Studying the evolution of the hot universe with the X-ray evolving universe spectroscopy mission – XEUS

Europe is one of the major partners building the International Space Station (ISS) and European industry, together with ESA, is responsible for many station components including the Columbus Orbital Facility, the Automated Transport Vehicle, two connecting modules and the European Robotic Arm. Together with this impressive list of contributions there is a strong desire within the ESA Member States to benefit from this investment by utilizing the unique capabilities of the ISS to perform world-class science. XEUS is one of the astronomical applications being studied by ESA to utilize the capabilities of the ISS. XEUS will be a long-term X-ray observatory with an initial mirror area of 6 m² at 1 keV that will be expanded to 30 m² following a visit to the ISS. The 1 keV spatial resolution is expected to be 2–5″ half-energy-width. XEUS will consist of separate detector and mirror spacecraft (MSC) aligned by active control to provide a focal length of 50 m. A new detector spacecraft, complete with the next generation of instruments, will also be added after visiting the ISS. The limiting 0.1–2.5 keV sensitivity will then be 4 × 10⁻¹⁸ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹, around 200 times better than XMM-Newton, allowing XEUS to study the properties of the hot baryons and dark matter at high redshift.     

AR5395和AR5629X射线事件的太阳射电辐射特征

ＡＲ５３９５和ＡＲ５６２９Ｘ射线事件的太阳射电辐射特征吴洪敖，孙九祯（中同科学院紫金山天文台，南京２１０００８）关键词太阳耀斑，Ｘ射线事件，射电事件一、概况本文选用的典型事件是１９８９年３月的ＡＲ５３９５和８月的ＡＲ５６２９的射电缓变和爆发分量，及其...     

Self-similar problems of the time-dependant discs accretion and the nature of the temporary X-ray sources

Self-similar solutions, obtained by means of non-linear hydrodynamic equations, describing the picture of the time-dependant discs accretion. Some of the solutions describe the evolution of the accumulating disc, which is created around the neutron star with a strong magnetic field. Others give the time evolution of the initial narrow material ring, thrown at a certain distance around the gravitation centre. Practically all problems of the time-dependant disc accretion, asymptotically come to the above mentioned solutions.It is shown that the time-dependant disc accretion of the gas of the neutron star from the accumulating disc cause recurrent X-ray outbursts. The fall of the X-ray luminosity at the maximum stage depends of the time to a certain degree; is near the ones which are observed in the time-dependant X-ray sources. The model of the time-dependant X-ray sources is explained in the framework of the time-dependant disc accretion of magnetized neutron star with a strong magnetic field.     

Results from the study of an M7.6 flare and its associated CME

An M7.6 flare was well observed on October 24, 2003 in active region 10486 by a few instruments and satellites, including GOES, TRACE, SOHO, RHESSI and NoRH. Multi-wavelength study shows that this flare underwent two episodes. During the first episode, only a looptop source of <40 keV was observed in reconstructed RHESSI images, which showed shrinkage with a velocity of 12–14 km s⁻¹ in a period of about 12 min. During the second process, in addition to the looptop source, two footpoint sources were observed in energy channel of as high as ∼200 keV. One of them showed fast propagation along one of the two TRACE 1600 Å flare ribbons and the 195 Å loop footpoints, which could be explained by successive magnetic reconnection. The associated CME showed a mass pickup process with decreasing center-of-mass velocity. The decrease of the CME kinetic energy and the increase of its potential energy lead to an almost constant total energy during the CME propagation. Our results reveal that the flare and its associated CME have comparable energy content, and the flare is of non-thermal property.     

铝合金2A12在热冲击条件下的力学性能

测试并确定航空航天材料在复杂高速热冲击条件下的强度极限等关键参数,对于航空航天材料和结构的可靠性评定、寿命预测以及高速飞行器的安全设计具有重要的意义.针对强度设计手册中没有航空航天材料在高速热冲击环境下的强度极限等表征参数的现状,使用自行研制的高速飞行器瞬态气动热试验模拟系统,对铝合金材料2A12在多种不同的瞬态热冲击条件下,进行气动加热模拟与热载联合试验研究,得到在瞬态热、力学环境的共同作用下铝合金2A12材料的强度极限等力学性能变化状况.为研究分析航空航天材料和结构在高速热冲击环境下的承载能力和结构减重提供可靠依据.      

A synchrotron-based facility for the in-situ location,chemical and mineralogical characterization of ∼10 μm particles captured in aerogel

NASA’s Stardust mission collected dust from the coma of Comet Wild-2 on January 2nd, 2004, by direct capture into aerogel cells that flew through the dust coma at ∼6 km/s. Stardust collected several hundred comet particles >10 μm in size. These comet samples were delivered to Earth on January 15th, 2006. We developed a facility at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY, USA) for the in-situ characterization of ∼10 μm particles collected in aerogel. These analytical instruments allow us to perform extensive chemical, mineralogical, and size-frequency characterization of particles captured in aerogel. These analyses are conducted without any invasive extraction, minimizing the possibility of contamination or particle loss during preparation. This facility was used to determine the chemical composition, the oxidation state, the mineralogy and to provide an indication of the grain size of the Wild-2 particles before they were removed from the aerogel. This information provides a catalog of particle types, allowing a more reasoned allocation of the particles to subsequent investigators based on a relatively detailed knowledge of the chemical composition and mineralogy of each particle. These measurements allowed a comparison of the chemical and mineralogical properties of the Wild-2 particles with other types of extraterrestrial materials, including interplanetary dust particles and meteorites. The success of in-situ analysis for Wild 2 particles demonstrates that synchrotron-based facilities will be important for the analysis of particles collected in aerogel on future earth-orbiting satellites and spacecraft.     

基于X射线脉冲星和星间链路的导航星座自主导航仿真研究

主要对基于X射线脉冲星和对基于星间链路的导航星座自主导航方法进行了仿真研究.同时提出了基于2种导航方法相融合的新方法,仿真研究证明两者融合的导航方法有效提高了位置估计精度,为导航星座自主导航研究提供了一种新的思路和实现途径.     

一种基于石墨烯的脉冲星导航X射线探测器

针对脉冲星导航要求X射线探测器具有高能量分辨率和高时间分辨率的需求,研究基于石墨烯电场效应来实现X射线探测的可行性。通过蒙特卡罗方法模拟不同能量X射线和不同厚度探测器基底的相互作用过程,得到不同厚度探测器对X射线的探测效率。利用有限元方法分析X射线在探测器内电离产生载流子的输运过程,验证了X射线入射对石墨烯电学特性的影响。理论分析计算探测器的时间分辨率和能量分辨率等指标参数,结果表明：基于石墨烯电场效应的X射线探测器具有较高的能量分辨率和时间分辨率,是一种潜力巨大的X射线探测方式,可满足未来脉冲星导航的工程应用。     

微孔光学阵列长宽比对X射线聚焦性能的影响

微孔光学阵列聚焦镜头是实现X射线探测系统高探测效率、轻小型化的有效手段,近年来得到了深入研究。X射线探测系统通过测量脉冲星辐射的X射线光子的到达时间,重构脉冲轮廓来实现航天器导航。为了获得更精确的脉冲星信号,必须尽可能多地收集X射线光子,因此探测系统的聚焦性能是X射线探测系统的核心指标,也是微孔光学阵列主要的设计目标。文章根据脉冲星能谱的分布特点,分析了微孔光学阵列通道长宽比对X射线聚焦性能的影响,提出了针对不同脉冲星选取特定长宽比的方法,实现了不同的脉冲星能谱分布下最优的聚焦效率,为后续微孔光学阵列的研制和工程搭载提供了参考。基于这种方法,文章对Crab脉冲星的能谱分布进行了微孔光学阵列设计,设计结果显示,其聚焦性能得到明显提高。