Ulysses out-of-ecliptic observations of “27-day” variations in high energy cosmic ray intensity

We report the discovery that for latitudes above 40°S, the observed recurring modulation of cosmic rays and anomalous nuclei occurs without the detection byUlysses of the solar wind velocity and magnetic field recurring enhancements that have, heretofore at lower latitudes, defined corotating interaction regions—i.e., the mechanism producing the recurring intensity variations >40°S appears to be located beyond the radial range ofUlysses.     

Communications and radio determination system using twogeostationary satellites. I. System and experiments

We developed two types of hybrid terminals that can provide both satellite communication and position determination services in one system. One terminal uses the single channel per carrier (SCPC) technique and the other uses the spread spectrum (SS) technique. To evaluate the performance of the two systems, we carried out experiments in Japan and in the Pacific Ocean using two geostationary satellites, ETS-V (150°E) and Inmarsat (180°E). The ranging accuracy between the mobile terminals and the base station via the satellites was found to be about 200 m using the SCPC system and about 10 m using the SS system. The measured positioning accuracy was about 1 km in the SCPC system and about 600 m in the SS system when experiments were carried out near Japan. The experimental results show that the positioning errors were mainly caused by the orbital determination errors of the two satellites. Presented here are the configurations and features of the SCPC and SS terminals, the experimental system, and the experimental results     

Analysis and design of (LC)(LC)-type series-parallel resonantconverter

A series-parallel resonant converter employing (LC)(LC)-type tank circuit operating in lagging power factor (PF) mode is presented and analyzed using complex ac circuit analysis. Design curves are obtained and the converter is optimized under certain constraints. Detailed Space Integrated Control Experiment (SPICE) simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the designed converter under varying load conditions. Results obtained from an experimental converter are also presented. The results obtained from the theory, SPICE simulation, and the experimental converter are compared. The proposed converter has high efficiency from full load to very light load (<10%). Switching frequency variation required for a wide change in the load (near load open circuit to full load) is narrow compared with the series resonant converter (SRC)     

Adaptive image segmentation using genetic and hybrid search methods

This paper describes an adaptive approach for the important image processing problem of image segmentation that relies on learning from experience to adapt and improve the segmentation performance. The adaptive image segmentation system incorporates a feedback loop consisting of a machine learning subsystem, an image segmentation algorithm, and an evaluation component which determines segmentation quality. The machine learning component is based on genetic adaptation and uses (separately) a pure genetic algorithm (GA) and a hybrid of GA and hill climbing (HC). When the learning subsystem is based on pure genetics, the corresponding evaluation component is based on a vector of evaluation criteria. For the hybrid case, the system employs a scalar evaluation measure which is a weighted combination of the different criteria. Experimental results for pure genetic and hybrid search methods are presented using a representative database of outdoor TV imagery. The multiobjective optimization demonstrates the ability of the adaptive image segmentation system to provide high quality segmentation results in a minimal number of generations     

On phased-array radar tracking and parameter control

Based on a simple model of a ground-based phased-array radar used for a multiple-target surveillance task, beam scheduling, positioning, and radar parameters like signal-to-noise ratio, track sharpness, and detection threshold have been optimized with respect to the radar/computer load induced by tracking. From this the minimum energy necessary for track maintenance during surveillance can be derived     

The Time-of-Flight Energy,Angle, Mass Spectrograph (Teams) Experiment for Fast

The Time-of-flight Energy Angle Mass Spectrograph (TEAMS) is being flown on the FAST Small Explorer mission to measure the 3-dimensional distribution function of the major ion species present in the lower magnetosphere. The instrument is similar to time-of-flight plasma analyzer systems that have been designed and planned for flight as CODIF (COmposition and DIstribution Function analyzer) on the four European Space Agency Cluster-II spacecraft and, as ESIC (Equator-S Ion Composition instrument) on Equator-S. This instrument allows the 3-dimensional distribution functions of individual ion species to be determined within spin period (2.5 s). Two-dimensional distributions are measured in 80 ms. These capabilities are crucial for the study of selective energization processes in the auroral regions of the magnetosphere. The design, operational characteristics, and test and calibration results for this instrument are presented. The sensor consists of a toroidal top-hat electrostatic analyzer with instantaneous acceptance of ions over 360° in polar angle. After post-acceleration of the incoming ions by up to 25 kV, a time-of-flight mass spectrograph discriminates the individual species. It has been demonstrated through calibration that the instrument can easily separate H⁺, He²⁺, He⁺, O⁺ and, for energies after post-acceleration of > 20 keV, even O₂ ⁺ molecules. On-board mass discrimination and the internal accumulation of several distinct data quantities combined with the spacecraft's flexible telemetry formatting allow for instrument data rates from 7.8 kb s^–1 to 315 kb s^–1 to be telemetered to ground through the FAST centralized Instrument Data Processor.     

Comparison of ≳40 keV Electron Events at High and Low Heliolatitudes: Ulysses/HI-SCALE and ACE/EPAM

We have performed a joint survey of anisotropic ≳40 keV electron events from August 1997 to September 2000 using the matched detectors on the Ulysses (ULS)/HI-SCALE and the ACE/EPAM instruments. A computer algorithm selected events with strong, statistically significant pitch-angle anisotropies. Electron pitch-angle distributions at ACE (∼1 AU) are often ‘beams’ that are strongly collimated along the local interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). These flare-associated impulsive injections can display rapid rise times (∼15 min) and slower decays, or more irregular intensity histories. At ULS, the electron intensities are lower and the time histories smoother, but strong anisotropies are still observable, indicating direct, nearly field-aligned propagation outward from the Sun. We focus on four event periods, selected from the survey, during times when the angle between the footpoints of the IMF lines intersecting ACE and ULS is small. These events span three full years and cover a wide range of distances and heliographic latitudes. We found one reasonably good association between impulsive electron events at ACE and ULS, and two events with small field-aligned gradients. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure of a two-phase flow of boiling water at low-head adiabatic efflux through the laval nozzle

The critical flow conditions and structural forms of a two-phase flow that is formed during water efflux from the region of moderate and low pressures into a rarefied medium are analyzed. The difference in the structural forms of a flow realized at the low-head efflux from the structure of a flow occurring in the fluid flow with moderate and high initial pressures is established. The critical pressure differential characterizing the establishment of the maximum flowrate is determined and the decisive influence of turbulence on the vapor phase generation and flow conditions of a two-phase medium is shown.     

The Origin of Mercury’s Internal Magnetic Field

Mariner 10 measurements proved the existence of a large-scale internal magnetic field on Mercury. The observed field amplitude, however, is too weak to be compatible with typical convective planetary dynamos. The Lorentz force based on an extrapolation of Mariner 10 data to the dynamo region is 10⁻⁴ times smaller than the Coriolis force. This is at odds with the idea that planetary dynamos are thought to work in the so-called magnetostrophic regime, where Coriolis force and Lorentz force should be of comparable magnitude. Recent convective dynamo simulations reviewed here seem to resolve this caveat. We show that the available convective power indeed suffices to drive a magnetostrophic dynamo even when the heat flow though Mercury’s core–mantle boundary is subadiabatic, as suggested by thermal evolution models. Two possible causes are analyzed that could explain why the observations do not reflect a stronger internal field. First, toroidal magnetic fields can be strong but are confined to the conductive core, and second, the observations do not resolve potentially strong small-scale contributions. We review different dynamo simulations that promote either or both effects by (1) strongly driving convection, (2) assuming a particularly small inner core, or (3) assuming a very large inner core. These models still fall somewhat short of explaining the low amplitude of Mariner 10 observations, but the incorporation of an additional effect helps to reach this goal: The subadiabatic heat flow through Mercury’s core–mantle boundary may cause the outer part of the core to be stably stratified, which would largely exclude convective motions in this region. The magnetic field, which is small scale, strong, and very time dependent in the lower convective part of the core, must diffuse through the stagnant layer. Here, the electromagnetic skin effect filters out the more rapidly varying high-order contributions and mainly leaves behind the weaker and slower varying dipole and quadrupole components (Christensen in Nature 444:1056–1058, 2006). Messenger and BepiColombo data will allow us to discriminate between the various models in terms of the magnetic fields spatial structure, its degree of axisymmetry, and its secular variation.     

The finite element approximation of vector fields in curvilinear coordinates

We demonstrate that it is possible to express each component of the displacement vector for the interior point of the finite element (FE) through all components of nodal unknowns in curvilinear coordinates. The effectiveness of the valid technique of vector approximation for displacement fields has been verified on an example.