Evaluation of the IRI-2016 and NeQuick electron content specification by COSMIC GPS radio occultation,ground-based GPS and Jason-2 joint altimeter/GPS observations

We examined performance of two empirical profile-based ionospheric models, namely IRI-2016 and NeQuick-2, in electron content (EC) and total electron content (TEC) representation for different seasons and levels of solar activity. We derived and analyzed EC estimates in several representative altitudinal intervals for the ionosphere and the plasmasphere from the COSMIC GPS radio occultation, ground-based GPS and Jason-2 joint altimeter/GPS observations. It allows us to estimate a quantitative impact of the ionospheric electron density profiles formulation in several altitudinal intervals and to examine the source of the model-data discrepancies of the EC specification from the bottom-side ionosphere towards the GPS orbit altitudes. The most pronounced model-data differences were found at the low latitude region as related to the equatorial ionization anomaly appearance. Both the IRI-2016 and NeQuick-2 models tend to overestimate the daytime ionospheric EC and TEC at low latitudes during all seasons of low solar activity. On the contrary, during high solar activity the model results underestimated the EC/TEC observations at low latitudes. We found that both models underestimated the EC for the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere regions for all levels of solar activity. For low solar activity, the underestimated EC from the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere can compensate the overestimation of the ionospheric EC and, consequently, can slightly decrease the resulted model overestimation of the ground-based TEC. For high solar activity, the underestimated EC from the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere leads to a strengthening of the model underestimation of the ground-based TEC values. We demonstrated that the major source of the model-data discrepancies in the EC/TEC domain comes from the topside ionosphere/plasmasphere system.     

Ionospheric total electron content response to annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020

The effects of physical events on the ionosphere structure is an important field of study, especially for navigation and radio communication. The paper presents the spatio-temporal ionospheric TEC response to the recent annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020, which spans across two continents, Africa and Asia, and 14 countries. This eclipse took place on the same day as the June Solstice. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based TEC data of the Global Ionosphere Maps (GIMs), 9 International GNSS Service (IGS) stations and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) were utilized to analyze TEC response during the eclipse. The phases of the TEC time series were determined by taking the difference of the observed TEC values on eclipse day from the previous 5-day median TEC values. The results showed clear depletions in the TEC time series on June 21. These decreases were between 1 and 9 TECU (15–60%) depending on the location of IGS stations. The depletions are relatively higher at the stations close to the path of annular eclipse than those farther away. Furthermore, a reduction of about ?10 TECU in the form of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) was observed in GIMs at ~20° away from the equator towards northpole, between 08:00–11:00 UT where its maximum phase is located in southeast Japan. Additionally, an overall depletion of ~10% was observed in F7/C2 derived TEC at an altitude of 240 km (hmF2) in all regions affected by the solar eclipse, whereas, significant TEC fluctuations between the altitudes of 100 km ? 140 km were analyzed using the Savitzky-Golay smoothing filter. To prove TEC depletions are not caused by space weather, the variation of the sunspot number (SSN), solar wind (V_SW), disturbance storm-time (Dst), and Kp indices were investigated from 16th to 22nd June. The quiet space weather before and during the solar eclipse proved that the observed depletions in the TEC time series and profiles were caused by the annular solar eclipse.     

Plasma transport process in the equatorial/low-latitude ionosphere

The behaviour of the equatorial/low-latitude ionosphere and the transport processes during magnetic disturbed and quiet periods of a high solar activity year, 2014, in the American sector are investigated. Parameters used include vertical drift (Vz), transport term (W), NmF2, hmF2 and scale-height (H). The F2 plasma variations followed the diurnal local solar pattern, being higher at daytime. The sunset maximum and sunrise minimum peaks of hmF2 were directly opposite to the scale height (H) pattern. The plasma distribution was basically controlled by combined actions of the electrodynamic convection/thermospheric composition, which is geomagnetic activity dependent. The annual, semi-annual and winter-anomalies of the F2 parameters were higher at the dip equator in comparison with the low-latitude. The Vz pre-reversal peak magnitude coincided with hmF2 peak and the effects are more pronounced during geomagnetic disturbed conditions. The transport term pattern was similar to that of the scale height and it is suggested as a proxy parameter for quantifying low-latitude plasma irregularities and distribution of thermospheric composition.     

Equatorial anomaly according to the Interkosmos-19 data and IRI model: A comparison

The comparison of the IRI model with the foF2 distribution in the equatorial anomaly region obtained by topside sounding onboard the Interkosmos-19 satellite has been carried out. The global distribution of foF2 in terms of LT-maps was constructed by averaging Intercosmos-19 data for summer, winter, and equinox. These maps, in fact, represent an empirical model of the equatorial anomaly for high solar activity F10.7 ~ 200. The comparison is carried out for the latitudinal foF2 profiles in the characteristic longitudinal sectors of 30, 90, 210, 270, and 330°, as well as for the longitudinal variations in foF2 over the equator. The largest difference between the models (up to 60%) for any season was found in the Pacific longitudinal sector of 210°, where there are a few ground-based sounding stations. Considerable discrepancies, however, are sometimes observed in the longitudinal sectors, where there are many ground-based stations, for example, in the European or Indian sector. The discrepancies reach their maximum at 00 LT, since a decay of the equatorial anomaly begins before midnight in the IRI model and after midnight according to the Interkosmos-19 data. The discrepancies are also large in the morning at 06 LT, since in the IRI model, the foF2 growth begins long before sunrise. In the longitudinal variations in foF2 over the equator at noon, according to the satellite data, four harmonics are distinguished in the June solstice and at the equinox, and three harmonics in the December solstice, while in the IRI model only two and one harmonics respectively are revealed. In diurnal variations in foF2 and, accordingly, in the equatorial anomaly intensity, the IRI model does not adequately reproduce even the main, evening extremum.     

Spacecraft formation flying control around L2 sun-earth libration point using on–off SDRE approach

In this paper, on–off SDRE control approach is presented for spacecraft formation flying control around sun-earth L2 libration point. Orbits around libration points are significant targets for many space missions mainly because of efficient fuel consumption. Furthermore, less propellant usage can be achieved by considering optimal control approaches in spacecraft formation flying control design. Among various nonlinear and optimal control methods, SDRE has shown to be a popular controller in various missions due to the privileges including efficiency, accuracy and robustness. The spacecraft are assumed to have on–off thrusters as actuators. It requires them to be fed with a sequence of on–off pulses which is regarded as a challenge for spacecraft designers. Hence, the main contribution of this paper is designing an on–off SDRE approach for the formation flight around sun-earth L2 point with uncertainty with energy and accuracy considerations. Including on–off input as a constraint is not feasible for SDRE implementation because it makes the system non-affine. An alternative is utilizing an integral action technique and an auxiliary control to make the system affine which leads to on–off SDRE approach. It has also been shown that the proposed method is robust against parametric uncertainties of the states. Present study aims to design an energy-beneficial, simple and attractive controller for a complex nonlinear system with on–off inputs and uncertainty in CRTBP. Simulation results show that the on–off SDRE control could provide the formation flight around L2 point with high accuracy using less energy consumption.     

Mapping lunar surface chemistry: New prospects with the Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS)

Surface chemistry of airless bodies in the solar system can be derived from remote X-ray spectral measurements from an orbiting spacecraft. X-rays from planetary surfaces are excited primarily by solar X-rays. Several experiments in the past have used this technique of X-ray fluorescence for deriving abundances of the major rock forming elements. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter carries an X-ray fluorescence experiment named CLASS that is designed based on results from its predecessor C1XS flown on Chandrayaan-1. We discuss the new aspects of lunar science that can be potentially achieved with CLASS.     

PS-PVD用CeO2掺杂8YSZ团聚粉末及其涂层

在纳米ZrO₂-8%Y₂O₃(摩尔分数)(8YSZ)粉末中掺杂20%(质量分数)微米级CeO₂粉末,并通过喷雾干燥合成CeO₂-8YSZ(CYSZ)复合团聚粉体。借助激光粒度仪和扫描电镜(SEM)及附带能谱仪(EDS)考察羧甲基纤维素黏结剂(carboxymethyl cellulose,CMC)质量分数对复合团聚粉体性能影响。采用PS-PVD制备具有柱状结构的CYSZ热障涂层,对涂层截面和表面进行EDS分析。采用X射线衍射(XRD)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)分析涂层物相。结果表明:黏结剂质量分数达到2%时可获得球形度高、粒度分布均匀的团聚粉体;制备的涂层中Ce元素呈均匀分布;涂层物相基本为t-相结构,其中Ce⁴⁺取代Zr⁴⁺进入ZrO₂晶格形成类质同象的固溶体结构,显示出CeO₂掺杂对t-相向m-相转变的抑制作用;所制备CYSZ涂层在1100℃,水冷循环100次后仍保持完整,展现出较高的抗热冲击性能。     

关于计算机2000年问题的探讨

计算机２０００年问题已引起人们的普遍关注,必须在进入２０００年前予以妥善解决。对其可采用修改应用程序、更换系统软件、更换硬件设备等多种办法进行处理。在应用程序的修改中采用变形的日期移位法是对大多数办公系统容易实现且又行之有效的办法。     

航空嵌入式系统2000年问题分析及检测方法

通过对航空系统嵌入式计算机的应用分析,根据航空系统嵌入式计算机应用领域和重要性的不同,将航空系统分为机载电子系统,遥测与导航系统,设备开发、测试和综合系统,以及生产加工系统四个层次。并针对每个层次绝对时间的使用特征,从系统参数共享到底层电路构型,提出了各自相应的 Ｙ２ Ｋ 问题检查方法,以及相应的检查内容和责任单位。     

日食对低纬地区f0F2和ICF的影响

研究了１９９５年１０月２４日日食过程中,我国低纬地区广州和海口的Ｆ２层临界频率ｆ０Ｆ２的高干扰重心频率ＩＣＦ变化过程,鉴于多次日 处低纬的两地ｆ０Ｆ２的日食变化形态不完全一样,以及多次日食期间同一地方ｆ０Ｆ２变化形态不完全一样,ＩＣＦ也并不像预想的那样降低,因而对于低纬电离层,动力学过程可能要比直接与太阳辐射有关的光化学过程起更为重要的作用。