低功率射频推力器启动特性研究及优化设计

针对微型射频离子推力器研制过程中击穿困难的问题,开展了低气压细管感应耦合等离子源(ICPs)的击穿特性实验研究.通过对放电腔室内等离子体击穿区域的研究,发现低气压细管ICPs击穿位置不在电场最强的天线区域,即天线的击穿区域与射频离子推力器稳定工作的等离子体维持区域不在同一区域,这造成了传统射频离子推力器结构下击穿点火的困难.通过改变放电腔室结构与天线位置研究击穿工况变化规律,发现延长放电腔室长度,适当增加天线匝数,调整天线与放电腔室相对位置都可以改善上述现象.     

磁拓扑结构对环型离子推力器放电性能的影响

为得到环型离子推力器最佳磁拓扑结构以有效提高推力器放电效率、降低放电损耗,对不同类型磁拓扑结构下的放电通道气体放电过程进行研究。采用PIC MCC数值计算方法对等离子体产生及运输过程进行数值模拟,分析磁场分布对等离子体密度分布、电子损耗率及放电稳定性的影响,结合统计结果,得到推力器放电性能曲线,最后进行试验验证。研究结果表明,相较多极场结构,环尖场磁构型能更好地约束电子运动,大幅降低其在阳极壁面损耗率,增加电子与中性原子碰撞概率,显著提高放电效率、降低放电损耗。     

基于放电室均布模型的射频离子推力器研究

为了研究工作参数和结构参数对射频离子推力器放电性能的影响规律,通过开展放电室均布模型数值仿真和推力器性能试验,研究了射频离子推力器LRIT-40的放电机理和放电性能随结构参数和工作参数的变化规律.研究发现,减小长径比或增大工质流率、栅极电压及射频功率均能增大推力器束电流,改善推力器性能.通过分析试验结果和仿真结果得到,...     

10 cm考夫曼型离子推力器放电室关键参数优化

放电室构型设计是离子推力器结构设计的基础与核心，直接影响到放电室工作能效及整机工作寿命。针对新型航天器在轨飞行任务对大推力、长寿命连续变推力离子推力器的应用需求，探究了影响10 cm离子推力器整机效能的放电室关键参数因子，揭示了发散场放电室的磁场发散度、电子通道面积及阴极位置等敏感参数对放电室性能的影响作用关系。开展了10 cm离子推力器放电室参数构型的优化与验证。结果表明：在不改变整机结构的情况下，通过优化放电室关键参数，10 cm离子推力器最大输出推力由20 mN提升至25 mN，提升近25%，推力调节范围由1～20 mN扩展至1～25 mN，全范围内推力分辨率均优于50μN，且推力器在20 mN最佳工作点的阳极电压由43.5 V降至38.4 V，放电损耗由345 W/A降至308 W/A，预估整机寿命将由15 000 h提升至17 500 h。研究为推动10 cm离子推力器的在轨扩展应用提供了一定的技术支撑。     

立方体式考夫曼离子推力器极靴结构设计

考夫曼离子推力器因具有高比冲、高效率、长寿命等特点,是应用于航天器电推进类型之一。过去研究主要集中在轴对称柱状结构考夫曼离子推力器,然而对于未来模块化立方体卫星,立方体构型推力器非常适合多推力器的组合、多推力器羽流集中中和,结构紧密并且减少航天器附件。为此,基于自主设计的立方体式考夫曼离子推力器,采用三维数值仿真方法对推力器放电室进行了计算分析,获取了不同阴极极靴内径下推力器放电室磁场分布,对比研究了不同极靴构型下放电室电子密度分布和电子温度分布。结果发现,增大阴极极靴内径使得磁场分布均匀性变差,放电室内壁电子温度升高,电子损耗增大,放电室出口离子密度降低。因此,对于本立方体考夫曼离子推力器,长宽高为15mm×12.5mm×15mm的阴极极靴构型最佳,既可保持较低的壁面电子温度,又有利推力器出口的离子均匀性。     

基于CFD的10 cm氙离子推力器阳极推进剂供给方式优化

离子推力器阳极推进剂在放电室内的浓度分布及其变化梯度的设计是放电室放电模式可靠性设计的关键技术之一,直接影响到放电室内推进剂的电离效率及放电稳定性。针对航天器在轨多目标飞行任务对10 cm氙离子推力器的应用需求,为提高10 cm氙离子推力器放电室空腔内阳极推进剂供给的均匀性,实现推进剂利用率的有效提升,运用计算流体动力学（CFD）理论,建立了包括阳极推进剂、进气管和分配环在内的CFD阳极环模型,研究了未发生气体放电情况下,不同供给方式时阳极环内阳极推进剂的压强与流速变化情况。在此基础上,分析了阳极推进剂供给方式对10 cm氙离子推力器放电室空腔内阳极推进剂分布特性的影响作用关系。将优化前后的阳极环在10 cm氙离子推力器中进行了性能对比,结果表明:优化后阳极推进剂电离损耗由277.9 W/A降至241.2 W/A,放电室阳极推进剂利用率由91.7%提升至98.4%,验证了CFD计算结果的正确性与方法的可行性。研究结果为离子推力器放电室拓扑结构设计与优化提供了方法。      

30cm氙离子推力器磁场特性分析与优化设计

放电室磁场设计直接影响放电室的放电稳定性及推力器在轨工作寿命,针对多种工作模式下30cm氙离子推力器磁场设计的复杂性问题,对推力器电磁体磁场向永磁体磁场转换中放电室的磁场特性进行了研究,并对永磁体磁场的关键参数进行优化设计。建立30cm氙离子推力器放电室磁场转换的磁路模型,运用有限元分析理论,利用实际工程数据验证磁路模型计算结果的正确性与方法的可行性。在此基础上,分析获得给定磁路构型下产生要求磁感应强度的永磁体关键尺寸。以放电室工作阳极震荡电压、减速栅极电流、加速栅极电流和磁路系统质量为目标,采用多目标粒子群优化算法,对永磁体的关键参数进行优化,得到30cm氙离子推力器设计性能目标下的磁路构型最优结果。本研究可为高效、稳定工作的离子推力器磁路设计及优化提供方法。     

等离子体密度对栅极系统束流影响分析

针对现有离子推力器栅极系统束流引出分析中未考虑放电室等离子体密度均匀性影响的不足,基于数值方法对该问题进行了研究。采用单元内粒子 （Particle In Cell,PIC） 方法对栅极系统束流引出进行了数值模拟。PIC方法中电场求解采用有限差分方法,离子加速方法采用跳蛙格式。以国产20cm Xe离子推力器作为算例,计算得到了栅极中心和边缘孔引出束流离子和电场的分布。结果显示栅极中心孔相对边缘孔束流聚焦性好,束流发散角小,但中心孔轴线的鞍点电势较边缘孔高24.8V。因此,放电室等离子体密度分布对束流引出具有重要影响,电子返流现象最先出现在栅极中心位置。     

脉冲等离子体推力器电磁加速机理数值研究

为了对脉冲等离子体电磁加速机理有清晰的认识,为后续推力器性能的优化和产品的小型化提供理论基础,需要对脉冲等离子体推力器的特性进行数值研究。利用包含电容、电感、平行板电极、等离子体的一维集成电路模型,开展了脉冲等离子体推力器的数值模拟研究。通过改变初始放电电压和电极间距的大小,系统地研究了脉冲等离子体推力器的初始放电电压、电极间距对推力器电磁加速的影响。结果表明,在其他参数不变的情况下,推力器的推力、比冲、元冲量,以及等离子体的密度、温度随推力器初始放电电压的增加而增加;同样,增加电极间距也能够提高推力器的推力、比冲;然而,电极间的阻抗会随电极间距的增加而增加,导致推力器的点火难度也随之增加,因此脉冲等离子体的电极间距存在一个最优值。     

供气周向不均匀对霍尔推力器放电特性及性能的影响

研究发现,由于气体分配器安装及制造误差,或者出气孔被溅射产生的粒子阻塞容易导致霍尔推力器周向出气不均匀。采用堵塞气体分配器出气孔的方式实现周向不均匀气体分布来研究供气周向不均匀程度对霍尔推力器放电特性及性能的影响,试验得到了不同情况下的电流特性、近场区离子电流密度分布以及整体性能参数。结果表明,出气周向不均匀导致放电电流增加,增量最大可达25%以上,放电电流振荡严重,同时减小了推力器的效率和比冲。     

Stochastic particle acceleration by the forced interaction of relativistic current sheets

We address the problem of interacting relativistic current sheets in self-consistent kinetic plasma simulations within the framework of the Particle-In-Cell model. The interaction is enforced in head-on collisions of up to 10 current sheets at relativistic bulk speeds. The simulations are motivated by the general problem of Poynting flux dissipation in ‘striped wind’ configurations presumably governing the relativistic outflows pervasive in pulsar winds and gamma-ray bursts. We identify the generation of non-thermal particles and formation of a stable power-law shape in the particle energy distributions f(γ) dγ ∝ γ^−s dγ. In 1D, a spectral index s ∼ 2 is observed and attributed to a stochastic Fermi-type acceleration mechanism. In 2D, the generic index of s ∼ 3–4 is retained as in previous simulations of individual current sheets. Whereas in 2D the high energy cut-off is constrained by the limited dissipation of magnetic energy, in 1D the process converts the bulk motion of current sheets towards directed particle momentum of an exclusive class of non-thermal particles.     

基于LuGre模型的电液加载系统摩擦补偿

为了提高电液加载系统控制精度,针对摩擦问题提出了基于LuGre摩擦模型的前馈补偿方法.建立了用于摩擦仿真分析和补偿器设计的电液加载系统数学模型;通过实验获取并分析了相关的摩擦数据;基于实验数据进行LuGre模型参数辨识,把LuGre模型和辨识结果引入电液加载系统数学模型,并进行仿真结果与实际摩擦数据的对照,证明了LuGre摩擦模型的准确性.设计前馈补偿器,进行了实验对比,实验结果表明前馈补偿器可将摩擦产生的控制误差有效地降至未补偿时的30%左右.      

CoRoT and Kepler results: Solar-like oscillators

The space-borne observatories CoRoT (Convection Rotation and planetary Transits) and Kepler have provided photometric time series data of unprecedented precision for large numbers of stars. These data have revolutionized the fields of transiting exoplanets and asteroseismology. In this review some important asteroseismic results obtained using data from the CoRoT and Kepler space missions concerning stars that show solar-like oscillations are discussed. These results comprise, among others, measurements of the location of the base of the convection zone and helium second-ionization zone in main-sequence stars, the presence (or not) of core-helium burning in red-giant stars, as well as differential rotation in these stars.     

Radioactivity of the Moon and planets

In this report the main results of the study of radioactivity of the solar sistem bodies are considered. The radioactivity of the Moon and planets was measured by means of vehicles in situ. The radioactivity of the lunar samples, brought to the Earth was studied with laboratory equipment.     

Learning in an immersive digital theater

The Houston Museum of Natural Science, in collaboration with Rice University has an outreach program taking portable digital theaters to schools and community sites for over five years and has conducted research on student learning in this immersive environment. By using an external independent evaluator, the effectiveness of NASA-funded Education and Public Outreach (EPO) projects can be assessed. This paper documents interactive techniques and learning strategies in full-dome digital theaters. The presentation is divided into Evaluation Strategies and Results and Interactivity Strategies and Results. All learners from grades 3–12 showed statistically significant short-term increase in knowledge of basic Earth science concepts after a single 22-min show. Improvements were more significant on items that were taught using more than one modality of instruction: hearing, seeing, discussion, and immersion. Thus immersive theater can be an effective as well as engaging teaching method for Earth and Space science concepts, particularly those that are intrinsically three-dimensional and thus most effectively taught in an immersive environment. The portable system allows taking the educational experience to rural and tribal sites where the underserved students could not afford the time or expense to travel to museums.     

清镇陨石（EH3）中陨硫钙石的REE微量元素及成因意义

本文运用INAA分析了14个清镇陨石中陨硫钙石单矿物颗粒的难熔元素(La、Ce、Sm、Eu、Yb、Lu、Ca、Sc、Hf和Th),挥发性元素(Na、Cr、Zn、Se、Br等)和亲铁元素(Fe、Ni、Co、Ir、Au、As)含量。结果表明陨硫钙石高度富集难熔亲石元素,是顽火辉石陨石中REE的主要载体,携带了约80％的全岩REE总量。相对于HREE,LREE有更大的富集程度,而且早期凝聚的颗粒较晚期凝聚的颗粒更富集REE,同时陨硫钙石富集挥发性元素Se、Br等。清镇陨硫钙石的微量元素特征揭示了它来自于太阳星云的高温凝聚特征和成因。     

柔性航天器IPACS建模与动力学分析

利用拟坐标下的拉格朗日方程和动量矩定理,建立了带变速控制力矩陀螺群(VSCMGs,Variable Speed Control Moment Gyroscopes)的柔性航天器的能量/姿态一体化控制系统(IPACS, Integrated Power/Attitude Control System)的动力学模型,该模型适合于姿态控制律设计及VSCMGs操纵律设计.采用动量管理和VSCMGs构型选取相结合的方法,有效地避免了VSCMGs设计时可能出现的奇异问题.分析了采用VSCMGs的柔性航天器IPACS中的动力学耦合问题,并以某大型航天器为例进行了数值仿真.分析和仿真结果显示出,当VSCMGs的力矩轴接近(或陷入)奇异或进行储/放能切换时,VSCMGs都会对柔性附件造成显著影响.      

Progress in tropospheric ammonia retrieval from the MIPAS satellite instrument

The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding is a polar orbiting high resolution mid-infrared emission limb sounder with a nominal vertical resolution of 3 km. Work to extend the list of routinely retrieved species led to the examination of ammonia, NH₃. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of upper tropospheric retrievals around 6-km altitude, discussing appropriate methods. We demonstrate a weak north to south gradient outside the error bars, using co-addition to improve signal-to-noise and compare these first results with a model.     

Monitoring spatio-temporal variations in aerosols and aerosol–cloud interactions over Pakistan using MODIS data

Clouds are important elements in climatic processes and interactions between aerosols and clouds are therefore a hot topic for scientific research. Aerosols show both spatial and temporal variations, which can lead to variations in the microphysics of clouds. In this research, we have examined the spatial and temporal variations in aerosol particles over Pakistan and the impact of these variations on various optical properties of clouds, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from the Terra satellite. We used the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model for trajectory analysis to reveal the origins of air masses, with the aim of understanding these spatial and temporal variabilities in aerosol concentrations. We also documented seasonal variations in patterns of aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Pakistan, for which the highest values occur during the monsoon season (June–August). We then analyzed the relationships between AOD and four other cloud parameters, namely water vapour (WV), cloud fraction (CF), cloud top temperature (CTT) and cloud top pressure (CTP). Regional correlation maps and time series plots for aerosol (AOD) and cloud parameters were produced to provide a better understanding of aerosol–cloud interaction. The analyses showed strong positive correlations between AOD and WV for all of the eight cities investigated. The correlation between AOD and CF was positive for those cities where the air masses were predominantly humid, but negative for those cities where the air masses were relatively dry and carried a low aerosol abundance. These correlations were clearly dependent on the meteorological conditions for all of the eight cities investigated. Because of the observed AOD–CF relationship, the co-variation of AOD with CTP and CTT may be attributable to large-scale meteorological variations: AOD showed a positive correlation with CTP and CTT in northern regions of Pakistan and a negative correlation in southern regions.     

Technology development for a long duration,mid-cloud level Venus balloon

This paper describes the results of ongoing technology development activities for a Venus spherical superpressure balloon capable of flying for long durations (30 days) in the middle cloud layer at an altitude of 55.5 km. Data is presented from a successful aerial deployment and inflation flight experiment on a 5.5 m diameter prototype balloon conducted at a 2.5 km altitude above the Earth. Although the balloon in that test was not released for free flight, all other steps in the deployment and inflation process were successfully executed. Experimental and computational results are also presented from an investigation of the stress concentration phenomenon at the junction of the metal end fitting and fabric end cap of the prototype Venus balloon. Good agreement was found between the simulation and experimental results and a stress concentration factor of 1.55 determined for this end cap design compared to the expectations of thin membrane theory. Finally, results are presented for a new, second-generation Venus balloon material utilizing Aclar™ film instead of Teflon. Optical property and sulfuric acid tolerance data are presented for this material based on laboratory testing of samples.