Variations in cosmic ray cutoff rigidities during the great geomagnetic storm of November 2004

A very strong interplanetary and magnetospheric disturbance observed on 7–13 November 2004 can be regarded as one of the strongest events during the entire period of space observations. In this paper we report on the studies of cosmic ray cutoff rigidity variations during 7–13 November 2004 showing how storm conditions can affect the direct cosmic ray access to the inner magnetosphere. Effective cutoff rigidities have been calculated for selected points on the ground by tracing trajectories of cosmic ray particles through the magnetospheric magnetic field of the “storm-oriented” Tsyganenko 2003 model. Cutoff rigidity variations have also been determined by the spectrographic global survey method on the basis of experimental data of the neutron monitor network. Relations between the calculated and experimental cutoff rigidities and the geomagnetic Dst-index and interplanetary parameters have been investigated. Correlation coefficients between the cutoff rigidities obtained by the trajectory tracing method and the spectrographic global survey method have been found to be in the limits 0.76–0.89 for all stations except the low-latitude station Tokyo (0.35). The most pronounced correlation has been revealed between the cutoff rigidities that exhibited a very large variation of ∼1–1.5 GV during the magnetic storm and the Dst index.     

Height of shock formation in the solar corona inferred from observations of type II radio bursts and coronal mass ejections

Employing coronagraphic and EUV observations close to the solar surface made by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission, we determined the heliocentric distance of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at the starting time of associated metric type II bursts. We used the wave diameter and leading edge methods and measured the CME heights for a set of 32 metric type II bursts from solar cycle 24. We minimized the projection effects by making the measurements from a view that is roughly orthogonal to the direction of the ejection. We also chose image frames close to the onset times of the type II bursts, so no extrapolation was necessary. We found that the CMEs were located in the heliocentric distance range from 1.20 to 1.93 solar radii (Rs), with mean and median values of 1.43 and 1.38 Rs, respectively. We conclusively find that the shock formation can occur at heights substantially below 1.5 Rs. In a few cases, the CME height at type II onset was close to 2 Rs. In these cases, the starting frequency of the type II bursts was very low, in the range 25–40 MHz, which confirms that the shock can also form at larger heights. The starting frequencies of metric type II bursts have a weak correlation with the measured CME/shock heights and are consistent with the rapid decline of density with height in the inner corona.     

Symmetry and asymmetry of ionospheric weather at magnetic conjugate points for two midlatitude observatories

Variations of the ionospheric weather W-index for two midlatitude observatories, namely, Grahamstown and Hermanus, and their conjugate counterpart locations in Africa are studied for a period from October 2010 to December 2011. The observatories are located in the longitude sector, which has consistent magnetic equator and geographic equator so that geomagnetic latitudes of the line of force are very close to the corresponding geographic latitudes providing opportunity to ignore the impact of the difference of the gravitational field and the geomagnetic field at the conjugate points on the ionosphere structure and dynamics. The ionosondes of Grahamstown and Hermanus provide data of the critical frequency (foF2), and Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) provide the total electron content (TECgps) along the magnetic field line up to the conjugate point in the opposite hemisphere. The global model of the ionosphere, International Reference Ionosphere, extended to the plasmasphere altitude of 20,200 km (IRI-Plas) is used to deliver the F2 layer peak parameters from TECgps at the magnetic conjugate area. The evidence is obtained that the electron gas heated by day and cooled by night at the summer hemisphere as compared with the opposite features in the conjugate winter hemisphere testifies on a reversal of plasma fluxes along the magnetic field line by the solar terminator. The ionospheric weather W-index is derived from NmF2 (related with foF2) and TECgps data. It is found that symmetry of W-index behavior in the magnetic conjugate hemispheres is dominant for the equinoxes when plasma movement along the magnetic line of force is imposed on symmetrical background electron density and electron content. Asymmetry of the ionospheric storm effects is observed for solstices when the plasma diffuse down more slowly into the colder winter hemisphere than into the warmer summer hemisphere inducing either plasma increase (positive phase) or decrease (negative phase of W-index) in the ionospheric and plasmaspheric plasma density.     

Concept of wireless sensor network for future in-situ exploration of lunar ice using wireless impedance sensor

It is known that a wireless sensor network uses some sort of sensors to detect a physical quantity of interest, in general. The wireless sensor network is a potential tool for exploring the difficult-to-access area on the earth and the concept may be extended to space applications in future. Recently, lunar water has been detected by a few lunar missions using remote sensing techniques. The lunar water is expected to be in the form of ice at very low temperatures of permanently dark regions on the moon. To support the remote observations and also to find out potential ice bearing sites on the moon, in-situ measurement of the lunar ice is essential. However, a rover may not be able to reach the permanently shadowed regions due to terrain irregularity. One possibility to access such areas is to use a wireless sensor network on the lunar surface.     

Low latitude nighttime ionospheric vertical E × B drifts at African region

The nighttime vertical E × B drifts velocities of the F2-region were inferred from the hourly hmF2 values obtained from ionosonde data over an African equatorial station, Ilorin (8.50^oN, 4.68^oE; dip lat. 2.95^o) during period of low solar activity. For each season, the plasma drift Vz is characterized by an evening upward enhancement, then by a downward reversal at 1900 LT till around 0000 LT, except for June solstice. This was explained using the Rayleigh–Taylor (R-T) instability mechanism. The occasional drift differences in Vz obtained by inferred and direct measurement over Ilorin and Jicamarca, respectively are reflective of the importance of chemistry and divergent transport system due to both the E region electric and magnetic fields instead of simple motions. The pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) magnitude is higher during the equinoctial months than the solsticial months over Jicamarca, highest during December solstice and the equinoctial months over Ilorin, suggesting the dominance of higher E × B fountain during equinoxes at both stations. The lowest PRE magnitude was in June solstice. The appearance of post-noon peak in NmF2 around 1700 LT is highest during the equinoctial months and lowest during the solsticial period. A general sharp drop in NmF2 around 1800 LT is distinct immediately after sunset, lowest during June solstice and highest in March equinox. Our result suggests that between 0930 and 2100 LT, the general theory that vertical drifts obtained by digisonde measurements only match the E × B drift if the F layer is higher than 300 km is reliable, but does not hold for the nighttime period of 2200–0600 LT under condition of solar minima. Hence, the condition may not be sufficient for the representation of vertical plasma drift at nighttime during solar minima. This assertion may still be tentative, as more equatorial stations needed to be studied for better confirmation.     

Some issues of time-optimal control over a spacecraft programmed turn

The problem of optimal turn of a spacecraft from an arbitrary initial position to a final specified angular position in a minimum time is considered and solved. A case is investigated, when the constraint on spacecraft’s angular momentum during the turn is essential. Based on the quaternion method a solution to the posed problem has been found, and an optimal control program is constructed taking the constraints on controlling moment into account. The optimal control is found in the class of regular motions. A condition (calculation expression) is presented for determining the moment to begin braking with the use of measurements of current motion parameters, which considerably improves the accuracy of putting the spacecraft into a preset position. For a dynamically symmetrical spacecraft the solution to the problem of optimal control by the spacecraft spatial turn is presented in analytical form (expressions in elementary functions). An example of mathematical modeling of the spacecraft motion dynamics under optimal control over reorientation is given.     

Role of O.G. Gazenko in formation and advancement of space biology and medicine

Oleg G. Gazenko belongs to the noble cohort of pupils of well-known Russian physiologist L.A. Orbeli. He was one of the fathers of space biology and medicine, discipline in which he displayed his brilliant talents of experimenter and thinker. He was acknowledged for the investigations of spaceflight effects on living systems, the concept of medical operations system to support long-term piloted missions and implementation of biological researches that fostered the advance of space and gravitational biology. The analytical works of Oleg G. Gazenko are of imperishable significance for future researches to the benefit of space biomedicine.