The Seed Population for Energetic Particles Accelerated by CME-Driven Shocks

Understanding properties of solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with coronal mass ejections has been identified as a key problem in solar-terrestrial physics. Although recent CME shock acceleration models are highly promising, detailed agreement between theoretical predictions and observations has remained elusive. Recent observations from ACE have shown substantial enrichments in the abundances of ³He and He⁺ ions which are extremely rare in the thermal solar wind plasma. Consequently, these ions act as tracers of their source material, i.e., ³He ions are flare suprathermals and He⁺ ions are interstellar pickup ions. The average heavy ion composition also exhibits unsystematic differences when compared with the solar wind values, but correlates significantly with the ambient suprathermal material abundances. Taken together these results provide compelling evidence that CME-driven shocks draw their source material from the ubiquitous but largely unexplored suprathermal tail rather than from the more abundant solar wind peak. However, the suprathermal energy regime has many more contributors and exhibits much larger variability than the solar wind, and as such needs to be investigated more thoroughly. Answers to fundamental new questions regarding the preferred injection of the suprathermal ions, the spatial and temporal dependence of the various sources, and the causes of their variability and their effects on the SEP properties are needed to improve agreement between the simulations and observations.     

The Role of Magnetic Reconnection in CME Acceleration

Observations carried out from the coronagraphs on board space missions (LASCO/SOHO, Solar Maximum and Skylab) and ground-based facilities (HAO/Mauna Loa Observatory) show that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be classified into two classes based on their kinematics evolution. These two classes of CMEs are so-called fast and slow CMEs. The fast CME starts with a high initial speed that remains more or less constant; it is also called the constant-speed CME. On the other hand, the slow CME starts with a low initial speed, but shows a gradual acceleration; it is also called the accelerated and slow CME. Low and Zhang [Astrophys. J. 564, L53–L56, 2002] suggested that these two classes of CMEs could be a result of a difference in the initial topology of the magnetic fields associated with the underlying quiescent prominences. A normal prominence magnetic field topology will lead to a fast CME, while an inverse quiescent prominence results in a slow CME, because of the nature of the magnetic reconnection processes. In a recent study given by Wu et al. [Solar Phys. 225, 157–175, 2004], it was shown that an inverse quiescent prominence magnetic topology also could produce a fast CME. In this study, we perform a numerical MHD simulation for CMEs occurring in both normal and inverse quiescent prominence magnetic topology. This study demonstrates three major physical processes responsible for destabilization of these two types of prominence magnetic field topologies that can launch CMEs. These three initiation processes are identical to those used by Wu et al. [Solar Phys. 225, 157–175, 2004]. The simulations show that both fast and slow CMEs can be initiated from these two different types of magnetic topologies. However, the normal quiescent prominence magnetic topology does show the possibility for launching a reconnection island (or secondary O-line) that might be thought of as a “CME’’.     

Evolution of binaries with chemically peculiar primaries

The chemically peculiar (CP) stars are classified into subgroups based on the type of peculiarities. A significant fraction of these are known to be binaries. The faster evolution of the massive component leads to a white dwarf or a neutron star. Further evolution of the binary is analysed taking into consideration, the orbital parameters, effect of magnetic field, spectroscopic peculiarities and finally the statistics of CP binaries and Low Mass X-ray Binaries (LMXB).

The possible consequences of the evolution to lead to the formation of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables (MCV) and LMXB are discussed.     

Geoeffectivity of Coronal Mass Ejections

Coronal mass ejections and post-shock streams driven by them are the most efficient drivers of strong magnetospheric activity, magnetic storms. For this reason there is considerable interest in trying to make reliable forecasts for the effects of CMEs as much in advance as possible. To succeed this requires understanding of all aspects related to CMEs, starting from their emergence on the Sun to their propagation to the vicinity of the Earth and to effects within the magnetosphere. In this article we discuss some recent results on the geoeffectivity of different types of CME/shock structures. A particularly intriguing observation is that smoothly rotating magnetic fields within CMEs are most efficient in driving storm activity seen in the inner magnetosphere due to enhanced ring current, whereas the sheath regions between the shock and the ejecta tend to favour high-latitude activity.     

Orbital evolution studies of two HMXB pulsars

High mass X-ray binary (HMXB) pulsars are of two types, persistent and transient. 4U1538−52 is a persistent HMXB whose orbit was previously measured to be circular but the RXTE observations revealed an eccentric orbit. We observed this system with RXTE-PCA in August 2003 and our timing analysis supports the eccentric orbit of the system. However, we do not find any evidence for orbital evolution.

Rotational and tidal interactions between the stars of a closed binary system result in apsidal motion which can be measured in systems with eccentric orbit. 4U0115+63 is a Be-transient HMXB whose eccentric orbit was well-determined during its 1978 outburst. We report preliminary results from analysis of data obtained during the 1999 outburst of this source with the RXTE-PCA.     

Properties of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) originating from closed field regions on the Sun are the most energetic phenomenon in the heliosphere. They cause intense geomagnetic storms and drive fast mode shocks that accelerate charged particles. ICMEs are the interplanetary manifestations of CMEs typically remote-sensed by coronagraphs. This paper summarizes the observational properties of ICMEs with reference to the ordinary solar wind and the progenitor CMEs.     

机翼重量分配方法在轻型飞机中的应用

针对目前飞机初始设计阶段的机翼重量估算公式变量较多，条件限制因素较复杂的情况，提出了一种按照机翼重量分配来估算重量的方法。把机翼重量分配到：承弯结构、承剪结构、分布气动载荷结构、起落架影响结构、前后缘结构、襟副翼机构，燃油影响结构、以及其它附属结构。此方法已经在大型飞机的机翼重量估算上取得了良好的效果。通过与一系列常用机翼重量估算公式的对比分析，并且利用已知的10种轻型飞机完成了算例，结果证明此方法有很强的适应性。     

侧链基团和填料对硅橡胶材料耐烧蚀性能的影响

为了研究侧链基团和填料对硅橡胶材料耐烧蚀性能的影响,选用具有苯环和多面体低聚倍半硅氧烷(POSS)这2种侧链基团的硅橡胶基体,以及Mg(OH)2、蒙脱石、Fe2O3和短切碳纤维(1 mm)这4种填料,利用马弗炉等温烧蚀和动态热失重TG法研究不同侧链基团和填料样品的耐烧蚀机制。结果表明:苯环和POSS基团的引入使得基体初始分解温度分别提高了79 ºC和9 ºC,质量损失率分别降低了19.4%和12.0%。以Mg(OH)2 25 g(每100 g硅橡胶)、蒙脱石4 g和Fe2O3 6 g作为硅橡胶复合材料进行填料时,其质量烧蚀率为0.008 g/s,相比纯橡胶基体降低了86.8%。在以上配方中继续引入5 g碳纤维,使其质量烧蚀率降低至0.004 g/s。残炭层的微观形貌显示,短切碳纤维形成的三维骨架结构是提高硅橡胶材料耐烧蚀性能的关键。     

基于深度增强学习的卫星姿态控制方法

针对卫星在执行丢弃载荷或捕获目标等复杂任务时遭遇的姿态突然发生变化的问题,采用深度增强学习方法对卫星姿态进行控制,使卫星恢复稳定状态。具体来说,首先搭建飞行器的姿态动力学环境,并将连续的控制力矩输出离散化,然后采用Deep Q Network算法进行卫星自主姿态控制训练,以姿态角速度趋于稳定作为奖励获得离散行为的最优智能输出。仿真试验表明,面向空间卫星姿态控制的深度增强学习算法能够在卫星受到突发随机扰动后稳定卫星姿态,并能有效解决传统PD控制器依赖被控对象质量参数的难题。所提出的方法采用自主学习的方式对卫星姿态进行控制,具有很强的智能性和一定的普适性,在未来卫星执行复杂空间任务中的智能控制方面有着很好的应用潜力。