天文学家首次于宜居带发现地球“堂兄弟”

正天文学家借助开普勒天文望远镜,发现了第一颗和地球体积近似、位于宜居带中的行星。不过,由于它绕转的是一颗红矮星而非太阳那样的恒星,天文学家说它只是地球的"堂兄弟",而非"孪生兄弟"。这颗行星被命名为开普勒-186F,围绕一颗距地球约500光年的红矮星运行。在这个星系中,共有5颗行星,其中开普勒-186F是最外层的一颗行星,从其距离看,正好位于可保有液态水的宜居带外层。计算表明,这颗行星的直径只比地球大10%,围绕母星的公转周期为130天。尽管其质量和组     

台风"温比亚"在河南的转向路径和暴雨特征分析

利用常规、非常规、再分析资料,对2018年8月台风"温比亚"在河南的转向路径和暴雨特征进行了诊断分析.结果表明:"温比亚"在河南经历了西北行逐渐减速、停滞转向、东北行逐渐加速的过程;大范围暴雨主要集中于台风进入河南西北行逐渐减速的过程中.中纬度西风槽携带的冷空气从低空侵入台风环流,在非纬向高空急流形成的强辐散场与台风低空辐合场耦合的情况下,触发对流和暴雨增幅.西风槽东移有利于台风西北行减速停滞并转向.非纬向高空急流向平直西风急流演变并增强南扩,急流轴右侧的强辐散中心东北移,从高层牵引台风转向;台风东侧副热带高压及高空反气旋环流加强并向西南伸展,台风环境风场转入增强的西南气流中,是台风转向并加速东北移的重要动力因素.台风停滞转向之后,台风上部垂直涡度、散度、垂直速度场与下部错位,台风强度减弱,水汽通量值下降,降水也随之减弱.低空水汽通量大值中心、水汽通量散度负值中心和高空辐散中心对预报台风移动方向和降水强弱趋势具有指示意义.     

大气环流对冬季黑潮延伸体海温异常的响应

利用全球大气环流模式CAM3,研究了冬季北半球大气环流和东亚副热带西风急流对同期黑潮延伸体海温异常增暖响应的敏感性及东亚西风急流的响应机理.结果表明,模式能较好地刻画冬季黑潮延伸体海温异常增暖导致的北半球大气环流异常,特别是中纬地区大气环流异常“+、-”相问的分布特征.中高纬是大气对冬季黑潮延伸体海温异常响应的敏感区,...     

热带高空东风急流维持机制的诊断分析

本文利用FGGEⅢB资料,分析了热带东风急流的结构和角劝量收支,表明平均绝对角动量水平通量辐散是维持东风急流的动力因素,影响这种辐散是平均的季风经圈环流;就热力而论,急流与正的南北向平均温度梯度相关,而影响对流层中高层温度梯度的重要因素是南北向不同的加热作用。由季风槽和ITCZ引起的加热,是影响急流强度重要的热力因子。     

正压大气中非均匀基流上的椭圆余弦波

从正压水平无辐散的原始方程出发,在基本气流存在切变的情况下,导出了β平面上的KdV方程,并具体讨论了基本气流的南北分布为抛物型时的椭圆余弦波解,所得结论与实际大气中急流北侧所表现出的大气环流特征相一致。     

柴达木盆地夏季极端强降水特征及大气环流成因

利用柴达木盆地气象台站逐日降水资料和国际卫星云气候学计划D2资料分析了柴达木盆地夏季极端强降水、云量及云水资源的时空分布特征,结合NCEP/NCAR再分析资料对夏季极端强降水事件发生时的大气环流进行了分析.结果表明,夏季极端降水阈值和极端降水日数在柴达木盆地东部大于西部,极端降水量也明显增加.柴达木盆地各种云量的空间分布形态不一,云量上升趋势不明显.云水路径、固态云水和液态云水的空间分布形态一致,具有"南低北高"的特征,三者的线性趋势在年和四季尺度均明显上升.环流分析显示,极端强降水事件发生时,对流层上层,西风急流向北移动,柴达木盆地位于急流南侧,有异常反气旋式环流,对应高空辐散区;对流层中层,柴达木盆地位于异常偏强的槽区及槽前;对流层低层,柴达木盆地东部位势高度异常偏低,出现异常气旋式环流,对应低空辐合,这种高层辐散低层辐合的环流配置为极端强降水提供了良好的动力条件.柴达木盆地极端强降水的水汽来源为印度夏季风对热带海洋的水汽经青藏高原东侧输送;西风带对欧亚大陆的水汽输送;西北太平洋异常气旋式环流西北侧的异常偏北风的水汽输送.     

2012年11月福建省多暴雨过程成因分析

为分析2012年11月福建省降水异常偏多的现象,利用统计学和天气学的分析方法,对11月的降水气候特征和下旬3场暴雨的环流形势、影响系统及水汽输送特征进行了分析。整个11月,200 hPa西风急流偏强,在福建省上空有气流的辐散;500 hPa乌拉尔山脊偏强,贝加尔湖槽偏深,有利于冷空气南下;850 hPa为较强西南急流。下旬3场暴雨期间,500 hPa南支槽位于105°～110°E,副高强度偏强;中低层700,850 hPa有切变线和西南急流,850 hPa比湿大于8 g/kg。结果表明,稳定的环流形势、频繁出现的天气系统以及充沛的水汽条件是发生多暴雨现象的主要原因。     

江西省抚州市2008年低温雨雪冰冻天气过程分析

2008年江西省抚州市出现的有气象记录以来最强低温雨雪冰冻天气,其发生的形势背景是拉尼娜现象和大气环流异常,影响系统是高空低槽、中低层切变和地面强冷空气;降水性质可通过物理量场的温度层结进行判别;降水强度可通过物理量场的水汽通量散度、散度和涡度进行判别。     

重庆夏季旱涝急转与大气环流异常的联系

 利用1961—2012年期间重庆的逐月降水和同期NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、NOAA的海温、国家气候中心提供的126项环流指数等资料,结合长周期旱涝急转指数,分析了重庆旱涝急转的时间演变特征及其与同期和前期大气环流异常的联系.结果表明：重庆夏季旱涝急转事件有阶段连续性和间歇性并存的特点,年际差异大,涝转旱强度通常比旱转涝强度偏强.旱转涝年的旱期与涝转旱年的涝期比较,其环流特征为西太平洋副高偏西、偏强、面积偏大,低层垂直下沉运动较强,来自南海及西太平洋的水汽输送较弱,重庆易处于水汽输送辐散区,易少雨偏旱.而旱转涝年的涝期对比于涝转旱年的旱期来看,其环流特征为欧洲西岸的槽偏强,极涡偏弱,西太平洋副高偏强、偏西,低层垂直上升运动较强,来自南海及西太平洋的水汽输送较强,重庆易位于水汽输送辐合区,易多雨偏涝.西太平洋副高的季节内振荡的异常是重庆旱涝急转的主要原因.前期3月和4月的PDO和西风漂流区海温指数可以作为预测重庆夏季旱涝急转的一个先兆信号,前期3月和4月的PDO偏强（弱）、西风漂流区指数偏弱（强）时,重庆夏季可能易发生旱转涝（涝转旱）事件.
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重庆夏季旱涝急转与大气环流异常的联系

利用1961—2012年期间重庆的逐月降水和同期NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、NOAA的海温、国家气候中心提供的126项环流指数等资料,结合长周期旱涝急转指数,分析了重庆旱涝急转的时间演变特征及其与同期和前期大气环流异常的联系.结果表明:重庆夏季旱涝急转事件有阶段连续性和间歇性并存的特点,年际差异大,涝转旱强度通常比旱转涝强度偏强.旱转涝年的旱期与涝转旱年的涝期比较,其环流特征为西太平洋副高偏西、偏强、面积偏大,低层垂直下沉运动较强,来自南海及西太平洋的水汽输送较弱,重庆易处于水汽输送辐散区,易少雨偏旱.而旱转涝年的涝期对比于涝转旱年的旱期来看,其环流特征为欧洲西岸的槽偏强,极涡偏弱,西太平洋副高偏强、偏西,低层垂直上升运动较强,来自南海及西太平洋的水汽输送较强,重庆易位于水汽输送辐合区,易多雨偏涝.西太平洋副高的季节内振荡的异常是重庆旱涝急转的主要原因.前期3月和4月的PDO和西风漂流区海温指数可以作为预测重庆夏季旱涝急转的一个先兆信号,前期3月和4月的PDO偏强(弱)、西风漂流区指数偏弱(强)时,重庆夏季可能易发生旱转涝(涝转旱)事件.     

Characterization of extrasolar terrestrial planets from diurnal photometric variability

The detection of massive planets orbiting nearby stars has become almost routine, but current techniques are as yet unable to detect terrestrial planets with masses comparable to the Earth's. Future space-based observatories to detect Earth-like planets are being planned. Terrestrial planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars-where planetary surface conditions are compatible with the presence of liquid water-are of enormous interest because they might have global environments similar to Earth's and even harbour life. The light scattered by such a planet will vary in intensity and colour as the planet rotates; the resulting light curve will contain information about the planet's surface and atmospheric properties. Here we report a model that predicts features that should be discernible in the light curve obtained by low-precision photometry. For extrasolar planets similar to Earth, we expect daily flux variations of up to hundreds of per cent, depending sensitively on ice and cloud cover as well as seasonal variations. This suggests that the meteorological variability, composition of the surface (for example, ocean versus land fraction) and rotation period of an Earth-like planet could be derived from photometric observations. Even signatures of Earth-like plant life could be constrained or possibly, with further study, even uniquely determined.     

An extrasolar planetary system with three Neptune-mass planets

Over the past two years, the search for low-mass extrasolar planets has led to the detection of seven so-called 'hot Neptunes' or 'super-Earths' around Sun-like stars. These planets have masses 5-20 times larger than the Earth and are mainly found on close-in orbits with periods of 2-15 days. Here we report a system of three Neptune-mass planets with periods of 8.67, 31.6 and 197 days, orbiting the nearby star HD 69830. This star was already known to show an infrared excess possibly caused by an asteroid belt within 1 au (the Sun-Earth distance). Simulations show that the system is in a dynamically stable configuration. Theoretical calculations favour a mainly rocky composition for both inner planets, while the outer planet probably has a significant gaseous envelope surrounding its rocky/icy core; the outer planet orbits within the habitable zone of this star.     

A spectrograph for exoplanet observations calibrated at the centimetre-per-second level

The best spectrographs are limited in stability by their calibration light source. Laser frequency combs are the ideal calibrators for astronomical spectrographs. They emit a spectrum of lines that are equally spaced in frequency and that are as accurate and stable as the atomic clock relative to which the comb is stabilized. Absolute calibration provides the radial velocity of an astronomical object relative to the observer (on Earth). For the detection of Earth-mass exoplanets in Earth-like orbits around solar-type stars, or of cosmic acceleration, the observable is a tiny velocity change of less than 10 cm s(-1), where the repeatability of the calibration--the variation in stability across observations--is important. Hitherto, only laboratory systems or spectrograph calibrations of limited performance have been demonstrated. Here we report the calibration of an astronomical spectrograph with a short-term Doppler shift repeatability of 2.5 cm s(-1), and use it to monitor the star HD 75289 and recompute the orbit of its planet. This repeatability should make it possible to detect Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of star or even to measure the cosmic acceleration directly.     

寻找太阳系外行星——2019年诺贝尔物理学奖成果简析

 2019年诺贝尔物理学奖授予了3位天文学家--James Peebles、Michel Mayor和Didier Queloz，以表彰他们在宇宙演化理论和太阳系外行星（系外行星）发现中做出的开创性贡献。本文评述Michel Mayor和Didier Queloz发现太阳系外行星的成果，简述系外行星研究的最新进展，展示系外行星的多样性及其对经典太阳系形成模型的挑战，探讨系外宜居行星的条件，并展望系外生命探测。     

An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities

The abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) in the photospheres of stars similar to the Sun provides a 'fossil' record of the chemical composition of the initial protoplanetary disk. Metal-rich stars are much more likely to harbour gas giant planets, supporting the model that planets form by accumulation of dust and ice particles. Recent ground-based surveys suggest that this correlation is weakened for Neptunian-sized planets. However, how the relationship between size and metallicity extends into the regime of terrestrial-sized exoplanets is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic metallicities of the host stars of 226 small exoplanet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler mission, including objects that are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. We find that planets with radii less than four Earth radii form around host stars with a wide range of metallicities (but on average a metallicity close to that of the Sun), whereas large planets preferentially form around stars with higher metallicities. This observation suggests that terrestrial planets may be widespread in the disk of the Galaxy, with no special requirement of enhanced metallicity for their formation.     

天气图上的涡旋动力学

天气图上有许多种涡旋型式。本文说明了天气图上的流场可以分解为旋转场和变形场：地转无摩擦的气旋、反气旋的涡旋型式是围绕中心点的闭合环流;考虑摩擦的气旋、反气旋的流型是围绕焦点的螺旋型式;鞍型场有4个涡旋中心点（2个气旋和2个反气旋）与1个鞍点;阻塞高压和切断低压由1个涡旋中心点与1个鞍点组成。从以上结果可以清楚地了解实际大气涡旋形态的动力和形成机制。     

天气图上的涡旋动力学

天气图上有许多种涡旋型式。本文说明了天气图上的流场可以分解为旋转场和变形场:地转无摩擦的气旋、反气旋的涡旋型式是围绕中心点的闭合环流流;考虑摩擦的气旋、反气旋的流型是围绕焦点的螺旋型式;鞍型场有4个涡旋中心点(2个气旋和2个反气旋)与1个鞍点;阻塞高压和切断低压由1个涡旋中心点与1个鞍点组成。从以上结果可以清楚地了解实际大气涡旋形态的动力和形成机制。     

Different types of La Niña events and different responses of the tropical atmosphere

Historical La Nia events since 1950 are divided into Eastern Pacific(EP) type and Central Pacific(CP) type,and the SSTA developing features as well as the different responses of the tropical atmosphere are further analyzed by using multiple datasets.Classification of different types La Nia is based on the normalized Ni o3 and Ni o4 indices and the SSTA distribution pattern during the mature phase.The minimum negative SSTA for CP La Nia is located over the equatorial central Pacific near the dateline,more westward than that of EP La Nia.It has stronger intensity and larger east-west zonal difference of SSTA over the equatorial Pacific than EP La Nia.Influenced by the different SSTA distribution pattern,CP La Nia induces more westward location of the anomalous sinking motion and the anomalous low-level divergent and high-level convergent winds over the equatorial eastern Pacific.The different response of the tropical atmospheric circulation between EP and CP La Nia is more significant in the upper troposphere than in the lower troposphere.However,the tropical precipitation patterns during the mature phase of EP and CP La Nia are much similar,except the less(more) precipitation over the equatorial central Pacific(eastern Indian Ocean-western Pacific) during CP La Nia than during EP La Nia.     

The signature of orbital motion from the dayside of the planet τ Boötis b

The giant planet orbiting τ Bo?tis (named τ Bo?tis b) was amongst the first extrasolar planets to be discovered. It is one of the brightest exoplanets and one of the nearest to us, with an orbital period of just a few days. Over the course of more than a decade, measurements of its orbital inclination have been announced and refuted, and have hitherto remained elusive. Here we report the detection of carbon monoxide absorption in the thermal dayside spectrum of τ Bo?tis b. At a spectral resolution of ～100,000, we trace the change in the radial velocity of the planet over a large range in phase, determining an orbital inclination of 44.5°?±?1.5° and a mass 5.95?±?0.28 times that of Jupiter, demonstrating that atmospheric characterization is possible for non-transiting planets. The strong absorption signal points to an atmosphere with a temperature that is decreasing towards higher altitudes, in contrast to the temperature inversion inferred for other highly irradiated planets. This supports the hypothesis that the absorbing compounds believed to cause such atmospheric inversions are destroyed in τ Bo?tis b by the ultraviolet emission from the active host star.     

A giant planet orbiting the 'extreme horizontal branch' star V 391 Pegasi

After the initial discoveries fifteen years ago, over 200 extrasolar planets have now been detected. Most of them orbit main-sequence stars similar to our Sun, although a few planets orbiting red giant stars have been recently found. When the hydrogen in their cores runs out, main-sequence stars undergo an expansion into red-giant stars. This expansion can modify the orbits of planets and can easily reach and engulf the inner planets. The same will happen to the planets of our Solar System in about five billion years and the fate of the Earth is matter of debate. Here we report the discovery of a planetary-mass body (Msini = 3.2M(Jupiter)) orbiting the star V 391 Pegasi at a distance of about 1.7 astronomical units (au), with a period of 3.2 years. This star is on the extreme horizontal branch of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, burning helium in its core and pulsating. The maximum radius of the red-giant precursor of V 391 Pegasi may have reached 0.7 au, while the orbital distance of the planet during the stellar main-sequence phase is estimated to be about 1 au. This detection of a planet orbiting a post-red-giant star demonstrates that planets with orbital distances of less than 2 au can survive the red-giant expansion of their parent stars.