The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL)

BARREL is a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth’s Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL augments the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission by providing measurements of relativistic electron precipitation with a pair of Antarctic balloon campaigns that will be conducted during the Austral summers (January-February) of 2013 and 2014. During each campaign, a total of 20 small (～20 kg) stratospheric balloons will be successively launched to maintain an array of ～5 payloads spread across ～6 hours of magnetic local time in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Each balloon carries an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL will provide the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles are available, and will characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies. All data and analysis software will be made freely available to the scientific community.     

DEMETER卫星记录到的电离层加热现象

在法国DEMETER卫星运行期间, 地基电离层加热装置SURA和HAARP开展了一系列加热试验, 记录到各类电离层异常信息, 发现电离层加热过程中卫星观测的电离层扰动信号包括HF发射泵波及边带泵波、VLF人工源增强及频谱拓展、ULF/ELF/VLF调制波、ELF电磁扰动、ULF谐振波、等离子体特征参量扰动及高能粒子沉降等. 由于传播及耦合机制的差异, 发射泵波可以穿透电离层直达卫星高度, 其观测概率最高达到68%以上, 其他扰动受发射调制模式及当地电磁环境等影响,观测概率相对较低, 均在40%左右, 有些甚至是某次试验中出现的个别事例. 结合中国地震电磁监测试验卫星飞行轨道设计及载荷配置等,对未来开展加热试验进行了分析论证, 并参考DEMETER卫星试验结果给出了一些建议.     

An in situ laser induced breakdown spectroscope (LIBS) for Chandrayaan-2 rover: Ablation kinetics and emissivity estimations

A miniaturized in situ laser induced breakdown spectroscope-LIBS is one of the two lunar rover payloads to be flown in India’s next lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, with an objective to carry-out a precise qualitative and quantitative elemental analyses of lunar regolith at the proximity of the landing region. As per the imposed mission constraints and the executed design optimization studies, a compact and light-weight LIBS prototype model is developed at our premises. This paper mainly concerns with the estimation of theoretical aspects; especially on evaluation of elemental ablation parameters and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations for the designed instrument. Theoretical estimations and simulations yielded an incident laser power density of the order of 5 × 10¹⁰ W/cm² on the target surface at a defined lens-to-surface distance (LTSD) of 200 mm and revealed an SNR > 100 for most of the elements under consideration. This paper also addresses the impact of LTSD variation on detection capability. The estimation of plasma-temperatures was carried out utilizing the emission spectra obtained under high vacuum environments employing the LIBS laboratory model. Experimental investigations and the performed theoretical estimations asserted the successful operation of the configured LIBS instrument for in situ elemental analyses on lunar surface.     

φ5m立式风洞结构设计

φ5m立式风洞是我国第一座大型立式风洞.开口单回流形式且垂直布置的大尺寸风洞结构是该风洞的显著特点,也是该风洞与常规低速风洞结构的重要区别,笔者针对φ5m立式风洞垂直布置的结构特点主要介绍了该风洞的结构设计概况.该风洞采用钢结构、玻璃钢结构和砼结构相结合的混合结构形式,较好地解决了洞体整体稳定性、洞体悬臂结构的支撑、第一扩散段悬置、大型结构构件的安装、定位和联接、大型设备(特别动力电机)维护保养等问题.     

纳米级SiCp/6066Al复合材料的制备与力学性能的研究

采用粉末冶金方法制备了纳米SiCp增强铝基复合材料，研究了增强相尺寸对铝基复合材料性能的影响。结果表明：体积分数为1％的纳米级SiCp／6066Al复合材料的强度与体积分数为12％、尺寸为7μm的SiCp／6066Al复合材料的强度相当，并且前者的塑性高于后者。     

Propagation of interplanetary shocks into the Earth’s magnetosphere

This paper is devoted to the study of propagation of disturbances caused by interplanetary shocks (IPS) through the Earth’s magnetosphere. Using simultaneous observations of various fast forward shocks by different satellites in the solar wind, magnetosheath and magnetosphere from 1995 till 2002, we traced the interplanetary shocks into the Earth’s magnetosphere, we calculated the velocity of their propagation into the Earth’s magnetosphere and analyzed fronts of the disturbances. From the onset of disturbances at different satellites in the magnetosphere we obtained speed values ranging from 500 to 1300 km/s in the direction along the IP shock normal, that is in a general agreement with results of previous numerical MHD simulations. The paper discusses in detail a sequence of two events on November 9th, 2002. For the two cases we estimated the propagation speed of the IP shock caused disturbance between the dayside and nightside magnetosphere to be 590 km/s and 714–741 km/s, respectively. We partially attributed this increase to higher Alfven speed in the outer magnetosphere due to the compression of the magnetosphere as a consequence of the first event, and partially to the faster and stronger driving interplanetary shock. High-time resolution GOES magnetic field data revealed a complex structure of the compressional wave fronts at the dayside geosynchronous orbit during these events, with initial very steep parts (10 s). We discuss a few possible mechanisms of such steep front formation in the paper.     

The CELSS Test Facility project: an example of a CELSS flight experiment system.

The CELSS Test Facility (CTF) is a device for measuring crop plant productivity in the micro-gravity environment of Space Station Freedom. It will allow us to address questions of crop productivity in space, versus that on the ground. The crop productivity factors that will be measured are rates of: 1) biomass production, 2) food production, 3) O2 and CO2 exchange, and 4) water transpiration. In addition, other productivity factors of specific crops will be determined, such as : 1) the ratio of edible to inedible biomass (harvest index), 2) leaf area exposed to and collecting light (leaf area index), 3) ratio of root mass to total biomass, and 4) photosynthetic efficiency (ratio of moles of CO2 fixed (or O2 produced), per mole of photons of specific energies used). Plant and crop morphology, at several levels, ranging from the community to the sub-cellular, will also be evaluated.     

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...     

高超声速飞行器表面气动热和粘性摩擦力计算

本文给出了高超声速飞行器表面摩阻和传热系数 (斯坦顿数 )的计算结果。采用两种方法平面切面法亦即二维边界层近似法和工程方法计算了飞行器高超声速绕流的粘性效应 ,并对两种方法的计算结果作了仔细的比较。由文可见 ,对于在稠密大气层内 ,沿轨道运行头速度恒定的高超声速有翼飞行器 ,能够用本文所采用的两种方法计算其表面摩阻和热载荷。此二法可成功地应用于绕复杂形状物体的流动参数计算。     

Total solar and spectral irradiance variations from solar cycles 21 to 23

Total solar and UV irradiances have been measured from various space platforms for more than two decades. More recently, observations of the “Variability of solar IRradiance and Gravity Oscillations” (VIRGO) experiment on SOHO provided information about spectral irradiance variations in the near-UV at 402 nm, visible at 500 nm, and near-IR at 862 nm. Analyses based on these space-borne irradiance measurements have convinced the skeptics that solar irradiance at various wavelengths and in the entire spectrum is changing with the waxing and waning solar activity. The main goal of this paper is to review the short- and long-term variations in total solar and spectral irradiances and their relation to the evolution of magnetic fields from solar cycles 21 to 23.