Gamma ray bursts: Short vs. long

Short and long GRBs are thought to be two distinct classes based on their different duration and spectrum. Through the spectral analysis of two similarly selected samples of BATSE short and long GRBs, we show that short GRBs are harder than long events, confirming what found from the comparison of their hardness ratio. However, this spectral diversity seems to be due to a harder low energy spectral component of short GRBs, rather than a (slightly higher) peak energy. Interestingly short GRBs have a spectrum which is similar to the spectrum of the emission of the first 1–2 s of long events. We find evidence that short GRBs are inconsistent with the E_peak–E_iso correlation defined by long bursts while they follow the same E_peak–L_iso correlation of long GRBs. These results, coupled to the similar variability timescale of short events and the first seconds of long ones, suggest that a common (or similar) dissipation mechanism could operate in both classes. The difference in the duration would then be due mainly to the central engine lifetime.     

OSIRIS-REx low-velocity particles during outbound cruise

We analyzed high-angular rate streaks first recorded by OSIRIS-REx’s MapCam during a 2017 search for Earth Trojan asteroids. We interpret them as water-ice particles that translated across the imager’s field of view, originating from the spacecraft itself. Their translation velocities approximated 0.1–1?m/s based on reasonable conclusions about their range. Pursuing several lines of investigation to seek a coherent hypothesis, we conclude that the episodic releases of the water ice particles are associated with spacecraft attitudes that resulted in solar illumination of previously shadowed regions. This correlation suggests that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft itself possesses micro-climatic zones consisting of hot regions and cold traps that may temporarily potentially pass volatiles back and forth before losing most of them.     

Modeling visuospatial reasoning

I apply my proposed modification of Soar/Spatial/Visual System and Kosslyn’s (1983) computational operations on images to problems within a 2 × 2 taxonomy that classifies research according to whether the coding involves static or dynamic relations within an object or between objects (Newcombe & Shipley, 2015). I then repeat this analysis for problems that are included in mathematics and science curricula. Because many of these problems involve reasoning from diagrams Hegarty’s (2011) framework for reasoning from visual-spatial displays provides additional support for organizing this topic. Two more relevant frameworks specify reasoning at different levels of abstraction (Reed, 2016) and with different combinations of actions and objects (Reed, 2018). The article concludes with suggestions for future directions.     

Estimating the accuracy of the technique of reconstructing the rotational motion of a satellite based on the measurements of its angular velocity and the magnetic field of the Earth

The paper has studied the accuracy of the technique that allows the rotational motion of the Earth artificial satellites (AES) to be reconstructed based on the data of onboard measurements of angular velocity vectors and the strength of the Earth magnetic field (EMF). The technique is based on kinematic equations of the rotational motion of a rigid body. Both types of measurement data collected over some time interval have been processed jointly. The angular velocity measurements have been approximated using convenient formulas, which are substituted into the kinematic differential equations for the quaternion that specifies the transition from the body-fixed coordinate system of a satellite to the inertial coordinate system. Thus obtained equations represent a kinematic model of the rotational motion of a satellite. The solution of these equations, which approximate real motion, has been found by the least-square method from the condition of best fitting between the data of measurements of the EMF strength vector and its calculated values. The accuracy of the technique has been estimated by processing the data obtained from the board of the service module of the International Space Station (ISS). The reconstruction of station motion using the aforementioned technique has been compared with the telemetry data on the actual motion of the station. The technique has allowed us to reconstruct the station motion in the orbital orientation mode with a maximum error less than 0.6° and the turns with a maximal error of less than 1.2°.     

Drag Reducing and Increasing Mechanism on Triangular Riblet Surface

Drag reducing and increasing mechanism on riblet surface has been studied through computational fluid dynamics(CFD).Drag reduction is achieved through the optimization of riblet geometry which would affect flow structure inside riblet grooves.Force and flow structure on riblet surface are analyzed and compared with those of smooth surface based on the k-εturbulence model.Drag reducing and increasing mechanism is proved to be related to microvortexes induced inside riblets which lead to Reynolds shear stress reduction significantly and is considered to be the dominant factor resulting in wall friction reduction.Simulation results also show that the pressure drag generating from the deviation of static pressure on the front and rear ends of riblets occurs and grows exponentially with Mach number,which can cause drag increasing.Furthermore,near-wall vortical structures,Reynolds shear stress and static pressure on riblet surfaces are also analyzed in detail.     

Vibrations of an elastic guide beam with a missile moving along it

Transverse nonstationary vibrations of a guide beam having the initial flexure are considered. An absolutely rigid missile moves under the propulsive force along this guide beam on two sliding supports. The beam displacements introduced by its vibrations are presented as an expansion with respect to the given functions according to the Ritz method. The equations of nonstationary vibration of the beam with the missile moving along it are obtained in the generalized coordinates, the expansion coefficients being chosen as them. The example is presented. Also studied is the effect of different beam and missile parameters on the beam displacement and transverse and angular velocity of the missile.