Microphysics in Astrophysical Plasmas

Although macroscale features dominate astrophysical images and energetics, the physics is controlled through microscale transport processes (conduction, diffusion) that mediate the flow of mass, momentum, energy, and charge. These microphysical processes manifest themselves in key (all) boundary layers and also operate within the body of the plasma. Crucially, most plasmas of interest are rarefied to the extent that classical particle collision length- and time-scales are long. Collective plasma kinetic phenomena then serve to scatter or otherwise modify the particle distribution functions and in so-doing govern the transport at the microscale level. Thus collisionless plasmas are capable of supporting thin shocks, current sheets which may be prone to magnetic reconnection, and the dissipation of turbulence cascades at kinetic scales. This paper lays the foundation for the accompanying collection that explores the current state of knowledge in this subject. The richness of plasma kinetic phenomena brings with it a rich diversity of microphysics that does not always, if ever, simply mimic classical collision-dominated transport. This can couple the macro- and microscale physics in profound ways, and in ways which thus depend on the astrophysical context.     

Astrophysical Hydromagnetic Turbulence

Recent progress in astrophysical hydromagnetic turbulence is being reviewed. The physical ideas behind the now widely accepted Goldreich–Sridhar model and its extension to compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence are introduced. Implications for cosmic ray diffusion and acceleration is being discussed. Dynamo-generated magnetic fields with and without helicity are contrasted against each other. Certain turbulent transport processes are being modified and often suppressed by anisotropy and inhomogeneities of the turbulence, while others are being produced by such properties, which can lead to new large-scale instabilities of the turbulent medium. Applications of various such processes to astrophysical systems are being considered.     

Magnetic Reconnection in Extreme Astrophysical Environments

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma physics process in which ideal-MHD??s frozen-in constraints are broken and the magnetic field topology is dramatically re-arranged, which often leads to a violent release of the free magnetic energy. Most of the magnetic reconnection research done to date has been motivated by the applications to systems such as the solar corona, Earth??s magnetosphere, and magnetic confinement devices for thermonuclear fusion. These environments have relatively low energy densities and the plasma is adequately described as a mixture of equal numbers of electrons and ions and where the dissipated magnetic energy always stays with the plasma. In contrast, in this paper I would like to introduce a different, new direction of research??reconnection in high energy density radiative plasmas, in which photons play as important a role as electrons and ions; in particular, in which radiation pressure and radiative cooling become dominant factors in the pressure and energy balance. This research is motivated in part by rapid theoretical and experimental advances in High Energy Density Physics, and in part by several important problems in modern high-energy astrophysics. I first discuss some astrophysical examples of high-energy-density reconnection and then identify the key physical processes that distinguish them from traditional reconnection. Among the most important of these processes are: special-relativistic effects; radiative effects (radiative cooling, radiation pressure, and radiative resistivity); and, at the most extreme end??QED effects, including pair creation. The most notable among the astrophysical applications are situations involving magnetar-strength fields (10¹⁴?C10¹⁵ G, exceeding the quantum critical field B _??4×10¹³ G). The most important examples are giant flares in soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) and magnetic models of the central engines and relativistic jets of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). The magnetic energy density in these environments is so high that, when it is suddenly released, the plasma is heated to ultra-relativistic temperatures. As a result, electron-positron pairs are created in copious quantities, dressing the reconnection layer in an optically thick pair coat, thereby trapping the photons. The plasma pressure inside the layer is then dominated by the combined radiation and pair pressure. At the same time, the timescale for radiation diffusion across the layer may, under some conditions, still be shorter than the global (along the layer) Alfvén transit time, and hence radiative cooling starts to dominate the thermodynamics of the problem. The reconnection problem then becomes essentially a radiative transfer problem. In addition, the high pair density makes the reconnection layer highly collisional, independent of the upstream plasma density, and hence radiative resistive MHD applies. The presence of all these processes calls for a substantial revision of our traditional physical picture of reconnection when applied to these environments and thus opens a new frontier in reconnection research.     

X-ray Spectroscopy of Astrophysical Dust

High spectral resolution X-ray instruments on powerful X-ray satellites (e.g. Chandra, XMM-Newton) pointed through dust and gas at bright black holes and neutron stars can be used to study dust and intervening material in unique ways. With the new subfield of Condensed Matter Astrophysics as its goal, I will discuss current efforts to combine techniques and knowledge from condensed matter physics and astrophysics to determine the species-specific quantity and composition of interstellar gas and dust in the ISM and ionized environments. Prospects for improving on this work in future X-ray missions with higher throughput and spectral resolution are also presented in the context of spectral resolution goals for gratings and calorimeters.     

Astrophysical implications of higher-dimensional gravity

We review the implications of modern higher-dimensional theories of gravity for astrophysics and cosmology. In particular, we discuss the latest developments of STM theory in connection with dark matter, particle dynamics and the cosmological constant, as well as related aspects of quantum theory. There are also more immediate tests of extra dimensions, notably involving perturbations of the cosmic 3K microwave background and the precession of a supercooled gyroscope in Earth orbit. We also outline some general features of embeddings, and include pictures of the big bang as viewed from a higher dimension.     

进动气囊抛光技术研究

为实现高精度的光学玻璃零件的加工,本文对进动气囊抛光关键技术进行了详细研究.首先介绍了进动气囊抛光设备及原理,通过对Preston方程的分析及工艺参数实验确定了抛光去除函数,并对驻留时间算法进行优化求解,通过MATLAB仿真验证残余误差在0.1 μm以内,最后对平面和球面玻璃进行了抛光实验,获得了面形PV值为0.18μm的球面表面,验证了驻留时间算法的合理性,满足光学玻璃元件精密加工的基本要求,为后续进行自由曲面的抛光提供了理论基础.     

Magnetic Fields in Astrophysical Jets: From Launch to Termination

Long-lived, stable jets are observed in a wide variety of systems, from protostars, through Galactic compact objects to active galactic nuclei (AGN). Magnetic fields play a central role in launching, accelerating, and collimating the jets through various media. The termination of jets in molecular clouds or the interstellar medium deposits enormous amounts of mechanical energy and momentum, and their interactions with the external medium, as well, in many cases, as the radiation processes by which they are observed, are intimately connected with the magnetic fields they carry. This review focuses on the properties and structures of magnetic fields in long-lived jets, from their launch from rotating magnetized young stars, black holes, and their accretion discs, to termination and beyond. We compare the results of theory, numerical simulations, and observations of these diverse systems and address similarities and differences between relativistic and non-relativistic jets in protostellar versus AGN systems. On the observational side, we focus primarily on jets driven by AGN because of the strong observational constraints on their magnetic field properties, and we discuss the links between the physics of these jets on all scales.     

半球陀螺谐振子环向振型进动特性研究

基于半球谐振子的实际加工结构特征,为降低维持半球谐振陀螺振动所需的能量损耗,建立半球谐振陀螺能量型谐振子数学模型,并研究半球谐振子绕中心轴旋转时环向振型的变化规律;通过分析半球谐振子顶端角、底端角和壁厚的非理想性对进动因子的影响,确定半球壳体旋转时应选取的最佳振型与进动因子。采用ANSYS软件构建一系列模型,验证有关理论研究结果。通过计算仿真分析可知,半球谐振子进动因子对顶端角变化的敏感性远大于对底端角变化的敏感性,且顶端角变化引起的角速度误差远大于相同底端角变化引起的角速度误差,为半球谐振陀螺的谐振子加工研制提供了理论依据。     

进动效应对涡轮螺旋桨飞机的影响

从转动力学的角度 ,分析了在大型涡轮螺旋桨飞机中 ,螺旋桨和发动机转子进动效应对飞机飞行品质和操纵品质的影响。阐述了螺旋桨和发动机转子转动惯量的计算方法 ,由进动产生的附加力矩或角速度的计算方法。     

Kitchin,C. R., Astrophysical Techniques

Space Science Reviews -     

Optimal Precession Control of Randomly Perturbed Spin-Stabilized Satellite

Dynamics of the satellite angular momenta is modeled by ordinary differential equations with additive white noise. A feedback controller er is desired to maintain tolerable satellite momenta and to economize ze the fuel consumption. The stochastic optimal control problem is transformed into an equivalent deterministic optimization problem involving a parabolic partial differential equation. Necessary optimality y conditions are used to develop a computation algorithm. Results regarding optimal controls, expected costs, and confinement probabilities in different noisy environments are presented.     

Observational Manifestations of Precession of Accretion Disk in the SS 433 Binary System

Basic properties of the unique object SS 433 are described. Observational spectroscopic and photometric manifestations of a precessing accretion disk around a relativistic object in this X-ray binary system are presented.     

Models for Type Ia Supernovae and Related Astrophysical Transients

We give an overview of recent efforts to model Type Ia supernovae and related astrophysical transients resulting from thermonuclear explosions in white dwarfs. In particular we point out the challenges resulting from the multi-physics multi-scale nature of the problem and discuss possible numerical approaches to meet them in hydrodynamical explosion simulations and radiative transfer modeling. We give examples of how these methods are applied to several explosion scenarios that have been proposed to explain distinct subsets or, in some cases, the majority of the observed events. In case we comment on some of the successes and shortcoming of these scenarios and highlight important outstanding issues.     

核磁共振陀螺原子核自旋进动的建模与仿真

针对87Rb-129Xe核磁共振陀螺中原子核的自旋进动,基于核磁共振Bloch方程,给出了Xe原子核自旋进动模型,详细分析了横向激励磁场的相位和幅值对Xe原子宏观磁矩进动的影响,以及实现稳态进动的条件。建立了Xe原子宏观磁矩进动的仿真模型,对激励磁场反馈控制、陀螺角位移信号相位解调进行了仿真。分析和仿真结果表明,当载体系旋转时,陀螺角位移线性调制Xe原子宏观磁矩水平分量的进动相位,为了维持磁共振,横向激励磁场相位应与宏观磁矩y向分量的进动相位保持一致;模型能够准确地实现对陀螺载体坐标系旋转位移的观测。     

弹道中段目标进动周期估计的改进自相关法

自相关法可用于估计弹道中段雷达目标的进动周期,它需要预先给出进动周期的上下限。进动周期下限可能远小于真实进动周期,此时自相关法的估计性能将严重下降。定义了自相关函数(ACF)的凸包,在此基础上提出了一种改进的自相关法。首先求出ACF和其凸包的差函数,然后搜索差函数的最大值,从而得到进动周期的估计值。理论分析和仿真结果表明:当进动周期下限和真实进动周期相差不大时,该方法的估计性能接近自相关法;当进动周期下限远小于真实进动周期时,该方法仍然具有良好的估计性能;由于进动周期的上下限之比通常大于2,因此该方法的计算量比自相关法增大的倍数小于1.4;同时它对先验信息的要求非常宽松。因此该方法具有广泛的适用性。     

基于等倾角进动的自旋卫星姿态控制方法

姿态控制是自旋稳定卫星控制的基本任务之一,其控制方法有多种,本文主要针对等倾角法进行研究。首先介绍等倾角法姿态控制的基本原理,然后详细地给出姿态控制前需确定的理论执行角、实际执行次数和时延等控制量的具体计算方法,最后进行了姿态机动仿真控制。仿真结果表明,控制量的计算结果准确,控制过程的预测结果与实际控制过程一致。此方法已在多颗自旋卫星发射中得到应用和验证。     

空间进动目标动态散射特性的实验研究

研制了进动目标模型,构建了紧凑场微波暗室动态测量系统,通过暗室实验的方法研究了空间进动目标的动态散射特性,给出了若干典型条件下的全极化宽带测量结果。通过实验可以观察到目标进动引起的多普勒频移,证明了微波雷达对进动目标微多普勒的可观测性,同时观察到弹头常见结构引起的非理想点散射现象。实验结果的分析表明,该实验系统能够有效地揭示进动目标的目标特性和回波调制特性,从而为弹道中段目标的动态电磁散射特性、目标结构反演、运动参数提取和逆合成孔径雷达(ISAR)成像的研究奠定了基础,对于弹道中段目标识别的研究具有重要的意义。