Multimodal characteristics of a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate element impacted with iron particles having velocities above 20 km/s

The responses of a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) element to hypervelocity collisions were experimentally studied. In this study, the particles of masses ranging from 0.3 to 10 fg were made to collide with PZT at velocities between 20 and 96 km/s. The amplitude and the corresponding rise time of the single-pulse output signals that were produced in the piezoelectric PZT element were measured to determine the possible collision states. The results revealed an apparently multimodal output; three classes were assumed to be involved in the pulse formation mechanism. The amplitude and rise time were sensitive to the collision velocity. The multimodal behavior implied that the PZT-based cosmic dust detectors should be calibrated according to the class they belong to.     

复合材料界面模态混合度研究

综述了消除复合材料界面裂纹应力奇异性及求解界面模态混合度的主要方法,分析讨论了各个方法的优缺点.通过分析讨论发现:模态混合度表征界面力学性能可以准确地描述界面裂纹尖端处各应变能释放率分量的振荡特性;求解与裂纹扩展长度无关的各应变能释放率分量及模态混合度是研究复合材料界面裂纹问题的难点;采用混合模态界面力学性能试验方法验证基于正则化长度等求解模态混合度方法的有效性,进而准确预测复合材料分层的发生及扩展是今后研究复合材料界面力学问题的发展方向.     

The South Pole-Aitken basin region,Moon: GIS-based geologic investigation using Kaguya elemental information

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we performed comparative analysis among stratigraphic information and the Kaguya (SELENE) GRS data of the ∼2500-km-diameter South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin and its surroundings. Results indicate that the surface rock materials (including ancient crater materials, mare basalts, and possible SPA impact melt) are average to slightly elevated in K and Th with respect to the rest of the Moon. Also, this study demonstrates that K and Th have not significantly changed since the formation of SPA. The elemental signatures of the impact basin of Fe, Ti, Si, O through time include evidence for resurfacing by ejecta materials and late-stage volcanism. The oldest surfaces of SPA are found to be oxygen-depleted during the heavy bombardment period relative to later stages of geologic development, followed by both an increase in silicon and oxygen, possibly due to ejecta sourced from outside of SPA, and subsequent modification due to mare basaltic volcanism, which increased iron and titanium within SPA. The influence of the distinct geologic history of SPA and surroundings on the mineralogic and elemental abundances is evident as shown in our investigation.     

Characterization of complex organic compounds formed in simulated planetary atmospheres by the action of high energy particles.

A wide variety of organic compounds, which are not simple organics but also complex organics, have been found in planets and comets. We reported that complex organics was formed in simulated planetary atmospheres by the action of high energy particles. Here we characterized the experimental products by using chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. A gaseous mixture of CO, N2 and H2O was irradiated with high energy protons (major components of cosmic rays). Water-soluble non-volatile substances, which gave amino acids after acid-hydrolysis, were characterized by HPLC and mass spectrometry. Major part of the products were complex compounds with molecular weight of several hundreds. Amino acid precursors were produced even when no water was incorporated with the starting materials. It was suggested that complex molecules including amino acid precursors were formed not in solution from simple molecules like HCN, but directly in gaseous phase.     

Formation of bioorganic compounds in simulated planetary atmospheres by high energy particles or photons.

Various types of organic compounds have been detected in Jupiter, Titan, and cometary coma. It is probable that organic compounds were formed in primitive Earth and Mars atmospheres. Cosmic rays and solar UV are believed to be two major energy sources for organic formation in space. We examined energetics of organic formation in simulated planetary atmospheres. Gas mixtures including a C-source (carbon monoxide or methane) and a N-source (nitrogen or ammonia) was irradiated with the followings: High energy protons or electrons from accelerators, gamma-rays from 60Co, UV light from a deuterium lamp, and soft X-rays or UV light from an electron synchrotron. Amino acids were detected in the products of particles, gamma-rays and soft X-rays irradiation from each gas mixture examined. UV light gave, however, no amino acid precursors in the gas mixture of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and nitrogen. It gave only a trace of them in the gas mixture of carbon monoxide, ammonia and water or that of methane, nitrogen and water. Yield of amino acid precursors by photons greatly depended on their wavelength. These results suggest that nitrogen-containing organic compounds like amino acid precursors were formed chiefly with high energy particles, not UV photons, in Titan or primitive Earth/Mars atmospheres where ammonia is not available as a predominant N-source.     

AMF phasing—A precise control of the ignition timing of AKM for reduction of the injection error

This paper deals with a new concept, named “AMF Phasing”, which intends to minimize the effect of injection error that would result during apogee motor firing (AMF) of the spinning spacecraft. The characteristic of velocity increment error is derived analytically, based on the disturbed spinning motion during AMF. In order to precisely estimate the amount of fuel required for post-AMF orbital correction maneuvers, a probability model is proposed which estimates the total injection error probability combining the dominant error factors, i.e. pre-AMF attitude determination error and velocity increment error during AMF.It is shown that a substantial saving in fuel normally consumed for post-AMF can be expected, when the resultant velocity increment error contribution, which otherwise would be randomly directed in inertial space, is controlled so that it appears in the direction of local right ascension by igniting AKM at the proper instant (AMF Phasing). The procedure for AMF phasing, using a Sun pulse as a reference signal for the ignition timing is described in this paper. It was actually applied for GMS-2, Japan's second Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (HIMAWARI-II). The HIMAWARI-II post-AMF orbit determination shows that AMF Phasing worked successfully and it is concluded that a substantial fuel saving was achieved.     

Formation of amino acid precursors in cometary ice environments by cosmic radiation.

Cometary ices are believed to contain water, carbon monoxide, methane and ammonia, and are possible sites for the formation and preservation of organic compounds relating to the origin of life. Cosmic rays, together with ultraviolet light, are among the most effective energy sources for the formation of organic compounds in space. In order to study the possibility of the formation of amino acids in comets or their precursory bodies (interstellar dust grains), several types of ice mixtures made in a cryostat at 10 K ("simulated cometary ices") were irradiated with high energy protons. After irradiation, the volatile products were analyzed with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, while temperature of the cryostat was raised to room temperature. The non-volatile products remaining in the cryostat at room temperature were collected with water. They were acid-hydrolyzed, and analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography. When an ice mixture of carbon monoxide (or methane), ammonia and water was irradiated, some hydrocarbons were formed, and amino acids such as glycine and alanine were detected in the hydrolyzate. These results suggest the possible formation of "amino acid precursors" (compounds yielding amino acids after hydrolysis) in interstellar dust grains by cosmic radiation. We previously reported that amino acid precursors were formed when simulated primitive planetary atmospheres were irradiated with cosmic ray particles. It will be of great interest to compare the amount of bioorganic compounds that were formed in the primitive earth and that brought by comets to the earth.     

Mercury Dust Monitor (MDM) Onboard the Mio Orbiter of the BepiColombo Mission

Space Science Reviews - In this chapter, we review the contribution of space missions to the determination of the elemental and isotopic composition of Earth, Moon and the terrestrial planets, with...     

Analytical expression for distant retrograde orbits around a small natural satellite

An analytical expression for distant retrograde orbits (DROs) is obtained in this study. Owing to the fact that a planar DRO is a closed orbit and can be expressed as an approximately elliptical orbit, respective geometries and periods of DROs are analytically calculated. A switching point, where various properties of planar DROs change abruptly with an increase in the orbital radius, is determined. The Mars–Deimos system is taken as a case study in this work. The proposed method can be applied to cases where the Hill’s approximation of the restricted three-body problem is valid. Numerical calculations are performed to validate the proposed method.     

Influence of curved thin-film device on deformation of a solar sail

A spinning solar sail IKAROS’s membrane is estimated to unexpectedly deform into an inverted pyramid shape due to thin-film devices with curvature, such as thin-film solar cells and steering devices on the membrane. It is important to investigate the deformation caused by the curved thin-film devices and predict the sail shape because the out-of-plane deformation greatly affects solar radiation pressure (SRP) and SRP torque. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the global shape and orientation and position of curved thin-film devices and to evaluate SRP torque on the global shape using finite element analysis. The global shape is evaluated based on the out-of-plane displacement and the SRP torque. When the curved thin-film devices make the membrane shrink in the circumferential, diagonal, and radial direction, the sail deforms into a pyramid shape, an inverted pyramid one, and a saddle one, respectively. The saddle shape is more desirable for solar sails than the inverted pyramid shape and the pyramid one from the viewpoint of shape stability to SRP and control of SRP torque in the normal direction of the sail (windmill torque). The position of the thin-film device tends to increase the absolute value of windmill torque when it is biased circumferentially from the petal central axis. The suggested design principles for the arrangement of thin-film devices is that the curved thin-film devices should be directed so that the sail shrinks in the radial direction in order to deform the sail into a saddle shape with high shape stability, and the position of the thin-film devices should be biased in the circumferential direction paying attention to the absolute value of windmill torque to determine the direction of windmill torque.