Light scattering by complex particles in the Moon's exosphere: Toward a taxonomy of models for the realistic simulation of the scattering behavior of lunar dust

It is suspected that the lunar exosphere has a dusty component dispersed above the surface by various physical mechanisms. Most of the evidence for this phenomenon comes from observations of “lunar horizon glow” (LHG), which is thought to be produced by the scattering of sunlight by this exospheric dust. The characterization of exospheric dust populations at the Moon is key to furthering our understanding of fundamental surface processes, as well as a necessary requirement for the planning of future robotic and human exploration.We present a model to simulate the scattering of sunlight by complex lunar dust grains (i.e. grains that are non-spherical and can be inhomogeneous in composition) to be used in the interpretation of remote sensing data from current and future lunar missions. We numerically model lunar dust grains with several different morphologies and compositions and compute their individual scattering signatures using the Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA). These scattering properties are then used in a radiative transfer code to simulate the light scattering due to a dust size distribution, as would likely be observed in the lunar exosphere at high altitudes 10's of km. We demonstrate the usefulness and relevance of our model by examining mode: irregular grains, aggregate of spherical monomers and spherical grains with nano-phase iron inclusions. We subsequently simulate the scattering by two grain size distributions (0.1 and radius), and show the results normalized per-grain. A similar methodology can also be applied to the analysis of the LHG observations, which are believed to be produced by scattering from larger dust grains within about a meter of the surface.As expected, significant differences in scattering properties are shown between the analyses employing the widely used Mie theory and our more realistic grain geometries. These differences include large variations in intensity as well as a positive polarization of scattered sunlight caused by non-spherical grains. Positive polarization occurs even when the grain size is small compared to the wavelength of incident sunlight, thus confirming that the interpretation of LHG based on Mie theory could lead to large errors in estimating the distribution and abundances of exospheric dust.     

基于FY-4A卫星遥感数据分析2021年3次沙尘暴特征

FY 4A上搭载的多通道扫描成像辐射计（AGRI）无论是时间分辨率还是空间分辨率与我国第一代静止气象卫星风云二号上搭载的扫描辐射计（VISSR）相比都有了明显的改进。本文基于FY 4A AGRI成像仪IDDI(红外差值沙尘指数)和新的昼夜沙尘遥感改进算法开展2021年中国北方沙尘过程连续遥感监测处理,并系统分析了2021年3个典型个例的沙尘暴特征和影响区域。结果表明：① 3次典型沙尘过程对我国北方各省份的影响面积总计最低达到260万km2以上,最高达到300万km2以上,4月14—17日的沙尘暴影响面积最大。②2021年沙尘高发区在新疆南部、甘肃河西走廊以北以及内蒙古西部。与2019、2020年同期相比,2021年我国北方沙尘发生频次更高、影响范围更大。③新一代FY 4A静止卫星对我国沙尘过程年际变化具备更加完整的监测能力。     

Motion of dust in mean motion resonances with planets

Effect of stellar electromagnetic radiation on the motion of spherical dust particle in mean motion orbital resonances with a planet is investigated. Planar circular restricted three-body problem with the Poynting–Robertson (P–R) effect yields monotonic secular evolution of eccentricity when the particle is trapped in the resonance. Planar elliptic restricted three-body problem with the P–R effect enables nonmonotonous secular evolution of eccentricity and the evolution of eccentricity is qualitatively consistent with the published results for the complicated case of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with nonspherical dust grain. Thus, it is sufficient to allow either nonzero eccentricity of the planet or nonsphericity of the grain and the orbital evolutions in the resonances are qualitatively equal for the two cases. This holds both for exterior and interior mean motion orbital resonances. Evolutions of argument of perihelion in the planar circular and elliptical restricted three-body problems are shown. Numerical integrations show that an analytic expression for the secular time derivative of the particle’s argument of perihelion does not exist, if only dependence on semimajor axis, eccentricity and argument of perihelion is admitted. Connection between the shift of perihelion and oscillations in secular eccentricity is presented for the planar elliptic restricted three-body problem with the P–R effect. Period of the oscillations corresponds to the period of one revolution of perihelion. Change of optical properties of the spherical grain with the heliocentric distance is also considered. The change of the optical properties: (i) does not have any significant influence on the secular evolution of eccentricity, (ii) causes that the shift of perihelion is mainly in the same direction/orientation as the particle motion around the Sun. The statements hold both for circular and noncircular planetary orbits.     

An iras atlas of ysos in nearby dark clouds

We are using the newIRAS Sky Survey Atlas to construct a catalog of Galactic dark clouds and their associated Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). FromIRAS 100 and 60µm data we calculate images of the 100µm optical depth distribution in the clouds. Using theIRAS Faint Source Catalog we identify sources which have colors indicative of YSOs and have positions that lie inside cloud boundaries in the optical depth images. Here we present some preliminary results of applying this analysis to the Chamaeleon dark cloud complex.     

Effect of charging of aerosols in the lower atmosphere of Mars during the dust storm of 2001

Aerosols are very important in the Martian climate system. Aerosols get charged by the attachment of ions in the atmosphere. Charging of aerosols reduces the conductivity of the atmosphere as the very mobile ions are lost during the ion-aerosol attachment. During a dust storm the dust opacity increases and more ion-aerosol attachment process occurs and consequently conductivity reduces further. It was found that with the background aerosols (dust opacity ∼0.2), the conductivity close to the surface of Mars was reduced by a factor of 5, but during the dust storm (opacity ∼5) of 2001 the conductivity decreased by about 2 orders of magnitude.     

基于模式分析一次沙尘暴过程中沙尘表面非均相化学过程对中国地区污染物浓度的影响

利用戈达德对地观测系统（GEOS）提供的再分析气象场GEOS-5驱动的GEOS-Chem模式,模拟中国地区2009年4月22~29日沙尘暴期间沙尘气溶胶表面非均相化学过程对我国污染物的影响。模拟结果表明,沙尘暴期间,全国平均沙尘硝酸盐和沙尘硫酸盐浓度分别为0.2 μg m-3和0.4 μg m-3,占总硝酸盐（非沙尘硝酸盐与沙尘硝酸盐之和）和总硫酸盐（非沙尘硫酸盐与沙尘硫酸盐之和）的24%和10%。我国西部地区沙尘硝酸盐占比（ > 80%）要大于其他地区,而西部地区的沙尘硫酸盐占比则要小于下游地区。考虑非均相化学反应后,沙尘暴期间,全国平均的二氧化硫（SO₂）、硝酸（HNO₃）、臭氧（O₃）、非沙尘硫酸盐、总硫酸盐、非沙尘硝酸盐、总硝酸盐、NH₃、总铵盐浓度变化量分别为-7%、-15%、-2%、-8%、3%、-2%、14%、21%、-5%。     

The electrification of dust-lofting gust fronts (‘haboobs’) in the Sahel

Two Doppler radars and a suite of auxiliary surface observations are used to document the electrical, aerosol and aerodynamic properties of dust-lofting gust fronts near Niamey, Niger during the AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis). Electrification with dominant negative polarity is a common behavior, consistent with earlier studies on dust devils and the Harmattan wind in dry environments.     

利用激光雷达观测兰州沙尘气溶胶辐射特性

利用微脉冲激光雷达CE370-2与太阳光度计CE-318, 在兰州观测分析了2007年3月27~29日扬沙过程沙尘气溶胶辐射特性, 并利用HYSPLIT-4模式分析了沙尘过程气溶胶粒子的后向轨迹。分析表明, 此沙尘过程气溶胶粒子的传输路径主要有两条： 一条起源于青海西北经西宁抵兰州, 另一条起源于塔克拉玛干沙漠经河西走廊抵兰州; 沙尘气溶胶主要集中于离地1.5 km高度层内; 沙尘气溶胶消光系数随高度先增加, 到0.2 km左右高度达到最大, 然后急剧减小。沙尘气溶胶光学厚度的时间演变呈双峰型, 最高峰出现在28日12:00, 次高峰在27日22:00。验证表明由CE370-2得到的气溶胶光学厚度与CE-318得到的很接近; 雷达观测资料的处理方法可以较好地反演气溶胶消光系数和光学厚度。     

WRF/Chem模式中两种起沙参数化方案对东亚地区一次强沙尘暴过程模拟的影响

利用耦合了GOCART和Shao04两种起沙参数化方案的WRF/Chem模式对2002年3月19~22日发生在东亚地区的强沙尘暴过程进行模拟,着重考察了不同起沙方案对沙尘暴过程模拟的影响。结果表明,耦合了两种不同方案的WRF/Chem总体上均能较合理地模拟出主要的起沙区域、起沙强度的变化以及沙尘浓度的时空演变特征,模式对沙尘源地附近及下游地区地面沙尘浓度时间变化特征的模拟与站点观测结果也十分接近。但总体说来Shao04方案对沙尘起沙的发生以及强度变化过程具有更好的模拟能力,该方案模拟的沙尘浓度与观测更为一致,整体性能要优于GOCART方案。进一步分析发现,由于GOCART方案中采用的临界起沙风速偏小,导致该方案下模拟的沙尘分布范围偏大;另外该方案忽略了蒙古东南部和内蒙古中东部的潜在沙尘源地,从而使得耦合了GOCART方案的模式未能模拟出上述区域的起沙过程,使得该区域及下游地区模拟的沙尘浓度也偏小。但在塔里木盆地,Shao04方案计算的起沙通量偏小,这可能与Shao04方案未能考虑风速较小情况下空气拖曳力夹卷作用对起沙的影响有关,也可能与该方案中采用的土壤质地数据不准确有关。     

风蚀起沙的影响因子及其变化特征

以敦煌地区的戈壁和绿洲为例,对地表土壤风蚀起沙的临界摩擦速度及其变化特征和风蚀起沙过程中地表土壤的粒子尺度分布及其对垂直尘粒通量的影响进行了分析研究。结果表明,地表土壤风蚀起沙的临界摩擦速度随土壤水分含量和植被覆盖度的增大而增大,随粒子尺度的变化是先减小后增大,在中间某一尺度处有一最小值;土壤的人工利用和管理对临界摩擦速度也有着相当大的影响,风蚀起沙过程中,地表土壤的粒子尺度分布随时间发生变化,瞬时的粒子尺度分布不同于平均的粒子尺度分布,利用前者计算得到的垂直尘粒通量对摩擦速度的变化更敏感,利用后者计算得到的垂直尘粒通量偏大。