Day-to-day variability of equatorial anomaly in GPS-TEC during low solar activity period

The ionospheric total electron content (TEC) in the northern hemispheric equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest region is investigated by using dual-frequency signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) acquired from Rajkot (Geog. Lat. 22.29°N, Geog. Long. 70.74°E; Geom. Lat. 14.21°N, Geom. Long. 144.90°E), India. The day-to-day variability of EIA characteristics is examined during low solar activity period (F10.7∼83 sfu). It is found that the daily maximum TEC at EIA crest exhibits a day-to-day and strong semi-annual variability. The seasonal anomaly and equinoctial asymmetry in TEC at EIA is found non-existent and weaker, respectively. We found a moderate and positive correlation of daily magnitude of crest, Ic with daily F10.7 and EUV fluxes with a correlation coefficient of 0.43 and 0.33, respectively indicating an existence of a short-term relation between TEC at EIA and the solar radiation even during low solar activity period. The correlation of daily Ic with Dst index is also moderate (r = −0.35), whereas no correlation is found with the daily Kp index (r = 0.14) respectively. We found that the magnitude of EIA crest is moderately correlated with solar flux in all seasons except winter where it is weakly related (0.27). The magnitude of EIA crest is also found highly related with EEJ strength in spring (r = 0.69) and summer (r = 0.65) than autumn (0.5) and winter (r = 0.47), though EEJ is stronger in autumn than spring.     

Future of Space Astronomy: A global Road Map for the next decades

The use of space techniques continues to play a key role in the advance of astrophysics by providing access to the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio to high energy γ rays. The increasing size, complexity and cost of large space observatories places a growing emphasis on international collaboration. Furthermore, combining existing and future datasets from space and “ground based” observatories is an emerging mode of powerful and relatively inexpensive research to address problems that can only be tackled by the application of large multi-wavelength observations. While the present set of astronomical facilities is impressive and covers the entire electromagnetic spectrum, with complementary space and “ground based” telescopes, the situation in the next 10–20 years is of critical concern. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to be launched not earlier than 2018, is the only approved future major space astronomy mission. Other major highly recommended space astronomy missions, such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the International X-ray Observatory (IXO), Large Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA), have yet to be approved for development.     

Relativistic electron fluxes and dose rate variations during April–May 2010 geomagnetic disturbances in the R3DR data on ISS

Space radiation has been monitored successfully using the Radiation Risks Radiometer-Dosimeter (R3D) installed at the ESA EXPOSE-R (R3DR) facility outside of the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS) between March 2009 and January 2011. R3DR is a Liulin type spectrometer–dosimeter with a single Si PIN detector 2 cm² of area and 0.3 mm thick. The R3DR instrument accumulated about 2 million measurements of the absorbed dose rate and flux of 10 s resolution. The total external and internal shielding before the detector of R3DR device is 0.41 g cm⁻². The calculated stopping energy of normally incident particles to the detector is 0.78 MeV for electrons and 15.8 MeV for protons. After the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) at 09:54 UTC on 3 April 2010, a shock was observed at the ACE spacecraft at 0756 UTC on 5 April, which led to a sudden impulse on Earth at 08:26 UTC. Nevertheless, while the magnetic substorms on 5 and 6 of April were moderate; the second largest in history of GOES fluence of electrons with energy >2 MeV was measured. The R3DR data show a relatively small amount of relativistic electrons on 5 April. The maximum dose rate of 2323 μGy day⁻¹ was reached on 7 April; by 9 April, a dose of 6600 μGy was accumulated. By the end of the period on 7 May 2010 a total dose of 11,587 μGy was absorbed. Our data were compared with AE-8 MIN, CRESS and ESA-SEE1 models using SPENVIS and with similar observations on American, Japanese and Russian satellites.     

The South Pole-Aitken basin region,Moon: GIS-based geologic investigation using Kaguya elemental information

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we performed comparative analysis among stratigraphic information and the Kaguya (SELENE) GRS data of the ∼2500-km-diameter South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin and its surroundings. Results indicate that the surface rock materials (including ancient crater materials, mare basalts, and possible SPA impact melt) are average to slightly elevated in K and Th with respect to the rest of the Moon. Also, this study demonstrates that K and Th have not significantly changed since the formation of SPA. The elemental signatures of the impact basin of Fe, Ti, Si, O through time include evidence for resurfacing by ejecta materials and late-stage volcanism. The oldest surfaces of SPA are found to be oxygen-depleted during the heavy bombardment period relative to later stages of geologic development, followed by both an increase in silicon and oxygen, possibly due to ejecta sourced from outside of SPA, and subsequent modification due to mare basaltic volcanism, which increased iron and titanium within SPA. The influence of the distinct geologic history of SPA and surroundings on the mineralogic and elemental abundances is evident as shown in our investigation.     

GNSS single frequency ionospheric range delay corrections: NeQuick data ingestion technique

A study of the performance of the NeQuick model and the Klobuchar model for GNSS single frequency range delay correction on a global scale was done using data for moderate solar activity. In this study NeQuick was used in the way intended for Galileo. This study is to assess the performance of the two models at each ionospheric geographic region during moderate solar activity as previously published studies were concentrated only on high solar activity. The results obtained showed that NeQuick outperformed Klobuchar for the whole year at the three geographical regions of the ionosphere. In terms of monthly root mean square of mismodeling, NeQuick outperformed Klobuchar by 15 TECU or more at low-latitudes, 5 TEC or more at mid-latitudes, and 1 TECU or more at high-latitudes.     

组合航天器转动惯量在轨两步辨识标定

在轨辨识转动惯量参数是主动航天器与非合作空间目标构成组合体后实现高精度姿态控制的重要前提,文章提出了一种两步在轨辨识组合航天器转动惯量参数的方法。第一步以航天器本体坐标系滚动轴转动惯量为基准将转动惯量矩阵归一化,得到特殊的转动惯量比矩阵,建立与其相关的姿态动力学模型,提出了基于扩展卡尔曼滤波的在轨辨识算法,基于星上陀螺角速率测量信息在100s左右辨识出所有转动惯量比参数,克服了由于模型简单导致转动惯量信息辨识不完整的缺点;第二步基于第一步辨识得到的转动惯量比参数,采用最小二乘算法辨识得到滚动轴转动惯量值,计算量小,消耗能量少。最后给出仿真算例,辨识精度基本在1|之内,验证了方法的有效性。     

月尘环境效应及地面模拟技术

介绍了月球尘的特点及其对探月活动的影响。在分析月球尘环境及其对月面探测器污染、磨损、阻塞、静电效应的基础上,对月球尘环境模拟技术、月球尘扬尘及其运动学和动力学规律、月球尘效应防护及试验评价方法等研究方向和重点提出了一些初步看法。针对研究内容的需求,梳理出一台完整的月球尘地面模拟试验设备应具备真空、温度、太阳风、太阳紫外、月球尘、月面电场、月面磁场等环境因素。在此基础上,设计了一种月球尘地面模拟试验装置方案,并对月球尘环境效应试验方法进行了初步讨论。为月球探测后期任务条件保障建设及相关研究工作提供参考。     

绳驱动拟人臂机器人的动力学建模及张力分析

与传统的机械臂相比,绳驱动拟人臂机器人采用串并混联的结构形式,模拟了人手臂肌肉的并联驱动方式,但是,绳索的引入也增加了动力学分析的难度.将绳驱动拟人臂机器人视为基座、大臂、小臂和末端四连杆串联机构,采用迭代牛顿-欧拉法建立动力学方程的递推形式,考虑绳驱动的冗余特性和绳索的单方向受力性,提出基于动态最小预紧力的张力分配算法,求解出各绳索的驱动力.与未进行张力分配的方法及基于静态最小预紧力的方法相比,所提出的算法可使各绳索驱动力根据动态最小预紧力进行实时调节,满足了不同工作条件下机构的刚度要求.     

Al-Li合金搅拌摩擦焊搭接接头的疲劳性能

通过疲劳寿命试验、疲劳断口和金相组织分析,研究了Al-Li合金搅拌摩擦焊搭接接头的疲劳性能,分析了接头前进侧热机影响区(TMAZ, Thermal-Mechanically Affected Zone)出现的"钩状缺陷"对其疲劳性能的影响.结果表明,钩状缺陷容易引起裂纹萌生及扩展,减小接头的有效承载板厚,适当缩短搅拌针长度可以改善钩状缺陷,提高接头力学性能.母材与搭接接头的疲劳S-N曲线研究表明:在高疲劳应力下,接头的疲劳寿命接近母材,但随着疲劳应力水平降低,接头的疲劳寿命急剧下降,200万循环周次下的疲劳强度仅达到80 MPa,为母材的35%.     

气动发动机输出扭矩无因次分析

针对气动发动机的工作过程,利用能量方程、气体状态方程、连续性方程及运动过程方程建立气动发动机的非线性微分方程组.选取合适的基准量,对所建立的微分方程组进行无因次化,得到无因次化的数学模型.利用MATLAB/Simulink仿真工具,对无因次数学模型进行研究,得到各无因次量对气动发动机输出扭矩的影响.从仿真结果可以看出,气动发动机的无因次转速、进气门面积比例因子、排气门面积比例因子以及进气持续角度对气动发动机的无因次输出扭矩影响较大.当发动机转速升高扭矩急剧下降时,可以通过调整进气门面积比例因子、排气门面积比例因子以及进气持续角度使输出扭矩恒定.