Equilibration Processes in the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium

The Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) is thought to contribute about 40–50% to the baryonic budget at the present evolution stage of the universe. The observed large scale structure is likely to be due to gravitational growth of density fluctuations in the post-inflation era. The evolving cosmic web is governed by non-linear gravitational growth of the initially weak density fluctuations in the dark energy dominated cosmology. Non-linear structure formation, accretion and merging processes, star forming and AGN activity produce gas shocks in the WHIM. Shock waves are converting a fraction of the gravitation power to thermal and non-thermal emission of baryonic/leptonic matter. They provide the most likely way to power the luminous matter in the WHIM. The plasma shocks in the WHIM are expected to be collisionless. Collisionless shocks produce a highly non-equilibrium state with anisotropic temperatures and a large differences in ion and electron temperatures. We discuss the ion and electron heating by the collisionless shocks and then review the plasma processes responsible for the Coulomb equilibration and collisional ionisation equilibrium of oxygen ions in the WHIM. MHD-turbulence produced by the strong collisionless shocks could provide a sizeable non-thermal contribution to the observed Doppler parameter of the UV line spectra of the WHIM.     

Thermodynamical Properties of the ICM from Hydrodynamical Simulations

Modern hydrodynamical simulations offer nowadays a powerful means to trace the evolution of the X-ray properties of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) during the cosmological history of the hierarchical build up of galaxy clusters. In this paper we review the current status of these simulations and how their predictions fare in reproducing the most recent X-ray observations of clusters. After briefly discussing the shortcomings of the self-similar model, based on assuming that gravity only drives the evolution of the ICM, we discuss how the processes of gas cooling and non-gravitational heating are expected to bring model predictions into better agreement with observational data. We then present results from the hydrodynamical simulations, performed by different groups, and how they compare with observational data. As terms of comparison, we use X-ray scaling relations between mass, luminosity, temperature and pressure, as well as the profiles of temperature and entropy. The results of this comparison can be summarised as follows: (a) simulations, which include gas cooling, star formation and supernova feedback, are generally successful in reproducing the X-ray properties of the ICM outside the core regions; (b) simulations generally fail in reproducing the observed “cool core” structure, in that they have serious difficulties in regulating overcooling, thereby producing steep negative central temperature profiles. This discrepancy calls for the need of introducing other physical processes, such as energy feedback from active galactic nuclei, which should compensate the radiative losses of the gas with high density, low entropy and short cooling time, which is observed to reside in the innermost regions of galaxy clusters.     

Kuafu and the studies of CME initiation

We first briefly review the current trend in the studies of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), then summarize some recent efforts in understanding the CME initiation. Emphasis has been put on the studies of Earth-directed CMEs whose associated surface activity and large scale magnetic source have been well identified. The data analysis by combining the MDI full disc magnetograms, vector magnetograms of active regions, EUV waves and dimmings, non-thermal radio sources, and the SOHO LASCO observations has shed new light in understanding the CME magnetism. However, the current studies seem to invoke new observations in a few aspects: (1) The observations which enable us to trace CMEs from the earliest associated surface activity to its initial acceleration and key development in the low corona in the height of 1–3 R; (2) The imaging spectroscopic observations which can be used to diagnose the early plasma outflow and the line-of-sight velocity in understanding the kinematics of CMEs; (3) The accurate timing from primary magnetic energy release, manifested by chromospheric activity, non-thermal radio bursts, and EUV, X-ray and γ-ray emissions, to the CME initiation, early acceleration and propagation, and the consequences in the interplanetary space and magnetosphere. The Kuafu Mission will meet the basic requirement for the new observations in CME initiation studies and serve as a monitor of space weather of the Sun–Earth system.     

氢对TC4合金切削加工性能的影响

通过对不同氢含量的TC4合金试件进行车削试验,测量切削力和加工后的表面粗糙度及观察切屑形态,研究氢对TC4合金切削加工性的影响.结果表明:在一定范围内,随氢含量增加,TC4合金的切削加工性提高,并且有一个最佳值,氢含量为0.2%.超过该值后,随氢含量增加,钛合金切削加工性变差.     

Changes in the Structure of Comet Nuclei Due to Radioactive Heating

The initial structure of a comet nucleus is most probably a homogeneous, porous, fine-grained mixture of dust and ices, predominantly water. The water ice is presumably amorphous and includes considerable fractions of occluded gases. This structure undergoes significant changes during the early evolution of the nucleus at large heliocentric distances, due to internal radiogenic heating. Structural changes occur mainly as a result of gas flow through the porous medium: the gas pressure that builds up in the interior is capable of breaking the fragile structure and altering the pore sizes and porosity. These effects are modeled and followed numerically, testing a large number of parameters. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

置氢钛合金粉末模压成形-烧结改性机理

采用置氢TC4钛合金粉末模压成形+保护气氛下烧结工艺,研究了置氢TC4合金粉末模压成形-烧结后合金的组织性能的变化规律,提出了采用置氢钛合金粉末成形与钛合金热氢处理技术相结合的新工艺路线制备合金.结果表明:随着置氢量的增加和烧结温度的升高,置氢TC4合金粉末模压成形烧结体致密度均呈逐渐增高趋势;烧结体组织由明显的魏氏体...     

复合材料机翼结构形状/尺寸综合优化设计

提出了一种复合材料机翼结构的形状／尺寸综合优化设计方法,对形状／尺寸综合优化问题进行解耦处理,得到了一种双层循环优化策略。采用均匀设计法给出若干样本点,使用准则优化手段进行尺寸优化设计,构造了形状设计变量与尺寸优化结果之间的二次多项式响应面模型,采用复合形法完成了基于响应面的形状优化设计。最后,对某型大展弦比飞翼结构进行了优化设计。优化算例结果表明,所提方法可行且有效,有较高的优化效率。     

基于信息公理的产品设计方案评价方法

产品设计方案的评价方法是产品设计过程决策的重要依据。文中利用公理化设计理论中的信息公理将层次分析法和模糊数学理论与香农信息论相结合，对产品设计方案进行定量评价，以选出最佳设计方案。以机械传动方案设计为例，建立了设计方案评价指标体系，综合考虑各评价指标的权重，给出了评价指标信息量的计算公式和设计方案评价决策的方法，从而为产品设计提供了一种科学的决策依据，同时也为产品设计过程的自动化打下良好的基础。     

A lunar L2-Farside exploration and science mission concept with the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and a teleoperated lander/rover

A novel concept is presented in this paper for a human mission to the lunar L2 (Lagrange) point that would be a proving ground for future exploration missions to deep space while also overseeing scientifically important investigations. In an L2 halo orbit above the lunar farside, the astronauts aboard the Orion Crew Vehicle would travel 15% farther from Earth than did the Apollo astronauts and spend almost three times longer in deep space. Such a mission would serve as a first step beyond low Earth orbit and prove out operational spaceflight capabilities such as life support, communication, high speed re-entry, and radiation protection prior to more difficult human exploration missions. On this proposed mission, the crew would teleoperate landers/rovers on the unexplored lunar farside, which would obtain samples from the geologically interesting farside and deploy a low radio frequency telescope. Sampling the South Pole-Aitken basin, one of the oldest impact basins in the solar system, is a key science objective of the 2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Observations at low radio frequencies to track the effects of the Universe’s first stars/galaxies on the intergalactic medium are a priority of the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Such telerobotic oversight would also demonstrate capability for human and robotic cooperation on future, more complex deep space missions such as exploring Mars.     

Radio-faint BL Lac objects and their impact on the radio/gamma-ray connection

Radio and gamma-ray emissions in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) are both related to the presence of relativistic particles in jets. With the advent of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and thanks to its large sensitivity up to several GeV, many observational results are changing our understanding of these phenomena. BL Lac objects, which made up only a fraction of the known extragalactic gamma-ray source population before Fermi, have now become the most abundant class. However, since they are relatively weak radio sources, most of them are poorly known as far as their parsec scale structure and multi-wavelength properties are concerned. For this reason, we have selected a complete sample of 42 low redshift BL Lacs (independently of their gamma-ray properties) to study with a multi-wavelength (radio, optical, X-ray, gamma-ray) approach. Here, we present results and images of sources in the sample (most of which have never been observed before), using new VLBA observations at 8 and 15 GHz. Beyond this sample of BL Lacs, the population of gamma-ray AGNs has also dramatically enlarged in the Fermi era, permitting us to discuss the presence of a correlation between radio and gamma-ray properties with improved statistical significance. We explore the radio-gamma relation with several hundreds sources and using both simultaneous and archival radio data, thus tackling the impact of time variability.