Bidimensional liquid bridges in a gravity field

The analytical solution for the different shapes that a bidimensional liquid bridge in a gravity field may adopt is reviewed, criticizing the well-known limit of Heywang. The work is shown in the context of a wider-scope program to model the fluid-mechanical behaviour of molten bridges in the floating zone and related techniques of crystal growth, which has blossomed with the advent of microgravity platforms.     

State propagation in an uncertain asteroid gravity field

Various spacecraft have been and will be sent to asteroids to characterize them. Generally, an asteroid's gravity field is very irregular and not accurately known when compared to the gravity field of a major planet, Earth in particular. It has been well studied that the irregularity significantly affects the trajectory of an orbiting spacecraft, and causes it to impact or to escape from the asteroid. Complementary to that, this paper focuses on the influence of the limited knowledge of this gravity field on the evolution of the spacecraft's orbit. It develops a general method by which this influence can be quantified. This method comprises specific Monte Carlo simulations with a discrete set of low-altitude orbits, taking into account the uncertainties in the gravity-field parameters. For illustration purposes, it is applied to two different asteroids. Already after three revolutions, the gravity-field uncertainties propagate to significant position uncertainties; this specifically holds for prograde orbits, and around the smaller asteroid. Applying this robust and accurate method helps mission designers and planners to assess the risk posed by gravity uncertainties, and take appropriate measures such as choosing the most favorable orbital geometries and/or lowering the orbit more slowly.     

Global measurement of the Earth gravity field using a gradiometric satellite

Two techniques are able to permit a significant progress in the global measurement of the Earth gravity field: satellite to satellite tracking and gradiometry. The preliminary results concerning the study of a gradiometric satellite to be launched by Ariane are presented.After stating the scientific objectives and the mission specifications, one focuses on the definition of the gradiometer and the gradiometric satellite. After analysis of the problems associated with gradiometry based upon differential accelerometry, one presents the Cactus accelerometer design evolution and the implications on the satellite configuration and interfaces with the gradiometer. Finally a short mission analysis is presented.     

重力场测量卫星应用电推进技术

全球重力场的精确测量对于地球物理学、卫星定轨等均有至关重要的意义。对于全球重力场测量卫星而言,其姿态和轨道的保持精度直接影响着全球重力场测量的精度。从重力场测量卫星要求出发,对卫星参数进行了假设,对重力场测量卫星采用离子推进技术的适用性进行了分析。     

Optimum low-thrust limited power transfers between neighbouring elliptic non-equatorial orbits in a non-central gravity field

A complete first-order analytical solution is developed for the problem of optimum low-thrust limited power transfers between neighbouring elliptic non-equatorial orbits in a non-central gravity field. The optimization problem is formulated as a Mayer problem of optimal control with Cartesian elements as state variables. After applying the Pontryagin maximum principle and determining the optimal thrust acceleration, an intrinsic canonical transformation is performed: the Cartesian elements are changed by suitable orbital elements. Hori's method is applied in determining a first-order analytical solution. Simple analytical solutions are obtained explicitly for long-time transfers.     

On the influence of altered gravity on the growth of fish inner ear otoliths

Inner ear stones (otoliths) of developing cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) were marked with the calcium tracer alizarin-complexone (AC) at 1g-earth gravity before and after a long-term (20 days) stay of the animals at moderate hypergravity conditions (3g; centrifuge). AC deposition at the otoliths resulted in two fluorescence bands, which enclosed the area grown during exposure to altered gravity. This area was measured with regard to size and asymmetry (size difference between the left and the right stones).

Both utricular and saccular otoliths (lapilli and sagittae, respectively) were significantly smaller after hyper-g exposure as compared to parallely raised 1g-control specimens. The asymmetry concerning the lapilli was pronouncedly decreased in comparison to the 1g-controls. These findings suggest, that the growth and the development of bilateral asymmetry of otoliths is guided by the environmental gravity vector.

Some of the hyper-g animals revealed a kinetotic behaviour at the transfer from hyper-g to normal 1g-earth gravity conditions, which was qualitatively similar to the behaviour observed in previous experiments at the transfer from 1g to microgravity in the course of parabolic aircraft flights. The lapillar asymmetry of kinetotic samples was found to be significantly higher than that of normally behaving experimental specimens. This result supports an earlier theoretical concept, according to which human static space sickness might be based on asymmetric utricular otoliths.     

On the one-body problem in the field of a tall cylinder in orbit

We describe the motion of a material point that is attracted by a tall, homogeneous cylinder. The cylinder moves on a circular orbit and points in the radial direction. The finite solution can be expanded in powers of two small parameters: the initial eccentricity of the orbital motion about the cylinder and the coupling parameter of the Coriolis force. Such expansions are given for the case of the indifferent longitudinal location. Solutions periodic in the polar angle are constructed. We do not find resonance effects or other large cumulative amplitude variations that might be due to the gravity-gradient and Coriolis force.     

小议福克纳短篇小说《夕阳》中的叙述技巧

在威廉·福克纳的短篇小说《夕阳》中,作者运用了多种叙述技巧揭露文中白人对黑人所受苦难的冷漠态度。本文阐述了福克纳的叙述技巧并认为福克纳使用了一种新的叙述技巧完成了《夕阳》的创作,而对此的运用不仅体现了他本人的复杂个性,同时也深化了文章中种族歧视的主题。     

小议福克纳短篇小说《夕阳》中的叙述技巧

在威廉·福克纳的短篇小说<夕阳>中,作者运用了多种叙述技巧揭露文中白人对黑人所受苦难的冷漠态度.本文阐述了福克纳的叙述技巧并认为福克纳使用了一种新的叙述技巧完成了<夕阳>的创作,而对此的运用不仅体现了他本人的复杂个性,同时也深化了文章中种族歧视的主题.     

太阳矢量在行星际探测器姿态估计中的应用研究

在基于矢量观测的行星际探测器姿态确定中,参考矢量的几何关系是影响姿态估计精度的一个重要因素。针对这一问题,本文提出了一种利用太阳矢量来提高探测器姿态估计精度的最优算法。该方法在引入太阳矢量的基础上,将星敏感器测得的姿态四元数转化为两个互相垂直的参考矢量,并根据敏感器的测量精度计算相应的规范化权值系数;结合姿态四元数估计算法,给出最小二乘意义下的探测器最优姿态估计。最后,以深度撞击任务的实际飞行数据对本文所提算法进行验证。仿真结果表明,引入太阳矢量后的三轴姿态角估计误差小于150μrad,完全满足深度撞击任务的要求。     

On the conditions of gas inclusions formation in melts under zero gravity state (after “Pirin” experiment)

Thermodynamics relations have been considered under which gas inclusions may form in melts (closed systems), due to both volatility of components and the presence of dissolved gases. It has been shown that in the melts with sufficient volatility of components, gas inclusions may form under equilibrium conditions if the ampoule is wetted well by the melt, whereas in case of low wettability they form under non-equilibrium state only. The foaming in the tellurium-selenium system has been analysed (“Pirin”, KP-4 experiment).In the melts containing dissolved gases, gas inclusions form under conditions of deviation from equilibrium and it is the main mechanism of outgassing. It has been demonstrated that the melt foaming method using hydrid compounds may be applied to the materials exhibiting a hysteresis of temperature dependence of diluted hydrogen concentration. Production of foam aluminium under zero gravity state has been considered as an example (“Pirin”, SP-3 experiment).     

地月空间星地双向单程测量高精度模型

针对使用星地双向单程测量技术实现给定场景下的地月空间高精度测量问题,建立了地月空间纳秒级星地时差解算模型与米级瞬时距离解算模型,定量分析了模型中各因素的量级,并对模型中收发时延、引力时延、定轨误差和大气延迟等多种因素引入的时差和距离估算误差进行了定量分析。仿真数据的处理结果校验了误差量级理论分析的准确性,时差估算的均方根误差优于7.6ns,瞬时距离估算均方根误差优于2.4 m。建立的模型可以对地月空间星地DOWR测量数据进行高精度处理,实现地月空间高精度时间比对,支持未来中国载人登月等任务及地月空间高精度导航技术。     

捷联惯导垂线偏差的一种辅助修正方法

分析了垂线偏差产生的原因及其对导弹落点偏差的影响机理,利用制备好的垂线偏差网格数据,采取加权平均的方法计算发射点垂线偏差.介绍了目前的垂线偏差修正方法及其优缺点,提出通过修改初始姿态角的方法对垂线偏差的影响进行辅助修正,并建立了垂线偏差影响初始姿态角的数学模型.最后进行了弹道仿真,结果表明该方法能有效减小垂线偏差带来的落点偏差.     

Thermocapillary simulation of single bubble dynamics in zero gravity

The lack of significant buoyancy effects in zero gravity conditions poses an issue with fluid transfer in a stagnant liquid. In this paper bubble movement in a stagnant liquid is analysed and presented numerically using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. The governing continuum conservation equations for two phase flow are solved using the commercial software package Ansys-Fluent v.13 and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is used to track the liquid/gas interface in 2D and 3D domains. The simulation results are in reasonable agreement with the earlier experimental observations, the VOF algorithm is found to be a valuable tool for studying the phenomena of gas–liquid interaction. The flow is driven via Marangoni influence induced by the temperature difference which in turn drives the bubble from the cold to the hot region. A range of thermal Reynolds (Re_T) and Marangoni numbers (Ma_T) are selected for the numerical simulations, specifically Re_T=13–658 and Ma_T=214–10,721 respectively. The results indicate that the inherent velocity of bubbles decreases with an increase of the Marangoni number, a result that is line with the results of previous space experiments (Kang et al., 2008) [1]. An expression for predicting the scaled velocity of bubble has been derived based on the data obtained in the present numerical study. Some three-dimensional simulations are also performed to compare and examine the results with two-dimensional simulations.     

重力式自循环系统中热沉结构设计方法研究

文章对空间环境模拟器中的重力式自循环系统进行了介绍,分析系统的工作原理,明确了热沉管内流体的流动状态。对重力式自循环系统中的热沉结构设计方法进行研究,给出理论计算公式和热沉结构的设计流程。最后,根据确定的外流程输入条件,计算出热沉支管直径和支管热负荷随体积含气率的变化曲线,对重力式自循环系统的热沉结构设计提供了参考依据。     

Optimization of passive orbit with the use of gravity maneuver

A high-precision method of calculating gravitational interactions is applied in order to determine optimal trajectories. A number of problems, necessary for determination of optimal parameters at a launch of a spacecraft and during its flyby near celestial bodies, are considered. The spacecraft trajectory was determined by numerical integration of the equations of passive motion of the spacecraft and of the equations of motion for planets, the Sun, and the Moon. The optimal trajectory of the spacecraft approaching the Sun is determined by fitting its initial conditions.     

A deterministic computational model for the two dimensional electron and photon transport

A deterministic (non-statistical) two dimensional (2D) computational model describing the transport of electron and photon typical of space radiation environment in various shield media is described. The 2D formalism is casted into a code which is an extension of a previously developed one dimensional (1D) deterministic electron and photon transport code. The goal of both 1D and 2D codes is to satisfy engineering design applications (i.e. rapid analysis) while maintaining an accurate physics based representation of electron and photon transport in space environment. Both 1D and 2D transport codes have utilized established theoretical representations to describe the relevant collisional and radiative interactions and transport processes. In the 2D version, the shield material specifications are made more general as having the pertinent cross sections. In the 2D model, the specification of the computational field is in terms of a distance of traverse z along an axial direction as well as a variable distribution of deflection (i.e. polar) angles θ where −π/2<θ<π/2, and corresponding symmetry is assumed for the range of azimuth angles (0<φ<2π). In the transport formalism, a combined mean-free-path and average trajectory approach is used. For candidate shielding materials, using the trapped electron radiation environments at low Earth orbit (LEO), geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and Jupiter moon Europa, verification of the 2D formalism vs. 1D and an existing Monte Carlo code are presented.     

On the relationship between quasi-biennial variations of solar activity,the heliospheric magnetic field and cosmic rays

Quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO) of solar activity (T ≈ 1–4 years) are considered to be a variation of basic solar activity, associated with the solar dynamo process. They are transferred into interplanetary space by the open magnetic flux of the Sun, generating QBO in the intensity of cosmic rays (CR). This paper discusses the observational characteristics of QBO in CR and their relationship with QBO on the Sun and in the interplanetary medium. The delay time of QBO in CR relative to the solar and heliospheric magnetic field suggests that the formation of QBO in the open magnetic flux of the Sun occurs within 3–5 months. The paper considers the question of the prominent periodicity of CR (T = 1.6 years) that has prevailed in CR and in the heliospheric magnetic field for more than 10 years but was not stable over 60 years of observations. Distinctions in the characteristics of QBO and long-term variations of CR suggest features of the mechanism of their formation.     

月面重力模拟系统恒拉力绳索的动力学研究

月面巡视器在未来探月工程中有非常重要的作用.月球重力场是影响月面巡视器运动性能的重要环境因素,需要对其进行地面模拟试验.文章基于绳索悬挂建立月面重力模拟系统,其关键是对恒拉力绳索进行建模和动力学分析.通过将绳索离散化为一系列集中质量的弹簧阻尼结构,得到多刚体系统来代替连续的弹性系统,用数值计算方法来研究绳索系统的动力学参数(如刚度和阻尼)对月面重力模拟系统的影响,来优化月面重力模拟系统.