Giant Planet Ionospheres and Thermospheres: The Importance of Ion-Neutral Coupling

Planetary upper atmospheres-coexisting thermospheres and ionospheres-form an important boundary between the planet itself and interplanetary space. The solar wind and radiation from the Sun may react with the upper atmosphere directly, as in the case of Venus. If the planet has a magnetic field, however, such interactions are mediated by the magnetosphere, as in the case of the Earth. All of the Solar System’s giant planets have magnetic fields of various strengths, and interactions with their space environments are thus mediated by their respective magnetospheres. This article concentrates on the consequences of magnetosphere-atmosphere interactions for the physical conditions of the thermosphere and ionosphere. In particular, we wish to highlight important new considerations concerning the energy balance in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn, and the role that coupling between the ionosphere and thermosphere may play in establishing and regulating energy flows and temperatures there. This article also compares the auroral activity of Earth, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. The Earth’s behaviour is controlled, externally, by the solar wind. But Jupiter’s is determined by the co-rotation or otherwise of the equatorial plasmasheet, which is internal to the planet’s magnetosphere. Despite being rapid rotators, like Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus appear to have auroral emissions that are mainly under solar (wind) control. For Jupiter and Saturn, it is shown that Joule heating and “frictional” effects, due to ion-neutral coupling can produce large amounts of energy that may account for their high exospheric temperatures.     

Element Separation in the Chromosphere Ionization-Diffusion Models for the FIP-Effect

Ionization-diffusion mechanisms to understand the first ionization potential (FIP) fractionation as observed in the solar corona and the solar wind are reviewed. The enrichment of the low-FIP elements (<10 eV) compared to the high-FIP elements, seen in e.g. slow and fast wind or polar plumes, is explained. The behaviour of the heavy noble gases becomes understandable. The absolute fractionation, i.e. in relation to hydrogen, can be calculated and fits well to the measurements. The theoretical velocity-dependence of the fractionation will with used to determine the velocities of the solar wind in the chromosphere. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Structure of the Chromosphere Properties Pertaining to Element Fractionation

We review the structure and dynamics of the solar chromosphere with emphasis on the quiet Sun and properties that are relevant to element fractionation mechanisms. Attention is given to the chromospheric magnetic field, its connections to the photosphere, and to the dynamical evolution of the chromosphere. While some profound advances have been made in the “unmagnetized” chromosphere, our knowledge of the magnetically controlled chromosphere, more relevant for the discussion of element fractionation, is limited. Given the dynamic nature of the chromosphere and the poorly understood magnetic linkage to the corona, it is unlikely that we will soon know the detailed processes leading to FIP fractionation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

北斗星基增强电离层模型精度评估与分析

针对如何有效地对北斗星基增强系统(SBAS)电离层在模型精度、模型时效性等方面进行综合评估,提出了一种修正的CODE格网模型,通过增加国内陆态网监测站观测数据,提升了CODE格网模型精度。以此模型为基准,利用2020年近一个月的数据分析了北斗区域格网电离层模型和北斗SBAS电离层模型的延迟误差、改正比例的变化以及在全球的覆盖范围,并从全球不同纬度带比较了北斗基本导航和星基增强电离层模型的精度。结果表明：修正的CODE模型精度符合评估要求,且与我国电离层实际变化情况更吻合,北斗区域格网电离层模型和北斗SBAS电离层模型精度相当,优于0.3m,改正比例均优于80%,但北斗SBAS电离层模型覆盖范围明显更大。     

北斗星基增强电离层模型精度评估与分析

针对如何有效地对北斗星基增强系统(SBAS)电离层在模型精度、模型时效性等方面进行综合评估,提出了一种修正的CODE格网模型,通过增加国内陆态网监测站观测数据,提升了CODE格网模型精度。以此模型为基准,利用2020年近一个月的数据分析了北斗区域格网电离层模型和北斗SBAS电离层模型的延迟误差、改正比例的变化以及在全球的覆盖范围,并从全球不同纬度带比较了北斗基本导航和星基增强电离层模型的精度。结果表明修正的CODE模型精度符合评估要求,且与我国电离层实际变化情况更吻合,北斗区域格网电离层模型和北斗SBAS电离层模型精度相当,优于0.3m,改正比例均优于80%,但北斗SBAS电离层模型覆盖范围明显更大。     

Space Weather in the Equatorial Ionosphere

The ‘scintillations’ observed on signals received in the equatorial region from GPS satellites are due to plasma instabilities in the F region of the ionosphere, also detected as spread F. These instabilities give rise to depletions of ionisation or ‘bubbles’. The occurrence of these events and their relation to the equatorial electrojet are reviewed. Possibilities of short-term forecasting are examined with particular attention to problems encountered in modelling the equatorial electrojet. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Observations of Vertical Reflections from the Topside Martian Ionosphere

The Martian ionosphere has for the first time been probed by a low frequency topside radio wave sounder experiment (MARSIS) (Gurnett et al., 2005). The density profiles in the Martian ionosphere have for the first time been observed for solar zenith angles less than 48 degrees. The sounder spectrograms typically have a single trace of echoes, which are controlled by reflections from the ionosphere in the direction of nadir. With the local density at the spacecraft derived from the sounder measurements and using the lamination technique the spectrograms are inverted to electron density profiles. The measurements yield electron density profiles from the sub-solar region to past the terminator. The maximum density varies in time with the solar rotation period, indicating control of the densities by solar ionizing radiation. Electron density increases associated with solar flares were observed. The maximum electron density varies with solar zenith angle as predicted by theory. The altitude profile of electron densities between the maximum density and about 170m altitude is well approximated by a classic Chapman layer. The neutral scale height is close to 10 to 13 km. At altitudes above 180 km the densities deviate from and are larger than inferred by the Chapman layer. At altitudes above the exobase the density decrease was approximated by an exponential function with scale heights between 24 and 65 km. The densities in the top side ionosphere above the exobase tends to be larger than the densities extrapolated from the Chapman layer fitted to the measurements at lower altitudes, implying more efficient upward diffusion above the collision dominated photo equilibrium region.     

The Solar Wind Interaction With the Martian Ionosphere/Atmosphere

The interaction of the solar wind with the Martian exosphere and ionosphere leads to significant loss of atmosphere from the planet. Spacecraft data confirm that this is the case. However, the issue is how much is actually lost. Given that spacecraft coverage is sparse, simulation is one of the few ways for these estimates to be made. In this paper the evolution of our attempts to place bounds on this loss rate will be addressed. Using a hybrid particle code the loss rate with respect to solar EUV flux is addressed as well as a variety of numerical and chemical issues. The progress made has been of an evolutionary nature, with one approach tried and tested followed by another as the simulations are improved and better estimates are produced. The results to be reported suggest that the ion loss rates are high enough to explain the loss of water from Mars during earlier solar epochs.     

A Fault-tolerance Estimating Method for Ionosphere Corrections in Satellite Navigation System

 Aiming to the reliable estimates of the ionosphere differential corrections for the satellite navigation system in the presence of the ionosphere anomaly, a fault-tolerance estimating method, which is based on the distributed Kalman filtering, is proposed. The method utilizes the parallel sub-filters for estimating the ionosphere differential corrections. Meanwhile, an infinite norm (IN) method is proposed for the detection of the ionosphere irregularity in the filter processing. Once the anomaly is detected, the sub-filter contaminated by the anomaly measurements will be excluded to ensure the reliability of the estimates. The simulation is conducted to validate the method and the results indicate that the anomaly can be found timely due to the novel fault detection method based on the infinite norm. Because of the parallel sub-filter architecture, the measurements are classified by the spatial distribution so that the ionosphere anomaly can be positioned and excluded more easily. Thus, the method can provide the robust and accurate ionosphere differential corrections.     

Impulsive Coupling Between the Atmosphere and Ionosphere/Magnetosphere

This review covers various aspects of the impulsive coupling in the ULF frequency range between atmospheric discharge processes and upper ionosphere. Characteristic feature of the upper ionosphere is the occurrence of the ionospheric Alfven resonator (IAR) and MHD waveguide, which can trap the electromagnetic wave energy in the range from fractions of Hz to few Hz. Induction magnetometer observations at mid-latitude stations are considered as an example of a transient ULF response to the regional and global lightning activity. For many events, besides the main impulse produced by a lightning discharge, a secondary impulse delayed about 1 sec was observed. These secondary echo-impulses are probably caused by the partial reflection of wave energy of the initial lightning pulse from the upper IAR boundary in the topside ionosphere. The multi-band spectral resonant structure (SRS) can be formed owing to the occurrence of paired pulses in analyzed time series. The statistical superposed epoch method indeed has revealed a dominance of two-pulse structure in the magnetic field background during the periods of the SRS occurrence. The numerical modeling shows that during the lightning discharge a coupled wave system comprising IAR and MHD waveguide is excited. In the lightning proximity (about few hundred km) the amplitudes of radial component is 1–2 orders less than those of the azimuthal component, and only the lowest IAR harmonics are revealed in the radial magnetic component. At distances ～10³?km the spectral power densities of both components are comparable, and the SRS is more pronounced. The problems and further prospects of the study of the impulsive magnetosphere–ionosphere–atmosphere coupling via transient processes during thunderstorms are discussed.     

A New Optimal Hatch Filter to Minimize the Effects of Ionosphere Gradients for GBAS

At present, the main problem faced by ground-based augment system （GBAS） is that though carder smoothing filter and local differential global positioning system （LDGPS） improve the accuracy of the pseudorange by reducing the noise in it and eliminating almost all the common errors between the user and the reference station, they also cause extra errors on account of the effects of the ionosphere temporal and spatial gradients. Based on the analysis of these errors as well as the smoothing noise, this article suggests a new algorithm to design the optimal Hatch filter, whose smoothing window width varies real-time with the satellite elevation, ionosphere variation, and distance from the user to the reference station. By conducting the positioning process in the GBAS emulation platform for several hours and after its comparison with the performances of traditional Hatch filters, it is found that the errors in the differential correction become smaller and the positioning accuracy gets heightened with this new method.     

Mars Global MHD Predictions of Magnetic Connectivity Between the Dayside Ionosphere and the Magnetospheric Flanks

Atmospheric photoelectrons have been observed well above the ionosphere of Mars by the ASPERA-3 ELS instrument on Mars Express. To systematically interpret these observations, field lines from two global MHD simulations were analyzed for connectivity to the dayside ionosphere (allowing photoelectron escape). It is found that there is a hollow cylinder behind the planet from 1–2 R _M away from the Mars-Sun line that has a high probability of containing magnetic field lines with connectivity to the dayside ionosphere. These results are in complete agreement with the ELS statistics. It is concluded that the high-altitude photoelectrons are the result of direct magnetic connectivity to the dayside at the moment of the measurement, and no extra trapping or bouncing mechanisms are needed to explain the data.     

GPS／INS组合导航系统松、紧耦合性能比较

对GPS/INS组合导航系统的紧耦合算法进行了理论推导。详细分析了当INS元器件性能变差时,GPS/INS组合导航系统在不同耦合模式下的定位精度变化规律,得出采用紧耦合模式的组合导航系统比一般的松耦合方式能获得更好的定位精度;并通过仿真验证了该结论的正确。     

Solar Influences on Dynamical Coupling Between the Stratosphere and Troposphere

We use a simplified atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to investigate the response of the lower atmosphere to thermal perturbations in the lower stratosphere. The results show that generic heating of the lower stratosphere tends to weaken the sub-tropical jets and the tropospheric mean meridional circulations. The positions of the jets, and the extent of the Hadley cells, respond to the distribution of the stratospheric heating, with low latitude heating displacing them poleward, and uniform heating displacing them equatorward. The patterns of response to the low latitude heating are similar to those found to be associated with solar variability in previous observational data analysis, and to the effects of varying solar UV radiation in sophisticated AGCMs. In order to investigate the chain of causality involved in converting the stratospheric thermal forcing to a tropospheric climate signal we conduct an experiment which uses an ensemble of model spin-ups to analyse the time development of the response to an applied stratospheric perturbation. We find that the initial effect of the change in static stability at the tropopause is to reduce the eddy momentum flux convergence in this region. This is followed by a vertical transfer of the momentum forcing anomaly by an anomalous mean circulation to the surface, where it is partly balanced by surface stress anomalies. The unbalanced part drives the evolution of the vertically integrated zonal flow. We conclude that solar heating of the stratosphere may produce changes in the circulation of the troposphere even without any direct forcing below the tropopause. We suggest that the impact of the stratospheric changes on wave propagation is key to the mechanisms involved.     

发动机谐振与箭体模态耦合稳定性及机理研究

针对发动机谐振可能与箭体弹性振动之间发生耦合共振,从而引起姿态控制系统不稳定的问题,首先将发动机谐振特性简化为一个二阶环节,建立了包含发动机谐振方程的火箭姿态动力学模型;然后分析了发动机谐振对箭体模态极点频率和阻尼比的影响,并从理论上分析了出现负阻尼比时发动机和箭体模态间的耦合共振机理,在此基础上计算了导致姿态控制系统...     

Plasma instabilities and their simulations in the equatorial F region – Recent results

In this paper the developments made in the last five years on numerical simulation/modeling studies of a complex nighttime equatorial spread F phenomenon are reviewed. Emphasis is given to the Indian work and necessary comparisons are done with other international works on this field. Investigations involving the important aspects, namely the confinement of the plasma bubble in the bottomside of the ionosphere, linear and nonlinear effects of molecular ions in the development of plasma bubbles, interaction of two modes as a seed perturbation are discussed in detail. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

液压泵气蚀机理分析及解决措施

分析了液压系统空化气蚀的产生机理和影响因素,提出了预防或减小空化气蚀破坏的措施。     

航空液压泵气蚀理论分析与试验验证

气蚀现象影响航空液压泵的使用寿命,通过分析某型飞机配套液压泵在开式液压系统中发生气蚀现象的机理,开展试验室模拟验证,并结合飞机实际使用提出改进措施,为外场使用提供了实用经验和理论支持。     

高超声速飞行器流-热-固耦合研究现状与软件开发

新一代高超声速飞行器流-热-固耦合问题研究对准确评估与设计飞行器热防护系统结构尤为重要。回顾了高超声速飞行器流-热-固耦合问题的发展历程与现状。从物理含义出发,对高超声速流-热-固耦合问题各学科间的耦合关系以及各自的建模方法进行了归纳。对高超声速飞行器流-热-固耦合问题的研究进展,特别是流-热-固多场耦合分析策略/方法进行了总结。从平台框架、功能模块、耦合方法和技术特点等方面,对中国空气动力研究与发展中心自主研发的热环境/热响应耦合计算分析平台(FL-CAPTER)进行了阐述。最后,对高超声速飞行器流-热-固耦合发展所面临的问题和发展趋势进行了讨论。