Late Stages of Stellar Evolution

A large fraction of ISO observing time was used to study the late stages of stellar evolution. Many molecular and solid state features, including crystalline silicates and the rotational lines of water vapour, were detected for the first time in the spectra of (post-)Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. Their analysis has greatly improved our knowledge of stellar atmospheres and circumstellar environments. A surprising number of objects, particularly young planetary nebulae with Wolf-Rayet (WR) central stars, were found to exhibit emission features in their ISO spectra that are characteristic of both oxygen-rich and carbon-rich dust species, while far-IR observations of the PDR around NGC 7027 led to the first detections of the rotational line spectra of CH and CH⁺. Based on observations with ISO, an ESA project with instruments funded by ESA Member States (especially the PI countries: France, Germany, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom), and with the participation of ISAS and NASA.     

航天器表面环境散射返回流污染数值模拟和影响因素分析

针对航天器表面出气分子形成的环境散射返回流污染问题,利用试验粒子Monte Carlo方法对圆球和圆柱体简化航天器表面环境散射返回流进行数值模拟。其中,圆球出气表面的计算结果与已有的DSMC(Direct Simulation Monte Carlo)方法计算结果一致,验证了该方法的正确性。此外,对不同长径比的圆柱表面环境散射进行了计算和分析,结果表明:来流方向垂直于圆柱对称轴时,返回分子主要分布在圆柱体侧面的迎风部位;返回通量比随来流与出气分子质量之比的增加逐渐减小,随来流与出气表面温度之比、来流分子速度比和数密度的增加而增大;不同长径比条件下返回通量比相对于上述4个参数的变化具有相似性和递变性,短粗体的返回通量比最小,长细体的最大,正常圆柱体的则居中;返回通量比相对来流攻角的变化在不同长径比条件下不再具有相似性,而是取决于有效迎风面积。     

高超声速飞行器DSMC／EPSM自适应当地时间步长混合算法

采用优化的DSMC/EPSM混合算法,研究了高超声速飞行器三维复杂流场在近连续区的气动力热特性.发展了一种DSMC/EPSM自适应当地时间步长混合算法,根据网格内仿真分子的碰撞数,自动调整网格中进行仿真分子运动和碰撞计算的时间步长,有效地提高了程序的计算效率和计算精度.用DSMC方法、DSMC/EPSM混合算法和DSMC/EPSM自适应当地时间步长混合算法对比计算了三维复杂飞行器流场压力、热流分布量,飞行器表面气动力、热分布参数,证明了DSMC/EPSM自适应当地时间步长混合算法大幅度缩短了流场稳定所需的CPU时间,并且不降低流场模拟结果的精度.     

振动温度的激波管测定

根据双原子分光带系及其强度理论,介绍了测定振动温度的原理及方法。同时,利用激波加热试验气体的方法,得到氧化铝分子绿带系(B~2∑~+-X~2∑~+)的全部光带。通过氧化铝分子绿带系光带强度的测定,得到在激波马赫数为10时,反射激波后气体的振动温度约为5200K。     

Response and adaptation of bone cells to simulated microgravity

Bone loss induced by microgravity during space flight is one of the most deleterious factors on astronaut’s health and is mainly attributed to an unbalance in the process of bone remodeling. Studies from the space microgravity have demonstrated that the disruption of bone remodeling is associated with the changes of four main functional bone cells, including osteoblast, osteoclast, osteocyte, and mesenchymal stem cells. For the limited availability, expensive costs and confined experiment conditions for conducting space microgravity studies, the mechanism of bone cells response and adaptation to microgravity is still unclear. Therefore, some ground-based simulated microgravity methods have been developed to investigate the bioeffects of microgravity and the mechanisms. Here, based on our studies and others, we review how bone cells (osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes and mesenchymal stem cells) respond and adapt to simulated microgravity.     

Search for organic molecules at the Mars surface: The “Martian Organic Material Irradiation and Evolution” (MOMIE) project

The life on Mars remains an open question because of the lack of proof of its past emergence and its current presence. The only indices of a potential Martian life were provided by the Viking Landers, and the study of the Martian meteorite ALH84001 discovered in the Antarctic. In the two case, the results of experiments could be explained either by the presence of life forms or by abiotic processes. The recent data of Mars Express orbiter and Mars Exploration Rovers show different proofs of a past environment favourable for life. Among the targets we seek, the organic molecules are primordial because they are necessary to the origin of life. A key question is to know if they are present, in which concentration and under which form. Within the framework of a search for organic, we are developing an experimental setup simulating as close as possible the environmental conditions of Mars surface in order to determine how organic species evolve. We present here the first step of the development of this experiment which focuses on the study of the impact of the solar UV radiations reaching the Mars surface on glycine. First results show that glycine does not resist if directly exposed to UV radiations.     

Morphological Structure and Chemical Composition of Cometary Nuclei and Dust

The chemical composition of comet nuclei derived from current data on interstellar dust ingredients and comet dust and coma molecules are shown to be substantially consistent with each other in both refractory and volatile components. When limited by relative cosmic abundances the water in comet nuclei is constrained to be close to 30% by mass and the refractory to volatile ratio is close to 1:1. The morphological structure of comet nuclei, as deduced from comet dust infrared continuum and spectral emission properties, is described by a fluffy (porous) aggregate of tenth micron silicate core-organic refractory mantle particle on which outer mantles of predominantly H₂O ices contain embedded carbonaceous and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) type particles of size in the of 1 - 10nm range. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the 3D structure of the nebula around η-Carinae

The asymmetric shape of the nebula around η-Carinae (Homunculus) can be explained by a spherical expansion in a non-homogeneous medium. Two models are analyzed: an exponential and an inverse power law dependence for the density as a function of distance from the equatorial plane. The presence of a medium with variable density along the polar direction progressively converts the original spherical shell into a bipolar nebula. In the case of the nebula around η-Carinae, we know the time elapsed since the great outburst in 1840. An exact match between observed radii and velocities can be obtained by fine tuning the parameters involved, such as initial radius, initial velocity and the typical scale that characterizes the gradient in density. The observed radius and velocity of the Homunculus as a function of the polar angle in spherical coordinates can be compared with the corresponding simulated data by introducing the efficiency in a single or multiple directions. Once the 3D spatial structure of the Homunculus is obtained, we can compose the image by integrating along the line of sight. In order to simulate the observed image, we have considered a bipolar nebula with constant thickness and an optically thin emitting layer. Some simulated cuts of the relative intensity are reported and may represent a useful reference for the astronomical cuts.     

Collisional excitation of vinylidene (H2CC)

Though H₂CO, H₂CS, H₂CCC, H₂CCCC, H₂CCO have been identified in cool interstellar molecular clouds, identification of H₂CC is still awaited. To analyze its spectrum, collisional rate coefficients are required. We have calculated collisional rate coefficients for rotational transitions between 23 levels of ortho and para H₂CC for kinetic temperatures 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 K. The scattering problem is analyzed using the computer code MOLSCAT where the colliding partner is He atom. The interaction between H₂CC and He has been calculated with GAUSSIAN 2003. For the interaction potential obtained with GAUSSIAN 2003, MOLSCAT is used to derive the parameters q(L,M,M^′|E)$q(L\text{,}M\text{,}{M}^{\prime }|E)$ as a function of energy E   of the colliding partner. After averaging the parameters q(L,M,M^′|E)$q(L\text{,}M\text{,}{M}^{\prime }|E)$ over a Maxwellian distribution, the parameters Q(L,M,M^′|T)$Q(L\text{,}M\text{,}{M}^{\prime }|T)$ as a function of the kinetic temperature T in the cloud are obtained. Finally, the collisional rate coefficients have been calculated.