Preprocessing photospheric vector magnetograms for nonlinear force-free field extrapolation of the global corona

Nonlinear force-free magnetic field(NLFFF) extrapolation based on the observed photospheric magnetic field is the most important method to obtain the coronal magnetic field nowadays.However, raw photospheric magnetograms contain magnetic forces and small-scale noises, and fail to be consistent with the force-free assumption of NLFFF models. The procedure for removing the forces and noises in observed data is called preprocessing. In this paper, we extend the preprocessing code of Jiang Feng to spherical coordinates for a full sphere. We first smooth the observed data with Gaussian smoothing, and then split the smoothed magnetic field into a potential field and a non-potential field.The potential part is computed by a numerical potential field model, and the non-potential part is preprocessed using an optimization method to minimize the magnetic forces and magnetic torques. Applying the code to synoptic charts of the vector magnetic field from SDO/HMI, we find it can effectively reduce the noises and forces, and improve the quality of data for a better input which will be used for NLFFF extrapolations applied to the global corona.     

Walking Access Distance of Metro Passengers and Relationship with Demographic Characteristics: A Case Study of Nanjing Metro

In the metropolises of China, the metro plays an increasingly important role in commuting because of its efficiency, affordability, and cleanliness. This paper attempts to explore the relationship between walking access distance to metro stations and the demographic characteristics of passengers, such as age, monthly income, travel frequency, gender, and travel purpose, as well as the influence of the urban context. Nanjing Metro Line 2 is selected as the case study. By using different methods such as a questionnaire survey, spatial decay function, analysis of covariance (ANOVA), network analysis of routes, and K-means cluster analysis, it is suggested that demographic characteristics have a significant impact on the pedestrian walking distance, with the exception of gender. Furthermore, the paper finds a spatial decay effect in walking access distance, the decay rate of which, however, varies across stations. Terminal stations have a larger pedestrian catchment area than in regular and exchange stations. Moreover, the passengers of Nanjing Metro Line 2 can be classified into six groups according to their demographic characteristics, among which education and occupation are vital indicators in determining their willingness to walk to the stations. Middle-class passengers have a higher dependence on the metro and tend to walk longer than other groups do. This study provides an important reference for planners and transport sectors to optimize land-use and transport infrastructures.     

Regional Characteristics and Causes of Haze Events in Northeast China

Northeast China experiences severe atmospheric pollution, with an increasing occurrence of heavy haze episodes. However, the underlying forces driving haze formation during different seasons are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the spatio-temporal characteristics and causes of haze events in Northeast China by combining a range of data sources(i.e., ground monitoring, satellite-based products, and meteorological products). It was found that the ‘Shenyang-Changchun-Harbin(SCH)'city belt was the most polluted area in the region on an annual scale. The spatial distribution of air quality index(AQI) values had a clear seasonality, with the worst pollution occurring in winter, an approximately oval-shaped polluted area around western Jilin Province in spring, and the best air quality occurring in summer and most of the autumn. The three periods that typically experienced intense haze events were Period I from mid-October to mid-November(i.e., late autumn and early winter), Period II from late-December to February(i.e., the coldest time in winter), and Period III from April to mid-May(i.e., spring). During Period I, strong PM_(2.5) emissions from seasonal crop residue burning and coal burning for winter heating were the dominant reasons for the occurrence of extreme haze events(AQI 300). Period II had frequent heavy haze events(200 AQI 300) in the coldest months of January and February, which were due to high PM_(2.5) emissions from coal burning and vehicle fuel consumption, a lower atmospheric boundary layer, and stagnant atmospheric conditions. Haze events in Period III, with high PM_(10) concentrations, were primarily caused by the regional transportation of windblown dust from degraded grassland in central Inner Mongolia and bare soil in western Jilin Province. Local agricultural tilling could also release PM_(10) and enhance the levels of windblown dust from tilled soil. Better control of coal burning, fuel consumption, and crop residue burning in winter and autumn is urgently needed to address the haze problem in Northeast China.     

On the electron density diagnostics of silicon <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">viii</Emphasis> ion in solar transition region

The conditions for accurate electron density diagnostics in the solar transition region are discussed, and result shows that lines from Si?viii can provide an excellent tool for electron density diagnostics of the emitting plasma. For the Si?viii 1440.50 Å and 1445.75 Å lines, the principle of the electron density diagnostics is discussed for any intensity ratio. By the observed intensity ratio, the diagnostic results of the electron density for the quiet sun and the active region are calculated, and results indicate that in the quiet sun, the averaged electron density is \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.63\); while in the active region, the averaged density gets the maximum \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.86\) in the active region (B), and gets the minimum \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.38\) in the active region (E), where the electron density is in the unit of cm^?3. Finally, the relationship of intensity ratio and electron density is discussed, in the case of lower and higher electron density limits. This discussion is significant in the electron density diagnostics, which will be important for study on coronal heating and acceleration of solar wind.     

A terrain openness index for the extraction of karst Fenglin and Fengcong landform units from DEMs

The Fenglin and Fengcong landform units are considered to be an important representation for defining the degree of development of Karst landforms. However, these terrain features have been proven difficult to delineate and extract automatically because of their complex morphology. In this paper, a new method for identifying the Fenglin and Fengcong landform units is proposed. This method consists of two steps: (1) terrain openness calculation and (2) toe line extraction. The proposed method is applied and validated in the Karst case area of Guilin by using ASTER GDEM with one arc-second resolution. The openness of both the positive and negative terrain and a threshold were used to extract toe lines for segmenting depressions and pinnacles in Fenglin and Fengcong landforms. A comparison between the extracted Fenglin and Fengcong landform units and their real units from high resolution images was carried out to evaluate the capability of the proposed method. Results show the proposed method can effectively extract the Fenglin and Fengcong landform units, and has an overall accuracy of 93.28%. The proposed method is simple and easy to implement and is expected to play an important role in the automatic extraction of similar landform units in the Karst area.     

甘肃酒泉荒漠戈壁灌木群落优势物种生态位特征

了解物种利用资源和占据生态空间的能力，对维持完善和科学保育荒漠戈壁植物群落的多样性具有重要意义。在综合反映各生态因子作用的群落类型和海拔梯度组合而成的两条资源轴上，测度分析了甘肃酒泉荒漠戈壁灌木群落主要优势种的生态位特征。结果表明：(1)在群落类型和海拔梯度两条资源轴上，红砂（Reaumuria songarica）、泡泡刺（Nitraria sphaerocarpa）和合头草（Sympegma regelii）的重要值和生态位宽度均较大，说明这些物种适应能力强,能够较好地利用环境资源，分布范围大，作为荒漠戈壁灌木群落中的广域种具有重要的生态地位和作用。(2)荒漠戈壁优势物种间的生态位重叠值多数较小，在群落类型和海拔梯度资源轴上生态位重叠值小于0.5的分别占总种对的62.63%和77.89%。生态位宽度大的物种之间一般生态位重叠值较高，物种利用资源能力强且存在竞争关系；然而，生态位宽度较小的物种与其他物种之间的生态位重叠程度较低，不同物种在环境资源的需求上产生互补，可以和谐共存；生态位宽度小的物种之间生态位重叠值仍较高，物种分布呈斑块现象；因此，生态位重叠与生态位宽度之间无显著相关性。(3)荒漠戈壁优势物种间总体表现为不显著的正关联，表明该植被群落结构及其物种之间处于稳定共存的状态。     

Capsizing Probability of Dead Ship Stability in Beam Wind and Wave for Damaged Ship

The International Maritime Organization has developed the second-generation intact stability criteria. Thus, damage stability criteria can be established in the future. In order to identity the capsizing probability of damaged ship under dead ship condition, this paper investigates two methods that can be used to research the capsizing probability in time domain, which mainly focus on the nonlinear righting lever GZ curve solution. One method subjects the influence of damaged tanks on the hull shape down to the wind and wave, and the other method is consistent with the real-time calculation of the GZ curve. On the basis of one degree of freedom rolling equation, the solution is Monte Carlo method, and a damaged fishery bureau vessel is taken as a sample ship. In addition, the results of the time-domain capsizing probability under different loading conditions are compared and analyzed. The relation of GM and heeling angle with the capsizing probability is investigated, and its possible reason is analyzed. On the basis of combining the time-domain flooding process with the capsizing probability calculation, this research aims to lay the foundation for the study of capsizing probability in time domain under dead ship condition, as well as provide technical support for capsizing mechanism of dead ship stability and damage stability criteria establishment in waves.     

秦皇岛近岸海域绿藻微观繁殖体的分布以及在绿潮形成中的作用

2015年以来，秦皇岛近岸海域暴发了绿潮，对北戴河旅游区的环境和生态系统造成了严重影响。绿藻微观繁殖体在绿潮的形成过程中起到重要作用，主要包括孢子、配子、幼苗和营养片段。绿藻微观繁殖体作为绿潮的“种源”，其分布规律可以反映绿潮的“藻源”位置。本研究于2016年4-9月和2017年1月对秦皇岛近岸海域绿藻微观繁殖体的调查，探究了其分布规律以及生物量变化。结果显示，绿藻微观繁殖体主要分布在近岸海域，由近岸向远岸海域逐渐降低。绿藻微观繁殖体的数量在7、8月份最高，在冬季最低。受绿潮影响严重的海域微观繁殖体数量高于其它海域。秦皇岛近岸海域的绿藻微观繁殖体为该海域绿潮的种源，其分布规律表明秦皇岛近岸海域绿潮起源于本地。     

基于噪声谱比法的内蒙古西部地区台站场地响应研究

利用内蒙古西部12个台站的地脉动噪声数据，采用噪声谱比法研究台站的场地响应情况。分析表明，台站场地响应按曲线形态可分为3类，且可能受地形地貌、局部构造和台基状况等条件影响。对比分析噪声谱比法与Moya方法的场地响应结果发现，场地响应曲线形态基本一致，只有极少数台站存在明显差异。结果表明，内蒙古西部区域大部分台站的台基状况总体较好，场地响应曲线较为平坦，无明显频率放大点。     

Influence of Stress on Void Ratios of Compacted Crushed Rock Masses in Coal Mine Gobs

The transfer and evolution of stress among rock blocks directly change the void ratios of crushed rock masses and affect the flow of methane in coal mine gobs. In this study, a Lagrange framework and a discrete element method, along with the soft-sphere model and EDEM numerical software, were used. The compaction processes of rock blocks with diameters of 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 m were simulated with the degrees of compression set at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%. This study examines the influence of stress on void ratios of compacted crushed rock masses in coal mine gobs. The results showed that stress was mainly transmitted downward through strong force chains. As the degree of compression increased, the strong force chains extended downward, which resulted in the stress at the upper rock mass to become significantly higher than that at the lower rock mass. It was determined that under different degrees of compression, the rock mass of coal mine gobs could be divided, from the bottom to the top, into a lower insufficient compression zone (ICZ) and an upper sufficient compression zone (SCZ). From bottom to top, the void ratios in the ICZ sharply decreased and those in the SCZ slowly decreased. Void ratios in the ICZ were 1.2–1.7 times higher than those in the SCZ.