The PAMELA experiment: A space-borne observatory for heliospheric phenomena

PAMELA is a multi-purpose apparatus composed of a series of scintillator counters arranged at the extremities of a permanent magnet spectrometer to provide charge, time-of-flight and rigidity information. Lepton/hadron identification is performed by a silicon–tungsten calorimeter and a Neutron detector placed at the bottom of the device. An Anticounter system is used offline to reject false triggers coming from the satellite. The device was put into orbit on June 15th 2006 in a pressurized container on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite. The satellite is flying along a high inclination (70°), low Earth orbit (350–600 km), allowing to perform measurements in different points and conditions of the geomagnetosphere. PAMELA main goal is a precise measurement of the antimatter ( 80 MeV–190 GeV, e⁺ 50 MeV–270 GeV) and matter (p 80–700 GeV, e⁻ 50 MeV–400 GeV) component of the galactic cosmic rays. In this paper we focus on the capabilites of observations of heliospheric cosmic rays: trapped and semi-trapped particles in the proton and electron belts, solar particle events, Jovian electrons will be studied in the three years of expected mission.     

On the possibility to check the magnetosphere’s model by CR: The strong geomagnetic storm in November 2003

We report on a study of cosmic ray cutoff rigidity variations during the strong geomagnetic storm of 18–24 November 2003. We employed the most recent Tsyganenko magnetospheric model to represent the very strong disturbed Magnetosphere. We used this magnetic field for the cosmic ray trajectory calculations to determine the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity throughout this period of severe geomagnetic disturbance. We determine the cutoff rigidity changes during this period by two methods, by trajectory calculations and by the spectrographic global survey method. The values of the change of cutoff rigidities obtained by two different methods are correlated with the D_st and interplanetary magnetic field and plasma parameters and result in correlation coefficients in the range 0.63–0.84 for the various cosmic ray stations. The result of this study indicates that the most significant contributions to the cutoff rigidity changes are due to D_st variation although the influence of solar wind density and B_z and B_y components of IMF variations is significant.     

一种多码率QC-LDPC码译码结构设计与实现

为了满足在一个系统中使用多码率LDPC(Low Density Parity Check)码字的需求,设计了一个7Kbit长度多码率LDPC码的译码器,分析了各种码率之间校验矩阵的相似性,提出了复合译码结构中变量节点运算单元、校验节点运算单元以及迭代存储器单元的复用方案.通过在变量节点运算单元以及校验节点运算单元输入端增加若干选通开关,就可以使这些运算单元适于多码率的处理.通过管脚的选择,此译码器支持非规则0.4码率、非规则0.6码率以及非规则0.8码率3种工作译码模式,并用Altera公司的FPGA进行了实现.综合结果表明,所提出的复合结构在不损伤单码率译码性能的前提下,仅用略多于0.8码率LDPC码单独译码的硬件资源实现了3种码率码字的译码.      

提取流管实验装置中声衬声阻抗的模态方法

发展了一种模态匹配方法进行有均匀流条件下敷设声衬的二维矩形流管中声传播的计算, 计算结果与NASA流管实验结果和CAA计算结果符合得很好.在此基础上, 着重介绍采用求极值的变尺度法优化目标函数和给定求解范围寻找目标函数最小值两种方法进行管内未知声阻抗的提取, 给出了算例验证, 并分析了随机误差和已知声压点数对计算结果的影响.      

飞机表面绕射射线的寻迹方法

研究一种电子对抗特种飞机表面绕射射线的寻迹新方法.对飞机进行快速三维几何建模和表面网格剖分,并根据需要对几何模型的剖面和结点加密,生成飞机表面网格数据;选定寻迹区域,对飞机表面网格结点进行管理,根据费马原理,采用改进的动态规划方法,在飞机表面网格上快速、准确地实现任意源点和绕射接收点间的短程线计算;在此基础上,采用递归方法实现可视化的几何绕射理论(GTD)、一致性几何绕射理论(UTD)绕射射线离散寻迹.绕射射线离散寻迹为数值方法求解机身表面任意两点间的天线隔离度提供了条件.      

Reminiscences of cosmic ray research in Mexico

Cosmic ray research in Mexico dates from the early 1930s with the work of the pioneering physicist, Manuel Sandoval Vallarta and his students from Mexico. Several experiments of international significance were carried out during that period in Mexico: they dealt with the geomagnetic latitude effect, the north–south and west–east asymmetry of cosmic ray intensity, and the sign of the charge of cosmic rays. The international cosmic ray community has met twice in Mexico for the International Cosmic Ray Conferences (ICRC): the fourth was held in Guanajuato in 1955, and the 30th took place in Mérida, in 2007. In addition, an international meeting on the Pierre Auger Collaboration was held in Morelia in 1999, and the International Workshop on Observing UHE Cosmic Rays took place in Metepec in 2000. A wide range of research topics has been developed, from low-energy Solar Energetic Particles (SEP) to the UHE. Instrumentation has evolved since the early 1950s, from a Simpson type neutron monitor installed in Mexico City (2300 m asl) to a solar neutron telescope and an EAS Cherenkov array, (within the framework of the Auger International Collaboration), both at present operating on Mt. Sierra La Negra in the state of Puebla (4580 m asl). Research collaboration has been undertaken with many countries; in particular, the long-term collaboration with Russian scientists has been very fruitful.     

The dust content of clusters of galaxies

We have statistically investigated the infrared luminosity of clusters of galaxies in comparison with the known tracers of the cluster mass like the X-ray luminosity and the cluster richness (e.g. the number of member galaxies). Our results show that there is a clear positive correlation of the infrared luminosity with the cluster mass. Quantitatively speaking, the infrared luminosity is on average 20 times higher than the X-ray luminosity. Moreover, the infrared luminosity increases with the redshift. This probably shows that a major part of this infrared luminosity is due to star formation in the member galaxies. Another possible contribution would be the thermal emission from dust particles in the diffuse intracluster medium. However our method does not allow us to infer conclusions about this second hypothesis. Depending on their size and abundance, such particles would contribute to the infrared luminosity of galaxy cluster and have an impact on the cooling function of the baryons and thus on the formation of the large scale structures. This is an important cosmological question which still remains open.     

破碎燃烧无壳高能气体压裂技术

讨论了各种高能气体压裂方案，提出并实施了破碎燃烧无壳高能气体压裂技术，压裂井深1000～5000m，在5ms内p-t曲线升至最大，作用时间在700～2000ms内可调，实现了多缝起裂，长时延缝的设计思想。该技术简单、可靠，增产效果显著，有很大的推广应用价值。     

一种新的微机辅助疲劳裂纹扩展综合测试系统

在对数据处理和变载技术研究的基础上,采用C+ +编程,在X86系列微机上建立了一套新的功能先进的计算机辅助疲劳裂纹扩展速率综合测试、处理与分析系统.与其它系统相比,该系统在测试精度、信息获取、试验周期等方面大大改进,可进行恒ΔP法、恒ΔK法以及降ΔK升ΔK法等多种载荷与应力强度因子幅的控制试验,并在腐蚀疲劳裂纹扩展测试中得到成功应用,说明该系统测试有效,功能可靠.     

SETI in the light of cosmic convergent evolution

Theodosius Dobzhansky, one of the founding fathers of the modern evolutionary synthesis, once famously stated that “nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution”. Here it will be argued that nothing in astrobiology makes sense except in the light of “Cosmic Convergent Evolution” (CCE). This view of life contends that natural selection is a universal force of nature that leads to the emergence of similarly adapted life forms in analogous planetary biospheres. Although SETI historically preceded the rise of astrobiology that we have witnessed in the recent decade, one of its main tenets from the beginning was the convergence of life on a cosmic scale toward intelligent behavior and subsequent communication via technological means. The question of cultural convergence in terms of symbolic exchange, language and scientific capabilities between advanced interstellar civilizations has been the subject of ongoing debate. However, at the core of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence lies in essence a biological problem since even post-biological extraterrestrial intelligences must have had an origin based on self-replicating biopolymers. Thus, SETI assumes a propensity of the Universe towards biogenesis in accordance with CCE, a new evolutionary concept which posits the multiple emergence of life across the Cosmos. Consequently, we have to wonder about the biophilic properties the Universe apparently exhibits, as well as to try to find an encompassing theory that is able to explain this “fine-tuning” in naturalistic terms. The aims of this paper are as follows: 1) to emphasize the importance of convergent evolution in astrobiology and ongoing SETI research; 2) to introduce novel and biology-centered cosmological ideas such as the “Selfish Biocosm Hypothesis” and the “Evo Devo Universe” as valuable arguments in theorizing about the origin and nature of extraterrestrial intelligence and 3) to synthesize these findings within an emerging post-biological paradigm on which future SETI efforts may be founded.