High-energy emission from millisecond pulsars: polar cap models

The viability of polar cap models for high-energy emission from millisecond pulsars is discussed. It is shown that in millisecond pulsars, polar gap acceleration along the last open field lines is radiation-reaction limited, that is, the maximum energy to which particles can be accelerated is determined by balancing the energy-loss rate (due to curvature radiation) with the gap-acceleration rate. The maximum Lorentz factor is limited by curvature radiation and is not sensitive to the specific acceleration model. However, the distance (from the polar cap) at which the Lorentz factor achieves the limit is model dependent, and can be between one-hundredth (for the vacuum gap) and above one-tenth (for the space-charge limited gap) of a stellar radius distant from the polar cap for a pulsar period P =2 ms and a surface magnetic field B =7.510⁴ T. Because of the radiation reaction constraint and the relatively weak magnetic field, both the expected multiplicity (number of pairs per primary particle) and the Lorentz factor of the outflowing one-dimensional magnetospheric e^± plasma from the polar gap are considerably lower than those for normal pulsars. Assuming space-charge limited flow, the location of the pair production front (PPF) is estimated to occur at about one stellar radius above the polar cap, which is significantly higher than that for normal pulsars. If the observed X-ray emission originates in the region near or above the PPF, the wide hollow-cone can reproduce the observed wide double-peaked feature of the light curves without using the aligned rotator assumption.     

Wind erosion in the central Ebro Basin under changing land use management. Field experiments with a portable wind tunnel

The agricultural landscape in the semi-arid central Ebro Basin is changing from dry farming towards land abandonment. This study aims to describe quantitatively the influence of this land use change onto wind erosion susceptibility in this region. Additionally, the effects of tillage operations on wind erosion rates were evaluated. A portable wind tunnel was used to assess the relative sediment loss rates at three test sites near Zaragoza. Three different land use systems varying in crust disturbance level were investigated – (1) fallow land with undisturbed physical soil crusts, (2) simulated sheep trampling and (3) conventional tillage (dry farming).The results show that simulations on undisturbed crusted soils produce little soil loss. Consequently, wind erosion can be considered as negligible on these surfaces. Simulated sheep trampling during wind tunnel test runs produce 10 times higher sediment losses than simulations on undisturbed crusted soils. Highest sediment losses (50 times) were observed from rolled surfaces. Because of the ongoing extensification process, the distributions of physical soil crusts will most probably further increase. According to the results, this would lead to a reduction of wind erosion susceptibility in the central Ebro Basin depending on intensity and time of sheep pasturing and tillage.     

Dimensional analysis of yielding and pounding structures for records without distinct pulses

The seismic response of two fundamental mechanical configurations of earthquake engineering, the elastic–plastic system and the pounding oscillator, is revisited with the aid of dimensional analysis. Starting from the previous work of the authors which focused on pulse-type excitations, the paper offers an alternative, yet physically motivated, way to present the response of yielding and pounding structures under excitations with arbitrary time history. It is shown, that when the appropriate time and length scales are adopted, dimensional analysis can be implemented and remarkable order emerges in the response. Regardless of the acceleration level and frequency content of the excitation, all response spectra become self-similar and when expressed in dimensionless terms, resulting from dimensional analysis, follow a single master curve. The study proposes such scales together with the associated selection criteria among the available in literature strong ground motion parameters and shows that the proposed approach reduces drastically the scatter in the response.     

2008年汶川MS8.0地震发生过程的动力学机制研究

2008年5月12日汶川地震突发在现今并不活动的龙门山断裂带上,该地震发生的动力学机制问题引起广泛关注.文中利用黏弹性接触问题的有限元方法,考虑重力作用,对青藏高原东缘的应力场空间分布及其随时间的演化进行了数值模拟,结果显示应力在空间由分散分布逐渐向龙门山及周边地区转移集中.基于前人的研究成果及计算分析,初步认为汶川地震孕育发生的动力学过程如下：青藏高原的物质东流在向东运动过程中由于受到稳定的四川盆地的阻挡,一部分东流物质在川西地区囤积,造成龙门山隆升;高角度(50°~70°)、犁状的龙门山断层面上的正应力随着川西高原向东运动而不断增大,导致该断层的闭锁性逐步加强,并且分布在断层附近的变质杂岩为存贮高密度弹性应变能提供物质保障.但另一方面随着青藏高原较柔软的下地壳物质的不断向东运动,囤积的东流物质对龙门山断裂带上盘的推挤作用会不断加强,从而导致断裂带上剪应力越来越大;当剪应力超过摩擦强度时,断层解锁产生滑动,发生地震.模拟结果还表明龙门山断层面上的摩擦系数较高,断裂带上地震的平均复发周期约为3163年,这与其他资料结果有一致性.     

岩石的粘弹性谐振Q模型

实验表明,在应变小于10-6范围内,砂岩对地震波的吸收主要由孔隙流体的局部运动引起,而且Q值随频率的变化出现谐振现象。据此,作者认为,地壳上部地震波能量的耗损可以表示为以下两种成分的线性组合:1.由滑动摩擦、热弹性驰豫、位错运动等引起的能量消散,它们主要与岩石的固相成分有关,可近似地用恒Q模型描述;2.由孔隙流体运动引起的能量消散,可以用谐振公式描述。根据这一认识,利用描述因果关系的Kramers-Krnig关系式可推导出表示地壳上部岩石粘弹性（复弹性模量,相速度频散和衰减函数）的公式,它们综合地描述了由各种机制引起的波的频散和吸收,并在谐振Q值等于参考常数Q值时退化为目前常用的Futterman模型。作为这种谐振Q模型的应用,介绍了它用于Q值测量结果外推和频散一吸收研究以及粘弹性介质中反射地震道合成的结果。     

水位骤变触发库岸堆积层滑坡的物理模型试验及机理分析

库区水位骤变容易引起库岸边坡堆积层滑坡,而水库库岸滑坡往往会直接造成水工建筑物的损毁、减少有效库容,因此深入研究其诱发机理和变形破坏模式具有重要意义。本试验在模型箱内进行,其净空尺寸为100cm60cm60cm（长宽高）,内设不透水底板模拟基岩体,通过水闸可以实现水位的骤降。在不透水底板上填筑有厚度约为20cm的堆积层,并在堆积层内部埋设传感器,用于测量土压力和孔隙水压力的变化过程,并在试验全过程中用摄像机记录了滑坡的变形位移情况。试验结果表明：在水位上升过程中堆积层表面会形成张拉裂缝,边坡前缘涉水区域发生局部破坏,主要是由于库水入渗后,水对岩土体会造成抗剪强度弱化; 水位骤降时,堆积层会沿着基岩面发生整体下滑,滞留在土体中的孔隙水压引起的渗流力是导致该滑坡发生的主要因素; 由于水库库岸堆积层滑坡是在渗流力牵引作用下发生,故滑坡失稳模式一般为牵引式滑坡。     

基于Midas-GTS的三峡库区金鸡岭滑坡成因机制与稳定性分析

金鸡岭滑坡在暴雨后发生明显变形,通过现场勘察、钻探、物探、深部位移监测以及水平位移监测得出初步结论。为进一步查明该滑坡成因机制,通过解译现有勘察监测资料,结合Midas-GTS软件分析不同工况下滑坡的渗流场、位移场、稳定性计算,综合评价其成因机制。结果如下：（1）物探解译得出金鸡岭滑坡为岩土混合、含水滑坡,滑动面位于T2b1泥灰岩和T2b2泥岩分界线;（2）深部位移监测揭示该滑坡为浅表层土体在发生滑移,滑动面与物探解译得出的滑动面位置一致;（3）水平位移监测表明浅表分布的后梆滑坡和潘家岭滑坡变形速率较快,变形强烈;（4）数值模拟结果显示金鸡岭滑坡在现状工况下处于基本稳定状态;在排干地下水工况下处于基本稳定状态;在暴雨工况下处于欠稳定状态,可能产生整体滑移,其上的潘家岭滑坡及后梆滑坡产生土体次级滑移。（5）金鸡岭滑坡的地形地貌、地质构造、地层岩性、为滑坡的形成和发展提供了物源和场地条件,暴雨和人类工程活动作为诱发因素,进一步加剧滑坡变形。该研究成果将为三峡库区类似滑坡的成因机制与稳定性分析提供理论依据,对后期防治措施具有重要指导意义。     

Acceleration characteristics of a rock slide using the particle image velocimetry technique

2017年四川省茂县新磨村滑坡的启动具有明显的“锁固段”效应。在现场调查基础上,采用高强度脆性材料制作斜坡模型,开展物理模拟试验,重现滑坡变形破坏过程,分析新磨村后山高位顺层滑坡在反倾节理和潜在滑移破裂面控制下的启动机制,结合“锁固段”岩体变形破坏特征、变形监测数据和声发射信号,研究滑坡临滑前兆。试验发现：受上部滑体推挤,滑源区前部“锁固段”岩体沿反倾节理鼓胀剪出,在坡表形成鼓胀裂缝,在斜坡内部形成顺坡向拉裂面,两组破裂面组合形成阶梯状破坏面,构成“锁固段”岩体破坏边界条件。斜坡在上部滑移块体推挤下,中部形成向临空面高速启动的弹射块体,并带动下部倾倒块体向坡外运动,滑坡启动。故对于此类滑坡,可将沿反倾节理剪出形成的鼓胀裂缝视为宏观临滑前兆;同时在“锁固段”屈服阶段,坡表与坡顶的位移比值随时间先快速增长、后平缓,表征滑面逐渐贯通,滑坡各部位变形逐渐趋于协同,滑坡即将失稳。该比值时序曲线的斜率趋近于零可视为此类滑坡的临滑前兆。研究结论对发育反倾节理的顺层边坡失稳预警有理论和实践意义。     

2015年12月乌鲁木齐极端暴雪成因分析

利用常规观测资料、NCEP FNL（1o×1o）再分析资料以及卫星、雷达资料,对乌鲁木齐2015年12月10日-12日的极端暴雪天气过程的环流演变及暴雪产生和维持的机制进行了初步分析。结果表明：此次暴雪过程是欧洲脊发展推动乌拉尔山地区长波槽东移南压,同时配合低层风场的辐合切变、地面冷锋及地形强迫抬升等共同作用造成此次过程。500hPa偏南气流,700hPa、850hPa的偏北气流在乌鲁木齐的交汇有利于加强冷暖空气的汇合和水汽的聚集,为乌鲁木齐强降雪提供了有利的动力条件。各物理量场的配合及地形作用使得此次乌鲁木齐大暴雪持续时间长,降雪强度大;降雪前期乌鲁木齐逆温使不稳定能量集中释放;散度辐合中心最强时段及上升运动均与降雪时段对应,乌鲁木齐地形引起的强迫抬升为暴雪提供有利的垂直环流;水汽的主要来源为阿拉伯海及孟加拉湾,且水汽在中低层的辐合上升明显,水汽通量散度辐合中心的出现时间对本次乌鲁木齐大暴雪的最强降水时段有很好的指示意义。     

超短期风速预报方法研究进展

综合分析国内外风速预报相关文献,从物理方法、统计与机器学习方法、组合方法3个方面对超短期风速预报方法的研究现状进行归纳总结,对比了主要预报方法的优缺点,给出了不确定分析和误差评价指标,探讨了在超短期风速预报研究中应重点解决的问题和发展方向。