The Origin of Mercury’s Internal Magnetic Field

Mariner 10 measurements proved the existence of a large-scale internal magnetic field on Mercury. The observed field amplitude, however, is too weak to be compatible with typical convective planetary dynamos. The Lorentz force based on an extrapolation of Mariner 10 data to the dynamo region is 10⁻⁴ times smaller than the Coriolis force. This is at odds with the idea that planetary dynamos are thought to work in the so-called magnetostrophic regime, where Coriolis force and Lorentz force should be of comparable magnitude. Recent convective dynamo simulations reviewed here seem to resolve this caveat. We show that the available convective power indeed suffices to drive a magnetostrophic dynamo even when the heat flow though Mercury’s core–mantle boundary is subadiabatic, as suggested by thermal evolution models. Two possible causes are analyzed that could explain why the observations do not reflect a stronger internal field. First, toroidal magnetic fields can be strong but are confined to the conductive core, and second, the observations do not resolve potentially strong small-scale contributions. We review different dynamo simulations that promote either or both effects by (1) strongly driving convection, (2) assuming a particularly small inner core, or (3) assuming a very large inner core. These models still fall somewhat short of explaining the low amplitude of Mariner 10 observations, but the incorporation of an additional effect helps to reach this goal: The subadiabatic heat flow through Mercury’s core–mantle boundary may cause the outer part of the core to be stably stratified, which would largely exclude convective motions in this region. The magnetic field, which is small scale, strong, and very time dependent in the lower convective part of the core, must diffuse through the stagnant layer. Here, the electromagnetic skin effect filters out the more rapidly varying high-order contributions and mainly leaves behind the weaker and slower varying dipole and quadrupole components (Christensen in Nature 444:1056–1058, 2006). Messenger and BepiColombo data will allow us to discriminate between the various models in terms of the magnetic fields spatial structure, its degree of axisymmetry, and its secular variation.     

Missions to Mercury

Mercury is a very difficult planet to observe from the Earth, and space missions that target Mercury are essential for a comprehensive understanding of the planet. At the same time, it is also difficult to orbit because it is deep inside the Sun’s gravitational well. Only one mission has visited Mercury; that was Mariner 10 in the 1970s. This paper provides a brief history of Mariner 10 and the numerous imaginative but unsuccessful mission proposals since the 1970s for another Mercury mission. In the late 1990s, two missions—MESSENGER and BepiColombo—received the go-ahead; MESSENGER is on its way to its first encounter with Mercury in January 2008. The history, scientific objectives, mission designs, and payloads of both these missions are described in detail.     

Solar Sources of Heliospheric Energetic Electron Events—Shocks or Flares?

Electrons with near-relativistic (E≳30 keV, NrR) and relativistic (E≳0.3 MeV) energies are often observed as discrete events in the inner heliosphere following solar transient activity. Several acceleration mechanisms have been proposed for the production of those electrons. One candidate is acceleration at MHD shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with speeds ≳1000 km s⁻¹. Many NrR electron events are temporally associated only with flares while others are associated with flares as well as with CMEs or with radio type II shock waves. Since CME onsets and associated flares are roughly simultaneous, distinguishing the sources of electron events is a serious challenge. On a phenomenological basis two classes of solar electron events were known several decades ago, but recent observations have presented a more complex picture. We review early and recent observational results to deduce different electron event classes and their viable acceleration mechanisms, defined broadly as shocks versus flares. The NrR and relativistic electrons are treated separately. Topics covered are: solar electron injection delays from flare impulsive phases; comparisons of electron intensities and spectra with flares, CMEs and accompanying solar energetic proton (SEP) events; multiple spacecraft observations; two-phase electron events; coronal flares; shock-associated (SA) events; electron spectral invariance; and solar electron intensity size distributions. This evidence suggests that CME-driven shocks are statistically the dominant acceleration mechanism of relativistic events, but most NrR electron events result from flares. Determining the solar origin of a given NrR or relativistic electron event remains a difficult proposition, and suggestions for future work are given.     

山特维克可乐满CoroPak08.2新品亮相CIMES 2008

山特维克可乐满是山特维克集团旗下最大的金属切削刀具公司,是全球金属切削行业的领导品牌。作为全球排名第一的金属切削业刀具制造和供应商,山特维克可乐满始终致力于提升制造业的综合实力,并为客户不断提供创新的高效率金属切削刀具和解决方案。金秋9月新鲜     

HBM测量系统在航空航天中的应用

RUAG公司用HBM测量系统进行飞机全尺寸疲劳试验瑞士RUAG公司的研究人员对瑞士版F/A-18战斗机的加强结构进行了大规模的综合试验研究,以验证飞机结构是否能满足较高的要求,达到所需的5000个飞行小时的工作寿命。     

昆虫翅悬停飞行中的三维空间旋涡结构

昆虫(果蝇)悬停飞行中,翅膀按照特定的拍动方式往复运动,产生非定常高升力维持身体的平衡.研究昆虫高升力机理,需要探索拍动翼运动引发的三维空间非定常流场的特性,尤其是三维空间非定常涡的发展变化过程.本文将氢气泡流动显示技术应用于动态模型实验,定性的观察拍动翼前缘涡(LEV)的发展破裂过程.并利用数字体视粒子图像测速,DSPIV(Digital Steroscopic Particle Image Velocimetry)技术,测得了拍动翼运动瞬时相位和相位平均的三维空间流场信息(速度向量场、截面涡量场、空间涡量场,以及三维空间流线),揭示了拍动翼展向流动的存在,并结合定性和定量方法多角度说明了前缘涡沿展向发展到破裂的流动结构,并说明了侧缘涡与前缘涡的相互影响.测量结果表明:在雷诺数960的情况下,拍动翼运动至相位时,翼面上前缘涡在距翼根约60%展长的位置发生破裂;翼根至破裂点之间,展向流动稳定,指向翼梢;破裂点以后,展向流改变方向,指向翼根.     

复合材料加筋壁板的两步优化法

通过采用辅助层压板和添加极小弹性模量材料的复合材料加筋壁板有限元建模方法,应用MSC．PAT－RAN／NASTRAN的参数化建模与遗传算法相结合的复合材料加筋壁板的两步优化方法,对复合材料T型加筋壁板进行了从2000 N／mm到6000 N／mm压缩载荷下的结构优化分析。提出的基于参数化模型和遗传算法的复合材料加筋壁板的两步优化法分为壁板级优化和层压板级优化两部分,在壁板级优化得到最优的结构尺寸参数,在层板级优化得到最优的层压板铺层顺序。     

结构误差对旋转稳定弹丸气动特性影响的数值模拟

基于剪切应力传输(SST)k-ω湍流模型,对考虑结构误差情况下的弹箭模型进行数值模拟计算。首先采用CFD和工程经验公式相结合的方法,得到了不同马赫数、不同转速情况下无结构误差模型的多种气动特性参数。通过与实验数据对比,阻力、法向力、俯仰力矩、压心位置误差在10%以内,验证了该方法的可行性和准确性。然后,建立了考虑结构误差即质量分布不对称、弹体不同轴和无结构误差模型,并分别进行了气动特性模拟计算。结果表明,质量偏心对滚转阻尼力矩系数、马格努斯力矩系数影响很大;弹体不同轴对法向力系数导数、俯仰力矩系数导数、马格努斯力矩系数导数和压心位置都产生很大影响。结构误差使模型的多种气动特性参数产生很大变化,将影响其飞行弹道和稳定性。