The THEMIS Array of Ground-based Observatories for the Study of Auroral Substorms

The NASA Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) project is intended to investigate magnetospheric substorm phenomena, which are the manifestations of a basic instability of the magnetosphere and a dominant mechanism of plasma transport and explosive energy release. The major controversy in substorm science is the uncertainty as to whether the instability is initiated near the Earth, or in the more distant >20 Re magnetic tail. THEMIS will discriminate between the two possibilities by using five in-situ satellites and ground-based all-sky imagers and magnetometers, and inferring the propagation direction by timing the observation of the substorm initiation at multiple locations in the magnetosphere. An array of stations, consisting of 20 all-sky imagers (ASIs) and 30-plus magnetometers, has been developed and deployed in the North American continent, from Alaska to Labrador, for the broad coverage of the nightside magnetosphere. Each ground-based observatory (GBO) contains a white light imager that takes auroral images at a 3-second repetition rate (“cadence”) and a magnetometer that records the 3 axis variation of the magnetic field at 2 Hz frequency. The stations return compressed images, “thumbnails,” to two central databases: one located at UC Berkeley and the other at the University of Calgary, Canada. The full images are recorded at each station on hard drives, and these devices are physically returned to the two data centers for data copying. All data are made available for public use by scientists in “browse products,” accessible by using internet browsers or in the form of downloadable CDF data files (the “browse products” are described in detail in a later section). Twenty all-sky imager stations are installed and running at the time of this publication. An example of a substorm was observed on the 23rd of December 2006, and from the THEMIS GBO data, we found that the substorm onset brightening of the equatorward arc was a gradual process (>27 seconds), with minimal morphology changes until the arc breaks up. The breakup was timed to the nearest frame (<3 s) and located to the nearest latitude degree at about ±3^oE in longitude. The data also showed that a similar breakup occurred in Alaska ～10 minutes later, highlighting the need for an array to distinguish prime onset.     

New Horizons: Anticipated Scientific Investigations at the Pluto System

The New Horizons spacecraft will achieve a wide range of measurement objectives at the Pluto system, including color and panchromatic maps, 1.25–2.50 micron spectral images for studying surface compositions, and measurements of Pluto’s atmosphere (temperatures, composition, hazes, and the escape rate). Additional measurement objectives include topography, surface temperatures, and the solar wind interaction. The fulfillment of these measurement objectives will broaden our understanding of the Pluto system, such as the origin of the Pluto system, the processes operating on the surface, the volatile transport cycle, and the energetics and chemistry of the atmosphere. The mission, payload, and strawman observing sequences have been designed to achieve the NASA-specified measurement objectives and maximize the science return. The planned observations at the Pluto system will extend our knowledge of other objects formed by giant impact (such as the Earth–moon), other objects formed in the outer solar system (such as comets and other icy dwarf planets), other bodies with surfaces in vapor-pressure equilibrium (such as Triton and Mars), and other bodies with N₂:CH₄ atmospheres (such as Titan, Triton, and the early Earth).     

一种无陀螺捷联惯导系统角速度解算组合算法

无陀螺捷联惯导系统仅利用加速度计就可完成惯性测量与导航,然而采用积分法解算载体的角速度时误差积累严重,发散迅速。文章采用一种常用的九加速度计配置方案,设计一种积分法补偿算法,并针对其初始时段误差过大的问题提出了一种组合算法。仿真验证能有效地抑制解算误差的发散,提高了解算精度。     

基于模糊相似比例与综合评判的发动机可靠性分配

为了在可靠性指标分配时能充分利用相似旧机型已有的可靠性信息,提出在航空发动机初期设计的可靠性分配阶段采用模糊相似比例与模糊综合评判相结合的可靠性指标分配方法.该方法既能充分利用相似旧机型的可靠性数据,同时又能通过模糊综合评判,对基于相似旧机型的可靠性比例分配结果进行修正,实现了在可靠性分配阶段确定性信息和不确定信息的互补,进一步优化了可靠性分配结果.      

基于“北斗二代”的卫星星座设计

针对"北斗二代"卫星导航系统,首先,设计适合我国区域导航定位需求的GEO+MEO的星座;在此基础上增加一个倾斜地球同步轨道卫星星座扩充成一个GEO+MEO+IGSO的全球卫星导航系统;进行GDOP值和可见星数仿真,根据仿真结果对星座参数进行优化。     

叶顶微喷气提高旋转畸变条件下低速轴流压气机失稳裕度的机理分析

对旋转畸变条件下轴流压气机的失稳特性进行了实验研究,结果表明,畸变影响区内叶顶泄漏流的前缘溢出造成了旋转失速的提前发生,缩减了压气机的失稳裕度.叶顶微喷气方法有效地提高了旋转畸变条件下轴流压气机的失稳裕度,其原因在于,实施叶顶微喷气后,临近失速时,压气机顶部畸变区诱发的分离团受到抑制,减少了其诱发旋转失速的可能性,从而实现扩稳目的.      

基于知识库系统的飞机结构设计关键技术

该系统实现了与CATIA的无缝连接,对知识的浏览机制、检索策略、基于CAA的三维模型预览、工程算法使用以及图表插值等关键技术进行了描述,可处理公式、图表、表格和文字等多种知识类型.最后,通过一个实例验证了该系统的可行性.     

轴流压气机转子尖部三维复杂流动Ⅱ——数值模拟研究

在实验研究和理论分析的基础上,对亚声速压气机转子尖部复杂流动做了数值模拟研究,旨在进一步深入研究叶尖间隙和进口总压分布对转子叶尖复杂流动的影响。首先通过对与实验条件相同的转子尖部复杂流动的数值模拟研究,校验了数值模拟结果,并分析了转子尖部复杂流动速度场、压力场和涡量场分布特性。然后通过改变叶尖间隙尺度和进口总压分布,研究了二者对近叶尖复杂流动的影响。研究结果表明:当叶尖间隙小于1%叶片弦长时角区旋涡的发展是导致转子失速的关键;而当叶尖间隙大于2%叶片弦长时叶尖泄漏涡的发展是导致转子失速的关键;改变进口总压分布可以合理地组织转子尖部流动并扩大转子工作裕度。此外,通过观测近叶片吸力面二维涡线的发展趋势可以判断叶尖复杂流动的发展状态。     

全弹性稳态微小流量测量系统

介绍了一种采用质量测量法的液体微小流量测量系统的工作原理与工作过程.系统采用全弹性连接方法设计,避免了常规质量测量法流量测量装置中非弹性连接管路造成的测量误差.采用压力补偿方法,修正由于压强对增压气体密度的影响.并以酒精为测试液体,进行了5种工况下流量测量试验.试验结果表明,该套微小流量测量系统工作稳定、可靠,可以精确测量出液体稳态微小流量.      

超宽带脉冲无线电在近距编队中的应用研究

编队飞行航天器间可靠的实时通信和精确的定位是需要解决的关键技术之一。超宽带脉冲无线电技术具有抗多径干扰、传输速率高、结构简单且可进行通信和导航一体化设计等鲜明特点。本文首先介绍超宽带脉冲无线电的基本原理,分析其主要特点,在跟踪编队飞行无线链路现有技术的基础上,研究了超宽带技术在近距编队中的潜在应用,最后分析了超宽带技术在航天器近距编队应用中需要注意的问题。