Monte Carlo transport model comparison with 1A GeV accelerated iron experiment: heavy-ion shielding evaluation of NASA space flight-crew foodstuff.

Deep-space manned flight as a reality depends on a viable solution to the radiation problem. Both acute and chronic radiation health threats are known to exist, with solar particle events as an example of the former and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) of the latter. In this experiment Iron ions of 1A GeV are used to simulate GCR and to determine the secondary radiation field created as the GCR-like particles interact with a thick target. A NASA prepared food pantry locker was subjected to the iron beam and the secondary fluence recorded. A modified version of the Monte Carlo heavy ion transport code developed by Zeitlin at LBNL is compared with experimental fluence. The foodstuff is modeled as mixed nuts as defined by the 71st edition of the Chemical Rubber Company (CRC) Handbook of Physics and Chemistry. The results indicate a good agreement between the experimental data and the model. The agreement between model and experiment is determined using a linear fit to ordered pairs of data. The intercept is forced to zero. The slope fit is 0.825 and the R2 value is 0.429 over the resolved fluence region. The removal of an outlier, Z=14, gives values of 0.888 and 0.705 for slope and R2 respectively.     

Satellite mobile communications spread-spectrum receiver

Since 1999, ESA has conducted a number of system studies and technological developments to support the European and Canadian industry in the definition of a Satellite UMTS (S-UMTS) component development strategy, identifying critical technological areas and promoting S-UMTS demonstrations. In particular, the MUSIC project has successfully demonstrated advanced digital signal processing techniques to mitigate CDMA interference in spread-spectrum receivers, thus increasing the capacity and/or quality of service of a wireless communication network. The low-complexity solution for interference mitigation investigated and developed in the project is particularly suited for being implemented in mobile terminals.     

US Military space policy 1945–92

This article uses space power theory to analyse the military space policy of the United States during the Cold War period up to the demise of the Soviet Union. It examines the consensus that emerged during this period which sought to prevent the weaponization of space. This consensus was called into question during the latter period with the announcement of the Strategic Defence Initiative and its subsequent orientation to Global Protection Against Limited Strikes system.     

Covariance matrix estimation for adaptive CFAR detection incompound-Gaussian clutter

We address the estimation of the structure of the covariance matrix and its application to adaptive radar detection of coherent pulse trains in clutter-dominated disturbance modeled as a compound-Gaussian process. For estimation purposes we resort to range cells in spatial proximity with that under test and assume that these cells, free of signal components, can be clustered into groups of data with one and the same value of the texture. We prove that, plugging the proposed estimator of the structure of the covariance matrix into a previously derived detector, based upon the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), leads to an adaptive detector which ensures the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property with respect to the clutter covariance matrix as well as the statistics of the texture. Finally, we show that this adaptive receiver has an acceptable loss with respect to its nonadaptive counterpart in cases of relevant interest for radar applications     

微重力科学与应用研究（上）

空间微重力环境的独特物理现象对航天器各系统均产生无法回避的影响，在型号研制中正确计入微重力效应是航天事业发展中的一个重要研究领域。在现阶段，航天器发动机再启动相关的微重力研究以及载人航天防火安全相关的微重力研究应当引起人们的高度重视。随航天事业的发展，微重力效应问题日益会严重起来（结构动力学、耦合动力学、多相流温控、低重星球场着陆撞击……），进行深入广泛的微重力效应研究对保证航天器飞行任务完成有着不应忽视的作用     

Numerical modelling of radiance of the presumed dust torus around Mars in the 0.350-1 μm spectral range

Currently conducted studies on modelling of scattered solar radiation in the 0.350-1.00 μm range along the Phobos orbit around Mars are presented. Our calculations include various types of grains, various densities and scattering angles. The calculations are performed with the aid of LOWTRAN7 program. These studies are directly related to the photometer coupled to PFS (Planetary Fourier Spectrometer) planned for the Mars-96 mission.     

Measuring the matter distribution within z = 0.2 cluster lenses with XMM-Newton

We present an analysis of seven clusters observed by XMM-Newton as part of our survey of 17 most X-ray luminous clusters of galaxies at z  0.2 selected for a comprehensive and unbiased study of the mass distribution in massive clusters. Using the public software FTOOLS and XMMSAS we have set up an automated pipeline to reduce the EPIC MOS and pn spectro-imaging data, optimized for extended sources analysis. We also developped a code to perform intensive spectral and imaging analysis particularly focussing on proper background estimate and removal. XMM-Newton deep spectro-imaging of these clusters allowed us to fit a standard β-model to their gas emission profiles as well as a standard MEKAL emission model to their extracted spectra, and test their inferred characteristics against already calibrated relations.     

Inverse-compton gamma rays from plerions

Young pulsars surrounded by supernova remnants can power synchrotron nebulae through the injection of relativistic particles. Inverse Compton scattering by the high-energy electrons and positrons can produce TeV gamma-ray emission strong enough to be detectable by ground-based telescopes. The Crab nebula is the archetypical example of a gamma-ray plerion and was the first detected TeV source. The observed spectrum is consistent with predictions of synchrotron-self Compton models. This paper will review such models for the Crab and other plerions. Inverse-Compton scattering on other soft photon sources, particularly the 2.7K microwave background, may also be detectable in older remnants.