Cosmological Shock Waves

Large-scale structure formation, accretion and merging processes, AGN activity produce cosmological gas shocks. The shocks convert a fraction of the energy of gravitationally accelerated flows to internal energy of the gas. Being the main gas-heating agent, cosmological shocks could amplify magnetic fields and accelerate energetic particles via the multi-fluid plasma relaxation processes. We first discuss the basic properties of standard single-fluid shocks. Cosmological plasma shocks are expected to be collisionless. We then review the plasma processes responsible for the microscopic structure of collisionless shocks. A tiny fraction of the particles crossing the shock is injected into the non-thermal energetic component that could get a substantial part of the ram pressure power dissipated at the shock. The energetic particles penetrate deep into the shock upstream producing an extended shock precursor. Scaling relations for postshock ion temperature and entropy as functions of shock velocity in strong collisionless multi-fluid shocks are discussed. We show that the multi-fluid nature of collisionless shocks results in excessive gas compression, energetic particle acceleration, precursor gas heating, magnetic field amplification and non-thermal emission. Multi-fluid shocks provide a reduced gas entropy production and could also modify the observable thermodynamic scaling relations for clusters of galaxies.     

不同波段太阳射电爆发的准周期振荡

本文对1989年4月9日与4B级大耀斑伴生的两个波段(3750 MHz,2840 MHz)的射电大爆发进行了简单的初步分析。结果表明:这两个波段的爆发不仅各自具有繁多的周期,而且都存在30+3s的准周期振荡。这种现象可能与磁环的准周期振荡有关,或与粒子流有关。      

Future Instrumentation for the Study of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium

We briefly review capabilities and requirements for future instrumentation in UV- and X-ray astronomy that can contribute to advancing our understanding of the diffuse, highly ionised intergalactic medium.     

Alfvén waves in the context of solar-like star formation: accretion columns and disks

In this work we examine the damping of Alfvén waves as a source of plasma heating in disks and magnetic funnels of young solar like stars, the T Tauri stars. We apply four different damping mechanisms in this study: viscous-resistive, collisional, nonlinear and turbulent, exploring a wide range of wave frequencies, from 10⁻⁵Ω_i to 10⁻¹Ω_i (where Ω_i is the ion-cyclotron frequency). The results show that Alfvénic heating can increase the ionization rate of accretion disks and elevate the temperature of magnetic funnels of T Tauri stars opening possibilities to explain some observational features of these objects. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A new method of single celestial-body sun positioning based on theory of mechanisms

Considering defects of current single celestial-body positioning methods such as discon-tinuity and long period, a new sun positioning algorithm is herein put forward. Instead of tradi-tional astronomical spherical trigonometry and celestial coordinate system, the proposed new positioning algorithm is built by theory of mechanisms. Based on previously derived solar vector equations (from a C1R2P2 series mechanism), a further global positioning method is developed by inverse kinematics. The longitude and latitude coordinates expressed by Greenwich mean time (GMT) and solar vector in local coordinate system are formulated. Meanwhile, elimination method of multiple solutions, errors of longitude and latitude calculation are given. In addition, this algo-rithm has been integrated successfully into a mobile phone application to visualize sun positioning process. Results of theoretical verification and smart phone’s test demonstrate the validity of pre-sented coordinate’s expressions. Precision is shown as equivalent to current works and is acceptable to civil aviation requirement. This new method solves long-period problem in sun sight running fix-ing and improves applicability of sun positioning. Its methodology can inspire development of new sun positioning device. It would be more applicable to be combined with inertial navigation systems for overcoming discontinuity of celestial navigation systems and accumulative errors of inertial nav-igation systems.     

Partition method for improvement of piecewise linear model with full envelope covered

Since ambient conditions vary in a wide range within the full flight envelope, the existing piecewise linear model (PLM), which is based on sea-level static condition with use of corrected parameters for other points in the flight envelope, cannot meet the accuracy for replacing the nonlinear model. To obtain more accurate linear models, a method of partitioning the flight envelope over a grid of Mach number and altitude boxes was suggested. Then, a set of linear models for a given operating condition was selected by picking the nearest (Mach number, altitude) box in the flight envelope. Through the selected set of linear models, interpolating for power level based on a weighted sum of corrected rotor speeds can obtain a linear model with acceptable accuracy. Simulation results of different points within the full flight envelope showed that the maximum error between nonlinear model and the existing PLM was more than 50%, while the maximum error between nonlinear model and the improved PLM was within 8%. It is concluded that the improved PLM performs accurately, especially under the non-standard conditions. In addition, the improved PLM can satisfy the real-time requirement better than the existing PLM.      

某离心式喷嘴雾化特性及优化设计研究

喷嘴结构参数、喷油压降和燃油物性对喷嘴雾化特性具有重要影响。采用数值计算和试验手段研究某离心式喷嘴航空煤油和0#柴油雾化特性及差异性,并讨论喷嘴内部流动和喷嘴结构参数对雾化特性的影响。结果表明:数值计算与试验值存在差异,但雾化锥角、流量系数等随压力变化的趋势一致,验证了流体体积函数(VOF)追踪油气两相界面的正确性;喷嘴内部气、液相的涡是内部流动不稳定和气液面波动的原因;几何结构参数对喷嘴雾化特性影响明显;优化后的喷嘴结构,流量系数和雾化锥角分别增大了0.15和0.16倍,而喷嘴出口液膜厚度减小了0.53倍,明显改善了该喷嘴的雾化质量。     

OB Associations, Wolf–Rayet Stars, and the Origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays

We have measured the isotopic abundances of neon and a number of other species in the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) using the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) aboard the ACE spacecraft. Our data are compared to recent results from two-component (Wolf–Rayet material plus solar-like mixtures) Wolf–Rayet (WR) models. The three largest deviations of galactic cosmic ray isotope ratios from solar-system ratios predicted by these models, ¹²C/¹⁶O, ²²Ne/²⁰Ne, and ⁵⁸Fe/⁵⁶Fe, are very close to those observed. All of the isotopic ratios that we have measured are consistent with a GCR source consisting of ∼20% of WR material mixed with ∼80% material with solar-system composition. Since WR stars are evolutionary products of OB stars, and most OB stars exist in OB associations that form superbubbles, the good agreement of our data with WR models suggests that OB associations within superbubbles are the likely source of at least a substantial fraction of GCRs. In previous work it has been shown that the primary ⁵⁹Ni (which decays only by electron-capture) in GCRs has decayed, indicating a time interval between nucleosynthesis and acceleration of >10⁵ y. It has been suggested that in the OB association environment, ejecta from supernovae might be accelerated by the high velocity WR winds on a time scale that is short compared to the half-life of ⁵⁹Ni. Thus the ⁵⁹Ni might not have time to decay and this would cast doubt upon the OB association origin of cosmic rays. In this paper we suggest a scenario that should allow much of the ⁵⁹Ni to decay in the OB association environment and conclude that the hypothesis of the OB association origin of cosmic rays appears to be viable.     

Alice: The rosetta Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph

We describe the design, performance and scientific objectives of the NASA-funded ALICE instrument aboard the ESA Rosetta asteroid flyby/comet rendezvous mission. ALICE is a lightweight, low-power, and low-cost imaging spectrograph optimized for cometary far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectroscopy. It will be the first UV spectrograph to study a comet at close range. It is designed to obtain spatially-resolved spectra of Rosetta mission targets in the 700–2050 Å spectral band with a spectral resolution between 8 Å and 12 Å for extended sources that fill its ～0.05^ × 6.0^ field-of-view. ALICE employs an off-axis telescope feeding a 0.15-m normal incidence Rowland circle spectrograph with a toroidal concave holographic reflection grating. The microchannel plate detector utilizes dual solar-blind opaque photocathodes (KBr and CsI) and employs a two-dimensional delay-line readout array. The instrument is controlled by an internal microprocessor. During the prime Rosetta mission, ALICE will characterize comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's coma, its nucleus, and nucleus/coma coupling; during cruise to the comet, ALICE will make observations of the mission's two asteroid flyby targets and of Mars, its moons, and of Earth's moon. ALICE has already successfully completed the in-flight commissioning phase and is operating well in flight. It has been characterized in flight with stellar flux calibrations, observations of the Moon during the first Earth fly-by, and observations of comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) in 2004 and comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the 2005 Deep Impact comet-collision observing campaign.     

Determination of Sulfur Abundance in the Solar Wind

Solar chemical abundances are determined by comparing solar photospheric spectra with synthetic ones obtained for different sets of abundances and physical conditions. Although such inferred results are reliable, they are model dependent. Therefore, one compares them with the values for the local interstellar medium (LISM). The argument is that they must be similar, but even for LISM abundance determinations models play a fundamental role (i.e., temperature fluctuations, clumpiness, photon leaks). There are still two possible comparisons—one with the meteoritic values and the second with solar wind abundances. In this work we derive a first estimation of the solar wind element ratios of sulfur relative to calcium and magnesium, two neighboring low-FIP elements, using 10 years of CELIAS/MTOF data. We compare the sulfur abundance with the abundance determined from spectroscopic observations and from solar energetic particles. Sulfur is a moderately volatile element, hence, meteoritic sulfur may be depleted relative to non-volatile elements, if compared to its original solar system value.