Saturn's E ring

The E ring is a loose collection of debris orbiting Saturn well outside the classical ring system. Compared to the classical ring system, the E ring is extraordinarily tenuous but occupies an enormous volume. The optical depth has a pronounced maximum near the orbit of Enceladus, which is therefore widely assumed to be the source of ring material. Optical properties of the ring suggest a collection of micron-sized spheroids whose composition is generally supposed to be water ice in accordance with the assumed Enceladus source.Apart from its unusual physical properties, the very existence of the E ring as a permanent feature of the Saturn system is problematical. The particles of the ring are susceptible to erosion by ion sputtering and outward transport by ion drag. Lifetimes against either of these processes in the presence of observed ion populations are estimated to be no more than a few thousand years, and it is not clear that Enceladus can replenish the ring particles continuously on such a time scale. It has thus been suggested that the E ring is a transient feature of the Saturn system, resulting from an episodic disturbance of Enceladus (e.g., a sizeable meteoroid impact or tectonic event) in the recent past. In any case, the E ring presently provides a convenient natural probe of magnetospheric transport processes because it presents a marginally significant cross section for the absorption of magnetospherically-trapped particles traversing its volume.     

Several recent findings concerning the dynamics of the Earth's magnetotail

Several recent results concerning the nature of the Earth's magnetotail are briefly reviewed. These observational findings include: (1) the three-dimensional character of the plasma sheet via a comprehensive survey of proton bulk flows, (2) a region of earthward flowing plasmas at the interfaces of the plasma sheet and magnetotail lobes during magnetic substorm recovery, and (3) the signature of electrostatic acceleration for protons within the jetting plasmas from magnetotail fireballs.Proceedings of the Symposium on Solar Terrestrial Physics held in Innsbruck, May–June 1978.     

尾座式无人飞行器鲁棒容错编队控制

针对尾座式无人飞行器编队在执行器故障、严重的非线性和耦合性、参数不确定性、外界扰动等影响下的容错控制问题进行了研究。提出了一种鲁棒容错编队控制方法来实现一群尾座式无人飞行器在执行器故障情况下的期望编队飞行。所构建的控制器由2部分组成：标称控制器和干扰补偿控制器。设计标称控制器使系统实现期望的控制性能,利用干扰补偿控制器抑制多种不确定性和执行器故障的影响。通过理论分析证明了系统的鲁棒稳定性,并通过数值仿真验证了算法的有效性。     

Composition of Interstellar Neutrals and the Origin of Anomalous Cosmic Rays

Knowledge of the elemental composition of the interstellar gas is of fundamental importance for understanding galactic chemical evolution. In addition to spectroscopic determinations of certain element abundance ratios, measurements of the composition of interstellar pickup ions and Anomalous Cosmic Rays (ACRs) have provided the principal means to obtain this critical information. Recent advances in our understanding of particle acceleration processes in the heliosphere and measurements by the Voyagers of the energy spectra and composition of energetic particles in the heliosheath provide us with another means of determining the abundance of the neutral components of the local interstellar gas. Here we compare the composition at the termination shock of six elements obtained from measurements of (a) pickup ions at ～5 AU, (b) ACRs in the heliosphere at ～70 AU, and (c) energetic particles as well as (d) ACRs in the heliosheath at ～100 AU. We find consistency among these four sets of derived neutral abundances. The average interstellar neutral densities at the termination shock for H, N, O, Ne and Ar are found to be 0.055±0.021 cm^?3, (1.44±0.45)×10^?5 cm^?3, (6.46±1.89)×10^?5 cm^?3, (8.5±3.3)×10^?6 cm^?3, and (1.08±0.49)×10^?7 cm^?3, respectively, assuming the He density is 0.0148±0.002 cm^?3.     

Aquatic modules for bioregenerative life support systems based on the C.E.B.A.S. biotechnology

Most concepts for bioregenerative life support systems are based on edible higher land plants which create some problems with growth and seed generation under space conditions. Animal protein production is mostly neglected because of the tremendous waste management problems with tetrapods under reduced weightlessness. Therefore, the “Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System” (C.E.B.A.S.) was developed which represents an artificial aquatic ecosystem containing aquatic organisms which are adpated at all to “near weightlessness conditions” (fishes Xiphophorus helleri, water snails Biomphalaria glabrata, ammonia oxidizing bacteria and the rootless non-gravitropic edible water plant Ceratophyllum demersum). Basically the C.E.B.A.S. consists of 4 subsystems: a ZOOLOGICASL COMPONENT (animal aquarium), a BOTANICAL COMPONENT (aquatic plant bioreactor), a MICROBIAL COMPONENT (bacteria filter) and an ELECTRONICAL COMPONENT (data acquisition and control unit). Superficially, the function principle appears simple: the plants convert light energy into chemical energy via photosynthesis thus producing biomass and oxygen. The animals and microorganisms use the oxygen for respiration and produce the carbon dioxide which is essential for plant photosynthesis. The ammonia ions excreted by the animals are converted by the bacteria to nitrite and then to nitrate ions which serve as a nitrogen source for the plants. Other essential ions derive from biological degradation of animal waste products and dead organic matter. The C.E.B.A.S. exists in 2 basic versions: the original C.E.B.A.S. with a volume of 150 liters and a self-sustaining standing time of more than 13 month and the so-called C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE with a volume of about 8.5 liters. In the latter there is no closed food loop by reasons of available space so that animal food has to be provided via an automated feeder. This device was flown already successfully on the STS-89 and STS-90 spaceshuttle missions and the working hypothesis was verified that aquatic organisms are nearly not affected at all by space conditions, i . e. that the plants exhibited biomass production rates identical to the ground controls and that as well the reproductive, and the immune system as the the embryonic and ontogenic development of the animals remained undisturbed. Currently the C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODLULE is prepared for a third spaceshuttle fligt (STS-107) in spring 2001. Based on the results of the space experiments a series of prototypes of aquatic food production modules for the implementation into BLSS were developed. This paper describes the scientific disposition of the STS-107 experiments and of open and closed aquaculture systems based on another aquatic plant species, the Lemnacean Wolffia arrhiza which is cultured as a vegetable in Southeastern Asia. This plant can be grown in suspension culture and several special bioreactors were developed for this purpose. W. arrhiza reproduces mainly vegetatively by buds but also sexually from time to time and is therefore especially suitable for genetic engineering, too. Therefore it was used, in addition, to optimize the C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE to allow experiments with a duration of 4 month in the International Space Station the basic principle of which will be explained. In the context of aquaculture systems for BLSS the continuous replacement of removed fish biomass is an essential demand. Although fish reproduction seems not to be affected in the short-term space experiments with the C.E.B.A.S. MIMI MODULE a functional and reliable hatchery for the production of siblings under reduced weightlessness is connected with some serious problems. Therefore an automated “reproduction module” for the herbivorous fish Tilapia rendalli was developed as a laboratory prototype. It is concluded that aquatic modules of different degrees of complexity can optimize the productivity of BLSS based on higher land plants and that they offer an unique opportunity for the production of animal protein in lunar or planetary bases.     

May-Britt Kallenrode,Space Physics – An Introduction to Plasmas and Particles in the Heliosphere and the Magnetosphere

Space Science Reviews -     

Doppler Radar for Impact Drag Measurements

A Doppler radar tracking system has been used successfully to measure impact drag coefficients for several water-entry configurations. Hemisphere-cylinder and cone-cylinder models were launched vertically into a tank of water at velocities between 100 and 200 feet per second. These launchings were evaluation tests for a system to be used in a new facility at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory?the Hydroballistics Tank. Planned launchings in that facility will be at velocities up to 3000 feet per second. Knowledge of the drag coefficient profile (CD versus depth of penetration) is important in the design of high-velocity water-entry weapons.     

世界航空维修市场预测

根据TeamSAI和Ascend公司的最新数据,2009年世界航空运输维修市场(MRO)将比2008年增长1.4%,达到457亿美元.如果不考虑材料和劳动力成本上涨等因素,2009年MRO市场实际将比2008年的451亿美元降低2.3%.     

Measuring tidal deformations at Europa’s surface

Key information on Europa’s interior can be gained by monitoring tidally-induced surface deformations from orbiting and landed spacecraft. Such observations would provide constraints on the thickness and rheology of Europa’s ice and liquid water layer, being thus an important tool to characterize basic physical properties of the satellite’s putative subsurface water ocean. Focusing on the outer ice-I layer we will present relations between the interior of Europa and key tidal parameters that can be retrieved from an instrument suite monitoring tidally-induced changes of local gravity, tilt, latitude and strain at the surface. A most promising approach would involve laser altimetry and gravitational field observations from an orbiting spacecraft combined with monitoring of tidally-induced gravity and tilt changes at the surface. However, tidal measurements at the surface may be significantly impeded by instrumental drift, instrument coupling to the surface, local sources of noise and the presumably short life-time of the instruments due to the harsh radiation environment.