Spacecraft swarm dynamics and control about asteroids

This paper presents a novel methodology to control spacecraft swarms about single asteroids. This approach enables the use of small, autonomous swarm spacecraft in conjunction with a mothership, reducing the need for the Deep Space Network and improving performance in future asteroid missions. The methodology is informed by a semi-analytical model for the spacecraft relative motion that includes relevant gravitational effects without assuming J2-dominance as well as solar radiation pressure. The dynamics model is exploited in an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to produce an osculating-to-mean relative orbital element (ROE) conversion that relies on minimum knowledge of the asteroid gravity. The resulting real-time relative mean state estimate is utilized in a new formation-keeping control algorithm. The control problem is cast in mean relative orbital elements to leverage the geometric insight of secular and long-period effects in the definition of control windows for swarm maintenance. Analytical constraints that ensure collision avoidance and enforce swarm geometry are derived and enforced in ROE space. The proposed swarm-keeping algorithms are tested and validated in high-fidelity simulations for a reference asteroid mission.     

红外偏振成像进展

作为一种新型光电探测技术,红外偏振成像探测在军事和民用领域展现出的广阔应用前景,受到国内外众多学者和有关部门的高度关注。本文对近几年红外偏振探测理论、红外偏振成像系统、探测系统的应用等方面进行了总结,通过模拟不同材料的红外偏振辐射特性和实际图像分析,对红外偏振成像探测技术的发展动向、存在的问题和解决这些问题的思路给出了系统的综述。分析了当前红外偏振成像技术存在的优缺点,结合生物多波段偏振视觉的研究进展,提出了仿生偏振视觉的概念。通过分析目标辐射偏振特性,给出了影响偏振成像质量的因素,并用实际拍摄图像分析了红外偏振成像的适用领域。     

Development of an extreme ultraviolet imaging spectrometer for the BepiColombo mission

Extreme and far ultraviolet imaging spectrometers are proposed for the low-altitude orbiter of the BepiColombo mission. The UV instrument, consisting of the two spectrometers with common electronics, aims at measuring (1) emission lines from molecules, atoms and ions present in the Mercury’s tenuous atmosphere and (2) the reflectance spectrum of Mercury’s surface. The instrument pursues a complete coverage in UV spectroscopy. The extreme UV spectrometer covers the spectral range of 30–150 nm with the field of view of 5.0°, and the spectrum from 130 to 430 nm is obtained by the far UV spectrometer. The extreme UV spectrometer employs multi-layer coating technology to enhance its sensitivity at particular emission lines. This technology enables us to identify small ionospheric signatures such as He II (30.4 nm) and Na II (37.2 nm), which could not be detected with conventional optics.     

In-orbit operation and performance of the CubeSat Soft X-ray polarimeter PolarLight

PolarLight is a compact soft X-ray polarimeter onboard a CubeSat, which was launched into a low-Earth orbit on October 29, 2018. In March 2019, PolarLight started full operation, and since then, regular observations with the Crab nebula, Sco X-1, and background regions have been conducted. Here we report the operation, calibration, and performance of PolarLight in the orbit. Based on these, we discuss how one can run a low-cost, shared CubeSat for space astronomy, and how CubeSats can play a role in modern space astronomy for technical demonstration, science observations, and student training.     

The distributions of positions of Minimal Orbit Intersection Distances among Near Earth Asteroids

This paper presents the distributions of the positions of the Minimal Orbit Intersection Distances (MOID) among three subgroups of the Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs). This includes 683 Atens, 4185 Apollos and 3538 Amors which makes over 15 millions combinations of the pairs of orbits. The results which are obtained in this analysis show very interesting distributions of positions of the MOIDs and circumstances of close approaches of the asteroids and emphasize influence of different orbital elements on these distributions.     

Study of highly perturbed spacecraft formation dynamics via approximation

This paper explores methods for approximating and analyzing the dynamics of highly perturbed spacecraft formations with an emphasis on computationally efficient approaches. This facilitates on-board computation or rapid preliminary mission design analysis. Perturbed formation dynamics are often approximated as linear time-varying (LTV) systems, for which Floquet theory can be used to analyze the degree of system instability. Furthermore, the angular momentum of the relative orbital state can be computed with the approximate dynamics to provide additional insight. A general methodology is developed first and then applied to the problem of unstable formation dynamics in asteroid orbits. Here the dominant perturbative effects due to low-order gravitational harmonics and solar radiation pressure are modeled. Numerical simulations validate the approach and illustrate the approximation accuracy achieved.     

Polarimetric shapes of spectral lines in solar observations

A century has elapsed since the first observation of the polarimetric profile of a line of the solar spectrum. Since then, dramatic progress has been made in the instrumentation, which is now reaching unprecedented levels of sensitivity in the measurement of polarization signals in solar spectral lines. At the same time, the theoretical framework needed for the interpretation of polarimetric observations has steadily evolved from the pioneering methods, based on simple formulae, to the sophisticated structure that is nowadays used with success in the interpretation of solar observations. The present paper is intended to give a historical perspective of the evolution of this research field and of its major achievements, with particular emphasis on the role played by the magnetic field in determining the polarimetric shapes of spectral lines.     

Polarization model for discrimination of broad and needle shaped leaves and estimation of LAI using polarization measurements

Method for estimation of Leaf Area Index (LAI) based on polarized radiance measurements is proposed. Leaf angle dependency on LAI estimation can be taken into account by considering polarization characteristics of leaves. Effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed with the polarized radiance from tealeaves and the other needle leaf types of grasses. Convenient way to monitor quality and amount of leaves with network camera with polarization film is also proposed.     

Polarization pattern of low and mid-frequency magnetic pulsations in the polar cap: A comprehensive analysis at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)

The polarization pattern of ULF pulsations (f ≈ 1–100 mHz) at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica, CGM λ ∼ 80°) has been determined for the entire 2003, soon after the solar maximum. A comparison with the results of previous investigations, conducted at the same station close to the solar minimum (1994–96), allows to focus common elements and major differences among different frequency bands which persist through the entire solar cycle. Basically, between f ∼ 1.5 and 5 mHz, the day can be divided into four sectors with alternate polarizations. The local time and latitudinal dependence of the observed pattern can be tentatively interpreted in terms of a latitude of resonant field lines reaching λ ∼ 80° in the noon sector; on the other hand, resonance effects of lower latitude field lines can be clearly identified also far from the noon meridian when the station moves into the deep polar cap. Moreover, in the morning sector the resonance region would extend to lower latitudes than in the evening sector. The proposed profile of the resonant region can interpret also the results obtained at other cusp/auroral stations and appears consistent with that one inferred in the northern hemisphere at smaller latitudes. The resonance region progressively shifts toward lower latitude with increasing frequency; correspondingly, the four-sector pattern progressively disappears at TNB. Above f ∼ 20 mHz, the experimental observations might suggest an additional contribution from Sunward propagating waves, possibly via the magnetotail lobes.     

对卫星网络轨道／频率协调中若干问题的探讨

以国际电联的相关建议为基础,就卫星网络轨道及频率协调中所碰到的若干问题,诸如天线增益,极化隔离,雨衰及ＳＣＰＣ保护比,给出了合理及可实现的估算方法,同时强调了功率密度在不同的应用场合,常有不同的定义方式。     

Off-axis irradiation and the polarization of broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei

The stokes Monte Carlo radiative transfer code has been extended to model the velocity dependence of the polarization of emission lines. We use stokes to present improved modeling of the velocity-dependent polarization of broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei. We confirm that off-axis continuum emission can produce observed velocity dependencies of both the degree and position angle of polarization. The characteristic features are a dip in the percentage polarization and an S-shaped swing in the position angle of the polarization across the line profile. Some differences between our stokes results and previous modeling of polarization due to off-axis emission are noted. In particular we find that the presence of an offset between the maximum in line flux and the dip in the percentage of polarization or the central velocity of the swing in position angle does not necessarily imply that the scattering material is moving radially. Our model is an alternative scenario to the equatorial scattering disk described by Smith et al. (2005). We discuss strategies to discriminate between both interpretations and to constrain their relative contributions to the observed velocity-resolved line and polarization.     

ASAR imaging for coastal upwelling in the Baltic Sea

Analysis of Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and Aqua/Terra Moderate Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) infrared (IR) imagery of coastal upwelling in the southeastern Baltic Sea is presented. It is found that upwelling features are well distinct in the SAR images, and the leading imaging mechanism appears to be the change of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) stratification over the sea surface temperature (SST) front. This finding is supported by model calculations of the MABL transformation supplemented with the SAR backscatter calculations based on the CMOD4 model. In addition an empirical dependence of the SAR contrasts over the upwelling region on the wind speed and the SST drop is suggested. Finally, surface slicks accumulated in the sea surface current convergence zones generate additional distinct features in SAR imagery. This effect is interpreted within the framework of the coastal current circulation model based on analysis of the SST snapshot.     

Mission planning optimization of video satellite for ground multi-object staring imaging

This study investigates the emergency scheduling problem of ground multi-object staring imaging for a single video satellite. In the proposed mission scenario, the ground objects require a specified duration of staring imaging by the video satellite. The planning horizon is not long, i.e., it is usually shorter than one orbit period. A binary decision variable and the imaging order are used as the design variables, and the total observation revenue combined with the influence of the total attitude maneuvering time is regarded as the optimization objective. Based on the constraints of the observation time windows, satellite attitude adjustment time, and satellite maneuverability, a constraint satisfaction mission planning model is established for ground object staring imaging by a single video satellite. Further, a modified ant colony optimization algorithm with tabu lists (Tabu-ACO) is designed to solve this problem. The proposed algorithm can fully exploit the intelligence and local search ability of ACO. Based on full consideration of the mission characteristics, the design of the tabu lists can reduce the search range of ACO and improve the algorithm efficiency significantly. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional algorithm in terms of optimization performance, and it can obtain satisfactory scheduling results for the mission planning problem.     

Validation of non-linear split window algorithm for land surface temperature estimation using Sentinel-3 satellite imagery: Case study; Tehran Province,Iran

In recent years, land surface temperature (LST) has become critical in environmental studies and earth science. Remote sensing technology enables spatiotemporal monitoring of this parameter on large scales. This parameter can be estimated by satellite images with at least one thermal band. Sentinel-3 SLSTR data provide LST products with a spatial resolution of 1 km. In this research, direct and indirect validation procedures were employed to evaluate the Sentinel-3 SLSTR LST products over the study area in different seasons from 2018 to 2019. The validation method was based on the absolute (direct) evaluation of this product with field data and comparison (indirect) evaluation with the MODIS LST product and the estimated LST using the non-linear split-window (NSW) algorithm. Also, two emissivity estimation methods, (1) NDVI thresholding method (NDVI-THM) and (2) classification-based emissivity method (CBEM), were used to estimate the LST using the NSW method according to the two thermal bands of Sentinel-3 images. Then, the accuracy of these methods in estimating LST was evaluated using field data and temporal changes of vegetation, which the NDVI-THM method generated better results. For indirect evaluation between the Sentinel-3 LST product, MODIS LST product, and LST estimated using NSW, four filters based on spatial and temporal separates between pairs of pixels and pixel quality were used to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the compared pairs of a pixel. In general, the accuracy results of the LST products of MODIS and Sentinel-3, and LST estimated using NSW showed a similar trend for LST changes during the seasons. With respect to the two absolute and comparative validations for the Sentinel-3 LST products, summer with the highest values of bias (?1.24 K), standard deviation (StDv = 2.66 K), and RMSE (2.43 K), and winter with the lowest ones (bias of 0.14 K, StDv of 1.13 K, and RMSE of 1.12 K) provided the worst and best results for the seasons in the period of 2018–2019, respectively. According to both absolute and comparative evaluation results, the Sentinel-3 SLSTR LST products provided reliable results for all seasons on a large temporal and spatial scale over our studied area.     

Kinetic theory of the current sheath. I. On polarization of an equilibrium current sheath

The basic theme of this paper is the investigation of the polarizing electric fields caused by anisotropy of thermal plasma of a current sheath. The paper provides a generalization of the equilibrium distribution function of the current sheath (Harris function) to the case of temperature anisotropy of plasma along and across the sheath. It appears that solution of the electroneutral equilibrium represents a narrow class of solutions and is true only for certain relations between the parameters of the problem. In the general case, the plasma of a stationary current sheath is polarized. The structure of the current sheath of a magnetosphere tail is investigated with regard to the effect of polarization, and profiles of the polarization electric fields are obtained. This field should be taken into account in the study of current sheath stability.     

The infrared imaging channel of the IKS instrument for detection of Comet Halley nucleus

The imaging Channel of the IKS Instrument placed on board the Vega fly-by probes will perform measurements of the infrared emission of the central region of Comet Halley at distances in the 10⁴ ? 10⁵ km range. An encoding wheel analyses one spatial frequency of the infrared image during the whole fly-by. Inversion of this measurement will give low resolution brightness profiles of the nucleus and its immediate surroundings, in two wave-length bandpasses and in two directions of analysis.     

3D Imaging of the OH mesospheric emissive layer

A new and original stereo imaging method is introduced to measure the altitude of the OH nightglow layer and provide a 3D perspective map of the altitude of the layer centroid. Near-IR photographs of the OH layer are taken at two sites separated by a 645 km distance. Each photograph is processed in order to provide a satellite view of the layer. When superposed, the two views present a common diamond-shaped area. Pairs of matched points that correspond to a physical emissive point in the common area are identified in calculating a normalized cross-correlation coefficient (NCC). This method is suitable for obtaining 3D representations in the case of low-contrast objects. An observational campaign was conducted in July 2006 in Peru. The images were taken simultaneously at Cerro Cosmos (12°09′08.2″ S, 75°33′49.3″ W, altitude 4630 m) close to Huancayo and Cerro Verde Tellolo (16°33′17.6″ S, 71°39′59.4″ W, altitude 2272 m) close to Arequipa. 3D maps of the layer surface were retrieved and compared with pseudo-relief intensity maps of the same region. The mean altitude of the emission barycenter is located at 86.3 km on July 26. Comparable relief wavy features appear in the 3D and intensity maps. It is shown that the vertical amplitude of the wave system varies as exp (Δz/2H) within the altitude range Δz = 83.5–88.0 km, H being the scale height. The oscillatory kinetic energy at the altitude of the OH layer is comprised between 3 × 10⁻⁴ and 5.4 × 10⁻⁴ J/m³, which is 2–3 times smaller than the values derived from partial radio wave at 52°N latitude.     

Investigation of PMSE dependence on high energy particle precipitation during their simultaneous occurrence

This paper is based on the observations of Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) with the EISCAT VHF 224?MHz radar during the summer month 08–12 July 2013. The effect of high energy particle precipitation on PMSE intensity, particularly during their simultaneous occurrence for longer time interval (longer than or equal to 3-h) has been investigated. The correlation between the two phenomena has been computed using the Spearman rank and Pearson linear correlation coefficient. The variations in high energy particle precipitation reaching down to altitude of 91?km and PMSE intensity in the altitude range of 80–90?km are positively correlated. The electron density irregularity due to ionization caused by precipitating particles might be one of the possible reasons for this positive correlation. Moreover, some other background parameters i.e. K-indices (proxy of high energy particle precipitation) and electron fluxes during the simultaneous occurrence of the two phenomena also support one of the possible reasons given for explanation of the observed positive correlation. The X-rays and proton fluxes have no noticeable effect on PMSE echoes in this study.