Discrimination of abiogenic and biogenic alkane gases

We have combined the analytical data of the carbon isotope distribution pattern, R/Ra and CH4/3He values of abiogenic and biogenic (referring to the thermogenic and bacterial or microbial) alkane gases in China with those of alkane gases from USA, Russia, Germany, Australia and other countries. Four discrimination criteria are derived from this comparative study: 1) Carbon isotopic composition is generally greater than -30‰ for abiogenic methane and less than -30‰ for biogenic methane; 2) Abiogenic alkane gases have a carbon isotopic reversal trend (δ 13C1> δ 13C2> δ 13C3> δ 13C4) with δ 13C1>-30‰ in general; 3) Gases with R/Ra >0.5 and δ 13C11 δ 13C2>0 are of abiogenic origin; 4) Gases (meth- ane) with CH4/3He≤106 are of abiogenic origin, whereas gases with CH4/3He≥1011 are of biogenic origin.     

Southern limit of mantle-derived geothermal helium emissions in Tibet: implications for lithospheric structure

The isotopic composition of helium emitted from geothermal springs in the southern Tibetan plateau, reported as R_c/R_A (R_c=air corrected sample ³He/⁴He, R_A=air ³He/⁴He), ranges from 0.013 to 0.38, and defines two principal domains. In southernmost central Tibet, helium isotope ratios are typical of radiogenic helium production in the crust (R_c/R_A<0.05, crustal helium domain). Further north, there is a resolvable ³He anomaly consistent with a mantle contribution (R/R_A>0.1, mantle helium domain). The highest values of 0.27–0.38 R_A occur at the southern end of the Karakoram fault. The boundary between the two domains lies 50–100 km north of the Indus-Zangpo suture zone. There seems to be no association between the ³He anomaly and zones of active normal faulting and litho-tectonic crustal units, such as the ultramafic rocks of the Indus-Zangpo suture zone and the Gangdese intrusive belt. Although scavenging of mantle-derived helium, stored in large ultrabasic and basic intrusions in the crust, cannot be ruled out entirely, we argue that the ³He anomaly most plausibly reflects degassing of volatiles from young (Quaternary) mantle-derived melts intruded into the crust. As such, it defines the southern limit of recent mantle melting and mantle melt extraction beneath the Tibetan plateau. The southern limit of the ³He anomaly coincides with the junction between the Indian and Asian plates, in the region where the Indian lithospheric slab steepens and is subducted beneath Tibet as suggested by seismic studies. Recent mantle melting and melt extraction is confined to the Asian mantle, but the southern limit of the melt zone may have migrated northwards during the last 10 Ma as the Indian lithosphere has progressively underthrust the Himalayas and Tibet.     

The ALFA Laser: Beam Relay and Control System

The ALFA laser subsystem uses a 4 watt continuous wave laser beam to produce an artificial guide star in the mesospheric sodium layer as a reference for wavefront sensing. In this article we describe the system design, focusing on the layout of the beam relay system. It consists of seven mirrors, four of which are motor-controlled in closed loop operation accounting for turbulences inside the dome and flexure of the main telescope.The control system features several computers which are located close to analysis and control units. The distribution of the tasks and their interaction is presented, as well as the graphical user interface used to operate the complete system. This is followed by a discussion of the aircraft detection system ALIENS. This system shuts off the laser beam when an object passes close to the outgoing laser.     

密近双星子星间的照射吸收对具有椭率子星表面温度的改变

照射吸收引起的子星表面温度不均匀分布是子星包层大气斜压性的原因,同时又 会影响到光变曲线的形态．要了解子星包层大气斜压性形成的详细图景,要计算双星 照射吸收对光变曲线的影响,首先要计算出经过照射吸收后双星表面温度的改变,本 文在最简单的双球模型的基础上,采用椭球－球模型就椭球受球的照射吸收后所改变 的表面温度进行了计算．     

刚体自转在巨分子云的聚合形成中的作用

分析在聚合形成机制下,巨分子云在刚体自转盘中的形成过程．研究结果表明,形成的巨分子云主要由其附近的分子云组成．由于速度弥散的作用,非弹性碰撞和自引力使分子云聚会在一起,以这种方式形成的巨分子云是小质量的．如果较差自转存在,这些小质量的巨分子云便有更多的机会聚合在一起形成更大质量的巨分子云．这进一步说明,较差自转在巨分子云的形成中起了很大的积极作用．     

OMC--3的13CO(1--0)和C18O(1--0)分子辐射

利用紫金山天文台青海站的 １３．７ ｍ毫米波望远镜,对 Ｏｒｉｏｎ Ａ分子云中的 ＯＭＣ－３区域,进行了较高分辨率的１３ＣＯ（Ｊ＝１－０）和Ｃ１８Ｏ（Ｊ＝１－０）分子辐射的成图观测．给出了该分子云中１３ＣＯ和 Ｃ１８Ｏ云核分布的整体结构和平均物理参数．观测发现,该分子云的１３ＣＯ和 Ｃ１８Ｏ的云核中心分别与最年轻的天体－Ｃｌａｓｓ ０类源 ＭＭＳＩ, ＭＭＳ４,ＭＭＳ６和ＭＭＳ７,ＭＭＳ８;ＭＭＳ９成协．此外,通过分析ＯＭＣ－３整个区域的速度场结构,发现沿 Ｃ１８Ｏ和１３ＣＯ云核方向从南到北有一个～ １．７ｋｍ／ｓ的速度场梯度,而分子云的红、蓝移团块则分别趋于云的北部和南部．并对ＯＭＣ－３区的恒星形成特征进行了讨论．     

Dense star clusters as the sources of gamma-ray-burst progenitors

Two independent sets of arguments lead us to conclude that the progenitors of superintense bursts (with an energy yield larger than that for ordinary supernovae by one or two orders of magnitude) are born in massive dense star clusters, but generally flare up only after they have left the cluster; these are the same objects that are the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Each of the giant stellar arcs which are grouped into multiple systems of stellar complexes in the LMC and NGC 6946 could only be produced by a single powerful energy release near its center. The progenitors of these systems of arc-shaped stellar complexes must have had a common source nearby, and it could only be a massive star cluster. Such clusters are actually known near both systems. On the other hand, calculations of the dynamical evolution of star clusters show that close binary systems of compact objects are formed in the dense central parts of the clusters and are then ejected from them during triple encounters. Mergers of the components of such systems are believed to be responsible for GRBs. Since their progenitors are ejected from the cluster before merging, the arc-shaped stellar complexes produced by GRBs are observed near (but not around) the parent clusters. If a considerable fraction of the GRB progenitors are formed as a result star encounters in massive star clusters, and if the GRBs themselves trigger star formation near the parent clusters, then observations of GRBs in star-forming regions are consistent with their origin during mergers of pairs of compact objects.