A hybrid X-ray imaging spectrometer for NeXT and the next generation X-ray satellite

We propose a new type of wide band X-ray imaging spectrometer as a focal plane detector of the super mirror onboard on future X-ray missions including post Astro-E2. This camera is realized by the hybrid of back illumination CCDs and a back supportless CCD for 0.05–10 keV band, and a Micro Pixel Gas Chamber detecting X-rays at 10–80 keV.     

抽头电感滤波器辅助PWM DC-DC功率变换器实现软开关功能

推荐了一种使用新型高频变压器连接的全桥软开关移相脉宽调制（PWM）控制的DC-DC功率变换器。可以把此种功率变换器用作小型光伏电池与燃料电池发电系统的功率调节器以及汽车交流电源的隔离式升压DC-DC功率变换器。在低压大电流电源中，全桥电路是最具吸引力的拓扑，因为可以使用低压高性能金属氧化半导体场效应晶体管（MOSFET），并且能实现DC-DC功率变换器的高效率。为了能在大负载波动范围内实现软开关运行，新近在全桥移相PWMdc-dc变换器的输出级采用了包含续流二极管的抽头电感滤波器。在本文推荐的电路中，无需使用附加谐振电路和辅助功率变换器件就能有效降低循环电流。采用设置为1kW 100kHz的实验模板（使用功率MOSFET）对本文推荐的软开关dc-dc功率变换器的实际效率进行了实验室级别的试验。大工作比和负载变化范围内得到的实际效率为94～97％。     

Evaluation of Voigt algorithms for the ISS/JEM/SMILES L2 data processing system

We present a calculation of the accuracy and speed of the Voigt function of various algorithms (Armstrong (1967), Hui et al. (1978), Humlicek (1982) and improved version of Kuntz (1997) developed in this study) for making the faster and higher accuracy forward model required for the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) Level 2 (L2) data processing system.     

Accumulation of stress protein 72 (HSP72) in muscle and spleen of goldfish taken into space.

Using Western blot analysis, here, we report the levels of HSP72 in several organs from goldfish which were taken into space on the NASA space shuttle. A remarkable accumulation of HSP72 was detected in muscle and spleen of those fish taken into space as compared with controls. These results suggested that the HSP72 induction is a kind of stress response at the molecular level introduced by the space environment consisting of microgravity and/or cosmic radiation as stressors.     

Space technology transfer: Spin-off cases from Japan

Government organizations have to justify high expenditure during periods of financial crisis such as the one we are experiencing today. Space agencies have attempted to increase the returns on their investments in space missions by encouraging the commercial use of advanced technologies. This paper describes two technology transfer (TT) cases promoted by JAXA, in order to identify the organizational models and determinants of TT. The development of a TT process from space to Earth not only benefits the aerospace industry but also the network of national companies. The aim of the paper is to investigate who the actors are and the nature of their role, as well as the determinants of the TT process in the Japanese space sector. The case studies confirm the typical path of transfer as ‘Earth–space–Earth’.     

Development of the Infrared Telescope in Space: IRTS

Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS) is a cryogenically cooled small infrared telescope aboard the small space platform, SFU (Space Flyer Unit). IRTS has a telescope of 15 cm diameter, which is rather small compared with other big space missions. IRTS, however, is optimized to observe extended diffuse sources with four focal plane instruments which have wide wavelength coverage from the near infrared to the submillimeter region.

All instruments have been calibrated with a test cryostat, and integrated into the flight cryostat. Cooling tests of the whole IRTS system have confirmed that instruments and cryostat will perform as expected. Integration of the IRTS on the SFU will soon begin and the ground tests of the SFU system will be conducted in the coming year.

The launch of the SFU will be in early 1995. The IRTS will survey the 10% of the sky during the three week mission and provide significant scientific results on cosmology, galactic structure, interstellar matter, stars, and solar system.     

用于未来月球探测的ILOM 技术现状

使用面包板模型和仿真方法,在实验室内研究月球指向就位测量望远镜(ILOM)的基本特征,如望远镜星像中心点位置精度、温度效应、倾斜以及地面震动的影响。使用这个技术预期在月球表面观测月球自转时可以达到1ms的精度。将在地面上开展测试验证观测以全面评价达到优于0.1″观测精度目标所需条件和特征。     

A balloon-borne very long baseline interferometry experiment in the stratosphere: Systems design and developments

The balloon-borne very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiment is a technical feasibility study for performing radio interferometry in the stratosphere. The flight model has been developed. A balloon-borne VLBI station will be launched to establish interferometric fringes with ground-based VLBI stations distributed over the Japanese islands at an observing frequency of approximately 20?GHz as the first step. This paper describes the system design and development of a series of observing instruments and bus systems. In addition to the advantages of avoiding the atmospheric effects of absorption and fluctuation in high frequency radio observation, the mobility of a station can improve the sampling coverage (“uv-coverage”) by increasing the number of baselines by the number of ground-based counterparts for each observation day. This benefit cannot be obtained with conventional arrays that solely comprise ground-based stations. The balloon-borne VLBI can contribute to a future progress of research fields such as black holes by direct imaging.     

A simulation study for anticipated accuracy of lunar gravity field model by SELENE tracking data

Results of numerical simulations are presented to examine the global gravity field recovery capability of the Japanese lunar exploration project SELENE (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer) which will be launched in 2007. New characteristics of the SELENE lunar gravimetry include 4-way satellite-to-satellite Doppler tracking of main orbiter and differential VLBI tracking of two small free-flier satellites. It is shown that the proposed satellite constellation will provide the first truly global satellite tracking data coverage. The expected results from these data are; (1) drastic reduction in far-side gravity error, (2) estimation of many gravity coefficients by the observation, not by a priori information, and (3) one order of magnitude improvement over existing gravity models for low-degree field.     

Studying the Lunar Ionosphere with SELENE Radio Science Experiment

Radio occultation observations of the electron density near the lunar surface were conducted during the SELENE (Kaguya) mission using the Vstar and Rstar sub-satellites. Previous radio occultation measurements conducted in the Soviet lunar missions have indicated the existence of an ionosphere with peak densities of several hundreds of electrons per cubic centimeters above the dayside lunar surface. These densities are difficult to explain theoretically when the removal of plasma by the solar wind is considered, and thus the generation mechanism of the lunar ionosphere is a major issue, with even the validity of previous observations still under debate. The most serious error source in the measurement is the fluctuation of the terrestrial ionosphere which also exists along the ray path. To cope with this difficulty, about 400 observations were conducted using Vstar to enable statistical analysis of the weak signal of the lunar ionosphere. Another method is to utilize Vstar and Rstar with the second one being used to measure the terrestrial ionosphere contribution. The observations will establish the morphology of the lunar ionosphere and will reveal its relationship with various conditions to provide possible clues to the mechanism.