The Barringer Award Address Presented 1996 July 25, Berlin,Germany: Impact experiments related to the evolution of planetary regoliths     

Friedrich Hrz  Mark CINTALA 《Meteoritics & planetary science》1997,32(2):179-209

Abstract— Impact-induced comminution of planetary surfaces is pervasive throughout the solar system and occurs on submillimeter to global scales, resulting in comminution products that range from fine-grained surface soils, to massive, polymict ejecta deposits, to collisionally fragmented objects. Within this wide range of comminution products, we define regoliths in a narrow sense as materials that were processed by repetitive impacts to dimensional scales comparable to or smaller than that of component minerals of the progenitor rock(s). In this paper, we summarize a wide variety of impact experiments and other observations that were primarily intended to understand the evolution of regoliths on lunar basalt flows, and we discuss some of their implications for asteroidal surfaces. Cratering experiments in both rock and noncohesive materials, combined with photogeologic observations of the lunar surface, demonstrate that craters <500 m in diameter contribute most to the excavation of local bedrock for subsequent processing by micrometeorites. The overall excavation rate and, thus, growth rate of the debris layer decreases with time, because the increasingly thicker fragmental layer will prevent progressively larger projectiles from reaching bedrock. Typical growth rates for a 5 m thick lunar soil layer are initially (～≥3 Ga ago) a few mm/Ma and slowed to <1 mm/Ma at present. The coarse-grained crater ejecta are efficiently comminuted by collisional fragmentation processes, and the mean residence time of a 1 kg rock is typically 10 Ma. The actual comminution of either lithic or monomineralic detritus is highly mineral specific, with feldspar and mesostasis comminuting preferentially over pyroxene and olivine, thus resulting in mechanically fractionated fines, especially at grain sizes <20 μm. Such fractionated fines also participate preferentially in the shock melting of lunar soils, thus giving rise to “agglutinate” melts. As a consequence, agglutinate melts are systematically enriched in feldspar components relative to the bulk composition of their respective host soil(s). Compositionally homogeneous, impact derived glass beads in lunar soils seem to result from micrometeorite impacts on rock surfaces, reflecting lithic regolith components and associated mineral mixtures. Cumulatively, experimental and observational evidence from lunar mare soils suggests that regoliths derive substantially from the comminution of local bedrock; the addition of foreign, exotic components is not necessary to explain the modal and chemical compositions of diverse grain size fractions from typical lunar soils. Regoliths on asteroids are qualitatively different from those of the Moon. The modest impact velocities in the asteroid belt, some 5 km s^?1, are barely sufficient to produce impact melts. Also, substantially more crater mass is being displaced on low-gravity asteroids compared to the Moon; collisional processing of surface boulders should therefore be more prominent in producing comminuted asteroid surfaces. These processes combine into asteroidal surface deposits that have suffered modest levels of shock metamorphism compared to the Moon. Impact melting does not seem to be a significant process under these conditions. However, the role of cometary particles encountering asteroid surfaces at presumably higher velocities has not been addressed in the past. Unfortunately, the asteroidal surface processes that seemingly modify the spectral properties of ordinary chondrites to match telescopically obtained spectra of S-type asteroids remain poorly understood at present, despite the extensive experimental and theoretical insights summarized in this report and our fairly mature understanding of lunar surface processes and regolith evolution.  相似文献   

The Kaidun meteorite: Clasts of alkaline‐rich fractionated materials     

Andrei V. Ivanov  Nataliya N. Kononkova  S. Vincent Yang  Michael E. Zolensky 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2003,38(5):725-737

Abstract— Clasts of alkaline (the second find in meteorites) and subalkaline rocks were found in the Kaidun meteorite. One of them (#d4A) is a large crystal of albite with inclusions of fluorapatite, arfvedsonite, aenigmatite, and wilkinsonite. The two latter minerals were previously unknown in meteorites. Another clast (#d[3–5]D) has a melt crystallization texture of mainly feldspar (oligoclase) composition and contains relict grains of both high‐Ca and low‐Ca pyroxene and fluorapatite. The mineralogical characteristics of these clasts suggest a genetic relationship and an origin from the same parent body. The textural and mineralogical characteristics of the clasts indicate origin by extensive igneous differentiation. Such processes most likely took place in a rather large differentiated body. The material of clast #d(3–5)D is similar in some mineralogical respects to basaltic shergottites.  相似文献   

Galaxy voids in cold dark matter universes     

A. J. Benson  Fiona Hoyle  Fernando Torres  Michael S. Vogeley 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2003,340(1):160-174

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The surface properties of small asteroids: Peculiar Betulia—A case study     

Alan W. Harris  Michael Mueller  Schelte J. Bus 《Icarus》2005,179(1):95-108

We present the results of extensive thermal-infrared observations of the C-type near-Earth Asteroid (1580) Betulia obtained in June 2002 with the 3-m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Betulia is a highly unusual object for which earlier radiometric observations, interpreted on the basis of simple thermal models, indicated a surface of high thermal inertia. A high thermal inertia implies a lack of thermally insulating regolith. Radiometric observations of other asteroids of comparable size indicate that regolith is present in nearly all cases. Knowledge of the surface thermal properties of small near-Earth asteroids is crucial for meaningful calculations of the Yarkovsky effect, which is invoked to explain the delivery of collisional fragments from the main belt into near-Earth orbits, and apparently has a significant influence on the orbital evolution of potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids. Furthermore, apart from being an indicator of the presence of thermally insulating regolith on the surface of an asteroid, the thermal inertia determines the magnitude of the diurnal temperature variation and is therefore of great importance in the design of instrumentation for lander missions to small asteroids. In the case of Betulia our database is sufficiently broad to allow the use of more sophisticated thermal models than were available for earlier radiometric observations. The measured fluxes have been fitted with thermal-model emission continua to determine the asteroid's size and geometric albedo, pv. Fits obtained with a new thermophysical model imply an effective diameter of 4.57±0.46 km and an albedo of 0.077±0.015 and indicate a moderate surface thermal inertia of around 180 J m⁻² s^−0.5 K⁻¹. It is difficult to reconcile our results with earlier work, which indicate a larger diameter for Betulia and a high-thermal-inertia surface of bare rock.  相似文献   

Hydrodynamical simulations of the decay of high-speed molecular turbulence – II. Divergence from isothermality     

Georgi Pavlovski  Michael D. Smith  Mordecai-Mark Mac Low 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2006,368(2):943-958

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Dissipationless mergers of elliptical galaxies and the evolution of the fundamental plane     

Michael Boylan-Kolchin  Chung-Pei Ma  Eliot Quataert 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2005,362(1):184-196

We carry out numerical simulations of dissipationless major mergers of elliptical galaxies using initial galaxy models that consist of a dark matter haloes and a stellar bulge with properties consistent with the observed fundamental plane. By varying the density profile of the dark matter haloes [standard Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) profile versus adiabatically contracted NFW profile], the global stellar to dark matter mass ratio and the orbit of the merging galaxies, we are able to assess the impact of each of these factors on the structure of the merger remnant. Our results indicate that the properties of the remnant bulge depend primarily on the angular momentum and energy of the orbit; for a cosmologically motivated orbit, the effective radius and velocity dispersion of the remnant bulge remain approximately on the fundamental plane. This indicates that the observed properties of elliptical galaxies are consistent with significant growth via late dissipationless mergers. We also find that the dark matter fraction within the effective radius of our remnants increases after the merger, consistent with the hypothesis that the tilt of the fundamental plane from the virial theorem is due to a varying dark matter fraction as a function of galaxy mass.  相似文献   

Simulation of the ice age atmosphere — January and July means     

Michael Lautenschlager 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》1991,80(3):513-534

A simulation of the atmospheric state under ice age conditions (18,000 years before present) is presented. The T21 Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM), originally developed at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, was used for the calculation of six annual cycles. Results of the near-surface climatology (2 m-temperature, 10 m-wind, and precipitation), averaged over the last five model years, are presented. The presentation is restricted to January and July means in order to demonstrate the glacial changes in summer and winter. The model's response to ice age boundary conditions was quite consistent with paleogeological data on land and with AGCM experiments of other studies. Although the differences between the mean climate states of the model atmosphere under glacial and modern boundary conditions were statistically significant, the basic structure of the simulated atmospheric circulation was not altered substantially.

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Zusammenfassung Eine Simulation des Zustands der eiszeitlichen Atmosphäre (18000 Jahre vor heute) wird vorgestellt. Das T21-Modell (allgemeines Zirkulationsmodell der Atmosphäre), entwickelt am Europäischen Zentrum für Mittelfrist-Wettervorhersage, wurde zur Berechnung von sechs Jahresgängen verwendet. Die Ergebnisse der oberflächennahen Klimatologie (2 m-Temperatur, 10 m-Wind und Niederschlag) werden präsentiert als Mittel über die letzten fünf Modelljahre. Die Darstellung ist eingeschränkt auf Januar- und Julimittel, um die eiszeitlichen Änderungen im Sommer und Winter deutlich zu machen. Die Antwort des Modells auf die eiszeitlichen Randbedingungen stimmt recht gut überein mit paläogeologischen Landdaten und mit anderen Simulationsrechnungen. Obgleich die Klimaunterschiede in der eiszeitlichen und der heutigen Modellatmosphäre statistisch signifikant sind, wurde die Grundstruktur der atmosphärischen Zirkulation vom T21-Modell nur wenig verändert.

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Résumé Cette note présente une simulation de l'état de l'atmosphère dans les conditions de l'âge glaciaire, il y a 18.000 ans. Le calcul de 6 cycles annuels a été effectué au moyen du modèle T 21 de la circulation atmosphérique générale développé au Centre Européen de prévision du temps à moyen terme. Les éléments du climat proche de la surface (température à 2 m, vent à 10 m, précipitations) sont présentés en moyenne des cinq dernières années du modèle. Ces éléments sont limités aux moyennes de janvier et de juillet, de manière à mettre en évidence les changements hiver/été. La réponse du modèle aux conditions aux limites de l'âge glaciaire est en bon accord avec les données paléontologiques de terrain ainsi qu'avec d'autres calculs de simulation. Bien qu'il existe d'importantes différences climatiques entre les modèles d'atmosphère de l'âge glaciaire et d'aujourd'hui, la structure de base de la circulation atmosphérique du modèle T 21 est peu modifiée.

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, 18000 . 21 = , = , 6 . , — 2 10 , 5 . , , , . . , 21 .

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Isovortical orbits in uniformly rotating coordinates     

Michael E. Hough 《Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy》1986,39(3):249-266

For the conservative, two degree-of-freedom system with autonomous potential functionV(x,y) in rotating coordinates; $$\dot u - 2n\upsilon = V_x , \dot \upsilon + 2nu = V_y $$ , vorticity (v _x -u _y ) is constant along the orbit when the relative velocity field is divergence-free such that: $$u(x,y,t) = \psi _y , \upsilon (x,y,t) = - \psi _x $$ . Unlike isoenergetic reduction using the Jacobi, integral and eliminating the time,non-singular reduction from fourth to second-order occurs when (u,v) are determined explicitly as functions of their arguments by solving for ψ (x, y, t). The orbit function ψ satisfies a second-order, non-linear partial differential equation of the Monge Ampere type: $$2(\psi _{xx} \psi _{yy} - \psi _{xy}^2 ) - 2(\psi _{xx} + \psi _{yy} ) + V_{xx} + V_{yy} = 0$$ . Isovortical orbits in the rotating frame arenot level curves of ψ because it contains time explicitly due to coriolis effects. Rather, (x, y) coordinates along the orbit are obtained, from (u, v) either by numerical integration of the kinematic equations, or by partial differentiation of the Legendre transform ? of ψ. In the latter case, ? is shown to satisfy a non-linear, second-order partial differential equation in three independent variables, derived from the Monge-Ampere Equation. Complete reduction to quadrature is possible when space-time symmetries exist, as in the case of central force motion.  相似文献   

The magnetic and thermodynamical structure of a coronal hole     

Vladimir A. Osherovich  Erast B. Gliner  Israel Tzur  Michael L. Kuhn 《Solar physics》1985,97(2):251-266

A nonpolytropic model of a polar coronal hole at 2 R R 5 R is constructed. Our main assumptions are: (1) the magnetic structure of the Sun can be described by a combination of dipole-like and radial fields; (2) in the magnetically dominated region [(v ²/2) < (B ²/8)] the influence of the outflow on the magnetic structure is negligible. The magnetic and thermodynamic structures are obtained by solving the force balance equation for plasma with the observationally derived electron density. Profiles of velocities in the acceleration regime are presented and the influence of the outflow on the thermodynamic structure of the solar corona above the polar region is discussed.This paper is the first part of a joint project of the Space Environment Laboratory, the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, and the High Altitude Observatory, NCAR. The second paper by Munro and Tzur is in preparation.Work done while at the Space Environment Laboratory, NOAA, ERL, Boulder, CO 80303, U.S.A.1982–83 Visiting Fellow at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, National Bureau of Standards and University of Colorado.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.Visitor at NCAR.  相似文献   

A versatile ground data display system for spacelab experiments     

Dan Werthimer  Beth Keer  Michael Lampton 《Astrophysics and Space Science》1983,95(1):21-36

We describe a microprocessor-based data capture and display system suited to the needs of many Spacelab experimenters. Although developed specifically for the needs of the FAUST ultraviolet astronomy telescope, several features of the system may make it attractive to other groups who need to interact with their Spacelab data in real or near-real time. The display system captures data from the serial data stream originating in the Spacelab experiment computer input/output (ECIO) data channel, and can reformat and display several hundred variables per second in real time. The system offers a combination of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display and analog paper strip-chart output. A facility is also provided for simultaneously creating floppy-disk records of short segments of data according to prearranged criteria, to allow detailed examination of critical events in the operation of the experiment. The simplicity, economy, reliability, and flexibility of the display system suggest its use for monitoring a variety of low- and medium-data-rate Spacelab experiments.  相似文献