星际尘埃研究现状与进展

由于星际尘埃的广泛存在和其在恒星与行星系统的形成、星系以及整个宇宙演化中的重要作用,星际尘埃的研究成为当今天体物理领域的热点前沿课题。该文从尘埃与电磁场相互作用的观测证据出发,系统地介绍了星际消光(包括吸收和散射)、星际红外辐射、星际偏振等的研究现状,讨论了星际元素减损,以及行星际尘埃和陨石中的前太阳尘埃等问题。从相应的观测证据中,可以得到关于星际尘埃的丰度、化学组成、尺寸和形状的信息。该文还对当前比较流行的三种尘埃模型(硅酸盐-石墨-PAHs模型、硅酸盐核-碳有机耐熔质壳层模型和多孔尘埃模型)进行了讨论与比较,对该研究领域中待解决的问题也作了简要的概括。     

天体物理环境中的硅酸盐尘粒

硅酸盐尘粒是宇宙尘埃的主要成分之一,它广泛存在于许多天体物理环境中,其特性随环境而变化。由于近年来观测数据的不断增加和红外光谱质量的逐步提高,宇宙空间中的硅酸盐尘粒正受到越来越多的关注．该文详细地介绍了在各种天体环境(星际空间、演化晚期恒星的星周尘埃包层、绕年轻恒星和主序星的星周尘埃盘、彗星的彗发和行星际空间)中的硅酸盐尘粒的观测特征,并分别对其物理和化学性质进行了综合比较．观测已经证实在星际尘埃演化的前身(演化晚期恒星的星周尘埃包层)和其遗迹(彗星)均有可观数量的结晶硅酸盐存在。但是至今还没有在其中间态(弥散星际介质)找到结晶硅酸盐存在的证据。这一尚未解决的难题突出了结晶态硅酸盐在天体物理研究中的重要意义。     

演化晚期恒星中的结晶硅酸盐尘埃

硅酸盐是宇宙尘埃的主要成分之一。20世纪60年代,在演化晚期恒星中就曾发现硅酸盐尘埃的辐射特征,并且与实验室无定形硅酸盐的光谱特征非常吻合。到20世纪90年代,演化晚期恒星中的结晶硅酸盐特征首次在ISO卫星拍摄的光谱中探测到,其后随着更多的红外空间天文台(Spitzer、Herschel等)的发射,发现了大量具有结晶硅酸盐特征的恒星,尤其是演化晚期恒星,几乎涵盖了演化晚期的各个阶段(红巨星、渐近巨星支星、原行星状星云、行星状星云、红超巨星等)。结晶硅酸盐尘埃的特征广泛分布在10～70μm波长范围内,表现为多个丰富的谱带。阐述了演化晚期恒星中结晶硅酸盐尘埃的发现、谱特征、观测特性、结晶度和形成机制。     

星周尘埃壳层的消光值

本文首次提出了从观测得到的具有星周尘埃壳层的恒星的能谱分布求取星周尘埃云的消光,并由此可通过改正星周消光改正后的星际消光法求得恒星距离的方法。     

被星族Ⅲ加热的尘埃辐射谱

本文根据星族Ⅲ在有Lyman截止和无Lyman截止情况下,分别讨论了被星族Ⅲ(形成星系前的大质量恒星)加热的尘埃的辐射谱。利用数值积分方法,我们得到了尘埃在这两种情况下的辐射谱曲线。主要结果是:(1)如果星族Ⅲ的辐射谱无Lyman截止,即中性氢含量很少,尘埃的辐射将是很强的。它必将使宇宙微波背景在峰值附近产生0.1—0.3K的畸变,而且一定能在100μm<λ<1000μm波段被观测到。(2)如果星族Ⅲ的辐射谱有Lyman截止,即其内的中性氢的含量很大,这时尘埃的辐射与微波背景相比是极其微弱的,显然它不会使宇宙微波背景产生畸变,而且也不可能被观测到。因为它已被宇宙微波背景所掩没。(3)利用气球或卫星进行200μm<λ<1000μm波段的搜索,以判断上述两种情况何者正确,从而得到宇宙学的一些重要信息。     

新单极高速分子外向流源IRAS19282+1814

^12CoJ=1-0成图观测表明在IRAS19282 1814附近存在着一个蓝向单极高速分子外流，计算了其基本参量并进行了分析，它的成协红外源IRAS19282 1814可能是大质量年轻星体，其IRAS波段色指数表明该源深埋于气体和尘埃物质之中，由60-100μm流量密度获得尘埃温度为30K,它的附近没有其他的源，所以IRAS19282 1814可能是外向流的驱动源。     

解密星际尘埃

在之前的文章中,我们介绍了星际气体（2009年第5期）,这一期将讲到星际介质的另一大类——星际尘埃。星际尘埃尽管所占比重非常非常小（只有星际气体质量的1％）,但所起的作用却是很大的。它们可以影响星系的演化过程,同时也是星系光谱的塑造者之一：尘埃吸收的高频光子会在红外到毫米波段再辐射出来。     

大小麦哲伦云的星际消光

综述了大小麦哲伦云在紫外、可见光和红外波段的消光规律及其2D消光图,并讨论了其尘埃的性质。大麦哲伦云(LMC)可见光波段的平均色余E(B-V)约为0.13 mag,其RV一般取2.6,AV约为0.34 mag。小麦哲伦云(SMC)可见光波段的平均色余E(B-V)约为0.16mag,其RV一般取2.8,AV约为0.45 mag。从紫外消光的区域性变化来看,LMC的恒星形成区30Dor和LMC2超大气体壳层区属于比较致密的区域,都缺乏2175驼峰,消光在紫外上升比较快;但LMC中相对弥漫的区域却有比较明显的2175消光驼峰。SMC的bar区域几乎看不到2175驼峰,消光在紫外陡峭地上升;而wing区域则有较强的2175驼峰,消光在紫外上升的趋势也较缓。在红外波段,LMC的E(J-H)/E(H-K)大致在1.03～1.36之间,显著低于银河系的典型值1.73,说明LMC近红外消光律的幂律谱指数是明显小于银河系的;SMC的红外消光很小,测光和內禀色指数的微小误差都会带来较大不确定性,目前还没有一致的结论。总之,LMC和SMC的消光曲线不能简单地像银河系消光曲线那样,用仅含单参量RV的理论曲线来描述,而是需要适合其自身的尘埃模型以描述其消光规律。     

为什么恒星形成的研究仍处于唯象阶段？

天文学家经过长期的研究发现,恒星形成与星系的重要组成成分——星际介质有着密切关系。星际介质（interstellar medium）,顾名思义,是指恒星问弥漫的各种物质,主要是由大量的气体和尘埃组成。它们一般都非常稀薄,弥散在星际空间中。     

S140电离氢区─分子云复合体的红外发射研究

本文使用ＩＲＡＳ巡天数据的最新版本ＩＲＡＳ巡天图（ＩＳＳＡ—ｃｏａｄｄｅｄ），经过进一步处理，得到了Ｓ１４０分子云复合体红外发射的强度、温度及尘埃的分布图。分析结果表明，分子云复合体（在３５角秒范围内）的红外发射总光度为２．９×１０４Ｌ⊙，Ｓ１４０区在各波段的分布里各向同性，红外连续发射在１２μｍ和１００μｍ有着较大的延伸，热而小的尘埃微粒的平均色温是１８４Ｋ，冷而大的尘埃平均色温为２９Ｋ。另外，在Ｓ１４０电离氢区—分子云复合体的核心部分（尤其是西部边缘和东部红外点源星团附近区域）有大量恒星正处于形成之中。     

Instructions for authors

正Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics publishes original research papers and reviews on all branches of astronomy and astrophysics.Reviews are by invitation only.Important new results that require rapid publication can be submitted as a Letter(Letters must be restricted in length to 6 printed pages).Authors who submit a paper are expected to be able to certify that the paper is original work,     

Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics CONTENTS

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Alkali and halogen chemistry in volcanic gases on Io

We use chemical equilibrium calculations to model the speciation of alkalis and halogens in volcanic gases emitted on Io. The calculations cover wide temperature (500-2000 K) and pressure (10⁻⁶ to 10⁺¹ bars) ranges, which overlap the nominal conditions at Pele (T=1760 K, P=0.01 bars). About 230 compounds of 11 elements (O, S, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, F, Cl, Br, I) are considered. The elemental abundances for O, S, Na, K, and Cl are based upon observations. CI chondritic elemental abundances relative to sulfur are used for the other alkalis and halogens (as yet unobserved on Io). We predict the major alkali species in Pele-like volcanic gases and the percentage distribution of each alkali are LiCl (73%), LiF (27%); NaCl (81%), Na (16%), NaF (3%); KCl (91%), K (5%), KF (4%); RbCl (93%), Rb (4%), RbF (3%); CsCl (92%), CsF (6%), Cs (2%). Likewise the major halogen species and the percentage distribution of each halogen are NaF (88%), KF (10%), LiF (2%); NaCl (89%), KCl (11%); NaBr (89%), KBr (10%), Br (1%); NaI (61%), I (30%), KI (9%). We predict the major halogen condensates and their condensation temperatures at P=0.01 bar are NaF (1115 K), LiF (970 K); NaCl (1050 K), KCl (950 K); KBr (750 K), RbBr (730 K), CsBr (645 K); and solid I₂ (200 K). We also model disequilibrium chemistry of the alkalis and halogens in the volcanic plume. Based on this work and our prior modeling for Na, K, and Cl in a volcanic plume, we predict the major loss processes for the alkali halide gases are photolysis and/or condensation onto grains. Their estimated photochemical lifetimes range from a few minutes for alkali iodides to a few hours for alkali fluorides. Condensation is apparently the only loss process for elemental iodine. On the basis of elemental abundances and photochemical lifetimes, we recommend searching for gaseous KCl, NaF, LiF, LiCl, RbF, RbCl, CsF, and CsCl around volcanic vents during eruptions. Based on abundance considerations and observations of brown dwarfs we also recommend a search of Io's extended atmosphere and the Io plasma torus for neutral and ionized Li, Cs, Rb, and F.     

Instructions for authors

正Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics publishes original research papers and reviews 011 all liranchcs of astronoiriy and astrophysics.Reviews arc by invitation only.Important new results that require rapid publication can be submitted as a Letter(Letters must be restricted in length     

The climatic and physiographic controls of the eastern Mediterranean over the late Pleistocene climates in the southern Levant and its neighboring deserts

Modern-day synoptic-scale eastern Mediterranean climatology provides a useful context to synthesize the diverse late Pleistocene (60–12 ka) paleohydrologic and paleoenvironmental indicators of past climatic conditions in the Levant and the deserts to its south and east. We first critically evaluate, extract, and summarize paleoenvironmental and paleohydrologic records. Then, we propose a framework of eastern Mediterranean atmospheric circulation features interacting with the morphology and location of the southeast Mediterranean coast. Together they strongly control the spatial distribution of rainfall and wind pattern. This cyclone–physiography interaction enforces the observed rainfall patterns by hampering rainfall generation south and southeast of the latitude of the north Sinai coast, currently at 31°15′.The proposed framework explains the much-increased rains in Lebanon and northern Israel and Jordan as deduced from pollen, rise and maintenance of Lake Lisan, and speleothem formation in areas currently arid and semiarid. The proposed framework also accounts for the southward and eastward transition into semiarid, arid, and hyperarid deserts as expressed in thick loess accumulation at the deserts' margins, dune migration from west to east in the Sinai and the western Negev, and the formation of hyperarid (< 80 mm yr^− 1) gypsic–salic soils in the southern Negev and Sinai. Our climatic synthesis explains the hyperarid condition in the southern Negev, located only 200–250 km south of the much-increased rains in the north, probably reflecting a steeper rainfall gradient than the present-day gradient from the wetter Levant into its bordering southern and eastern deserts.At present, the rainiest winter seasons in Lebanon and northern and central Israel are associated with more frequent (+ 20%), deeper Cyprus Lows traversing the eastern Mediterranean at approximately the latitude of southern Turkey. Even these wettest years in northern Israel do not yield above average annual rainfall amounts in the hyperarid southern Negev. This region is mainly influenced by the Active Red Sea Troughs that produce only localized rains. The eastern Mediterranean Cyprus Lows also produce more dust storms and transport higher amounts of suspended dust to the loess area than any other atmospheric pattern. Concurrent rainfall and dust are essential to the late Pleistocene formation of the elongated thick loess zone along the desert northern margin. Even with existing dust storms, the lack of rain and very sparse vegetation account for the absence of late Pleistocene loess sequences from the southern Negev and the formation of hyperarid soils.When the north Sinai coast shifted 30–70 km northwest due to last glacial global sea level lowering, the newly exposed coastal areas supplied the sand and dust to these active eastern Mediterranean cyclones. This enforced the latitude of the northern boundary of the loess zone to be directly due east of the LGM shoreline. This shift of coast to the northwest inhibited rainfall in the southern Levant deserts and maintained their hyperaridity. Concurrently, frequent deep eastern Mediterranean Cyprus Lows were funneled along the northern Mediterranean increasing (probably doubling) the rains in central and northern Israel, Lebanon, southwestern Syria and northern Jordan. These storms and rains formed lakes, forests, and speleothems only a short distance north of the deserts in the southern Levant.     

Study on the Stressed Mirror Polishing with a Continuous Polishing Machine for Large Aperture Off-axis Aspheric Mirrors

A special stressed annular polishing technique is proposed to mill the off-axis aspheric sub-mirrors of a large segmented mirror with an annular polishing machine. Based on the basic principle of stressed annular polishing technique, a set of special stressing mechanisms are designed to convert milling the aspheric surfaces of sub-mirrors with different off-axis distances into milling the spherical surfaces with identical radii of curvature, so that they can be pol- ished simultaneously on a continuous polishing machine. It took about contin- uous 40 hours to polish a scaled-down mirror of the planning Chinese Future Giant Telescope (CFGT) using this technique. This mirror has the 330 mm di- ameter, 3.6 m off-axis distance, and the 21.6 m radius of curvature, and its max- imum asphericity is 16 micron. The experiment shows that this method has a high effciency, suits batch manufacturing, especially the batch manufacturing of aspheric sub-mirrors of the segmented primary mirror of an extremely large aperture telescope.     

Active hot star shells

Interferometry in the visible provides milliarcsecond spatial resolution and thus has been used for studying the circumstellar environment of active hot stars. In this paper I will illustrate how the visibility modulus and phase can be used to better constrain the physics of Be disks through results from the VLA, the MkII and the GI2T interferometers. I will insist on the importance and the potential of coupling high angular resolution with high spectral resolution to the study of Be shells. Finally I will present a possible study of the circumstellar disk of Be stars using the VLTI. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fitting X-ray Afterglow Light curves of Gamma-ray Bursts by Using the Magnetar Energy Injection Model

The central compact object for some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may be a strongly magnetized millisecond pulsar. It can inject energy to the outer shock of the GRB by through the magnetic dipole radiation, and therefore causes the shallow decay of the early afterglow. Recently, from a large number of GRB X-ray afterglows observed by Swift/XRT(X-ray telescope), it is revealed that many of them exhibit the shallow decay about 10²∼10⁴ s after the burst prompt emission. We have fitted the X-ray afterglow light curves of 11 GRBs by using the energy injection model of a magnetar with the rotation period in the millisecond order of magnitude. The obtained result shows the validity and universality of the magnetar energy injection model in explaining the shallow decay of afterglows, and simultaneously provides some constraints on the magnetic field strength and rotation period of the central magnetar.     

我国新一代VLBI数字基带转换器研制进展

数字化是目前设备研制发展的趋势,介绍了中国科学院上海天文台利用超大规模集成电路结合软件无线电技术,自主研发的我国新一代VLBI数字基带转换器(Chinese Data Acquisition System,简称CDAS).文中描述了设备的工作原理及其组成,并以VLBI观测实验数据证明其可行性.与原有的模拟设备(Anal...