In situ measurements of the physical characteristics of Titan's environment

On the basis of previous ground-based and fly-by information, we knew that Titan's atmosphere was mainly nitrogen, with some methane, but its temperature and pressure profiles were poorly constrained because of uncertainties in the detailed composition. The extent of atmospheric electricity ('lightning') was also hitherto unknown. Here we report the temperature and density profiles, as determined by the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI), from an altitude of 1,400 km down to the surface. In the upper part of the atmosphere, the temperature and density were both higher than expected. There is a lower ionospheric layer between 140 km and 40 km, with electrical conductivity peaking near 60 km. We may also have seen the signature of lightning. At the surface, the temperature was 93.65 +/- 0.25 K, and the pressure was 1,467 +/- 1 hPa.     

超冷的水

又发现了两种新水。要是没有水,我们原本不会来到这个世界。水的热容量在-45℃时应该变成无穷大。水的其它特性似乎也变得一团糟,就像水经历了某种灾变一样,为什么？如果想象在太平洋之下11公里处的马里亚那海沟中即在海洋最深之处的高压之下,人还能生活,便会看到这是一个寂静的、永远黑暗的世界,压力高达1000个大气压。那是一座相当于洋底每平方米承受1000吨压力的海水之增。在如此恶劣的条件下,生存必定不易。然而现在有些物理学家相信在这样高的压力下甚至水本身可能也难于保持不变。他们认为如果在以上压力下水若能保持不变即仍…     

Climate Change and Sustainable Futures

The paper explores the challenges posed by climate change and proposes an approach to mobilizing a social response that encourages creative, constructive interventions to shape the market.