Application of a modified generalized sail model on a solar sail with wrinkles

In this paper, we present an analysis of effect of wrinkles on the solar sail performance. We describe different analytical, semi-analytical and numerical approaches to the calculation of general large-scale curvature of a solar sail as well as parameters of so-called wrinkled domains, and introduce the impact of such wrinkles on the thrust and torque of the solar sail. Finally, we present a model of an optically-orthotropic surface for such non-ideal sail, providing a connection with the Generalized Sail Model, and other solar sail thrust models.     

Fast spacecraft solar radiation pressure modeling by ray tracing on graphics processing unit

A novel method is presented to evaluate on the graphics processing unit (GPU) the force and torque on a spacecraft due to solar radiation pressure. The method employs efficient ray tracing techniques, developed in the graphics rendering discipline, to resolve spacecraft self-shadowing and reflections at faster than real-time computation speed. The primary algorithmic components of the ray tracing process which contribute to the method’s computational efficiency are described. These components include two-level bounding volume hierarchy acceleration data structures, fast ray to bounding box intersection testing using the slab intersection algorithm and fast triangle intersection testing using the Möller-Trumbore algorithm. Spacecraft material optical properties are represented as a combination of Lambertian diffuse and ideal specular reflections. Both diffuse and specular ray-surface interactions are modeled. The approach is implemented using C++ and OpenCL and executed on a consumer grade GPU. Model validation is presented comparing ray traced force and torque values to the same quantities produce by a faceted analytic model. Numerical results illustrate the impact of self-shadowing on the force and torque calculation, and demonstrate the fast computational speed that is enabled with this implementation.     

Full characterization of a compact 90Sr/90Y beta source for TID radiation testing

A new methodology for Total Ionizing Dose (TID) tests is proposed. It is based on the employment of an on-chip ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta source as alternative to standard methods such as ⁶⁰Co gamma rays and electrons from LINAC. The use of a compact beta source for TID tests has several advantages. In particular, the irradiation of devices with more than one radiation source results in a better representation of the complex space radiation environment composed of several types, energies and dose-rates. In addition, the use of an easy handling beta source allows the irradiation of electronic devices without any damage to other auxiliary circuit. In this work, ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta source dosimetry and related radiation field characteristics are discussed in depth.In order to validate the proposed source for TID tests, a rather complex device such as the “SPC56EL70L5” microcontroller from ST-Microelectronics was exposed to ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta rays. The results of this test were compared to that of a previous test of another sample from the same lot with a standard gamma ⁶⁰Co source. The electronic performances following the two irradiations have been found to be in excellent agreement, by demonstrating therefore the validity of the proposed beta source for TID tests.     

Return to Europa: Overview of the Jupiter Europa orbiter mission

Missions to explore Europa have been imagined ever since the Voyager mission first suggested that Europa was geologically very young. Subsequently, the Galileo spacecraft supplied fascinating new insights into this satellite of Jupiter. Now, an international team is proposing a return to the Jupiter system and Europa with the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM). Currently, NASA and ESA are designing two orbiters that would explore the Jovian system and then each would settle into orbit around one of Jupiter’s icy satellites, Europa and Ganymede. In addition, the Japanese Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) is considering a Jupiter magnetospheric orbiter and the Russian Space Agency is investigating a Europa lander.     

不等温空腔的有效发射率计算

采用Monte-Carlo法对不等温空腔的有效发射率进行计算分析,讨论了腔壁的不等温性、材料的光谱发射率和方向发射率对法向有效发射率的影响,为黑体辐射源的设计提供了理论计算依据。     

MD-130 胶黏剂固化工艺及空间适用性研究

为满足航天电子产品的工艺实施和空间服役要求,本文详细开展了MD-130胶黏剂的固化工艺及空间适应性研究。结果表明,在150℃等温固化60 min后其拉伸剪切强度达到18 MPa,表明其为优选的固化工艺。高低温环境冲击和低剂量的粒子辐照后胶黏剂固化反应更加充分,其芯片剪切强度提高,而大剂量辐照致使高分子降解现象明显,造成了胶接强度的降低。经环境试验后,MD-130胶黏剂仍具有良好的力学性能,满足设计使用要求。     

Modeling the broadband persistent emission of magnetars

In this paper, we discuss our first attempts to model the broadband persistent emission of magnetars within a self-consistent, physical scenario. We present the predictions of a synthetic model that we calculated with a new Monte Carlo 3D radiative code. The basic idea is that soft thermal photons (e.g. emitted by the star surface) can experience resonant cyclotron upscattering by a population of relativistic electrons treated in the twisted magnetosphere. Our code is specifically tailored to work in the ultra-magnetized regime; polarization and QED effects are consistently accounted for, as well different configurations for the magnetosphere. We discuss the predicted spectral properties in the 0.1–1000 keV range, the polarization properties, and we present the model application to a sample of magnetars soft X-ray spectra.     

The beaming of external Compton emission

We consider a relativistically moving blob consisting of an isotropic electron distribution that Compton-scatters photons from an external isotropic radiation field. We compute the resulting beaming pattern, i.e. the distribution of the scattered photons, in the blob frame as well as in the observer’s frame by using the full Klein–Nishina cross section and the exact incident photon distribution. In the Thomson regime the comparison of our approach with Dermer (1995) results in concurrent characteristics but different absolute number of the scattered photons by a factor of f_corr = 3.09. Additionally, our calculation yields a slightly lower boost factor which varies the more from the corresponding value in Dermer (1995) the higher the spectral index p of the electron distribution gets.     

Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES), a review: Past,present and future

The Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) project’s objectives are to measure the reflected solar radiance (shortwave) and Earth-emitted (longwave) radiances and from these measurements to compute the shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the surface and radiation divergence within the atmosphere. The fluxes at TOA are to be retrieved to an accuracy of 2%. Improved bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) have been developed to compute the fluxes at TOA from the measured radiances with errors reduced from ERBE by a factor of two or more. Instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft provide sampling at four local times. In order to further reduce temporal sampling errors, data are used from the geostationary meteorological satellites to account for changes of scenes between observations by the CERES radiometers.     

辐射换热对平板气膜冷却性能影响

为了分析辐射换热对平板气膜冷却性能的影响,分别对不考虑辐射换热(耦合计算)与考虑辐射换热两种条件下的平板隔热屏进行了三维流热耦合数值模拟研究,并与绝热壁(不考虑隔热屏固壁导热)的计算结果进行了对比。辐射换热采用离散坐标法。得到了3种不同主/次流总温比(Rt)条件下气膜冷却效果、流场、单位面积冷流体热负荷以及流量系数的对比结果与变化规律。结果表明:气膜冷却效果沿流向逐渐降低,且随总温比的增加而降低;在展向上气膜冷却效果呈现中间高两边低的分布规律,最大与最小相对值在绝热壁条件下达到最大,为94.5%,辐射换热次之,为13.5%,不考虑辐射换热时最小,为9.8%。与不考虑辐射换热结果相比,辐射换热对气膜冷却效果的影响在流动方向逐渐变大,气膜孔附近展向温度梯度增大,冷流体热负荷增加了92.8%,二者计算的流量系数相差不大,为1.1%,与绝热壁计算结果相比,流量系数减小了13.1%。随着总温比增加流量系数减小,最大值与最小值相差不大,为1.1%。