Enhancing the ATIC charge resolution

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) experiment is designed to investigate the charge composition and energy spectra of primary cosmic rays over the energy range from about 10¹¹ to 10¹⁴ eV during Long Duration Balloon (LDB) flights from McMurdo, Antarctica. Currently, analysis from the ATIC-1 test flight and ATIC-2 science flight is underway and preparation for a second science flight is in progress. Charge identification of the incident cosmic ray is accomplished, primarily, by a pixilated Silicon Matrix detector located at the very top of the instrument. While it has been shown that the Silicon Matrix detector provides good charge identification even in the presence of electromagnetic shower backscatter from the calorimeter, the detector only measures the charge once. In this paper, we examine use of the top scintillator hodoscope detector to provide a second measure of the cosmic ray charge and, thus, improve the ATIC charge identification.     

Meteor Phenomena and Bodies

Meteoroids can be observed at collision with the Earth's atmosphere as meteors. Different methods of observing meteors are presented: besides the traditional counts of individual events, exact methods yield also data on the geometry of the atmospheric trajectory; on the dynamics and ablation of the body in the atmosphere; on radiation; on the spectral distribution of radiation; on ionization; on accompanying sounds; and also data on orbits. Theoretical models of meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere are given and applied to observational data. Attention is paid to radar observations; to spectroscopic observations; to experiments with artificial meteors and to different types of meteor sounds. The proposed composition and structure of meteoroids as well as their orbits link them to meteorites, asteroids and comets. Meteor streams can be observed as meteor showers and storms. The rate of influx of meteoroids of different sizes onto Earth is presented and potential hazards discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Omicron space habitat—research stage II

The design presented in this paper is in response to the revolution in private space activities, the increasing public interest in commercial flights to space and the utilization of structures such as space hotels or private orbital habitats. The baseline for the Omicron design concept is the Russian Salyut derived space station module. Salyut was the first space station to orbit the Earth. Its unique design and technical features were what made the development of space stations Salyut 1–7, MIR and the International Space Station (ISS) Zwezda service module possible. Due to its versatility and the reliable operating launch vehicle Proton, this space module series has the potential to be adapted for space hotel development. This paper proposes a conceptual design of the space habitat called Omicron, with particular focus on interior design for the microgravity environment. The Omicron concepts address the needs of space tourism with a strong emphasis on the safety and comfort of the spaceflight participants. The Omicron habitat supports three inhabitants in nominal conditions (e.g., two passengers and one astronaut). The habitat provides a flexible interior, facilities and spaces dynamically transforming in order to accommodate various types of activities, which will be performed in an organically formed interior supporting spatial orientation and movement in microgravity. The future development potential of Omicron is also considered. The baseline version is composed solely of one rigid module with an inverted cupola for observations. An alternative version offers more space using an inflatable structure. Finally, a combination of multiple Omicron modules enables the creation of a larger orbital habitat. The Omicron's subsystems support a few days visit by trained passengers. The transport to the habitat would be provided e.g., by the Soyuz TMA spacecraft carried by the Soyuz launch vehicle in the early stage of Omicron's development, before a fully reusable spacecraft would be available.     

S弯扩压器中四种湍流模型的比较

采用Realizableκ-ε,S-A(Spalart-Allmaras),SST(Shear stress transport剪切应力输运),RSM(Reynolds stress equation model雷诺应力模型)四种湍流模型对S弯扩压器内的分离流动进行了模拟,分析了不同湍流模型对计算结果的影响.将不同轴向位置的表面压力系数、分离区的大小、马赫数等三个量的实验值与计算值进行了比较,结果表明:分离区湍流模型对表面压力分布影响较大,未分离区不同湍流模型模拟精度相当;S-A模型对分离区的模拟较保守,RSM模型对分离的模拟精度较高,SST与RSM模拟结果很接近;各湍流模型计算的高速区域均比实验值大.扩压器的平均总压恢复系数受湍流模型影响不大,和实验结果吻合较好.      

STARDUST: finessing expensive cometary sample returns

The STARDUST Discovery mission will collect samples of cometary coma and interstellar dust and return them to Earth. Five years after launch in February 1999, coma dust in the 1- to 100-micrometers size range will be captured by impact into ultra-low-density silica aerogel during a 6 kms-1 flyby of Comet Wild 2. The returned samples will be investigated at laboratories where the most critical information on these primitive materials is retained. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will provide project management with Lockheed Martin Astronauts as the spacecraft industrial partner. STARDUST management will aggressively and innovatively achieve cost control through the use of Total Quality Management principles, the chief of which will be organization in a Project Engineering and Integration Team that "flattens" the traditional hierarchical structure by including all project elements from the beginning, in a concurrent engineering framework focusing on evolving Integrated Mission Capability.     

时变因素作用下薄壁筒工件车削振动特性与实验

针对薄壁筒类工件的切削颤振问题,采用理论建模、数值仿真和实验测试相结合的方法,研究切削过程中时变工件厚度和切削位置对薄壁筒振动特性的影响规律。利用有限元法建立主轴-卡盘-工件工艺系统模型,分析不同壁厚、切削力位置对薄壁筒切削系统的固有模态、频率响应函数的影响。结合模态实验与切削振动实验表明:薄壁筒周向壳体模态对于壁厚的变化更为敏感,且沿工件轴向不同切削位置处工艺系统的振动响应及其主振模态有所不同;切削加工表面出现的沟槽、鱼鳞状等颤振纹理分别与工艺系统的低阶轴向梁振型、周向壳振型相关。研究结果对薄壁筒切削颤振的预测与抑制具有理论指导意义。