Modelling of low-energy galactic electrons in the heliosheath

The modulation of cosmic ray electrons in the heliosphere plays an important role in improving our understanding and assessment of the processes applicable to low-energy galactic electrons. A full three-dimensional numerical model based on Parker’s transport equation is used to study the modulation of 10 MeV galactic electrons, in particular inside the heliosheath. The emphasis is placed on the role that perpendicular diffusion plays in causing the extraordinary large increase in the observed intensities of these electrons in the heliosheath. The modelling is compared with observations of 6–14 MeV electrons from the Voyager 1 mission. Results are shown for the radial intensity profiles of these electrons, as well as the modulation effects of varying the extent of the heliosheath by changing the location of the termination shock and the heliopause and the value of the local interstellar spectrum. We confirm that the heliosheath acts as a modulation ‘barrier’ for low-energy galactic electrons. The significance of this result depends on how wide the inner heliosheath is; on how high the very local interstellar spectrum is at these low energies (E < 100 MeV) and on how small perpendicular diffusion is inside the inner heliosheath.     

The Radio Observatory on the Lunar Surface for Solar studies

The Radio Observatory on the Lunar Surface for Solar studies (ROLSS) is a concept for a near-side low radio frequency imaging interferometric array designed to study particle acceleration at the Sun and in the inner heliosphere. The prime science mission is to image the radio emission generated by Type II and III solar radio burst processes with the aim of determining the sites at and mechanisms by which the radiating particles are accelerated. Specific questions to be addressed include the following: (1) Isolating the sites of electron acceleration responsible for Type II and III solar radio bursts during coronal mass ejections (CMEs); and (2) Determining if and the mechanism(s) by which multiple, successive CMEs produce unusually efficient particle acceleration and intense radio emission. Secondary science goals include constraining the density of the lunar ionosphere by searching for a low radio frequency cutoff to solar radio emission and constraining the low energy electron population in astrophysical sources. Key design requirements on ROLSS include the operational frequency and angular resolution. The electron densities in the solar corona and inner heliosphere are such that the relevant emission occurs at frequencies below 10 MHz. Second, resolving the potential sites of particle acceleration requires an instrument with an angular resolution of at least 2°, equivalent to a linear array size of approximately 1000 m. Operations would consist of data acquisition during the lunar day, with regular data downlinks. No operations would occur during lunar night.     

Temperature effects in the ATIC BGO calorimeter

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) Balloon Experiment had a successful test flight and a science flight in 2000–01 and 2002–03 and an unsuccessful launch in 2005–06 from McMurdo, Antarctica, returning 16 and 19 days of flight data. ATIC is designed to measure the spectra of cosmic rays (protons to iron). The instrument is composed of a Silicon matrix detector followed by a carbon target interleaved with scintillator tracking layers and a segmented BGO calorimeter composed of 320 individual crystals totaling 18 radiation lengths to determine the particle energy. BGO (Bismuth Germanate) is an inorganic scintillation crystal and its light output depends not only on the energy deposited by particles but also on the temperature of the crystal. The temperature of balloon instruments during flight is not constant due to sun angle variations as well as differences in albedo from the ground. The change in output for a given energy deposit in the crystals in response to temperature variations was determined.     

Leaf proteomic analysis of three rice heritable mutants after seed space flight

To explore the proteomic changes of heritable variant rice plants induced by space environment, three mutants were selected after seed space flight by comparing the phenotypes with their on-ground controls. R955 grew more tillers and became dwarf, 971-5 acquired higher grain yield and better stress resistance, 974-5 matured earlier. Leaf proteins were extracted during the tiller development and analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). More than 300 proteins were detected as reproducible Coomassie Brilliant Blue stained spots with pI values from around 4.0 to 7.0. Five proteins that changed significantly over the controls were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The main functions of these proteins were photosynthesis, stress defense and metabolism including RuBisCO activase, glycine rich RNA binding protein, peroxidase, triosephosphate isomerase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, which might be probably associated with the altered phenotypes. Quantitative analyses were also applied: less total protein spots and more down-regulated protein spots were detected in the mutants, indicating there might be a major loss of protein in heritable variant rice plants after seed space flight. These results may provide new insights to understand the biological effects of space environment to rice.     

A study of a long duration B9 flare-CME event and associated shock

We present and discuss here the observations of a small long duration GOES B-class flare associated with a quiescent filament eruption, a global EUV wave and a CME on 2011 May 11. The event was well observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), GONG H$\alpha$, STEREO and Culgoora spectrograph. As the filament erupted, ahead of the filament we observed the propagation of EIT wave fronts, as well as two flare ribbons on both sides of the polarity inversion line (PIL) on the solar surface. The observations show the co-existence of two types of EUV waves, i.e., a fast and a slow one. A type II radio burst with up to the third harmonic component was also associated with this event. The evolution of photospheric magnetic field showed flux emergence and cancellation at the filament site before its eruption.     

Magnetospheric electric field variations caused by storm-time shock fronts

On January 20, 2005 there was an X 7.1 solar flare at 0636 UT with an accompanied halo coronal mass ejection (CME). The resultant interplanetary shock impacted earth ∼36 h later. Near earth, the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft observed two impulses with a staircase structure in density and pressure. The estimated earth-arrival times of these impulses were 1713 UT and 1845 UT on January 21, 2005. Three MINIature Spectrometer (MINIS) balloons were aloft on January 21st; one in the northern polar stratosphere and two in the southern polar stratosphere. MeV relativistic electron precipitation (REP) observed by all three balloons is coincident (<3 min) with the impulse arrivals and magnetospheric compression observed by both GOES 10 and 12. Balloon electric field data from the southern hemisphere show no signs of the impulse electric field directly reaching the ionosphere. Enhancement of the balloon-observed convection electric field by as much as 40 mV/m in less than 20 min during this time period is consistent with typical substorm growth. Precipitation-induced ionospheric conductivity enhancements are suggested to be (a) the result of both shock arrival and substorm activity and (b) the cause of rapid (<6 min) decreases in the observed electric field (by as much as 40 mV/m). There is poor agreement between peak cross polar cap potential in the northern hemisphere calculated from Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) echoes and horizontal electric field at the MINIS balloon locations in the southern hemisphere. Possible reasons for this poor agreement include (a) a true lack of north–south conjugacy between measurement sites, (b) an invalid comparison between global (SuperDARN radar) and local (MINIS balloon) measurements and/or (c) radar absorption resulting from precipitation-induced D-region ionosphere density enhancements.     

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.     

某脉宽调制数字快速电磁阀方案设计及仿真研究

脉宽调制数字快速电磁阀作为重要的电液转换元件，在燃油控制系统的作用日益突出。针对断电常开型快速电磁阀的需求，开展断电常开型脉宽调制数字快速电磁阀的方案设计及仿真研究，并通过工程验证使该脉宽调制数字快速电磁阀的设计方案得到优化。