小型箭载SF_6主动释放装置研究

化学物质释放是空间物理主动试验的重要手段之一.构建了一种基于探空火箭平台的SF_6气体释放装置,其具有体积小、自重轻、对运载平台要求低等优点,当装置自身质量为6kg时可实现2 kg的SF_6气体释放.仿真计算了SF_6气体在电离层高度的扩散过程和相应的电离层离子化学过程.研究结果表明,本装置能够有效消减电离层电子密度,具有较高实用价值.     

中性气体释放人工产生气辉

电离层中分子性的离子与电子的复合要比氧离子与电子的辐射性复合快得多,因此火箭发动机产生的尾气和空间等离子体主动实验中主动释放的中性气体会对电离层有很大的影响,这么大的电离层扰动现象在过去的实验中经常可以观测到.根据中性气体在热层背景中的扩散方程,考虑电离层F区主要的离子化学反应,研究了H2,H2O和CO2气体在电离层高度上的扩散过程和电离层对所释放气体的响应,计算了气辉的体发射系数和发射强度.结果表明,中性气体在电离层高度上扩散非常迅速,在F区的一些高度上,主要正离子成分由O+转变为其他分子离子,且在释放过程中伴随气辉发射,发射气辉的波长和特征与释放物质的种类有关.      

从空间飞行器入射进电离层的调制电子束产生的高频波辐射

在主动束-等离子体试验中,调制电子束从空间飞行器入射进电离层等离子体将会产生电磁波辐射,在不同试验条件下电磁波辐射机理也不一样,由电子束纵向约束性产生电磁波辐射是其中之一.对半无界稀薄调制电子束从空间飞行器入射进电离层等离子体时所产生的波现象进行了理论分析和数值计算.结果表明,当调制电子束沿磁力线入射时,会在电离层等离子体中产生高频电磁波辐射,该辐射主要集中在垂直于入射电子束运动方向的平面内.      

乌鲁木齐地区电离层环境长期变化特性研究

电离层环境变化对电子信息系统具有重要影响,其可能引起短波通信质量下降甚至中断,导致导航信号闪烁和误差增加等. 研究电离层环境特性对于评估空间环境对通信、雷达及导航装备的影响具有重要意义. 本文根据乌鲁木齐电波环境观测站50余年数据,研究了乌鲁木齐地区电离层F层临界频率、F层底高、Es层临界频率的日变化、季节变化和长期变化情况,同时根据HWM07高空风场模型研究了乌鲁木齐地区高空风场的昼夜和季节变化特性.      

航天简讯

1990年7月25日入轨的美航宇局和美国空军合作的一颗“播撒和观测辐射效应”卫星(CRRES)在空间把24个管装的化学元素(钡和锂),在磁层中释放,同太阳等离子体激励发生作用,特殊云区产物类似人们在两极看到的极光。为了精确观测此现象,曾用探空火箭向马绍尔群岛空间探测。当卫星上化学元素播撒后,在中美、北美和加勒比海上空出现彩色纷呈的光亮,这些彩     

空间等离子体云的回旋同步辐射

CME在行星际空间传播时, 会导致强磁场、高密度等离子体云的出现. 回旋同步辐射是此类等离子体的一种主要的射电辐射机制, 且携带行星际磁场的重要信息. 本文重点探讨了光深τν ≤1时回旋同步辐射的发射、吸收及极化特性, 包括热电子、非热电子, 投掷角各向同性、投掷角各向异性等离子体云的回旋同步辐射过程的研究分析. 在此基础上, 推导了考虑折射指数情况下, 辐射强度、辐射亮温的表达式.      

释放不同化学物质对电离层扰动的比较

在电离层F区释放氢（H₂）、水（H₂O）、二氧化碳（CO₂）、六氟化硫（SF₆）、三氟溴甲烷（CF₃Br）、羰基镍（Ni（CO）₄）可以损耗局域等离子体电子密度,形成电子空洞,电离层电子密度的改变主要取决于释放物质的气态分子与电离层之间的离子化学反应.在电离层人工主动扰动实验中,应根据发射成本和扰动效果对释放物质进行选择.通过热力学原理和有限元模拟方法计算比较了上述6种物质对电离层的扰动影响.计算结果表明,6种物质中水的气化率最低,约为19%,其余5种物质都在60%以上,选择密度小的物质,例如H₂和CO₂,可以有效降低发射成本.另外,扩散较慢且化学反应较快的物质,例如SF₆和Ni（CO）₄,能够使得电离层电子密度减少得更多,并且受扰动区域更广、持续时间更长.     

基于IGS电离层TEC格网的扰动特征统计分析

电离层总电子含量（TEC）是研究空间天气特性的重要参量,通过分析电离层TEC,可以了解空间环境的变化特征.利用IGS提供的1999—2016年全球电离层TEC格网数据,按照地磁纬度将全球划分为高、中、中低、低磁纬四个区域,计算不同区域的电离层扰动;利用大量统计数据选取电离层扰动事件的判定阈值,分析电离层扰动与太阳活动、时空之间的关系;计算电离层扰动指数与地磁活动之间的相关系数.结果显示:电离层扰动与太阳活动变化具有较强的正相关特性.在太阳活动低年,电离层扰动事件发生的概率约为1.79%,在太阳活动高年发生扰动的概率约为10.18%.在空间分布上,无论是太阳活动高年还是低年,高磁纬地区发生扰动事件的概率均大于其他磁纬出现扰动事件的概率.计算得到的中磁纬和中低磁纬地区电离层扰动指数与全球地磁指数Ap的相关系数分别为0.57和0.56,说明电离层扰动指数与Ap具有较好的相关关系;高磁纬电离层扰动指数与Ap的相关系数为0.44;低磁纬扰动指数与Ap的相关系数为0.39.以上结果表明,不同区域电离层扰动与全球地磁指数Ap的相关性不同,测定区域地磁指数可能会提高与电离层扰动的相关性.      

朗缪尔探针在轨快速除污染技术研究

讨论了一种朗缪尔球形探针在轨快速去除表面污染的技术方法. 朗缪尔探针是空间等离子体原位探测的一项重要手段, 广泛应用于各种航天器. 探针传感器表面被污染时, 会造成探针I-V特性曲线失真, 从而导致探测获得的等离子体参数产生偏差. 通过试验验证了采用探针传感器加载高压的技术, 其可快速有效清除传感器表面污染, 确保朗缪尔探针在轨探测获得实时、准确的空间等离子体信息.      

化学物质释放人工改变电离层

考虑中性气体在电离层高度的扩散过程和相应的电离层离子化学过程，研究了利用主动化学物质释放来改变电离层的方法，理论计算了H2O和SF6两种气体释放后电离层随时间的响应过程，结果表明，在电离层高度上气体的扩散过程非常迅速，电离层F区的电子密度有很大程度的减少，而扩散慢且化学反应快的气体对电离层的影响更大，就更加有利于电离层洞的形成。     

Dynamics and structure of ion clouds in the ionosphere from multifrequency doppler sounding

The evolution of a barium ion cloud formed in the MR-20 rocket experiment in the low-latitude ionosphere is considered using data of Doppler multifrequency sounding.     

Large scientific releases

Mass-injection experiments in space plasmas have been conducted for the last twenty years. These injections trace or stain chemical or physical processes, facilitating diagnosis of the natural state of the space plasma; artificially perturb the space plasma away from equilibrium, isolating and controlling selected parameters; simulate natural or artificial states of space plasmas; and utilize the advantages of space as a laboratory to study fundamental plasma physics.We use the Lagopedo ionospheric-depletion experiments to illustrate the special operational aspects of active experiments, including weather, logistics, communications, and real-time diagnostics. The various objectives and techniques of mass-injection experiments are described by example. The CAMEO experiment, a thermite barium release from a satellite over the nightside polar cap, is an excellent example of the use of barium injections to trace upward ion acceleration. The Periquito Dos experiment provided a “snapshot” view of convection electric fields in the dayside polar cusp region. Project Waterhole, an artificial depletion of the topside auroral ionosphere, attempted to modify the equilibrium character of the field-aligned currents and apparently shut off the aurora in a small space-time volume. The Trigger experiment is another example of an active perturbation experiment, wherein the auroral ionospheric transverse conductivities were modified via a cesium injection. The Buaro experiment, a shaped-charged barium injection perpendicular to the local geomagnetic field, resulted in an ion-beam/background-plasma system being displaced from equilibrium, permitting diagnostics of collisionless coupling of the ion beam to the background plasma.     

Theoretical studies on the space CIV experiment over China

Recently the Active Experiment Working Group, Center for Space Science and Applied Research, has proposed a chemical release experiment program. The initial scientific object of the program is to study the critical ionization velocity (CIV) mechanism at low and middle latitudes over China. Beside of the development of the chemical module system, theoretical studies on the CIV phenomena of barium or strontium released over China are studied. We found that the angle between the release velocity and the ambient magnetic field over China is smaller than that in the same latitude region in North America and is advantageous for studying CIV phenomena and the evolution of ionized cloud along the magnetic lines. We also used a numerical simulation to simulate the evolution of chemical release clouds under various release conditions. For 1 kg barium and V-B angle equal to 60 degrees, we have a better configuration of ions cloud which can easily distinguish the ions created by CIV phenomena from that by the UV of the sunlight.     

The quiet nighttime low-latitude ionosphere as observed by TIMED/GUVI

In this paper, we examine the nighttime ionosphere climatology structure in the low latitude region and discrepancies between Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) observations and the IRI model predictions using (1) the magnetic zonal mean of electron number density as a function of altitude and magnetic latitude, (2) vertical electron density profiles at various levels of F10.7 index, (3) nighttime descent and magnitude decrease of the ionosphere, (4) point-to-point comparisons of F-peak height (hmF2) and density (NmF2), and (5) the magnetic longitudinal variations of hmF2 and NmF2. The data collected from the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics (TIMED) mission since its launch in December 2001 have provided great opportunities for many scientific investigations of the ionosphere. In this analysis, we investigate the climatology of the nighttime low-latitude ionosphere under low geomagnetic activity (kp ? 4) using the electron density profiles inferred from the airglow measurements obtained by the GUVI aboard the TIMED spacecraft and compared with the results obtained from IRI (International Reference Ionosphere) model-2001. The observed climatology is an essential tool for further understanding the electrodynamics in the low-latitude region and improving the model’s prediction capability. The time range of the GUVI data used in this study is from 2002 (day 053) to 2006 (day 304), and the IRI model predictions were produced at every GUVI location. The ionosphere observed is generally of greater density than what IRI predicts throughout the night for all four seasons for low and moderate solar activity while the model over-predicts the electron density near the F-region peak at high solar activity before midnight. Observations show that the height of the F-region peak has a steep descent from dusk to midnight and near midnight the height of layer is insensitive to solar conditions, significantly different than what is predicted by IRI. Longitudinal features shown in GUVI data are present in the low-latitude ionosphere after sunset and continue through to midnight after which the low-latitude ionosphere is largely zonally symmetric.     

The collective gyration of a heavy ion cloud in a magnetized plasma

In both the ionospheric barium injection experiments CRIT I and CRIT II, a long-duration oscillation was seen with a frequency close to the gyro frequency of barium and a time duration of about one second. A model for the phenomenon which was proposed for the CRIT 1 experiment is here compared to the results from CRIT II which made a much more complete set of measurements. The model follows the motion of a low-β ion cloud through a larger ambient plasma. The internal field of the model is close to antiparallel to the injection direction v_i but slightly tilted towards the self-polarization direction E_P = −v_ixB. As the ions move across the magnetic field, the space charge is continuously neutralized by magnetic-field aligned electron currents from the ambient ionosphere, drawn by the divergence in the perpendicular electric field. These currents give a perturbation of the magnetic field related to the electric field perturbation by ΔE/ΔB ≈ V_a. The model predictions agree quite well with the observed vector directions, field strengths, and decay times of the electric and magnetic fields in CRIT II. The possibility to extend the model to the active region, where the ions are produced in this type of self-ionizing injection experiments, is discussed.     

Prompt effects of solar wind variations on the inner magnetosphere and midlatitude ionosphere

It is well known that the solar wind can significantly affect high-latitude ionospheric dynamics. However, the effects of the solar wind on the middle- and low-latitude ionosphere are much less studied. In this paper, we report observations that large perturbations in the middle- and low-latitude ionosphere are well correlated with solar wind variations. In one event, a significant (20–30%) decrease of the midlatitude ionospheric electron density over a large latitudinal range was related to a sudden drop in the solar wind pressure and a northward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field, and the density decrease became larger at lower latitudes. In another event, periodic perturbations in the dayside equatorial ionospheric E × B drift and electrojet were closely associated with variations in the interplanetary electric field. Since the solar wind is always changing with time, it can be a very important and common source of ionospheric perturbations at middle- and low-latitudes. The relationship between solar wind variations and significant ionospheric perturbations has important applications in space weather.     

High frequency electromagnetic radiation in CRRES geostationary injections

It is shown that experiments with geostationary injections of dense barium plasma clouds after CRRES program presented a unique opportunity for investigation of Earth's space environment radiation generation mechanism at frequencies 100 to1000 times higher than the usual plasma frequency signal. We present electromagnetic noise or radiostorm data obtained in Havana in broad frequency bands 45–90 MHz, 235MHz and 280 MHz after Ba injection. It is proposed that signals appearing with 7 to 10 min delay after injection possibly caused a substorm initiated by the injection, during which the radiation is generated by local energetic particles flowing through the irregular barium cloud. Another possibility is connected with irradiation of the barium cloud by the Jicamarca radar. Modulation of radioburst at barium gyrofrequency is typical for both cases.     

中性风和垂直漂移对低纬F区电离层影响初析

利用二维低纬电离层－等离子体层时变理论模式,模拟太阳活动高年春分条件下垂直漂移和中性风强度改变对低纬F区电离层参量的影响.模式在所考察的磁子午面内求解等离子体输运方程,给出离子浓度和速度随纬度、高度、地方时的变化.模式计算结果显示,调整垂直漂移和中性风强度对低纬F区电离层电子浓度的影响与电离层所处磁纬、垂直漂移和中性风作用时段等有关,呈现出一些新特点.结果对分析不同条件下垂直漂移和中性风对低纬F区电离层影响具有一定的指导意义.      

Artificial particle and wave stimulation in the trigger experiment

The Trigger experiment was designed to test the response of the auroral ionosphere to an impulsive release of a hot, dense plasma. It consisted of a sounding rocket payload divided into two parts, an instrumented diagnostic section and a cesium doped high explosive canister. When the two sections were separated by about 1 km, but close to the same magnetic field line, the cesium high explosive was ignited and the plasma around the payload was observed to increase briefly by a factor of 4 in density and a factor of 2 in temperature.A variety of particle and field phenomena occurred in rapid succession after the cesium release. A drastic increase in the field aligned charged particle flux was observed over the approximate energy range 10 eV to more than 300 keV, starting about 150 ms after the release and lasting about 1 second. There is also evidence of a second particle burst, starting one second after the release and lasting for tens of seconds. A transient electric field pulse of 200 mV/m appeared just before the particle flux increase began. Additional effects include electrostatic waves associated with the cesium cloud boundary. The field aligned currents associated with the electric field pulse and cloud conductivity gradient may be responsible for the observed electron acceleration in a manner similar to the electrodynamic origin of auroral arcs.     

武昌哨声的传播特征及其与地磁活动的相关

本文利用武昌(磁纬19.2°N)连续三年的哨声观测资料,研究了武昌地区哨声传播的一般特征。着重对武昌哨声的传播路径进行了分析推断,并讨论了它们与地磁活动的相关特性。发现:武昌哨声的显著特征是色散与电离层f₀F₂有明显的正相关关系;其次常出现一类色散值稳定、出现率也很高的哨声。此外,对典型事件的分析及统计分析都表明武昌哨声出现率在地磁扰动时明显增高;哨声色散在磁暴急始后不久即有一个急剧的上升,上升幅度达18%至37%。