Investigating the Coronal Mass Ejections associated with DH type-II radio bursts and solar flares during the ascending phase of the solar cycle 24

We studied a set of 74 CMEs, with shedding the light on the halo-CMEs (HCMEs), that are associated with decametric – hectometric (DH) type-II radio bursts (1–16?MHz) and solar flares during the period 2008–2014. The events were classified into 3 groups (disk, intermediate, and limb events) based on their longitudinal distribution.We found that the events are mostly distributed around 15.32° and 15.97° at the northern and southern solar hemispheres, respectively. We found that there is a clear dependence between the longitude and the CME’s width, speed, acceleration, mass, and kinetic energy. For the CMEs’ widths, most of the events were HCMEs (～62%), while the partial HCMEs comprised ～35% and the rest of events were CMEs with widths less than 120°. For the CMEs’ speeds, masses, and kinetic energies, the mean values showed a direct proportionality with the longitude, in which the limb events had the highest speeds, the largest masses, and the highest kinetic energies. The mean peak flux of the solar flares for different longitudes was comparable, but the disk flares were more energetic. The intermediate flares were considered as gradual flares since they tended to last longer, while the limb flares were considered as impulsive flares since they tended to last shorter.A weak correlation (R?=?0.32) between the kinetic energy of the CMEs and the duration of the associated flares has been noticed, while there was a good correlation (R?=?0.76) between the kinetic energy of the CMEs and the peak flux of the associated flares. We found a fair correlation (R?=?0.58) between the kinetic energy of the CMEs and the duration of the associated DH type-II radio bursts.     

Sound insulation performance of plates with interconnected distributed piezoelectric patches

This paper deals with the sound insulation performance of a thin plate with intercon-nected distributed piezoelectric patches. Piezoelectric patches are periodically bonded on the sur-faces of the plate in a collocated fashion, and are interconnected via an inductive circuit network. This piezoelectric system is termed as piezo-electromechanical (PEM) plate in the paper. Homogenization methods are involved under a sub-wavelength assumption to analytically develop the dynamical equations for the PEM plate. The dispersion relationships and energy densities of the wave modes propagating in the PEM plate are studied;the sub-wavelength assumption is verified for the simulations in this paper. The coincidence frequency of the PEM plate is researched, and results show that the coincidence frequency of the PEM plate will disappear at certain circum-stances;mathematical and physical explanations are made for this phenomenon. The disappearance of the coincidence frequency is used to optimize the value of inductance, for the purpose of improv-ing the sound transmission loss of the PEM plate.     

Investigation of dynamics of discrete framed structures by a numerical wave-based method and an analytical homogenization approach

In this article, the analytical homogenization method of periodic discrete media (HPDM) and the numerical condensed wave finite element method (CWFEM) are employed to study the lon-gitudinal and transverse vibrations of framed structures. The valid frequency range of the HPDM is re-evaluated using the wave propagation feature identified by the CWFEM. The relative error of the wavenumber by the HPDM compared to that by the CWFEM is illustrated in functions of fre-quency and scale ratio. A parametric study on the thickness of the structure is carried out where the dispersion relation and the relative error are given for three different thicknesses. The dynamics of a finite structure such as natural frequency and forced response are also investigated using the HPDM and the CWFEM.     

Some aspects of land transformation in the western mediterranean desert of egypt

The western Mediterranean desert of Egypt has a long history of land-use. With recent development activities, land transformation is progressing at a high rate. Monitoring of changes to allow for predictions of long-term effects of these activities is viewed at three levels: (a) quantities of ecosystem components; (b) detailed distribution of patterns of land-use, vegetation and physiography; and (c) general distribution of the salient features of land. This study provides estimates at the first (a) and second (b) levels of changes in this region due to the main land-use types: grazing rain-fed farming, and irrigated farming.Grazing had little effects on soil characters, but it resulted in lower soil stability and abundance of plants and above-soil invertebrates. Irrigation resulted in water-logging and salinization, formation of calcic horizons, decrease in soil organic matter and soluble nitrogen, and in increase of above-and below-soil biota.A comparison of the distribution of vegetation and land-use in one of the sectors in 1964 and 1981, using maps based on aerial photographs and ground-truth data, indicated remarkable changes in areas of rain-fed farming, and in vegetation composition due to over-grazing.     

Guidance law implementation with performance recovery using an extended high-gain observer

Guidance law of a homing missile is implemented using an extended high gain observer without the model assumptions on target maneuvers. First, for a class of multi-input–multi-output nonlinear systems, extended high-gain observers are used for output feedback control with partial practical stabilization. Then the method is applied to the guidance law implementation of a homing missile with bearing only measurement. Simulation results show satisfactory performance.     

Numerical investigation on the shock wave transition in a three-dimensional scramjet isolator

The scramjet isolator, which is used to prevent the hypersonic inlet from disturbances that arise from the pressure rise in the scramjet combustor due to the intense turbulent combustion, is one of the most critical components in hypersonic airbreathing propulsion systems. Any engineering error that is possible in the design and manufacturing procedure of the experimental model, and the intense heat release in the scramjet combustor, may cause the performance of the isolator to decrease, leading to its lack of capability in supporting the back pressure. The coupled implicit Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations and the two-equation standard k?ε turbulent model have been employed to numerically simulate the flow fields in a three-dimensional scramjet isolator. The effects of the divergent angle and the back pressure on the shock wave transition and the location of the leading edge of the shock wave train have been estimated and discussed. The obtained results show that the present numerical results are in very good agreement with the available experimental shadow-pictures, and the numerical method is more suitable for capturing the shock wave train and predicting the location of the leading edge of the shock wave train in the scramjet isolator than the present two-dimensional numerical methods. This is due to the small width-to-height ratio of the isolator and the intense three-dimensional flow structures. On increasing the divergent angle of the scramjet isolator, the static pressure along the central symmetrical line of the isolator decreases sharply. This is due to the strong expansion wave generated at the entrance of the isolator, and when the divergent angle of the isolator is sufficiently large, namely 1.5°, a zone of negative pressure is formed just ahead of the leading edge of the shock wave train. At the same time, the shock wave train varies from being oblique to being normal, and then back to oblique. With an increase in the prescribed back pressure at the exit of the scramjet isolator, the leading edge of the shock wave train moves forward towards the entrance of the isolator, and when the back pressure is sufficiently large, unstart conditions in the hypersonic inlet can take place if the shock train reaches the inlet.     

Deployment history and design considerations for space reactor power systems

The history of the deployment of nuclear reactors in Earth orbits is reviewed with emphases on lessons learned and the operation and safety experiences. The former Soviet Union's “BUK” power systems, with SiGe thermoelectric conversion and fast neutron energy spectrum reactors, powered a total of 31 Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellites (RORSATs) from 1970 to 1988 in 260 km orbit. Two of the former Soviet Union's TOPAZ reactors, with in-core thermionic conversion and epithermal neutron energy spectrum, powered two Cosmos missions launched in 1987 in ～800 km orbit. The US’ SNAP-10A system, with SiGe energy conversion and a thermal neutron energy spectrum reactor, was launched in 1965 in 1300 km orbit. The three reactor systems used liquid NaK-78 coolant, stainless steel structure and highly enriched uranium fuel (90–96 wt%) and operated at a reactor exit temperature of 833–973 K. The BUK reactors used U-Mo fuel rods, TOPAZ used UO₂ fuel rods and four ZrH moderator disks, and the SNAP-10A used moderated U-ZrH fuel rods. These low power space reactor systems were designed for short missions (～0.5 kW_e and ～1 year for SNAP-10A, <3.0 kW_e and <6 months for BUK, and ～5.5 kW_e and up to 1 year for TOPAZ). The deactivated BUK reactors at the end of mission, which varied in duration from a few hours to ～4.5 months, were boosted into ～800 km storage orbit with a decay life of more than 600 year. The ejection of the last 16 BUK reactor fuel cores caused significant contamination of Earth orbits with NaK droplets that varied in sizes from a few microns to 5 cm. Power systems to enhance or enable future interplanetary exploration, in-situ resources utilization on Mars and the Moon, and civilian missions in 1000–3000 km orbits would generate significantly more power of 10's to 100's kW_e for 5–10 years, or even longer. A number of design options to enhance the operation reliability and safety of these high power space reactor power systems are presented and discussed.     

Enhanced wave and finite element method for wave propagation and forced response prediction in periodic piezoelectric structures

As a promising numerical tool of structural dynamics in mid-and high frequencies, the wave and finite element method (WFEM) is receiving increasingly attention and applications. In this paper, an enhanced WFEM has been developed with a reduced model and a new eigenvalue scheme. The reduced model is applicable for structures with piezoelectric shunts or local dampers;the new eigenvalue scheme can mitigate the ill-conditioning when the wave basis is calculated. The enhanced WFEM is applied to a thin-wall structure with periodically distributed piezoelectric mate-rials (PZT). Both free wave characteristics and forced response are analyzed and the influences of the suggested enhancements are presented. It is shown that if the control factors are properly cho-sen, these enhancements can improve the accuracy while accelerating the calculation. Resulting from the complexity of the application, these enhancements are not optional but imperative.     

Towards the automated operations of large distributed satellite systems. Part 2: Classifications and tools

Recent developments have seen a trend towards larger constellations of spacecraft, with some proposals featuring constellations of more than 10.000 satellites. While similar concepts for large constellations already existed in the past, traditional satellite deployments hardly ever feature groups of more than 100 satellites. This trend towards considerably larger satellite numbers originates from non-traditional design and operations of spacecraft by non-traditional space companies. The evolution in the space sector, precipitated by new players, is often referred to as “Space 4.0” or “New Space”. It necessitates a rethinking of the way satellites and satellite constellations are planned, designed, and operated. New operational paradigms are needed to enable automatic, optimal task definition, and scheduling in a holistic approach.This is the second of two companion papers that investigate the operations of distributed satellite systems. This second article investigates the classification of distributed satellite systems and evaluates commercial tools for automated spacecraft operations, whereas the first article performed a survey of conventional and “new space”operations of spacecraft constellations.Classification metrics for constellations are derived and evaluated with respect to their informative value concerning the operation, the automation, and the scalability of the constellation. The proposed classification system is applied to the Dove and RapidEye constellation and allows for a comparison between the presented automation approaches. Commercial tools for automated spacecraft operations are evaluated for several mission task elements, such as orbit control, orbit maintenance, and collision avoidance. Subsequently, the trends, benefits, and standardization needs for operational automation are identified.