A wide depth distribution of seismic tremors along the northern Cascadia margin

The Cascadia subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating major earthquakes with moment magnitude as large as M(w) = 9 at an interval of several hundred years. The seismogenic portion of the plate interface is mostly offshore and is currently locked, as inferred from geodetic data. However, episodic surface displacements-in the direction opposite to the long-term deformation motions caused by relative plate convergence across a locked interface-are observed about every 14 months with an unusual tremor-like seismic signature. Here we show that these tremors are distributed over a depth range exceeding 40 km within a limited horizontal band. Many occurred within or close to the strong seismic reflectors above the plate interface where local earthquakes are absent, suggesting that the seismogenic process for tremors is fluid-related. The observed depth range implies that tremors could be associated with the variation of stress field induced by a transient slip along the deeper portion of the Cascadia interface or, alternatively, that episodic slip is more diffuse than originally suggested.     

基于稳健波束形成的超宽带穿墙成像方法

针对现有超宽带穿墙雷达时域波束成像分辨率低、旁瓣高以及干扰抑制能力弱等问题,提出利用稳健Capon波束形成对目标成像的方法。该方法基于目标回波模型首先补偿近场扩散损耗、墙体传播损耗和折射效应,实现天线阵列接收数据的配准,利用稳健Capon波束成像得到良好的成像分辨率和更好的干扰抑制能力。利用时域有限差分(finite-difference time domain, FDTD)数值仿真和实验数据实现了隐藏目标的二维成像,验证了该方法的有效性。     

Event-horizon-scale structure in the supermassive black hole candidate at the Galactic Centre

The cores of most galaxies are thought to harbour supermassive black holes, which power galactic nuclei by converting the gravitational energy of accreting matter into radiation. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the compact source of radio, infrared and X-ray emission at the centre of the Milky Way, is the closest example of this phenomenon, with an estimated black hole mass that is 4,000,000 times that of the Sun. A long-standing astronomical goal is to resolve structures in the innermost accretion flow surrounding Sgr A*, where strong gravitational fields will distort the appearance of radiation emitted near the black hole. Radio observations at wavelengths of 3.5 mm and 7 mm have detected intrinsic structure in Sgr A*, but the spatial resolution of observations at these wavelengths is limited by interstellar scattering. Here we report observations at a wavelength of 1.3 mm that set a size of 37(+16)(-10) microarcseconds on the intrinsic diameter of Sgr A*. This is less than the expected apparent size of the event horizon of the presumed black hole, suggesting that the bulk of Sgr A* emission may not be centred on the black hole, but arises in the surrounding accretion flow.     

热局部非平衡下饱和多孔弹性柱体的拟静态分析

基于多孔介质理论所建立的不可压饱和多孔介质热一流一同耦合模型,对于一端同定、绝热和不可渗透,另一端受机械和温度载荷联合作用且可自由排水的多孔弹性柱体,利用分离变量法和拉普拉斯变换推导给出了热局部非平衡下多孑L弹性柱体拟静态问题的一般解析表达式.最后,针对阶梯机械和温度载荷联合作用的情况,数值研究了不同参数下温度载荷对固相变形和有效应力、流体速度和孔隙压力的影响.结果表明:在流固两相热扩散系数的比值较大和两相间热交换系数比较小的情况下,热局部平衡和非平衡下有关结果之间的差异在初始阶段是非常明显的.     

A recurrent mutation in MED12 leading to R961W causes Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome

Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome (also known as FG syndrome) is an X-linked disorder characterized by mental retardation, relative macrocephaly, hypotonia and constipation. We report here that the original family for whom the condition is named and five other families have a recurrent mutation (2881C>T, leading to R961W) in MED12 (also called TRAP230 or HOPA), a gene located at Xq13 that functions as a thyroid receptor-associated protein in the Mediator complex.