The Rossi X-ray timing explorer: Capabilities, achievements and aims

The prime scientific objectives of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) were the study of astrophysical compact objects: black holes (galactic and extragalactic), many types of neutron stars, and accreting white dwarfs. RXTE was successful in achieving its original observing objectives of large area and high time resolution observations with broadband (2–200 keV) spectra, scheduled flexibly enough to enable observations of targets of opportunity on any timescale greater than a few hours. These capabilities enabled qualitatively new discoveries about dynamical timescale phenomena related to neutron stars and black holes, phenomena which probe basic physics in the most extreme environments of gravity, density, and magnetic fields. RXTE has extended its lifetime by applying the proportional counter area selectively and maintains schedule flexibility by making use of the distribution of targets around the sky. Proposed future observations emphasize opportunity to discover and study additional millisecond pulsars, pursue the high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole transients, and connect high frequency phenomena with longer-term characteristics. RXTE will continue to strongly support, for both galactic and extragalactic targets, combining RXTE observations with other wavelengths (from IR to TeV) or with other capabilities, such as high spectral resolution.     

Learning Spatial Localization: From Rat Studies to Computational Models of the Hippocampus

In his landmark article, Richard Morris (1981) introduced a set of rat experiments intended “to demonstrate that rats can rapidly learn to locate an object that they can never see, hear, or smell provided it remains in a fixed spatial location relative to distal room cues” (p. 239). These experimental studies have greatly impacted our understanding of rat spatial cognition. In this article, we address a spatial cognition model primarily based on hippocampus place cell computation where we extend the prior Barrera–Weitzenfeld model (2008) intended to allow navigation in mazes containing corridors. The current work extends beyond the limitations of corridors to enable navigation in open arenas where a rat may move in any direction at any time. The extended work reproduces Morris's rat experiments through virtual rats that search for a hidden platform using visual cues in a circular open maze analogous to the Morris water maze experiments. We show results with virtual rats comparing them to Morris's original studies with rats.     

Characterization of a novel gravitropic mutant of morning glory, weeping2

In higher plants, gravity is a major environmental cue that governs growth orientation, a phenomenon termed gravitropism. It has been suggested that gravity also affects other aspects of morphogenesis, such as circumnutation and winding movements. Previously, we showed that these aspects of plant growth morphology require amyloplast sedimentation inside gravisensing endodermal cells. However, the molecular mechanism of the graviresponse and its relationship to circumnutation and winding remains obscure. Here, we have characterized a novel shoot gravitropic mutant of morning glory, weeping2 (we2). In the we2 mutant, the gravitropic response of the stem was absent, and hypocotyls exhibited a severely reduced gravitropic response, whereas roots showed normal gravitropism. In agreement with our previous studies, we found that we2 mutant has defects in shoot circumnutation and winding. Histological analysis showed that we2 mutant forms abnormal endodermal cells. We identified a mutation in the morning glory homolog of SHORT-ROOT (PnSHR1) that was genetically linked to the agravitropic phenotype of we2 mutant, and which may underlie the abnormal differentiation of endodermal cells in this plant. These results suggest that the phenotype of we2 mutant is due to a mutation of PnSHR1, and that PnSHR1 regulates gravimorphogenesis, including circumnutation and winding movements, in morning glory.     

Strategies of developing advanced lunar power systems

Electric and thermal power have to be available at the base site on the lunar surface before the first lunar crew arrives. Unlimited solar energy is available during the lunar day, but this must be stored for use during the lunar night unless nuclear energy systems are available. State-of-the-art candidate systems are reviewed and the production of solar cells on the moon is discussed. Various options for developing a lunar power plant are proposed. These must be simulated and optimized in a real lifecycle systems scenario to provide operations and cost data essential for choosing a strategy.     

激波对血液成分影响的实验研究

用自行研制的无膜激波管，研究在一定强度激波的作用下，激波对血液成分的影响。分析了激波与血液作用时的波系结构，得到了作用在血液上的透射激波速度和透射波波后压力的表达式。共对24组新鲜血液进行了对照实验，实验后的医学化验表明：激波对血液有相当强的作用，其中尤为明显的是作用后的血液中游离血红蛋白明显增多、血小板数减少。结果还表明这些变化跟激波作用的次数有一定的关系。文中对造成血液破坏的机制也作了初步的分析。     

T cell regulation in microgravity – The current knowledge from in vitro experiments conducted in space,parabolic flights and ground-based facilities

Dating back to the Apollo and Skylab missions, it has been reported that astronauts suffered from bacterial and viral infections during space flight or after returning to Earth. Blood analyses revealed strongly reduced capability of human lymphocytes to become active upon mitogenic stimulation. Since then, a large number of in vitro studies on human immune cells have been conducted in space, in parabolic flights, and in ground-based facilities. It became obvious that microgravity affects cell morphology and important cellular functions. Observed changes include cell proliferation, the cytoskeleton, signal transduction and gene expression. This review gives an overview of the current knowledge of T cell regulation under altered gravity conditions obtained by in vitro studies with special emphasis on the cell culture conditions used. We propose that future in vitro experiments should follow rigorous standardized cell culture conditions, which allows better comparison of the results obtained in different flight- and ground-based experiment platforms.     

改进的三维高精度通用单胞模型

基于复合材料细观力学周期性假设,对高精度通用单胞模型进行了改进,并推广到三维。模型中用界面的平均量代替细观位移函数中解系数,并利用细观单元力学方程的分析与求解,建立了细观平均量与复合材料宏观平均量间的联系.改进的高精度通用单胞模型的求解方程数目减少了大约55%,求解时间缩短,并且消除了亚子胞的概念.算例分析表明该模型的计算结果与细观有限元结果具有较好的一致性.      

Duffing振子临界态性能研究

During振子临界态相变对弱信号检测研究非常重要,文中研究During临界状态的性能。介绍了随机微分方程理论关于噪声对系统周期态影响的分析;然后为克服存在的过渡过程,建立改进的系统仿真模型。通过仿真试验分析During振子临界态的性能,混沌态与大尺度周期态表现的性能差别深化了对混沌现象的认识;重点研究受噪声干扰的系统运动状态变化情况,得出系统运动越接近临界态越对噪声敏感,噪声越强周期态运动容易再次跃迁回混沌态,说明随机微分方程理论分析临界状态结果不正确;实验结果还表明,噪声是在某些特定条件下导致处于临界大尺度周期态运动的系统发生突变分又跃迁回混沌状态,值得进一步深入研究。     

Stratobus平流层飞艇项目研究进展与仿真分析

平流层飞艇是当前的前沿热点研究方向,创新性强、技术挑战大。针对国外公开在研的大型超长航时平流层飞艇项目Stratobus,首先对基本方案进行总结分析,梳理总体研究进展,然后归纳剖析囊体材料、太阳电池、可再生氢氧燃料电池、吊舱移动系统等核心关键技术方案和研究进展,在此基础上,通过数值仿真,对决定平流层飞艇总体方案可行性的浮重平衡、推阻平衡、能源平衡进行综合分析,提出了Stratobus项目发展的启示,为平流层飞艇总体设计和研究发展提供参考借鉴。     

硫源种类对微波合成CZTS颗粒与薄膜性能的影响

研究不同硫源对微波液相合成的Cu２ＺｎＳｎＳ４（CZTS）纳米颗粒尺寸及形貌的影响。结果表明：当采用硫脲作为硫源时,所制备的CZTS纳米颗粒为平均尺寸500 nm的球状结构纳米颗粒;采用L 半胱氨酸作为硫源所制备的CZTS纳米颗粒为50 nm的空心球状纳米颗粒;而当使用硫代乙酰胺作为硫源制备CZTS纳米颗粒,其平均尺寸仅为3 nm。采用 平均尺寸为500 nm或50 nm的纳米颗粒制备墨水,将墨水旋涂到衬底上时,其致密性很差,明显存在许多孔洞。当采用平均尺寸为3 nm的纳米颗粒制作墨水,并将其制成薄膜时,薄膜致密性与均匀性都比较好。将最佳的预制薄膜进行硫化处理,其结晶性明显提高,并得到转化效率为2.1%的CZTS太阳电池。