天文斑点成象中的数据预处理

主要讨论了由云南天文台的斑点象探测系统引入斑点数据中的两种噪声：斑点图记录噪声和由大气视宁度差异引起的系统误差，叙述了用于克服噪声的预处理方法，噪声改正的实验结果表明，这些预处理对于实现天文目标的高分辨率象复原是有效的和必须的。     

功率谱噪声改正和斑点全息术象复原

简要地介绍了斑点全息术的原理，分析了存在于实际数据中的各种噪声对功率谱造成的严重影响，讨论了消除噪声偏差的方法，最后报导了用斑点全息术对两双星的高分辨率象复原结果。     

功率谱噪声改正和斑点全息术象复原

简要地介绍了斑点全息术的原理，分析了存在于实际数据中的各种噪声对功率谱造成的严重影响，讨论了消除噪声偏差的方法，最后报导了用斑点全息术对两双星的高分辨率象复原结果。     

云南天文台新型斑点象探测系统

斑点成象技术能有效地消除地球大气湍流的不良影响,实现地基大型天文望远镜的衍射受限分辨率成象,其所需的原始数据是天文目标及参考星的一系列的短曝光斑点象,它们取自望远镜的终端设备：斑点象探测系统。文中对比该技术对原始数据的要求：介绍了云南天文台研制的新型斑点象探测系统的结构和性能。实际观测结果表明,该系统基本能满足要求。     

EMCCD附加噪声对天文高分辨成像的影响

讨论了电子倍增电荷耦合器件(Electron-Multiplying Charge-Coupled Device,EMCCD)附加噪声的产生机理及特性,通过模拟详细分析了EMCCD附加噪声对天文图像高分辨统计重建技术——斑点干涉术传递函数信噪比的影响,并和实验进行了对比,结果表明,在星体暗弱时,由附加噪声引入的偏差将使斑点干涉术重建的信噪比下降,严重影响重建的结果,必须加以改正.由实测数据重建结果可以看出,噪声偏差改正模型基本解决了EMCCD附加噪声对斑点干涉术在重建目标自相关或模时的影响.     

云南天文台高分辨率斑点成像的新进展

本文报道了对天文目标：双星ＡＤＳ１６８００、ＡＤＳ１６１７３,三星Ｈｕ６６（ＡＤＳ１１３４４）和Ｈｌｄ１７１（ＡＤＳ１６６４８）进行的斑点成像观测及测量结果。介绍了所用的二维光子计数斑点像探测系统的性能,分析了探测系统的光子噪声、附加噪声和其它更复杂的噪声对斑点图的平均功率谱和重谱的影响。在讨论了改正重谱中的噪声偏差项时提出了对重谱基底施加正性约束的算法。测量的结果表明,实现了高精度的微射受限天文     

区域限定砌砖法及天文像复原实验

在简要介绍了由Hofmann等提出的迭代最小二乘法天文像复原法：砌砖法（Building block)的原理后，提出用斑点干涉术等方法对被观测目标像的范围大小进行大概估计的预处理方案，这样将做到对砖块的区域限定投放，避免大量无效的砖块投放迭代步骤，天文高分辨率像复原实验表明，砌砖法的效率被大大地提高了。     

区域限定砌砖法及天文像复原实验

在简要介绍了由Hofmann等提出的迭代最小二乘法天文像复原法砌砖法(Building block)的原理后，提出用斑点干涉术等方法对被观测目标像的范围大小进行大概估计的预处理方案，这样将做到对砖块的区域限定投放，避免大量无效的砖块投放迭代步骤。天文高分辨率像复原实验表明，砌砖法的效率被大大地提高了。     

云南天文台斑点象探测系统的性能测量与改进

讨论了云南天文台１９９５年研制的斑点象探测系统存在的几个问题：ＩＣＣＤ探测的一些性能参数不明,控制器不灵,数据的采集速度较慢等,然后报导了对ＩＣＣＤ光灵敏度和电子快门参数的测量;对ＩＣＣＤ控制器的改装和提高数据采集速度的方法以及用改进后的探测系统进行观测的情况     

人卫激光测距资料的屏幕预处理方法

本针对人卫激光测距中白天观测的高噪声环境，提出并实现了计算机屏幕显示观测数据，并直接对资料进行屏幕处理的软件。本介绍了它的设计思想，具有的功能和实际应用情况。本方法为资料的预处理提供了新的路径，它具有处理崩溃点ε达90％以上的极高噪声能力。本方法还可以应用在噪声数大的其它天观测等实测工作中。     

Blazars的聚束效应

本文对blazars的聚束效应及相关的理论作了较全面的综述 ,指出了一些有待进一步探讨的问题和需要进一步完善的理论 ,并对其中几个具体问题进行研究 ,得到了一些新结果。第一章简单介绍了活动星系核的特征、分类及其标准模型。第二章综述了blazars的基本性质 ,对blazars的谱特征、高光度、高偏振、激烈光变、超光速现象和高能辐射等作了介绍。第三章介绍了相对论喷流模型 ,以及利用相对论喷流模型解释blazars的极端观测特性 ,如用相对论喷流模型从理论上解释了blazars的高光度、剧烈光变及高能量转换率 ,偏振方向的快速变化 ,超光速现象 ,发射线和高能辐射等观测特性。同时介绍了喷流具有相对论性的观测证据并重点介绍了喷流的加速和减速两个理论模型。第四章是聚束效应的几项具体研究工作 ,首先分析了 2 8个BLLac天体 ,2 4个核优势高偏振类星体 ,2 9个核优势低偏振类星体 ,以及 1 1个瓣优势低偏振类星体的射电和光学流量 ,证实具有相对论喷流的AGNs的Doppler提升效应确实存在 ,且很明显 ,光学和射电是高度聚束的。最小光变时标是一个及其重要的物理理 ,短时标光变能给人们提供大量的信息。但最小光变时标一般是在不同波段探测到的。利用加速模型 ,我们从理论上导出了一个联系各波段最小光变时标的公式 ,     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Meteorites: Messengers from Space by F. Heide and F. Wlotzka, translated by R. S. Clarke, Jr. and F. Wlotzka. Resources of Near-Earth Space edited by J. S. Lewis, M. S. Matthews and M. L. Guerrieri. The Origin of the Solar System: Soviet Research 1925–1991 (eds. A. E. Levin and S. G. Brush). An Introduction to Cosmochemistry by Charles R. Cowley. AIP Conference Proceedings 310: Analysis of Interplanetary Dust (eds. M. E. Zolensky, T. L. Wilson, F. J. M. Rietmeijer, and G. J. Flynn). Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, vol. 22 (eds. G. W. Wetherill, A. L. Albee and K. C. Burke). Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, vol. 23 (eds. G. W. Wetherill, A. L. Albee and K. C. Burke).     

Book and Multimedia Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Geochronology and Thermochronology by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Method: Second Edition by Ian McDougall and T. Mark Harrison. Protostars and Planets IV edited by V. Mannings, A. P. Boss, and S. S. Russell. The Star Formation Newsletter edited by Bo Reipurth. Astronomical Origins of Life: Steps Towards Panspermia by F. Hoyle and N. C. Wickramasinghe. Here Be Dragons: The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life by David Koerner and Simon LeVay.     

Soluble ferric iron as an effective protective agent against UV radiation: Implications for early life

Some recent MER Rover Opportunity results on ancient sedimentary rocks from Mars describe sandstones originated from the chemical weathering of olivine basalts by acidic waters [Squyres, S.W., Knoll, A.H., 2005. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 240, 1-10]. The absence of protective components in early Mars atmosphere forced any possible primordial life forms to deal with high doses of UV radiation. A similar situation occurred on the primitive Earth during the development of early life in the Archean [Berkner, L.V., Marshall, L.C., 1965. J. Atmos. Sci. 22 (3), 225-261; Kasting, J.F., 1993. Science 259, 920-926]. It is known that some cellular and/or external components can shield organisms from damaging UV radiation or quench its toxic effects [Olson, J.M., Pierson, B.K., 1986. Photosynth. Res. 9, 251-259; García-Pichel, F., 1998. Origins Life Evol. B 28, 321-347; Cockell, C., Rettberg, P., Horneck, G., Scherer, K., Stokes, M.D., 2003. Polar Biol. 26, 62-69]. The effectiveness of iron minerals for UV protection has also been reported [Phoenix, V.R., Konhauser, K.O., Adams, D.G., Bottrell, S.H., 2001. Geology 29 (9), 823-826], but nothing is known about the effect of iron in solution. Here we demonstrate the protective effect of soluble ferric iron against UV radiation on acidophilic photosynthetic microorganisms. These results offer an interesting alternative means of protection for life on the surface of early Mars and Earth, especially in light of the geochemical conditions in which the sedimentary minerals, jarosite and goethite, recently reported by the MER missions, were formed [Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Bell III, J.F., Brückner, J., Cabrol, N.A., Calvin, W., Carr, M.H., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., Crumpler, L., Des Marais, D.J., d'Uston, C., Economou, T., Farmer, J., Farrand, W., Folkner, W., Golombek, M., Gorevan, S., Grant, J.A., Greeley, R., Grotzinger, J., Haskin, L., Herkenhoff, K.E., Hviid, S., Johnson, J., Klingelhöfer, G., Knoll, A.H., Landis, G., Lemmon, M., Li, R., Madsen, M.B., Malin, M.C., McLennan, S.M., McSween, H.Y., Ming, D.W., Moersch, J., Morris, R.V., Parker, T., Rice Jr., J.W., Richter, L., Rieder, R., Sims, M., Smith, M., Smith, P., Soderblom, L.A., Sullivan, R., Wänke, H., Wdowiak, T., Wolff, M., Yen, A., 2004. Science 306, 1698-1703; Klingelhöfer, G., Morris, R.V., Bernhardt, B., Schröder, C., Rodionov, D.S., de Souza Jr., P.A., Yen, A., Gellert, R., Evlanov, E.N., Zubkov, B., Foh, J., Bonnes, U., Kankeleit, E., Gütlich, P., Ming, D.W., Renz, F., Wdowiak, T., Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., 2004. Science 306, 1740-1745].     

N-body simulations of viscous instability of planetary rings

We study viscous instability of planetary rings in terms of N-body simulations. We show that for rings composed of fairly elastic particles (e.g. as in Hatzes et al. [Hatzes, A., Bridges, F.G., Lin, D.N.C., 1988. Collisional properties of ice spheres at low impact velocities. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 231, 1091-1115]) the instability may lead to the spontaneous formation of dense ringlets in a background of lower density. In most parts of Saturn’s rings the particle collisions are probably much more dissipative, as suggested by the presence of self-gravity wakes, and classic viscous instability should be suppressed. However, our results demonstrate that the mechanism of viscous instability itself is valid. The dynamical effects of size-dependent elasticity in a system with a size distribution have never been studied before. We show that this may in principle lead to a size-selective viscous instability, small particles concentrating on ringlets against the more uniform background of large particles.     

Book and Multimedia Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Islands in the Sky: Bold New Ideas for Colonizing Space edited by Stanley Schmidt and Robert Zubrin Mineralogy Tutorials: Interactive Instruction on CD-ROM Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 24 edited by G. W. Wetherill, A. L. Albee and K. C. Burke. Discovering the Cosmos by R. C. Bless.     

Preface

'Geology and Tectonics of Venus', special issue edited by Alexander T. Basilevsky (USSR Acad. of Sci. Moscow), James W. Head (Brown University, Providence), Gordon H. Pettengill (MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts) and R. S. Saunders (J.P.L., Pasadena).     

EMIC waves around the plasma-pause region

Electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (EMIC) instability has been studied using the general loss-cone distribution function by investigating the trajectories of charged particles and using the method of particle aspect analysis. A low β (ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure) plasma consisting of resonant and non-resonant particles has been considered. It is assumed that the resonant particles participate in energy exchange with the wave, whereas non-resonant particles support the oscillatory motion of the wave. The wave is assumed to propagate parallel to the static magnetic field. The effects of steepness of loss-cone distribution with thermal anisotropy are discussed. The growth rate, perpendicular and parallel resonant energies of the particles and marginal instability condition are derived. The effect of general loss-cone distribution function is to enhance the growth rate of EMIC waves. The results are interpreted for the space plasma parameters appropriate to the plasma-pause region of the earth's magnetoplasma. The results of the work is consistent for EMIC emissions observation by SAMPEX and CRRES satellite around the plasma-pause region as reported by Bortnik et al. [Bortnik, J., Thorne, R.M., O’Brien, T.P., Green, J.C., Strongeway, R.J., Shprits, Y.Y., Baker, D.N., 2006. Observation of two distinct, rapid loss mechanisms during the 20 November 2003 radiation belt dropout event. J. Geophys. Res. 111, A12216, doi:10.1029/2006JA011802] and Xinlin et al. [Xinlin, Li., Baker, D.N., O’Brien, T.P., Xie, L., Zong, Q.G., 2006. Correlation between the inner edge of outer radiation belt electrons and the innermost plasmapause location. Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L14107, doi:10.1029/2006GL026294].     

Models of the collisional damping scenario for ice-giant planets and Kuiper belt formation

Chiang et al. [Chiang, E., Lithwick, Y., Murray-Clay, R., Buie, M., Grundy, W., Holman, M., 2007. In: Protostars and Planets V, pp. 895-911] have recently proposed that the observed structure of the Kuiper belt could be the result of a dynamical instability of a system of ∼5 primordial ice-giant planets in the outer Solar System. According to this scenario, before the instability occurred, these giants were growing in a highly collisionally damped environment according to the arguments in Goldreich et al. [Goldreich, P., Lithwick, Y., Sari, R., 2004. Astrophys. J. 614, 497-507; Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 42, 549-601]. Here we test this hypothesis with a series of numerical simulations using a new code designed to incorporate the dynamical effects of collisions. We find that we cannot reproduce the observed Solar System. In particular, Goldreich et al. [Goldreich, P., Lithwick, Y., Sari, R., 2004. Astrophys. J. 614, 497-507; Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 42, 549-601] and Chiang et al. [Chiang, E., Lithwick, Y., Murray-Clay, R., Buie, M., Grundy, W., Holman, M., 2007. In: Protostars and Planets V, pp. 895-911] argue that during the instability, all but two of the ice giants would be ejected from the Solar System by Jupiter and Saturn, leaving Uranus and Neptune behind. We find that ejections are actually rare and that instead the systems spread outward. This always leads to a configuration with too many planets that are too far from the Sun. Thus, we conclude that both Goldreich et al.'s scheme for the formation of Uranus and Neptune and Chiang et al.'s Kuiper belt formation scenario are not viable in their current forms.     

The INTEGRAL mission

INTEGRAL, the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, to be launched in 2001, is the second medium-size scientific mission (M2) of the ESA long term programme Horizon 2000. INTEGRAL addresses the fine spectroscopy and accurate positioning of celestial gamma-ray sources in the energy range 10 keV to 10 MeV. The observational requirements will be met by a payload utilising coded mask imaging in combination with detector pixel arrays (Imaging) and cooled Germanium detectors (Spectroscopy). INTEGRAL is an ESA led mission in collaboration with Russia and USA. Most of the observing time will be made available to the general scientific community.This paper is largely based on the INTEGRAL Phase A study report (ESA SCI(93)1), written by the INTEGRAL Phase A Science Working Team: S. Bergeson-Willis, T.J.-L. Courvoisier, A.J. Dean, Ph. Durouchoux, B. McBreen, N. Eismont, N. Gehrels, J.E. Grindlay, W.A. Mahoney, J.L. Matteson, O. Pace, T.A. Prince, V. Schönfelder, G.K. Skinner, R. Sunyaev, B.N. Swanenburg, B.J. Teegarden, P. Ubertini, G. Vedrenne, G.E. Villa, S. Volonté, and C. Winkler.