The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on RBSP

The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) investigation on the NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (now named the Van Allen Probes) mission provides key wave and very low frequency magnetic field measurements to understand radiation belt acceleration, loss, and transport. The key science objectives and the contribution that EMFISIS makes to providing measurements as well as theory and modeling are described. The key components of the instruments suite, both electronics and sensors, including key functional parameters, calibration, and performance, demonstrate that EMFISIS provides the needed measurements for the science of the RBSP mission. The EMFISIS operational modes and data products, along with online availability and data tools provide the radiation belt science community with one the most complete sets of data ever collected.     

Integrated micro-electro-mechanical sensor development for inertialapplications

Electronic sensing circuitry and micro-electro-mechanical sense elements can be integrated to produce inertial instruments for applications unheard of a few years ago. This paper describes the Sandia M³EMS fabrication process, inertial instruments that have been fabricated, and the results of initial characterization tests of micro-machined accelerometers     

Phase transitions in a dusty plasma with two distinct particle sizes

In semiconductor manufacturing, contamination due to particulates significantly decreases the yield and quality of device fabrication, therefore increasing the cost of production. Dust particle clouds can be found in almost all plasma processing environments including both plasma etching devices and in plasma deposition processes. Dust particles suspended within such plasmas will acquire an electric charge from collisions with electrons and ions in the plasma. If the ratio of inter-particle potential energy to the average kinetic energy is sufficient, the particles will form either a “liquid” structure with short-range ordering or a crystalline structure with long-range ordering. Many experiments have been conducted over the past decade on such colloidal plasmas to discover the character of the systems formed, but more work is needed to fully understand these structures. The preponderance of previous experiments used monodisperse spheres to form complex plasma systems. However, most plasma processing environments contain more arbitrary distributions of particle size. In order to examine in more detail the effects of a size distribution, experiments were carried out in a GEC rf reference cell modified for use as a dusty plasma system. Using two monodisperse particle sizes, experiments were conducted to determine the manner in which phase transitions and other thermodynamic properties depended upon the overall dust grain size distribution. Plasma crystals were formed from different mixtures of 8.89 and 6.50 μm monodisperse particles in argon plasma. With the use of various optical techniques, the pair correlation function was determined at different pressures and powers and then compared to measurements obtained for monodisperse spheres.     

The prospects for enhanced international polar-orbiting satellite cooperation

With robust polar satellite missions demonstrated and/or operational in the USA, Europe, Japan, China, Russia, India, and Brazil, and with other nations also likely to develop such capability, this paper examines the prospects for as well as the potential challenges to closer and perhaps more formal international polar satellite cooperation. In suggesting that now is the time to explore the development of a coordinated polar observing system, the present paper identifies potential contributors, assesses the relevance of existing space-based Earth observation international coordination mechanisms, and considers three potential models for a future system.     

Further studies of waves accompanying the solar wind pick-up of interstellar hydrogen

Data collected by the magnetometer onboard the Ulysses spacecraft are surveyed for the occurrence of waves generated during the pick-up of interstellar hydrogen. Thirty one wave events were found during a 640 day study period, between March 21, 1992 and December 20, 1993 (after the Ulysses encounter with Jupiter). It is found that observation of the waves does not depend on the magnitude of the background magnetic field, but is a strong function of the angle between the magnetic field and the solar wind flow direction, with small angles being favored.     

Moving Emitter Classification

One of the problems that plague emitter location systems is the presence of data from emitters that are in motion. If this motion is not detected, erroneous location estimates and filled data files result. An algorithm to classify an emitter as moving or stationary is presented along with extensive illustrations and results based upon simulated data.     

A satellite interference location system using differential timeand phase measurement techniques

The design and development of a system for inferring the position of terrestrial satellite uplink stations using existing domestic satellites with minimal disruption to normal satellite operation are described. Two methods are presented by which a quantity measured at a terrestrial receiving site is mapped into a curve of possible uplink locations on the Earth's surface. One method involves measuring differential time delays of a single uplink signal observed through two adjacent spacecraft. The other uses a short baseline interferometer composed of the two cross-polarized and spatially separated antenna feeds aboard an affected satellite. A unique location is obtained by using an appropriate combination of the two methods. A system for measurement of the required differential delays and phases and experimental work performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the location methods are described     

Correlation of macro and micro cardiovascular function during weightlessness and simulated weightlessness

The investigation of cardiovascular function necessarily involves a consideration of the exchange of substances at the capillary. If cardiovascular function is compromised or in any way altered during exposure to zero gravity in space, then it stands to reason that microvascular function is also modified. We have shown that an increase in cardiac output similar to that reported during simulated weightlessness is associated with a doubling of the number of post-capillary venules and a reduction in the number of arterioles by 35%. If the weightlessness of space travel produces similar changes in cardiopulmonary volume and cardiac output, a reasonable expectation is that astronauts will undergo venous neovascularization. We have developed an animal model in which to correlate microvascular and systemic cardiovascular function. The microcirculatory preparation consists of a lightweight, thermo-neutral chamber implanted around intact skeletal muscle on the back of a rat. Using this technique, the performed microvasculature of the cutaneous maximus muscle may be observed in the conscious, unanesthetized animal. Microcirculatory variables which may be obtained include venular and arteriolar numbers, lengths and diameters, single vessel flow velocities, vasomotion, capillary hematocrit anastomoses and orders of branching. Systemic hemodynamic monitoring of cardiac output by electromagnetic flowmetry, and arterial and venous pressures allows correlation of macro- and microcirculatory changes at the same time, in the same animal. Observed and calculated hemodynamic variables also include pulse pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, aortic compliance, minute work, peak aortic flow velocity and systolic time interval. In this manner, an integrated assessment of total cardiovascular function may be obtained in the same animal without the complicating influence of anesthetics.     

The Scientific Measurement System of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the Moon utilized an integrated scientific measurement system comprised of flight, ground, mission, and data system elements in order to meet the end-to-end performance required to achieve its scientific objectives. Modeling and simulation efforts were carried out early in the mission that influenced and optimized the design, implementation, and testing of these elements. Because the two prime scientific observables, range between the two spacecraft and range rates between each spacecraft and ground stations, can be affected by the performance of any element of the mission, we treated every element as part of an extended science instrument, a science system. All simulations and modeling took into account the design and configuration of each element to compute the expected performance and error budgets. In the process, scientific requirements were converted to engineering specifications that became the primary drivers for development and testing. Extensive simulations demonstrated that the scientific objectives could in most cases be met with significant margin. Errors are grouped into dynamic or kinematic sources and the largest source of non-gravitational error comes from spacecraft thermal radiation. With all error models included, the baseline solution shows that estimation of the lunar gravity field is robust against both dynamic and kinematic errors and a nominal field of degree 300 or better could be achieved according to the scaled Kaula rule for the Moon. The core signature is more sensitive to modeling errors and can be recovered with a small margin.     

Cellular Mobile Telephone Environment

Cellular mobile telephone systems are rapidly going into service throughout the Continental United States. They are being installed in a large variety of vehicles both of domestic and of foreign manufacture. In this paper we discuss the physical, climatic, and electronic environments which cellular telephones may expect to encounter in nationwide service. We also discuss procedures used to evaluate the ability of a cellular phone to operate without failure in these environments and to avoid interfering with the increasingly complex vehicular electronic systems.