The Far Ultra-Violet Imager on the Icon Mission

ICON Far UltraViolet (FUV) imager contributes to the ICON science objectives by providing remote sensing measurements of the daytime and nighttime atmosphere/ionosphere. During sunlit atmospheric conditions, ICON FUV images the limb altitude profile in the shortwave (SW) band at 135.6 nm and the longwave (LW) band at 157 nm perpendicular to the satellite motion to retrieve the atmospheric O/N₂ ratio. In conditions of atmospheric darkness, ICON FUV measures the 135.6 nm recombination emission of \(\mathrm{O}^{+}\) ions used to compute the nighttime ionospheric altitude distribution. ICON Far UltraViolet (FUV) imager is a Czerny–Turner design Spectrographic Imager with two exit slits and corresponding back imager cameras that produce two independent images in separate wavelength bands on two detectors. All observations will be processed as limb altitude profiles. In addition, the ionospheric 135.6 nm data will be processed as longitude and latitude spatial maps to obtain images of ion distributions around regions of equatorial spread F. The ICON FUV optic axis is pointed 20 degrees below local horizontal and has a steering mirror that allows the field of view to be steered up to 30 degrees forward and aft, to keep the local magnetic meridian in the field of view. The detectors are micro channel plate (MCP) intensified FUV tubes with the phosphor fiber-optically coupled to Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs). The dual stack MCP-s amplify the photoelectron signals to overcome the CCD noise and the rapidly scanned frames are co-added to digitally create 12-second integrated images. Digital on-board signal processing is used to compensate for geometric distortion and satellite motion and to achieve data compression. The instrument was originally aligned in visible light by using a special grating and visible cameras. Final alignment, functional and environmental testing and calibration were performed in a large vacuum chamber with a UV source. The test and calibration program showed that ICON FUV meets its design requirements and is ready to be launched on the ICON spacecraft.     

Modeling of ionospheric scintillation at low-latitude

The presence and movement of plasma density fluctuations in the F-region of the ionosphere are studied by monitoring phase and amplitude of radio waves propagating through the region. In this paper, we have used weak scattering theory and assumed the plasma density fluctuations to behave like phase changing diffraction screen. Appropriate relations for scintillation index S₄, and phase variance δ? are derived and computed for different parameters of the plasma density irregularities of the ionosphere. SROSS-C2 satellite in situ measurements of plasma density fluctuations, which provide direct information about the structure and morphology of irregularities that are responsible for scintillation of radio waves, were used first time to develop a scintillation model for low latitude. It is observed that the scintillation index S₄ and phase variance δ? depends on the strength of the plasma turbulence. Finally, the results obtained from modeling are compared and discussed with the available recent results.     

Fuel Savings in the WHECON Attitude Control System Using an Asymmetric Controller

This paper investigates the possibility of generating an on-off limit cycle mode in the WHECON attitude control system. lt is shown that, by eliminating the off set angle ? in the roll-actuated control torquer, the WHECON system can be reduced to the structure considered earlier by Mendel and, therefore, an on-off limit cycle can be generated simply by introducing an appropriate amount of asymmetry into the deadzone characteristic of the WHECON controller. Because with this mode of on-off limit cycle the thruster jets will fire only once in each cycle of the oscillation, it is claimed that a considerable amount of fuel can be saved by the proposed modifications to the original WHECON design. Dynamic simulation study was conducted with the actual nonlinear model of the WHECON system considered and the results indicate that, for both zero and nonzero values of the off set angle ?, substantial fuel savings can be achieved by using the asymmetric controller.     

Controlling spacecraft by means of solar radiation

The possibility of using solar sails in Earth orbit is investigated. The characteristic parameters of a solar sail consisting of six spheres attached by mutually orthogonal long rods are estimated.     

Enhancement of primary education using EDUSAT: Rajiv Gandhi project for EDUSAT supported elementary education network (RGPEEE) overview

Providing education access to the children in the age group 6–14 years is a constitutional obligation and challenge for the union as well state governments, as the development of elementary education is a key factor for a nation's development. Due to the non-availability of required number of trained and expert teachers’ knowledge-divide exists between students population of urban and rural/remote areas. To bridge this gap Distance Learning or Tele-education is the best option. A dedicated satellite for the purpose (EDUSAT) was launched on 20th September 2004 to serve the nation in all the education activities. It was decided to provide a Tele-education network in and around the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, with uplink and studio facility (Hub) at Jabalpur (MP) and around 700 receive only terminals (ROTs) in various schools. Since the medium of teaching used in this network is Hindi, it was later decided to extend the coverage to connect around 50 primary schools with ROTs in six surrounding states viz. Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal. The network is configured as a DTH network using state-of-art digital technology, in Ku-band with 3.8 m antenna and 16 W power amplifier at Hub. The ROTs are designed to operate on solar power for 2.5 h continuously, taking into consideration the non-availability of primary power in the rural areas. The teachers of the schools are trained for the proper operations of the ROTs. The teachers of these rural schools also contribute to the content generation, with local relevance, in coordination with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). At present the network with around 1000 ROTs is being utilized for 2 h per day. The RGPEEE network is in the process of being augmented with 32 satellite interactive terminals (SITs), to be used for teachers training. The project is being managed by two tier management system. In order to oversee the project implementation and monitoring an Apex Core Group, consisting of Apex Committee and Standing Committee, has been constituted. The Apex Committee takes care of policy decisions where as, the Standing Committee takes care of day to day affair.     

Theory of electric field measurements conducted in the magnetosphere with electric probes

Conclusions From the preceding discussion of possible errors and from the probe dimensions given in Tables IV and V the conclusion can be drawn that there should be no great difficulties in making rough (10–20%) measurements of electric fields in the ionosphere. With moderate efforts (using metallized balloons) it should also be possible to obtain order of magnitude estimates of electric fields out to a distance of several earth radii.With large efforts it seems possible also in the future to measure electric fields along the magnetic field lines, but at present indirect methods may be more attractive.     

Antiparticle content in the magnetosphere

In the present work we assess the stable and transient antiparticle content of planetary magnetospheres, and subsequently we consider their capture and application to high delta-v space propulsion. We estimate the total antiparticle mass contained within the Earth’s magnetosphere to assess the expediency of such usage. Using Earth’s magnetic field region as an example, we have considered the various source mechanisms that are applicable to a planetary magnetosphere, the confinement duration versus transport processes, and the antiparticle loss mechanisms. We have estimated the content of the trapped population of antiparticles magnetically confined following production in the exosphere due to nuclear interactions between high energy cosmic rays (CR) and constituents of the residual planetary upper atmosphere.The galactic antiprotons that directly penetrate into the Earth’s magnetosphere are themselves secondary by its nature, i.e. produced in nuclear reactions of the cosmic rays passing through the interstellar matter. These antiproton fluxes are modified, dependent on energy, when penetrating into the heliosphere and subsequently into planetary magnetospheres. During its lifetime in the Galaxy, CR pass through the small grammage of the interstellar matter where they produce secondary antiprotons. In contrast to this, antiprotons generated by the same CR in magnetosphere are locally produced at a path length of several tens g/cm² of matter in the ambient planetary upper atmosphere. Due to the latter process, the resulting magnetically confined fluxes significantly exceed the fluxes of the galactic antiprotons in the Earth’s vicinity by up to two orders of magnitude at some energies.The radiation belt antiparticles can possibly be extracted with an electromagnetic-based “scoop” device. The antiparticles could be concentrated by and then stored within the superimposed magnetic field structure of such a device. In future developments, it is anticipated that the energy of the captured antiparticles (both rest energy and kinetic energy) can be adapted for use as a fuel for propelling spacecraft to high velocities for remote solar system missions.     

The Digital-Data-Transition Tracking Loop as a Practical Implementation of an Optimum Self-Bit Synchronizer

It is shown that the digital-data-transition tracking loop, previouslydevised using physical reasonings, is actually a practical implementation of an optimum (maximum likelihood) self-bit synchronizer.     

Cell inactivation, repair and mutation induction in bacteria after heavy ion exposure: results from experiments at accelerators and in space.

To understand the mechanisms of accelerated heavy ions on biological matter, the responses of spores of B. subtilis to this structured high LET radiation was investigated applying two different approaches. 1) By the use of the Biostack concept, the inactivation probability as a function of radial distance to single particles' trajectory (i.e. impact parameter) was determined in space experiments as well as at accelerators using low fluences of heavy ions. It was found that spores can survive even a central hit and that the effective range of inactivation extends far beyond impact parameters where inactivation by delta-ray dose would be effective. Concerning the space experiment, the inactivation cross section exceeds those from comparable accelerator experiments by roughly a factor of 20. 2) From fluence effect curves, cross sections for inactivation and mutation induction, and the efficiency of repair processes were determined. They are influenced by the ions characteristics in a complex manner. According to dependence on LET, at least 3 LET ranges can be differentiated: A low LET range (app. < 200 keV/micrometers), where cross sections for inactivation and mutation induction follow a common curve for different ions and where repair processes are effective; an intermediate LET range of the so-called saturation cross section with negligible mutagenic and repair efficiency; and a high LET range (>1000 keV/micrometers) where the biological endpoints are majorly dependent on atomic mass and energy of the ion under consideration.