Stellar contents of two young open clusters: NGC 663 and 654

UBVRI CCD photometry in a wide field around two young open clusters, NGC 663 and 654, has been carried out. Hα and polarimetric observations for the cluster NGC 654 have also been obtained. We use the photometric data to construct colour–colour and colour–magnitude diagrams, from which we can investigate the reddening, age, mass and evolutionary states of the stellar contents of the these clusters. The reddening across the cluster regions is found to be variable. There is evidence for anomalous reddening law in both clusters; however, more infrared and polarimetric data are needed to conclude about the reddening law. Both clusters are situated at about a distance of 2.4 kpc. Star formation in both clusters is found to be a continuous process. In the case of NGC 663, star formation seems to have taken place sequentially, in the sense that formation of low-mass stars precedes the formation of most massive stars. Whereas, in the case of NGC 654, formation of low-mass stars did not cease after the formation of most massive stars in the cluster.     

Nearby Protoclusters as Laboratories for Understanding Star Formation on Galactic Scales

Detailed studies of nearby cluster-forming molecular clouds can help us understand the physical processes by which most stars form in galaxies. I review recent advances made on this subject. Submillimeter observations of nearby protoclusters suggest that stars are generally built from finite, detached reservoirs of mass inside molecular cloud cores, and point to a cloud fragmentation origin for the IMF. Much progress in this field will come from future large submillimeter instruments such as Herschel and ALMA. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

AGB Phase Transition in Globular Clusters: A Tool for Dating Starbursts

A new method to detect and study young star clusters is presented. This is based on the knowledge that the light of stellar populations with ages between ∼ 200 Myr and ∼ 1/2 Gyr is dominated by very red, bright AGB stars. Star clusters undergoing this so-called ‘AGB phase transition’ are featured by very red V-K colours, like those of Magellanic Clouds clusters, while optical colours like B-V remain blue typical for young populations. The best channel for detecting star clusters in this age range is therefore the near IR. From the theoretical side, SSP models including properly the contribution of the bright AGB are required (Maraston, 1998). Using this strategy, we succesfully detected the AGB phase transition among the clusters of the merger remnant galaxy NGC 7252 (see Maraston etal., 2001). This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

银河系厚盘的本地空间密度

本文利用北银极天区的现代恒星计数资料，采用标准的银河系模型，通过恒星统计积分方程对参数值组合模型的亮度函数进行计数分析，证明了银河系厚盘恒星成份存在的必要性，并进一步得出太阳附近厚盘成份的空间密度的最佳期望值为薄盘密度的０．０４１．     

塔里木盆地中石化探区含氦气藏资源调查研究*

为了对塔里木盆地中石化探区含氦气藏资源进行调查研究,在广泛调研前人氦气研究成果的基础上,采集了塔里木盆地中石化探区9个井区、6个层系的22个天然气样品,利用质谱法对天然气中的氦气含量进行分析,并探讨了不同地区氦气成藏的主控因素。结果表明,巴什托地区BK3井巴楚组天然气2个样品氦气含量为0.103%、0.116%,达到了含氦气藏的标准; 顺北地区奥陶系6个天然气样品氦气含量在0.026%~0.151%之间,仅1个样品达到含氦气标准。塔北地区寒武系—古近系32个天然气样品的氦气含量在0.01%~0.08%之间,均未达到含氦气标准。塔里木盆地氦气成藏主要受氦源、深大通源断裂、成藏期次、保存条件等因素共同控制。巴什托地区、顺北地区是氦气的有利聚集区带,塔北地区氦气成藏条件相对不利。     

Testing a new combined (U,Th)–He and U/Th dating approach on Plio-Pleistocene calcite speleothems

The geochronology of cave deposits in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa provides a timeframe essential for the interpretation of its fossils. The uranium-lead (U–Pb) and uranium-thorium disequilibrium (U/Th) dating of speleothems, mostly flowstones that underlie and blanket the fossil-bearing sediments, have been effective in this sense, but U–Pb is limited by the requirement of ∼1 ppm U concentrations and low common Pb contents, and U/Th has a c. 500 ka limit of applicability. Here we report age results for calcite-aragonite speleothems obtained using a new combined uranium-thorium-helium ((U,Th)–He) and U/Th dating routine. We reproduced within analytical uncertainty, the published U–Pb or U/Th ages for (a) flowstone in three drill core samples in the range 2000–3000 ka, (b) a flowstone hand sample taken at surface with an age of 1800 ka, and (c) five underground flowstone samples in the range 100–800 ka. Calcite retentivity for He under cave conditions is thus demonstrated. In the few cases where helium loss was observed in speleothems, only some of the subsamples were affected, and to varying degrees, suggesting loss by lattice damage not related to diagenetic processes, rather than volume diffusion. In the 100 to 800 ka range, the combined U/Th disequilibrium and (U,Th)–He method also yielded reliable values for initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) and (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios. Importantly, most subsamples had high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values, ranging from 1.0 to 19.7, although having low Th/U ratios. This is probably due to incorporation of Fe–Mn oxides-hydroxides dust, on which ²³⁰Th was previously adsorbed. Such samples are mostly not dateable by U/Th without the additional input from the He analysis. If not detected and corrected for, such high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values can lead to inaccurate U/Th and U–Pb ages. Our study shows that the incorporation of He analysis in U/Th dating has broad potential application, with four methods for calculating the ages, in carbonates from different environments where U-Pb or U/Th dating would not work.     

全球氦气勘探开发进展与利用现状

【研究目的】 由于氦气具有独特的物理特性,在科学研究、医学和高科技行业的用途越来越广泛。寻找更多的氦气资源,满足市场需求,是地质行业的责任。【研究方法】 按照统计分析原则,对全球氦气勘探成果与供需形势进行梳理、总结。【研究结果】 全球氦气资源分布极不均匀,主要氦气供应国为美国、卡塔尔、俄罗斯等。近期,许多公司开始在北美地区、俄罗斯、卡塔尔、坦桑尼亚等地开展氦气的勘探开发,其中北美部分地区的氦气资源位于富含氮气的储层中,具有广阔的开发前景,全球氦气勘探活动掀起新一轮热潮。【结论】 2021年全球氦市场出现供应缺口,当今全球氦气需求的增长开始转向亚洲和中东。建议高度重视氦气不可再生性和不可替代性,开展氦气资源潜力评价工程,勘查国内非烃类氦气矿床前景,加强国际合作,开展国内氦气储备地下空间评价与选址工作,增强中国的氦气储备能力。     

一种亮星识别算法及其在天文定向中的应用

基于全站仪对任意亮星的观测采样,提出了一种利用高度角序列和水平角速率进行联合匹配的任意亮星识别算法。通过引入天体地平坐标计算程序,算法可正确辨别行星和恒星。本文分析了任意亮星高度角和水平角速率的观测误差和计算误差,以此给出了匹配阈值条件的设定依据,并在此基础上制定了有效的匹配策略。仿真计算及实际观测试验均表明,该算法具有100%的识别成功率,远优于现有算法。将此算法应用于任意亮星天文定向,定向结果的内符合精度达到2″,外部检核精度达到1.6″。采用多颗任意亮星进行定向,可有效减弱由测站位置误差引入的定向系统误差,提高绝对定向精度。本文提出的天文定向适用于多云及雾霾天气。     

星点亚像元细分定位精度分析

星点的精确定位为后续的导航解算提供数据支撑。基于高斯分布原理进行星点模拟,为星点定位提供图像数据。分别介绍了质心法和高斯曲面拟合法的亚像元细分定位原理,并研究系统误差、随机噪声、分割阈值、星等和星点坐标分布5个因素对星点定位精度的影响,分析两种方法的异同点。对模拟的星点进行定位分析发现,星点距离参考点越远定位误差越大,定位精度随噪声增大而降低。实验表明,相比高斯曲面拟合方法,质心法具有更好的实用性,其定位精度对星点的像元信息依赖性较小。