Surface temperature distribution along a thin liquid layer due to thermocapillary convection

The surface temperature distributions due to thermocapillary convections in a thin liquid layer with heat fluxes imposed on the free surface are investigated. The nondimensional analysis predicts that, when convection is important, the characteristic length scale in the flow direction L, and the characteristic temperature difference ΔT₀, can be represented by and , respectively, where L_R and ΔT_T are the reference scales used in the conduction-dominant situations with A denoting the aspect ratio and Ma the Marangoni number. Having had L and ΔT₀ defined, the global surface-temperature gradient ( ), the global thermocapillary driving-force, and other interesting features can then be readily determined. Finally, numerical calculations involving a Gaussian heat flux distribution are presented to justify these two relations.     

超临界压力下航空煤油RP-3在水平细圆管内对流换热特性实验研究

为探究超临界压力下碳氢燃料在水平管内的对流换热规律,文章针对超临界条件下航空煤油RP-3在水平细圆管内的对流换热,分析了热流密度、进口雷诺数及浮升力对对流换热的影响。研究表明:沿流动方向,管内表面传热系数随热流密度的增大先减小后增大;在低进口温度及低进口雷诺数情况下,管内换热均出现先恶化后强化的现象,而随着进口温度和雷诺数的增加,此现象消失;浮升力对换热的影响随热流密度的增加而增加;浮升力对下表面换热的加强使得入口效应的影响在下表面先于上表面结束;受浮升力影响,上下壁最大温差可达50 K;质量流速的增加会抑制浮升力对换热的影响;准则数Grq/Grth可以很好地反映浮升力的变化趋势。以上研究结果可为采用碳氢燃料作冷却介质的各类飞行器主动热防护技术方案提供技术支撑。     

Empirical Modeling of the Statistical Structure of Radio Signals from Satellites Moving over Mid- and High-Latitude Trajectories in the Southern Hemisphere

The results of developing the empirical model of parameters of radio signals propagating in the inhomogeneous ionosphere at middle and high latitudes are presented. As the initial data we took the homogeneous data obtained as a result of observations carried out at the Antarctic Molodezhnaya station by the method of continuous transmission probing of the ionosphere by signals of the satellite radionavigation Transit system at coherent frequencies of 150 and 400 MHz. The data relate to the summer season period in the Southern hemisphere of the Earth in 1988–1989 during high (F > 160) activity of the Sun. The behavior of the following statistical characteristics of radio signal parameters was analyzed: (a) the interval of correlation of fluctuations of amplitudes at a frequency of 150 MHz ( _kA ); (b) the interval of correlation of fluctuations of the difference phase ( _k); and (c) the parameter characterizing frequency spectra of amplitude (P _A) and phase (P ) fluctuations. A third-degree polynomial was used for modeling of propagation parameters. For all above indicated propagation parameters, the coefficients of the third-degree polynomial were calculated as a function of local time and magnetic activity. The results of calculations are tabulated.     

Statistical study of interplanetary condition effect on geomagnetic storms: 2. Variations of parameters

We investigate the behavior of mean values of the solar wind’s and interplanetary magnetic field’s (IMF) parameters and their absolute and relative variations during the magnetic storms generated by various types of the solar wind. In this paper, which is a continuation of paper [1], we, on the basis of the OMNI data archive for the period of 1976–2000, have analyzed 798 geomagnetic storms with D _st ≤ −50 nT and their interplanetary sources: corotating interaction regions CIR, compression regions Sheath before the interplanetary CMEs; magnetic clouds MC; “Pistons” Ejecta, and an uncertain type of a source. For the analysis the double superposed epoch analysis method was used, in which the instants of the magnetic storm onset and the minimum of the D _st index were taken as reference times. It is shown that the set of interplanetary sources of magnetic storms can be sub-divided into two basic groups according to their slowly and fast varying characteristics: (1) ICME (MC and Ejecta) and (2) CIR and Sheath. The mean values, the absolute and relative variations in MC and Ejecta for all parameters appeared to be either mean or lower than the mean value (the mean values of the electric field E _y and of the B _z component of IMF are higher in absolute value), while in CIR and Sheath they are higher than the mean value. High values of the relative density variation sN/〈N〉 are observed in MC. At the same time, the high values for relative variations of the velocity, B _z component, and IMF magnitude are observed in Sheath and CIR. No noticeable distinctions in the relationships between considered parameters for moderate and strong magnetic storms were observed.     

Nonlinear Localized Electrostatic Structures and Their Experimental Diagnostics in the Magnetosphere Plasma

The theoretical models of the formation of the three-dimensional quasi-stationary structures of variations of density and electrostatic potential in a multicomponent magnetosphere plasma are considered. On the basis of the perturbation method, we have studied the domains of the parametric space, where the occurrence of nonlinear quasi-stationary ion-acoustic and electron-acoustic structures are possible. For these structures, the velocities of motion along the direction of the magnetic field are estimated, together with the longitudinal and transverse scales with respect to the direction of the Earth's magnetic field. The calculated dependences of the scales l and l _|| of the structures on the plasma parameters in the three-component plasma allow one to compare the results of the considered theoretical models with new experimental data of measuring the form of soliton structures onboard the FAST, POLAR, and GEOTAIL satellites.     

Buoyancy effects on smoldering combustion

A theoretical and experimental study is carried out to determine the effect of buoyancy on the rate of spread of a cocurrent smolder reaction through a porous combustible material. Since buoyant forces are proportional to the product g(_gi − _g), they can be controlled experimentally by varying either the gravitational acceleration, g, or the density difference, _gi − _g. The latter approach was followed in the present work. Measurements are performed of the smolder spread rate through porous α-cellulose (0.83 void fraction) as a function of the ambient air pressure. The experiments are carried out in a pressure vessel for ambient pressures ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 atm. The rate of spread was obtained from the temperature histories of thermocouples placed at fixed intervals along the fuel centerline. The smolder velocity was found to increase as the ambient pressure was increased. Extinction was found to occur when the buoyancy forces could not overcome the drag forces, indicating that at least for the present experimental conditions transport by diffusion cannot, by itself, support the spread of a smolder reaction. This conclusion is particularly important for outer space conditions where gravity and consequently buoyancy could be negligible. In the analysis, which assumes one-dimensional processes, the transport equations are solved to give the smolder spread rate as a function of the inlet oxygen mass flux. This mass flux is then estimated by balancing buoyancy and drag forces. Assuming that the smolder chemical reaction is only weakly dependent on pressure, the analysis finally predicts a smolder velocity dependence of the form v Y_oig²_gi Pa², i.e. is proportional to the ambient pressure squared. Good qualitative agreement is found between the theoretical predictions and the experimental results.     

Analysis of heterogeneous recombination of oxygen atoms on aluminum oxide by methods of quantum mechanics and classical dynamics

To analyze the catalytic properties of heat shield materials of space vehicles, the cluster models of the adsorption of oxygen atoms on aluminum oxide are constructed and the corresponding potential energy surface is calculated on the basis of the density functional theory. Quantum-mechanical calculations showed that it is necessary to take into account the relaxation of the surface monolayers. Using this surface in molecular dynamics, calculations made it possible to obtain the probabilities of the heterogeneous recombination of oxygen atoms on the α-Al₂O₃ surface, which are in good agreement with experimental data. The calculations performed substantially decrease the amount of experimental investigations necessary reliably to describe the heterogeneous catalysis on promising reusable heat shield coatings for analyzing heat transfer during spacecraft entry into the atmosphere.     

温差发电模块面积比功率实验优化研究

同位素温差发电器是目前深空探测航天器广泛采用的电源装置。为优选温差发电模块构型、提高模块的输出功率和面积比功率,制备了具有不同热电元件截面积的碲化铋基温差发电模块。通过建立的实验测试系统,测量了多种温差条件下发电模块的输出功率随负载的变化。实验结果表明:当模块包含的热电元件(p–n结)对数一定时,热电元件的截面积越大、模块占空比越高,则模块输出功率越高、匹配负载越小;在热源温度450 K、热沉温度300 K的条件下,测得热电元件截面积为1.6 mm×1.6 mm、占空比为0.406的发电模块的最大面积比功率约为0.282 W·cm~(-2)。最后,对理想与实际情况下,占空比为1时的模块面积比功率进行了分析。     

流速及进出液口形式对板式热沉换热性能影响

热沉的换热性能直接影响空间冷环境的模拟效果。文章通过建立不锈钢板式热沉的几何结构模型,利用流体力学理论和有限元方法对板式热沉换热性能进行数值模拟。湍流计算采用RNG模型的k-ε方程,压力–速度耦合计算采用Simple算法,得到热沉壁面温度分布及换热特性参数,同时分析流速及进出口形式对热沉壁面温度均匀性及换热性能的影响。结果表明:较小的流速会导致热沉壁面温度均匀性变差,而流速的增加可以提高热沉的换热效率,但又会增加流体的压力损失。为保证热沉壁面温度分布均匀,需在综合考虑传热和阻力问题的基础上来确定最优的入口流速。当热沉有效尺寸较小时,则进出口布置形式不会影响板式热沉壁面温度的均匀性。     

Statistical Approach to the Evaluation of the Mean Correlation Length and the Propagation Velocity of Middle-Scale Plasma Structures in the Earth's Foreshock

Based on simultaneous measurements of ion fluxes made onboard the closely separated satellites Interball-1and Magion-4, the propagation velocity of middle-scale plasma structures in the Earth's foreshock relative to the solar wind flow is estimated. The derived value of this velocity allows these structures to be identified as a fast magnetosonic wave propagating upstream of the solar wind inflowing the Earth's bow shock. An evaluation is also made of the correlation length of these disturbances in the plane perpendicular to the Sun–Earth line. This length is approximately equal to 2R _E.     

Possible Origin of Ultralow-Frequency Whistlers

The sonographic analysis of records of ultralow-frequency emissions recorded by the induction magnetometer at the Mirnyi observatory (Antarctica) in 1981–1985 has revealed the presence of a special class of signals in the frequency band 0.25–5 Hz having a characteristic dispersion reminiscent of the dynamic spectra of LHR-whistlers observed in the VLF band. The ULF whistlers are observed, as a rule, at morning and evening hours of local time at moderate values of the K _p-index (0 < K _p < 4). The analysis of the frequency–time behavior of observed signals shows that the canalized propagation of short broadband pulses as magnetosonic waves in the layered medium, for example, in the magnetospheric current sheet can serve as a possible cause of the dispersion. Such sporadic phenomena on the magnetopause as microreconnections or FTE-events may be sources of these pulses.     

Statistical study of interplanetary condition effect on geomagnetic storms

Based on the archive OMNI data for the period 1976–2000 an analysis has been made of 798 geomagnetic storms with D _st < −50 nT and their interplanetary sources-large-scale types of the solar wind: CIR (145 magnetic storms), Sheath (96), magnetic clouds MC (62), and Ejecta (161). The remaining 334 magnetic storms have no well-defined sources. For the analysis, we applied the double method of superposed epoch analysis in which the instants of the magnetic storm beginning and minimum of D _st index are taken as reference times. The well-known fact that, independent of the interplanetary source type, the magnetic storm begins in 1–2 h after a southward turn of the IMF (B _z < 0) and both the end of the main phase of a storm and the beginning of its recovery phase are observed in 1–2 h after disappearance of the southward component of the IMF is confirmed. Also confirmed is the result obtained previously that the most efficient generation of magnetic storms is observed for Sheath before MC. On the average parameters B _z and E _y slightly vary between the beginning and end of the main phase of storms (minimum of D _st and D _st ^* indices), while D _st and D _st ^* indices decrease monotonically proportionally to integral of B _z and E _y over time. Such a behavior of the indices indicates that the used double method of superposed epoch analysis can be successfully applied in order to study dynamics of the parameters on the main phase of magnetic storms having different duration.     

Statistical Relationships between Solar, Interplanetary, and Geomagnetospheric Disturbances, 1976–2000

Within the framework of the Space Weather program, 25-year data sets for solar X-ray observations, measurements of plasma and magnetic field parameters in the solar wind, and D _st index variations are analyzed to reveal the factors that have had the greatest influence on the development of magnetospheric storms. The correlation between solar flares and magnetic storms practically does not exceed a level of correlation for random processes. In particular, no relation was found between the importance of solar flares and the minimum of the D _st index for storms that could be connected with considered flares by their time delay. The coronal mass ejections (CME; data on these phenomena cover a small part of the interval) result in storms with D _st < –60 nT only in half of the cases. The most geoeffective interplanetary phenomena are the magnetic clouds (MC), which many believe to be interplanetary manifestations of CMEs, and compressions in the region of interaction of slow and fast streams in the solar wind (the so-called Corotating Interaction Region, CIR). They correspond to about two-thirds of all observed magnetic storms. For storms with –100 < D _st < –60 nT, the frequencies of storms from MC and CIR being approximately equal. For strong storms with D _st < – 100 nT, the fraction of storms from MC is considerably higher. The problems of reliable prediction of geomagnetic disturbances from observations of the Sun and conditions in interplanetary space are discussed.     

Electromagnetic Pulse in the Magnetosphere Generated by Impulsive Current near the Lower Boundary of the Ionosphere

A solution to the problem of current spreading is constructed in the case of relaxation of electric charges, which have arisen in the mesosphere for one reason or other. These currents penetrate into the conductive region with anisotropic conductivity of the D- and E-layers of the ionosphere, being transformed to a MHD-wave that propagates into the magnetosphere. Based on this solution, the form and spectrum of the generated MHD signal are calculated for Alfvenic and magnetosonic modes coming out to the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Electric charges and currents can arise, for example, in the space between a thunderstorm cloud and the ionosphere, or between the shock wave from a ground explosion and the ionosphere. Some signal parameters accepted in the model are close to those expected for high-altitude electric discharges of the Red Sprite type. The conditions are determined under which the Alfven impulse with an amplitude of up to 100 nT propagates in the magnetosphere above high-altitude discharge of this type. Such an impulse was recorded by the AUREOL-3 satellite after the ground explosion MASSA-1. Recently, this impulse was hypothesized to originate as a result of a high-altitude electric discharge. The hypothesis on a similar MHD pulse allows one to explain in a semiquantitative way the short burst of electron field-aligned acceleration observed by the DE-2 satellite over the Debbie hurricane. The high-altitude atmospheric discharge of this type can be a powerful, though short-time and local, source of electrons with kiloelectronvolt energies at low and middle latitudes. One could expect that such an effect causes a modified character of the so-called Trimpi-effect (a short-term disturbance of propagation of VLF waves in the ionosphere), and thus, it can be observable.     

Gravitational Sensitivity of Solutions–Melts at the Crystallization of Two-Phase InSb–InBi Alloys under Space Conditions

Analyzing the results of space and ground-based experiments carried out in the Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science to study the processes of the melting and crystallization of two-phase InSb–InBi alloys of an indium–antimony–bismuth (In–Sb– Bi) triple system, we have demonstrated the gravitational sensitivity of the InSb-based solution– melt. It manifests itself as a certain asymmetry of the boundary of the dissolution of the InSb ingot by the InSb–InBi melt and heterogeneity of the melt along this boundary depending on the magnitude and direction of the gravity force acceleration gin the range (1–10^–3–10^–5)g ₀, where g ₀is the acceleration of the gravity force on Earth. For the first time, it is established in the experiments under analysis that the homogeneity of melts of a complex composition with components of various densities can be reached only at magnitudes of quasistationary (residual) microaccelerations g< 10^–6 g ₀.     

The Fields of Magnetospheric Current Systems on the Earth's Surface in an Interval of the Magnetic Storm Studied under the International Program on Solar–Terrestrial Physics

Using the magnetic storm in January 1997 as an example, we examined the possibilities to employ the magnetospheric field T96 [1, 2] and the dynamic paraboloid model PM of the magnetosphere [3] for modeling the D _st variation. We have revealed the necessity to refine the results of normalizing the free parameters of the model T96 according to the solar wind parameters. The contributions to the D _st variation of magnetic fields of basic large-scale magnetospheric current systems (the field DCF on the magnetopause, the field DR of the ring current, and the field DT in the magnetotail) are estimated for different phases of the storm from model calculations. Possible causes of a discrepancy between the results of modeling D _st using the T96 and PM models are discussed. Special emphasis is made on the ratios of contributions into the D _st variation of the fields of the magnetotail and the ring current in the main phase of magnetic storms and on the contributions to D _st of the fields of various current systems at the recovery phase.     

Influence of Solar Wind Parameters on the Level of Geomagnetic Field Fluctuations

We investigated the dependence of the geomagnetic activity index K _p on the velocity and density of the solar wind and the intensity of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). A three-layer neural network was used to create the model. The degree of the influence of input parameters on K _p was determined by the value of the mean and root-mean square deviations of the model index values from the real indices. It was found that the largest contribution to the K _p index is provided by the Z component of the IMF, the velocity and density of the solar wind measured with a delay from 0 to 3 h relative to the studied value of K _p, and the previous value of the index itself. For the model with such a set of input parameters, the correlation coefficient between model and real series is ±0.89. The analysis of deviations from the real values of K _p showed that high indices are simulated worse than low indices. In order to solve this problem the data distribution was reduced to a uniform distribution over K _p, and this considerably decreased the standard deviations for large values of K _p.     

The turbulent combustion of a propane-air mixture

This paper models the combustion of a turbulent homogeneous mixture of propane and air within a duct having a stationary one-dimensional mean flow. The Bray-Moss model is applied to the closure of the chemical production terms, using a probability density function (pdf) of the temperature which is chosen as the characteristic variable. Under the conditions chosen for the study, chemical kinetic factors are important and the conventional assumption, that heat release is controlled by turbulent mixing, is not valid. The chemical model of Edelman and Fortune for the combustion of hydrocarbons is used and simplifying assumptions are made which reduce the systems of unknowns to that of the temperature alone. This leads to the introduction of two chemical production terms which are defined respectively in a “delay zone”, where the heat release is modest, and a “combustion zone”. The required equations for the Favre-averaged temperature, turbulence kinetic energy and the mean square fluctuation of the temperature are solved numerically. In the delay zone, a comparison is made between a second order Borghi type closure and the pdf closure. Good agreement is found in the case of relatively small turbulence intensity. It is shown that the pdf formulation does not require the two zones to be spatially distinct. Differing chemical source terms can be discriminated instantaneously by the reaction progress variable and contributions to the average production terms appropriately apportioned by its pdf. Predictions are made of the profiles of mean temperature and mean square fluctuation under different initial turbulence levels.     

The derivation of a second-order satellite trajectory predictor in terms of geometrical variables

This paper develops a new semianalytic theory by generalization of the Method of Averaging (MoA) and the Stroboscopic Method (SM). Unlike the traditional development of the MoA, which must use the mean anomaly, this new approach can treat any orbital anomaly. In particular, a more geometrically significant position variable, the true anomaly, is considered here. This extension of the traditional methods presents significant analytical and numerical advantages. For instance, the averaging of the rate functions does not require the usual change of variable to true anomaly and the evaluation of the short-period terms does not involve the solution of the transcendental Kepler equation. The new set of differential equations is completely independent of the satellite anomalistic motion, thus allowing the propagation of the state with a relatively large (up to a few days) integration stepsize. This feature effectively increases the flexibility of the SM, which normally restricts the propagation of the state to integral multiples fo the orbital period. The transformations that relate this new set of averaged rate functions and short-period terms to the traditional ones are derived in a series of analytic expressions called Equivalence Relations. These relations allow a successful comparison of this theory with the classical results found in the literature. Further changes of independent variables to “mean time” and “mean orbit number” naturally lead to difference equations and multirevolution integration algorithms.The principles of this theory are applied to the equations that describe the motion of an earth satellite subjected to gravity (J₂, J₃ and J₄ harmonics) and drag perturbations. The atmospheric model includes the effects of solar and geomagnetic activity, the diurnal, semiannual and seasonal-latitudinal cycles of density variations and the flattening and rotation of the atmosphere. The short-period oscillatory terms and the averaged differential equations associated with these perturbations are developed into completely analytical expressions. This feature provides insights into the dynamics of the satellite and simplifies the numerics of the prediction process. Numerical simulation of this new set of differential equations and comparison with the propagation of the unaveraged (osculating) set of differential equations show that the predictor proposed in this paper significantly increases computation speed without loss in accuracy.This theory has been used to predict the orbital lifetime of actual satellites and to conduct a parametric analysis of satellite orbital lifetime.     

Ray Based Diffraction Tomography of the Ionosphere and Laboratory Inhomogeneous Plasma

A new procedure for restoration of the plasma inhomogeneities with improved resolution is suggested. The procedure deals with the double weighted Fourier transform (DWFT) of the observed wavefield in coordinates of both receivers = (x, y) and sources ₀ = (x ₀, y ₀) [1]. Phase increments between the sources and receivers, being found from DWFT representation, can be used for extracting information on small perturbations of the dielectric constant ~(, z) in a way similar to traditional radio tomography. The resulting resolution of the method is close to the diffraction limit = h/D in the horizontal direction and z = (h/D)² in the vertical direction, where h is the height of inhomogeneities and D is the length of the ground-based receiving system.