A laser frequency comb that enables radial velocity measurements with a precision of 1 cm s(-1)

Searches for extrasolar planets using the periodic Doppler shift of stellar spectral lines have recently achieved a precision of 60 cm s(-1) (ref. 1), which is sufficient to find a 5-Earth-mass planet in a Mercury-like orbit around a Sun-like star. To find a 1-Earth-mass planet in an Earth-like orbit, a precision of approximately 5 cm s(-1) is necessary. The combination of a laser frequency comb with a Fabry-Pérot filtering cavity has been suggested as a promising approach to achieve such Doppler shift resolution via improved spectrograph wavelength calibration, with recent encouraging results. Here we report the fabrication of such a filtered laser comb with up to 40-GHz (approximately 1-A) line spacing, generated from a 1-GHz repetition-rate source, without compromising long-term stability, reproducibility or spectral resolution. This wide-line-spacing comb, or 'astro-comb', is well matched to the resolving power of high-resolution astrophysical spectrographs. The astro-comb should allow a precision as high as 1 cm s(-1) in astronomical radial velocity measurements.     

High star formation rates as the origin of turbulence in early and modern disk galaxies

Observations of star formation and kinematics in early galaxies at high spatial and spectral resolution have shown that two-thirds are massive rotating disk galaxies, with the remainder being less massive non-rotating objects. The line-of-sight-averaged velocity dispersions are typically five times higher than in today's disk galaxies. This suggests that gravitationally unstable, gas-rich disks in the early Universe are fuelled by cold, dense accreting gas flowing along cosmic filaments and penetrating hot galactic gas halos. These accreting flows, however, have not been observed, and cosmic accretion cannot power the observed level of turbulence. Here we report observations of a sample of rare, high-velocity-dispersion disk galaxies in the nearby Universe where cold accretion is unlikely to drive their high star formation rates. We find that their velocity dispersions are correlated with their star formation rates, but not their masses or gas fractions, which suggests that star formation is the energetic driver of galaxy disk turbulence at all cosmic epochs.     

A laboratory demonstration of the capability to image an Earth-like extrasolar planet

The detection and characterization of an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star requires a telescope with an extraordinarily large contrast at small angular separations. At visible wavelengths, an Earth-like planet would be 1 x 10(-10) times fainter than the star at angular separations of typically 0.1 arcsecond or less. There are several proposed space telescope systems that could, in principle, achieve this. Here we report a laboratory experiment that reaches these limits. We have suppressed the diffracted and scattered light near a star-like source to a level of 6 x 10(-10) times the peak intensity in individual coronagraph images. In a series of such images, together with simple image processing, we have effectively reduced this to a residual noise level of about 0.1 x 10(-10). This demonstrates that a coronagraphic telescope in space could detect and spectroscopically characterize nearby exoplanetary systems, with the sensitivity to image an 'Earth-twin' orbiting a nearby star.     

An extrasolar planet that transits the disk of its parent star

Planets orbiting other stars could in principle be found through the periodic dimming of starlight as a planet moves across--or 'transits'--the line of sight between the observer and the star. Depending on the size of the planet relative to the star, the dimming could reach a few per cent of the apparent brightness of the star. Despite many searches, no transiting planet has been discovered in this way; the one known transiting planet--HD209458b--was first discovered using precise measurements of the parent star's radial velocity and only subsequently detected photometrically. Here we report radial velocity measurements of the star OGLE-TR-56, which was previously found to exhibit a 1.2-day transit-like light curve in a survey looking for gravitational microlensing events. The velocity changes that we detect correlate with the light curve, from which we conclude that they are probably induced by an object of around 0.9 Jupiter masses in an orbit only 0.023 au from its star. We estimate the planetary radius to be around 1.3 Jupiter radii and its density to be about 0.5 g x cm(-3). This object is hotter than any known planet (approximately 1,900 K), but is still stable against long-term evaporation or tidal disruption.     

困扰当代天体物理的若干未解之谜问题的探索与发现(二)

本文应用相对论性牛顿万有引力定律和非黎曼几何的传统力学分析方法，对当代天体物理中一系列根本性问题（1．恒星、星系生死循环演化的基本规律和内部结构；2．第一类黑洞的基本极限物理特性；3．大尺度天体层次结构演化的基本规律；4．总星系的结构——双饱和稳定临界黑洞——第二类黑洞；5．宇宙的结构；6．大爆炸标准宇宙模型的真伪性）作了较系统深入的探索研究，得到了一系列很有意义的新结果．     

困扰当代天体物理的若干未解之谜问题的探索与发现(一)

本文在广义相对论的理论框架内，应用相对论性牛顿万有引力定律和非黎曼几何的传统力学分析方法，对当代天体物理中一系列根本性问题（1．恒星、星系生死循环演化的基本规律和内部结构；2．第一类黑洞的基本极限物理特性；3．大尺度天体层次结构演化的基本规律；4．总星系的结构——双饱和稳定临界黑洞——第二类黑洞；5．宇宙的结构；6．大爆炸标准宇宙模型的真伪性）作了较系统深入的探索研究，得到了一系列很有意义的新结果．     

LAMOST多目标光纤光谱仪的研制及试运行

LAMOST望远镜（郭守敬望远镜）配置了16台低分辨率多目标光纤光谱仪,一次曝光可同时获得4000个天体的光谱信息.LAMOST低分辨率光谱仪采用新型体位相全息光栅,双通道大视场施密特光学系统,准直光束口径200mm.每台光谱仪分红、蓝区两个通道,红蓝区各配置按工作波段优化的4K×4K科学级CCD芯片,CCD采用液氮制冷.光谱仪波长覆盖范围370～900nm,光谱分辨率R=1000～10000.研制完成后的16台光谱仪安装于国家天文台兴隆观测站LAMOST焦面楼光谱房内,这些光谱仪已经用于科学试观测并取得了一批科研成果.     

一种基于天体运动学的星敏感器精度测量方法

星敏感器是目前应用在航天飞行器中精度最高的姿态测量器件,因此其精度的标定显得尤为重要。该文提出了一种基于天体运动学规律的星敏感器精度测量方法,利用地球自转的精密性,将星敏感器与地球固连,对天顶邻域拍摄星图。同时将存储在星敏感器内的导航星表由J2000.0坐标系在考虑恒星自行、岁差、章动及地球自转影响后变换到地固坐标系,经过星点提取、星图识别和姿态解算,得到星敏感器俯仰、偏航和滚转三轴在地固坐标系中的变化,根据统计规律得出星敏感器的指向精度和滚转精度。该测量方法方便易实施,可以避免传统测试方法操作复杂、需要精密转台和星模拟器的困扰,测量精度满足星敏感器要求,具有准确性和真实性。     

Water-maser emission from a planetary nebula with a magnetized torus.

A star like the Sun becomes a planetary nebula towards the end of its life, when the envelope ejected during the earlier giant phase becomes photoionized as the surface of the remnant star reaches a temperature of approximately 30,000 K. The spherical symmetry of the giant phase is lost in the transition to a planetary nebula, when non-spherical shells and powerful jets develop. Molecules that were present in the giant envelope are progressively destroyed by the radiation. The water-vapour masers that are typical of the giant envelopes therefore are not expected to persist in planetary nebulae. Here we report the detection of water-maser emission from the planetary nebula K3-35. The masers are in a magnetized torus with a radius of about 85 astronomical units and are also found at the surprisingly large distance of about 5,000 astronomical units from the star, in the tips of bipolar lobes of gas. The precessing jets from K3-35 are probably involved in the excitation of the distant masers, although their existence is nevertheless puzzling. We infer that K3-35 is being observed at the very moment of its transformation from a giant star to a planetary nebula.     

The building blocks of planets within the 'terrestrial' region of protoplanetary disks

Our Solar System was formed from a cloud of gas and dust. Most of the dust mass is contained in amorphous silicates, yet crystalline silicates are abundant throughout the Solar System, reflecting the thermal and chemical alteration of solids during planet formation. (Even primitive bodies such as comets contain crystalline silicates.) Little is known about the evolution of the dust that forms Earth-like planets. Here we report spatially resolved detections and compositional analyses of these building blocks in the innermost two astronomical units of three proto-planetary disks. We find the dust in these regions to be highly crystallized, more so than any other dust observed in young stars until now. In addition, the outer region of one star has equal amounts of pyroxene and olivine, whereas the inner regions are dominated by olivine. The spectral shape of the inner-disk spectra shows surprising similarity with Solar System comets. Radial-mixing models naturally explain this resemblance as well as the gradient in chemical composition. Our observations imply that silicates crystallize before any terrestrial planets are formed, consistent with the composition of meteorites in the Solar System.     

现代宇宙学中的数值模拟技术和应用

宇宙尺度上物理过程的多样性和高度非线性使数值模拟成为现代宇宙学必不可少的研究手段,它不仅可以细致追踪宇宙结构的形成和演化历史,同时也为观测和理论模型的检验建立了一个桥梁.本文将总结计算宇宙学领域技术方法的最新发展,包括无碰撞粒子N体数值模拟技术,引入重子物理的计算流体方法.在此基础上,我们将针对现代宇宙学的核心科学问题,简要综述数值模拟技术在面向下一代巡天观测,尤其是暗物质和暗能量探测方面的实际应用.此外,我们选择性地讨论了数值模拟在第一代恒星和反馈作用、宇宙中的气体吸积和恒星形成,以及高红移星系盘的形成研究中所发挥的作用.因应下一代大规模巡天的开展和超级计算技术的快速进步,我们也展望了在未来十年计算宇宙学和相关科学可能取得的进展及发展趋势.     

相变效应理论

研究了天体恒星、行星、卫星等宇宙星系的自转和不同步公转而产生观测周期差的主、次要原因及其组成部分,分析了Romer天文学方法测光速理论分析的错误,修正了Romer天文法测光速的光速理论计算公式,讨论了FanHoupeng相变效应理论与Romer天文学测光速理论的关系并计算出精确光速值,建立了FanHoupeng相变效应理论。     

收缩扩张喷管中稀疏颗粒加速运动及喉道优化

直升机、运输机在简易场地起降过程中,发动机可吸入的二氧化硅等微小颗粒,对叶片造成冲击磨损,冲击速度可达200m/s以上。冲蚀试验常采用直喷管加速固体颗粒,在入口总压为0.6 MPa时,颗粒速度难以达到200m/s。为更有效地加速颗粒,采用超音速收缩-扩张喷管,通过数值模拟研究了该喷管对稀疏二氧化硅颗粒的加速运动,并利用实验验证了数值模拟的准确性。在此基础上,对喉道尺寸进行优化以提高喷管对颗粒的加速性能。结果表明:收缩-扩张喷管对颗粒的加速主要发生在扩张段,管内激波不会引起颗粒速度的震荡,颗粒的加速度与气流、颗粒之间的相对速度以及气流的密度有关;在入口总压为0.6 MPa的条件下复现5级砂尘环境,喉道半径为0.001 6m的喷管加速效果最佳,可获得的颗粒速度达到218m/s。     

基于最紧邻前车加速度信息的跟驰模型

为了提高车流的稳定性能,考虑最紧邻前车加速度信息的影响,在优化速度差模型(Optimal velocity difference,OVD)的基础上,引入参数p表示驾驶人对最紧邻车辆加速度信息的关注程度,提出了含加速度项的跟驰模型。通过线性稳定性分析,得到交通流的临界稳定判据。数值仿真表明新模型与OVD模型比较,通过调节参数p,可以避免在低敏感系数下OVD模型中负速度现象的出现,同时,加速度效应对车流致稳效果更加明显。因此,研究模型能更有效地增强车流稳定性能和更好地描述实际交通流现象,为多车协同驾驶策略提供了先导作用。     

The formation and assembly of a typical star-forming galaxy at redshift z approximately 3

Recent studies of galaxies approximately 2-3 Gyr after the Big Bang have revealed large, rotating disks, similar to those of galaxies today. The existence of well-ordered rotation in galaxies during this peak epoch of cosmic star formation indicates that gas accretion is likely to be the dominant mode by which galaxies grow, because major mergers of galaxies would completely disrupt the observed velocity fields. But poor spatial resolution and sensitivity have hampered this interpretation; such studies have been limited to the largest and most luminous galaxies, which may have fundamentally different modes of assembly from those of more typical galaxies (which are thought to grow into the spheroidal components at the centres of galaxies similar to the Milky Way). Here we report observations of a typical star-forming galaxy at z = 3.07, with a linear resolution of approximately 100 parsecs. We find a well-ordered compact source in which molecular gas is being converted efficiently into stars, likely to be assembling a spheroidal bulge similar to those seen in spiral galaxies at the present day. The presence of undisrupted rotation may indicate that galaxies such as the Milky Way gain much of their mass by accretion rather than major mergers.     

金山铁路既有线路基行车振动特性分析

选取上海金山铁路既有线路基关键部位进行现场行车振动响应分析.结果表明：普通路基基床顶面最大竖向加速度为95.1~110.4 cm/s2，最大横向加速度为89.8~116.4 cm/s2，响应频率集中在30~50 Hz，当地面以下的行车振动能量衰减至30%而进入低模量的浅层地基土时，将出现振动响应放大的现象；在路桥过渡段20 m范围内，轨道和路基的水平和纵向加速度呈现出中间剧烈而两边较弱的变化特征，其差异显著，在桥台过渡段沉降最大位置处，加速度达到最大值.     

星光红移的碰撞解释

首先提出了星光光子与宇宙背景辐射光子碰上互作用引起了星光红移的假设,再用简化光子模型推导出了星光频率红移量与星体距离的正确关系式,将此结构与天文观测比较符合甚好,从而对宇宙中星光工移现象提出了另一种解释。     

多频率高频地波雷达的阵列幅相校正

针对多频率高频地波雷达的工程应用,提出了基于自适应遗传算法的阵列无源校正方法.该方法将阵列幅度和相位校正问题转化为多元参数的联合估计问题,利用遗传算法得到了该优化问题的最优解估计.现场实测数据表明：与定点浮标观测结果相比,校正后多频率高频地波雷达海流探测性能大幅提高,在频率为14.2MHz下,相关系数由0.77变为0.85,均方根误差由29.25cm/s降到21.62cm/s;在频率为22.5MHz下,相关系数由0.86变为0.94,均方根误差由24.59cm/s降到17.58cm/s.     

光纤光栅传感器在机电设备振动监测中的应用

基于光纤光栅传感技术,设计了一种机电设备振动在线监测系统。通过测试,光纤光栅振动传感器具有较好的频响和重复性。将该系统应用于汽轮机的振动检测,实现了对设备状态的实时在线监测。该系统与标准加速度传感器及手持式速度仪进行了现场对比实验,测量结果基本一致。现场长时间监测应用结果表明,该系统具有较高的精度和稳定性。     

The suppression of star formation by powerful active galactic nuclei

The old, red stars that constitute the bulges of galaxies, and the massive black holes at their centres, are the relics of a period in cosmic history when galaxies formed stars at remarkable rates and active galactic nuclei (AGN) shone brightly as a result of accretion onto black holes. It is widely suspected, but unproved, that the tight correlation between the mass of the black hole and the mass of the stellar bulge results from the AGN quenching the surrounding star formation as it approaches its peak luminosity. X-rays trace emission from AGN unambiguously, whereas powerful star-forming galaxies are usually dust-obscured and are brightest at infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. Here we report submillimetre and X-ray observations that show that rapid star formation was common in the host galaxies of AGN when the Universe was 2-6 billion years old, but that the most vigorous star formation is not observed around black holes above an X-ray luminosity of 10(44) ergs per second. This suppression of star formation in the host galaxy of a powerful AGN is a key prediction of models in which the AGN drives an outflow, expelling the interstellar medium of its host and transforming the galaxy's properties in a brief period of cosmic time.