Pulsar Timing and Its Application for Navigation and Gravitational Wave Detection

Pulsars are natural cosmic clocks. On long timescales they rival the precision of terrestrial atomic clocks. Using a technique called pulsar timing, the exact measurement of pulse arrival times allows a number of applications, ranging from testing theories of gravity to detecting gravitational waves. Also an external reference system suitable for autonomous space navigation can be defined by pulsars, using them as natural navigation beacons, not unlike the use of GPS satellites for navigation on Earth. By comparing pulse arrival times measured on-board a spacecraft with predicted pulse arrivals at a reference location (e.g. the solar system barycenter), the spacecraft position can be determined autonomously and with high accuracy everywhere in the solar system and beyond. We describe the unique properties of pulsars that suggest that such a navigation system will certainly have its application in future astronautics. We also describe the on-going experiments to use the clock-like nature of pulsars to “construct” a galactic-sized gravitational wave detector for low-frequency (\(f_{GW}\sim 10^{-9} \text{--} 10^{-7}\) Hz) gravitational waves. We present the current status and provide an outlook for the future.     

薄壁件铣削过程加工变形研究进展

机床加工性能和刀具切削性能的发展使得薄壁件的高效率和高精密加工成为可能，也使得薄壁件在航空航天领域得到更广泛应用。薄壁零件结构复杂、刚度低，在铣削过程中易发生变形，因此精准预测与控制薄壁件的加工变形是机加工领域亟需解决的工艺难题。通过对薄壁件分类以及加工工艺分析，归纳总结引起薄壁件加工变形的因素，对加工变形影响最为关键的铣削力计算模型进行简述；结合国内外薄壁件变形预测与控制方法的研究，以弹塑性和数值模拟方法对薄壁件加工变形进行预测，通过加工工艺优化、辅助支撑技术、高速切削技术和数控补偿技术等方法对薄壁件加工过程的变形量进行控制；基于数据驱动数字孪生体的更新迭代，实现薄壁件实际加工过程的孪生及薄壁件变形预测与控制，构建了以数字孪生为平台的薄壁件加工变形预测与控制理论框架；最后对数字孪生在薄壁件加工变形预测及控制的发展与应用提出展望。