Enhancing the ATIC charge resolution

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) experiment is designed to investigate the charge composition and energy spectra of primary cosmic rays over the energy range from about 10¹¹ to 10¹⁴ eV during Long Duration Balloon (LDB) flights from McMurdo, Antarctica. Currently, analysis from the ATIC-1 test flight and ATIC-2 science flight is underway and preparation for a second science flight is in progress. Charge identification of the incident cosmic ray is accomplished, primarily, by a pixilated Silicon Matrix detector located at the very top of the instrument. While it has been shown that the Silicon Matrix detector provides good charge identification even in the presence of electromagnetic shower backscatter from the calorimeter, the detector only measures the charge once. In this paper, we examine use of the top scintillator hodoscope detector to provide a second measure of the cosmic ray charge and, thus, improve the ATIC charge identification.     

CREAM: 70 days of flight from 2 launches in Antarctica

The Cosmic-Ray Energetics And Mass balloon-borne experiment has been launched twice in Antarctica, first in December 2004 and again in December 2005. It circumnavigated the South Pole three times during the first flight, which set a flight duration record of 42 days. A cumulative duration of 70 days within 13 months was achieved when the second flight completed 28 days during two circumnavigations of the Pole on 13 January 2006. Both the science instrument and support systems functioned extremely well, and a total 117 GB of data including 67 million science events were collected during these two flights. Preliminary analysis indicates that the data extend well above 100 TeV and follow reasonable power laws. The payload recovered from the first flight has been refurbished for the third flight in 2007, whereas the payload from the second flight is being refurbished to be ready for the fourth flight in 2008. Each flight will extend the reach of precise cosmic-ray composition measurements to energies not previously possible.     

Combustion modeling in a model combustor

The flow-field of a propane-air diffusion flame combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers was numerically studied.Results obtained from four combustion models,combined with the re-normalization group(RNG) k-ε turbulence model,discrete ordinates radiation model and enhanced wall treatment are presented and discussed.The results are compared with a comprehensive database obtained from a series of experimental measurements.The flow patterns and the recirculation zone length in the combustion chamber are accurately predicted,and the mean axial velocities are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data,particularly at downstream sections for all four combustion models.The mean temperature profiles are captured fairly well by the eddy dissipation(EDS),probability density function(PDF),and laminar flamelet combustion models.However,the EDS-finite-rate combustion model fails to provide an acceptable temperature field.In general,the flamelet model illustrates little superiority over the PDF model,and to some extent the PDF model shows better performance than the EDS model.      

Sporadic structures in equatorial ionosphere as revealed from GPS occultation data

A method for monitoring of sporadic formations in the lower ionosphere by use of the amplitude and phase variations of decimeter radio waves in the occultation trans-ionospheric link GPS satellite — LEO CHAMP satellite is described. Typical variations of the amplitude and phase of the occultation signal, caused by layered formations in the lower ionosphere, are considered. Parameters of sporadic structures measured during period of especially strong solar flashes from October 25 till November 9, 2003, are described. Results of statistical analysis of the occurrence frequency of sporadic layers, their altitude distribution, and thickness are presented. The electron density distribution in the lower ionosphere in the equatorial zone is estimated.     

Trajectory correction of the Spektr-R spacecraft motion

The results of refining the parameters of the Spektr-R spacecraft (RadioAstron project) motion after it was launched into the orbit of the Earth’s artificial satellite in July 2011 showed that, at the beginning of 2013, the condition of staying in the Earth’s shadow was violated. The duration of shading of the spacecraft exceeds the acceptable value (about 2 h). At the end of 2013 to the beginning of 2014, the ballistic lifetime of the spacecraft completed. Therefore, the question arose of how to correct the trajectory of the motion of the Spektr-R satellite using its onboard propulsion system. In this paper, the ballistic parameters that define the operation of onboard propulsion system when implementing the correction, and the ballistic characteristics of the orbital spacecraft motion before and after correction are presented.     

高超声速脉冲风洞中带燃料的超燃冲压发动机模型试验

给出了在ITAM最近投入使用的高超声速脉冲绝热压缩风洞AT-303中进行超燃冲压发动机模型实验的结果.实验马赫数M∞≈8,运行时间τ=50~60 ms,雷诺数范围Re1∞=2.7×106~4.0×107,模型表面的边界层自然转捩.在实验中,模型中有燃料供给:把气态氢以超过化学量比率的空气燃料因子注入到燃烧室.提供了足以发生氢燃料自点燃的流动条件.测量了沿进气道楔型压缩面和整个发动机通道上的纵向压力和热流分布.所获数据与同一模型在热射流风洞IT-302M(实验马赫数M∞≈6,8,运行时间τ=100~120 ms,雷诺数范围Re1∞=(1.3~1.8)×106,进气道压缩面和侧压缩面进行了边界层转捩).结果表明:实验模型发动机在两座风洞中进行实验所获得的流态类型相同.发动机刚刚启动时,在进气道入口及其下游的发动机通道内形成超声速流.注入氢后,首先在燃烧室内形成平均流速是超声速的燃烧流动.之后,在燃烧室出口出现热拥塞现象、在进气道扩压段产生伪激波流态.在两座风洞中进行了进气道和发动机通道的流动特征试验,获得了令人满意的结果.     

Open-type mixing device of a bubble structure

Results on the experimental investigation of a novel open-type mixing device with a twophase bubble structure working fluid for gas-droplet jet formation are presented. We study the effect of mode parameters upon velocity fields and droplet atomization obtained at the mixing device outlet.     

Roll control of a flight vehicle with the adjustable center of mass

We present the results of analytical research of flight dynamics for a flight vehicle that is controlled by the adjustable center of mass in the vertical symmetry plane. The roll oscillations, which appear perpendicular to the symmetry plane due to technological errors, are eliminated by means of control rocket engines, for which a control law is assigned.     

The problem of estimating microaccelerations aboard Foton-M4 spacecraft

The paper considers the special features of estimating microaccelerations aboard the Foton-M no. 4 spacecraft, which are connected with the decision on cancelling the spacecraft injection from the reference orbit into the operating one.     

Analysis of dynamics of a passive line-of-sight stabilization system with four-axis gimbal suspension

A mechanical model of the line-of-sight stabilization system for the optical device mounted on a movable carrier vehicle is considered. The nonlinear Lagrange equations of motion for a four-axis gimbal suspension are derived. Requirements on design and parameters for the passive line-of-sight shock absorption system of the optoelectronic payload are worked out.