The Pioneer anomaly and a rotating Gödel universe

Based upon a simple cosmological model with no expansion, we find that the rotational terms appearing in the Gödel universe are too small to explain the Pioneer anomaly. Following a brief summary of the anomaly, cosmological effects on the dynamics of local systems are addressed – including a derivation of the equations of motion for an accelerated Pioneer-type observer in a rotating universe. The rotation or vorticity present in such a cosmological model is then subjected to astrophysical limits set by observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Although it contributes, universal rotation is not the cause of the Pioneer effect. In view of the related fly-by anomalies, frame-dragging is also discussed. The virial theorem is used to demonstrate the non-conservation of energy during transfers from bound to hyperbolic trajectories.     

Local Interstellar Medium Summary of Working Group VI

This report summarizes the issues discussed in Working Group VI concerning the accuracy of measurements of D/H and 3He/H in the local interstellar medium, possible systematic errors, and emerging trends in the results.     

The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) on the New Horizons Mission

The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) comprises the hardware and accompanying science investigation on the New Horizons spacecraft to measure pick-up ions from Pluto’s outgassing atmosphere. To the extent that Pluto retains its characteristics similar to those of a “heavy comet” as detected in stellar occultations since the early 1980s, these measurements will characterize the neutral atmosphere of Pluto while providing a consistency check on the atmospheric escape rate at the encounter epoch with that deduced from the atmospheric structure at lower altitudes by the ALICE, REX, and SWAP experiments on New Horizons. In addition, PEPSSI will characterize any extended ionosphere and solar wind interaction while also characterizing the energetic particle environment of Pluto, Charon, and their associated system. First proposed for development for the Pluto Express mission in September 1993, what became the PEPSSI instrument went through a number of development stages to meet the requirements of such an instrument for a mission to Pluto while minimizing the required spacecraft resources. The PEPSSI instrument provides for measurements of ions (with compositional information) and electrons from 10 s of keV to ～1 MeV in a 160°×12° fan-shaped beam in six sectors for 1.5 kg and ～2.5 W.     

A Review of Hypervelocity Debris Testing at the Air Force Research Laboratory

In this paper, we describe a compact, low cost, fast turn-around-time technique used at the Air Force Research Laboratory to study hypervelocity debris impact effects on spacecraft structures and components. The technique described was used to study debris effects in the areas of: shock physics, debris-produced contamination, chemical analyses of the impact ejecta and debris initiated spacecraft discharge. Examples of research results obtained with the technique are presented and illustrate problems encountered in the field of space debris effects on spacecraft.     

MEMORIS: a wide angle camera for the BepiColombo mission

MEMORIS (MErcury Moderate Resolution Imaging System) is a wide angle camera (WAC) concept for the ESA mission BepiColombo. The main scientific objectives consist of observing the whole surface of Mercury in the spectral range of 400–1000 nm, with a spatial resolution of 50 m per pixel at peri-Herm (400 km) and 190 m at apo-Herm (1500 km). It will obtain a map of Mercury in stereo mode allowing the determination of a digital elevation model with a panchromatic filter through two different channels. The camera will also perform multispectral imaging of the surface with a set of 8–12 different broad band filters. A third channel dedicated to limb observations will provide images of the atmosphere. MEMORIS will thus monitor the surface and the atmosphere during the entire mission, providing a unique opportunity to study the relationship between surface regions and the atmosphere, as suggested by ground-based observations and theory.     

Robot System to Search for Signs of Life on Mars

This describes a robot system that can be used to look for the tell-tale signs of life on Mars. Currently, NASA has satellites in orbit that can identify broad regions to explore in its search for life. NASA also has instruments that can examine samples of Martian soil to see if they contain any indications of biological activity. This leaves the problem of deciding specifically where to look for suitable samples in the large area around a landing site. This also describes a robot system that can rapidly search thousands of square meters around the landing position to find sources of biogenic gas samples that may harbor important clues in the search for extra-terrestrial life.     

Search radar detection and track with the Hough transform. III.Detection performance with binary integration

For pt.II see ibid., vol. 30, no 1, (Jan. 1994). This paper considers how well a Hough transform detector with binary integration improves the performance of a typical surveillance radar. For Hough transform detection, binary integration offers some advantages over noncoherent integration when multiple targets appear in range-time space or when the detector receives signals with a wide range of power. We derive expressions for P_F and P_D for a Hough transform binary integrator and apply the expressions to a typical surveillance radar. The results show that for the case considered, the binary Hough integrator improves the power budget of the radar by about 3 dB for a nonfluctuating target and 1 dB for a highly fluctuating target     

Large solar flare radiation shielding requirements for manned interplanetary missions

As the 21st century approaches, there is an ever-increasing interest in launching manned missions to Mars. A major concern to mission planners is exposure of the flight crews to highly penetrating and damaging space radiations. Beyond the protective covering of the Earth's magnetosphere, the two main sources of these radiations are galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events. Preliminary analyses of potential exposures from galactic cosmic rays (GCR's) were presented elsewhere. In this Note, estimates of shielding thicknesses required to protect astronauts on interplanetary missions from the effects of large solar flare events are presented. The calculations use integral proton fluences for the February 1956, November 1960, and August 1972 solar particle events as inputs into the NASA Langley Research Center nucleon transport code BRYNTRN. This deterministic computer code transports primary protons and secondary protons and neutrons through any number of layers of target material of arbitrary thickness and composition. Contributions from target nucleus breakup (fragmentation) and recoil are also included. The results for each flare are presented as estimates of dose equivalent [in units of roentgen equivalent man (rem)] to the skin, eye, and bloodforming organs (BFO) behind various thicknesses of aluminum shielding. These results indicate that the February 1956 event was the most penetrating; however, the August 1972 event, the largest ever recorded, could have been mission- or life-threatening for thinly shielded (< or = 5 g/cm2) spacecraft. Also presented are estimates of the thicknesses of water shielding required to reduce the BFO dose equivalent to currently recommended astronaut exposure limits. These latter results suggest that organic polymers, similar to water, appear to be a much more desirable shielding material than aluminum.     

Computer-Aided Design and Graphics Applied to the Study of Inductor-Energy -Storage Dc-to-Dc Electronic Power Converters

A series of nine programs are developed for the design of the inductors of single-winding flyback converters. Three converter types are considered: voltage step-up, current step-up, and voltage step-up/current step-up. For each of the converter types, three pulse modulators are considered: constant frequency, constant transistor on-time, and constant transistor off-time. Computer-graphics displays are used to assist in evaluating characteristics of the various converter-modulator combinations.