太赫兹雷达前沿探测成像技术

综述几种典型的太赫兹雷达前沿探测成像技术。首先,回顾太赫兹雷达技术的发展历程,分析其实用化进程中面临的挑战;然后,分别从太赫兹雷达增程、前视成像探测以及雷达信号处理三个方面展开论述,梳理太赫兹单光子探测、里德堡原子探测、孔径编码成像、涡旋目标微动探测以及智能信息处理五种典型的太赫兹雷达探测前沿技术的研究背景、基本原理、技术优势等;最后,对全文进行总结。研究成果有望为突破太赫兹雷达在作用距离、探测体制等方面的技术瓶颈提供可行的技术途径,并进一步推动太赫兹探测机理、方法、器件和系统等全面创新发展,为战场侦察、精确打击以及远程预警等应用提供关键技术支撑。     

Microbial fuel cells applied to the metabolically based detection of extraterrestrial life

Since the 1970s, when the Viking spacecrafts carried out experiments to detect microbial metabolism on the surface of Mars, the search for nonspecific methods to detect life in situ has been one of the goals of astrobiology. It is usually required that a methodology detect life independently from its composition or form and that the chosen biological signature point to a feature common to all living systems, such as the presence of metabolism. In this paper, we evaluate the use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for the detection of microbial life in situ. MFCs are electrochemical devices originally developed as power electrical sources and can be described as fuel cells in which the anode is submerged in a medium that contains microorganisms. These microorganisms, as part of their metabolic process, oxidize organic material, releasing electrons that contribute to the electric current, which is therefore proportional to metabolic and other redox processes. We show that power and current density values measured in MFCs that use microorganism cultures or soil samples in the anode are much larger than those obtained with a medium free of microorganisms or sterilized soil samples, respectively. In particular, we found that this is true for extremophiles, which have been proposed as potential inhabitants of extraterrestrial environments. Therefore, our results show that MFCs have the potential to be used for in situ detection of microbial life.     

Survival and germinability of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to simulated Mars solar radiation: implications for life detection and planetary protection

Bacterial spores have been considered as microbial life that could survive interplanetary transport by natural impact processes or human spaceflight activity. Deposition of terrestrial microbes or their biosignature molecules onto the surface of Mars could negatively impact life detection experiments and planetary protection measures. Simulated Mars solar radiation, particularly the ultraviolet component, has been shown to reduce spore viability, but its effect on spore germination and resulting production of biosignature molecules has not been explored. We examined the survival and germinability of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to simulated martian conditions that include solar radiation. Spores of B. subtilis that contain luciferase resulting from expression of an sspB-luxAB gene fusion were deposited on aluminum coupons to simulate deposition on spacecraft surfaces and exposed to simulated Mars atmosphere and solar radiation. The equivalent of 42 min of simulated Mars solar radiation exposure reduced spore viability by nearly 3 logs, while germination-induced bioluminescence, a measure of germination metabolism, was reduced by less than 1 log. The data indicate that spores can retain the potential to initiate germination-associated metabolic processes and produce biological signature molecules after being rendered nonviable by exposure to Mars solar radiation.     

太赫兹光谱和功率计量研究进展

介绍太赫兹光谱和功率参数的计量方法,报导了中国计量科学研究院在太赫兹计量领域的工作进展。对于太赫兹光谱仪的校准,利用回波校准技术提高了太赫兹光谱仪的校准不确定度;对于太赫兹功率计量,自主研制了高吸收率太赫兹吸收涂层和太赫兹辐射热计,实现了太赫兹辐射功率溯源至国家激光功率基准。该研究为促进太赫兹技术发展提供量值溯源需求和准确测量技术保障。     

A comment on "the far future of exoplanet direct characterization"--the case for interstellar space probes

Following on from ideas presented in a recent paper by Schneider et al. on "The Far Future of Exoplanet Direct Characterization," I argue that they have exaggerated the technical obstacles to performing such "direct characterization" by means of fast (order 0.1c) interstellar space probes. A brief summary of rapid interstellar spaceflight concepts that may be found in the literature is presented. I argue that the presence of interstellar dust grains, while certainly something that will need to be allowed for in interstellar vehicle design, is unlikely to be the kind of showstopper suggested by Schneider et al. Astrobiology as a discipline would be a major beneficiary of developing an interstellar spaceflight capability, albeit in the longer term, and I argue that astrobiologists should keep an open mind to the possibilities.     

面向未来大容量通信的太赫兹无线通信技术

随着现代社会的发展，信息需求量快速增长，低频段频谱资源逐渐耗尽，无线通信频谱开始向着太赫兹波段（0.1 THz~10 THz）拓展，太赫兹通信技术已然成为未来大容量通信的重要发展方向之一。围绕着太赫兹通信技术，介绍了太赫兹通信特点及其应用场景，太赫兹通信用核心元器件的发展，国内外现有成果对比以及未来可能的发展趋势。同时，分别对微波光子学太赫兹通信系统、全固态太赫兹混频通信系统和直接调制太赫兹通信系统三种不同架构的系统进行分析和讨论，并对太赫兹通信技术的发展趋势以及未来应用场景进行了探讨。     

Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon

Chandrayaan-1 is the first Indian planetary exploration mission that will perform remote sensing observation of the Moon to further our understanding about its origin and evolution. Hyper-spectral studies in the 0.4– region using three different imaging spectrometers, coupled with a low energy X-ray spectrometer, a sub-keV atom analyzer, a 3D terrain mapping camera and a laser ranging instrument will provide data on mineralogical and chemical composition and topography of the lunar surface at high spatial resolution. A low energy gamma ray spectrometer and a miniature imaging radar will investigate volatile transport on lunar surface and possible presence of water ice in the polar region. A radiation dose monitor will provide an estimation of energetic particle flux en route to the Moon as well as in lunar orbit. An impact probe carrying a mass spectrometer will also be a part of the spacecraft. The 1 ton class spacecraft will be launched by using a variant of flight proven indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL). The spacecraft will be finally placed in a 100 km circular polar orbit around the Moon with a planned mission life of two years.     

Can identification of a fourth domain of life be made from sequence data alone, and could it be done on Mars?

A central question in astrobiology is whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. If so, is it related to Earth life? Technologies exist that enable identification of DNA- or RNA-based microbial life directly from environmental samples here on Earth. Such technologies could, in principle, be applied to the search for life elsewhere; indeed, efforts are underway to initiate such a search. However, surveying for nucleic acid-based life on other planets, if attempted, must be carried out with caution, owing to the risk of contamination by Earth-based life. Here we argue that the null hypothesis must be that any DNA discovered and sequenced from samples taken elsewhere in the universe are Earth-based contaminants. Experience from studies of low-biomass ancient DNA demonstrates that some results, by their very nature, will not enable complete rejection of the null hypothesis. In terms of eliminating contamination as an explanation of the data, there may be value in identification of sequences that lie outside the known diversity of the three domains of life. We therefore have examined whether a fourth domain could be readily identified from environmental DNA sequence data alone. We concluded that, even on Earth, this would be far from trivial, and we illustrate this point by way of examples drawn from the literature. Overall, our conclusions do not bode well for planned PCR-based surveys for life on Mars, and we argue that other independent biosignatures will be essential in corroborating any claims for the presence of life based on nucleic acid sequences.     

Lunar settlements--a socio-economic outlook.

The primary ingredient in a Lunar Settlement Program is the people. At the very high cost that will be required to transport, maintain and supply the people who will staff the Lunar operation, it is important to do everything possible to ensure their continued effectiveness in such an isolated, confined, and barren environment. This paper will attempt to identify the issues involved in providing for effective human performance in Lunar Settlements. The approach to be used will be contextual, and thus will not only examine the facets of the Lunar Settlement itself, but will also look at the organizational elements and the design and development processes used in project management from the point of view of long term success and cost effectiveness. The approach will also attempt to look at the Lunar Settlement "in time" as it is connected to events and experiences as they will evolve from the Space Station to Lunar Settlements. Finally, the approach will be contextual in the range of disciplines considered and their impact on planning, evolution, and activities in the entire process of Lunar Settlement. We will hope that Lunar settlers will be able to work and live as effective team members, and to make that possible, the designers, developers, builders, and managers must also function as a coherent team working together to bring about a common goal.     

Survival of Bacillus pumilus spores for a prolonged period of time in real space conditions

To prevent forward contamination and maintain the scientific integrity of future life-detection missions, it is important to characterize and attempt to eliminate terrestrial microorganisms associated with exploratory spacecraft and landing vehicles. Among the organisms isolated from spacecraft-associated surfaces, spores of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 exhibited unusually high resistance to decontamination techniques such as UV radiation and peroxide treatment. Subsequently, B. pumilus SAFR-032 was flown to the International Space Station (ISS) and exposed to a variety of space conditions via the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF). After 18 months of exposure in the EXPOSE facility of the European Space Agency (ESA) on EuTEF under dark space conditions, SAFR-032 spores showed 10-40% survivability, whereas a survival rate of 85-100% was observed when these spores were kept aboard the ISS under dark simulated martian atmospheric conditions. In contrast, when UV (>110?nm) was applied on SAFR-032 spores for the same time period and under the same conditions used in EXPOSE, a ～7-log reduction in viability was observed. A parallel experiment was conducted on Earth with identical samples under simulated space conditions. Spores exposed to ground simulations showed less of a reduction in viability when compared with the "real space" exposed spores (～3-log reduction in viability for "UV-Mars," and ～4-log reduction in viability for "UV-Space"). A comparative proteomics analysis indicated that proteins conferring resistant traits (superoxide dismutase) were present in higher concentration in space-exposed spores when compared to controls. Also, the first-generation cells and spores derived from space-exposed samples exhibited elevated UVC resistance when compared with their ground control counterparts. The data generated are important for calculating the probability and mechanisms of microbial survival in space conditions and assessing microbial contaminants as risks for forward contamination and in situ life detection.     

Radio frequency interference at Jodrell Bank Observatory within the protected 21 cm band

Radio frequency interference (RFI) will provide one of the most difficult challenges to systematic Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) at microwave frequencies. The SETI-specific equipment is being optimized for the detection of signals generated by a technology rather than those generated by natural processes in the universe. If this equipment performs as expected, then it will inevitably detect many signals originating from terrestrial technology. If these terrestrial signals are too numerous and/or strong, the equipment will effectively be blinded to the (presumably) weaker extraterrestrial signals being sought. It is very difficult to assess how much of a problem RFI will actually represent to future observations, without employing the equipment and beginning the search. In 1983 a very high resolution spectrometer was placed at the Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories at Jodrell Bank, England. This equipment permitted an investigation of the interference environment at Jodrell Bank, at that epoch, and at frequencies within the 21 cm band. This band was chosen because it has long been "protected" by international agreement; no transmitters should have been operating at those frequencies. The data collected at Jodrell Bank were expected to serve as a "best case" interference scenario and provide the minimum design requirements for SETI equipment that must function in the real and noisy environment. This paper describes the data collection and analysis along with some preliminary conclusions concerning the nature of the interference environment at Jodrell Bank.     

Testing the H2O2-H2O hypothesis for life on Mars with the TEGA instrument on the Phoenix lander

In the time since the Viking life-detection experiments were conducted on Mars, many missions have enhanced our knowledge about the environmental conditions on the Red Planet. However, the martian surface chemistry and the Viking lander results remain puzzling. Nonbiological explanations that favor a strong inorganic oxidant are currently favored (e.g., Mancinelli, 1989; Plumb et al., 1989; Quinn and Zent, 1999; Klein, 1999; Yen et al., 2000), but problems remain regarding the lifetime, source, and abundance of that oxidant to account for the Viking observations (Zent and McKay, 1994). Alternatively, a hypothesis that favors the biological origin of a strong oxidizer has recently been advanced (Houtkooper and Schulze-Makuch, 2007). Here, we report on laboratory experiments that simulate the experiments to be conducted by the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument of the Phoenix lander, which is to descend on Mars in May 2008. Our experiments provide a baseline for an unbiased test for chemical versus biological responses, which can be applied at the time the Phoenix lander transmits its first results from the martian surface.     

太赫兹固态电子器件和电路

随着微电子技术的飞速发展,半导体器件的截止频率已经进入到太赫兹频段,太赫兹电路的频率特性特性得到极大发展。以固态器件为基础的电路的工作频率进入到太赫兹频段。太赫兹固态电子器件与电路技术在空间领域有着重要的应用前景。文章重点介绍InP基三端太赫兹固态电子器件和电路,以及太赫兹肖特基二极管器件和电路的技术发展过程与最新动态。并指出随着器件与电路的整体化与集成化发展趋势,太赫兹单片集成技术是其未来发展方向。     

数字签名卡的实现

数字签名是保证网络通信安全可靠的重要技术手段。文中介绍数字签名的原理 ,在原有的智能卡系统中加入公钥文件和私钥文件 ,并添加相关的指令 ,在智能卡中实现了数字签名及其验证技术 ,成功地将智能卡应用到 PKI中 ,为网络应用提供一种完全符合 X.5 0 9标准的密钥管理平台     

Giant polygons and mounds in the lowlands of Mars: signatures of an ancient ocean?

This paper presents the hypothesis that the well-known giant polygons and bright mounds of the martian lowlands may be related to a common process-a process of fluid expulsion that results from burial of fine-grained sediments beneath a body of water. Specifically, we hypothesize that giant polygons and mounds in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae are analogous to kilometer-scale polygons and mud volcanoes in terrestrial, marine basins and that the co-occurrence of masses of these features in Chryse and Acidalia may be the signature of sedimentary processes in an ancient martian ocean. We base this hypothesis on recent data from both Earth and Mars. On Earth, 3-D seismic data illustrate kilometer-scale polygons that may be analogous to the giant polygons on Mars. The terrestrial polygons form in fine-grained sediments that have been deposited and buried in passive-margin, marine settings. These polygons are thought to result from compaction/dewatering, and they are commonly associated with fluid expulsion features, such as mud volcanoes. On Mars, in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae, orbital data demonstrate that giant polygons and mounds have overlapping spatial distributions. There, each set of features occurs within a geological setting that is seemingly analogous to that of the terrestrial, kilometer-scale polygons (broad basin of deposition, predicted fine-grained sediments, and lack of significant horizontal stress). Regionally, the martian polygons and mounds both show a correlation to elevation, as if their formation were related to past water levels. Although these observations are based on older data with incomplete coverage, a similar correlation to elevation has been established in one local area studied in detail with newer higher-resolution data. Further mapping with the latest data sets should more clearly elucidate the relationship(s) of the polygons and mounds to elevation over the entire Chryse-Acidalia region and thereby provide more insight into this hypothesis.     

Alternating magnetic field forces for satellite formation flying

Selected future space missions, such as large aperture telescopes and multi-component interferometers, will require the precise positioning of a number of isolated satellites, yet many of the suggested approaches for providing satellite positioning forces have serious limitations. In this paper we propose a new approach, capable of providing both position and orientation forces, that resolves or alleviates many of these problems. We show that by using alternating fields and currents that finely-controlled forces can be induced on the satellites, which can be individually selected through frequency allocation. We also show, through analysis and experiment, that near field operation is feasible and can provide sufficient force and the necessary degrees of freedom to accurately position and orient small satellites relative to one another. In particular, the case of a telescope with a large number of free mirrors is developed to provide an example of the concept. We also discuss the far field extension of this concept.     

A search for chiral signatures on Mars

It is thought that the chiral molecules of living material can induce circular polarization in light at levels much higher than expected from abiotic processes. We therefore obtained high quality imaging circular polarimetry of the martian surface during the favorable opposition of 2003 to seek evidence of anomalous optical activity. We used two narrow-band filters covering 43% of the martian surface, 15% of it in-depth. With polarization noise levels <0.1% (4.3 upper limits 0.2-0.3%) and spatial resolution 210 km, we did not find any regions of circular polarization. When data were averaged over the observed face of the planet, we did see a small non-zero circular polarization 0.02%, which may be due to effects associated with the opposition configuration though it is at the limit of the instrumental capability. Our observations covered only a small fraction of parameter space, so although we obtained a null result, we cannot exclude the presence of optical activity at other wavelengths, in other locations, or at higher spatial resolution.     

基于调频连续波的太赫兹频段转台成像方法研究

高分辨成像雷达是太赫兹技术的重要应用之一,目前太赫兹雷达源的功率水平和太赫兹雷达的应用环境决定了要优先考虑采用调频连续波体制。因此文章在转台成像方式下分析了调频连续波太赫兹雷达信号模型和处理方法,实现了高分辨成像,并与X频段的成像结果进行了对比分析,验证了太赫兹调频连续波ISAR成像的优势。     

基于光子晶体的太赫兹环行器设计及其内带电效应研究

对于卫星亚毫米波甚至太赫兹收发通信系统而言,由铁磁性器件构成的环行器和隔离器是实现功率隔离、保护发射通道不受反射功率影响的关键元器件.文章基于周期性光子晶体阵列,提出一种具有良好平面集成性的新型太赫兹环行器构型;并针对星载环境的电子辐照问题,采用典型能量电子辐照分析光子晶体Si的内带电特性、环行器整体电位以及局部电场分...     

Ultrastructural and geochemical characterization of Archean-Paleoproterozoic graphite particles: implications for recognizing traces of life in highly metamorphosed rocks

Abundant graphite particles occur in amphibolite-grade quartzite of the Archean-Paleoproterozoic Wutai Metamorphic Complex in the Wutaishan area of North China. Petrographic thin section observations suggest that the graphite particles occur within and between quartzite clasts and are heterogeneous in origin. Using HF maceration techniques, the Wutai graphite particles were extracted for further investigation. Laser Raman spectroscopic analysis of a population of extracted graphite discs indicated that they experienced a maximum metamorphic temperature of 513 +/- 50 degrees C, which is consistent with the metamorphic grade of the host rock and supports their indigenicity. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the particles bear morphological features (such as hexagonal sheets of graphite crystals) related to metamorphism and crystal growth, but a small fraction of them (graphite discs) are characterized by a circular morphology, distinct marginal concentric folds, surficial wrinkles, and complex nanostructures. Ion microprobe analysis of individual graphite discs showed that their carbon isotope compositions range from -7.4 per thousand to -35.9 per thousand V-PDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite), with an average of -20.3 per thousand, which is comparable to bulk analysis of extracted carbonaceous material. The range of their size, ultrastructures, and isotopic signatures suggests that the morphology and geochemistry of the Wutai graphite discs were overprinted by metamorphism and their ultimate carbon source probably had diverse origins that included abiotic processes. We considered both biotic and abiotic origins of the carbon source and graphite disc morphologies and cannot falsify the possibility that some circular graphite discs characterized by marginal folds and surficial wrinkles represent deflated, compressed, and subsequently graphitized organic-walled vesicles. Together with reports by other authors of acanthomorphic acritarchs from greenschist-amphibolite-grade metamorphic rocks, this study suggests that it is worthwhile to examine carbonaceous materials preserved in highly metamorphosed rocks for possible evidence of ancient life.