IMF Direction Derived from Cycloid-Like Ion Distributions Observed by Mars Express

Although the Mars Express (MEX) does not carry a magnetometer, it is in principle possible to derive the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation from the three dimensional velocity distribution of pick-up ions measured by the Ion Mass Analyser (IMA) on board MEX because pick-up ions' orbits, in velocity phase space, are expected to gyrate around the IMF when the IMF is relatively uniform on a scale larger than the proton gyroradius. During bow shock outbound crossings, MEX often observed cycloid distributions (two dimensional partial ring distributions in velocity phase space) of protons in a narrow channel of the IMA detector (only one azimuth for many polar angles). We show two such examples. Three different methods are used to derive the IMF orientation from the observed cycloid distributions. One method is intuitive (intuitive method), while the others derive the minimum variance direction of the velocity vectors for the observed ring ions. These velocity vectors are selected either manually (manual method) or automatically using simple filters (automatic method). While the intuitive method and the manual method provide similar IMF orientations by which the observed cycloid distribution is well arranged into a partial circle (representing gyration) and constant parallel velocity, the automatic method failed to arrange the data to the degree of the manual method, yielding about a 30° offset in the estimated IMF direction. The uncertainty of the derived IMF orientation is strongly affected by the instrument resolution. The source population for these ring distributions is most likely newly ionized hydrogen atoms, which are picked up by the solar wind.     

受热过程树脂浸润流动的超声无损评估

采用空气耦合超声C扫描技术,对非热压罐预浸料在升温和恒温受热过程中树脂的浸润流动变化进行了实时无损检测研究。首先将非热压罐预浸料从室温升至100℃,研究温度变化对树脂流动的影响。在此基础上,研究60℃和80℃恒温过程树脂浸润流动随时间的变化,通过C扫描图片实时、快速检测出树脂的浸润流动变化,并得到树脂沿纤维层厚度方向的浸润流动速率。通过显微组织分析验证了C扫描图像分析的准确性。结果表明,该空气耦合超声C扫描方法是检测纤维网架中树脂浸润流动微观变化的一种快速、有效的方法。     

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.     

Control aspects of efficient rocket propulsion systems

The means for enhancing the efficiency of rocket propulsion of spacecraft is considered in terms of the control of propellant consumption, trajectory planning, and in-flight operations management. Particular attention is given to techniques by which all the fuel and oxidizer are consumed completely by mixture adjustment as an example of a terminal control system providing significant propulsion efficiency.     

叠氮交联层技术

介绍了叠氮交联层候选叠氮有机化合物的类别、合成、应用及其工艺；分析了叠氮交联层的粘结机理、适用性；着篝讨论了叠氮交联层用于绝热层／复合固化推进剂界面的制造工艺和性能。     

应用FLOQUET理论分析直升机旋翼-机身耦合动不稳定性

本文详细论述了求解周期系数微分方程的Floquet理论及其在直升机旋翼-机身耦合动不稳定性分析中的应用,建立了一套实用的计算方法。这种计算方法,不仅可以分析旋翼特性各向同性的情况,还可以分析旋翼特性各向异性的情况,尤其对于旋翼特性各向异性情况下的旋翼-机身耦合动不稳定性的分析,该计算方法是目前最为有效和可靠的方法。本文给出了旋翼特性各向同性和各向异性情况下直升机旋翼-机身耦合动不稳定性算例计算结果,分析了一个减摆器失效和减摆器阻尼特性存在差异度情况下的耦合系统的动不稳定性,并得出明确的结论。     

Enhancing filter robustness in cascaded GPS-INS integrations

Filter robustness is defined herein as the ability of the Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS-INS) Kalman filter to cope with adverse environments and input conditions, to successfully identify such conditions and to take evasive action. The formulation of two such techniques for a cascaded GPS-INS Kalman filter integration is discussed This is an integration in which the navigation solution from a GPS receiver is used as a measurement in the filter to estimate inertial errors and instrument biases. The first technique presented discusses the handling of GPS position biases. These are due to errors in the GPS satellite segment, and are known to be unobservable. They change levels when a satellite constellation change occurs, at which point they introduce undesirable filter response transients. A method of suppressing these transients is presented. The second technique presented deals with the proper identification of the filter measurement noise. Successful formulation of the noise statistics is a factor vital to the healthy estimation of the filter gains and operation. Furthermore, confidence in the formulation of these statistics can lead to the proper screening and rejection of bad data in the filter. A method of formulating the filter noise statistics dynamically based on inputs from the GPS and the INS is discussed     

EXOSAT observations of the iron line emission of Her X-l during a 35 day cycle

In March/April 1984 eleven EXOSAT observations of Her X-1 were performed sampling a full 35 day cycle. Spectral analysis of the ME and GSPC data shows that the iron line emission is present during all phases. During the main-on state we see an iron line at 6.65 ± 0.07 keV with a FWHM of 1–2 keV and an equivalent width of 300 to 400 eV. The high resolution GSPC data indicate that the line profiles have external wings and are not simple Gaussian. We report for the first time on the detection of an iron line during the intermediate-on state with about the same parameters as the main-on state line but an equivalent width a factor of 2 larger. During the off state between main-on and intermediate-on we detected a broad iron line feature at about 6.0 keV with an equivalent width of 2 keV. We discuss the Alfven region and a hot corona at the inner region of the accretion disk as the possible sites of the line production.     

An overview of RADOM results for earth and moon radiation environment on Chandrayaan-1 satellite

The RADiatiOn Monitor (RADOM) is a miniature dosimeter-spectrometer that flew onboard the Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission in order to monitor the local radiation environment. Primary objective of the RADOM experiment was to measure the total absorbed dose, flux of surrounding energetic particles and spectrum of the deposited energy from high energy particles both en-route and in lunar orbit. RADOM was the first experiment to be switched on after the launch of Chandrayaan-1 and was operational until the end of the mission. This paper summarizes the observations carried out by RADOM during the entire life time (22 October 2008–31 August 2009) of the Chandrayaan-1 mission and compares the measurement by RADOM with the radiation belt models such as AP-8, AE-8 and CRRESS.