SIGMA observations of two new hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray transients: GX 354-0 and Nova Persei

We report the first detection of two soft gamma ray transients GX 354-0 and Nova Persei (GRO J0422+32) by the coded-mask telescope SIGMA. Only preliminary results are presented with regard to Nova Persei while special emphasis is given to the data on GX 354-0 which has been monitored during the 1992 February–April survey of the Galactic Center. GX 354-0 underwent two flares of about two week duration and its average spectrum is well described by a thermal Bremsstrahlung model or a broken power law whereas the Nova Persei spectrum seems to be similar to the one observed for GRS 1124-684 in Musca.     

Observations of stars with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) was flown aboard the space shuttle Columbia as part of the Astro-1 mission during December 1990. During the nine-day flight, HUT carried out 3 Å resolution spectrophotometry of a wide variety of astronomical objects, including a number of stellar targets, in the 912–1860 Å range of the far ultraviolet. A few nearby stars were observed in the 415–912 Å range of the extreme ultraviolet as well. For nearly all of these targets, the spectra obtained by HUT are the first ever obtained in the spectroscopically rich region between Lyman (1216 Å) and the Lyman limit (912 Å). Here, we present highlights of the results obtained by HUT in a variety of areas of stellar astronomy.     

Periodic components in Cyg X-3

Hard X-ray observations of Cyg X-3 in the energy range 20–100 keV were made with a Balloon-borne telescope using two large area proportional counters. The source was seen with a total significance of 20.

A 121 s periodicity was seen during Fourier analysis of the data. The phenomenon can be interpreted as due to transient pulsation since no other peak was seen in our data. Quasi-periodic oscillation in the range 0.06–20 mHz have been observed from Cyg X-3 at lower energies. Interestingly, most of the reported periods are multiple of the present measurements. The observed pulsation at high energies indicate the occasional unstable behaviour of the inner parts of the accretion disk connected with the basic rotation period of the compact object.

The 4.8^h modulation, characteristic of the orbital period of the binary system was seen in the data, with a broad maximum between the phase 0.3 to 0.7.     

CLVD 法制备C/C复合材料工艺探索研究

研究了采用化学液气相沉积法制备C／C复合材料的工艺过程，分析了不同预制件、温度、浸泡时间等工艺参数对致密速度、效果的影响，并总结出了一套快速高效的致密方法。     

Recursive temporal-spatial information fusion with applications totarget identification

Centralized/distributed recursive algorithms for temporal-spatial information integration using the Dempster-Shafer technique are developed. Compared with the Bayesian approach, the Dempster-Shafer technique has the strong capability of handling information uncertainties, which are particularly desirable in many applications. In the centralized integration algorithm, all information is pooled into the central processor and integrated. In contrast, the distributed integration algorithm shares the computational burden among the local processors, which increases the computational efficiency. The developed algorithms are effectively applied to a target identification problem with three sensors: identification of friend-foe-neutral (IFFN), electronic support measurement (ESM), and infrared search and track (IRST)     

Implications of previous space commercialization experiences for the reusable launch vehicle

In evaluating the prospects for the development of a commercially viable RLV, it may be useful to examine ’lessons learned‘ from previous space commercialization efforts– both those that succeeded and those that did not. It can be argued that several distinct streams of market and technological development may have to converge for successful commercialization of space systems to occur. Factors influencing the prospects for commercialization include the size and growth rate of the potential customer base, the extent to which a governmental customer exists to underpin the market, the development of associated ’value-added‘ markets, the stability of governmental policies, the availability of enabling or enhancing infrastructure, the levels of technological and business risk, and the degree to which competitive markets exist. This paper examines two previous space commercialization experiences, evaluates the relative importance of the various factors that influence the prospects for success of commercialization efforts, and assesses the implications of those factors for the commercial viability of the proposed RLV.     

Inactivation, mutation induction and repair in Bacillus subtilis spores irradiated with heavy ions.

Studies on the response of bacterial spores to accelerated heavy ions (HZE particles) help in understanding problems of space radiobiology and exobiology. Layers of spores of Bacillus subtilis strains, differing in repair capabilities, were irradiated with accelerated boron, carbon and neon ions of linear energy transfer (LET) values up to 14000 MeV cm2/g. Inactivation as measured by loss of colony forming ability and induction of mutations as measured by reversion to histidine prototrophy and resistance to 150 micrograms/ml sodium azide were tested, as well as the influence of repair processes on these effects. For inactivation, the cross-sectional values sigma plotted as a function of LET follow a saturation curve. The plateau, which is reached around a LET of 2000 MeV cm2/g, occurs at 2.5 x 10(-9) cm2, a value in good agreement with the dimensions of the spore protoplast. Lethal damage produced at LET values < 2000 MeV cm2/g is reparable. Recombination repair is more effective than excision repair. At higher LET values, lethal damage could not be reconstituted by the repair mechanisms studied. In addition, at these high LET values, the frequency of induced mutations was drastically decreased. The data support the assumption of at least two qualitatively different types of lesion, depending on the LET of the affecting heavy ion.     

Autoignition of fuel-oxidizer mixtures in microgravity

The paper examines the limitations of quasi-steady autoignition theory in providing information needed for the characterization of autoignition temperature fields. Time-dependent autoignition theory is then utilized to examine the autoignition behavior of a reactive system where both wall catalysis and gas phase kinetic rates are significant. It is found that a diverse range of space-time temperature-composition-pressure histories is possible, depending on the system's thermo-kinetic characteristics.     

Fuel Savings in the WHECON Attitude Control System Using an Asymmetric Controller

This paper investigates the possibility of generating an on-off limit cycle mode in the WHECON attitude control system. lt is shown that, by eliminating the off set angle ? in the roll-actuated control torquer, the WHECON system can be reduced to the structure considered earlier by Mendel and, therefore, an on-off limit cycle can be generated simply by introducing an appropriate amount of asymmetry into the deadzone characteristic of the WHECON controller. Because with this mode of on-off limit cycle the thruster jets will fire only once in each cycle of the oscillation, it is claimed that a considerable amount of fuel can be saved by the proposed modifications to the original WHECON design. Dynamic simulation study was conducted with the actual nonlinear model of the WHECON system considered and the results indicate that, for both zero and nonzero values of the off set angle ?, substantial fuel savings can be achieved by using the asymmetric controller.