Mechanisms of extensive spatiotemporal chaos in Rayleigh-Benard convection

Spatially extended dynamical systems exhibit complex behaviour in both space and time--spatiotemporal chaos. Analysis of dynamical quantities (such as fractal dimensions and Lyapunov exponents) has provided insights into low-dimensional systems; but it has proven more difficult to understand spatiotemporal chaos in high-dimensional systems, despite abundant data describing its statistical properties. Initial attempts have been made to extend the dynamical approach to higher-dimensional systems, demonstrating numerically that the spatiotemporal chaos in several simple models is extensive (the number of dynamical degrees of freedom scales with the system volume). Here we report a computational investigation of a phenomenon found in nature, 'spiral defect' chaos in Rayleigh-Benard convection, in which we find that the spatiotemporal chaos in this state is extensive and characterized by about a hundred dynamical degrees of freedom. By studying the detailed space-time evolution of the dynamical degrees of freedom, we find that the mechanism for the generation of chaotic disorder is spatially and temporally localized to events associated with the creation and annihilation of defects.     

A new early cretaceous dinosaur track assemblage and the first definite non-avian theropod swim trackway from China

The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forging moderately deep bodies of water. The trackway occurs on the same surface as a typical walking trackway of a sauropod (ichnogenus Brontopodus). Both occurrences are the first reported from the Cretaceous of Sichuan, and the swim tracks are the first well-preserved example of a Characichnos trackway from China. Additionally, a theropod walking trackway and several ornithopod walking trackways (similar to the ichnogenus Caririchnium) occur in the same horizon. The ornithopod trackways show a parallel orientation, suggesting gregarious behavior of the trackmakers, which may have been iguanodontiforms and/or hadrosauriforms. The co-occurrence of theropod swim tracks and theropod walking tracks suggests a fluctuation of water depth within a distinct time span.     

纳米结构ZrO_2(Y)和ZrO_2(Y)-Al_2O_3粉体低温退火前后的结构和性质

研究等离子体 -化学方法制备的纳米结构 Zr O2 -Y2 O3 和 Zr O2 -Y2 O3-Al2 O3 粉体及其不同温度退火前后的结构、性质变化 .结果表明 ,用这种方法制备的粉体 ,烧结后具有很好的聚合性能 ,聚合结构可达到 1～ 2 μm,且内部晶粒尺寸很小 (2 5～ 35 nm) ;在 12 0 0℃以下退火 ,X射线衍射图谱上没有 Al2 O3 的衍射峰 ;对于两种体系 ,主相 Zr O2 的结构虽大致相同 ,但当低温退火 (<12 0 0℃ )时其在 Zr O2 -Y2 O3 体系中的晶格畸变比在 Zr O2 -Y2 O3-Al2 O3 系统中的变化更大 ;晶粒尺寸 (D)为 10～ 15 nm的粉体几乎没有晶格畸变     

中国甘肃一例前足迹主导的翼龙足迹组合:对行为学的影响（英文）

翼龙是已知的、最早飞上天际的脊椎动物,目前已经发现了成千上万件化石,代表着这一大家族从晚三叠世到晚白垩世在全球范围内的蓬勃发展史.自2004年甘肃盐锅峡地区首次报道翼龙足迹以来,中国陆续发现了一批翼龙足迹化石,绝大多数的足迹点都保存了翼龙的前后足迹.2013年,我们在盐锅峡地区发现了至少20个翼龙前足迹的凸型足迹,而没有发现任何后足迹,这些足迹可归于一个单独翼龙遗迹属——Pteraichnus.这是中国第一次发现由前足迹主导的翼龙足迹组合,这可能反映了翼龙前后足迹在同等保存条件下的不同深度.更重要的是,盐锅峡的这批翼龙足迹与当地发现的大量虫迹相关,一些足迹甚至就保存在虫迹面上,这些虫迹包括Cochlichnus,Spongeliomorpha和Paleophycus,因此推断这批翼龙造迹者很可能以这些无脊椎动物造迹者为食.