Instruments, Detectors and the Future of Astronomy with Large Ground Based Telescopes

Results of a survey of instrumentation and detector systems, either currently deployed or planned for use at telescopes larger than 3.5 m, in ground based observatories world-wide, are presented. This survey revealed a number of instrumentation design trends at optical, near, and mid-infrared wavelengths. Some of the most prominent trends include the development of vastly larger optical detector systems (> 10⁹ pixels) than anything built to date, and the frequent use of mosaics of near-infrared detectors – something that was quite rare only a decade ago in astronomy. Some future science applications for detectors are then explored, in an attempt to build a bridge between current detectors and what will be needed to support the research ambitions of astronomers in the future.     

Reminiscences of my life in science

With a great deal of humility I attempt in the following to recall important events in my life and in my scientific career of more than five decades. I am not through yet. I continue to do research though, I admit, not with the energy and fervor I once had. Still, I hope to contribute to science in meaningful ways.     

Nonlinear Force-Free Modeling of Coronal Magnetic Fields. II. Modeling a Filament Arcade and Simulated Chromospheric and Photospheric Vector Fields

We compare a variety of nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation algorithms, including optimization, magneto-frictional, and Grad – Rubin-like codes, applied to a solar-like reference model. The model used to test the algorithms includes realistic photospheric Lorentz forces and a complex field including a weakly twisted, right helical flux bundle. The codes were applied to both forced “photospheric” and more force-free “chromospheric” vector magnetic field boundary data derived from the model. When applied to the chromospheric boundary data, the codes are able to recover the presence of the flux bundle and the field’s free energy, though some details of the field connectivity are lost. When the codes are applied to the forced photospheric boundary data, the reference model field is not well recovered, indicating that the combination of Lorentz forces and small spatial scale structure at the photosphere severely impact the extrapolation of the field. Preprocessing of the forced photospheric boundary does improve the extrapolations considerably for the layers above the chromosphere, but the extrapolations are sensitive to the details of the numerical codes and neither the field connectivity nor the free magnetic energy in the full volume are well recovered. The magnetic virial theorem gives a rapid measure of the total magnetic energy without extrapolation though, like the NLFFF codes, it is sensitive to the Lorentz forces in the coronal volume. Both the magnetic virial theorem and the Wiegelmann extrapolation, when applied to the preprocessed photospheric boundary, give a magnetic energy which is nearly equivalent to the value derived from the chromospheric boundary, but both underestimate the free energy above the photosphere by at least a factor of two. We discuss the interpretation of the preprocessed field in this context. When applying the NLFFF codes to solar data, the problems associated with Lorentz forces present in the low solar atmosphere must be recognized: the various codes will not necessarily converge to the correct, or even the same, solution. On 07/07/2007, the NLFFF team was saddened by the news that Tom Metcalf had died as the result of an accident. We remain grateful for having had the opportunity to benefit from his unwavering dedication to the problems encountered in attempting to understand the Sun’s magnetic field; Tom had completed this paper several months before his death, leading the team through the many steps described above.     

Detectors For Space Science

The design of detector systems for flight applications requires the consideration of a number of issues unique to space instrumentation. Flight detectors must endure hostile radiation environments and thermal extremes. Paramount importance is given to reliability since inflight replacement is at best difficult and usually impossible. Flight detectors are also significant cost and design drivers since they often determine key requirements for flight instruments such as volume, mass, power consumption, heat dissipation and communications budgets. In this paper we describe the primary concerns in developing flight detector systems, and review the challenges posed by future NASA and ESA space science missions for detector development.     

随机海浪的列率谱分析研究

首次将列率谱分析的方法引入到随机海浪的研究。根据不同环境条件下实验室资料，对列率谱与频率谱进行了比较。结果表明，列率频对频率谱高频部分有明显改善，特别对二倍频含能段的分辨具有明显的优越性。另外，列率谱具有计算速度快、简单易行、分辨率高等优点。     

青海省地质特征及典型地质标本采集经验

地质标本是地史演化和地学研究的见证物,同时也是地质宣传和教学的基础资源和核心材料。以习近平新时代生态文明建设思想为指导,对青海省地质特征及典型地质标本采集经验进行深入分析和讨论。研究结果表明青海省处于不同时期规模巨大的造山系中,区域地质活动强烈,经过亿万年的地质演化,形成了丰富的具有典型性和代表性的地质标本。典型地质标本采集时可重点考虑北祁连蛇绿岩、中南祁连构造糜棱岩、柴北缘花岗伟晶岩、西秦岭矽卡岩、青南流纹岩和不同地质年代形成的化石等地质体。同时此次在采集地质标本时得出的宝贵经验,对于今后深入剖析省内地层时空接触关系和构造活动特征、揭示地层演化历史和矿藏分布规律、以及为吸引更多的国内外地学爱好者提供了具有高原特色的新场景和新生态。     

Modified Rindler acceleration as a nonlinear electromagnetic effect

The model proposed originally by Mannheim and Kazanas for fitting the shapes of galactic rotation curves has recently been considered by Grumiller to describe gravity of a central object at large distances. Herein we employ the same geometry within the context of nonlinear electrodynamics (NED). Pure electrical NED model is shown to generate the novel Rindler acceleration term in the metric which explains anomalous behaviors of test particles/satellites. Remarkably a pure magnetic model of NED yields flat rotation curves that may account for the missing dark matter. Weak and strong energy conditions are satisfied in such models of NED.     

知识产权贸易下的全球地缘科技格局及其演化

中国崛起,关键在于科技崛起。在当前技术针对与封锁的国际环境中,探讨建构以中国为核心的全球创新网络和科学制定中国未来科技战略是当前创新地理学和地缘政治学交叉之下研究的重点课题,而明晰全球地缘科技格局及其演变过程则是基础所在。本文基于2001—2015年全球国家（地区）间的知识产权进出口数据,在研究全球知识产权贸易格局和网络结构的基础上,探讨了全球地缘科技体系的时空演化特征,得出以下结论：① 全球知识产权贸易网络两极分化显著,是一典型的小世界网络,以美国为核心的金字塔结构不断夯实;② 基于敏感性和脆弱性模型阐释的全球知识产权贸易的非对称依赖性进一步验证了美国是全球地缘科技格局的核心,且其核心地位不断巩固和加强。     

地球系统多圈层构造观

地球系统多圈层构造观的基本理论框架是:①把大地构造学从研究地球表层的地壳构造、岩石圈构造推进到研究地球整体多圈层构造的新阶段.②地球系统和宇宙天体系统共同作用下形成的全球动力学,太阳能、地球系统多圈层相互作用以及宇宙天体运行的联合作用是各种地质作用的动力来源.③洋陆转化论:陆与洋是对立统一、相互转化的.陆与洋都不会永存...     

从海洋内部研究海洋

几百年来,人类总是从海洋外面——在船上或者岸上研究海洋。随着技术的最新发展,人类现在可以从海洋内部来研究海洋。简要讨论了海底观测系统和活动观测平台为各领域的海洋研究提供的空前机遇,并指出中国发展海洋科学必须对这一新趋势给予密切注意。