Measurement of the Abundance of Helium-3 in the Sun and in the Local Interstellar Cloud with SWICS on Ulysses

The abundance of 3He in the present day local interstellar cloud (LIC) and in the sun has important implications for the study of galactic evolution and for estimating the production of light nuclei in the early universe. Data from the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) on Ulysses is used to measure the isotopic ratio of helium (3He/4He = ) both in the solar wind and the local interstellar cloud. For the solar wind, the unique high-latitude orbit of Ulysses allows us to study this ratio in the slow and highly dynamic wind in the ecliptic plane as well as the steady high-latitude wind of the polar coronal holes. The 3He+/4He+ ratio in the local cloud is derived from the isotopic ratio of pickup helium measured in the high-speed solar wind. In the LIC the ratio is found to be (2.48 _-0.62 ^+0.68 ) × 10^-4 with the 1- uncertainty resulting almost entirely from statistical error. In the solar wind, is determined with great statistical accuracy but shows systematic differences between fast and slow solar wind streams. The slow wind ratio is variable. Its weighted average value (4.08 ± 0.25) × 10-4 is, within uncertainties, in agreement with the Apollo SWC results. The high wind ratio is less variable but smaller. The average in the fast wind is (3.3 ± 0.3) × 10-4.     

Planetary Accumulation with a Continuous Supply of Planetesimals

Previous calculations of the accumulation of small (∼10 km) planetesimals at ∼1 AU to form Mars-sized bodies assumed that the initial assemblage of planetesimals were all present at the outset. This is an obviously reasonable assumption in systems in which the time scale for growth time of ∼10²⁶ g planetary bodies is long compared to estimates of the evolutionary time scale of a protosolar disk, as was the case in the pioneering work of Safronov (1969). It is now found that as a result of the preplanetary assemblage being unstable with respect to the runaway growth of the largest bodies, this is unlikely to be the case. The more realistic alternative of adding the initial planetesimals on a ∼10⁵ year time scale is considered here, as well as the consequences of the initial planetesimals being considerably smaller than those assumed previously. It is found that although the time scale for runaway growth is now actually controlled by the availability of planetesimals, for planetesimal production time scales of ∼10⁵ yrs, the final consequences are very similar. These calculations do show, however, that as a consequence of continuous infall during the runaway growth process, the late initial planetesimals are likely to be catastrophically disrupted by mutual collisions. For this reason, a more detailed treatment of the growth of planetesimals into planetary embryos will require a better understanding of the difficult problem of formation of the initial planetesimals themselves. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

International cooperation in space : Enhancing the world's common security

Instead of preparing for space warfare, the USA could make tremendous use of space activities to enhance global security. Arms control verification, environmental monitoring and international cooperation on space missions are important examples. International space year, 1992, could be the time to launch a triumphant effort such as an international mission to Mars.     

Simultaneous measurement of multiple radiation-induced protein expression profiles using the Luminex(TM) system.

Space flight results in the exposure of astronauts to a mixed field of radiation composed of energetic particles of varying energies, and biological indicators of space radiation exposure provides a better understanding of the associated long-term health risks. Current methods of biodosimetry have employed the use of cytogenetic analysis for biodosimetry, and more recently the advent of technological progression has led to advanced research in the use of genomic and proteomic expression profiling to simultaneously assess biomarkers of radiation exposure. We describe here the technical advantages of the Luminex(TM) 100 system relative to traditional methods and its potential as a tool to simultaneously profile multiple proteins induced by ionizing radiation. The development of such a bioassay would provide more relevant post-translational dynamics of stress response and will impart important implications in the advancement of space and other radiation contact monitoring.     

不同型线结构船艏表面压力特性对比实验研究

为优选船艏结构型线方案,在风洞中针对三个在结构型线上仅有细微差别的船艏方案进行表面压力特性对比测试。实验获得了各型线方案模型表面压力空间分布特性和压力脉动特性,并通过表面压力特性的综合对比进行了结构型线评估,为船艏的结构型线设计提供直接的技术依据。     

平面交叉口混合交通流建模与仿真

在混合交通条件下，交通参与者成分复杂，各种交通方式速度各异，交通冲突频繁。特别是在交叉口机动车与非机动车相互干扰，带来了安全、效率、污染等多方面问题。本文首先介绍我国混合交通流的特点，然后对自行车个体微观行为进行定性的描述分析。通过对实际信号交叉口的调查研究，和对机动车流率与非机动车到达与释放规律的模型建立与定量计算。分析总结出平面交叉口机非干扰的一般规律和冲突避让原则。根据实测数据，结合视频处理和统计软件的使用通过计算直行与左转非机动车换算系数，提出了改进的机动车延误时间模型，并通过使用VISSIM3．6进行微观仿真验证了模型的有效性。     

Potential effects of cosmic dust and rocket exhaust particles on spacecraft charging

Attention is called to the importance of including the roles of cosmic dust particles and rocket exhaust particles in the detailed analysis of spacecraft charging effects, arcing and power drains due to leakage currents. Aspects of the problem pertaining to both low and high (geosynchronous) Earth orbit are discussed. Recommendations are made to assessing the long-term effects of hypervelocity impacts of these particles.     

Mercury’s Weather-Beaten Surface: Understanding Mercury in the Context of Lunar and Asteroidal Space Weathering Studies

Mercury’s regolith, derived from the crustal bedrock, has been altered by a set of space weathering processes. Before we can interpret crustal composition, it is necessary to understand the nature of these surface alterations. The processes that space weather the surface are the same as those that form Mercury’s exosphere (micrometeoroid flux and solar wind interactions) and are moderated by the local space environment and the presence of a global magnetic field. To comprehend how space weathering acts on Mercury’s regolith, an understanding is needed of how contributing processes act as an interactive system. As no direct information (e.g., from returned samples) is available about how the system of space weathering affects Mercury’s regolith, we use as a basis for comparison the current understanding of these same processes on lunar and asteroidal regoliths as well as laboratory simulations. These comparisons suggest that Mercury’s regolith is overturned more frequently (though the characteristic surface time for a grain is unknown even relative to the lunar case), more than an order of magnitude more melt and vapor per unit time and unit area is produced by impact processes than on the Moon (creating a higher glass content via grain coatings and agglutinates), the degree of surface irradiation is comparable to or greater than that on the Moon, and photon irradiation is up to an order of magnitude greater (creating amorphous grain rims, chemically reducing the upper layers of grains to produce nanometer-scale particles of metallic iron, and depleting surface grains in volatile elements and alkali metals). The processes that chemically reduce the surface and produce nanometer-scale particles on Mercury are suggested to be more effective than similar processes on the Moon. Estimated abundances of nanometer-scale particles can account for Mercury’s dark surface relative to that of the Moon without requiring macroscopic grains of opaque minerals. The presence of nanometer-scale particles may also account for Mercury’s relatively featureless visible–near-infrared reflectance spectra. Characteristics of material returned from asteroid 25143 Itokawa demonstrate that this nanometer-scale material need not be pure iron, raising the possibility that the nanometer-scale material on Mercury may have a composition different from iron metal [such as (Fe,Mg)S]. The expected depletion of volatiles and particularly alkali metals from solar-wind interaction processes are inconsistent with the detection of sodium, potassium, and sulfur within the regolith. One plausible explanation invokes a larger fine fraction (grain size <45 μm) and more radiation-damaged grains than in the lunar surface material to create a regolith that is a more efficient reservoir for these volatiles. By this view the volatile elements detected are present not only within the grain structures, but also as adsorbates within the regolith and deposits on the surfaces of the regolith grains. The comparisons with findings from the Moon and asteroids provide a basis for predicting how compositional modifications induced by space weathering have affected Mercury’s surface composition.     

用热流探针测量激波速度

激波速度测量是激波管和激波风洞运行状态的一个重要参数,压电传感器或光学方法测速系统成本高,而传统电离探针在激波马赫数较低、波后温度达不到空气电离程度的情况下无法满足实验要求。提出了一种使用同轴热电偶作为测速探针来测激波速度的方法,弥补了电离探针在激波马赫数较低时的不足。介绍了同轴热电偶探针测速原理,并设计了测量激波速度的系统电路。通过信号放大电路锁定激波冲激信号,触发脉冲信号发生电路,实现了一种单通道、多测点的激波风洞测速系统。分别开展以温度与热流为触发信号的风洞实验,结果表明只有使用热流信号才能满足激波测速的时间要求。     

基于高速慢车的航空发动机快速响应控制

针对传统航空发动机响应速度慢,难以在紧急事件中用于控制受损飞机完成起降过程的问题,采用高速慢车控制模式来提升发动机加速性能,通过增加发动机在慢车时高压压气机转速,为加速前期提供更大的燃油流量,从而缩短发动机从慢车至最大状态的加速时间。为保证慢车时高压转子转速提高的同时发动机推力和稳定裕度不变,通过修改高压压气机可调导叶控制计划来调整高压转子工作点。仿真结果显示,与原有控制相比,采用高速慢车快速响应控制模式的发动机加速上升时间从原来的2.00s缩短至1.86s,而高压压气机最小喘振裕度仅由16.01%下降至14.81%,同时慢车推力基本保持不变。