Stellar Yields and Chemical Evolution — I. Abundance Ratios and Delayed Mixing in the Solar Neighbourhood

We analyse two recent computations of Type II supernova nucleosynthesis by Woosley & Weaver (hereafter WW95) and Thielemann, Nomoto & Hashimoto (hereafter TNH96), focusing on the ability to reproduce the observed [Mg/Fe] ratios in various galaxy types. We show that the yields of oxygen and total metallicity are in good agreement. However, TNH96 models produce more magnesium in the intermediate and less iron in the upper mass range of Type II supernovae than WW95 models. To investigate the significance of these discrepancies for chemical evolution, we calculate simple stellar population yields for both sets of models and different initial mass function slopes. We conclude that the Mg yields of WW95 do not suffice to explain the [Mg/Fe] overabundance either in giant elliptical galaxies and bulges or in metal-poor stars in the solar neighbourhood and the Galactic halo. Calculating the chemical evolution in the solar neighbourhood according to the standard infall model, we find that, using WW95 and TNH96 nucleosynthesis, the solar magnesium abundance is underestimated by 29 and 7 per cent, respectively.   We include the relaxation of the instantaneous mixing approximation in chemical evolution models by splitting the gas component into two different phases. In additional simulations of the chemical evolution in the solar neighbourhood, we discuss various time-scales for the mixing of the stellar ejecta with the interstellar medium. We find that a delay of the order of 10⁸ yr leads to a better fit of the observational data in the [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] diagram without destroying the agreement with solar element abundances and the age–metallicity relation.     

Effects of nonlinear Alfvén wave interaction on particle diffusive shock acceleration. The Earth’s bow shock

We investigate the role of nonlinear Alfvén-wave interaction in the diffusive shock acceleration of solar-wind ions at the Earth’s bow shock. Allowance for the nonlinear wave interaction through induced scattering and two-quanta absorption at plasma parameters β≲0.1 is shown to limit the Alfvén-wave amplitude δB to δB≲B, whereas the quasi-linear approach predicts the generation of waves with amplitudes much larger than the diffusive shock magnetic field strength B. The nonlinear interaction results in spectral wave energy transfer to lower frequencies, which yields a significant increase in the particle acceleration rate.     

太阳能腔式吸热器光热转换特性及其在油田上的应用

以油田规模化利用太阳能为背景,建立基于蒙特卡洛射线踪迹法的腔式吸热器光热转换物理模型和数学模型,通过数值模拟计算腔式吸热器的热流密度分布特性,设计一种新型太阳能腔式吸热器,结合油田应用对太阳能腔式吸热器出口水温进行计算.结果表明,新型太阳能腔式吸热器的热流密度分布基本呈正态分布,在太阳辐射强度为1100W/m2,最大辐射热流为0.22MW/m2时,系统实际聚光比为200,吸热器出口水温为50.2e,能够满足油田应用需求.     

Monthly calibration and optimization of ?ngstr?m-Prescott equation coefficients for comprehensive agricultural divisions in China

?ngstr?m-Prescott equation (AP) is the algorithm recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for calculating the surface solar radiation (R_s) to support the estimation of crop evapotranspiration.Thus,the a_s and b_s coefficients in the AP are vital.This study aims to obtain coefficients a_s and b_s in the AP,which are optimized for China’s comprehensive agricultural divisions.The average monthly solar radiation and relative sunshine duration data at 121 stations from 1957–2016 were collected.Using data from 1957 to 2010,we calculated the monthly a_s and b_s coefficients for each subregion by least-squares regression.Then,taking the observation values of R_s from 2011 to 2016 as the true values,we estimated and compared the relative accuracy of R_s calculated using the regression values of coefficients a_s and b_s and that calculated with the FAO recommended coefficients.The monthly coefficients,a_s and b_s,of each subregion are significantly different,both temporally and spatially,from the FAO recommended coefficients.The relative error range (0–54%) of R_s calculated via the regression values of the a_s and b_s coefficients is better than the relative error range (0–77%) of R_s calculated using the FAO suggested coefficients.The station-mean relative error was reduced by 1%to 6%.However,the regression values of the a_s and b_s coefficients performed worse in certain months and agricultural subregions during verification.Therefore,we selected the a_s and b_s coefficients with the minimum R_(s )estimation error as the final coefficients and constructed a coefficient recommendation table for 36 agricultural production and management subregions in China.These coefficient recommendations enrich the case study of coefficient calibration for the AP in China and can improve the accuracy of calculating R_s and crop evapotranspiration based on existing data.     

X-Wind模式下对宁强碳质球粒陨石光学特征的重新认识

宁强碳质球粒陨石非偏振光、偏正光、反射光下的矿物、组构的光学特征中蕴藏着丰富的有关太阳星云演化初期不挥发组分吸积时的动力、温度、压力、介质信息．在宁强陨石双面抛光片中,矿物组构混杂堆积的构造反映了太阳星云吸积盘上极弱的机械动力环境和近物源吸积作用;外形不规则,边缘参差的矿物集合体和矿物碎片应该是抛落时碰撞破碎的球粒,这些球粒形成于X-Wind模式中的X-区,并被双极喷流抛落到太阳星云的不同部位;在透射光下,从宁强陨石中首次发现存在有玻璃、结晶、及气相包裹体,它们可以反映出太阳星云演化过程中的物质成分、热力学、动力学信息,应该引起重视．实验观察中还发现同一个球粒中锯齿状缝合线连接的橄榄石栅条和橄榄石颗粒．诸多现象需要理论物理、天体物理观察和天体化学实验的科学家共同努力去探讨.X-Wind模式中许多细节有待天体化学实验去检验、补充和完善．     

太阳光谱望远镜仪器轮廓的测定

报告了太阳光谱望远镜的仪器轮廓的测定方法,用He-Ne单膜激光器测定仪器轮廓,得到半宽为0.049,轮廓对称,理论计算仪器轮廓半宽为0.043,说明仪器设计制造和光学调整是成功的。     

太阳射电频谱日像仪光纤传输技术分析与性能测试

分析了光纤传输系统的特性，及其对太阳射电频谱日像仪的影响。根据日像仪系统的传输性能要求，对四种光纤传输方案进行了综合比较，最终选择模拟光纤传输系统作为建设方案。在选定方案的基础上对相关设备的性能进行了测试，并针对设备测试与对卫星信号的现场实际相关接收测试结果进行分析，验证了拟定方案的可行性。最后，提出构建太阳射电频谱日像仪光纤传输系统需要进一步解决的问题和需深入探讨的内容．     

Research facilities for solar astronomy at ARIES

The solar observational facilities at ARIES (erstwhile U.P. State Observatory, UPSO), Nainital, began in the sixties with the acquisition of two moderate sized (25 cm, f/66 off-axis Skew Cassegrain and 15 cm, f/15 refractor) telescopes. Both these systems receive sunlight through a 45 cm and 25 cm coelostat respectively. The backend instruments to these systems comprised of a single pass grating spectrograph for spectroscopic study of the Sun and a Bernhard-HalleHα filter, coupled with a Robot recorder camera for solar patrolling inHα respectively. With the advancement in solar observing techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution inHα and other wavelengths, it became inevitable to acquire sophisticated instrumentation for data acquisition. In view of that, the above facilities were upgraded, owing to which the conventional photographic techniques were replaced by the CCD camera systems attached with two 15 cm, f/15 Coude refractor telescopes. These CCD systems include the Peltier cooled CCD camera and photometrics PXL high speed modular CCD camera which provide high temporal and spatial resolution of ∼ 25 ms and ∼ 1.3 arcsec respectively.     

Some recent developments in solar dynamo theory

We discuss the current status of solar dynamo theory and describe the dynamo model developed by our group. The toroidal magnetic field is generated in the tachocline by the strong differential rotation and rises to the solar surface due to magnetic buoyancy to create active regions. The decay of these active regions at the surface gives rise to the poloidal magnetic field by the Babcock-Leighton mechanism. This poloidal field is advected by the meridional circulation first to high latitudes and then down below to the tachocline. Dynamo models based on these ideas match different aspects of observational data reasonably well.     

9. Life On Earth... And Elsewhere?

This concluding chapter is divided into two main parts. The first part is a summary of the main facts and events which constitute the present body of knowledge of the chronology of life in the solar system, in the form of “highlights” in astronomy, geology, chemistry and biology. The second part raises the interrogation “Is life universal?”, and tries to provide answers based on these facts and events. These answers turn out to differ widely among the various disciplines, depending on how far they feel able to extrapolate their current knowledge.