The SFR and IMF of the galactic disk

There is a long term dynamical heating of stellar populations with age observed in the age – velocity dispersion – relation (AVR). This effect allows a determination of the star formation history SFR(t) from local kinematical data of main sequence stars. Using a self-consistent disk model for the vertical structure of the disk, we find from the kinematics of the stars in the solar neighbourhood that the SFR shows a moderate star burst about 10 Gyr ago followed by a continuous decline to the present day value consistent with the observed number of OB stars. The gravitational potential of the gas component and of the Dark Matter Halo is included and the effect of chemical enrichment, finite lifetime of the stars and mass loss of the stellar component are taken into account. The scale heights for main sequence stars together with the SFR is then used to determine constistently the IMF from the observed local luminosity function. The main new result is that the power law break in the present day mass function (PDMF) around 1 M _⊙ is entirely due to evolutionary effects of the disk and does not appear in the IMF. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Bar dissolution in non-spherical halos

Dynamical evolution of N-body bars embedded in spherical and prolate dark matter halos is investigated. In particular, the configuration such that galactic disks are placed in the plane perpendicular to the equatorial plane of the prolate halos is considered. Such a configuration is frequently found in cosmological simulations. N-body disks embedded in a fixed external halo potential were simulated, so that the barred structure was formed via dynamical instability in initially cool disks. In the subsequent evolution, bars in prolate halos dissolved gradually with time, while the bar pattern in spherical halos remained almost unchanged until the end of simulations. The e-folding time of bars suggest that they could be destroyed in a time smaller than a Hubble time. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED STATES

This paper analyzes the surprisingly great variation in demographic character across the states, utilizing data on fertility, mortality, age, sex, mobility, household character, abortion, race and ethnicity. A fairly simple regional pattern is revealed that is less related to levels of economic development than to long-standing historical cultural differences.     

南海北缘北东东向构造活动性研究

从地形地貌特征、重磁地球物理场、深部构造与断裂构造以及地震活动、震源机制等多方面论述北东东向构造是南海北缘的主要活动构造。对于长期以来认为新华夏系北东向构造是该区主要活动构造的观点来说，这是一种新的学术思想。     

有限元法与伪谱法混合求解弹性波动方程

在地震波场数值模拟中,有限差分法、有限元法和伪谱法都是常用的基本方法,但它们各有不同的适应性和优缺点,如有限差分法、有限元法都存在减弱网格频散和提高计算效率的矛盾,而伪谱法的网格频散小且计算效率高.有限差分法和伪谱法在处理地表结构复杂或地表剧烈起伏以及地下结构复杂的情况时存在较大的难度,而有限元法可较为理想地拟合起伏地表和任意弯曲界面,且可方便地处理自由边界条件和界面边界条件.尝试将有限元法和伪谱法相结合,形成地震波场数值模拟的一种混合方法,利用二者的优点,克服二者的缺点,达到既减弱网格频散又提高计算精度和效率的目的.并采用所谓的‘过度区域‘技术解决两种不同算法的衔接问题.模拟实例表明,给出的混合模拟方法不失为弹性波场数值模拟的一种有效方法.