Effects observed in the ionospheric F-region in the South American sector during the intense geomagnetic storm of 14 December 2006

This investigation presents observations related to the generation of equatorial ionospheric irregularities (also known as equatorial spread F (ESF)) including ionospheric plasma bubbles and dynamic behavior of the ionospheric F-region in the South American sector during an intense geomagnetic storm in December 2006 (a period of low solar activity). In this work, ionospheric sounding observations and GPS data obtained between 13 and 16 December 2006 at several stations in the South American sector are presented. On the geomagnetically disturbed night of 14 and 15 December, ionospheric plasma bubbles were observed after an unusual uplifting of the F-region during pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) period. The unusual uplifting of the F-region during PRE was possibly associated with prompt penetration of electric field of magnetospheric origin. During the geomagnetic disturbance night of 14 and 15 December, strong oscillations due to the propagation of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) by the Joule heating in the auroral region were observed in the F-region at São José dos Campos (SJC, 23.2°S, 45.9°W; dip latitude 17.6°S), Brazil, and Port Stanley (PST, 51.6°S, 57.9°W; geom. latitude 41.6°S). The VTEC-GPS observations presented on the night of 14 and 15 December 2006 show both positive and negative storm phases in the South American sector, possibly due to changes in the large-scale wind circulation and changes in the O/N₂ ratio in the southern hemisphere, respectively.     

F-region ionospheric parameters observed in the equatorial and low latitude regions during medium solar activity in the Brazilian sector and comparison with the IRI-2007 model results

The ionospheric sounding observations using the Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosondes (CADIs) operational at Palmas (PAL; 10.2°S, 48.2°W; dip latitude 6.6°S; a near-equatorial station), and São José dos Campos (SJC, 23.2°S, 45.9°W; dip latitude 17.6°S; a low-latitude station located under the southern crest of the equatorial ionospheric anomaly), Brazil, are analyzed during the different seasons viz., winter (June and July 2003), spring (September and October 2003), summer (December 2003 and January 2004), and fall (March and April 2004). The period used has medium solar activity (sunspot number between 77.4 and 39.3). The seasonal mean variations (using only geomagnetically quiet days) of the ionospheric parameters foF2 (critical frequency of the F-region), hpF2 (virtual height at 0.834 foF2; considered to be close to hmF2 (peak height of the F-region)), and h’F (minimum virtual height of the F-region) are calculated and compared between PAL and SJC. The prominent differences between PAL and SJC are as follows: h’F variations show strong post-sunset enhancement at PAL during the seasons of spring, summer, and fall; hpF2 variations show pre-sunrise uplifting of the F-layer at both stations during all the seasons and the hpF2 values during the daytime are lower at SJC compared with PAL during all the seasons; the foF2 variations show mid-day bite-out at PAL during all the seasons and SJC shows strong equatorial ionospheric anomaly during summer and fall seasons. Also, the seasonal variations of the ionospheric parameters foF2 and hpF2 (with ±1 standard deviation) observed at PAL and SJC are compared with the IRI-2007 model results of foF2 and hmF2. In addition, variations of the foF2 and hpF2 observed at SJC are compared with the IRI-2001 model results of foF2 and hmF2. It should be pointed out that the ionospheric parameter hpF2 is much easier to obtain using computer program developed at UNIVAP compared with hmF2 (using POLAN program). During the daytime due to underlying ionization hpF2 estimated is higher (approximately 50 km) than the true peak height hmF2. During the nighttime hpF2 is fairly close to hmF2. The comparison between the foF2 variations observed at PAL and SJC with the IRI-2007 model results shows a fairly good agreement during all the seasons. However, the comparison between the hpF2 variations observed at PAL and SJC with the hmF2 variations with the IRI-2007 model results shows: (1) a fairly good agreement during the nighttime in all the seasons; (2) the model results do not show the pre-sunrise uplifting of the F-layer at PAL and SJC in any season; (3) the model results do not show the post-sunset uplifting of the F-layer at PAL; (4) considering that, in general, hpF2 is higher than hmF2 during the daytime by about 50 km, the model results are in good agreement at PAL and SJC during all the seasons except summer at SJC, when large discrepancies in the observed hpF2 and modeled hmF2 are observed. Also, it has been observed that, in general, hmF2 values for SJC calculated using IRI-2001 are higher than IRI-2007 during the daytime in winter, summer, and fall. However, hmF2 values for SJC calculated using IRI-2001, are lower than IRI-2007 during the nighttime in spring.     

Exosat observations of the supernova remnant cas a

The young supernova remnant Cas A has been observed with the imaging proportional counter (PSD) of the EXOSAT observatory. High quality spatially resolved, spectral data allow for the first time the determination of the temperature structure of the remnant. Preliminary results on the distribution of temperature and emission measureover the remnant are presented.     

Influence of longitudinal whole animal clinorotation on lens, tail, and limb regeneration in urodeles.

Two species of newts (Urodela) and two types of clinostats for fast clinorotation (60 rpm) were used to investigate the influence of simulated weightlessness on regeneration and to compare results obtained with data from spaceflight experiments. Seven or fourteen days of weightlessness in Russian biosatellites caused acceleration of lens and limb regeneration by an increase in cell proliferation, differentiation, and rate of morphogenesis in comparison with ground controls. After a comparable time of clinorotation the results obtained with Triturus vulgaris using a horizontal clinostat were similar to those found in spaceflight. In contrast, in Pleurodeles waltl using both horizontal and radial clinostats the results were contradictory compared to Triturus. We speculate that different levels of gravity or/and species specific thresholds for gravitational sensitivity could be responsible for these contradictory results.     

亚、跨音速三维机翼气动外形反设计的控制理论方法

本文进行了基于控制论的气动外形反设计方法研究，根据给定的目标函数推导了在物理空间上描述的共轭及相应的边界条件，通过构造共轭方程耗散通量项，以及使用特征线理论处理远场边界等措施，研究了共轭方程的数值求解方法，使用Hicks-Henne函数来描述设计变量扰动对机翼表面外形的影响，通过网格扰动获得度量矩阵变分来获得目标函数对设计变量的敏感性导数，优化过程使用拟牛顿优化算法，通过对流场计算、共轭方程数值求解、敏感性导数求解和优化算法这四个方面的有效结合，成功地发展出了一种机翼气动外形反设计方法，进行了机翼气动外形反设计研究，结果表明该设计方法在设计理论及可实现性方面，特别在跨音速及复杂外形气动设计方面比以往设计方法具有更好的适用性和优越性，且设计结果较为可靠，在现有计算条件下是一个好的设计方法，时间花费也较少。     

航空弧齿锥齿轮齿面接触应力计算与优化

本文在弧齿锥齿轮的轮齿接触分析 (TCA)和承载接触分析 (LTCA)的基础上 ,根据计算所得的齿面接触点附近的准确几何形状 ,一定载荷下的齿间载荷分配和齿面载荷分布状态 ,采用弹性力学中两个空间曲面弹性接触的计算公式 ,提出了航空弧齿锥齿轮齿面接触应力变化过程的计算方法 ,进一步结合齿轮的加工参数设计和齿面修正 ,对齿面接触强度进行了优化