Gas kinetics and dust dynamics in low-density comet comae

Extensive regions of low-density cometary comae are characterized by important deviations from the Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, i.e. breakdown of thermodynamic equilibrium. The consequences of this on the shapes of emission and absorption lines, and for the acceleration of solid bodies due to gas drag, have rarely been investigated.These problems are studied here to aid in the development of future coma models, and in preparation for observations of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from the ESA Rosetta spacecraft. Two topics in particular, related to Rosetta, are preparation for in situ observations of water, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and methanol emission lines by the mm/sub-mm spectrometer MIRO, as well as gas drag forces on dust grains and on the Rosetta spacecraft itself.Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) modeling of H₂O/CO mixtures in spherically symmetric geometries at various heliocentric distances are used to study the evolution of the (generally non-Maxwellian) velocity distribution function throughout the coma. Such distribution functions are then used to calculate Doppler broadening profiles and drag forces.It is found that deviation from thermodynamic equilibrium indeed is commonplace, and already at 2.5 AU from the Sun the entire comet coma displays manifestations of such breakdown, e.g., non-equal partitioning of energy between kinetic and rotational modes, causing substantial differences between translational and rotational temperatures. We exemplify how deviations from thermodynamic equilibrium affect the properties of Doppler broadened line profiles. Upper limits on the size of liftable dust grains as well as terminal grain velocities are presented. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the drag-to-gravity force ratio is likely to decrease with decreasing cometocentric distance, which may be of relevance both for Rosetta and for the lander probe Philae.     

Mid-infrared spectra of the shocked Murchison CM chondrite: Comparison with astronomical observations of dust in debris disks

We present laboratory mid-infrared transmission/absorption spectra obtained from matrix of the hydrated Murchison CM meteorite experimentally shocked at peak pressures of 10-49 GPa, and compare them to astronomical observations of circumstellar dust in different stages of the formation of planetary systems. The laboratory spectra of the Murchison samples exhibit characteristic changes in the infrared features. A weakly shocked sample (shocked at 10 GPa) shows almost no changes from the unshocked sample dominated by hydrous silicate (serpentine). Moderately shocked samples (21-34 GPa) have typical serpentine features gradually replaced by bands of amorphous material and olivine with increasing shock pressure. A strongly shocked sample (36 GPa) shows major changes due to decomposition of the serpentine and due to devolatilization. A shock melted sample (49 GPa) shows features of olivine recrystallized from melted material.The infrared spectra of the shocked Murchison samples show similarities to astronomical spectra of dust in various young stellar objects and debris disks. The spectra of highly shocked Murchison samples (36 and 49 GPa) are similar to those of dust in the debris disks of HD113766 and HD69830, and the transitional disk of HD100546. The moderately shocked samples (21-34 GPa) exhibit spectra similar to those of dust in the debris disks of Beta Pictoris and BD+20307, and the transitional disk of GM Aur. An average of the spectra of all Murchison samples (0-49 GPa) has a similarity to the spectrum of the older protoplanetary disk of SU Auriga. In the gas-rich transitional and protoplanetary disks, the abundances of amorphous silicates and gases have widely been considered to be a primary property. However, our study suggests that impact processing may play a significant role in generating secondary amorphous silicates and gases in those disks. Infrared spectra of the shocked Murchison samples also show similarities to the dust from comets (C/2002 V1, C/2001 RX14, 9P/Tempel 1, and Hale Bopp), suggesting that the comets also contain shocked Murchison-like material.     

A global satellite view of the seasonal distribution of mineral dust and its correlation with atmospheric circulation

Aerosols make a considerable contribution to the climate system through their radiative and cloud condensation nuclei effects, which underlines the need for understanding the origin of aerosols and their transport pathways. Seasonal distribution of mineral dust around the globe and its correlation with atmospheric circulation is investigated using satellite data, and meteorological data from ECMWF. The most important sources of dust are located in North Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia with an observed summer maximum, and East Asia with a spring peak. Maximum dust activity over North Africa and the Middle East in summer is attributed to dry convection associated with the summertime low-pressure system, while unstable weather and dry conditions are responsible for the spring peak in dust emission in East Asia. Intercontinental transport of mineral dust by atmospheric circulation has been observed, including trans-Atlantic transport of North African dust, trans-Pacific transport of Asian dust, and transport of dust from the Middle East across the Indian Ocean. The extent of African dust over the Atlantic Ocean and its latitudinal variation with season is related to the large-scale atmospheric circulation, including seasonal changes in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and variation of wind patterns. North African aerosols extend over longer distances across the North Atlantic in summer because of greater dust emission, an intensified easterly low level jet (LLJ) and strengthening of the Azores-Bermuda anticyclonic circulation. Transport of East Asian aerosol is facilitated by the existence of a LLJ that extends from East Asia to the west coast of North America.     

Dusty roads and disconnections: Perceptions of dust from unpaved mining roads in Mongolia’s South Gobi province

South Gobi province is at the center of Mongolia’s mining boom, where companies began exporting minerals over dirt-track roads in the early 2000s. This paper examines recent controversies surrounding road dust near the Oyu Tolgoi copper–gold mine, the so-called coal road from Tavan Tolgoi mines, and the Chinese border. At the time of the research, local residents, particularly nomadic herders, were concerned that dust produced from unpaved mining roads was coating the pasture, causing illnesses among livestock, and endangering their livelihoods in the region. The presence of dust rendered mining an uncomfortably intimate experience as state and corporate actors negotiated responsibility for infrastructure development. The paper builds on the concept “technologies of distantiation” to reveal the complex ways that dust from unpaved roads creates distances and disconnections between people, livelihoods, and landscapes, representing an enclosure of the pasture. Methods for the paper include interviews, focus groups, and participant observation conducted in South Gobi province and Ulaanbaatar in 2010, 2011, and 2012 as well as follow-up research carried out in spring 2015.     

Imaging Borrelly

The nucleus, coma, and dust jets of short-period Comet 19P/Borrelly were imaged from the Deep Space 1 spacecraft during its close flyby in September 2001. A prominent jet dominated the near-nucleus coma and emanated roughly normal to the long axis of nucleus from a broad central cavity. We show it to have remained fixed in position for more than 34 hr, much longer than the 26-hr rotation period. This confirms earlier suggestions that it is co-aligned with the rotation axis. From a combination of fitting the nucleus light curve from approach images and the nucleus' orientation from stereo images at encounter, we conclude that the sense of rotation is right-handed around the main jet vector. The inferred rotation pole is approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the nucleus, consistent with a simple rotational state. Lacking an existing IAU comet-specific convention but applying a convention provisionally adopted for asteroids, we label this the north pole. This places the sub-solar latitude at ∼60° N at the time of the perihelion with the north pole in constant sunlight and thus receiving maximum average insolation.     

Dust processing in nova winds

We have radically re-assessed the conditions required for the formation and growth of carbon grains in the ejecta of novae. The stability and hence the ultimate fate of the grains is primarily determined by the degree to which they are annealed by the nova's ultraviolet radiation field.     

Two Different Dust Storms in Northeast China:the Sources and Influences in East Asia

There are two different dust storms in Northeast China, normal dust and alkali dust, from Kerqin sand land and Songnen saline land. As well as visible damages of the dust storms, there are some invisible influences. The authors provide evidences that the bacteria carried by dusts from remote area should not be ignored, but the damages of the alkali dusts are still not clear.     

Evolution of the dusty rings of Uranus

We present high quality images of the uranian ring system, obtained in August 2002, October 2003, and July 2004 at 2.2 μm with the adaptive optics camera NIRC2 on the Keck II telescope. Using these data, we report the first detection in backscattered light of a ring (which we refer to as the ζ ring) interior to Uranus' known rings. This ring consists of a generally uniform sheet of dust between 37,850 and 41,350 km with an equivalent width (in 2004; or ), and extends inward to 32,600 km at a gradually decreasing brightness. This ring might be related to the Voyager ring R/1986 U 2, although both its location and extent differ. This could be attributed to a difference in observing wavelength and/or solar phase angle, or perhaps to temporal variations in the ring. Through careful modeling of the I/F of the individual rings at each ansa, we reveal the presence of narrow (few 100 km wide) sheets of dust between the δ and ε rings, and between rings 4 and α. We derived a typical anisotropy factor g≈0.7 in the scattering behavior of these particles. The spatial distribution and relative intensity of these dust sheets is different than that seen in Voyager images taken in forward scattered light, due either to a difference in observing wavelength, and/or solar phase angle or to changes over time. We may have detected the λ ring in one scan at , but other scans provided upper limits below this value. A single detection, however, would be consistent with azimuthal asymmetries known to exist in this ring. We further demonstrate the presence of azimuthal asymmetries in all rings. We confirm the eccentricity of ∼0.001 in rings 4, 5, 6, which in 2004 are ∼70 km closer to Uranus in the north (near periapse; lower I/F) than in the south. We find a global optical depth of τ∼0.3 in the main rings, and of τ=0.25±0.05 in the ε ring.     

沙尘暴过程中沙尘对流层-平流层输送的数值模拟初步分析

在初步明确东亚沙尘气溶胶对流层-平流层输送监测事实的基础上,利用观测资料、NCEP再分析资料以及基于中尺度天气模式MM5的数值模拟方法,对一次蒙古气旋沙尘暴过程中沙尘对流层-平流层输送问题进行了初步分析.结果表明:斜压不稳定是本次蒙古气旋发展的主要强迫要素,伴随气旋发展成熟,高空切断低涡的形成引导高空急流下落并诱发对流层顶折叠和高空位涡下传.对流层顶折叠区呈漏斗状,底部达500 hPa左右.高空急流产生近似垂直的下落,并在高空切断低涡的南侧和东侧达到最强.在对流层顶折叠区周边的300-500 hPa,上升气流与低涡区偏西、偏南、偏东气流叠加,或水平横穿折叠的对流层顶,或斜升并准垂直地穿过下落的对流层顶到达平流层,且随时间的推移,空气质点能够进一步抵达平流层中部(100 hPa).轨迹分析表明,沙尘天气区对流层低层的空气质点在气旋涡旋上升气流的驱动下呈气旋式盘旋上升,并在对流层高层形成分支,一支穿过对流层顶到达平流层,并在平流层向下游进行反气旋式螺旋运动,另一支则留在对流层高层并向下游进行准水平的气旋式螺旋运动.在高空位涡下传过程中,主要产生平流层到对流层的净输送;高空位涡停止下传之后则出现对流层到平流层的净输送,且强度随时间呈指数型增长.这一特征有利于形成更强的沙尘对流层平流层输送.     

Model-Experimental Analysis of Variational Assimilation of Dust Concentration with GRAPES Sand-Dust Numerical Forecasting System in a Sand-Dust Storm

为了提高沙尘模式的预报准确率,通过在区域天气数值模式GRAPEs（G10bal／RegionalAs-similationandPrEdictionSystem）的三维变分同化系统中增加沙尘浓度这一控制变量的方法建立了GRAPES-3DVAR-DusT沙尘同化系统。利用中国北方8个观测站提供的沙尘PM10数据和沙尘模式（GRAPEs-CUAcE／Dust系统）提供的背景场,对2008年2月29日-3月1日发生在中国北方的一次沙尘暴天气进行了控制试验和一次同化与间断同化的敏感性试验,结果表明：（1）引入该同化系统后,一次同化和间断同化试验模拟的地面沙尘浓度分布较未同化的控制试验结果更接近卫星监测,而间断同化的结果又好于一次同化;（2）一次同化试验与控制试验对单站PM10浓度的演变预报较差;（3）间断同化试验较准确地再现了单站PM10浓度的连续演变;（4）间断同化试验效果整体上优于一次同化试验。总体而言,引入沙尘同化系统在一定程度上可以提高沙尘模式对沙尘天气的预报准确率。