Investigation of resonant modes and frequencies of plate vibrations as applied to turbomachine blades

The results of experimental and numerical investigations of resonant vibration frequencies and modes for rectangular cantilever plates of constant thickness are presented. The investigations are carried out using the methods of interference holography and finite elements, and the results may serve as basic references in determining resonant frequencies and modes of compressor and turbine blade vibrations.     

Electrical Effects on Atmospheric Chemistry

Electrical discharges in planetary atmospheres, and lightning in particular, can cause otherwise unexpected—but highly important—chemical species to be present. The synthesis of oxidants on Mars, nitrates on Earth and Early Mars, and of organic matter elsewhere can be driven by lightning and related electrical phenomena.     

A method of airfoil shape completing

An iteration method for airfoil shape completing using the pressure coefficient distribution specified on its sought part is proposed. The incompressible flow viscosity is taken into account by the boundary layer model, the iteration process is constructed with the use of G.Yu. Stepanov’s idea. The solution algorithm is compiled and a set of numerical calculations is carried out. It is shown that the method proposed offers advantages over the well-known numerical-analytical scheme of solving mixed inverse boundary-value problems of aerohydrodynamics in the case of viscous incompressible fluid.     

VLF Studies During TLE Occurrences in Europe: A Summary of New Findings

The paper reviews the past few years’ European efforts for characterising the effects of TLEs, in particular sprites and elves, on the lower ionosphere. A mostly experimental approach was applied for the analysis of data collected during the EuroSprite campaigns by optical cameras, very low frequency (VLF, 3–30?kHz) receivers and lightning detection systems. The new findings of these multi-instrumental studies can be summarised as follows: 1) A close relationship between sprites and early VLF perturbations was established which constitutes evidence of upper D-region electron density changes in association with sprites. 2) VLF backscatter from the sprite-affected regions exists but it occurs rarely. 3) Long-delayed sprites were present in a large percentage, contrary to previous reports; they occurred in relation to long-lasting continuing currents that contribute to the build-up of sprite-causative quasi-electrostatic fields. 4) Intracloud lightning was found to be the key-factor which determines the sprite morphological features. 5) A new subcategory of VLF events was discovered, termed early/slow, characterised by long onset durations from 100?ms up to ～2?s. The slow onsets, which were attributed to a gradual ionisation build-up, are driven by a dense sequence of intracloud electromagnetic pulses that accompany the sprite-causative discharge. 6) A D-region chemical model was applied to simulate the measured recovery phases of the early VLF perturbations. This led to estimates about the mean altitude and electron density enhancements of the sprite-related ionospheric perturbations. 7) Early VLF events were identified for the first time to occur in association with elves, providing evidence that corroborates theoretical predictions on lower-ionospheric ionisation production by lightning-emitted electromagnetic pulses.     

Small-Scale Solar Magnetic Fields

As we resolve ever smaller structures in the solar atmosphere, it has become clear that magnetism is an important component of those small structures. Small-scale magnetism holds the key to many poorly understood facets of solar magnetism on all scales, such as the existence of a local dynamo, chromospheric heating, and flux emergence, to name a few. Here, we review our knowledge of small-scale photospheric fields, with particular emphasis on quiet-sun field, and discuss the implications of several results obtained recently using new instruments, as well as future prospects in this field of research.     

Mathematical description of the NaK model for MASTER-2005

The release of NaK droplets has been modeled for the new version of the European Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference model MASTER-2005. Previously published versions of the model have been revised. The parameters of the model are introduced and discussed. NaK droplets consist of eutectic sodium–potassium alloy and have been released during RORSAT reactor core ejections. They contributed to the space debris environment in the centimeter and millimeter size regime. Sixteen nuclear powered RORSATs launched between 1980 and 1988 activated a reactor core ejection system in Sufficiently High Orbits (SHO), mostly between 900 and 950 km altitude. The core ejection caused an opening of the primary coolant circuit. The liquid coolant has been released into space during these core ejections. The outflow is considered as a discrete event for each of the sixteen core ejections in total. The NaK coolant has been forming droplets up to a diameter of 5.5 cm. NaK releases are restricted to a very narrow region near 65° inclination. This paper gives the parameters of the NaK release model as it is implemented in MASTER-2005. The quantitative values of all model parameters including characteristic diameter and uniformity parameter are presented. The ratio of the characteristic droplet size to the orifice diameter is discussed. It is estimated that altogether 128 kg of NaK-78 (8 kg per RORSAT) was released on orbit. Simulation runs show that there are still 45,000 droplets with a total mass of 97 kg in orbit at the reference epoch 1 May 2005, whereas the smallest droplet has a diameter of 5 mm. Results of orbit propagation simulation runs are presented in terms of spatial density.     

XMM-Newton survey of non-thermal shell candidates: Preliminary results on DA 530

The investigation of the general properties of non-thermal (NT) X-ray shell supernova remnants (SNRs), of which SN 1006 is the prototype, is important to understand how electrons are accelerated in SNR shocks and what is the origin of cosmic rays. Using the XMM-Newton satellite, we are carrying on a survey of putative non-thermal SNR candidates previously unknown or little studied in the X-ray band, in order to investigate the different manifestations of NT emission in SNR shells. The SNRs we have selected are likely to expand in a low density medium, and therefore to have a low thermal X-ray emission, that usually outshines the non-thermal one. We report here preliminary results obtained on the SNR shell DA 530.     

Antiparticle content in the magnetosphere

In the present work we assess the stable and transient antiparticle content of planetary magnetospheres, and subsequently we consider their capture and application to high delta-v space propulsion. We estimate the total antiparticle mass contained within the Earth’s magnetosphere to assess the expediency of such usage. Using Earth’s magnetic field region as an example, we have considered the various source mechanisms that are applicable to a planetary magnetosphere, the confinement duration versus transport processes, and the antiparticle loss mechanisms. We have estimated the content of the trapped population of antiparticles magnetically confined following production in the exosphere due to nuclear interactions between high energy cosmic rays (CR) and constituents of the residual planetary upper atmosphere.The galactic antiprotons that directly penetrate into the Earth’s magnetosphere are themselves secondary by its nature, i.e. produced in nuclear reactions of the cosmic rays passing through the interstellar matter. These antiproton fluxes are modified, dependent on energy, when penetrating into the heliosphere and subsequently into planetary magnetospheres. During its lifetime in the Galaxy, CR pass through the small grammage of the interstellar matter where they produce secondary antiprotons. In contrast to this, antiprotons generated by the same CR in magnetosphere are locally produced at a path length of several tens g/cm² of matter in the ambient planetary upper atmosphere. Due to the latter process, the resulting magnetically confined fluxes significantly exceed the fluxes of the galactic antiprotons in the Earth’s vicinity by up to two orders of magnitude at some energies.The radiation belt antiparticles can possibly be extracted with an electromagnetic-based “scoop” device. The antiparticles could be concentrated by and then stored within the superimposed magnetic field structure of such a device. In future developments, it is anticipated that the energy of the captured antiparticles (both rest energy and kinetic energy) can be adapted for use as a fuel for propelling spacecraft to high velocities for remote solar system missions.     

Determination of surface parameters and fluxes for climate studies from space observation. Methods,results and problems

Climate being the result of many interconnected processes, it can hardly be understood without models which describe these various processes as quantitatively as possible and define the parameters which are relevant for climate studies. Among those, surface processes and therefore surface parameters are now recognized to be of great importance. Some examples are discussed in the first part, showing the great interest to measure the relevant parameters on a multi-year basis, over large areas with sufficiently dense array and on a stable basis, in order to monitor climate changes or to study the impact on climate of the modifications of some relevant parameters which are analysed. Since space observations from satellites fulfil these requirements, it is clear that they will become very soon a fundamental tool for climate studies. Unfortunately, as it is discussed in the second part, satellites do measure only spectral radiances at the top of the atmosphere and the determination of the relevant surface parameters (or fluxes) from these radiances still raises many problems which have to be solved, although many progresses have already been made.The aim of this paper is therefore to review and discuss these problems and the various ways they have been tackled until now. The first part is devoted to an overview of what needs to be measured and why, while the existing methods for determining the most important surface parameters from space observations are presented in the second part where a particular attention is given to the theoretical and experimental validations of these methods, their limits and the problems still to be solved.     

A new model of the ion composition at 75 to 1000 km for IRI

Ion composition of the ionosphere is an important parameter of any ionospheric model. The International Reference Ionosphere-1979 includes a program for the relative ion composition computation. The program was constructed on the basis of the Danilov and Semenov /1/ empirical model, which averaged 42 rocket measurements of the ion composition at middle latitudes below 200 km, on “AEROS” satellite measurements, and on Taylor's data /2/ above that altitude.