Ground-based simulations of cosmic ray heavy ion interactions in spacecraft and planetary habitat shielding materials

This paper surveys some recent accelerator-based measurements of the nuclear fragmentation of high energy nuclei in shielding and tissue-equivalent materials. These data are needed to make accurate predictions of the radiation field produced at depth in spacecraft and planetary habitat shielding materials and in the human body by heavy charged particles in the galactic cosmic radiation. Projectile-target combinations include 1 GeV/nucleon 56Fe incident on aluminum and graphite and 600 MeV/nucleon 56Fe and 290 MeV/nucleon 12C on polyethylene. We present examples of the dependence of fragmentation on material type and thickness, of a comparison between data and a fragmentation model, and of multiple fragments produced along the beam axis.     

Analysis of the pre-flight and post-flight calibration procedures performed on the Liulin space radiation dosimeter

Liulin, a dosimetry-radiometry system, was developed to satisfy the requirements for active flux and dose rate measurements for the flight of the second Bulgarian cosmonaut in 1988. The system consists of a compact battery-operated silicon solid state detector unit and a read/write microcomputer and telemetry unit. We describe the pre-flight calibrations with charged particles, using radioactive sources and accelerated 170 MeV/nucleon proton and alpha particles at the Dubna, Russia cyclotron. We discuss comparisons with data obtained on Mir with the French-built tissue equivalent LET spectrometer NAUSICAA. Lastly, we describe post-flight calibrations performed with 1 GeV/nucleon 56Fe ions at the Brookhaven National Laboratory AGS accelerator, where the instrument was mounted in tandem with several thin position-sensitive silicon detectors behind a stopping target. The silicon detectors provided an energy spectrum for the surviving charged nuclear fragments for which the flux and absorbed dose were recorded by Liulin.     

Dynamic change of ERPs related to selective attention to signals from left and right visual field during head-down tilt

To study further the effect of head-down tilt (HDT) on slow positive potential in the event-related potentials (ERPs), the temporal and spatial features of visual ERPs changes during 2 hour HDT (-10 degrees) were compared with that during HUT (+20 degrees) in 15 normal subjects. The stimuli were consisted of two color LED flashes appeared randomly in left or right visual field (LVF or RVF) with same probability. The subjects were asked to make switch response to target signals (T) differentially: switching to left for T in LVF and to right for T in RVF, ignoring non-target signals(N). Five sets of tests were made during HUT and HDT. ERPs were obtained from 9 locations on scalp. The mean value of the ERPs in the period from 0.32-0.55 s was taken as the amplitude of slow positive potential(P400). The main results were as follows. 1) The mean amplitude of P400 decreased during HDT which was more significant at the 2nd, 3rd and 5th set of tests; 2) spatially, the reduction of mean P400 amplitude during HDT was more significant for signals from RVF and was more significant at posterior and central brain regions than that on frontal locations. As that the positive potential probably reflects the active inhibition activity in the brain during attention process, these data provide further evidence showing that the higher brain function was affected by the simulated weightlessness and that this effect was not only transient but also with interesting spatial characteristics.     

静磁波振荡器的现状

当前在增加带宽和提高工作频率方面,要求不断提高现代雷达相通讯系统的性能,这就需要研究关于模拟信号处理的新技术和新工艺。实际上,用于上述目的的声表面波(SAW)器件,已经得到广泛应用,成效显著;但是对于要求中心频率高于1GHz的雷达和通讯系统,声表面波器件在制造上已经接近实际工艺的物理极限。本文介绍一种新工艺,能得到更高频率。这种工艺是以在外延铁淦氧膜(类似钇铁柘榴石[YIG])中传播的静磁波(MSW)为基础的。静磁波用于器件,使它能在0.5到30GHz微波中心频率上提供高达2.2GHz瞬时带宽。这种静磁波信号处理工艺,是在声表面波采用的横向滤波概念的基础上建立的,已经广泛研究了十年之久。本文首先研究静磁波的物理性质和极限,讨论它与声表面波的异同点。其次,讨论静磁波谐振器,并介绍静磁波振荡器的理论及现状。     

磁增强氢气电离器的研制

在对影响射频氢气电离器效率的工艺问题进行研究的基础上,研制了一种将直流磁场加到射频等离子体的电离器,然后测定磁场对等离子体的影响。人们发现,采用这种结构型式,电离器的功耗明显降低。利用直流磁场,还可以使效率保持在固定水平上,同时降低氢气压力。根据这些研究结果,对研制一种耗氢量低、射频功耗小的电离器进行某些探讨。     

四点安装的SC切和AT切谐振器的加速度和加热特性

本文研究了四点安装的 SC 切和 AT 切谐振器的加速度灵敏度和加热特性。加速度的灵敏度是根据振动引起的边带来确定的。每一个谐振器的测量结果均与振动方向和振动频率呈函数关系。所研究的谐振器的参数包括:切角(AT 和 SC)、固定方位、泛音次数、晶片的几何形状(平平的、平凸的、双凸的)、安装支架的刚度和晶片材料(天然石英、人造石英和经扫掠的人造石英)。预热特性的测量是,先把谐振器浸入冰水中,然后迅速将其浸入沸水中,等达到热均衡之后,用晶体阻抗表(CI-meter)监测谐振器频率。对不同的 AT 和 SC 切设计(基模和三次泛音)的预热时间作了比较。可以看出,四点安装的陶瓷扁平封装的 SC 切谐振器能够在20秒内从0℃预热到100℃,而频率在2×10~(-7)以内。     

洛克希德·马丁公司的新时代

预计到1998年春季,洛克希德·马丁公司完成其行政领导核心的更换后,其商业战略不会有显著的变化。 但公司计划将更加注重经营的精益求精,对通过合并和收购来扩大企业规模的做法将更加谨慎。按照公司的执行副总裁兼财务官马康斯C·贝内特所称,公司正步入一个新的时代。 今天,至少由17家独立的公司组成了现在的洛克希德·马丁集团。由此,必须对整个机构积极地进行合理化地调整——作为其直接的后果,这也意味着将进行相当数量的裁员。现在,这一重建过程看起来已基本完成了。 贝内特在199O年初促进和实施与马丁·玛丽埃塔的合并战     

汞-199离子储存频率标准近期的理论进展和实验结果

储存在射频四极陷阱(Trap)中的199Hg离子在4O.5GHz频率时的超精细谐振,证明具有极窄的相对线宽,因而被选作为高精密的频率标准。引起该类频标频率变化的主要因素是因储存离子运动产生的二阶多普勒频移,采用少量低压气体作为背景,使运动的离子被致冷至300K所形成的离子云的密度几乎完全决定于伪电势与空间电荷力的平衡。我们发现在这种情况下,根据陷阱参数、温度和储存离子的总数和质量可以准确地计算出二阶多普勒频移。用氦作为致冷气体所进行的大量实验表明,由射频脉冲宽度限制的谱线宽度为0.85Hz。根据所观测到的谱线形状可以预计自然线宽将小于0.1Hz。采用闭环稳定储存离子数的方法,已能使测得的二阶多普勒频移达n×10~(-13)量级。     

Beyond the principle of plentitude: a review of terrestrial planet habitability

We review recent work that directly or indirectly addresses the habitability of terrestrial (rocky) planets like the Earth. Habitability has been traditionally defined in terms of an orbital semimajor axis within a range known as the habitable zone, but it is also well known that the habitability of Earth is due to many other astrophysical, geological, and geochemical factors. We focus this review on (1) recent refinements to habitable zone calculations; (2) the formation and orbital stability of terrestrial planets; (3) the tempo and mode of geologic activity (e.g., plate tectonics) on terrestrial planets; (4) the delivery of water to terrestrial planets in the habitable zone; and (5) the acquisition and loss of terrestrial planet carbon and nitrogen, elements that constitute important atmospheric gases responsible for habitable conditions on Earth's surface as well as being the building blocks of the biosphere itself. Finally, we consider recent work on evidence for the earliest habitable environments and the appearance of life itself on our planet. Such evidence provides us with an important, if nominal, calibration point for our search for other habitable worlds.