High energy-density propulsion—reducing the risk to humans in planetary exploration

The potential benefits to humankind of space exploration are tremendous. Space is not only the final frontier but is also the next marketplace. The orbital space above Earth offers tremendous opportunities for both strategic assets and commercial development. The critical obstacle retarding the use of the space around the Earth is the lack of low cost access to orbit. Further out, the next giant leap for mankind will be the human exploration of Mars. Almost certainly within the next 30 years, a human crew will brave the isolation, the radiation, and the lack of gravity to walk on and explore the Red planet. Both of these missions will change the outlook and perspective of every human being on the planet. However, these missions are expensive and extremely difficult. Chemical propulsion has demonstrated an inability to achieve orbit cheaply and is a very high-risk option to accomplish the Mars mission. An alternative solution is to develop a high performance propulsion system. Nuclear propulsion has the potential to be such a system. The question will be whether humanity is willing to take on the challenge.     

EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SPACE PLASMAS

The Cluster mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will allow, for the first time three-dimensional measurements in key regions of the Earth's magnetosphere to be carried out. The European Numerical Simulation Network (ENSN) aims at providing a theoretical support to the mission. We describe the achievements of the ENSN during its first period of activity 1991–1994, during which the network was funded by the European Union. In particular, the ENSN has set up (i) thematic Working Groups on the prime scientific goals of the mission, (ii) a code development Working Group to develop numerical simulation codes specifically adapted to studying magnetospheric boundaries and the corresponding scale mixing, and (iii) software models of Cluster instruments to test in a numerical simulation what the set of four instruments will measure.     

发动机质心测试系统软硬件设计

介绍了发动机质心测试系统的基本构成以及其软硬件的设计实现.     

关于Nielsen数的注记

通过构造基本群的正规子群，得到有限复迭空间和自映射的提升。并定义了NL数，指出用NL数可以估算自映射的Nielsen数。     

人体头部受撞击脑损伤界限的研究

脑损伤的研究，是生物力学研究的重要问题之一，其研究涉及到医学、力学的很多方面。本文将承受撞击的颅脑看成一个整体，同时又考虑其结构和力学性质。采用粘弹性的Kelvin体进行计算分析，比较分析三种不同的判据对实际人脑的损伤的判断的影响。     

一种无塔校准方法研究

在地面卫星测控系统中,目前使用较多的有塔校准技术具有一定的局限性,为了克服这种局限性,本文针对已有的卫星测控系统设备提出一种无塔校准方法,给出了具体无塔校相和无塔校零的实现方法.     

三维极小脱靶量与极小能量综合最优控制律研究与仿真

根据空间平台拦截器与目标的相对运动方程,基于线性系统最优控制理论提出了一种综合三维极小脱靶量与极小能量的最优控制律。给出了最优推力大小与方向控制,以及最优过渡时间和关机时刻确定的模型。仿真结果表明:该最优控制律控制精度高,易于工程实现。     

Space weather: its effects and predictability

Terrestrial technology is now, and increasingly, sensitive to space weather. Most space weather is caused by solar storms and the resulting changes to the Earth's radiation environment and the magnetosphere. The Sun as the driver of space weather is under intense observation but remains to be adequately modelled. Recent spacecraft measurements are greatly improving models of solar activity, the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere, and models of the radiation belts. In-situ data updates the basic magnetospheric model to provide specific details of high-energy electron flux at satellite orbits. Shock wave effects at the magnetopause can also be coarsely predicted. However, the specific geomagnetic effects at ground level depend on the calculation of magnetic and electric fields and further improvements are needed. New work on physical models is showing promise of raising geomagnetic and ionospheric predictability above the synoptic climatological level. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

空间能量粒子探测方法研究

阐述了空间能量粒子探测的原理和方法。介绍了国外在能量粒子探测方面所采用的半导体望远镜测量法、电场加速法、磁偏转法等方法，分析了它们各自的优缺点。就制约能量粒子探测技术发展的关键因素进行了讨论。并以此为基础，结合我国实际情况提出了一种新的探测方法。     

Two years of INTEGRAL observation of the BHC IGR J17464-3213

On March 2003, IBIS, the γ-ray imager on board the INTEGRAL satellite, detected an outburst from a new source, IGR J17464-3213, that turned out to be an HEAO-1 transient, namely H1743-322. The spectral and temporal evolutions of the source were observed by INTEGRAL in different periods. Also RXTE observed the source for the first time on 2003 March 29 during a PCA Galactic bulge scan. The source flux decayed below the RXTE PCA sensitivity limit in November 2003, then in April 2004 it was again detected by INTEGRAL. On July 3, 2004 the source was again detected by RXTE/PCA at a 2–10 keV intensity of 16 mCrab and on July 7, reached 69 mCrab. Recently, a new outburst was observed on August 2005. We briefly summarise here the behaviour of the source observed by INTEGRAL from March 2003 to August 2005. The new outbursts of the source and the analysis of all the data collected (now public) give a global view of the spectral and time behaviour of this X-ray transient.