Dark red debris from three short-period comets: 2P/Encke, 22P/Kopff, and 65P/Gunn

We present observations of the extended dust structures near the orbits of three short-period comets: 2P/Encke, 22P/Kopff, and 65P/Gunn. The dust trails were originally discovered by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Our observations were made using wide-field optical CCD cameras on the University of Hawaii 2.24-m telescope, the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6-m telescope, and the Kiso 1.05-m Schmidt telescope. We compared the observed images with models and found that the extended structures seen around 2P/Encke and 22P/Kopff before perihelion passage were most likely “dust trails,” whereas images taken after perihelion passage show a high contamination by recently released particles (i.e., particles in Neck-Line structures are visible). We could not confirm the existence of a dust trail from 65P/Gunn within the field of view of the camera used. The effective sizes of the particles responsible for the scattered light were estimated at 1-100 mm (2P/Encke), 1-10 mm (22P/Kopff), and 100 μm-1 mm (65P/Gunn), respectively, which is consistent with previous studies of dust trails made with infrared space telescopes and optical telescopes. We evaluated the mass loss rates of these comets, averaged over their orbits, as reaching (2P/Encke), (22P/Kopff), and (65P/Gunn). These values are consistent with previous work. Therefore, the total amount of material ejected from these three comets is , which would contribute a considerable fraction of the lost within 1 AU that needs to be replaced if the zodiacal cloud is to be maintained in a steady state. We also found that the particles in the dust structures are significantly redder than the Sun and the zodiacal light, and might be redder than the average short-period comet nuclei. Specifically, the reflectivity gradients of 2P/Encke, 22P/Kopff, and 65P/Gunn are 13±7 (% ¹⁰³ Å⁻¹), 20±5 (% ¹⁰³ Å⁻¹), and 15±4 (% ¹⁰³ Å⁻¹), respectively. We examined the change in color with distance from the nucleus. No clear correlation was detected for 2P/Encke or 22P/Kopff to an accuracy of 3-11%, while the 65P/Gunn tail did show color variation, becoming redder with increasing distance from the nucleus. This dark red material, consisting of particles of sand-cobble size, has marginally escaped from the nuclei and will evolve into finer-grained interplanetary dust particles after subsequent collisions.     

Interplanetary dust detected by the Cassini CDA Chemical Analyser

During its cruise phase, prior to encountering Jupiter, the Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) onboard the Cassini spacecraft returned time of flight mass spectra (TOF MS) of two interplanetary dust particles. Both particles were found to be iron-rich, with possible traces of hydrogen, carbon, nickel, chromium, manganese, titanium, vanadium and minor silicates. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and potassium are also present as possible contaminants of the impact target of CDA. Silicates and magnesium do not feature predominantly in the spectra; this is surprising considering the expected dominance of silicate-rich minerals in interplanetary dust particles. The particle masses are and . The corresponding radii ranges for the particles, assuming densities from 7874-2500 kg m⁻³ are 0.7-4 μm and 2.6-6.8 μm, respectively. With the same density assumptions the β values (ratio of radiation pressure to gravitational force) are estimated as 0.027-0.21 and 0.016-0.06 respectively, allowing possible orbits to be calculated. The resulting orbits are bound and prograde with semi-major axes, eccentricities and inclinations in the region of 0.3-1.26 AU, 0.4-1.0 and 0-60° for the first particle and 0.8-2.5 AU, 0.2-0.9 and 0-30° for the second. The more probable orbits within these ranges indicate that the first particle is in an Aten-like orbit, whilst the second particle is in an Apollo-like orbit, despite both grains having very similar, predominantly metallic compositions. Other possible orbital solutions for both particles encompass orbits which more closely resemble those of Jupiter-family comets.     

Polarization in IR bands and the structure of cosmic dust grains

The water ice and silicate dust bands centered at about 3 and 10 μm, respectively, are simultaneously observed in the spectra of several objects. So far the wavelength dependence of the polarization in both bands has been modeled using two-layer spheroids, with the shape of the silicate core being confocal to that of the ice mantle. We show that nonconfocality of the spheroidal core and mantle boundaries changes fundamentally the wavelength dependence of the polarization within the 10-μm silicate band and affects significantly the polarization within the 3-μm water ice band, while the extinction profiles of these bands remain essentially unchanged. Since the results have been obtained for a theoretical model, we discuss their applicability and significance for cosmic dust grains. Original Russian Text ? M.S. Prokopjeva, V.B. Il’in, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Astronomicheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2007, Vol. 33, No. 10, pp. 784–791.     

沙尘天气产生的气候背景及物理机制

沙尘天气发生频率、强度与大风、干旱过程、异常大气环流的气候背景以及人为因素有关。它的物理过程是地表上升气流把疏松地表尘粒带入空中,并且在一定层结条件下形成和加强的。利用1958~2000年内蒙古中西部70个测站的沙尘暴观测资料,对沙尘暴的地理分布、时间分布特征进行了统计分析。结果表明:内蒙古中西部有三个强沙尘暴多发中心,沙尘暴年代际变化和年际变化较明显,且沙尘暴集中出现在春季的3~5月份。     

2010年3月大气环流和天气分析

2010年3月大气环流主要特征如下:北半球高纬度地区有3个不同强度的极涡,中高纬度地区环流呈现三波型分布,三个大槽的强度偏弱,南支槽较多年平均位置略偏东,强度偏弱。西太平洋副热带高压呈东西带状分布,与常年同期相比明显偏强,副高西脊点已经西伸至印度洋一带。2010年3月全国平均气温为3.4℃,接近常年同期,东北、华北和新疆北部气温明显偏低,西南大部气温明显偏高。全国平均降水量为32.3 mm,较常年同期偏多4.2 mm。月内出现三次冷空气过程和七次沙尘天气过程。     

2010年4月大气环流和天气分析

2010年4月大气环流主要特征如下:北半球极涡分布成偶极型,中高纬地区大气环流呈四波型分布,四个大槽的强度偏弱,南支槽接近多年平均位置,但强度偏弱。西太平洋副热带高压明显偏弱于常年。4月全国平均气温为9.1℃,较常年同期偏低1.2℃。全国平均降水量为56.1 mm,较常年同期偏多12.3 mm。月内,西南旱区多次出现降水过程,大部地区旱情缓解;此外我国共出现5次沙尘天气过程;部分省(市、区)遭受强对流天气袭击。     

黄土高原南部末次冰期以来沙尘气溶胶的气候效应

沙尘气溶胶是地球上分布最广的自然气溶胶类型之一,也是气候系统中的重要成分。沙尘天气严重影响人类生产、生活和居住环境,对气候变化也存在显著作用。近年来,沙尘气溶胶的气候效应得到越来越多的关注和研究,但人们的工作主要集中在对现代沙尘气溶胶的研究,而对过去沙尘气溶胶气候效应的研究不多。本研究利用黄土粒度及沉积特征,根据现代沙尘暴的沉降特点,研究了60 kaB.P以来中国黄土高原南部地区沙尘气溶胶的辐射效应,结果表明：1）沙尘气溶胶产生的辐射效应主要表现在造成行星系统太阳辐射反射量的普遍增加,即沙尘过程具有明显的降温效应。2）气候效应上主要表现为对气候的负反馈。由沙尘粒度引起的行星反照率在全新世适宜期达最大值,而在冰期有最小值出现;在气候降温事件中,沙尘气溶胶造成行星反照率降低;每一次降温事件发生时气溶胶的降温效应会相应减弱。约60 kaB.P以来沙尘气溶胶给年均温度带来的影响是使其平均降幅在－0.8 K左右。3）利用黄土的粒度分布,结合现代气溶胶的观测可以估算地质时期沙尘气溶胶的气候效应。     

Assessment of Dust Aerosol Optical Depth and Shortwave Radiative Forcing over the Northwest Pacific Ocean in Spring Based on Satellite Observations

Dust aerosol optical depth （AOD） and its accompanying shortwave radiative forcing （RF） are usually simulated by numerical models. Here, by using 9 months of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） aerosol product data in combination with Clouds and the Earth＇s Radiant Energy System Single Scanner Footprint （CERES/SSF） data, dust AOD and its shortwave RF were estimated over the cloud-free northwest （NW） Pacific Ocean in the springs of 2004, 2005, and 2006. The results showed that in this region, the mean dust AOD and its shortwave RF were 0.10 and -5.51 W m^-2, respectively. In order to validate the dust AOD derived by MODIS, results from the Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport （GOCART） model were also used here. The correlation coefficient between the monthly averaged dust AOD derived by MODIS measurements and the model simulation results was approximately 0.53. Since the estimates of the dust AOD and its shortwave RF obtained in this study are based mainly on satellite data, they offer a good reference for numerical models.     

中国春季沙尘暴年代际变化和季节预测

利用1954～2007年中国258个台站观测的月沙尘暴日数资料,北半球地表温度和美国NCAR/NCEP大气再分析资料,研究了中国春季沙尘暴日数年代际变化特征及其影响因子。研究发现:中国春季沙尘暴日数与贝加尔湖地表变暖存在显著的负相关,相关系数达到-0.8,该地区的地表温度变暖导致蒙古气旋活动和我国沙尘暴频率降低。利用该地区冬季对流层850 hPa温度与春季地表温度指数之间显著正相关关系,建立了冬季850 hPa温度指数预测中国春季沙尘暴频率的线性预报方程。通过22年回报检验发现,统计预报结果与多数台站观测的沙尘暴发生频率存在显著的正相关,最大相关系数达到+0.4。其中,近22年的预报场与观测之间空间相关系数平均达到+0.4以上,均方根误差在1～2之间,表明该统计预报模型具有一定的业务应用价值。