An EXOSAT observation of the peculiar X-ray binary 2S 0921-630 during optical eclipse

An x-ray observation of 2S 0921-630 has been made coincident with the time of optical eclipse of this 9-day binary. No significant reduction in X-ray flux is measured. This can be explained if the binary orbit is viewed almost exactly edge-on, so that the central X-ray emitting star is obscured by the accretion disk from direct view. The X-rays that are seen are scattered into the line of sight by material above and below the disk and the apparent size of the X-ray emission region is thus large compared to the size of the occulting star.     

Coordinated optical-EXOSAT-tenma observations of a burst from 2S1636-536

During a coordinated observations of 2S1636-536 with EXOSAT, Tenma and the 1.4 metre Danish telescope at La Silla, a single burst was detected at all three observatories. The burst was bright with a peak flux of 6 × 10^-8 ergs/cm ² /s and rapid expansion of the blackbody radius. EXOSAT and Tenma agree closely in the values of blackbody radius, temperature and flux which are very similar to the three bursts recently reported by Tenma which appear to reach the Eddington flux limit at their peak. Preliminary analysis of the X-ray and optical timing data reveal that this burst is unusual in having a sharp leading edge in both X-ray and optical data and a very short X-ray-optical delay compared with those previously observed. If confirmed, this result puts significant restraints on the location of the optical reprocessing site.     

Periodic X-ray outbursts from A0535+26, 2S1145-619 and GX301-2

We report Ariel V(SSI) observations of three X-ray pulsars A0535+26, 2S1145-619 and GX301-2 (2S1223-624). These sources exhibit X-ray outbursts which appear, on the basis of observations extending over 5 years, to have recurrence periods of 110 days, 187.5 days and 41.4 days respectively. If these periods are orbital in origin, the observed X-ray modulation may be explained in terms of an appreciable orbital eccentricity giving rise to time variable accretion. (In the case of GX301-2 published pulse timing data already provide independent evidence for a 41.4 day orbital period and an eccentricity e 0.4). The optical counterparts are all early-type stars; A0535+26 and 2S1145-619 are identified with Be main sequence stars and GX301-2 with a B2 supergiant which also shows an emission line spectrum. The implications of the observations in relation to possible mass transfer mechanisms in such systems are discussed.     

The discovery of a 25 min regular modulation in the X-ray flux from 2S0142+61

A 13 hr observation of 2S0142+61 on 1984 August 27 by EXOSAT shows the X-ray flux of 2S0142+61 to be modulated with a period of 1456+/-6 s. The 1–10 keV spectrum is two component with a 0.7 keV thermal and 0.0 energy index power law, with 30% of the total luminosity in the thermal component. The spectrum is absorbed by 1 × 10²² H cm^-2. Only the hard component is pulsed with a 3 to 10 keV peak to mean amplitude of 35%. Below 2 keV the modulation is less than a few percent. The total 1–10 keV luminosity is 3.5 × 1032 erg s^-1 for a distance of 100 pc. Possible optical counterparts are discussed.     

LHG 83: Another outstanding X-ray binary in the LMC

The strongest X-ray point source, LHG 83, discovered in the EINSTEIN survey of the LMC and not being associated with a nearby coronal type stellar emitter or background AGN is identified with a faint blue variable object. Spectrophotometry reveals low mass X-ray binary characteristics at a mean velocity consistent with LMC membership. The He II 4686 emission exhibits a unique blue shifted component suggesting outflow velocities of several thousand km/s. Optical brightness changes by 0.3 mag in less than one hour are likely to be intrinsic to the source rather than induced by orbital motion. The low X-ray to optical flux ratio is probably due to the fact that the central X-ray source is blocked from direct view by the accretion disk.Based on observations obtained at ESO, La Silla, Chile     

Phase-Lock Loop Jump Phenomenon in the Presence of Two Signals

Jump phenomena are known to exist in many non-linear systems [I], [2], [3]. The non-linear analysis presented in this paper explains and predicts the conditions for the jump phenomenon that is observed in a phase-locked loop (PLL) preceded by an automatic gain control (AGC). The jump phenomenon occurs when the frequency separation AM of two sinusoids at the input to the AGC is greater than the bandwidth B of the linearized PLL. If the loop is initially locked to the stronger signal, the weaker signal will frequency-modulate the PLL voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a modulation frequency AI. The amplitude S2 of the weaker signal al can be increased until it becomes greater than the amplitude Si of the signal being tracked, without causing the loop to lose lock; i. e., the VCO continues to track the original signal. However, if the ratio of the amplitudes S2 S1 = R is increased above some critical value RC > 1, the loop will lose lock on the original signal, and jump to track the interfering signal. If the frequency separation is at least twice the PLL bandwidth, a good approximation for this critical ratio is Rc ? ?w/B.     

New EXOSAT results from the intermediate polar V1223 SGR

We report new results obtained from the EXOSAT AO- 1 observation of the intermediate polar V1223 Sgr. The detection of a 12.4 minute period in the medium energy X-ray flux with an associated hardness ratio variation has been previously reported in Osborne et al. (1984a). Further work has revealed: a narrow dip at the phase zero in the folded medium energy light curve; 30% modulation in the low energy X-ray (3000 Lexan) flux; a count rate ratio from 3 filters which allow the presence of a bright low temperature blackbody component (kT = .05 –. 40 KeV); and a phase resolved ME spectrum which must have two or more components when the source is bright. New optical ephemerides show that the X-ray and optical pulses are in phase at an orbital phase of = 0.31.Affiliated to the Astrophysics Division, Space Science Dept., ESA     

Design issues for MIL-STD-1773 optical fiber avionics data buses

In this paper, several design issues on highly reliable MIL-STD-1773 (or 1553B) optical fiber avionics data buses are investigated. Two optical modulation techniques are proposed for avionics data buses, and they can be used to efficiently solve the problems associated with the fast identification of correct operation states for optical transmitters while maintaining less complexity of transceivers. The implementation of the proposed techniques is discussed. We also deal with the selection of optical devices and fibers to improve the reliability and power budget of optical fiber avionics data buses. Furthermore, some future improvements on avionics data bus systems are pointed out     

Variability of soft X-ray emission of EX Hydrae observed with Einstein Observatory

The cataclysmic variable EX Hydrae has been observed in X-rays with Einstein Observatory. A 67 min periodic X-ray modulation has been found in the energy range. 1 – 2 keV, whereas the source is approximately constant above 2 keV. The modulation is approx. in phase with the stable 47 min modulation in the optical brightness. The X-ray spectrum changes slightly with the 67 min phase but is consistent with a two component model with constant temperature only changing in relative intensity. Quasi-simultaneous optical observations were also obtained and used to extend the time base of the optical modulation. The result is indicative of a decrease in the 67 min period on a time scale of 3 10⁶ yr. The implications for the hypothesis of a non-uniform rotating white dwarf as the origin of the 67 min optical and X-ray modulation are discussed.     

谐振式光纤陀螺系统建模及其应用研究

谐振式光纤陀螺作为高精度角速度传感器,以其集成化高、成本低以及抗干扰性强等独有优势,逐渐成为下一代光学陀螺研究发展的热点。通过对谐振式光纤陀螺工作原理的分析,建立了陀螺数字信号处理系统可视化模型,并对系统谐振曲线和同步解调曲线等开环输出以及锁频反馈下闭环输出进行了模拟仿真。利用仿真模型分析了正弦波调制下谐振谱分裂现象,并搭建实验装置对其进行了验证。结果表明,实验中正弦信号调制频率高于系统谐振输出半高全宽一半,即对应2 MHz时,谐振谱分裂会导致同步解调输出线性区域出现明显失真,严重恶化了标度因数线性度。因此,搭建的谐振式光纤陀螺仿真模型能够准确而有效地模拟系统的工作状态,在系统噪声抑制和精度提升方面具有指导性意义。     

Military avionics optical fiber data buses with active-couplerconfigurations

Military avionics optical fiber data buses of high reliability are discussed. Because Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) have better temperature performance and require less complex driver circuits than laser diodes, the former is normally chosen as an optical source in the severe aircraft environment at present. In this case, optical power budget becomes a critical factor which can significantly limit the number of terminals in a data bus. To effectively solve this problem while maintaining a high reliability, we present several configurations of all-active couplers and hybrid passive/active couplers for avionics optical fiber data buses using PIN photodiodes and LED's. The system design is also described, which incorporates a modulation scheme called partial trilevel Manchester II bi-phase coding     

气动加热下光学窗口传热特性的数值模拟

针对气动加热条件下光学窗口辐射导热耦合传热开展研究,以了解光学窗口的热辐射发射规律及热防护性能。采用有限体积法、蒙特卡罗法、谱带模型建立了具有镜反射界面的光学窗口辐射传输及辐射导热耦合传热计算模型,对具有两层SiO2玻璃的光学窗口传热特性进行了模拟。结果表明处于高温区玻璃向外发射热辐射,低温区玻璃吸收热辐射;除了加热面附近外的玻璃区域,辐射热流密度远大于导热热流密度,在2.9～4.2μm谱带内的辐射热流密度大于0.4～2.9μm谱带内的;在0.4～2.9μm谱带内,可见光波长内的出射辐射热流密度最小,中红外波长范围内出射辐射热流密度最大。在光学窗口总厚度一定的情况下,降低玻璃层厚度和玻璃夹层气体热导率能够有效降低光学窗口非加热面稳态温度。     

月地及月地以远测控通信与若干关键技术发展趋势

通过研究国内外主要测控通信技术现状与发展动态,梳理出了目前我国在月地及月地以远距离测控通信技术遇到的挑战:面临测量精度尚不能满足科学探测更高的要求,数据传输能力难以满足更高的数据传输速率需求,关键器件自主可控较为薄弱,激光通信高精度快速捕获手段单一,以及星载终端设计与关键技术在轨验证较少等。针对这些问题,提出了对天线组阵、激光测控通信技术、Ka波段及毫米波低温接收机、超导纳米线单光子探测器、深空光学跟瞄系统、窄线宽激光光源的产生技术、光通信调制技术和高功率低噪声放大器的迫切需求,并介绍了国外最新的用于深空测控通信的新概念与前沿技术,即一体化微波/光学混合通信系统与微波光子射频信号稳相传输技术。最后,结合我国现状,讨论了我国测控通信重点发展方向及其关键技术的建议,可供构建月地及月地以远测控通信系统参考。     

The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) Experiment on the Huygens Entry Probe of Titan

The payload of the Huygens Probe into the atmosphere of Titan includes the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR). This instrument includes an integrated package of several optical instruments built around a silicon charge coupled device (CCD) detector, a pair of linear InGaAs array detectors, and several individual silicon detectors. Fiber optics are used extensively to feed these detectors with light collected from three frame imagers, an upward and downward-looking visible spectrometer, an upward and downward looking near-infrared spectrometer, upward and downward looking violet phtotometers, a four-channel solar aerole camera, and a sun sensor that determines the azimuth and zenith angle of the sun and measures the flux in the direct solar beam at 940 nm. An onboard optical calibration system uses a small lamp and fiber optics to track the relative sensitivity of the different optical instruments relative to each other during the seven year cruise to Titan. A 20 watt lamp and collimator are used to provide spectrally continuous illumination of the surface during the last 100 m of the descent for measurements of the reflection spectrum of the surface. The instrument contains software and hardware data compressors to permit measurements of upward and downward direct and diffuse solar flux between 350 and 1700 nm in some 330 spectral bands at approximately 2 km vertical resolution from an alititude of 160 km to the surface. The solar aureole camera measures the brightness of a 6° wide strip of the sky from 25 to 75° zenith angle near and opposite the azimuth of the sun in two passbands near 500 and 935 nm using vertical and horizontal polarizers in each spectral channel at a similar vertical resolution. The downward-looking spectrometers provide the reflection spectrum of the surface at a total of some 600 locations between 850 and 1700 nm and at more than 3000 locations between 480 and 960 nm. Some 500 individual images of the surface are expected which can be assembled into about a dozen panoramic mosaics covering nadir angles from 6° to 96° at all azimuths. The spatial resolution of the images varies from 300 m at 160 km altitude to some 20 cm in the last frames. The scientific objectives of the experiment fall into four areas including (1) measurement of the solar heating profile for studies of the thermal balance of Titan; (2) imaging and spectral reflection measurements of the surface for studies of the composition, topography, and physical processes which form the surface as well as for direct measurements of the wind profile during the descent; (3) measurements of the brightness and degree of linear polarization of scattered sunlight including the solar aureole together with measurements of the extinction optical depth of the aerosols as a function of wavelength and altitude to study the size, shape, vertical distribution, optical properties, sources and sinks of aerosols in Titan's atmosphere; and (4) measurements of the spectrum of downward solar flux to study the composition of the atmosphere, especially the mixing ratio profile of methane throughout the descent. We briefly outline the methods by which the flight instrument was calibrated for absolute response, relative spectral response, and field of view over a very wide temperature range. We also give several examples of data collected in the Earth's atmosphere using a spare instrument including images obtained from a helicopter flight program, reflection spectra of various types of terrain, solar aureole measurements including the determination of aerosol size, and measurements of the downward flux of violet, visible, and near infrared sunlight. The extinction optical depths measured as a function of wavelength are compared to models of the Earth's atmosphere and are divided into contributions from molecular scattering, aerosol extinction, and molecular absorption. The test observations during simulated descents with mountain and rooftop venues in the Earth's atmosphere are very important for driving out problems in the calibration and interpretion of the observations to permit rapid analysis of the observations after Titan entry. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Error Performance of M-ary DPPM Communication System

Error performance in optical communication, where the information is transmitted by means of the differential pulse-position modulated optical carrier, is discussed. Additive independent background radiation and thermal noise are taken into account. Both threshold type and maximum value type of decision schemes are also considered. The effects of several parameters, such as the number of time slots, the duty ratio, the extinction ratio, the count dimension, the signal-to-background radiation power ratio, and the signal-to-thermal noise power ratio are discussed in detail. The detection characteristic of this system are made clear by comparison with a pulse-position modulation system.     

Large-scale Coronal Heating, Clustering of Coronal Bright Points, and Concentration of Magnetic Flux

By combining quiet-region Fe XII coronal images from SOHO/EIT with magnetograms from NSO/Kitt Peak and from SOHO/MDI, we show that the population of network coronal bright points and the magnetic flux content of the network are both markedly greater under the bright half of the large-scale quiet corona than under the dim half. These results (1) support the view that the heating of the entire corona in quiet regions and coronal holes is driven by fine-scale magnetic activity (microflares, explosive events, spicules) seated low in the magnetic network, and (2) suggest that this large-scale modulation of the magnetic flux and coronal heating is a signature of giant convection cells. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Optical fiber data bus modulation techniques for military avionics

In this paper, we propose several modulation techniques for use in military avionics optical fiber data buses, namely, Extended Manchester II Bi-Phase Coding with Beginning-Stopping Flags, Partial Trilevel Manchester II Bi-Phase Coding, Four-ary Pulse Width Modulation, Two-ary Pulse Width Modulation with Amplitude-Distinguished Sync Field, Two-ary Message Pulse Width Modulation and Two-ary Sync Pulse Amplitude Modulation, respectively. Compared with an existing modulation scheme of MIL-STD-1773 avionics data buses, the proposed techniques can be effectively used to overcome the difficulty in recognizing the correct operation states of an active transmitter at the output of optical receivers. The feasibility of proposed modulation schemes are discussed, and their performance is also evaluated     

基于液晶光阀的动态红外场景仿真研究

介绍了基于液晶光阀的动态红外场景仿真系统构成,分析了液晶光阀的波长变换和空间调制机理。对反映红外场景仿真效果主要因素(光谱输出特性、时间响应特性和空间分辨力)进行了理论分析和研究。利用优化设计液晶光阀参数构建的动态红外场景仿真样机,测量其光谱输出特性、时间响应特性和空间分辨力,结果表明,仿真系统的输出光谱可覆盖中波和长波红外波段,可实现帧频70Hz,系统空间分辨力优于10 lp/mm(受红外光学系统和红外热像仪分辨力限制)。     

Influence of the Solar Cycle on the General Circulation of the Stratosphere and Upper Troposphere

The record of dynamical structure reveals a systematic variation that operates coherently with the 11-yr variation of UV irradiance. Involving periods shorter than 5 years, the systematic variation reflects the influence of the QBO on the polar-night vortex. It has the same basic structure as interannual changes associated with the residual mean circulation of the stratosphere. A signature of the solar cycle also appears in the direct correlation to solar flux, as recovered through regression of the entire monthly record. That signature, however, is sharply enhanced around solstice, when the residual circulation is active, and during extremal phases of the QBO. In the tropics, the solar signature follows, throughout the year, from a decadal modulation in the frequency of the QBO. The modulation is manifested to either side of the QBO’s mean frequency, in two spectral peaks where the QBO dwells: one at (24 months)⁻¹, reflecting a Biennial Oscillation (BO), and another at (36 months)^-1. Intrinsic to the QBO, those peaks are separated from its mean frequency by ∼11 years⁻¹.Through the QBO’s residual circulation, the decadal modulation introduces anomalies in the subtropics, with symmetry about the equator. Accompanying anomalous temperature in the subtropics is a stronger signature over the winter pole. Discovered by Labitzke and van Loon 1988, that solar signature reflects anomalous downwelling of the Brewer-Dobson circulation. It is shown to follow through the BO, which is intrinsic to the QBO and its modulation of the polar-night vortex.