Global Response of Martian Plasma Environment to an Interplanetary Structure: From Ena and Plasma Observations at Mars

As a part of the global plasma environment study of Mars and its response to the solar wind, we have analyzed a peculiar case of the subsolar energetic neutral atom (ENA) jet observed on June 7, 2004 by the Neutral Particle Detector (NPD) on board the Mars Express satellite. The “subsolar ENA jet” is generated by the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian exosphere, and is one of the most intense sources of ENA flux observed in the vicinity of Mars. On June 7, 2004 (orbit 485 of Mars Express), the NPD observed a very intense subsolar ENA jet, which then abruptly decreased within ∼10 sec followed by quasi-periodic (∼1 min) flux variations. Simultaneously, the plasma sensors detected a solar wind structure, which was most likely an interplanetary shock surface. The abrupt decrease of the ENA flux and the quasi-periodic flux variations can be understood in the framework of the global response of the Martian plasma obstacle to the interplanetary shock. The generation region of the subsolar ENA jet was pushed towards the planet by the interplanetary shock; and therefore, Mars Express went out of the ENA jet region. Associated global vibrations of the Martian plasma obstacle may have been the cause of the quasi-periodic flux variations of the ENA flux at the spacecraft location.     

行星采样柔性机械臂运动规划研究

为适应行星表面较大范围的采样要求及系统减重的需求,采样机械臂通常是细长形臂杆加多关节组成的连杆型关节机械臂,这使得抑制柔性振动成为机械臂控制系统的研究重点。针对采样机械臂的工作过程,提出带抛物线过渡的平滑轨迹规划方法,即在运动过程中使加速度连续,避免关节转动的力矩突变,并且最大限度降低峰值。首先建立基于D-H法的机械臂运动学方程,然后在考虑臂杆及关节柔性的动力学模型环境下,进行变加速—匀速—变减速的笛卡尔空间加速度连续平滑轨迹规划运动,达到减小柔性臂振动、提高定位精度的目的。仿真结果表明,在运动规划中引入抛物线过渡的加速度连续环节、降低加速度冲击可以明显改善运动平稳性,对提高动态跟踪精度有直接作用。     

行星轮系动态啮合应力研究

针对行星传动齿轮系的结构特点,建立了行星齿轮和主动齿轮的非线性接触有限元模型,应用AN-SYS软件进行了动态接触分析的研究。基于研究结果,建立了可以体现行星齿轮系在工作过程的啮合应力变化情况的计算模型,可以直观地观察到行星齿轮系从开始啮合到完全脱开整个过程中的应力分布及变化情况。选择20节点六面体单元,模拟齿轮受载情况,迅速、高效地得出整个齿轮系的强度、刚度分布云图,大大提高了设计效率。     

两级星型齿轮传动动态均载特性分析

建立了两级星型齿轮传动系统的动力学均载分析模型,考虑了各构件的制造误差与安装误差。计算了系统的载荷不均匀系数。对由制造误差与安装误差引起的动态不均载特性进行了动力学分析。分析了各误差和载荷不均匀系数的关系,得到了各误差与系统载荷不均匀系数间的变化关系,讨论了各类误差对系统载荷不均载系数的影响。研究结果表明,第一级星轮及其所在轴轴承偏心误差对系统载荷不均匀系数的影响最大;各误差对第一级系统载荷不均匀系数的影响比对第二级的影响大;随着星轮个数增加,系统载荷不均匀系数增大。      

有大气行星悬飞探测初步设想与可行性探讨

提出了一种有大气地外行星悬飞探测方式,该探测方式是利用被探测天体存在大气的环境特点,实现探测器在被测天体的"飞行"机动,克服目前已有的环绕探测、着陆探测、巡视探测和采样返回探测四类无人深空探测方式受地形、地貌约束无法实现大范围机动就位探测的不足。提出了悬飞探测器的典型任务工作模式设想,建立了悬飞探测器的六自由度动力学模型,并针对太阳系内典型的有大气行星环境(火星和土卫六)特点,给出了悬飞探测器的动力学特性并开展了仿真分析。在此基础上,首次提出了悬飞探测器的可行性约束系数,为悬飞探测器在深空探测的可行性研究提供了理论依据。     

Formation and Composition of Planetesimals

The composition of planetesimals depends upon the epoch and the location of their formation in the solar nebula. Meteorites produced in the hot inner nebula contain refractory compounds. Volatiles were present in icy planetesimals and cometesimals produced in the cold outer nebula. However, the mechanism responsible for their trapping is still controversial. We argue for a general scenario valid in all regions of the turbulent nebula where water condensed as a crystalline ice (Hersant et al., 2004). Volatiles were trapped in the form of clathrate hydrates in the continuously cooling nebula. The epoch of clathration of a given species depends upon the temperature and the pressure required for the stability of the clathrate hydrate. The efficiency of the mechanism depends upon the local amount of ice available. This scenario is the only one so far which proposes a quantitative interpretation of the non detection of N₂ in several comets of the Oort cloud (Iro et al., 2003). It may explain the large variation of the CO abundance observed in comets and predicts an Ar/O ratio much less than the upper limit of 0.1 times the solar ratio estimated on C/2001 A2 (Weaver et al., 2002). Under the assumption that the amount of water ice present at 5 AU was higher than the value corresponding to the solar O/H ratio by a factor 2.2 at least, the clathration scenario reproduces the quasi uniform enrichment with respect to solar of the Ar, Kr, Xe, C, N and S elements measured in Jupiter by the Galileo probe. The interpretation of the non-uniform enrichment in C, N and S in Saturn requires that ice was less abundant at 10 AU than at 5 AU so that CO and N₂ were not clathrated in the feeding zone of the planet while CH₄, NH₃ and H₂S were. As a result, the 14N/15N ratio in Saturn should be intermediate between that in Jupiter and the terrestrial ratio. Ar and Kr should be solar while Xe should be enriched by a factor 17. The enrichments in C, N and S in Uranus and Neptune suggest that available ice was able to form clathrates of CH₄, CO and the NH₃ hydrate, but not the clathrate of N₂. The enrichment of oxygen by a factor 440 in Neptune inferred by Lodders and Fegley (1994) from the detection of CO in the troposphere of the planet is higher by at least a factor 2.5 than the lower limit of O/H required for the clathration of CO and CH4 and for the hydration of NH₃. If CO detected by Encrenaz et al. (2004) in Uranus originates from the interior of the planet, the O/H ratio in the envelope must be around of order of 260 times the solar ratio, then also consistent with the trapping of detected volatiles by clathration. It is predicted that Ar and Kr are solar in the two planets while Xe would be enriched by a factor 30 to 70. Observational tests of the validity of the clathration scenario are proposed.     

Formation of the Outer Planets

Models of the origins of gas giant planets and ‘ice’ giant planets are discussed and related to formation theories of both smaller objects (terrestrial planets) and larger bodies (stars). The most detailed models of planetary formation are based upon observations of our own Solar System, of young stars and their environments, and of extrasolar planets. Stars form from the collapse, and sometimes fragmentation, of molecular cloud cores. Terrestrial planets are formed within disks around young stars via the accumulation of small dust grains into larger and larger bodies until the planetary orbits become well enough separated that the configuration is stable for the lifetime of the system. Uranus and Neptune almost certainly formed via a bottom-up (terrestrial planet-like) mechanism; such a mechanism is also the most likely origin scenario for Saturn and Jupiter.     

深空探测太阳电池阵应用及关键技术分析

从1958年启动月球探测活动至今,经过几十年的发展,人类在深空探测领域取得重大成果。本文首先介绍地内行星、地外行星与登陆探测等领域探测器用太阳电池阵技术的应用情况,同时结合地内行星探测、地外行星探测与登陆探测任务所面临的不同空间环境特点对航天器太阳电池阵进行关键技术分析,梳理深空探测任务对太阳电池阵不同的技术需求及其所需解决的关键问题,从中得出未来深空探测太阳电池阵技术的趋势是将向更高效率太阳电池阵、环境自适应技术、高重量比功率、高体积比功率的方向发展。     

小型星表探测机器人发展现状与趋势

针对深空探测中（尤其是月球、火星和小行星探测）大型着陆探测器对小型移动机器人作为重要科学载荷的需求,综述了国内外小型星表探测机器人领域的发展现状,着重介绍了面向月球探测、火星探测和小行星探测的代表性小型机器人的任务需求、基本构型和样机测试情况。在系统总结小型星表探测机器人关键技术及发展趋势的基础上,提出了未来中国在该领域发展、完善的建议。分析表明：月球探测的高研究价值区域多位于崎岖地形中,体积小、运动性能强的轮式、足式机器人受到广泛关注,日本、英国、瑞士等国家已提出多种小型机器人概念,并研发原理样机进行测试试验;针对火星等存在稀薄大气层的星体探测,定位于配置组件的旋翼式无人机已成为国内外关注和研制的重点之一,同时面向特殊极端地形探测的小型轮式、翻滚式机器人也进入到原理样机测试阶段,美国在这些领域均保持突出优势;针对小行星等小质量、弱引力天体探测,小型翻滚式机器人成为其着陆探测的主流,美国开展了原理样机设计与试验,日本通过"隼鸟2号"任务已成功实现在轨应用。     

大行星、月球和小天体环绕型探测器的轨道问题

针对环绕型探测器的轨道,以具有不同物理特征的大天体(金星、火星和月球等)为例,根据它们的质量大小(决定其引力作用范围的大小)、密度分布和形状特征(决定其非球形引力场的特征),具体阐述了它们各自环绕型探测器轨道的可能形式和不同的变化特征,另外介绍了小天体探测时的两种伴飞形式。关于环绕型探测器的轨道特征,如月球无大气,对其低轨探测器而言没有能量耗散影响,却同样有轨道寿命问题,而且由于其质量分布不均匀,这种现象还与轨道倾角有密切关系;而对火星的环绕型探测器而言,尽管有类似现象,但与轨道倾角的关系却大不相同。这些重要的轨道变化特征,可为深空探测中目标轨道的选择和设计提供依据。