Radiation pressure — a stabilizing agent of dust clouds in comets?

The internal dynamics of an illuminated dust cloud of finite optical thickness is investigated. The dependence of the radiation pressure on the optical depth makes the individual particles oscillate, in one dimension, around the accelerated centre of gravity of the cloud. The cloud moves as an entity, irrespectively of the velocity dispersion of the particles and their efficiency for radiation pressure. If the optical depth does not change, i.e. if the cloud does not expand laterally, its lifetime is unlimited. A contraction caused by energy dissipation in mechanical collissions between the dust particles is expected. The range of particle sizes which can be transported by such a “coherent cloud” is estimated, as well as the acceleration of the whole cloud. The structure of the cloud in real space and in velocity space is investigated. A comparison with the “striae” observed in the dust tails of great comets shows that the parent clouds of these striae may have been of the kind considered.     

Subsurface target recognition in Utopia Planitia of Mars by Tianwen-1 FP-SPR simulation

As a cold and dry planet, Mars contains water resources in the form of water ice, so that the electromagnetic waves can be transmitted to the deep underground to get the information of the topography and subsurface geological structure. Subsurface penetrating radar(SPR) can be widely used in deep space exploration for a long time because of its non-destructive detection mode and its working characteristics not limited by visible light. It is an important type of equipment for detecting the subsurface structure of planets. Orbiter radar is mainly used in Mars exploration. However, because of its low resolution, it is difficult to describe the near surface structure, so there is a lack of radar data which can reflect the shallow information. In this paper, a three-dimensional near surface model of Utopia Planitia on Mars is established. In order to make the simulation results more reasonable, the key factors such as topographic relief, subsurface rocks and water ice, and the variation of dielectric constant in different layers are taken into account. Then the full polarization forward modeling is carried out by using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. The acquired full polarimetric subsurface penetrating radar(FP-SPR) data with noise is preprocessed and further processed by Pauli decomposition. The underground reflection can be picked up more clearly from the Pauli decomposition results. This work is helpful to identify more details of subsurface structures and provides a reference for the measured data in the future.     

Estimating the crush zone size under a cutting tool in coal

Summary As part of an effort to understand the mechanics of fine fragment formation in coal, which is important in studies of respirable dust due to mining, fracture toughness measurements and the strain energy density (SED) theory were applied to calculate the crush zone size under a cutting tool in coal. This zone is the major source of fine fragments in the 1 to 10 µm size range. The model used in these calculations is a boundary element program containing a failure criterion based on the SED theory. The boundary element program calculates linear elastic stresses at numerous points in the coal material ahead of a cutting bit. These stresses are then input to a subroutine called critical flaw length and orientation (CFLO) which uses the SED theory to determine the CFLO for a small crack at the boundary element stress computation point. The extent of crushing is based on earlier postulates about the role of inherent flaws in a fragmentation process. To form 1 to 10 µm fragments requires firstly a local stress strong enough to activate flaws with a characteristic length less than 1 to 10 µm and secondly, a flaw density sufficient to provide an average spacing between flaws also on the order of 1 to 10 µm. The locus of active 10 µm flaws represents the maximum possible extent of fine fragmentation in the 10 µm or less size range assuming that a sufficient inherent flaw density exists. The approach offers a first order approximation to the extent of crushing under a tool tip. The size and shape of the crush zone volume is affected by the attack angle and geometry of the tool.     

冀北侏罗系上统火山岩中宇宙尘的发现及其地质意义

在冀北丰宁、沽源、赤城一带的上侏罗统火山岩中发现有不同形态的铁质及玻璃质微球粒。经电镜扫描及外貌结构构造的鉴定，显示有熔融、碰撞、逸气、旋纹、冷疑、收缩等特征；经电子探针及Ｘ射线粉晶衍射分析，认为是宇宙尘。对其进行研究不仅有重要的地质意义，而且有找矿意义。     

齐依求金矿中微球粒特征

首次报道齐依求金矿中微球粒的发现，对微球粒形态特征、表面及断面结构、物理特性、矿物组成、化学成分进行分析测试，并就其成因作了初步探讨，认为属宇宙成因。     

A 3.5 Ga record of water-limited, acidic weathering conditions on Mars

The secondary mineral budget on Earth is dominated by clay minerals, Al-hydroxides, and Fe-oxides, which are formed under the moderate pH, high water-to-rock ratio conditions typical of Earth's near-surface environment. In contrast, geochemical analyses of rocks and soils from landed missions to Mars indicate that secondary mineralogy is dominated by Mg (± Fe, Ca)-sulfates and Fe-oxides. This discrepancy can be explained as resulting from differences in the chemical weathering environment of Earth and Mars. We suggest that chemical weathering processes on Mars are dominated by: (1) a low-pH, sulfuric acid-rich environment in which the stoichiometric dissolution of labile mineral phases such as olivine and apatite (± Fe–Ti oxides) is promoted; and (2) relatively low water-to-rock ratio, such that other silicate phases with slower dissolution rates (e.g., plagioclase, pyroxene) do not contribute substantially to the secondary mineral budget at the Martian surface. Under these conditions, Al-mobilization is limited, and the formation of significant Al-bearing secondary phases (e.g., clays, Al-hydroxides, Al-sulfates) is inhibited. The antiquity of rock samples analyzed in-situ on Mars suggest that water-limited acidic weathering conditions have more than likely been the defining characteristic of the Martian aqueous environment for billions of years.     

2000年我国天气气候特点

2000年我国主要天气气候特点为：全国大部地区降水偏少或接近常年，出现全国性干旱，特别是北方地区春夏季遭遇多年来罕见的特大干旱，汛期未发生大范围的暴雨洪涝灾害，秋季黄淮以南地区出现持续连阴雨天气，全国大部分气温接近常年成偏高，持续暖冬态势发生转折，夏季高温酷热，春季北方扬沙和沙尘暴天气异常频繁，登陆我国台风个数偏少，风雹等强对流天气明显偏少。     

具有尘带的椭圆星系的红外辐射特性

IRAS在12,25,60和100μm的巡天,给我们提供了研究各类星系红外辐射特性的可能。为了研究具有尘带的E和SO星系的红外辐射特性,我们利用了E.Sadler给出的完备的E和SO星系表。在该星系表中共列出248个夭体,其中38个被证记为IRAS点源,且又有确切的60和100μm的流量值。在这38个天体中有6个被列在K.Ebneter和B.Balik最新发表的具有全带的椭圆星系表中。我们以这6个星系作为具有尘带的E和SO星系的样本,其它32个没有尘带的E和SO星系即作为对照样本。为了讨论具有尘带的椭圆星系的红外辐射特性,我们利用非参数Mann-Whitney检验,对这两个样本的LIR和FIR/FB的分布作了讨论,结果是在对于置信度α=0.05的水平上,我们不能拒绝另一假设:这两个样本的LIR和FIR/FB的分布是相同的。对于同时具有25,60和100μm确切流量的E和SO星系我们讨论了它们的双色图,结果发现,不具尘带的E和SO星系都处于Rowan-Robinson.et al所指出的正常星系区,而一些具有尘和带的ESO星系,则远离这一区域,它们是LINER和SEYFERT星系。     

Oxygen isotope compositions of quartz grains (4–16 μm) from Chinese eolian deposits and their implications for provenance

Oxygen isotope compositions were measured in quartz grains extracted from a 7.0 Ma red clay-loess sequence at Lingtai and six late Pleistocene loess sediments (Malan loess). Results show that the changes in oxygen isotope compositions of Malan loess are basically controlled by the geochemical characteristics of the source materials, while the effect of weathering process after dust deposition could be minor. The oxygen isotope distribution of quartz grains from red clay at Lingtai is similar to that of the overlying loess-paleosol sequence, thus indicating that the red clay at Lingtai has the same eolian origin as the loess-paleosol deposits. Furthermore, the oscillations of the isotope compositions in 4–16 μm-sized quartz grains may reflect the changes, to some extent, of the climatic systems of the source region.