The study of evolved stars with ALMA

Intense mass loss occurs for low- and intermediate-mass stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), and for the higher mass (≳8 M_⊙) stars during their red supergiant evolution. These winds affect the evolution of the stars profoundly, creates circumstellar envelopes of gas and dust, as well as enrich the interstellar medium with heavy elements and grain particles. The mass loss characteristics are well-studied, but the basic processes are still not understood in detail, and the mass-loss rate of an individual star cannot be derived from first principles. These objects also provide us with fascinating systems, in which intricate interplays between various physical and chemical processes take place, and their relative simplicity in terms of geometry, density distribution, and kinematics makes them excellent astrophysical laboratories. The review concentrates on the aspects of AGB stars and their mass loss which are of particular interest in connection with ALMA.     

CaCO3生物矿化的研究进展——有机质的控制作用

生物CaCO₃是自然界分布最广泛的一类生物矿物,其组成除了无机相的CaCO₃外,还含有少量的有机质,包括水可溶(SM)和水不可溶有机质(IM),SM富含阴离子基团,是控制CaCO₃结晶的重要因素之一。通过有机—无机界面分子识别,有机质选择性地与CaCO₃晶体特定方向的面网相互作用,从而对CaCO₃的生长、形貌、多型及结晶学定向等产生明显的控制作用。有机—无机界面的分子识别机制包括静电、晶格几何匹配和立体化学互补等。仿生矿化的研究为进一步深入了解生物矿化的机理及制造高级复合材料提供了新的方法。     

Molecular dynamics simulation of the effect of the Al-O-Al linkage on the P&1macr;-I&1macr; phase transition of anorthite

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the influence of the Al-O-Al linkage on the P&1macr;-I&1macr; phase transition of pure anorthite (An) were carried out using two different types of structures with fully ordered (FO) and partially disordered (PD) arrangements of Al/Si in tetrahedral sites. Discontinuous changes in unit cell volumes and structure factors at the transition temperature were observed in FO-An but not in PD-An. These results show that the orders of the transitions of FO-An and PD-An are first and non-first, respectively. In both structures, the motions of the Ca atoms and the framework are strongly correlated with each other during the transition and Ca atoms dominate the system. Since high-temperature X-ray studies have shown that the transition of natural anorthite is non-first order, it is suggested that the natural anorthite has a partially disordered arrangement of Al and Si atoms. Received: 22 October 1998 / Revised, accepted: 12 March 1999     

海水痕量元素——有机配体的配分特征与影响因素研究进展

在痕量元素的海洋生物地球化学循环过程中,有机配体直接控制痕量元素在不同形态及粒径范围内的分配,进而影响痕量元素的迁移转化过程和生物可利用性。深入研究海水中痕量元素-有机配体的配分特征及影响因素,明确有机配体分子量组分及其对痕量元素的配合作用差异,对于了解痕量元素的生物地球化学行为,评估痕量元素的生物可利用性和毒性效应均具有十分重要的意义。对海水中痕量元素-有机配体的分布规律、配分特征及盐度、pH、氧化还原条件和生物活动对配体的影响进行了系统总结。海水中的有机配体一般以低分子量部分为主体,配合能力因元素性质差异存在随分子量增加而提高或降低的不同趋势。除此之外,有机配体的结构、配合能力及分子量分布随水体各物理化学参数的变化而改变。盐度的增加会降低有机配体相邻官能团的静电排斥力从而降低配体的配合能力,还会导致高分子量金属有机配合物发生絮凝和降解而去除。pH的增加不仅可以促使有机配体离子化,还能促进部分痕量元素水解为与有机配体亲和力更高的形式,提高有机配体配合率。氧化还原环境同时影响了痕量元素的价态和有机配体的浓度,间接影响痕量元素-有机配体的配合率。浮游植物利用及微生物分解可以增加低分子量有机配体的比例,从而提高其配合能力,但当生物遭受过量金属离子的毒性胁迫时,其细胞内会释放胞内配体,将致毒元素转化为配合物并排出体外,从而增加水体中痕量元素高分子量有机配体的浓度。未来应结合有机物结构分析技术及痕量元素分离检测技术,系统研究海洋环境中不同分子量有机配体的结构及与痕量元素配合强度的相互关系,进一步揭示痕量元素的迁移转化过程与生态学意义。     

若干恒星形成区的^12CO（J=1—0）与^13CO（J=1—0）观测

首次利用紫金山天文台青海观测站13.7m毫米波射电望远镜对若干分子云与恒星形成区的~(12)CO(J=1—0)和~(13)CO(J=1—0)分子辐射进行了观测,得到了各自中心位置的谱线轮廓。作为一个实例本文将介绍如何通过对分子云~(12)CO(J=1—0)和~(13)CO(J=1—0)谱线的综合分析与计算得到云中的物理参数。     

Interactions between molecular outflows and optical jets

Young stars produce both molecular outflows and, at a later evolutionary stage, well-collimated optical jets. The simplest explanation is that the molecular outflows are driven byobscured optical jets, rather than directly, by a disk wind for example, but the optical jets appear to have too small a momentum flux. Recent statistical studies however show that the molecular flows must be quasi-stationary, which means that the dynamical lifetime is a gross underestimate of the true age. As a consequence much less thrust is required. We present recent observations of RNO 43, which has well-defined optical and molecular outflows lying close to the plane of the sky. Excellent agreement with the observations is obtained with a simple kinematic model for the molecular material, which supposes that it lies in a parabolic shell around the optical jet with the highest velocities at the working surface. Together with our modelling of the NGC2024 outflow, this is very strong evidence that molecular outflows are produced by prompt entrainment of molecular material in a neutral or weakly-ionized jet.     

A novel high-resolution small ion spectrometer to study ion nucleation of aerosols in ambient indoor and outdoor air

An electrically based ion spectrometer is described, capable of measuring particle sizes and mobilities from molecular ions (small ions) to aerosol particles across a size range of 0.4 to 30 nm in diameter. It consists of a single cylindrical capacitor divided into three electrically insulated sections. The current arriving at the central section is measured by an electrometer and represents the ion flux over a known range of mobilities determined by the applied voltage. The applied voltage is scanned in steps to measure the ion fluxes over a large number of overlapping mobility ranges. The recorded signal and the response function of the instrument are unfolded using a maximum entropy procedure to give a high-resolution measured mobility spectrum. The maximum entropy approach offers a considerable improvement over traditional aspiration collectors and can approach the resolution of a drift tube system. In this way, the spectrometer successfully overcomes the diffusion limit to small ion resolution. Illustrative spectra are shown, demonstrating for the first time the presence of some resolved structure within the small ion spectrum at the highest mobilities. It is demonstrated that the actual mobility spectrum of small ions falls in the range 0.8–2.0 × 10⁻⁴ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. This represents a narrower range than that previously measured which is attributed to improved spectral resolution in the present work.     

Alkylbenzenes in mussels from South and South East Asian coasts as a molecular tool to assess sewage impact

Alkylbenzenes, molecular markers of sewage, were measured in 34 green mussels collected from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines together with blue mussels collected from Tokyo Bay, Japan. Linear alkylbenzene (LAB) concentrations in South and South East Asian countries ranged from 10 to 1640 ng-∑LAB/g-dry tissue. In some populous cities, LAB concentrations were similar or higher than those found in northern Tokyo Bay which is heavily impacted by sewage effluents. I/E ratios (a ratio of internal to external isomers of LABs) in the South and South East Asian countries (1–3) were much lower than those in Tokyo Bay (3–8), indicating sewage discharged in the coastal zone is poorly treated (e.g., raw sewage and/or primary effluents). Alkylbenzenes with branched alkyl chains, tetrapropylene-based alkylbenzenes, were also detected in mussels from Indonesia and Philippines. This “tell-tale” sign indicates that poorly degradable detergents are still in use in this area, although they have long been phased-out in many industrialized countries.     

暗云L1211的C~（18）O（J＝1－0）分子发射谱线的观测

本文作者首次对暗云Ｌ１２１１的Ｃ~（１８）Ｏ（Ｊ＝１－０）分子发射谱线进行了观测，发现了暗云Ｌ１２１１致密核的Ｃ~（１８）Ｏ（Ｊ＝１－０）的宽翼发射谱线和它的结构，得到了核区Ｃ~（１８）Ｏ（Ｊ＝１－０）分子的谱线轮廓图、强度分布图、速度分段积分等高图、速度位置图。     

Aliphatic alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric PM10 aerosols from Baoji, China: Implications for coal burning

Normal alkanes and PAHs in atmospheric PM₁₀ aerosols collected during 2008 winter and spring in Baoji, a mid-scale inland city of China, were determined on a molecular level. Concentrations of n-alkanes ranged from 232 to 3583 ng/m³ with an average of 1733 ng/m³ in winter and from 124 to 1160 ng/m³ with an average of 449 ng/m³ in spring, while PAHs in the PM₁₀ samples were 594 ± 405 and 128 ± 82 ng/m³ in the two seasons. Molecular compositions showed that CPI (odd/even) values of n-alkanes were close to unity for all the samples especially in winter, and diagnostic ratios of PAHs (e.g., Phe/(Phe + Ant), CPAH/ΣPAHs and IcdP/(IcdP + BghiP)) were found similar to those in coal burning smoke with a strong linear relationship (R² ≥ 0.85) between PAHs and fossil fuel derived n-alkanes, demonstrating that coal burning is the main source of n-alkanes and PAHs in the city, especially in winter due to house heating. Concentrations of the determined compounds in Baoji are much higher than those in Chinese mega-cities, suggesting that air pollution in small cities in the country is more serious and need more attention.