Magnetospheric Science Objectives of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Juno</Emphasis> Mission

In July 2016, NASA’s Juno mission becomes the first spacecraft to enter polar orbit of Jupiter and venture deep into unexplored polar territories of the magnetosphere. Focusing on these polar regions, we review current understanding of the structure and dynamics of the magnetosphere and summarize the outstanding issues. The Juno mission profile involves (a) a several-week approach from the dawn side of Jupiter’s magnetosphere, with an orbit-insertion maneuver on July 6, 2016; (b) a 107-day capture orbit, also on the dawn flank; and (c) a series of thirty 11-day science orbits with the spacecraft flying over Jupiter’s poles and ducking under the radiation belts. We show how Juno’s view of the magnetosphere evolves over the year of science orbits. The Juno spacecraft carries a range of instruments that take particles and fields measurements, remote sensing observations of auroral emissions at UV, visible, IR and radio wavelengths, and detect microwave emission from Jupiter’s radiation belts. We summarize how these Juno measurements address issues of auroral processes, microphysical plasma physics, ionosphere-magnetosphere and satellite-magnetosphere coupling, sources and sinks of plasma, the radiation belts, and the dynamics of the outer magnetosphere. To reach Jupiter, the Juno spacecraft passed close to the Earth on October 9, 2013, gaining the necessary energy to get to Jupiter. The Earth flyby provided an opportunity to test Juno’s instrumentation as well as take scientific data in the terrestrial magnetosphere, in conjunction with ground-based and Earth-orbiting assets.     

Space experiments aboard the Lomonosov MSU satellite

At present, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University, in cooperation with other organizations, is preparing space experiments onboard the Lomonosov satellite. The main goal of this mission is to study extreme astrophysical phenomena such as cosmic gamma-ray bursts and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. These phenomena are associated with the processes occurring in the early universe in very distant astrophysical objects, therefore, they can provide information on the first stages of the evolution of the universe. This paper considers the main characteristics of the scientific equipment aboard the Lomonosov satellite.     

Influence of Trapped Plasma on the Structure of Collisionless Thin Current Sheets

Using both analytical and numerical models of the collisionless anisotropic current sheet generated by the impinging flows of transient ions, we have studied the self-consistent solutions taking the plasma trapped in the sheet into account. It is demonstrated that there exists a limited window in the space of system parameters where self-consistent solutions can exist. When the density of the quasi-trapped plasma is sufficiently large, a redistribution of the total current can be a cause of the sheet decay, when the local current of the trapped particles compensate (totally or in part) the main current in the center and at the edges of the sheet, while the total current generated by ions on the trapped trajectories vanishes.     

Influence of disturbances on the angular motion of a spacecraft in the powered section of its descent

The motion of a variable-mass spacecraft is considered in the powered section of a descending trajectory. Approximate analytical solutions are obtained for the angles of spatial orientation of the spacecraft, which allows one to analyze the nutation motion and to develop recommendations on the spacecraft’s mass configuration, providing the smallest possible deviations of the longitudinal axis and thrust vector from specified directions. The errors of stabilization of the spacecraft’s longitudinal axis are calculated by means of numerical integration of complete models and using the obtained analytical solutions, the results being in good agreement.     

Modeling large solar flares

The basic ideas to model the large solar flares are reviewed and illustrated. Some fundamental properties of potential and non-potential fields in the solar atmosphere are recalled. In particular, we consider a classification of the non-potential fields or, more exactly, related electric currents, including reconnecting current layers. The so-called ‘rainbow reconnection’ model is presented with its properties and predictions. This model allows us to understand main features of large flares in terms of reconnection. We assume that in the two-ribbon flares, like the Bastille-day flare, the magnetic separatrices are involved in a large-scale shear photospheric flow in the presence of reconnecting current layers generated by a converging flow.     

Intensification of heat exchange on the convex surface of an annular channel with continuous flow swirling

In this paper, the results of an experimental study concerning average heat transfer in an annular channel with flow swirling by an endless screw and spherical grooves on the convex surface are presented. Also analyzed is the heat and hydraulic efficiency of grooves application under conditions being considered.     

Analysis of an arbitrarily loaded shell of revolution based on the finite element method in a mixed formulation

The volume finite element in the form of hexahedron with nodal unknowns as components of the displacement vector and stress tensor has been developed to analyze the shells of revolution. The displacement vector components for the inner point of the finite element and the components of its stress tensor are expressed through the nodal unknowns using the method of vector and tensor fields interpolation by the trilinear shape functions; that provides taking into account the finite element displacement as a whole solid. The variational principle in a mixed formulation is applied to form the matrix of hexahedron deformation. The efficiency of the proposed method for approximating the values being sought as vector and tensor fields in comparison with the traditional method for approximating the values being sought as scalar fields is confirmed by a numerical example.