Interplanetary scintillations of an ensemble of radio sources during the solar activity minimum of cycles 23/24

The results of observations of interplanetary scintillations of a statistical ensemble of radio sources in the period of 2007–2011 are presented. Observation were carried out in the monitoring regime with the BSA LPI radio telescope at the frequency 111 MHz. Fluctuations of radio emission flux of all sources (a few hundred in total) were recorded 24 hours a day. Those sources were investigated, which had a scintillating flux greater than 0.2 Jy and fell within the sky band of 8° width in declination, corresponding to radio telescope’s 16-beam system. The statistical ensemble of radio sources is characterized by the mean variance of a scintillating radiation flux, which is proportional to the squared scintillation index. It follows from the obtained data that the radial dependence of a mean scintillation index during a deep solar activity minimum of 2008–2009 occurs to be weaker than one could expect in the case of spherically symmetric geometry of the solar wind. Suppression of a radial dependence of the mean scintillation index is explained by the effect of the heliospheric current sheet, which reveals itself in a high density of solar wind’s turbulent plasma in the helioequator plane. It is shown that the level of scintillations, averaged over monthly series of observations, was changing synchronously with the solar activity level.     

Simulation of discharge impulses in GTE capacitance ignition systems

A possibility of enhancing the energy efficiency of the capacitance ignition system by realizing the batch mode of discharge impulse generation is substantiated. Using the numerical simulation methods, a problem is solved to study the voltage-current characteristics of such discharge units as a spark discharger and a spark plug and peculiarities of discharge formation in them; the batch mode is simulated with proper account for the influence of discharge-recurrence rate upon dynamics of electric strength recovery in the discharge units. A possibility of optimizing the capacitance ignition system parameters is theoretically evaluated to provide the maximum possible quantity of discharge impulse packet energy as well as the value of their peak capacity at the specified values of supply source power, discharge-recurrence rate, and total voltage of the entire ignition system.     

Diagnosing the Neutral Interstellar Gas Flow at 1 AU with IBEX-Lo

Every year in fall and spring the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) will observe directly the interstellar gas flow at 1 AU over periods of several months. The IBEX-Lo sensor employs a powerful triple time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It can distinguish and image the O and He flow distributions in the northern fall and spring, making use of sensor viewing perpendicular to the Sun-pointing spin axis. To effectively image the narrow flow distributions IBEX-Lo has a high angular resolution quadrant in its collimator. This quadrant is employed selectively for the interstellar gas flow viewing in the spring by electrostatically shutting off the remainder of the aperture. The operational scenarios, the expected data, and the necessary modeling to extract the interstellar parameters and the conditions in the heliospheric boundary are described. The combination of two key interstellar species will facilitate a direct comparison of the pristine interstellar flow, represented by He, which has not been altered in the heliospheric boundary region, with a flow that is processed in the outer heliosheath, represented by O. The O flow distribution consists of a depleted pristine component and decelerated and heated neutrals. Extracting the latter so-called secondary component of interstellar neutrals will provide quantitative constraints for several important parameters of the heliosheath interaction in current global heliospheric models. Finding the fraction and width of the secondary component yields an independent value for the global filtration factor of species, such as O and H. Thus far filtration can only be inferred, barring observations in the local interstellar cloud proper. The direction of the secondary component will provide independent information on the interstellar magnetic field strength and orientation, which has been inferred from SOHO SWAN Ly-α backscattering observations and the two Voyager crossings of the termination shock.     

Effect of heating on the dynamic behavior of a shell with partially damaged thermal insulation

The influence of aerodynamic heating of the aircraft skin with a partially damaged thermal insulation on its dynamic behavior is studied numerically. The study is carried out in two steps: the first step is to determine the temperature field in the shell; the second step is to measure the values of structure material characteristics depending on its temperature, to correct the stiffness matrix of the skin, and to solve the dynamics problem. The examples are considered.     

Observations of auroral kilometric radio emission on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Interball-1</Emphasis> satellite in the active Sun period 1999–2000

Results of almost two years (January 1999–October 2000) of continuous observations of auroral kilometric radio emission with the instrument AKR-X onboard the high-apogee satellite of the Earth Interball-1 are presented. The observations were conducted at the growth stage (in 1999) and in the maximum (2000) of solar activity within the 100–1500 kHz frequency band. The results of AKR detection in the vicinity of the maximum of its spectrum at a frequency of 252 kHz are presented. Both similarity (for example, the character of global directivity) and important differences from the AKR emission observed during the solar activity minimum [5] are found. Together with very high sporadicity, strong seasonal changes in the intensity are typical for the emission. It is completely absent in the spring-summer period in the Northern Hemisphere and is strongly suppressed in this period in the Southern Hemisphere. Probable nature of these features of AKR is discussed.     

On the concept of a future carrier-based light fighter

The peculiarities of future light fighter concept generation, reflecting tendencies of fighter aviation development and potentialities of scientific and research background are considered.     

To an issue of rating the external loads on a helicopter with skid landing gear for landing loading condition

The existing technique of rating the external loads on a helicopter with skid type landing gear according to Airworthiness Standards [1] is analyzed and the results of comparing with design and experimental studies are presented. The main existing problems both in design simulation and the system of requirements to the conditions of rating the loads on the skid landing gear helicopter are identified. Also proposed are the techniques to increase safety of the helicopter emergency landing by refining the rating conditions of external loads at the design stage.     

Radial pressure distribution in lateral clearances of the semi-open axiradial impeller of the centrifugal compressor

We present the results of the numerical simulation of a flow and radial pressure distribution in the lateral clearances of the semi-open axiradial impeller of the centrifugal compressor with the use of the FlowVision and Fluent software. The results of the numerical analysis were compared with the known experimental data.     

Verification of a mathematical model of dynamic loading in the quasistatic statement for a helicopter tubular skid landing gear by the results of drop tests

We present the results of verifying a mathematical model of dynamic loading of the helicopter skid landing gear with regard for two successive landing impacts. Also presented are the results of analyzing the interaction of springs in the course of drop tests.     

Analysis of static loading for a helicopter tubular skid landing gear

We compare the results of analyzing the stress strain state for the tubular skid landing gear with regard for the physically and geometrically nonlinear scheme of deformation; the analysis is carried out by the finite element method and with the aid of a special beam-type design model. The analysis has been performed for a real helicopter design. The peculiarities of deforming the aircraft structures of the type under study are shown based on the comparison results.