medium and long-term energy needs in a sustainable manner while minimizing costs for Quebec society and the competitiveness of Quebec's economy. He was asked which mechanisms can be used to fulfill environmental objectives regarding energy source development and the most effective way to minimize greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts. This paper presents his opinion and notes that environmental issues are dominating energy strategies. The role of the Kyoto Protocol in addressing these challenges was discussed along with the challenge of energy supply shortages on the American west coast, the high demand of energy in Quebec and the low level of rainfall in the past several years. All these challenges have contributed to the public debate on energy supplies and security. This document focuses on electricity production while maintaining sustainable development requirements, particularly minimizing greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity production. Several strategies to reduce greenhouse gases were presented. 20 refs., 1 fig

[en] One of the many uses to which a radio survey may be put is an analysis of the distribution of the radio sources on the celestial sphere to find out whether they are bunched into clusters or lie in preferred regions of space. There are many methods of testing for clustering in point processes and since they are not all equally good this contribution is presented as a brief guide to what seems to be the best of them. The radio sources certainly do not show very strong clusering and may well be entirely unclustered so if a statistical method is to be useful it must be both powerful and flexible. A statistic is powerful in this context if it can efficiently distinguish a weakly clustered distribution of sources from an unclustered one, and it is flexible if it can be applied in a way which avoids mistaking defects in the survey for true peculiarities in the distribution of sources. The paper divides clustering statistics into two classes: number density statistics and log N/log S statistics. (Auth.)

[en] The exact geographical location of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has no bearing on climate change. In this context the Kyoto Protocol recognizes mechanisms of flexibility for countries to attain their GHG emissions reductions. Emission trading takes advantage of this flexibility, allowing GHGs to be sold, traded, or stockpiled. An emission quota allows the owner of an energy facility to emit a certain amount of GHGs throughout the year. If this quota is not used, it can be stockpiled for the following year or it could be traded to another enterprise and owner. If the amount of emissions exceeds the initial quotas, facilities can adopt different strategies, such as reducing their GHG purchasing quotas from national enterprises that have reduced their emissions or purchase quotas from international markets. The initial allocation of quotas is an important political decision since it determines the initial distribution of the GHG reduction effort. The establishment of a quota system can contribute to economical competition and can be used to fulfill environmental objectives regarding energy source development. It is also the most effective way to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and the associated environmental impacts. This paper reviewed the regulations regarding the design of the quota system; how the ceiling of emission levels was determined; the criteria for allocating the quotas and the rules for the exchange of emission quotas. Canada and the European countries have expressed interest in this system of emissions trading. 7 refs

[en] It is proposed that the central object in the 'Red Rectangle', a peculiar infrared source with a biconical reflection nebula, may be emitting oppositely-directed relativistic jets of gas which precess in a manner similar to that invoked to explain the anomalous emission lines in SS 433. The broad red spectral line in the light of the nebula may be interpreted as Hα emission from the jets broadened by the high velocity, and the biconical shape as indicating that the nebula consists of material thrown out in the jets. (author)

[en] Measurements of the galactic background radiation made at three radio frequencies are analysed for information on the shape and size of the radio halo of the Galaxy. It is found that below 100 MHz the halo extends well above and below the plane of the disc, to a height of approximately 17 kpc, but that at higher frequencies the height decreases considerably. The recently-discovered spectral-index gradients in the halos of certain external spiral galaxies appear to be manifestations of the same phenomenon. The results demonstrate that the cosmic rays leave the disc of the Galaxy by propagating in the z direction. (author)

[en] The positions and redshifts of 108 quasars from the Cerro Tololo objective-prism survey are subjected to Fourier Power Spectrum Analysis in a search for clustering in their spatial distribution. It is found that, on the whole, these quasars are not clustered but are scattered in space independently at random. The sole exception is a group of four quasars at z = 0.37 which has a low probability of being a chance event and which, with a size of about 100 Mpc, may therefore be the largest known structure in the Universe. The conclusions disagree with Arp's analysis of this catalogue: his 'clouds of quasars' ejected by certain low-redshift galaxies, for example, are attributable to sensitivity variations among the different plates of the survey. It is shown that analysis of deeper surveys is likely to show up quasar clusters even at high redshift, and could therefore provide a useful new cosmological probe. (author)

[en] The theory of power-spectrum analysis of the clustering of points is described and developed as a sensitive and flexible test for the possible weak clustering of extragalactic sources. (author)

[en] The hypothesis that the distribution of the quasars on the celestial sphere contains an unexpectedly large number of well-aligned triples is tested by applying, to the Cerro Tololo objective-prism sample, a shape-statistic which was originally developed to investigate whether neolithic standing stones were deliberately sited on ley lines. It is found that alignment in triples is not a conspicuous feature of the quasars in this sample. The sample does contain one well aligned triple whose properties resemble those of two triples found earlier in a different field by earlier authors, but the probability of this being a chance alignment is not low. The same authors have noted a total of four well-collimated triples which they consider remarkable, but an approximate probability calculation based on the shape-statistic indicates that they need not have a low probability of occurring by chance. (author)