Do RadioAstron detections correlate with flaring states? An initial study of seven southern AGN

We examine the state of seven southern radio sources at the time of their RadioAstron AGN Survey observations. Both ATCA flux density monitoring data and Fermi light-curves are considered in determining the relative activity of the source. A simple hypothesis, that sufficiently compact source structure exists for detections on RadioAstron baselines when the source is in a flaring state, is qualitatively tested. We find four instances of RadioAstron detections during flaring radio states and four instances of RadioAstron non-detections during fading or quiescent radio states, in support of the hypothesis. However, we also find three instances of RadioAstron detections during quiescent or fading radio states, and two non-detections during a flaring state, indicating that the situation is (not unexpectedly) more complex. Radio and gamma-ray monitoring such as that described here, together with the full RadioAstron AGN Survey results, will allow a more thorough investigation of the dependencies of detections on baselines of >10 Earth diameters.     

相对差分单向测距（△DOR）技术在探月工程中的应用研究

相对差分单向测距（△DOR）是一种高精度测角技术,在深空探测任务的高精度测定轨方案中得到广泛应用．介绍了△DOR测量的基本原理及CCSDS（国际空间数据系统委员会）关于△测量的相关标准．针对中国探月工程月面软着陆任务提出的高精度测定轨要求,分析了△DOR测量的信号形式、工作模式以及测量精度,推导了解模糊过程．研究表明,△DOR测角精度达到25nrad,对应到月球上的距离约为10m．     

嫦娥一号卫星撞月时刻与坐标精确分析

针对CE-1卫星精确的撞月时刻与撞月点坐标,首先通过探测器载波信号的本地相关处理技术,精确分析了载波信号在VLBI各测站的消失时刻,进而推算了卫星的撞月时刻;通过实时单向多普勒频移测量的事后分析,核实了卫星撞月过程中的飞行姿态演化;最后结合VLBI互相关时延与测距资料,经定位归算确定撞月点坐标。分析表明,CE-1卫星撞月时刻的误差为±5μs,撞月点坐标月面切向和三维定位误差分别约为0.274km和0.319km(1σ)。     

深空测控网干涉测量系统在“鹊桥”任务中的应用分析

在"嫦娥4号"任务的第一阶段—"鹊桥"阶段,北京航天飞行控制中心利用佳木斯及喀什深空站对"鹊桥"进行了干涉测量观测,获取了实时与事后的高精度测角观测量,有效支持了任务的实施。两深空站需同时完成测控任务,无法交替射电源观测来进行系统差标校,基于此系统采用了长时间隔、在航天器观测前及双站结束后观测射电源的标校方法,在地月转移段、月球至L2转移段、Halo轨道形成段开展了多次干涉测量观测,所获得的时延、时延率结果直接应用于事后联合轨道确定,结果表明:深空网的时延观测精度约为3 ns。     

火星探测VLBI测定轨技术

我国将于2020年首次发射由环绕器和着陆巡视器组成的火星探测器,火星探测器的跟踪及精密测定轨是完成工程任务和科学探测的基础。火星探测器的跟踪和测定轨,目前主要采用基于地面无线电测量的测距、测速和甚长基线干涉VLBI测角3种手段。主要针对VLBI技术予以介绍,主要内容为:△DOR型VLBI技术在国内外的应用情况、火星探测器VLBI测定轨技术分析、基于同波束VLBI的火星车定位技术、火星探测器VLBI观测等。这些内容对我国的火星探测器测定轨有重要的应用价值。     

Orbit Design for Twin-spacecraft Space VLBI

Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry (S-VLBI) is an aperture synthesis technique utilizing an array of radio telescopes including ground telescopes and space orbiting telescopes. It can achieve much higher spatial resolution than that from the ground-only VLBI. In this paper, a new concept of twin spacecraft S-VLBI has been proposed, which utilizes the space-space baselines formed by two satellites to obtain larger and uniform uv coverage without atmospheric influence and hence achieve high quality images with higher angular resolution. The orbit selections of the two satellites are investigated. The imaging performance and actual launch conditions are all taken into account in orbit designing of the twin spacecraft S-VLBI. Three schemes of orbit design using traditional elliptical orbits and circular orbits are presented. These design results can be used for different scientific goals. Furthermore, these designing ideas can provide useful references for the future Chinese millimeter-wave S-VLBI mission.      

The effect of neglecting VLBI reference station clock offsets on UT1 estimates

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) allows to monitor universal time (UT1) by conducting regular international experiments. Such dedicated observation networks are equipped with different hardware components, which require different processing strategies when the data are correlated. As the timing units at each stations are usually offset with respect to universal time (UTC) this effect should be considered during correlation processing. Thus, it is investigated how neglecting of these offsets theoretically impacts the estimation of UT1. Three different strategies for the proper handling of the timing offset will be discussed and their advantages/drawbacks will be pointed out. Moreover, it is studied how neglecting of these timing offsets affects UT1 time-series and how such a missing correction can be applied a posteriori. Although the discussed effect is for most of the UT1 experiments smaller than the formal error of the estimates, it is important to consider station clock offsets properly in next-generation VLBI systems, which are expected to improve accuracy of results by about one order of magnitude.     

高精度VLBI技术在深空探测中的应用

介绍了适合单探测器测定轨的高精度VLBI技术和适合多探测器测定位的同波束VLBI技术的研究进展。利用"嫦娥3号"着陆器的ΔDOR型VLBI观测,得到了误差0.67ns的VLBI群时延数据。利用"嫦娥3号"着陆器和月球车的同波束VLBI观测,得到了随机误差0.3ps的差分相时延数据,以数厘米的灵敏度监测出月球车的移动、转弯等动作,并把月球车的相对定位精度提高至1m。针对深空探测,提出了使VLBI时延测量精度进一步提高所需要开展的部分研究内容。     

面向绕月交会对接的同波束VLBI研究

针对"嫦娥5号"(CE-5)探测器间高精度相对测量需求,设计了我国深空干涉测量处理中心框架下的同波束VLBI处理算法,分析了X波段同波束VLBI相位解模糊条件和结果;通过引入群时延辅助的相位干涉技术,大幅抑制了干涉时延随机误差,为同波束VLBI中相位解模糊提供了先验条件;利用CE-5对接实测数据验证了本文工作的有效性,为CE-5任务同波束VLBI的实施奠定了基础。     

深空探测器被动式高精度多普勒测量方法与应用

针对深空探测器的单程多普勒测量需求,研究了被动式高精度多普勒测量方法及其实现技术。该方法基于探测器测控信标残留载波等点频信号和VLBI测站高精度氢原子钟频标,构造出与实际接收信号频率接近的参考信号;再通过本地相关处理,完成高精度开环多普勒测量。其特色在于完全不需要精确的先验轨道模型。所开发的专用被动式多普勒测量设备,在国内第一次成功用于欧空局环火星探测器“MEX”的多普勒测定轨试验。探测器X频段信号5s积分的单程多普勒测量精度达到 0.2mm/s ,与欧空局测量水平相当。采用该多普勒测量数据的MEX定轨结果与欧空局精密轨道在数百米至千米量级一致。