Organic Chemistry and Exobiology on Titan

Exobiology is not only the study of the origin, distribution and evolution of life in the universe, but also of structures — including at the molecular level, and processes — including organic chemical transformations — related to life. In that respect, with its dense nitrogen atmosphere, which includes a noticeable fraction of methane, and the many organic compounds which are present in the gas and aerosols phases, Titan appears to be a planetary object of prime interest for exobiology in the Solar system, allowing the study of chemical organic evolution in a planetary environment over a long time scale. We describe here some aspects of this extraterrestrial organic chemistry which involves many physical and chemical couplings in the different parts of what can be called ‘Titan's geofluid’ (gas phase, aerosol phases and surface solid and maybe liquid phases). The three complementary approaches which can be followed to study such chemistry of exobiological interest are considered. Those are experimental simulations in the laboratory, chemical and photochemical modeling and of course observation, using both remote sensing and in situ measurements, which is an essential approach. The Cassini-Huygens mission, that offers a unique opportunity to study in detail the many aspects of Titan's organic chemistry, is discussed and the many expected exobiological returns from the different instruments of the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe are considered. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

轮盘偏心孔低循环疲劳寿命预测法

本文在系统的试验研究基础上提出了应用光滑圆棒试样的低循环疲劳断裂寿命统计数据来精确地预测轮盘偏心孔的低循环疲劳起始中值寿命和可靠性寿命(存活率p=99.9％)的方法。研究表明,对近似于单轴应力状态的轮盘偏心孔来说,其起始寿命一般只与危险点上的最大应变历程有关,而与应变梯度关系不大。研究还表明,中值寿命通常只与钢的化学成份和热处理种类有关;而可靠性寿命则与许多因素有关。     

察言观色看透小“心机”

察颜观色,通过对方一个不经意的小表情、小动作破解其深藏的内心奥秘,是行走于百态人问人们的一个普遍心愿。世界太复杂,准不想拥有一双火眼金睛,探知动作、表情背后潜藏的危机呢?美国电视剧《Lie to Me》(别对我说谎)的热播,更是点燃了人们破解微动作、微表情的热情火药。一时间各路"神仙"纷纷著书立说,鱼龙混杂,那么究竟人们的表情、动作能否透露内心深藏的秘密?中国"应激心理微反应"学科带头人姜振宇,在《姜振宇教你察言观色》一书中破除了诸多不靠谱的"读心"神话,带领读者从科学的角度出发,一步步破解人类的丛林基因密码,帮助读者分析     

The Contributions of Comets to Planets, Atmospheres, and Life: Insights from Cassini-Huygens, Galileo, Giotto, and Inner Planet Missions

Comets belong to a group of small bodies generally known as icy planetesimals. Today the most primitive icy planetesimals are the Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) occupying a roughly planar domain beyond Neptune. KBOs may be scattered inward, allowing them to collide with planets. Others may move outward, some all the way into the Oort cloud. This is a spherical distribution of comet nuclei at a mean distance of ～50,000 AU. These nuclei are occasionally perturbed into orbits that intersect the paths of the planets, again allowing collisions. The composition of the atmosphere of Jupiter—and thus possibly all outer planets—shows the effects of massive early contributions from extremely primitive icy bodies that must have been close relatives of the KBOs. Titan may itself have a composition similar to that of Oort cloud comets. The origin and early evolution of its atmosphere invites comparison with that of the early Earth. Impacts of comets must have brought water and other volatile compounds to the Earth and the other inner planets, contributing to the reservoir of key ingredients for the origin of life. The magnitude of these contributions remains unknown but should be accessible to measurements by instruments on spacecraft.     

Remaining useful life prognostics for aeroengine based on superstatistics and information fusion

Remaining useful life（RUL） prognostics is a fundamental premise to perform conditionbased maintenance（CBM） for a system subject to performance degradation. Over the past decades,research has been conducted in RUL prognostics for aeroengine. However, most of the prognostics technologies and methods simply base on single parameter, making it hard to demonstrate the specific characteristics of its degradation. To solve such problems, this paper proposes a novel approach to predict RUL by means of superstatistics and information fusion. The performance degradation evolution of the engine is modeled by fusing multiple monitoring parameters, which manifest non-stationary characteristics while degrading. With the obtained degradation curve,prognostics model can be established by state-space method, and then RUL can be estimated when the time-varying parameters of the model are predicted and updated through Kalman filtering algorithm. By this method, the non-stationary degradation of each parameter is represented, and multiple monitoring parameters are incorporated, both contributing to the final prognostics. A case study shows that this approach enables satisfactory prediction evolution and achieves a markedly better prognosis of RUL.     

Protein Microarrays-Based Strategies for Life Detection in Astrobiology

The detection of organic molecules of unambiguous biological origin is fundamental for the confirmation of present or past life. Planetary exploration requires the development of miniaturized apparatus for in situ life detection. Analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry have been traditionally used in space science. Following the Viking landers, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for organic detection has gained general acceptance and has been used successfully in the Cassini–Huygens mission to Titan. Microfluidics allows the development of miniaturized capillary electrophoresis devices for the detection of important molecules for life, like amino acids or nucleobases. Recently, a new approach is gaining acceptance in the space science community: the application of the well-known, highly specific, antibody–antigen affinity interaction for the detection and identification of organics and biochemical compounds. Antibodies can specifically bind a plethora of structurally different compounds of a broad range of molecular sizes, from amino acids level to whole cells. Antibody microarray technology allows us to look for the presence of thousands of different compounds in a single assay and in just one square centimeter. Herein, we discuss several important issues—most of which are common with other instruments dealing with life signature detection in the solar system—that must be addressed in order to use antibody microarrays for life detection and planetary exploration. These issues include (1) preservation of biomarkers, (2) the extraction techniques for biomarkers, (3) terrestrial analogues, (4) the antibody stability under space environments, (5) the selection of unequivocal biomarkers for the antibody production, or (6) the instrument design and implementation.     

Notes on Magnetohydrodynamics of Magnetic Reconnection in Turbulent Media

Astrophysical fluids have very large Reynolds numbers and therefore turbulence is their natural state. Magnetic reconnection is an important process in many astrophysical plasmas, which allows restructuring of magnetic fields and conversion of stored magnetic energy into heat and kinetic energy. Turbulence is known to dramatically change different transport processes and therefore it is not unexpected that turbulence can alter the dynamics of magnetic field lines within the reconnection process. We shall review the interaction between turbulence and reconnection at different scales, showing how a state of turbulent reconnection is natural in astrophysical plasmas, with implications for a range of phenomena across astrophysics. We consider the process of magnetic reconnection that is fast in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) limit and discuss how turbulence—both externally driven and generated in the reconnecting system—can make reconnection independent on the microphysical properties of plasmas. We will also show how relaxation theory can be used to calculate the energy dissipated in turbulent reconnecting fields. As well as heating the plasma, the energy dissipated by turbulent reconnection may cause acceleration of non-thermal particles, which is briefly discussed here.     

Biological implications of the Viking mission to Mars

A central purpose of Viking was to search for evidence that life exists on Mars or may have existed in the past. The missions carried three biology experiments the prime purpose of which was to seek for existing microbial life. In addition the results of a number of the other experiments have biological implications: (1) The elemental analyses of the atmosphere and the regolith showed or implied that the elements generally considered essential to terrestrial biology are present. (2) But unexpectedly, no organic compounds were detected in Martian samples by an instrument that easily detected organic materials in the most barren of terrestrial soils. (3) Liquid water is believed to be an absolute requisite for life. Viking obtained direct evidence for the presence of water vapor and water ice, and it obtained strong inferential evidence for the existence of large amounts of subsurface permafrost now and in the Martain past. However it obtained no evidence for the current existence of liquid water possessing the high chemical potential required for at least terrestrial life, a result that is consistent with the known pressure-temperature relations on the planet's surface. On the other hand, the mission did obtain strong indications from both atmospheric analyses and orbital photographs that large quantities of liquid water flowed episodically on the Martian surface 0.5 to 2.5 G years ago.The three biology experiments produced clear evidence of chemical reactivity in soil samples, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the chemical reactions were nonbiological in origin. The unexpected release of oxygen by soil moistened with water vapor in the Gas Exchange experiment together with the negative findings of the organic analysis experiment lead to the conclusion that the surface contains powerful oxidants. This conclusion is consistent with models of the atmosphere. The oxidants appear also to have been responsible for the decarboxylation of the organic nutrients that were introduced in the Label Release experiment. The major results of the GEX and LR experiments have been simulated at least qualitatively on Earth. The third, Pyrolytic Release, experiment obtained evidence for organic synthesis by soil samples. Although the mechanism of the synthesis is obscure, the thermal stability of the reaction makes a biological explanation most unlikely. Furthermore, the response of soil samples in all three experiments to the addition of water is not consistent with a biological interpretation.The conditions now known to exist at and below the Martian surface are such that no known terrestrial organism could grow and function. Although the evidence does not absolutely rule out the existence of favourable oases, it renders their existence extremely unlikely. The limiting conditions for the functioning of terrestrial organisms are not the limits for conceivable life elsewhere, and accordingly one cannot exclude the possibility that indigenous life forms may currently exist somewhere on Mars or may have existed sometime in the past. Nevertheless, the available information about the present Martian environment puts severe constraints and presents formidable challenges to any putative Martian organisms. The Martian environment in the past, on the other hand, appears to have been considerably less hostile biologically, and it might possibly have permitted the origin and transient establishment of a biota.     

基于数字图像相关方法微裂纹萌生试验研究

为了进一步研究疲劳裂纹在萌生阶段的特点,本文结合数字图像相关方法 (Digital Image Correlation Method,DIC)设计并组建了配合液压疲劳试验机加载的原位观测系统。同时针对DIC测量方法中的关键技术进行研究,分别提出了一种可应用于视场宽度2mm下DIC计算的微小散斑制备方法,以及空间调节方法以提高试验可靠性。最后应用该系统开展针对航空发动机火焰筒材料GH536的微裂纹自然萌生试验。通过采取两种不同的DIC分析策略,分别获得疲劳过程中的总应变幅以及最大累积塑性应变的演化规律。结果表明总应变幅演化可确定自然萌生裂纹位置,最小可识别50μm裂纹;最大累积塑性应变分析可得萌生寿命占比约85%,并在裂纹出现后塑性应变急剧增加。     

An Approach to Searching for Life on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus

Near-term missions may be able to access samples of organic material from Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. The challenge for astrobiology will be to determine if this material is the remains of dead microorganisms or merely abiotic organic material. The remains of life that shares a common origin with life on Earth will be straightforward to detect using sophisticated methods such as DNA amplification. These methods are extremely sensitive but specific to Earth-like life. Detecting the remains of alien life—that does not have a genetic or biochemical commonality with Earth life—will be much more difficult. There is a general property of life that can be used to determine if organic material is of biological origin. This general property is the repeated use of a few specific organic molecules for the construction of biopolymers. For example, Earth-like life uses 20 amino acids to construct proteins, 5 nucleotide bases to construct DNA and RNA, and a few sugars to construct polysaccharides. This selectivity will result in a statistically anomalous distribution of organic molecules distinct from organic material of non-biological origin. Such a distinctive pattern, different from the pattern of Earth-like life, will be persuasive evidence for a second genesis of life.     

Exo-Astrobiological Aspects of Europa and Titan: From Observations to Speculations

By extrapolating what we know on the origins of life on Earth, and in particular on the chemical processes which gave rise to the first living system, Europa and Titan appear as two major targets for studies of exo/astrobiology in the outer solar system. With the likely presence of water oceans relatively close to its surface, coupled to possible sources of organics, the emergence and sustaining of life on Europa seems possible. On Titan, it cannot be ruled out. But the main exobiological interest of the largest satellite of Saturn is the presence of a complex organic chemistry which shows many similarities with the prebiotic chemistry which allowed the emergence of life on Earth.     

航空发动机过渡态最优控制规律设计的新方法

针对航空发动机过渡态最优控制规律的设计问题,提出了一种新的方法——动态稳定法:在发动机动态特性计算模型的基础上,通过额外提取其中所有的状态量变化率,使其共同工作方程组的偏差趋于0,从而让过渡态仿真稳定下来,此时的稳态参数值即为对应过渡态工作点的各项参数;然后分别根据指定的物理约束条件,通过简单的静态迭代优化即可直接建立相应的控制规律;最后将这些控制规律通过取大/小的方式进行合并,从而获得所需过渡态最优控制规律.以某型涡扇发动机最优加速控制规律的改进设计为例,结果表明该方法具有设计精度高、实现简单以及快速直观等优点.      

基于人工免疫的直升机传动系统在线异常监测方法

 针对直升机在线监测时难以提取状态特征的问题,提出一种适用于直升机传动系统在线状态监测方法。该方法基于生物免疫系统反面选择机理,利用改进型反面选择算法并结合人工神经网络进行监测。该方法能有效地提取直升机传动系统的状态特征,并结合直升机传动系统的实际情况准确得出状态异常度。在线监测实例结果表明,该方法能较准确监测出直升机传动系统的异常状态,验证了该方法具有较好的在线性、准确性及鲁棒性。     

Enrichment of the Hot Intracluster Medium: Observations

Four decades ago, the firm detection of an Fe-K emission feature in the X-ray spectrum of the Perseus cluster revealed the presence of iron in its hot intracluster medium (ICM). With more advanced missions successfully launched over the last 20 years, this discovery has been extended to many other metals and to the hot atmospheres of many other galaxy clusters, groups, and giant elliptical galaxies, as evidence that the elemental bricks of life—synthesized by stars and supernovae—are also found at the largest scales of the Universe. Because the ICM, emitting in X-rays, is in collisional ionisation equilibrium, its elemental abundances can in principle be accurately measured. These abundance measurements, in turn, are valuable to constrain the physics and environmental conditions of the Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae that exploded and enriched the ICM over the entire cluster volume. On the other hand, the spatial distribution of metals across the ICM constitutes a remarkable signature of the chemical history and evolution of clusters, groups, and ellipticals. Here, we summarise the most significant achievements in measuring elemental abundances in the ICM, from the very first attempts up to the era of XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Suzaku and the unprecedented results obtained by Hitomi. We also discuss the current systematic limitations of these measurements and how the future missions XRISM and Athena will further improve our current knowledge of the ICM enrichment.     

基于定期维护的产品维修策略研究

 维护是保持产品技术状态、降低失效发生的重要手段。通过分析维护对产品技术状态和失效变化规律的影响,利用复合Poisson过程描述了产品的维护效果,得到了定期维护条件下产品的寿命分布规律。在此基础上,提出了一种定期维护与视情维修相结合的维修策略,通过优化该维修策略下的产品维修费用,给出了最优的定期维护周期和预防性维修阈值。通过算例分析,表明该维修策略可以有效延长产品的维修间隔,从而大大减少产品全寿命期间的维修次数,产品在全寿命周期内的维修费用也得到了有效降低。     

基于最大似然估计的点火概率曲线计算模型取点方法

最佳点火能量、点火位置等关键信息可通过绘制点火概率曲线判定概率函数以提高点火成功概率。完成传统点火概率曲线的绘制需要至少300次的点火事件,以求得更加复杂的点火概率模型甚至需要更多的实验次数才能保证曲线精度。受制于点火器寿命,依据大数定律绘制点火概率曲线所需的多点数据难以保证,因此迫切需要开发一种在减少实验次数的前提下保证点火概率曲线精度的模型。本文拓展了一种点火概率计算模型,针对不同的取点方式,通过随机二项分布求得概率函数中似然函数的未知参数,从而拟合空间位置点火概率曲线和能量点火概率曲线,结合均方差评估拟合程度选取最优取点方法。研究表明,采用最优取点方法拟合的能量-点火概率曲线可以将均方差降低至0.02左右,空间位置点火概率曲线均方差降至0.04。研究表明所选取的最优取点方法可有效指导实验工况选取,并绘制出可信点火概率曲线。同等置信度下,三种点火概率曲线的实验次数均减少50%以上,实现大幅减少实验次数的目的。     

Chirality and Life

Chirality, meaning handedness, pervades much of modern science, from the physics of elementary particles to the chemistry of life. The amino acids and sugars from which the central molecules of life—proteins and nucleic acids—are constructed exhibit homochirality, which is expected to be a key biosignature in astrobiology. This article provides a brief review of molecular chirality and its significance for the detection of extant or extinct life on other worlds. Fundamental symmetry aspects are emphasized since these bring intrinsic physical properties of the universe to bear on the problem of the origin and role of homochirality in the living world.     

Electrical Effects on Atmospheric Chemistry

Electrical discharges in planetary atmospheres, and lightning in particular, can cause otherwise unexpected—but highly important—chemical species to be present. The synthesis of oxidants on Mars, nitrates on Earth and Early Mars, and of organic matter elsewhere can be driven by lightning and related electrical phenomena.     

基于应力分布模型的随机疲劳加速试验设计

将两段式S-N曲线应用于Dirlik随机振动疲劳寿命预测模型,分段计算各自的疲劳损伤并进行叠加。基于该模型所模拟的应力幅值分布,推导了在两段式S-N曲线的情况下激励放大倍数同疲劳寿命之间的等效关系,并提出了基于该等效关系的加速试验寿命换算方法,为加速试验应力等级的确定提供了参考。针对随机振动中小应力幅占比较大的情况,该方法优化了这一部分的损伤计算方式,同时该方法还可以推广至超高周疲劳等需要使用多段式S-N曲线表达疲劳性能的情况中去,得到更加贴近实际的理论疲劳寿命与加速寿命间的等效关系。通过分析算例表明,在两段式S-N曲线下,应力与寿命也大体呈现出了两段式的对数线性关系,并使用文献中的试验数据进行了验证。     

The Geology and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets: Fundamental Requirements for Life

The current approach to the study of the origin of life and to the search for life elsewhere is based on two assumptions. First, life is a purely physical phenomenon closely linked to specific environmental conditions. From this, we hypothesise that when these environmental conditions are met, life will arise and evolve. If these assumptions are valid, the search for life elsewhere should be a matter of mapping what we know about the range of environments in which life can exist, and then simply trying to find these environments elsewhere. Second, life can be clearly distinguished from the non-living world. While a single feature of a living organism left in the rock record is not always sufficient to determine unequivocally whether life was present, life often leaves multiple structural, mineralogical and chemical biomarkers that, in sum, support a conclusion that life was present. Our understanding of the habitats that can sustain or have sustained life has grown tremendously with the characterisation of extremophiles. In this chapter, we highlight the range of environments that are known to harbour life on Earth, describe the environments that existed during the period of time when life originated on Earth, and compare these habitats to the suitable environments that are found elsewhere in our solar system, where life could have arisen and evolved.