Environmental consequences of impact cratering events as a function of ambient conditions on Earth

The end of the Mesozoic Era is defined by a dramatic floral and faunal turnover that has been linked with the Chicxulub impact event, thus leading to the realization that impact cratering can affect both the geologic and biologic evolution of Earth. However, the environmental consequences of an impact event and any subsequent biological effects rely on several factors, including the ambient environmental conditions and the extant ecosystem structures at the time of impact. Some of the severest environmental perturbations of the Chicxulub impact event would not have been significant in some periods of Earth history. Consequently, the environmental and biological effects of an impact event must be evaluated in the context in which it occurs.     

Multispectral remote sensing of aerosols

Aerosols are common atmospheric constituents that occur both naturally (clouds, sea spray, dust, smoke, and volcanic emissions) and artificially (smog, smoke, certain hazes, detonation products, and industrial emissions). Some, like the great dust bowl storms in the U.S. in the 1930s, are a combination of natural and manmade agents. Most aerosols are difficult to model because they are composed of small, non-spherical particles whose optical constants and particle sizes are poorly known. Spectroscopic observations of aerosols in the thermal infrared atmospheric window between 8 and 13.5 μm offer the opportunity to detect aerosols both day and night down to very low column densities. Such observations can also identify the gross chemical composition of the particles and, in some cases, the actual sizes and shapes. In this paper, we discuss thermal i.r. observations of three types of aerosols: satellite measurements of volcanic dust, ground-based observations of airborne desert soil and both ground- and space-based measurements of cirrus clouds.     

基于离子风电推进系统的平流层飞艇飞行轨迹分析

针对传统螺旋桨受大气密度等环境变化影响,推力和效率显著下降的特点,提出将新型离子风电推进系统应用于平流层飞艇,建立动力学模型和相应推力模型,通过Simulink模块开展轨迹跟踪与定点控制仿真,并对15 km到30 km高度上螺旋桨和离子风作为平流层飞艇主动力的飞行轨迹进行对比分析。结果表明,40 kW功率下,在20 km以上高度,离子风动力飞艇的飞行曲线偏移量与瞬态响应时间远小于螺旋桨动力飞艇。通过优化离子风推进器的结构,选取最佳电压和电极间隙,有可能实现离子风作为飞艇的主动力。     

大气探测激光雷达组网观测一致性研究

通过激光遥感获取气溶胶、云垂直分布情况，对研究气溶胶、云微物理特性、辐射强迫效应以及污染物传输等具有重大意义。在实际应用中激光雷达受激光器能量、发散角以及透过率等影响，会导致各雷达面对同一目标物探测数据不一致。随着地基大气探测激光雷达逐步规模化、标准化，对雷达组网观测一致性开展研究具有重要意义。为保证组网激光雷达数据高质量和高可靠性，在雷达系统自标定基础上，利用太阳光度计、大气分子模型获取激光雷达系统常数，确保各激光雷达回波信号定量可比。通过激光雷达组网观测进行探测目标一致性比对试验，以验证激光雷达系统探测一致性精度。结果表明：标定后，532 nm距离修正信号在1~2 km区间相对偏差从64.89%降低到22.16%，在2~5 km区间相对偏差从49.26%降低到8.90%，在9.5~11.5 km相对偏差从46.83%降低到10.91%；532 nm退偏比在1~2 km区间相对偏差从69.68%降低到20.68%，在2~5 km区间相对偏差从71.24%降低到6.69%，在9.5~11.5 km相对偏差从140.24%降低到9.02%；532 nm后向散射系数在1~2 km区间相对偏差从37.45%降低到23.63%，在2~5 km区间相对偏差从29.15%降低到21.45%，在9.5~11.5 km相对偏差从76.02%降低到24.16%。组网激光雷达数据结果一致性较好，可在多站点进行高精度探测，在气候变化研究、碳排放监测和环境研究等领域发挥重要作用，为大规模大气变化规律研究提供高质量、有效数据。     

星载主动遥感气溶胶-云参数技术需求与进展

面对越来越迫切的气象和气候预测及大气环境监测需求,利用主动星载仪器在全球范围内探测云和气溶胶参数成为快速发展的研究领域。相比被动遥感仪器,主动仪器可以获取云和气溶胶参数的垂直分布信息,这将在天气气候模式的改进方面发挥重要作用。通过云和气溶胶遥感需求分析,从雷达数据应用角度,首先介绍了数值模式对云和气溶胶的科学参数需求和定量需求,进一步分析了云和气溶胶联合观测的需求,以及星载微波激光雷达的探测特点;然后对国内外正在规划的星载云和气溶胶微波激光雷达探测任务进行了综述,包括仪器指标和数据产品设计;最后展望这一领域的应用前景。     

Haze aerosols in the atmosphere of early Earth: manna from heaven

An organic haze layer in the upper atmosphere of Titan plays a crucial role in the atmospheric composition and climate of that moon. Such a haze layer may also have existed on the early Earth, providing an ultraviolet shield for greenhouse gases needed to warm the planet enough for life to arise and evolve. Despite the implications of such a haze layer, little is known about the organic material produced under early Earth conditions when both CO(2) and CH(4) may have been abundant in the atmosphere. For the first time, we experimentally demonstrate that organic haze can be generated in different CH(4)/CO(2) ratios. Here, we show that haze aerosols are able to form at CH(4) mixing ratios of 1,000 ppmv, a level likely to be present on early Earth. In addition, we find that organic hazes will form at C/O ratios as low as 0.6, which is lower than the predicted value of unity. We also show that as the C/O ratio decreases, the organic particles produced are more oxidized and contain biologically labile compounds. After life arose, the haze may thus have provided food for biota.     

分布式卫星轨道构形的大气摄动分析及修正方法

在低轨道运行的分布式卫星受大气摄动的影响,其轨道构形很快遭到破坏,环绕卫星的相对运动轨迹中心不断发生漂移。本研究的目的在于建立一种降低大气摄动对分布式卫星轨道构形影响的补偿方法,以使分布式卫星的轨道构形能够更好地自然维持。研究基于考虑高度变化和太阳周日变化的大气密度模型,得出分布式卫星不同初始相位环绕卫星的长半轴摄动方程。并提出一种补偿大气摄动影响的长半轴修正方法。仿真结果显示,采用此大气摄动补偿方法能够在给定时间内大大降低大气摄动的影响,从而显著提高分布式卫星轨道构形的自然维持能力。     

The biological terraforming of Mars: planetary ecosynthesis as ecological succession on a global scale

Mars is bitterly cold and dry, but robotic spacecraft have returned abundant data that indicate Mars once had a much warmer and wetter climate in the past. These data, the basis of the search for past or present life on Mars, suggest the possibility of returning Mars to its previous climate by global engineering techniques. Greenhouse gases, such as perfluorocarbons, appear to be the best method for warming Mars and increasing its atmospheric density so that liquid water becomes stable. The process of making Mars habitable for terrestrial organisms is called terraforming or planetary ecosynthesis. The process of introducing terrestrial ecosystems to Mars can be compared with a descent down a high mountain. Each drop in elevation results in a warmer, wetter climate and more diverse biological community. Beginning with a polar desert, the sequence of ecosystems passes through tundra, boreal forest, and temperate ecosystems where moisture determines the presence of desert, grassland, or forest. This model suggests a sequence for the introduction of ecosystems to Mars and the communities to search for potential colonizing species for Mars.     

基于精确星光大气折射观测模型的轨道摄动研究

基于星光折射间接敏感地平自主导航方法,改进了现有的大气密度模型和固定高度(25km)的观测模型,建立了自适应连续高度(20km～50km)的星光折射观测模型,并在此观测模型的基础上深入分析研究了影响导航精度的各种轨道摄动力,包括地球形状各阶摄动力、不同高度的大气阻力摄动力、太阳光辐射压力等.提出一种精简的大气模式--静止变标高球面大气,解决了由于高层大气密度的求解复杂,使大气阻力摄动模型不精确的问题,由此取得了较好的导航定位精度.利用UKF和EKF两种不同非线性算法,对考虑各种摄动力后的导航定位精度进行全面的计算机仿真实验,并就仿真结果进行了误差分析,同时研究了各种有关参数对导航精度的影响.     

大气成分探测红外光谱仪系统指标分析

由温室气体引起的全球气候变化和环境污染已经受到全世界的广泛关注。进行大气成分探测，对于更好地了解温室效应产生的细节、大气分子的光化学性质对臭氧层的影响以及大气污染机制都具有重要意义。由于大气成分种类较多，其红外吸收光谱密集且复杂，因此大气成分探测仪器需要有较高的光谱分辨能力和信噪比。文章进行了大气成分探测的总体指标需求分析，并据此确定了大气成分探测红外光谱仪的主要技术指标。为了满足指标要求，该光谱仪采用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪的总体方案。通过仪器性能影响因素分析和系统优化，使得该仪器的最终设计结果满足指标要求。     

Possibilities of remote sensing to determine parameters needed for climate change studies

The second objective of GARP—climate research—comes more and more into the focus of the scientific community, and the use of satellites and spacelabs to acquire the necessary data is discussed widely. From an inspection of the results of current climate model computations it is attempted in this paper to deduce the criticality of atmospheric parameters with respect to climate and to deduce the required measuring accuracy to get useful data for further climate studies. It emerges that some quantities as the solar flux and albedo have to be determined to better than 1%, and that much improved global information about particles, clouds and gas distribution is necessary. The impact of these requirements on future satellite systems is discussed. One result is the need for comparative and calibrating spacelab missions as well as for adequate ground truth or in situ operations.     

近地卫星编队构形保持方法

针对J2摄动和大气摄动导致低轨编队卫星构型破坏的情况,基于高斯摄动方程给出了以平均轨道根数为被控制量的脉冲控制模型。利用法向脉冲调整轨道倾角和升交点赤经偏差,在轨道上2个位置施加径向和切向脉冲调整其余轨道根数偏差从而修正卫星编队构形。最后通过数值仿真验证了算法的简单性、有效性。     

基于多波束偏振探测体制的星载云-气溶胶探测雷达设计和仿真

星载激光探测载荷具有云、气溶胶垂直廓线的探测能力。国内外已有的载荷,例如美国Calipso卫星的Caliop雷达、国内“句芒号”卫星的多波束激光雷达和大气污染监测卫星的大气探测激光雷达,为单波束云-气溶胶探测,单次探测区域较窄。提出了多波束云-气溶胶探测激光雷达系统,该系统工作于800 km卫星轨道,采用多波束探测体制,扩展雷达的探测幅宽到30 km,中心波束采用双波长偏振探测获取大气气溶胶、云的垂直廓线和粒子种类,边缘波束采用单波长探测获取云垂直廓线,可极大地提高数据获取效率。采用单光子探测和模拟探测结合的探测方式,模拟探测保证探测的动态范围,单光子探测具有极高的探测灵敏度,降低雷达所需的激光能量,降低雷达的重量和功耗。最终通过模拟仿真,验证了星载多波束云-气溶胶探测雷达对典型云、气溶胶的探测效果。     

An evaluation of Jacchia and MSIS 90 atmospheric models with CBERS data

“CBERS” (China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) was put into orbit on 14^th of October 1999. The atmospheric drag is the major non-gravitational perturbation affecting the control of ground track. As accuracy requirements increase, greater reliance is placed on the empirical techniques. During the initial operational phase of CBERS, the solar activity is almost at its peak. This phenomenon has provided an opportunity to carry out an evaluation of the atmospheric density models. The study puts emphasis on two commonly used atmospheric density models viz. Jacchia and Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter (MSIS). The analysis is based on the decay histories of CBERS to choose the accurate density model. Density models used for orbit propagation are usually derived empirically from actual flight data. Brief synopsis of some of the models is presented along with some of the density tables and orbit solutions of CBERS. Typical plots of density are presented. The study indicated that the drag estimation is relatively precise using MSIS based models. Among them MSIS-90 density model is observed to be a better compromise in terms of accuracy, flexibility and computational aspects. The analysis would be useful in mitigating the impact of solar activity on orbit prediction and maintenance.     

The effect of a strong stellar flare on the atmospheric chemistry of an earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf

Main sequence M stars pose an interesting problem for astrobiology: their abundance in our galaxy makes them likely targets in the hunt for habitable planets, but their strong chromospheric activity produces high-energy radiation and charged particles that may be detrimental to life. We studied the impact of the 1985 April 12 flare from the M dwarf AD Leonis (AD Leo), simulating the effects from both UV radiation and protons on the atmospheric chemistry of a hypothetical, Earth-like planet located within its habitable zone. Based on observations of solar proton events and the Neupert effect, we estimated a proton flux associated with the flare of 5.9?×?10? protons cm?2 sr?1 s?1 for particles with energies >10?MeV. Then we calculated the abundance of nitrogen oxides produced by the flare by scaling the production of these compounds during a large solar proton event called the Carrington event. The simulations were performed with a 1-D photochemical model coupled to a 1-D radiative/convective model. Our results indicate that the UV radiation emitted during the flare does not produce a significant change in the ozone column depth of the planet. When the action of protons is included, the ozone depletion reaches a maximum of 94% two years after the flare for a planet with no magnetic field. At the peak of the flare, the calculated UV fluxes that reach the surface, in the wavelength ranges that are damaging for life, exceed those received on Earth during less than 100?s. Therefore, flares may not present a direct hazard for life on the surface of an orbiting habitable planet. Given that AD Leo is one of the most magnetically active M dwarfs known, this conclusion should apply to planets around other M dwarfs with lower levels of chromospheric activity.     

Active measures for reducing the global climatic impacts of escalating CO2 concentrations

The buildup of CO₂ by fossil-fuel burning and associated climatic changes have become the subject of intensive investigations. Although the time scale on which significant climatic changes (e.g. mean temperature changes of several degrees, appreciable changes in global and regional rainfalls and winds, etc.) are expected to occur is long, it has been noted that the magnitude of the energy system is so vast that modifications in the primary resource mix should preferably be initiated within a decade or sooner. The notion that the most economical energy source will be replaced globally in response to longterm climate model predictions is probably false. Before policy matters of this type can be discussed reasonably, careful assessments must be made of alternative global measures that do not require curtailments of fossil-fuel applications. This study on active measures for reducing climate changes caused by escalating CO₂ concentrations deals with potentially important areas of research. We find: (a) reductions in the solar input to the Earth by reflecting sunlight directly are prohibitively costly; (b) desired changes in Earth albedo through judicious introduction of small particles can probably be accomplished at acceptable cost through the use of modified combustors on high-flying aircraft.     

Cenozoic bolide impacts and biotic change in North American mammals

North American mammals experienced a major mass extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary that is tied unambiguously to the Chicxulub impact event. Immediately afterwards, there was an immense adaptive radiation that greatly expanded taxonomic diversity and the range of body sizes and ecological strategies. However, ties between later, Cenozoic impact events and specific episodes in mammalian evolution cannot be demonstrated. A time series of maximum known crater sizes within 1.0-million-year-long temporal bins is shown not to cross-correlate with five separate measures of taxonomic turnover rate, one measure of change in relative taxonomic composition, and four measures of change in body mass distributions. The lack of correlation persists even after excluding the volatile Paleocene mammalian data, adding dummy data to represent intervals without known craters, or lagging the time series against each other for up to 5 million years. Furthermore, the data fail to support broad-brush correspondences between ages of major (>20 km in diameter) craters and the timing of five key, post-K/T biotic transitions, including medium-sized extinction episodes during the late Paleocene and latest Miocene. The results challenge the idea that extraterrestrial impacts drive all, most, or even many extinction and radiation episodes in terrestrial organisms, and add to other evidence that natural, long-term biotic changes are often independent of changes in the physical environment.     

反步法与神经网络融合的平流层飞艇轨迹鲁棒控制方法

针对平流层飞艇水平轨迹控制面临外部风场扰动和模型参数不确定的特点,提出一种反步法与RBF神经网络融合的非线性鲁棒轨迹控制方法。该方法采用Lagrange动力学模型,通过反步法直接求解推力和力矩的控制律,采用RBF神经网络动态优化调整反步法的控制增益参数。仿真结果表明,新的控制方法可实现平流层飞艇对直线/圆组合式参考轨迹的高精度跟踪控制,有效克服风场扰动和模型不确定性因素造成的不利影响。     

高层大气模型对空间站轨道漂移和寿命的影响分析

本文以轨道摄动分析方法一阶理论为基础，其中大气阻力摄动采用数值积分方法，给出一种可利用各种大气模型进行轨道摄动分析的计算方法，并利用三种高层大气模型（ＣＩＲＡ—７２，ＣＩＲＡ—８６和ＤＴＭ）和三个太阳活动水平（Ｆ１０．７＝１００，１５０和２００）分析比较了大气阻力振动对高度为４００ｋｍ的空间站轨道漂移和寿命的影响，以及估算修正轨道漂移所需的能量。给出的定量分析结果将为空间站或航天飞行器的轨道设计和能量估算提供依据。