TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL CASE FOR HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION

I will argue that an ambitious programme of human space exploration, involving a return to the Moon, and eventually human missions to Mars, will add greatly to human knowledge. Gathering such knowledge is the primary aim of science, but science’s compartmentalisation into isolated academic disciplines tends to obscure the overall strength of the scientific case. Any consideration of the scientific arguments for human space exploration must therefore take a holistic view, and integrate the potential benefits over the entire spectrum of human knowledge. Moreover, science is only one thread in a much larger overall case for human space exploration. Other threads include economic, industrial, educational, geopolitical and cultural benefits. Any responsibly formulated public space policy must weigh all of these factors before deciding whether or not an investment in human space activities is scientifically and socially desirable.     

The science behind the vision for U.S. space exploration: the value of a human–robotic partnership

The Vision for U.S. Space Exploration offers new opportunities for aggressively increasing the pace of scientific discoveries across the Solar System by empowering an on-site partnership between humans and robotics, enhanced by new technology-enabled capabilities. In particular, the early emphasis of this new Vision will be on development of new scientific activities on the Moon, and later on Mars. Integration of in situ traditional science activities with creative new types of applied scientific research on the Moon and Mars is a key ingredient in the US Vision. The Apollo era record of achievement involving human exploration is particularly informative, as it demonstrates the accelerated pace of scientific discovery and understanding that resulted from human “on site” activities, however briefly, on planetary surfaces. An example of how integrated human and robotic exploration can enable breakthrough science on the planet Mars is provided in order to illustrate these points. The scientific opportunities associated with the Vision for US Space Exploration are many, and with the incorporation of human-based capabilities on the Moon and Mars, an accelerated pace of discovery and understanding will be possible.     

区域重力场相对基准的建立

针对地震系统各区域重力网的现状,提出了一种在没有绝对重力测量资料的情况下,利用网区多年积累的观测资料,建立区域重力场相对基准的方法。实验证明,采用该方法建立的区域重力场相对基准,精度优于５０ｎｍ·ｓ－２,不仅有利于地震重力前兆信息的提取,而且能优化和评定区域重力网的质量,标定和检测重力仪参数及其变化。     

概率赋范空间的S-凸和K-凸

文献[1][2]认为M－PN空间是局部凸的。通过定理说明这个结论对t-模T（a,b)≥min(a,b)时成立。又通过反例表明，当t-模型T（a,b)=max(a b-1,0）时无论邻域Nθ（ε，λ）概率有界还是概率半有界结论均不成立。还讨论了Takahashi凸性并对S－凸和K－凸作了比较。     

多色彩高空间分辨率遥感影像矢量边缘信息提取算法与应用

相对单波段灰度影像而言,多波段高空间分辨率遥感影像中可用于边缘检测的光谱信息更加丰富。鉴于Canny算子在灰度图像边缘检测中的优越性能,本文利用输出融合策略对其适用于高空间分辨率遥感影像矢量边缘检测作了改进。基于可视化开发平台VC++.NET,编程实现了福州市航拍的高空间分辨率遥感影像红绿蓝三个标准波段在RGB、IHS、Y IQ、YUV、C IELUV色彩空间中对各种地物矢量边缘信息的有效提取。对高空间分辨率遥感影像矢量边缘各分量的分析认为,由于波谱范围差异的影响,在上述色彩空间中不同地物类型边缘检测时响应程度具有显著的不同。本文研究结果表明,该算法参数设置和色彩空间选择对高空间分辨率遥感影像矢量边缘信息提取有较大的影响。     

Social construction functions of consumption space under stratification: The case of Guangzhou

As Chinese cities rapidly transformed themselves into consumerist societies, the relationship between consumers and consumption space under stratification has become a new research area in the field of urban social geography. Based on a consumer behavior analysis, this study explores the relationship between consumption space and the social strata of consumers in typical shopping malls in Guangzhou where the first shopping mall in China was built. The result shows that shopping malls have performed significant constructive functions of organizing consumers from different social classes into different consumption space. For middle- and upper-class consumers, the function of shopping malls centers on utilitarian consumption, identity recognition, and identity construction; whereas for lower-class consumers, its function revolves around pleasure and enjoyment. The symbolism of consumption space is the underlying reason for shopping malls to have their social constructive function. The findings of this research suggest that: 1) a shopping mall is a productive consumption space and a geographical space with subjectivity; 2) the micro-location of a shopping mall has social construction function; and 3) symbolic consumption is the core of social construction.     

点态性质与一致性质的一个新关系

为了研究点态性质和一致性质之间的关系,应用紧性性质在拓扑意义下得到逐点有界性质蕴含一致有界性质的结论,并将其推广到连续函数族的情况.基于Baire定理,得到完备度量空间中的逐点收敛性质可导出一致有界性质的结论.     

Prediction of Space Weather Using an Asymmetric Cone Model for Halo CMEs

Halo coronal mass ejections (HCMEs) are responsible of the most severe geomagnetic storms. A prediction of their geoeffectiveness and travel time to Earth’s vicinity is crucial to forecast space weather. Unfortunately, coronagraphic observations are subjected to projection effects and do not provide true characteristics of CMEs. Recently, Michalek (Solar Phys. 237, 101, 2006) developed an asymmetric cone model to obtain the space speed, width, and source location of HCMEs. We applied this technique to obtain the parameters of all front-sided HCMEs observed by the SOHO/LASCO experiment during a period from the beginning of 2001 until the end of 2002 (solar cycle 23). These parameters were applied for space weather forecasting. Our study finds that the space speeds are strongly correlated with the travel times of HCMEs to Earth’s vicinity and with the magnitudes related to geomagnetic disturbances.     

Analysis of the Space Debris Impacts Risk on the International Space Station

Öpik's analytical expressions relate in a simple way the semimajor axis, eccentricity and inclination of the projectile orbit to the magnitude and direction of the relative velocity vector at impact on a given target on circular orbit. These interesting quantities, along with the impact probability of any given projectile, can be all represented on a suitable projection giving a comprehensive picture of the impact risk on the selected target. By means of this theory a complete analysis of the impact risk on the International Space Station (ISS) is performed. It is found that the large majority of the debris population is on orbits such that a correlation exists between their impact velocity on the ISS and the angle between the velocity vector of the impactor and that of the ISS. The impactor population also is separated in terms of nature of the projectiles, with most of the low-medium velocity ones being particles related to solid rocket motor slag condensates. On the other hand, the highest velocity projectiles are composed mainly by fragments of past in-orbit explosions.The flux of projectiles on the ISS has been calculated for the planned operative lifetime of the Station, by assuming a realistic scenario of the future debris environment evolution and the actual planned altitude profile for the ISS mission. There is a factor 2-3 variation of the flux due to the changing ISS altitude. The most dangerous part of the mission appears to be the central one, when the ISS will orbit at about 450 km above the Earth.     

The general solution of the HENON–HEILES problem

The general solution of the Henon–Heiles system is approximated inside a domain of the (x, C) of initial conditions (C is the energy constant). The method applied is that described by Poincaré as ‘the only “crack” permitting penetration into the non-integrable problems’ and involves calculation of a dense set of families of periodic solutions that covers the solution space of the problem. In the case of the Henon–Heiles potential we calculated the families of periodic solutions that re-enter after 1–108 oscillations. The density of the set of such families is defined by a pre-assigned parameter ε (Poincaré parameter), which ascertains that at least one periodic solution is computed and available within a distance ε from any point of the domain (x, C) for which the approximate general solution computed. The approximate general solution presented here corresponds to ε = 0.07. The same solution is further improved by “zooming” into four square sub-domain of (x, C), i.e. by computing sufficient number of families that reduce the density parameter to ε = 0.003. Further zooming to reduce the density parameter, say to ε = 10⁻⁶, or even smaller, although easily performable in both areas occupied by stable as well as unstable solutions, was found unnecessary. The stability of all members of each and all families computed was calculated and presented in this paper for both the large solution domain and for the sub-domains. The correspondence between areas of the approximate general solution occupied by stable periodic solutions and Poincaré sections with well-aligned section points and also correspondence between areas occupied by unstable solutions and Poincaré sections with randomly scattered section points is shown by calculating such sections. All calculations were performed using the Runge-Kutta (R-K) 8th order direct integration method and the large output received, consisting of many thousands of families is saved as “Atlas of the General Solution of the Henon–Heiles Problem,” including their stability and is available at request. It is concluded that approximation of the general solution of this system is straightforward and that the chaotic character of its Poincaré sections imposes no limitations or difficulties.