Deformation of the Envelope of a Broadband Signal during Propagation through the Martian Ionosphere

The regularities of propagation along the spacecraft-Martian surface-spacecraft path of a broadband Gaussian pulse in the condition of its dispersion distortions are considered in application to the problem of radiowave pulse sounding of the near-surface soil of Mars from onboard a satellite. The Martian night-side ionosphere reduces the energy considerably but does not lead to any distortion of the pulse envelope. At the sounding of a two-layer surface, the ionosphere influence, together with the signal absorption, manifests as the lower limit of the thickness of the upper layer reached for measurements in the scope of the planned experiment [1].     

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.     

Extreme deviations of landing parameters for heavy aircraft

We estimate the statistic characteristics and extreme deviations of the state vector components for the Ilyushin Il 96–300 systems at automatic landing.     

Effects of space flight on surface marker expression.

Space flight has been shown to affect expression of several cell surface markers. These markers play important roles in regulation of immune responses, including CD4 and CD8. The studies have involved flight of experimental animals and humans followed by analysis of tissue samples (blood in humans, rats and monkeys, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and bone marrow in rodents). The degree and direction of the changes induced by space flight have been determined by the conditions of the flight. Also, there may be compartmentalization of the response of surface markers to space flight, with differences in the response of cells isolated from blood and local immune tissue. The same type of compartmentalization was also observed with cell adhesion molecules (integrins). In this case, the expression of integrins from lymph node cells differed from that of splenocytes isolated from rats immediately after space flight. Cell culture studies have indicated that there may be an inhibition in conversion of a precursor cell line to cells exhibiting mature macrophage characteristics after space flight, however, these experiments were limited as a result of technical difficulties. In general, it is clear that space flight results in alterations of cell surface markers. The biological significance of these changes remains to be established.     

The Galaxy Cluster Mass Scale and Its Impact on Cosmological Constraints from the Cluster Population

Space Science Reviews - The QB50 mission is a satellite constellation designed to carry out measurements at between 200–380 km altitude in the ionosphere. The multi-needle Langmuir probe...     

Reconnection and fast particle production in tokamak and solar plasmas

Detailed in situ studies of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration, which play a crucial role in the release and redistribution of energy in solar flares, can be performed in tokamak plasmas under conditions resembling those of the flaring solar corona. Recent measurements and modelling of fast particle production during reconnection events in the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) are described. Specifically, observations in this device of electron acceleration during edge localised modes, and of both ion and electron acceleration during merging-compression plasma start-up, are presented, and possible implications of these studies for particle acceleration in flares are discussed. The results from MAST lend weight to the conjecture that large numbers of ions are accelerated to sub-MeV energies in flares.     

Phase Monopulse Error Due to Nonuniform Noise Background

A phase monopulse antenna system can be used for the high accuracy tracking of active or passive objects in space or on earth. Far-field noise sources that are present in the background of the object being tracked will introduce an offset or bias error in the determination of the angle of incidence of the coherent sinusoidal wave received from the source. The dependency of this bias error upon the nonuniformity of the noise background or equivalently upon the asymmetry of the antenna patterns about the direction to the signal being tracked is determined. Although the variance in the measurement of the sinusoidal source direction can be reduced by increasing the post detection integration time, it is shown that the bias or offset error is unaffected by this change. In order to decrease the offset or bias error the predetection bandwidth must be reduced.     

A two-tiered approach to assessing the habitability of exoplanets

In the next few years, the number of catalogued exoplanets will be counted in the thousands. This will vastly expand the number of potentially habitable worlds and lead to a systematic assessment of their astrobiological potential. Here, we suggest a two-tiered classification scheme of exoplanet habitability. The first tier consists of an Earth Similarity Index (ESI), which allows worlds to be screened with regard to their similarity to Earth, the only known inhabited planet at this time. The ESI is based on data available or potentially available for most exoplanets such as mass, radius, and temperature. For the second tier of the classification scheme we propose a Planetary Habitability Index (PHI) based on the presence of a stable substrate, available energy, appropriate chemistry, and the potential for holding a liquid solvent. The PHI has been designed to minimize the biased search for life as we know it and to take into account life that might exist under more exotic conditions. As such, the PHI requires more detailed knowledge than is available for any exoplanet at this time. However, future missions such as the Terrestrial Planet Finder will collect this information and advance the PHI. Both indices are formulated in a way that enables their values to be updated as technology and our knowledge about habitable planets, moons, and life advances. Applying the proposed metrics to bodies within our Solar System for comparison reveals two planets in the Gliese 581 system, GJ 581 c and d, with an ESI comparable to that of Mars and a PHI between that of Europa and Enceladus.     

镀膜光纤声相位调制器的研究

本文主要讨论氧化锌镀膜光纤光相位调制器。首先介绍了氧化锌镀膜光纤的几何结构,然后分析了此几何结构压电声光振荡的基本原理并推出了氧化锌镀膜光纤声光相位调制器Ｔ型网络的等效电路模型,最后给出了氧化锌镀膜光纤声光相位调制器的实验测试装置及基本工程原理。     

Drop test simulation for a helicopter tail landing gear

The paper describes a mathematical model of drop tests on the landing gear of the Ka-62 helicopter. The model is formulated using the multibody system simulation procedure based on the Lagrange equations of the first kind.