Suppression of the water ice and snow albedo feedback on planets orbiting red dwarf stars and the subsequent widening of the habitable zone

M stars comprise 80% of main sequence stars, so their planetary systems provide the best chance for finding habitable planets, that is, those with surface liquid water. We have modeled the broadband albedo or reflectivity of water ice and snow for simulated planetary surfaces orbiting two observed red dwarf stars (or M stars), using spectrally resolved data of Earth's cryosphere. The gradual reduction of the albedos of snow and ice at wavelengths greater than 1 μm, combined with M stars emitting a significant fraction of their radiation at these same longer wavelengths, means that the albedos of ice and snow on planets orbiting M stars are much lower than their values on Earth. Our results imply that the ice/snow albedo climate feedback is significantly weaker for planets orbiting M stars than for planets orbiting G-type stars such as the Sun. In addition, planets with significant ice and snow cover will have significantly higher surface temperatures for a given stellar flux if the spectral variation of cryospheric albedo is considered, which in turn implies that the outer edge of the habitable zone around M stars may be 10-30% farther away from the parent star than previously thought.     

On the existence and stability of liquid water on the surface of mars today

The recent discovery of high concentrations of hydrogen just below the surface of Mars' polar regions by Mars Odyssey has enlivened the debate about past or present life on Mars. The prevailing assumption prior to the discovery was that the liquid water essential for its existence is absent. That assumption was based largely on the calculation of heat and mass transfer coefficients or theoretical climate models. This research uses an experimental approach to determine the feasibility of liquid water under martian conditions, setting the stage for a more empirical approach to the question of life on Mars. Experiments were conducted in three parts: Liquid water's existence was confirmed by droplets observed under martian conditions in part 1; the evolution of frost melting on the surface of various rocks under martian conditions was observed in part 2; and the evaporation rate of water in Petri dishes under Mars-like conditions was determined and compared with the theoretical predictions of various investigators in part 3. The results led to the conclusion that liquid water can be stable for extended periods of time on the martian surface under present-day conditions.     

间歇采样重复转发对雷达恒虚警检测性能的影响分析

作为一种新型相干干扰,间歇采样转发干扰可以获得雷达脉冲压缩增益,对雷达系统构成了很大的威胁。针对采用线性调频脉冲压缩和单元平均类恒虚警检测的雷达系统,在分析了间歇采样重复转发压制干扰原理和雷达恒虚警检测的工作原理的基础上,理论分析推导了不同间歇采样占空比、转发增益和不同的噪声功率背景条件下重复转发干扰在真实目标CFAR检测区间的能量。通过分析信号能量、噪声能量和干扰能量之间的关系,推导了不同干扰参数下CFAR检测器的信噪比。研究结果表明,在重复全转发这种干扰样式下,采样频率、占空比均是影响影响检测器的重要参数,当优化参数配置,使得转发能量尽量位于检测单元内时,有相对理想的对抗效果。