Searching for life on Mars: selection of molecular targets for ESA's aurora ExoMars mission

The European Space Agency's ExoMars mission will seek evidence of organic compounds of biological and non-biological origin at the martian surface. One of the instruments in the Pasteur payload may be a Life Marker Chip that utilizes an immunoassay approach to detect specific organic molecules or classes of molecules. Therefore, it is necessary to define and prioritize specific molecular targets for antibody development. Target compounds have been selected to represent meteoritic input, fossil organic matter, extant (living, recently dead) organic matter, and contamination. Once organic molecules are detected on Mars, further information is likely to derive from the detailed distribution of compounds rather than from single molecular identification. This will include concentration gradients beneath the surface and gradients from generic to specific compounds. The choice of biomarkers is informed by terrestrial biology but is wide ranging, and nonterrestrial biology may be evident from unexpected molecular distributions. One of the most important requirements is to sample where irradiation and oxidation are minimized, either by drilling or by using naturally excavated exposures. Analyzing regolith samples will allow for the search of both extant and fossil biomarkers, but sequential extraction would be required to optimize the analysis of each of these in turn.     

Biomarker and stable isotope characterization of coastal pond-derived organic matter, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Small coastal ponds that contain photosynthetic microbial mat communities represent an extreme environment where a potentially significant source of labile organic carbon can be found within the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. To distinguish coastal pond-derived organic matter from other sources of organic matter in the Dry Valleys, bulk organic carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope signatures and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of benthic microbial mats located at two sites--Hjorth Hill coast and Garwood Valley--were investigated. The average isotope values at Hjorth Hill coast and Garwood Valley are, respectively, -10.9 per thousand and -10.2 per thousand for delta(13) C, 3.7 per thousand and -1.3 per thousand for delta(15)N, and 8.1 per thousand and 16.7 per thousand for delta(34)S. Microbial mats from all ponds are dominated by monounsaturated PLFAs (indicative of Gram-negative bacteria) and polyunsaturated PLFAs (indicative of microeukaryotes). Biomarkers specific to aerobic prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and photoautotrophic microeukaryotes, as well as sulfur-reducing bacteria, are present in all samples. Benthic mats at Garwood Valley are thicker and more laminated, have a higher biomass, and have a greater carbon and nitrogen content, which suggests greater productivity than mats at Hjorth Hill coast. Greater productivity is supported, as well, by higher dissolved oxygen contents likely derived from heightened photosynthetic productivity. More productivity at Garwood Valley likely results from a larger influx of terrestrial surface waters together with a concomitant nutrient loading.     

Study of the Enhancement Events of Relativistic Electron at the Geosynchronous Orbit

The high flux of energetic electron on geostationary orbit can induce many kinds of malfunction of the satellite there, within which the bulk-charging is the most significant that several broadcast satellite failures were confirmed to be due to this effect. The electron flux on geostationary orbit varies in a large range even up to three orders accompanied the passage of interplanetary magnetic cloud and the following geomagnetic disturbances. Upon the investigation of electron flux enhancement events, two types of events were partitioned as recurrent events and random ones. Both of the two kinds of events relate to the interplanetary conditions such as solar wind parameters, IMF etc and their evolution characters as well. As for the recurrent events, we found that, (1) all of the events exhibits periodic recurrence about 27 days, (2) significant increase of electron flux relates to interplanetary index and characters of their distribution, (3) the electron flux also has relation to solar activity index. An artificial neural network was constructed to estimate the flux I day ahead. The random electron flux enhancement events are rare and present different distribution figures to the recurrent ones. The figure of the random events and the conditions of their occurrence is also discussed in this paper.      

7°尖锥高超声速边界层转捩红外测量实验

为了推动高超声速边界层转捩研究的深入开展,给边界层转捩机理研究、物理模型验证、转捩数据库构建和转捩天地相关性的建立等提供基础风洞实验数据,在中国空气动力研究与发展中心的Φ1 m高超声速风洞开展了边界层转捩规律红外热图实验。针对半锥角7°尖锥模型,研究了不同单位雷诺数、迎角和马赫数对尖锥边界层转捩位置的影响规律。实验单位雷诺数（0.49~2.45）×107/m,迎角范围-10°~10°,马赫数5~7,模型头部半径0.05 mm。通过红外热图技术测量模型表面温度分布,获得了较为详细的转捩位置和转捩参数影响规律。实验结果表明:在马赫数5~7范围内,马赫数增大,尖锥转捩位置提前,分析认为是高马赫数时的雷诺数较大、自由流噪声水平较高引起;随着单位雷诺数的增大,边界层转捩位置前移,转捩雷诺数保持不变,约为3.0×106;小迎角时,随着迎角的增大,迎风面边界层转捩推迟,背风面边界层转捩前移,在10°大迎角时,迎风区中心线转捩前移,出现迎角"转捩逆转"现象,背风区出现了流动分离导致的低热流条带。     

固体火箭发动机寿命预估方法研究进展

综述了俄、美固体火箭发动机寿命预估的主要方法;梳理了现阶段国内固体火箭发动机寿命预估方法的研究进展,总结了固体火箭发动机寿命预估方法要点("一个判据,两个模型,三个一致"),主要失效模式,药柱、推进剂、粘接界面的失效判据和寿命评估方法;指出了固体火箭发动机寿命预估下一步的工作重点,即在发展固体发动机监检测技术获取寿命评估数据的基础上,研究失效机理、明确失效判据,完善寿命评估模型;之后,从安全使用角度,提出了当前固体火箭发动机寿命预估急需解决的4个问题;最后,对我国固体火箭发动机寿命评估进行了总结和展望。     

曲面和任意取向表面表面摩阻油膜测量法的进展

本文叙述曲面和任意取向表面表面摩阻测量方法的进一步的发展。介绍用漫射照明获取薄油膜等厚度干涉条纹谱的理论根据和实验结果。讨论了通过油流显示图像的分析,自动探测表面流线方位的可能性。所得结论表明油膜法也能应用于复杂的三维流动。     

弹道靶中超高速发射弹的流场及空气动力特性研究(英)

本文描述的是研究爆炸成型发射弹（ＥＦＰ）模型的流场及超高速空气动力特性所用的弹道试验设备;简要报导了记录全尺寸干涉图形的技术;对径向密度分布再现的方法进行了讨论;在零攻角实验时不同模型的空气动力阻力是采用简化方法来计算的;对各种不同ＥＦＰ型式的气动稳定性提出了定性估计的方法;并阐述了用于组合体超高速飞行特性研究的数值计算技术的基本原理     

用新的雷达校准和性能监视方法改善飞行试验的数据

性能更高的现代武器系统的飞行试验,要求靶场提供更加精确而一致的测量数据。外测系统测量导弹的位置和速度,是一种独立的外部数据源,用以鉴定武器系统符合设计指标的程度。虽然新的测量系统(例如GPS全球定位系统)提供弹道数据的作用在日益增加,但在最近一段时间,跟踪雷达和光测系统仍将是主要的数据源。按目前西部导弹卫星试验中心(以下简称西试验中心)所用的方法,测定雷达系统的误差并予以修正,是可以改善雷达的数据的。在测定雷达系统的误差和监视C波段雷达总性能方面,GEOS-3和安排在1984年发射的GEOSAT这类卫星起着重要的作用。利用GEOS卫星已经发现了许多问题,如果不予解决,将会大大降低保障导弹和飞机试验用的雷达数据的质量。     

利用卫星实现与飞行中巡航导弹的通信

本文讨论了与飞行中远程巡航导弹通信的需求以及卫星作为中继平台的潜力。国防卫星通信系统Ⅲ(DSCSⅢ)和舰队卫星通信(FLTSATCOM)星至少能够同时为70枚巡航导弹向水面舰只和陆基指挥中心传送200bit的状态信息。DSCSⅢ还可以同时为至少70枚巡航导弹提供准实时有人末制导支持(只要巡航导弹装有共形天线阵)。FLTSATCOM可以为2枚装有全向天线阵的巡航导弹提供相同的能力。这种能力包括传输末段敏感器图象数据,该图象数据的速率为每枚每秒40kbits,取决于可实现的图象数据压缩比。本文还论述了指挥员利用这些系统重新瞄准新目标,允许一枚巡航导弹向地面传送一路末段敏感器图象。