低轨道人造卫星(CHAMP、GRACE、GOCE)与高精度地球重力场——卫星重力大地测量的最新发展及其对地球科学的重大影响

评述了卫星重力大地测量的最新发展及其对地球科学的重大影响。为了更好地理解地球内部物理构造与海洋动力学，以及大陆，冰川和海洋的相互作用，改善现有地球重力场模型（包括精度和空间解析度）是非常重要的。IUGG等国际组织对此已经强调了很多年。最近，由德国的GFZ（GeoForschungsZentrum)，美国的NASA（National Aeronautics and Space Adminitration)以及欧洲宇航局ESA（European Space Agency)开发研制了最先进的地球监测技术－SST（Satellite-to-Sateilite Tracking)。其主要特点是利用现有的GPS连续追踪新发射低轨道卫星，并由低轨道卫星对地球重力场作精密观测。已经发射和即将发射的卫星有3颗：GHAMP（Challenging Mini-Satellite Payload for Geophysical Research an Application)已经于2000年发射；GRACE（Gravity Recovery and Climate Experimert)定于2002年发射；GOCE（Gravity Field and Steady-state Ocean Cirulation Explorer)计划2004年发射，它们可以统称为重力卫星。载有SST技术的人造卫星的主要目的是获得具有前所未有的高精度和高空间解析度的全球重力场和大地水准面模型，加强人们对地球内部构造的理解并为海洋和气象研究提供更好地参考。上述3个重力卫星工作在有明显区别的不同波谱内，它们有不同的科学应用，仅有一小部分重合。所以，就应用而言它们是完全互补的。它们在地球科学中的应用将是广泛的，特别对于固体地球物理学，海洋学以及大地测量学等领域，它们将会带来革命性的变化，其意义不亚于GPS。     

轴对称稳恒磁场的一种解法

本文依据稳恒磁场中的高斯定理和安培环路定理，用迭代法推导出对称轴上的磁感应强度与空间任意一点磁感应强度的关系式，从而可得出轴对称稳恒磁场的无电流分布空间的解式。     

Radial velocity searches for other planetary systems:Current status and future prospects

Measurement of variations in the radial velocities of stars due to the reflex orbital motion of the star around the planetary-system barycenter constitutes a powerful method of searching for substellar or planetary mass companions. After several years of patient data acquisition, radial-velocity searches for planetary systems around other stars are now beginning to bear fruit. In late 1995 and early 1996, three candidate systems were announced with Jovian-mass planets around solar-type stars. The current paradigm for low-mass star formation suggests that planetary systems should be able to form in the circumstellar disks surrounding young stellar objects. These newly discovered systems, and other discoveries which will soon follow them, will test critically our understanding of the processes of star- and planet-formation. We review the techniques used in these radial-velocity searches and their results to date. We then discuss planned improvements in the surveys, and the prospects for the next 20 years.     

The MPE X-ray test facility PANTER: Calibration of hard X-ray (15–50 kev) optics

The Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) in Garching, Germany, uses its large X-ray beam line facility PANTER for testing X-ray astronomical instrumentation. A number of telescopes, gratings, filters, and detectors, e.g. for astronomical satellite missions like Exosat, ROSAT, Chandra (LETG), BeppoSAX, SOHO (CDS), XMM-Newton, ABRIXAS, Swift (XRT), have been successfully calibrated in the soft X-ray energy range (< 15keV). Moreover, measurements with mirror test samples for new missions like ROSITA and XEUS have been carried out at PANTER. Here we report on an extension of the energy range, enabling calibrations of hard X-ray optics over the energy range 15–50 keV. Several future X-ray astronomy missions (e.g., Simbol-X, Constellation-X, XEUS) have been proposed, which make use of hard X-ray optics based on multilayer coatings. Such optics are currently being developed by the Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (OAB), Milano, Italy, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Cambridge, MA, USA. These optics have been tested at the PANTER facility with a broad energy band beam (up to 50 keV) using the XMM-Newton EPIC-pn flight spare CCD camera with its good intrinsic energy resolution, and also with monochromatic X-rays between C-K (0.277 keV) and Cu-Kα (8.04 keV). PACS: 95.55.Ka, 95.55.Aq, 41 50.+h, 07.85.Fv     

Preliminary investigation of mercury in bone tissues of skua and penguin in Antarctica using AFS and Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence （SR-XRF）

Mercury （Hg） was investigated in bone tissues of skua （ Catharacta maccormick） and penguin （Pygoscelis adeliae） collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry （AFS） and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） method. The total levels of mercury in bone tissues of penguin and skua are much lower than those in other organs （e. g. , kidney, liver）. The toxic effects of mercury in bone tissues of seabirds in polar region are not known. We have used SR- XRF method to map the distribution of trace levels of mercury in bones. The levels of mercury are found to be enriched somewhere near the periosteal surface and/or endosteal surface. The distribution of mercury shows strongly correlation with that of some essential elements and probably poses negative effect on the bone metabolism inferring from the relationship of mercury with the other elements. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the toxic effects of mercury on bone of polar animals by suggesting the possible microscopic investigation.     

Entry dynamics and acoustics/infrasonic/seismic analysis for the Neuschwanstein meteorite fall

Abstract— We have analyzed several types of data associated with the well‐documented fall of the Neuschwanstein meteorites on April 6, 2002 (a total of three meteorites have been recovered). This includes ground‐based photographic and radiometer data as well as infrasound and seismic data from this very significant bolide event (Spurný et al. 2002, 2003). We have also used these data to model the entry of Neuschwanstein, including the expected dynamics, energetics, panchromatic luminosity, and associated fragmentation effects. In addition, we have calculated the differential efficiency of acoustical waves for Neuschwanstein and used these values to compare against the efficiency calculated using available ground‐based infrasound data. This new numerical technique has allowed the source height to be determined independent of ray tracing solutions. We have also carried out theoretical ray tracing for a moving point source (not strictly a cylindrical line emission) and for an infinite speed line source. In addition, we have determined the ray turning heights as a function of the source height for both initially upward and downward propagating rays, independent of the explicit ray tracing (detailed propagation path) programs. These results all agree on the origins of the acoustic emission and explicit source heights for Neuschwanstein for the strongest infrasonic signals. Calculated source energies using more than four different independent approaches agree that Neuschwanstein was certainly <500 kg in initial mass, given the initial velocity of 20.95 km/s, resulting in an initial source energy ≤0.0157‐0.0276 kt TNT equivalent (4.185 times 10¹² J). Local source energies at the calculated infrasonic/seismic source altitudes are up to two orders of magnitude smaller than this initial source energy.     

Non‐equilibrium concepts lead to a unified explanation of the formation of chondrules and chondrites

Abstract— Calculations of the formation of seven types of chondrules in Semarkona from a gas of solar composition were performed with the FACT computer program to predict the chemistries of oxides (including silicates), developed by the authors and their colleagues. The constrained equilibrium theory was used in the calculations with two nucleation constraints suggested by nucleation theory. The first constraint was the blocking of Fe and other metal gaseous atoms from condensing to form solids or liquids because of very high surface free energies and high surface tensions of the solid and liquid metals, respectively. The second constraint was the blocking of the condensation of solids and the formation of metastable liquid oxides (including silicates) well below their liquidus temperatures. Our laboratory experiments suggested subcooling of type IIA chondrule compositions of 400 degrees or more below the liquidus temperature. The blocking of iron leads to a supersaturation of Fe atoms, so that the partial pressure of Fe (p_Fe) is larger than the partial pressure at equilibrium (p_Fe(eq)). The supersaturation ratio S = p_Fe/p_Fe(eq) becomes larger than 1 and increases rapidly with a decrease in temperature. This drives the reaction Fe + H₂O ? H₂ + FeO to the right. With S = 100, the activity of FeO in the liquid droplet is 100 times as large as the value at equilibrium. The FeO activities are a function of temperature and provide relative average temperatures of the crystallization of chondrules. Our calculations for the LL3.0 chondrite Semarkona and our study of some non‐equilibrium effects lead to accurate representations of the compositions of chondrules of types IA, IAB, IB, IIA, IIAB, IIB, and CC. Our concepts readily explain both the variety of FeO concentrations in the different chondrule types and the entire process of chondrule formation. Our theory is unified and could possibly explain the formation of chondrules in all chondritic meteorites as well as provide a simple explanation for the complex chemistries of chondrites, and especially for type 3 chondrites.