Simulations of multimode bolometric interferometers

We describe a procedure for the numerical modelling of astronomical interferometers, with particular relevance to far-infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. The scheme is based on identifying a set of modes that carry power from the sky to the detector. The procedure is extremely general, and can be used to model scalar or vector fields, in any state of coherence and polarization, the only limitation being that the propagation of a coherent field through the system be described by an integral transform, a constraint that is in practise always met.
We present simulations of ideal, multimode two-dimensional interferometers, and show that the modal theory reproduces the correct behaviour of both Michelson and Fizeau interferometers. We calculate simulated visibility data for a multimode bolometric Michelson interferometer, with a synthesized source, and produce a dirty map, recovering the original source with the usual artefacts associated with interferometers.     

Thick and thin models of the evolution of carbon dioxide on Mars

We present results from a new simulation code that accounts for the evolution of the reservoirs of carbon dioxide on Mars, from its early years to the present. We establish a baseline model parameter set that produces results compatible with the present (i.e., Patm?6.5 mbar with permanent CO₂ ice cap) for a wide range of initial inventories. We find that the initial inventory of CO₂ broadly determines the evolutionary course of the reservoirs of CO₂. The reservoirs include the atmosphere, ice cap, adsorbed CO₂ in the regolith, and carbonate rocks. We track the evolution of the free inventory: the atmosphere, ice cap and regolith. Simulations begin at 4.53 Gyr before present with a rapid loss of free inventory to space in the early Noachian. Models that assume a relatively small initial inventory (?5 bar) have pronounced minima in the free inventory of CO₂ toward the end of the Noachian. Under baseline parameters, initial inventories below ∼4.5 bar result in a catastrophic loss of the free inventory to space. The current free inventory would be then determined by the balance between outgassing, sputtering losses and chemical weathering following the end of the late bombardment. We call these “thin” models. They generically predict small current free inventories in line with expectations of a small present CO₂ ice cap. For “thick” models, with initial inventories ?5 bar, a surplus of 300-700 mbar of free CO₂ remains during the late-Noachian. The histories of free inventory in time for thick models tend to converge within the last 3.5 Gyr toward a present with an ice cap plus atmospheric inventory of about 100 mbar. For thick models, the convergence is largely due to the effects of chemical weathering, which draws down higher free inventories more rapidly than the low. Thus, thick models have ?450 mbar carbonate reservoirs, while thin models have ?200 mbar. Though both thick and thin scenarios can reproduce the current atmospheric pressure, the thick models imply a relatively large current CO₂ ice cap and thin models, little or none. While the sublimation of a massive cap at a high obliquity would create a climate swing of greenhouse warming for thick models, under the thin model, mean temperatures and pressures would be essentially unaffected by increases in obliquity.     

Exact analysis of the combined data of SNO and Super-Kamiokande

Comparison of solar-neutrino signals in SNO [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 071301] and Super-Kamiokande (SK) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 (2001) 5651] detectors results in discovery of ν_e→ν_μ,τ oscillations at level 3.1–3.3σ [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 071301]. This comparison involves the assumption of neutrino spectrum and a choice for the thresholds of detection in both experiments. In this paper we obtain an exact formula for the comparison of the signals which is valid for arbitrary spectra and thresholds. We find that the no-oscillation hypothesis (astrophysical solutions) is excluded at 3.3σ. If the energy-dependent component of the survival probability for electron neutrinos is small as compared with the average value, i.e. in the case of small distortion of the observed spectrum, the oscillation hypothesis can also be tested to similar accuracy. The oscillation to sterile neutrino only, is excluded at 3.3σ level, and oscillation to active neutrinos is confirmed at 2.8σ.     

The Cosmology of Extra Dimensions and Varying Fundamental Constants

I briefly present the Organizing Committee's and my own motivation for organizing this workshop, and I suggest a few key questions for which we will try to find possible answers in the coming days. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

邻菲啰啉在测定亚铁中的保护效果

样品在分解过程中 ,亚铁易被空气部分氧化 ,致使测试结果偏低 ,采用在HF H2 SO4溶矿过程中加入邻菲卟罗啉 ,与亚铁形成络合物 ,对保护亚铁具有较好的效果。拟定了在塑料坩埚中加邻菲卟罗啉、H2 SO4及HF ,中高温电热板溶矿 ,容量法测定样品中的亚铁 ,方法精密度为 0 .2 3% ,样品加标准回收率 98.8%～ 10 1.9%。此方法具有较好的应用效果