利用地面深空激光测距检验相对论的引力时延

讨论了广义相对论的引力时延.根据Mini-ASTROD空间计划方案,利用地面深空激光测距来检验引力时延,给出了测量值与理论值直接比对的方案,并拟合出空间曲率参数γ的值.文中采用非同步的激光应答器、皮秒事件记数器等设备,可以提高测量的精度和稳定性.在地面站和行星探测器之间直接进行激光测距,不仅可以验证广义相对论的引力时延,而且还可以使γ的精度提高至少1～2个量级.这对于宇宙学和引力理论具有十分重要的意义.     

利用地面深空激光测距检验相对论的引力时延

讨论了广义相对论的引力时延。根据Mini－ASTROD空间计划方案，利用地面深空激光测距来检验引力时延，给出了测量值与理论值直接比对的方案，并拟合出空间曲率参数γ的值。文中采用非同步的激光应答器、皮秒事件记数器等设备，可以提高测量的精度和稳定性。在地面站和行星探测器之间直接进行激光测距，不仅可以验证广义相对论的引力时延，而且还可以使γ的精度提高至少1－2个量级。这对于宇宙学和引力理论具有十分重要的意义。     

小行星主带上单个行星的质量上限

介绍了N体模拟的Hermite算法,并利用该算法研究了不同质量行星在小行星主带上轨道的演化情况．采用的演化模型是太阳系N体模型(N=7),即把水星、金星、地球的质量加到太阳上,忽略冥王星,同时在小行星主带附近增加一个假想行星,系统演化时间为1亿年．数值模拟显示能够稳定存在于小行星主带上的单个天体的质量上限其量级为10~(25)kg．模拟同时还显示在某些情况下,假想行星与木星之间的低阶共振可以增强系统的稳定性．     

激光脉冲特性对漫反射激光测距系统精度的影响研究

测距精度是衡量漫反射激光测距系统性能的极其重要的技术指标之一。根据统计学理论以及盖革模式的雪崩光电二极管(PAD)的工作原理,数值模拟了高斯波形的脉冲宽度、回波强度及噪声强度对漫反射激光测距系统测距精度的影响。着重分析了回波信号强度为单、多光子量级及不同脉冲宽度时的测距精度,为提高漫反射激光测距系统的观测精度,提供了激光器选择及优化观测方法的参考依据。     

小型激光天文动力学空间计划概念

小型激光天文动力学空间计划是 :使用在太阳轨道上无拖曳航天器和地面站以激光干涉和脉冲测距的方法 ,精确地探讨天文动力学 ,检测相对论与时空基本定律 ,改进探测引力波的灵敏度以及更准确地测定太阳、行星和小行星的参数。 1 969年开始的月球激光 (反射 )测距 ,对地球物理、参考坐标的选定、相对论的检验均有重要的贡献。 3 0年来 ,激光技术的长足进步 ,使现在正是适合于开始进行研究空间有源 (主动 )测距和光波空间通讯的时候。激光天文动力学的兴起是必然的趋势 ,其精确度将比现在提高 3到 6个数量级 ,将是天文动力学革命性的发展。小型激光天文动力学空间计划可以起到带头作用。它的关键技术有三 ,即 :弱光锁相、极精确无拖曳航天和高衰减日冕仪。弱光锁相已有长足的进步。对高衰减日冕仪的研究 ,也有了初步的方案。LISA空间计划将于 2 0 0 6年 8月发射SMART -2 ,研究测试极精确无拖曳航天。小型激光天文动力学空间计划的关键技术已日趋成熟。在第一届国际激光天文动力学研讨会 ( 2 0 0 1 ,9.1 3 -2 3 )中介绍了各相关学科背景及前沿研究 ,讨论了激光天文动力学空间计划科学目标及相关技术 ,并召开了两次小型激光天文动力学空间计划预研究筹备会 ,建立了和欧洲的合作关系。会后着手进行此项对基础     

2010年上海天文台卫星激光测距观测报告

介绍了2010年上海天文台卫星激光测距的常规观测和白天千赫兹激光测距情况。在国际上首次对同步轨道卫星开展了千赫兹激光测距,作用距离达38800多千米,测距系统性能达到国际先进水平。利用2套独立的激光测距系统,开展了激光收发分离测距实验,为行星际异步应答式激光测距模拟试验提供了实测数据。最后概述了空间碎片目标激光测距进展情况。     

行星科学与深空探测（二）--行星科学研究的国际现状和发展趋势

根据太阳系行星物质的主要性态和大小,人们通常将其分成行星（包括类地行星和类木行星）、卫星、小行星、彗星和流星体。类地行星包括水星、金星、地球和火星;类木行星包括木星、土星、天王星和海王星;质量较大的小行星和卫星的内部结构与类地行星相似,质量较小的小行星和卫星以及流星体主要由岩石和金属组成;彗星是含有太阳系形成时期物质且没有经过太多物理和化学演化的冰态小天体。     

高重复率卫星激光测距中一种回波实时识别方法

高重复率卫星激光测距(SLR)采用低能量激光,回波率较低且探测器暗噪声数明显增多,尤其在白天测距强背景噪声时,回波信号更是难于识别。该文提出了两次滤波的回波实时识别方法。为验证此方法的可行性,使用了Graz激光站2kHz实际测距数据,模拟了高重复率测距过程。结果表明,此方法在对高重复率激光测距回波识别中是有效的,为开展kHz激光测距打下了技术基础。     

小型激光天文动力学空间计划概念

小型激光天文动力学空间计划是：使用在太阳轨道上天拖曳航天器和地面站以激光干涉和脉冲测距的方法，精确地探讨天文动力学，检测相对论与时空基本定律，改进探测引力波的灵敏度以及更准确地测定太阳，行星和小行星的参数。1969年开始的月球激光（反射）测距，对地球物理，参考坐标的选定，相对论的检验均有重要的贡献。30年来，激光技术的长足进步，使现在正是适合于开始进行研究空间有源（主动）测距和光波空间通讯的时候。激光正是适合于开始进行研究空间有源（主动）测跑和光波空间通讯的时候。激光天文动力学的兴起是必然的趋势，其精确度将比现在提高3到6个数量级，将是天文动力学革命性的发展。小型激光天文动力学空间计划可以起到带头作用。它的关键技术有三，即：弱光锁相，极精确无拖曳航天和高衰减日冕仪。弱光锁相已有长足的进步。对高衰减日冕仪的研究，也有初步的方案。LISA空间计划将于2006年8月发射SMART－2，研究测试极精确地拖曳航天。小型激光天文动力学空间计划的关键技术已日趋成熟。在第一届国际激光天文动力学研讨会（2001，9．13－23）中介绍了各相关学科背景及前沿研究，讨论了激光天文动力学空间计划科学目标及相关技术，并召开了两次小型激光天文动力学空间计划预研究筹备会，建立了和欧洲的合作关系。会后着手进行此项对基础物理，太阳系探索及引力波天文学有重要科学价值的空间计划预研究。     

宇宙信息

WISE升温但继续工作 在完成了主要任务对红外天空进行了巡天观测之后,美国宇航局的大视场红外巡天探测器（WISE）耗尽了其所有的制冷剂。虽然WISE已经升温,但美国宇航局决定继续这一任务。现在WISE的观测目标将集中在太阳系中的小行星、彗星和行星上。     

On the theory of the oblateness of the Sun

In this paper we first emphasize why it is important to know the successive zonal harmonics of the Sun's figure with high accuracy: mainly fundamental astrometry, helioseismology, planetary motions and relativistic effects. Then we briefly comment why the Sun appears oblate, going back to primitive definitions in order to underline some discrepancies in theories and to emphasize again the relevant hypotheses. We propose a new theoretical approach entirely based on an expansion in terms of Legendre's functions, including the differential rotation of the Sun at the surface. This permits linking the two first spherical harmonic coefficients (J ₂ and J ₄) with the geometric parameters that can be measured on the Sun (equatorial and polar radii). We emphasize the difficulties in inferring gravitational oblateness from visual measurements of the geometric oblateness, and more generally a dynamical flattening. Results are given for different observed rotational laws. It is shown that the surface oblateness is surely upper bounded by 11 milliarcsecond. As a consequence of the observed surface and sub-surface differential rotation laws, we deduce a measure of the two first gravitational harmonics, the quadrupole and the octopole moment of the Sun: J ₂=−(6.13±2.52)×10⁻⁷ if all observed data are taken into account, and respectively, J ₂=−(6.84±3.75)×10⁻⁷ if only sunspot data are considered, and J ₂=−(3.49±1.86)×10⁻⁷ in the case of helioseismic data alone. The value deduced from all available data for the octopole is: J ₄=(2.8±2.1)×10⁻¹². These values are compared to some others found in the literature. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005238718479     

Accounting for the viscosity of the fluid core in the problem of the physical libration of the moon

A two-component theoretical model of the physical libration of the Moon in longitude is constructed with account taken of the viscosity of the core. In the new version, a hydrodynamic problem of motion of a fluid filling a solid rotating shell is solved. It is found that surfaces of equal angular velocity are spherical, and a velocity field of the fluid core of the Moon is described by elementary functions. A distribution of the internal pressure in the core is found. An angular momentum exchange between the fluid core and solid mantle is described by a third-order differential equation with a right-hand side. The roots of a characteristic equation are studied and the stability of rotation is proved. A libration angle as a function of time is found using the derived solution of the differential equation. Limiting cases of infinitely large and infinitely small viscosity are considered and an effect of lag of a libration phase from a phase of action of an external moment of forces is ascertained. This makes it possible to estimate the viscosity and sizes of the lunar fluid core from data of observations.     

Calculation of the global system of the field-aligned currents on the dayside of the magnetosphere

Using the well-known equation for the normal component of the current which exist near the tangential discontinuity in the plasma in the case of the frozen-in magnetic field, and supposing that the current closes in the ionosphere in the auroral oval in the region 1, one calculates and compares with the data of observations the dependence of the density of the field-aligned current at the level of the ionosphere on the local time.     

Rotation of the elastic Earth: the role of the angular-velocity-dependence of the elasticity-caused perturbation

We calculate the so-called convective term, which shows up in the expression for the angular velocity of the elastic Earth, within the Andoyer formalism. The term emerges due to the fact that the elasticity-caused perturbation depends not only on the instantaneous orientation of the Earth but also on its instantaneous angular velocity. We demonstrate that this term makes a considerable contribution into the overall angular velocity. At the same time the convective term turns out to be automatically included into the correction to the nutation series due to the elasticity, if the series is defined by the perturbation of the figure axis (and not of the rotational axis) in accordance with the current IAU resolution. Hence it is not necessary to take the effect of the convective term into consideration in the perturbation of the elastic Earth as far as the nutation is related to the motion of the figure axis.     

Impact of the Quadrupole Moment of the Sun on the Dynamics of the Earth-Moon System

Range of values of the Sun's mass quadrupole moment of coefficient J₂ arising both from experimental and theoretical determinations enlarge across literature on two orders of magnitude, from around 10^-7 until to 10^-5. The accurate knowledge of the Moon's physical librations, for which the Lunar Laser Ranging data reach an outstanding precision level, prove to be appropriate to reduce the interval of J₂ values by giving an upper bound of J₂. A solar quadrupole moment as high as 1.1 10^-5 given either from the upper bounds of the error bars of the observations, or from the Roche's theory, is not compatible with the knowledge of the lunar librations accurately modeled and observed with the LLR experiment. The suitable values of J₂ have to be smaller than 3.0 10^-6. As a consequence, this upper bound of 3.0 10^-6 is accepted to study the impact of the Sun's quadrupole moment of mass on the dynamics of the Earth-Moon system. Such as effect (with J₂ = 5.5±1.3 × 10^-6) has been already tested in 1983 by Campbell & Moffat using analytical approximate equations, and thus for the orbits of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and Icarus. The approximate equations are no longer sufficient compared with present observational data and exact equations are required. As if to compute the effect on the lunar librations, we have used our BJV relativistic model of solar system integration including the spin-orbit coupled motion of the Moon. The model is solved by numerical integration. The BJV model stems from general relativity by using the DSX formalism for purposes of celestial mechanics when it is about to deal with a system of n extended, weakly self-gravitating, rotating and deformable bodies in mutual interactions. The resulting effects on the orbital elements of the Earth have been computed and plotted over 160 and 1600 years. The impact of the quadrupole moment of the Sun on the Earth's orbital motion is mainly characterized by variations of , , and . As a consequence, the Sun's quadrupole moment of mass could play a sensible role over long time periods of integration of solar system models. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the role of the motion of the photospheric footpoints of the magnetic field lines

By means of a simple relation between the velocity v of the fluid particle and the velocity v_f of the photospheric footpoint of the magnetic field line v_z and B_z being respectively the components of v and the magnetic field B normal to the photospheric surface, it is shown formally that through the phtospheric surface the transport of all the quantities attributed to the magnetic field, such as the magnetic flux, the magnetic energy and the helicity, is independent of v_z, and v_f is the only kinematical quantity on which the transport depends. In addition, in the neighborhood of the neutral line the velocity v_l of the moving curve of constant B_z is found to be equal approximately to the component of v or v_f in the direction of v_l. Since v_l can be measured or extimated, so can the components of v and v_f near the neutral line.     

Determination of the temperature of the solar corona from the spectrum of the electron-scattering continuum

When the K-corona is formed by the scattering of photospheric radiation from free electrons, the Fraunhofer lines are greatly broadened by the thermal motions of the hot electrons. This paper discusses the possibility of measuring the coronal electron temperature from the residual depressions in the K-coronal spectrum. If the ratio of the intensities at 4100 Å and 3900 Å can be measured to an accuracy of ±1%, the coronal temperature can be inferred to an accuracy of ±0.2 MK. The temperature of a coronal inhomogeneity may also be measured by this method, provided the position angle is known.Now at Fraunhofer Institute, Freiburg, Germany.     

On the systematic errors of the determinations of the absolute orientation of the meridian marks

The classical method of determination of the absolute azimuth (or Bessel's parameter n) can secure sufficiently precision for RA from observations of stars at high geographical latitudes during polar night only.