Beam-Park-Experiment-1/2000 with TIRA

A monostatic 24-h debris observation campaign (BPE-1/2000) has been prepared and conducted using FGAN's TIRA L-Band system. Based on experiences from previous Beam-park experiments a similar largely automated data processing is applied on an extended range window of 300–2000km. More than 1500 detections are encountered, 471 of them are verified as being real objects in Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO). PROOF's observation forecasting of catalogued objects is evaluated against the observed objects, and the difficulties obtaining radar cross-sections (RCSs) and object sizes from Beam-park experiments are discussed. Sidelobe detections are identified by using background information like two-line element (TLE) sets and/or catalogued RCSs.In comparison with previous experiments, the statistics show similarities confirming the concept of Beam-park experiments for space debris observations, despite the snapshot character of 24-h experiments. The comparison with MASTER/PROOF'99 and ORDEM2000 leads to a reasonable agreement between models and observations.     

Exobiological exploration of Mars.

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars remains the most promising for further elucidating concepts about chemical evolution and the origin of life. Strategies were developed to pursue three exobiological objectives for Mars exploration: determining the abundance and distribution of the biogenic elements and organic compounds, detecting evidence of an ancient biota on Mars, and determining whether indigenous organisms exist anywhere on the planet. The three strategies are quite similar and, in fact, share the same sequence of phases. In the first phase, each requires global reconnaissance and remote sensing by orbiters to select sites of interest for detailed in situ analyses. In the second phase, lander missions are conducted to characterize the chemical and physical properties of the selected sites. The third phase involves conducting "critical" experiments at sites whose properties make them particularly attractive for exobiology. These critical experiments would include, for example, identification of organics, detection of fossils, and detection of extant life. The fourth phase is the detailed analysis of samples returned from these sites in Earth-based laboratories to confirm and extend previous discoveries. Finally, in the fifth phase, human exploration is needed to establish the geological settings for the earlier findings or to discover and explore sites that are not accessible to robotic spacecraft.     

The Education and Public Outreach Program for NASA��s Dawn Mission

The Dawn mission??s Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program takes advantage of the length of the mission, an effort to maintain level funding, and the exceptional support of the science and engineering teams to create formal and informal educational materials that bring STEM content and modes of thinking to students of all ages. With materials that are based on researched pedagogical principles and aligned with science education standards, Dawn weaves together many aspects of the mission to engage students, teachers, and the general public. E/PO tells the story of the discovery of the asteroid belt, uncovers principles of physics behind the ion propulsion that powers the spacecraft, and explains what we can learn from the instrumentation and how the mission??s results will expand our understanding of the origins of the solar system. In this way, we not only educate and inform, we build anticipation and expectation in the general public for the spacecraft??s arrival at Vesta in 2011 and three years later at Ceres. This chapter discusses the organization, strategies, formative assessment and dissemination of these materials and activities, and includes a section on lessons learned.     

On the planetary ionospheric vortex electric fields

The paper presents a physical mechanism of large-scale vortex electric field generation in the ionospheric E- and F-layers. It shows that the planetary-scale, synoptic short-period (from several second to several hours) and fast processes (with propagation velocity higher than 1 km/s) produce a planetary-scale internal vortex electric field. Its value may far exceed that of the dynamo-field generated in the same ionospheric layer by local wind motion. We found, that an ionospheric source of the vortex electric field is spatial inhomogeneity of the geomagnetic field.     

一种基于多维空间超球体的快速聚类算法

提出了一种基于多维空间超球体的快速聚类算法。这种算法结合密度聚类和层次聚类两种思想。首先利用密度聚类方法将小范围内的数据对象聚合成超球体,然后再按照层次聚类中的凝聚思想,根据超球体之间的位置关系产生最终聚类。实验表明,该算法对于数值型数据集不仅在效率、噪声敏感性等方面均有较好的表现,同时还可以通过诸如“双环测试”等带有刁难性的特殊测试集。以往,常常简单的以距离来刻画的数据间“相似性”,而所提出的快速聚类算法则改由超球体之间连接的紧密程度来描述这种性质。实验表明,这种修改使得算法的性能得到了很好的改善。     

空间核电源朗肯循环系统的研究进展

空间核电源朗肯循环具有热电转换效率高、废热辐射面积小、功率变化灵活等特点, 是空间核反应堆电源领域的研究热点. 以空间核能朗肯循环的发展与研究现状为基础, 对空间核能朗肯循环的工质及选择标准和原则进行分析. 对不同功率等级的空间核能朗肯循环系统设计方案进行对比, 分析各个系统方案的反应堆设计、各回路工质选择、朗肯循环功率设计、关键部件设计等, 提出空间核电源朗肯循环的主要研究方向, 包括工质特性、朗肯循环关键部件、反应堆芯设计等, 而新型金属材料、高性能关键设备设计和地面集成方案等将是有待继续深入研究的关键技术问题. 分析结果可对中国未来空间核能朗肯循环的设计提供一定参考.