Old-Aged Primary Distance Indicators

Old-aged stellar distance indicators are present in all Galactic structures (halo, bulge, disk) and in galaxies of all Hubble types and, thus, are immensely powerful tools for understanding our Universe. Here we present a comprehensive review for three primary standard candles from Population II: (i) RR Lyrae type variables (RRL), (ii) type II Cepheid variables (T2C), and (iii) the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). The discovery and use of these distance indicators is placed in historical context before describing their theoretical foundations and demonstrating their observational applications across multiple wavelengths. The methods used to establish the absolute scale for each standard candle is described with a discussion of the observational systematics. We conclude by looking forward to the suite of new observational facilities anticipated over the next decade; these have both a broader wavelength coverage and larger apertures than current facilities. We anticipate future advancements in our theoretical understanding and observational application of these stellar populations as they apply to the Galactic and extragalactic distance scale.     

Development of multi-functional composite structures with embedded electronics for space application

Conventional spacecraft structural function has been limited to supporting loads and mounting avionics only. In contrast, the technology of ‘multi-functional structures’ can integrate thermal and electronic functions into the spacecraft’s inherent load-bearing capability. In addition, sufficient radiation shielding effectiveness can be provided for the anticipated mission environment. Utilizing this concept, the ratio of electrical functionality to spacecraft volume can be dramatically increased and significant mass savings can be obtained. In this paper, spacecraft electronics are miniaturized using advanced IT applications such as flexible circuitry, miniaturized components, featherweight connectors, and so on, that they can be easily embedded within a structural panel. A sandwich structural panel consists of an aluminum honeycomb core and lightweight CFRP facesheets. Integration of electronics is implemented within the panel by mounting electronics on a multi-layered composite enclosure with multi-materials. This composite enclosure provides a load-bearing, effective thermal conduction, radiation shielding capabilities and an available space for embedding electronics. A series of environmental tests and analyses is carried out to demonstrate that the flight hardware is qualified for the expected mission environments. This approach will be utilized for the advanced small satellite ‘STSAT-3’ to validate the multi-functional structures concept.