Imaging polarimetry of the dust coma of Comet Tempel 1 before and after Deep Impact at Haute-Provence Observatory

We have observed the coma of Comet 9P/Tempel 1, the target of the Deep Impact mission, by the polarization imaging technique, before and after the impact event (−32, −7, +43 and +65 h). Our observations were conducted in the red wavelength domain from Haute-Provence Observatory (France), with the 80-cm telescope. The overall polarization of 9P/Tempel 1, as obtained near 41° phase angle, is monitored and compared to data from other (active and less active) comets studied by the same technique. The linear polarization of the dust ejected by the impact is compared to previous observations of dust present in jets, ejected during outbursts or released when comets happen to split. At phase angles of about 41°, the difference in polarization between the comets with a low maximum in polarization and the comets with a high maximum in polarization is about 1%; it may thus be difficult to conclude about the classification. Nevertheless, the overall polarization after the impact rapidly reached a value corresponding to the high polarization class of comets, and later progressively decreased to its initial value. The polarization was measured to be slightly lower (about 1%) before the impact than after it in a 26,000-km aperture. The plume formed from dust ejected by the impact was still present 65 h after it. The variations of the intensity and the polarization in the coma provide some clues to variations of the physical properties of the particles; comparison with other techniques corroborates the presence of large particles and of submicron-sized grains in aggregates.     

基于数字天顶摄影仪的地球自转参数测定方法研究

为研究利用数字天顶摄影定位方法测定地球自转参数的可行性,结合数字天顶摄影定位原理及时空基准转换差异,详细分析多台站地球自转参数测定及单台站UT1-UTC测定原理,并推导给出相关数学模型。模拟仿真及实测验证结果表明,采用目前高精度天顶摄影定位系统(精度0.05″),通过全国范围内的合理布站,可实现UT1-UTC参数±5 ms、极移参数±0.06″的测量精度。单台站UT1-UTC实测精度为5~8 ms,可满足特定军事工程需求,同时可为多台站联合解算ERP参数提供数据支撑。研究成果可为我国开展地球自转参数测定提供理论参考。     

2004年印尼苏门答腊MW9.0地震前地震活动增强现象及其与地球自转的关系

选取2004年12月26日印尼苏门答腊M_W9.0地震的余震分布空间范围为研究区域,该区域位于缅甸小板块中部,纬度范围为2°N~15°N.根据USGS地震目录,研究了2004年印尼苏门答腊M_W9.0地震前地震频次的时空变化,并分析了地震活动与地球自转的关系.结果显示:1)在余震区域范围内,地震频次自2000年开始出现了明显的上升趋势变化,反映了地震活动的增强过程,临近地震发生前,地震频次有一定幅度的回落;2)通过地震频次空间扫描,发现震前在震中附近区域地震活动增强显著;3)在1990~2004年的15年中,单位时间内发生的地震数在地球自转季节性变化减速时段与加速时段之比值r_da在震前出现明显的上升过程:1998年~2002年r_da缓慢上升,2002年底r_da快速上升达最高值,之后,r_da呈现下降趋势,直至苏门答腊M_W9.0地震发生;4)2000年1月~2004年11月间,在纬度1°N~7°N的空间范围内的震中附近地区, 5.5级以上地震都发生在地球自转季节性变化减速时段内;5)地震活动累积年频次相对于其长期平均值的变化量ΔN与地球自转"十年起伏"变化关系表现为地球自转减速时ΔN上升,地震活动增强,加速时ΔN下降,地震活动减弱.这些现象并非偶然,可能预示着地球自转减速与苏门答腊M_W9.0地震之间存在着某种联系,这些结果对地震孕育过程的认识和地震预测研究具有一定的价值.     

平均热点参考基准的建立和岩石圈西向漂移的研究

对于大地测量应用来说,目前IERS机构在定义地球参考系时推荐采用岩石圈无整体旋转(No-Net-Rotation-NNR)约束条件,然而对于地球物理应用来说,相对于NNR参考基准的绝对板块运动数据可能会对地幔对流等研究结果产生误导.考虑到热点的运动,提出建立平均热点(MHS-Medial HotSpot)参考基准的方法,给出建立该基准的约束准则,分别以地学模型NNR-NUVEL1A和实测模型ITRF2005VEL为基础,建立了平均热点参考基准MHS-NUVEL1A和MHS-ITRF2005,并与其它基于热点的绝对板块运动模型进行了比较和分析;讨论了岩石圈的西向漂移,给出了岩石圈相对于下地幔整体旋转的更精确的定量估计,即基于实测的热点参考架MHS-ITRF2005和地学模型NNR-NUVEL1A之间的整体旋转为0.26°/Ma,旋转极在(50°S, 62°E),这与由板块的受力模型给出的岩石圈的整体旋转的旋转极很接近,旋转速率大致快了10%.     

青藏高原东缘旋转变形机制的数值模拟

在印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞作用下,青藏高原受到华南块体、鄂尔多斯块体等不同程度的阻挡,引起高原的整体隆升。青藏高原东南缘发生物质向南"逃逸",青藏高原东缘现今的地壳运动表现为围绕青藏高原东构造结发生顺时针的旋转。针对青藏高原东缘的旋转变形特征,基于以大型活动断裂为界的块体构造模型,利用粘弹性接触单元有限元模拟,分析了控制青藏高原东缘旋转变形的动力学环境,模拟的GPS速度与实测GPS速度能够较好的地吻合,构造应力场分布特征和活动断层的性质也能够较大程度地吻合,模拟过程采用的边界及其代表的动力学环境表明,青藏高原东缘整体受控于印度板块的持续碰撞和稳定的华南板块的阻挡,在下地壳的拖曳和重力作用下,青藏高原物质从南部边界"逃逸"。在"逃逸"过程中,受印度板块斜向俯冲作用的影响,沿实皆断裂缅甸板块对巽他板块的剪切拉升作用是形成围绕喜马拉雅东构造结的旋转运动和地壳变形的重要因素,也是青藏高原东南缘旋转活动构造体系的主要影响因素之一。     

西北太平洋海温与广东省汛期降水的关系

将西北太平洋分为８个海区，分析了广东省汛期（４－９月）降水与各海区海温的关系，并用因子分析法对９－２月各海区的相互关系进行了分析，发现降维后头４个主因子的方差贡献占总方差的８２．２３％；对主因子的载荷矩阵进行了极大方差旋转，对头４个主因子的物理意义进行了初步的解释。最后建立了汛期各月降水与海温的预报方程，经试报使用，高于近１０年的平均业务预报水平，对广东省的汛期降水短期气候预测有较好的参考价值。     

Deep Impact, Stardust-NExT and the behavior of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 from 1997 to 2010

We present observational data for Comet 9P/Tempel 1 taken from 1997 through 2010 in an international collaboration in support of the Deep Impact and Stardust-NExT missions. The data were obtained to characterize the nucleus prior to the Deep Impact 2005 encounter, and to enable us to understand the rotation state in order to make a time of arrival adjustment in February 2010 that would allow us to image at least 25% of the nucleus seen by the Deep Impact spacecraft to better than 80 m/pixel, and to image the crater made during the encounter, if possible. In total, ∼500 whole or partial nights were allocated to this project at 14 observatories worldwide, utilizing 25 telescopes. Seventy percent of these nights yielded useful data. The data were used to determine the linear phase coefficient for the comet in the R-band to be 0.045 ± 0.001 mag deg⁻¹ from 1° to 16°. Cometary activity was observed to begin inbound near r ∼ 4.0 AU and the activity ended near r ∼ 4.6 AU as seen from the heliocentric secular light curves, water-sublimation models and from dust dynamical modeling. The light curve exhibits a significant pre- and post-perihelion brightness and activity asymmetry. There was a secular decrease in activity between the 2000 and 2005 perihelion passages of ∼20%. The post-perihelion light curve cannot be easily explained by a simple decrease in solar insolation or observing geometry. CN emission was detected in the comet at 2.43 AU pre-perihelion, and by r = 2.24 AU emission from C₂ and C₃ were evident. In December 2004 the production rate of CN increased from 1.8 × 10²³ mol s⁻¹ to Q_CN = 2.75 × 10²³ mol s⁻¹ in early January 2005 and 9.3 × 10²⁴ mol s⁻¹ on June 6, 2005 at r = 1.53 AU.     

Differential rotation and meridional flow of Arcturus

The spectroscopic variability of Arcturus hints at cyclic activity cycle and differential rotation. This could provide a test of current theoretical models of solar and stellar dynamos. To examine the applicability of current models of the flux transport dynamo to Arcturus, we compute a mean‐field model for its internal rotation, meridional flow, and convective heat transport in the convective envelope. We then compare the conditions for dynamo action with those on the Sun. We find solar‐type surface rotation with about 1/10th of the shear found on the solar surface. The rotation rate increases monotonically with depth at all latitudes throughout the whole convection zone. In the lower part of the convection zone the horizontal shear vanishes and there is a strong radial gradient. The surface meridional flow has maximum speed of 170 m/s and is directed towards the equator at high and towards the poles at low latitudes. Turbulent magnetic diffusivity is of the order 10¹⁵–10¹⁶ cm²/s. The conditions on Arcturus are not favorable for a circulation‐dominated dynamo (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Transport of angular momentum and chemical species by anisotropic mixing in stellar radiative interiors

Small levels of turbulence can be present in stellar radiative interiors due to, e.g., the instability of rotational shear. In this paper we estimate turbulent transport coefficients for stably stratified rotating stellar radiation zones. Stable stratification induces strong anisotropy with a very small ratio of radial‐to‐horizontal turbulence intensities. Angular momentum is transported mainly due to the correlation between azimuthal and radial turbulent motions induced by the Coriolis force. This non‐diffusive transport known as the Λ‐effect has outward direction in radius and is much more efficient compared to the effect of radial eddy viscosity. Chemical species are transported by small radial diffusion only. This result is confirmed using direct numerical simulations combined with the test‐scalar method. As a consequence of the non‐diffusive transport of angular momentum, the estimated characteristic time of rotational coupling (≲100 Myr) between radiative core and convective envelope in young solar‐type stars is much shorter compared to the time‐scale of Lithium depletion (∼1 Gyr) (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)