Symmetry and asymmetry of ionospheric weather at magnetic conjugate points for two midlatitude observatories

Variations of the ionospheric weather W-index for two midlatitude observatories, namely, Grahamstown and Hermanus, and their conjugate counterpart locations in Africa are studied for a period from October 2010 to December 2011. The observatories are located in the longitude sector, which has consistent magnetic equator and geographic equator so that geomagnetic latitudes of the line of force are very close to the corresponding geographic latitudes providing opportunity to ignore the impact of the difference of the gravitational field and the geomagnetic field at the conjugate points on the ionosphere structure and dynamics. The ionosondes of Grahamstown and Hermanus provide data of the critical frequency (foF2), and Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) provide the total electron content (TECgps) along the magnetic field line up to the conjugate point in the opposite hemisphere. The global model of the ionosphere, International Reference Ionosphere, extended to the plasmasphere altitude of 20,200 km (IRI-Plas) is used to deliver the F2 layer peak parameters from TECgps at the magnetic conjugate area. The evidence is obtained that the electron gas heated by day and cooled by night at the summer hemisphere as compared with the opposite features in the conjugate winter hemisphere testifies on a reversal of plasma fluxes along the magnetic field line by the solar terminator. The ionospheric weather W-index is derived from NmF2 (related with foF2) and TECgps data. It is found that symmetry of W-index behavior in the magnetic conjugate hemispheres is dominant for the equinoxes when plasma movement along the magnetic line of force is imposed on symmetrical background electron density and electron content. Asymmetry of the ionospheric storm effects is observed for solstices when the plasma diffuse down more slowly into the colder winter hemisphere than into the warmer summer hemisphere inducing either plasma increase (positive phase) or decrease (negative phase of W-index) in the ionospheric and plasmaspheric plasma density.     

Possible physical properties of the flow in the vicinity of the heliopause

An interface between the fully ionized hydrogen plasma of the solar wind (SW) and the partially ionized hydrogen gas flow of the local interstellar medium (LISM) is formed as a region where there is a strong interaction between these two flows. The interface is bounded by the solar wind termination shock (TS) and the LISM bow shock (BS) and is separated on two regions by the heliopause (HP) separating the solar wind and charged component of the LISM (plasma component below). The BS is formed due to the deceleration of the supersonic LISM flow relative to the solar system. Regions of the interface between the TS and HP and between the HP and BS were in literature named as the inner and outer heliosheaths, respectively. An investigation of the structure and physical properties of the heliosheath is at present especially interested due to the fact that Voyager-1 and Voyager-2 have crossed the TS in December 2004 (Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuna, M.Y., et al. Crossing the termination shock into the the heliosheath. Magnetic fields. Science 309, 2027–2029, 2005; Fisk, L.A. Journey into the unknown beyond. Science 309, 2016–2017, 2005; Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., et al. Voyager 1 in the foreshock, termination shock and heliosheath. Science 309, 2020–2024, 2005; Stone, E.C., Cummings, A.C., McDonald, F.B., et al. Voyager 1 explores the termination shock region and the heliosheath beyond. Science 309, 2017–2020, 2005) and in September 2007 (Jokipii, J.R. A shock for Voyager 2. Nature 454, 38–39, 2008; Gurnett, D.A., Kurth, W.S. Intense plasma waves at and near the solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 78–80, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07023; Wang, L., Lin, R.P., Larson, D.E., Luhmann, J.G. Domination of heliosheath pressure by shock-accelerated pickup ions from observations of neutral atoms. Nature 454, 81–83, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07068.14; Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuna, M.H., et al. Magnetic fields at the solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 75–77, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07029; Richardson, J.D., Kasper, J.C., Wang, C., et al. Cool heliosheath plasma and deceleration of the upstream solar wind at the termination shock. Nature 454, 63–66, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07024; Stone, E.C., Cummings, A.C., McDonald, F.B., et al. An asymmetric solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 71–74, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07022; Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., et al. Mediation of the solar wind termination shock by non-thermal ions. Nature 454, 67–70, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature 07030), respectively, and entered to the inner heliosheath.     

Numerical Simulation for the 16 August 1999 EUV Brightenings

The 16 August 1999 EUV brightenings are numerically simulated by a third-order upwind compact scheme, basing on the TRACE observation. The present simulation can give a possible explanation to its formation and evolution. The numerical results show that the initial reconnection jets at around X-point are responsible for the occurrence of EUV brightening. The strong and superposed ejections caused by the first and second coalescence of magnetic islands are possibly related to the lifted material which initially appeared as absorption features and Later EUV-emitting structures respectively. The bi-directional reconnection jets may correspond to the lifted material that either continued to move upward along the apparently open field lines or fell down to the surface.      

3He原子磁强计技术

~3He原子磁强计利用~3He核自旋的拉莫尔进动测量磁场,具有高精度、小体积等特点,可以满足未来网络化磁异常探测对高性能磁强计的需求。围绕~3He原子磁强计的技术特点,重点介绍了该磁强计的基本工作原理及其硬件组成,分析了其理论灵敏度,给出了该磁强计的国内外研究情况,最后对该磁强计技术的未来发展进行了展望。     

磁悬挂天平导航控制系统的应用与研究

介绍了利用美国国家仪器有限公司(简称NI:National Instruments)的软件LabVIEW和硬件高速定时器/计数器,以及含步进电机的CCD线阵列式位置传感器支架来实现的磁悬挂天平MSBS(Magnetic Suspension and Balance System)导航控制系统,其中主要包括它的俯仰、左右和平动方向的导航控制.磁悬挂天平是进行风洞实验的理想装置,其基本核心技术之一就是进行导航控制.该系统基于LabVIEW7.0平台进行编程,具有操作界面友好直观、导航控制精度高、便于扩展等特点.磁悬挂天平导航控制系统是"30cm×30cm磁悬挂天平装置"及"30cm×30cm低速高品质气流风洞装置"的重要组成部分.     

环电流区能量离子分布特性研究

为了考察环电流区离子的分布情况,采用环电流粒子理论模式,对环电流中10-100 keV的离子进行了模拟研究.这个模式能够根据近地注入区外边界处离子的分布函数得出磁暴主相期间环电流中的主要成分H+,O+,He+3种离子的通量分布.计算结果分析表明,在其他条件相同的情况下,不同种类离子的通量分布的形态结构十分相似.电场强度对环电流离子通量的空间分布具有决定性的作用;晨昏电场强度越强,离子的通量越高;晨昏电场越强,环电流离子的内边界越接近地球.10keV的离子在电场相当弱的时候还是存在着连续的通量分布,但他们的形态和结构随着电场的变化有明显的变化.电场很弱时,离子分布主要集中于内外两个环带,离子通量在晨侧的更多一些,离子通量的最大值基本上是在比较靠近地球的环带上;随着电场的增强,离子分布的内外两个环带逐步合并,离子的分布逐渐靠近地球,通量分布的最大值也移动到了昏侧.环电流离子投掷角分布具有各向异性,投掷角在90°左右的时候,离子通量能达到最大值.      

近地球赤道面轨道上磁性刚体卫星的混沌运动

讨论地球磁场中非自旋磁性刚体卫星在近赤道平面圆轨道上平面天平动的混沌问题.利用Melnikov方法预测出现混沌的可能性并数值验证混沌的存在性.研究表明地球磁场的周期扰动能引起卫星的混沌运动,扰动增大则混沌加强.      

智能型毫瓦级超声功率计的设计

智能型毫瓦级超声功率计主要用于医用超声源的测量,是采用磁电式力平衡机构抵偿超声辐射压力的方法测量超声功率,其特点是充分利用单片微机控制测量机构,实现自动平衡、自动测量、自动保护,使这种测量方法真正实用化。     

电磁测力系统研究

介绍了电磁测力系统中静磁场分析与优化、通电线圈位置控制方法及提高线性度的自校准方法。运用Maxwell 3D进行仿真计算,得到了相对优化的磁密及磁均匀性,通过控制通电线圈在磁场中位置及分段线性微分技术,提高了电磁测力准确度。构建了试验装置,对比试验数据表明,该研究措施对于提高电磁测力准确度取得了较好效果。     

面向室内场景的惯性磁感应定位方法

针对卫星拒止的室内导航问题,在现有磁信标定位技术的基础上,通过分析低频旋转磁场的特点,建立了一种不受传感器姿态和磁信标磁矩信息影响的磁感应矢量夹角观测模型,并结合MEMS惯性导航的误差模型提出了一种以磁感应矢量夹角的正余弦值为量测信息的惯性磁感应动态定位方法,避免了磁传感器姿态误差和磁矩误差对定位结果的影响。利用实验室的双轴磁信标实验系统进行静态测试,验证了磁感应定位模型具有不受传感器姿态、环境中遮挡物以及磁矩影响的特点;通过数值仿真的方式对基于无迹卡尔曼滤波(UKF)的惯性磁感应定位方法进行验证,结果表明该方法能有效地抑制惯性导航的发散,且位置最大误差小于0.75 m,满足大多数室内场景下的高精度导航定位需求。