CO observations of semiregular variables

O-rich SRa and SRb variables have been observed in the¹²CO(1-0) and (2-1) lines. A total of 40 stars were observed and 19 detections can be reported. The majority of the objects are weak in CO and have envelopes with small expansion velocities between 1.9 to 15.6 km/s. No correlation is found between period and expansion velocity for the short period objects whereas a trend may be present for the long period ones.Supported by the AustrianFWF, project number P 9638-AST. Based on observations at ESO, Chile and Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Sweden. This research has made use of SIMBAD, CDS, Strasbourg, France.     

Meteoroid Streams Associated to Comets 9P/Tempel 1 and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The meteoroid streams associated to short-period comets 9P/Tempel 1 (the target of the Deep Impact mission)^. and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (the target of the Rosetta mission) are studied. Their structure is overwhelmingly under the control of Jupiter and repeated relatively close encounters cause a reversal of the direction of the spatial distribution of the stream relative to the comet* an initial stream trailing the comet as usually seen eventually collapses, becomes a new stream leading the comet and even splits into several components. Although these two comets do not produce meteor showers on Earth, this above feature shows that meteor storms can occur several years before the perihelion passage of a parent body.     

川西山区大熊猫主食竹野外光谱特性

本文以遥感技术的基础手段——野外光谱测试方法,在我国首次研究了川西山区若干大熊猫主食竹在不同生长发育期和不同季节的野外光谱反射率,从而得出主食竹在不同生长发育状态下的光谱特性及光谱变化规律。主食竹开花前后的光谱变化,可作为预测开花的一条途径。     

Orbital evolution of giant comet-like objects

We investigated by numerical integrations the long-term orbital evolution of four giant comets or comet-like objects. They are Chiron, P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (SW1), Hidalgo, and 1992AD (5145), and their orbits were traced for 100–200 thousand years (kyr) toward both the past and the future. For each object, 13 orbits were calculated, one for the nominal orbital elements and other 12 with slightly modified elements based on the rms residual of the orbit determination and on the number of observations. As past studies indicate, their orbital evolution is found to be very chaotic, and thus can be described only in terms of probability. Plots of the semi-major axis (a) and perihelion distance (q) of the objects treated here seem to cross each other frequently, suggesting a possibility of their common evolutionary paths. About a half of all the calculated orbits showedq- ora-decreasing evolution. This indicates that, at least on the time scale in question, the giant comet-like objects are possibly on a dynamical track that can lead to capture from the outer solar system. We could hardly find the orbits with perihelia far outside the orbit of Saturn (q>15 AU). This is perhaps because the evolution of the orbits beyond Saturn is so slow that substantial orbital changes do not take place within 100–200 kyr.     

Astrometry of near-earth objects using small telescopes

Currently, when a near-Earth object (NEO: any asteroid or comet approaching the terrestrial orbit about the Sun) is discovered, there is a distinct chance that it will be lost again due to the lack of suitable follow-up astrometry. The burgeoning international Spaceguard program — which has an aim of discovering and determining the orbits of all possible Earth-impactors so that calamitous collisions can be avoided-will make this problem more acute, as the discovery rate increases. When NEOs reach visual magnitudes brighter than 21, they may be observed with suitable CCD-equipped telescopes with apertures of one metre or less; in fact, even 0.25-m aperture instruments are now being employed to great effect in this regard. This means that in the present situation, countries or individuals having access to quite modest-sized and modest-priced equipment can make a real, valuable contribution to this international effort. When Spaceguard begins in earnest it will be vital that astronomers spread around the world, using small telescopes, take over the tracking of NEOs discovered by the large, expensive, search instruments. The Spaceguard project therefore represents an excellent opportunity for international collaboration, with scientists in developing nations being valuable contributors in a space program with real significance for all humankind. Presented at the UN/ESA Workshop on Basic Space Science: From Small Telescope to Space Mission, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 11–14 January 1996.

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Comets and asteroids in the Taurid complex: Remarks on a possible common origin

A supposition about the common origin of some cometary and asteroidal members of the Taurid complex is analyzed on the basis of their orbital evolution. It is shown that moments, in which the longitudes of perihelion of comet P/Encke, object (2201) Oljato and six other near-Earth asteroids amount to the value of longitude of perihelion of comet 1967 II Rudnicki, are close to the moment of previous perihelion passage of this long-period comet. Although the conjecture about the membership of comet Rudnicki in the Taurid complex is controversial one, nevertheless the presented results seem to be interesting in itself, and yield a contribution in favour of the hypothesis of the breakup of a giant comet some 10⁴ – 10⁵ years ago in the inner Solar System.     

地球动力学演化与巨型矿集区的形成

地球动力学演化与大型、巨型矿床之间的联系是近年来国际地学界所关注的前沿问题之一。通过编图发现,巨型矿集区是全球矿床分布最显著的特征,它同地球动力学的演化过程有着密切的联系。文章从全球构造的演化历史角度划分了五个地球动力学成矿阶段,并指出新太古代—古元古代的微板块运动和中、新生代环太平洋板块的俯冲作用对全球主要巨型矿集区的形成起着决定性的作用。其中所发现的环太平洋带上巨型矿集区的分段性分布特征,可能跟太平洋板块俯冲的非均一性和大陆边缘地体增生前的组成差异有关。文章在分析国外研究地球动力学与大型、巨型矿床之间关系的主要思路的基础上,提出了在中国开展巨型、大型矿集区地球动力学研究的一套设想。     

Impact of small bodies on to discs around compact objects — II. Interaction with the disc

We consider a system consisting of a neutron star surrounded by a disc of dense degenerate matter, and study the sequence of events following the impact of comets on to the disc. The direct signature of the impact event is a short burst of high-energy radiation (X-rays to UV, depending on the impact location) emitted from the bubble of hot gas created at the impact site. We assume that the bubble is confined by the magnetic field of the central neutron star. Part of the bubble matter may be channelled along magnetic field lines and rain down on the polar caps. The surface density at the neutron star surface may be sufficient to initiate a runaway thermonuclear reaction. These X-rays or the direct effect of the transferred plasma crossing charge-depleted regions in the outer magnetosphere may re-ignite an otherwise dead pulsar.     

Study of a Particular Model of Encounter Between a Comet and a Planet

The objective of this paper is to develop a simple model of an encounter between a comet and a planet, with a subsequent capture or an escape, and to study the potential consequences. The hypothetical scenario is as follows: a comet with a conic orbit meets close to one of its vertices (located near the ecliptic plane), a jovian planet, and transforms its orbit. There are two hypotheses which are made for the shock: this vertex becomes one of the final vertices and the orbital plane of the comet is unchanged during the encounter as it was the case for Brooks 2 in 1886. In this model, it was able to find an equation which was then used to obtain the pre‐ and post‐encounter orbits elements and the kind of orbit (ellipse, hyperbola, parabola) with respect to the initial inclination. The numerical experiments with the observed comets often provide pre‐encounter orbits with an aphelion point located near another jovian planet farther from the Sun, and so on with sometimes several planets, or with an aphelion point located beyond the Pluto orbit. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.