Implications of an anthropic model of evolution for emergence of complex life and intelligence

Structurally complex life and intelligence evolved late on Earth; models for the evolution of global temperature suggest that, due to the increasing solar luminosity, the future life span of the (eukaryote) biosphere will be "only" about another billion years, a short time compared to the approximately 4 Ga since life began. A simple stochastic model (Carter, 1983) suggests that this timing might be governed by the necessity to pass a small number, n, of very difficult evolutionary steps, with n < 10 and a best guess of n = 4, in order for intelligent observers like ourselves to evolve. Here I extend the model analysis to derive probability distributions for each step. Past steps should tend to be evenly spaced through Earth's history, and this is consistent with identification of the steps with some of the major transitions in the evolution of life on Earth. A complementary approach, identifying the critical steps with major reorganizations in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, suggests that the Archean-Proterozoic and Proterozoic-Phanerozoic transitions might be identified with critical steps. The success of the model lends support to a "Rare Earth" hypothesis (Ward and Brownlee, 2000): structurally complex life is separated from prokaryotes by several very unlikely steps and, hence, will be much less common than prokaryotes. Intelligence is one further unlikely step, so it is much less common still.     

Cutting the bread

Why the draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) will not work - whereas the Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities may.     

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.     

过氧化氢/煤油推力室试验件点火试验系统设计与实现

介绍了过氧化氢和煤油双组元推进剂采用火药进行点火试验的系统设计方案并对试验数据及录像进行了分析,结果表明该试验系统能满足设计要求.     

N2O4中铝含量的测定

提出了一种用分光光度计测定N2O4中铝含量的方法。先对样品进行预处理以消除N2O4本身颜色对比色的影响。给出了测定步骤。由实验确定的操作条件是:显色剂为玫红三羧酸铵溶液0.5 g/L,最佳用量5 mL,最大吸收波长530 nm。实验表明,该法测得的N2O4中铝含量的相对标准偏差小于5%,回收率大于96%。方法准确可靠。     

CBERS-O2热红外波段绝对辐射定标及其不确定性分析

文章介绍了2004年CBERS-O2星热红外波段绝对定标工作，结合野外试验情况和数据处理过程深入进行了不确定性因素分析（包括误差分析），并从亮温反演的角度分析定标精度，进而针对如何提高在轨卫星热红外波段绝对辐射定标的精度，进行了探讨。     

过氧化氢催化剂床结构研究

提出了分解过氧化氢的几种方法,特别介绍了银网结构的催化剂床.同时给出了计算催化剂床尺寸的方程式,分析了催化剂床各个组成部分的结构,列出了部分零件的尺寸示例以及催化剂床工作的常见故障.     

铍材应用及其切削工艺

铍材因其特殊的物理力学性能,在军工、航空航天等领域具有不可替代的作用,并且铍材的加工技术成熟度低,有其特殊性。本文介绍了铍材的性能和主要应用领域,如何实现安全高效的铍材加工方法和工艺关键,以及如何去除加工表面应力及损伤层的工艺方法。     

过氧化氢/煤油双组元推力室催化分解点火研究

针对小推力过氧化氢/煤油推力室催化分解点火进行研究.作为过氧化氢/煤油双组元发动机的技术途径之一,还可扩展应用于催化分解点火火炬、补燃循环发动机中.推力室采用细颗粒催化剂床分解90%浓度过氧化氢(90%H2O2),分解的高温燃气使煤油雾化、蒸发和点火并且自维持燃烧.研究工作包括了催化剂床和气液喷注器的设计、单组元分解特性、双组元点火可靠性、工作效率及稳定性研究.试验中采用热容式燃烧室,催化剂床采用轮毂式分配板和多孔式床支板,并检验了不同结构的分解燃气与燃料喷射、混合情况.研究结果显示,催化分解点火可靠性高,工作稳定,燃烧效率在95%以上.     

上面级飞行试验用H2O2/JP-8火箭发动机的催化剂床不稳定性

轨道科学公司和美国空军研究实验室所属的军用太空飞机技术规划办公室共同获得了NASA马歇尔空间飞行中心(MSFC)上面级飞行试验(USFE)项目合同.轨道公司正在设计研制一种廉价的新型液体火箭,火箭采用压力供应系统,推力为4,540N(10,000磅),推进剂为H2O2/JP-8.在NASA Stennis太空中心(SSC)进行的上面级飞行试验用燃烧室热试车时,当H2O2流量达到设计流量的1/3时,催化剂床发生了低频不稳定.本文介绍了上面级飞行试验催化剂床、燃烧室及其工作情况;讨论了催化剂床不稳定动力学;还介绍了用计算机动态模型模拟再现催化剂床的不稳定现象的情况.该计算模型建立在SSC试验数据的基础上,旨在探索解决催化剂床发生不稳定问题的可能方法.最后介绍了对催化剂床不稳定问题采取措施后,燃烧室的结构及其稳定工作情况.     

微切削摩擦磨损特性研究

在微切削领域中,以简单的常系数库伦摩擦模型作为金属切削过程为有限元仿真的摩擦模型仿真计算,与实际切削情况相差甚远;通过利用分子动力学仿真,研究了微切削过程中的摩擦现象,并基于最新微观摩擦学的研究成果,从理论上阐述了微切削与宏观切削摩擦过程中的不同,并应用到微切削加工中的微切削摩擦机理研究,有力的指导去深入地研究微切削加工机理。     

过氧化氢/煤油发动机试验中压差式孔板流量计的设计

论述了液体火箭发动机用过氧化氢作为推进剂进行试验的过程中流量测量可采用的方式。提出了压差式孔板流量测量和角接式取压结构在过氧化氢／煤油发动机试验中的应用技术。针对过氧化氢／煤油发动机试验中流量测量提出了研究需要解决的关键技术。     

可转位刀具典型磨损形式的研究

本文分析了国内外典型的涂层硬质合金可转位刀片在加工时的磨损过程,考察了典型刀具磨损的规律,进行了大量的切削实践活动,最终获得了几种典型磨损的数据。     

N2O4真空排放试验研究

真空状态对高空液体火箭发动机的工作过程具有重要影响,研究液体火箭发动机高空点火、真空排放等过程时,必须对所采用的推进剂在真空状态与地面状态下的差别进行仔细研究。本文以某型高空发动机的真空排放过程为研究对象,根据排放管路中流速相等和流动时间相等的原则,设计了缩尺试验件,对N_2O_4真空排放过程进行了试验研究。结果表明,N_2O_4真空排放流量的轻微减少对发动机实际排放效果影响很小。     

单喷注单元燃烧室试验中碳氢燃料与H2O2的燃烧性能

一个由Sierra工程公司(Sierra)、AFRL(空军试验室)和Nothrop Grumman公司(NGC)组成的研究小组在一个推力为5785N的单喷注单元过氧化氢/碳氢燃料火箭发动机燃烧室中,对几种不同的碳氢燃料进行了测试.试验中使用的各种燃料包括JP-8、RP-1、JP-10、甲苯、环丁烷、松节油以及上述燃料的不同混合物.试验用的燃烧室采用分解后的90%过氧化氢作为氧化剂.采用水冷的燃烧室及典型的燃料液膜冷却,燃烧室的总混合比(MR)的分布范围为3.75～7.4.试验中,燃烧室压力接近5.5MPa.将试验性能与计算出的理论性能进行了比较.在试验中,用红外光谱仪对排气羽流进行了监测.结果显示出了综合谱带强度,证实了羽流辐射对燃烧室工作条件变化的敏感性.在个别情况下,羽流强度的变化可能与燃烧室中的变化有关.但是,对羽流的测量比对燃烧室工作条件的直接测量(如压力和温度测量)更加灵敏.     

圆盘剪剪切应力有限元分析

主要利用有限元方法从力学角度分析圆盘剪刀片在剪切过程中的应力分布,找出其拉应力和压应力区,为圆盘剪刀片的修复工艺提供理论支持.     

Scenarios which may lead to the rise of an asteroid-based technical civilisation

In a previous paper, the author described a hypothetical development path of technical civilisations which has the following stages: planet dwellers, asteroid dwellers, interstellar travellers, interstellar space dwellers. In this paper, several scenarios are described which may cause the rise of an asteroid-based technical civilisation. Before such a transition may take place, certain space technologies must be developed fully (now these exist only in very preliminary forms): closed-cycle biological life support systems, space manufacturing systems, electrical propulsion systems. After mastering these technologies, certain events may provide the necessary financial means and social impetus for the foundation of the first asteroid-based colonies. In the first scenario, a rich minority group becomes persecuted and they decide to leave the Earth. In the second scenario, a "cold war"-like situation exists and the leaders of the superpowers order the creation of asteroid-based colonies to show off their empires' technological (and financial) grandiosity. In the third scenario, the basic situation is similar to the second one, but in this case the asteroids are not just occupied by the colonists. With several decades of hard work, an asteroid can be turned into a kinetic energy weapon which can provide the same (or greater) threat as the nuclear arsenal of a present superpower. In the fourth scenario, some military asteroids are moved to Earth-centred orbits and utilised as "solar power satellites" (SPS). This would be a quite economical solution because a "military asteroid" already contains most of the important components of an SPS (large solar collector arrays, power distribution devices, orbit modifying rocket engine), one should add only a large microwave transmitter.     

浅谈金属零件的设计、切削加工及热处理的关系

文章从生产实践应用出发,谈了零件设计与切削加工、热处理工艺三者的关系,阐述了设计人员懂得一些切削加工工艺和热处理工艺方面的知识,对设计出质优价廉产品的重要性;同时,切削加工工艺与热处理工艺有着密切关系,在产品的设计和制造中,只有处理好三者相互的密切关系,才能使产品的设计和制造水平得到提高。     

铝水推进剂用铝基复合材料的制备及性能研究

通过比定压热容、热导率、热扩散率、电阻率和差热分析(DTA)等测试,考察了3种不同添加剂对铝水推进体系用铝基复合材料性能的影响。结果表明,添加剂b的加入,明显改善了铝基复合材料的性能:降低了铝基复合材料的启动温度,该材料在常温下与水反应剧烈,释放出明亮的火焰;提高了铝基复合材料的比定压热容,在-50~20℃温度范围内,比定压热容由0.65~0.75 J/(g.K)提高到0.95~1.1 J/(g.K);改善了铝基复合材料的导电、导热性能,热导率由3.938 1 W/(m.K)提高到5.039 6 W/(m.K),电阻率由0.013 6Ω.m降到0.013 1Ω.m。     

K42O2高温合金激光选区熔化成形微观组织研究

为了实现激光选区熔化成形(SLM)这项新工艺在液体火箭发动机高温合金结构上的推广应用,明晰其强化机理以及研究相应的热处理制度,对激光选区熔化快速凝固条件下组织形成及演化规律、第二相析出特点进行了分析和讨论.采用SLM成形K4202镍基高温合金试样,通过光学显微镜(OM)、扫描电镜(SEM)及X射线衍射(XRD)等理化分析手段,将基于ANSYS生死单元技术的温度场数值模拟结果和经典凝固理论相结合,揭示了其组织特征及演化规律:沉积态表现为外延生长柱状晶,层间可见层带组织,顶部出现转向枝晶和二次枝晶臂,γ'强化相和碳化物的析出受到抑制.