星际E型CH3CN与H2的碰撞跃迁速率系数的理论计算

继本文作者对星际Ａ型ＣＨ３ＣＮ与Ｈ２含超精细能级的碰撞过程的研究之后，又计算了星际分子云条件下Ｅ型ＣＨ３ＣＮ与Ｈ２的碰撞跃迁速率系数。为研究分子云与恒星形成区的物理、化学性质提供了有用的基础分子数据。     

The origin of the Flora family

Evidence is presented indicating that the Flora family is of common origin. The distribution of proper elements and physical properties of Flora-family asteroids are compared with those of families believed to have formed from the catastrophic disruption of parent bodies. Differences in these orbital and physical properties suggest that the creation of the Flora family was more complex. Available evidence concerning the Flora family, together with recent models for the collisional evolution of the asteroids, suggests that this family may have originated from a binary or multiple asteroid. A mechanism in which the Flora family may have been produced by the disruption of a former major satellite of 8 Flora is presented and compared with other possible modes of formation.     

Collisional Rates within Newly Formed Asteroid Families

A statistical analysis of the mutual collisions among members of asteroid families during the very early times after family formation has been performed. The statistical properties of the collisions (probability, distribution of velocity, and so on) have been computed using an algorithm effective even in cases in which the longitude of the nodes and the longitudes of the perihelia of the orbits under consideration are not distributed uniformly. The results show the occurrence of a strong enhancement in the mutual collision rate among family members, immediately after family formation. Nevertheless, this episode lasts for a relatively short time, and it does not affect too severely the overall collisional evolution of the family. The early enhancement of mutual collisions, however, may influence the cratering record exhibited by the surfaces of family members, possibly laying the foundation for the early development of a surface regolith layer.     

Catastrophic disruption of asteroids and family formation: a review of numerical simulations including both fragmentation and gravitational reaccumulations

In the last few years, thanks to the development of sophisticated numerical codes, a major breakthrough has been achieved in our understanding of the processes involved in small body collisions. In this review, we summarize the most recent results provided by numerical simulations, accounting for both the fragmentation of an asteroid and the gravitational interactions of the generated fragments. These studies have greatly improved our knowledge of the mechanisms that are at the origin of some observed features in the asteroid belt. In particular, the simulations have demonstrated that, for bodies larger than several kilometers, the collisional process not only involves the fragmentation of the asteroid but also the gravitational interactions between the ejected fragments. This latter mechanism can lead to the formation of large aggregates by gravitational reaccumulation of smaller fragments, and helps explain the presence of large members within asteroid families. Numerical simulations of the complete process have thus reproduced successfully for the first time the main properties of asteroid families, each formed by the disruption of a large parent body, and provided information on the possible internal structure of the parent bodies. A large amount of work remains necessary, however, to understand in deeper detail the physical process as a function of material properties and internal structures that are relevant to asteroids, and to determine in a more quantitative way the outcome properties such as fragment shapes and rotational states.     

Astronomical aspects of building a system for detecting and monitoring hazardous space objects

In order to meet the practical priority of the mass detection of hazardous celestial bodies (HCBs) during the creation of a system to counteract space hazards (asteroids, comet hazards and space debris), we need clear technical requirements for the detection instruments designed (created). Specially targeted astronomical investigations into the basic properties of the HCB ensemble were conducted to specify such requirements (limitations). The paper presents these findings. As to asteroid and comet hazards, quantitative limitations on the HCB size (50 m) have been introduced and quantitative definitions of threatening and collisional HCB orbits have been proposed for the first time. It is shown that at a lead time of 30 days, it is necessary to detect HCBs at distances of about 1 AU, which corresponds to a telescope’s resolving power of V ～ 23 ^m . This entails the necessity to design wide-angle large-aperture telescopes. For detecting and monitoring space debris objects and meteoroids in the near-earth space at a time scale of about several days, faster instruments with smaller apertures but larger vision fields are efficient. An example is given of a basic design of a space-based system that takes into account the astronomical requirements discussed.     

Creation,detection, and evolution of Jupiter Trojan families

An investigation is carried out looking at correlations between the orbital elements of collisional targets and projectiles, estimating the number of interlopers in Trojan collisional families, and at the possibility of determining the ages of the Jupiter Trojan families by orbital integration. Real Trojans are integrated and close encounters are recorded in order to evaluate collisional circumstances between Trojans. Fictitious collisional families are created and integrated for 10 MJyr (million Julian years) forward in time and back again to the time of the collision in order to check the performance of the integrator, and the behaviour of the fictitious collisional fragments. Proper elements are calculated for the detection of family clustering using the hierarchically clustering method. This method presents little difficulty finding fictitious families in the Trojan swarms even in areas with densely populated backgrounds. However, even when the background is relatively sparse in objects, several interlopers can be connected to the family at velocity differences below 100 m s^–1. On the other hand, in densely populated backgrounds the contamination of interlopers should be less than 30%. Providing gravity is the only significant force acting on the Trojans and resonance effects are weak, the shape the collision fragments create in the proper element space are preserved on the GJyr scale, and collisions can be tracked with orbital integrations for ages of at least 100 MJyr. However, the shape of artificial families does not correspond to suggested real families. This points to the need of including non‐gravitational forces such as the Yarkovsky effect in order to simulate the family evolution. As a consequence age determination by orbital integration might be severely restricted and previous investigations involving long term orbital integrations might have tobe recalculated (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Atomic oxygen in the comae of comets

We report on the detection of atomic oxygen lines in the spectra of 8 comets. These forbidden lines are a result of the photodissociation of the parent oxygen-bearing species directly into an excited state. We used high resolution spectra obtained at the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m telescope to resolve the cometary oxygen lines from the telluric oxygen lines and from other cometary emissions. We find that the relative intensities of the two red lines (6300.304 and 6363.776 Å) are consistent with theory. The green line (5577.339 Å) has an intensity which is about 10% of the sum of the intensities of the two red lines. We show that collisional quenching may be important in the inner coma. If we assume the relative excitation rates of potential parents which have appeared in the literature, then H₂O would be the parent of the cometary green oxygen line. However, those rates have been questioned. We measured the width of the three oxygen lines and find that the green line is wider than either of the two red lines. The finding of a wider line could imply a different parent for the green and red lines. However, the constancy of the green to red line flux ratio suggests the parent is the same for these lines but that the exciting photons have different energies.     

W3(OH)区域H2O脉泽的快速时变

通过对 Ｗ３（ＯＨ）区域 ２２ ＧＨz Ｈ_(２)Ｏ脉泽源的短时间跟踪观测,探测到速度为-５２．８ ｋｍ／ｓ子谱的流量密度呈线性下降趋势,变化时标约为 １９天．同时也观测到了整个脉 泽源的谱线宽度与该子谱的强度之间的相关变化．这些现象可能是由脉泽云之间的相 互碰撞导致脉泽抽运率的变化所引起的。     

Yarkovsky depletion and asteroid collisional evolution

The orbital parameters of small asteroids change with time, as a consequence of the so-called Yarkovsky effect. This leads to a steady removal of objects from the Main Belt, which takes place when the objects reach one of the major resonant regions in the orbital elements space. The process may influence the evolution of the inventory and size distribution of Main Belt asteroids, but it has not been taken into account by classical models of the collisional evolution of the asteroid population. In this paper we discuss the role of the Yarkovsky effect in producing the current observed size distribution. We show that adding Yarkovsky effect to purely collisional mechanisms may increase the removal of objects at sizes around 1 km by a factor of about 2 with respect to a purely collisional scenario. Moreover, waves in the size distribution may also be produced. However, taking also into account current uncertainties in the efficiency of purely collisional mechanisms, the role of the Yarkovsky effect seems not dominant, and cannot be unambiguously determined.     

彗木两次碰撞过程分析

Ｓｈｏｅｍａｋｅｒ－Ｌｅｖｙ９号彗星与木星碰撞，是人类有史以来第一次有预报的天体大碰撞。有关观测的初步结果，很快通过新闻报道和电子网络传遍了全世界。本文通过对其１４号、１１号核撞击木星的大量报道的综合分析，对彗木碰撞的物理过程、彗木碰撞时刻的确定等重要问题进行了探讨。这对于分析和改进对这类碰撞的预报，确定撞击时刻和撞击点位置，以及今后研究撞击黑斑的变化，都有一定的意义。     

Collisional and return current heating functions for beam-heated models of solar flares

In beam-heated models of solar flares, the bulk of the energy deposited in the flare atmosphere resides in the low-energy end of the electron spectrum. Since the shape of the spectrum at low energy is not well determined observationally, various forms of low-energy cut-off have been assumed in theoretical modelling. Certain results of such modelling may depend strongly on the assumed spectrum. We derive the heating distributions for various spectra, both for collisional energy loss and for Ohmic dissipation of the return current, and show that none of the spectra are fully satisfactory, according to the criteria that for both collisional and Ohmic heating, the heating rate should be bounded, continuous, and smooth, and have a tractable functional form. A simple form of electron spectrum is suggested, which satisfies these criteria.     

The frequency of compound chondrules and implications for chondrule formation

Abstract— The properties of compound chondrules and the implications that they have for the conditions and environment in which chondrules formed are investigated. Formulae to calculate the probability of detecting compound chondrules in thin sections are derived and applied to previous studies. This reinterpretation suggests that at least 5% of chondrules are compounds, a value that agrees well with studies in which whole chondrules were removed from meteorites. The observation that adhering compounds tend to have small contact arcs is strengthened by application of these formulae. While it has been observed that the secondaries of compound chondrules are usually smaller than their primaries, these same formulae suggest that this could be an observation bias. It is more likely than not that thin section analyses will identify compounds with secondaries that are smaller than their primaries. A new model for chondrule collisional evolution is also developed. From this model, it is inferred that chondrules would have formed, on average, in areas of the solar nebula that had solids concentrated at least 45 times over the canonical solar value.     

Fractionation of hydrogen and deuterium on Venus due to collisional ejection

The fractionation factor f is important for interpreting the current escape fluxes of H and D on Venus and how the D/H ratio has evolved. The escape flux is currently governed by the two processes of charge exchange and collisional ejection by fast oxygen atoms. Using a best-fit parameterized equation for the O-H scattering angle phase function, more accurate branching ratios for the oxygen ion dissociation and including the effects of the initial energy and momentum of the ions and electrons, as well as for the hydrogen and deuterium gas, we have reanalyzed the collisional ejection process. Our analysis produces improved values for the efficiency of H and D escape as a function of the ionospheric temperature. From our results we propose the reduction of the hydrogen flux for collisional ejection from 8 to 3.5 x 10(6) cm-2 s-1. Assuming that collisions leading to escape occur mostly in the region between 200 and 400 km, the revised D/H fractionation factor due to collisional ejection is 0.47, where previously the process had been considered completely discriminating against deuterium escape (or f approximately 0.) The resulting deuterium flux is 3.1 x 10(4) cm-2 s-1, roughly 6 times the flux due to charge exchange, making collisional ejection the dominant escape mechanism for deuterium on Venus.     

On the origin of the faint-end of the red sequence in high-density environments

With the advent of the new generation wide-field cameras it became possible to survey in an unbiased mode galaxies spanning a variety of local densities, from the core of rich clusters, to compact and loose groups, down to filaments and voids. The sensitivity reached by these instruments allowed to extend the observation to dwarf galaxies, the most “fragile” objects in the universe. At the same time models and simulations have been tailored to quantify the different effects of the environment on the evolution of galaxies. Simulations, models, and observations consistently indicate that star-forming dwarf galaxies entering high-density environments for the first time can be rapidly stripped from their interstellar medium. The lack of gas quenches the activity of star formation, producing on timescales of \({\sim }\)1 Gyr quiescent galaxies with spectro-photometric, chemical, structural, and kinematical properties similar to those observed in dwarf early-type galaxies inhabiting rich clusters and loose groups. Simulations and observations consistently identify ram pressure stripping as the major effect responsible for the quenching of the star-formation activity in rich clusters. Gravitational interactions (galaxy harassment) can also be important in groups or in clusters whenever galaxies have been members since early epochs. The observation of clusters at different redshifts combined with the present high infalling rate of galaxies onto clusters indicate that the quenching of the star-formation activity in dwarf systems and the formation of the faint end of the red sequence is a very recent phenomenon.     

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies and the evolution of galaxies and active galaxies

Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are intriguing owing to their continuum as well as emission-line properties. The observed peculiar properties of the NLS1s are believed to be as a result of an accretion rate close to the Eddington limit. As a consequence of this, for a given luminosity, NLS1s have smaller black hole (BH) masses compared with normal Seyfert galaxies. Here we argue that NLS1s might be Seyfert galaxies in their early stage of evolution and as such may be low-redshift, low-luminosity analogues of high-redshift quasars. We propose that NLS1s may reside in rejuvenated, gas-rich galaxies. We also argue in favour of collisional ionization for production of Fe  ii in active galactic nuclei.     

The surface composition of Jupiter Trojans: Visible and near-infrared survey of dynamical families

Asteroid dynamical families are supposed to be formed from the collisional disruption of parent bodies. As a consequence, the investigation of the surface properties of small and large family members may give some hints on the nature of the dynamical group, the internal composition of the parent body, and the role played by space weathering processes in modifying the spectral behavior of the members' surfaces. In this work we present visible-near-infrared observations of 24 Jupiter Trojans belonging to seven dynamical families of both the L4 and L5 swarms. The most important characteristics we found is the uniformity of the Trojans population. All the investigated Trojans have featureless spectra and a spectral behavior typical of the primitive P and D taxonomic classes. In particular, no signatures of water ice have been found on the spectra of these primordial bodies. From our investigation, the L4 and L5 clouds appear to be compositionally indistinguishable. Tentative models of the surface composition, based on the Hapke theory, are presented and discussed.     

Collisional history of asteroids: Evidence from Vesta and the Hirayama families

Collisional evolution studies of asteroids indicate that the initial asteroid population at the time mean collisional velocities were pumped up to ～5 km/sec was only modestly larger than it is today; i.e., the asteroid belt was already depleted relative to the mean surface density elsewhere in the planetary region. Numerical simulations of the collisional evolution of hypothetical initial asteroid populations have been run, subject to three constraints: they must (a) evolve to the present observed asteroid size distribution, (b) preserve Vesta's basaltic crust, and (c) produce at least the observed number of major Hirayama families. A “runaway growth” initial asteroid population distribution is found to best satisfy these constraints. A new model is presented for calculating the fragmental size distribution for the disruption of large, gravitationally bound bodies in which the material strength is increased by hydrostatic self-compression. This model predicts that large asteroid behave as intrinsically strong bodies, even if they have had a history of being collisionally fractured. This model, when applied to the breakup of the Themis and Eos family parent bodies, gives size distributions in reasonably good agreement with those observed.     

Wavy size distributions for collisional systems with a small-size cutoff

Dohnanyi's [J. geophys. Res. 74, 2531–2554, 1969; in Physical Studies of Minor Planets (edited by T. Gehrels), pp. 263–295. NASA-SP 267, 1971] theory predicts that a collisional system such as the asteroid population should rapidly relax to a power-law equilibrium size distribution, provided all the collisional response parameters are independent of size. However, we have found that Dohnanyi did not include in a consistent way in the theory the possible occurrence of a small-size cutoff in the distribution. We have carried out a number of numerical simulations of the collisional evolution process, showing that the cutoff results in a wavy pattern superimposed on Dohnanyi's equilibrium power law, which affects the distribution up to sizes of tens of km. The pattern arises because particles just above the cutoff are not removed by catastrophic impacts by smaller projectiles, and therefore are created by break-up of larger bodies faster than they are eliminated; larger particles are increasingly depleted up to the size where the smallest shattering projectile exceeds the cutoff, and beyond that the removal rate is reduced and the distribution flattens. Thus, to be effective in producing the waves, the cutoff (or any other persisting “discontinuity” in the particle properties) must be sharp over a size range corresponding to the threshold projectile-to-target ratio for fragmentation. The presence of a small-size cutoff in the real asteroid belt is an open question, since it may be generated by poorly known non-gravitational effects acting on μm-sized dust, and may be affected by influx of cometary debris. However, the observational evidence for a variable characteristic exponent of the size distribution of interplanetary bodies is now strong, and the cutoff effect may provide a simple explanation for this finding.     

Collisional evolution of Trans-Neptunian populations: Effects of fragmentation physics and estimates of the abundances of gravitational aggregates

The Trans-Neptunian region is yet another example of a collisional system of small bodies in the Solar System. In the last decade the number of TNOs with reliable orbital elements is steadily increasing and even if it is still premature to compare models with observations, we can start to have some idea of the orbital structure and magnitude distribution, so that some loose constraints may be set on the critical parameters that affect collisional evolution. With this aim we have developed a model for the collisional evolution of the Trans-Neptunian region by dividing it into three main different populations, corresponding to the dynamical classification proposed by Gladman et al. [2001.The structure of the Kuiper Belt: size distribution and radial extent. Astrophys. J. 122, 1051] (Resonant region, Classical Belt and Scattered Disk). A multi-zone collisional model is developed, in which each zone can collisionally interact with each other. The model takes into account the known physics of the fragmentation of icy/rocky bodies at the typical relative velocities of TNOs, according to velocity distributions corresponding to each evolving zone. The dependence of the evolution of the considered populations on physically critical collisional parameters is investigated and the corresponding results are presented, including estimates of the abundance of gravitational aggregates in the studied populations.