Towards biomarker analysis of hydrocarbons trapped in individual fluid inclusions: First extraction by ErYAG laser

Fluid inclusions act as sealed vessels containing information about the fluid environment in which the minerals precipitated, and until decrepitated, the chemical composition of the fluid inside the inclusion stays intact. In many cases fluid inclusions contain trapped hydrocarbons, which may provide useful information in paleontological, organic geochemical and astrobiological research since they act as containers of non-contaminated organic matter with a defined minimum age. Here we present a novel concept for extraction of fluid inclusions in preparation for application to extract single fluid inclusions. The method is based on the illumination of a sample with an ErYAG laser (). The wavelength of the laser is absorbed by water and organic material, and with the minerals encapsulating the inclusions transparent to the wavelength, the fluid will expand and the inclusion will decrepitate. The initial results of our study demonstrate that fluid inclusions can be extracted by the use of an ErYAG laser, and that organic biomarkers may survive the process, readily available for GC–MS analysis.     

On the efficiency of nuclear explosives in deflecting the orbits of NEOs

Heat transport at very high temperatures is governed by a nonlinear diffusion equation, and in order to estimate the efficiency of nuclear explosions near the surface of a near earth object (NEO) in the orbit deflecting, it is required to solve the non-linear diffusion equation. Here, the solution is obtained by similarity considerations. It is shown that the earlier (approximate) value of the efficiency obtained by Simonenko et al. of the fraction of absorbed energy to the total incident energy is an overestimate by 60%. Other differences are in the propagation velocity of the thermal front and in the time required for hydrodynamical motion to start.A brief comparison is also made with the explosion where neutrons are the major products.     

Control of chaos in the vicinity of the Earth‐Moon L5 Lagrangian point to keep a spacecraft in orbit

The concept of Space Manifold Dynamics is a new method of space research. We have applied it along with the basic idea of the method of Ott, Grebogi, and York (OGY method) to stabilize the motion of a spacecraft around the triangular Lagrange point L₅ of the Earth‐Moon system. We have determined the escape rate of the trajectories in the general three‐ and four‐body problem and estimated the average lifetime of the particles. Integrating the two models we mapped in detail the phase space around the L₅ point of the Earth‐Moon system. Using the phase space portrait our next goal was to apply a modified OGY method to keep a spacecraft close to the vicinity of L₅. We modified the equation of motions with the addition of a time dependent force to the motion of the spacecraft. In our orbit‐keeping procedure there are three free parameters: (i) the magnitude of the thrust, (ii) the start time, and (iii) the length of the control. Based on our numerical experiments we were able to determine possible values for these parameters and successfully apply a control phase to a spacecraft to keep it on orbit around L₅. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

近地小行星轨道演化的研究

本文主要阐述了近年来我们在近地小行星轨道演化研究所获得的一些基本结果,即合理的力学模型和相应的有效算法,并以实际预报算例与有关权威性的结果作了比较,证实这些研究结果确实是可信的。     

滞弹地球自转速率的潮汐变化

本文根据勒夫数和负荷载夫数的数值扰动原理，利用ｈａｎｄｌｅｒ摆动的理论周期作为滞弹吸收带模型参数估计的约束条件，讨论了地幔滞弹性对有效勒夫数ｋ的直接影响，以及滞弹地球对平均海潮的响应所产生的间接扰动，分析了它们对带谐潮尺度因子ｋ／Ｃ的影响，由此定义了一个具有动力学海潮、滞弹地幔和液核地球的世界时ＵＴ１潮汐变化序列，与天文新技术观测结果相比较表明，高频带谐潮变化的理论值与实测值是一致的。频散效应对低     

Frosted granular flow: A new hypothesis for mass wasting in martian gullies

Recent gully deposits on Mars have been attributed to both wet and dry mass wasting processes. In this paper frosted granular flow (FGF) is presented as a new hypothesis for recent mass wasting activity in martian gullies. FGF is a rare type of granular flow observed on a talus slope in the Province of Québec, Canada [Hétu, B., van Steijn, H., Vandelac, P., 1994. Géogr. Phys. Quat. 48, 3-22]. Frost reduces dynamic inter-particle friction, enabling flows to mobilize onto relatively low slope gradients (25-30°) compared to those involving dry granular flow of the same material (35-41°). Resulting erosional and depositional features include straight to sinuous channels, levees and digitate to branching arrangements of terminal deposits. Similar features are commonly found in association with geologically-young gully systems on Mars. Based on terrestrial observations of FGF processes the minimum criteria required for their occurrence on Mars include: (i) readily mobilized, unconsolidated sediment at the surface; (ii) an upper slope gradient at or near the angle of repose; (iii) frost accumulation at the surface; and (iv) triggering by rock fall. All four conditions appear to be met in many areas on present-day Mars though triggering mechanisms may vary. Compared to terrestrial FGFs, which are lubricated by thin liquid films at inter-particle contacts, those occurring on Mars are more likely lubricated by vaporization of CO₂ and small amounts of H₂O frost that becomes incorporated in the translating mass. Some recent mass wasting activity in martian gullies, therefore, could be interpreted as the product of FGF.     

What was the Volatile Composition of the Planetesimals that Formed the Earth?

Is there an asteroid type or meteorite class that best exemplifies the materials that went into the Earth? Carbonaceous chondrites were once the objects of choice, and in the minds of many this choice is still valid. However, the origin of primitive chondritic meteorites is unclear. At the extremes they could either be fragments of very small parent bodies that never became hot enough to undergo geochemical modification other than mild lithification, or remnants of the uppermost layers of a body that had undergone a significant degree of internal differentiation, while the top layers remained cool due to radiative heat loss or loss of volatiles to space. This latter case is problematic if one considers these objects as precursors to the Earth since the timescale for the evolution of such a small body could be longer than the timescale for the accretion of the Earth. Large-scale circulation of materials in the primitive solar nebula could greatly increase the diversity of materials near 1 AU while also making the entire inner solar system both more homogeneous and much wetter than previously expected. The total mass of the nebula is an important, but poorly constrained factor controlling the growth of planetesimals. There is also a selection effect that dominates our sampling of the planetesimals that may have existed 4.5 billion years ago; namely, small fragile bodies are more likely to be lost from the system or ground down by collisions between small bodies, yet these are precisely those that may have dominated the population from which the Earth accreted. The composition of these aggregates could have played a very important role in the early chemical evolution of the Earth. In particular, the Earth may have been much wetter and richer in hydrocarbons and other reducing materials than previously suspected.     

电离层TEC预报的直接法和间接法及其比较

提出用时间序列分析理论中的ARIMA(p,d,q)模型对电离层进行预报的直接法及间接法.直接法也就是对每个网格点上的电子总含量所形成的时间序列进行直接预报.间接法为:首先对电离层电子总含量用球谐函数拟合得到拟合系数的时间序列;再用时间序列分析理论中的ARIMA(p,d,q)模型对拟合系数进行预报;然后计算出对应时刻所需点的电子总含量.利用2004年1月1日至2005年1月31 International GPS Service(IGS)所给出的电离层资料对提出的两种方法进行检验和比较,结果表明,在12天以内,上述两种方法的预报结果基本一致,长于12天的预报时,间接法的精度高于直接法.在20天时间内,预报值与已知值之差小于3个TECU的电离层点数占总点数的百分比基本上都在80%左右;随着时间的推移,这个比值的下降对直接法并不明显,而对间接法则有所下降.显然,直接法适用于区域性的电子总含量的预报;而间接法适用于全球性的电子总含量的预报.     

大气角动量函数在日长变化非线性预报中的重要作用

日长变化具有复杂的时变特性,传统的线性时间序列分析方法往往难以取得良好的预报效果.采用非线性人工神经网络技术对日长变化进行预报,网络模型的拓扑结构由最小均方误差法来确定.考虑到日长变化与大气环流运动间的密切关系,在神经网络预报模型中引入轴向大气角动量序列.结果表明,联合日长和大气角动量序列,比起单独采用日长资料,预报精度得到显著的提高.