Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector for the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

The design of the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) experiment is presented, which was optimized to address several of the primary measurement requirements of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): high spatial resolution hydrogen mapping of the Moon’s upper-most surface, identification of putative deposits of appreciable near-surface water ice in the Moon’s polar cold traps, and characterization of the human-relevant space radiation environment in lunar orbit. A comprehensive program of LEND instrument physical calibrations is discussed and the baseline scenario of LEND observations from the primary LRO lunar orbit is presented. LEND data products will be useful for determining the next stages of the emerging global lunar exploration program, and they will facilitate the study of the physics of hydrogen implantation and diffusion in the regolith, test the presence of water ice deposits in lunar cold polar traps, and investigate the role of neutrons within the radiation environment of the shallow lunar surface.     

Small perturbation propagation in the viscoelastic fluid enclosed in a multilayer viscoelastic tube

A pulsating flow of the incompressible viscoelastic fluid enclosed in the multilayer viscoelastic tube of a variable circular section is investigated. The problem stated leads to the singular Sturm-Liouville boundary value problem which in its turn is reduced to the equivalent integral equation of the Volterra type that is solved by the successive approximation method. The influence of fluid relaxation and retardation time on the wave system characteristics is revealed.     

Application of an expert system to predict the efficiency of flight vehicle modification

Problems of improving the efficiency of design works in the process of space-rocket complex (SRC) updating are considered. The methodical foundation for the expert system application to form promising technical solutions in studying the flight vehicle (FV) modification is presented.     

Mathematical model of balancing for a vertical takeoff and landing disk-wing aircraft

Basic principles of a mathematical model for disk-wing aircraft balancing and evaluation of power expenditure for flight as compared with a helicopter are presented.     

Methodology of construction and models of informative signals for a stationary miltichannel flow aerometric receiver of the helicopter air data system

Methodology of constructing a stationary multichannel flow aerometric receiver using the effects of deceleration and throttling of an incoming airflow and their circular transformation in the yaw plane is considered. The mathematical models and algorithms for processing primary informative signals entering along the channels of speed, altitude, angles of attack and slip of the helicopter air data system constructed on the basis of the aerometric receiver being proposed are obtained.     

An approximated method of calculating the cellular insert influence in the carrying capacity of the direct-flow labyrinth seal

A method for calculating the flowrate of the gas flowing through the cellular insert cells over the labyrinth seal strip is proposed. The gas density is taken to be average with respect to the decisive section. It is assumed that jets flowing out of cells disrupt the direct flow of the labyrinth seal. A practical implementation of the method is confirmed by the known experimental data.     

Numerical modeling of large elastoplastic strains in terms of principal stretches. I. Kinematics of elastoplastic strains

A technique for numerical finite element analysis of large elastoplastic strains is proposed. A problem is formulated in terms of principal stretches and their logarithms in the current basis of the left distortion tensor. It is shown that the “classical” multiplicative decomposition of the total strain gradient into the product of elastic and plastic strain gradients is equivalent to the presentation of total stretches as a product of elastic and plastic stretches.     

Ion-marking aerodynamic angle and airspeed sensor with logometric informative signals and interpolation processing scheme

We reveal a functional diagram, design features of a receiver electrode system, a principle of forming primary informative signals, a technique for synthesizing angular characteristics and estimating indicated errors, channel realization and algorithms of forming output signals of an ionmarking aerodynamic angle and airspeed sensor with logometric informative signals and interpolation processing scheme.     

Modeling of cooling processes in the variable section channel of a gas conduit

Using the results of numerical modeling of nonstationary gas hydrodynamic working processes in the gas conduit variable section channel when removing and cooling hot gases of different purpose technical plants, an engineering technique has been developed to provide the gas conduit operation under limitations on the flow temperature in the outlet plant section. A multiparametric area of permissible gas conduit operation connecting the characteristics of technical plants, gas conduit and water feeding system is presented.     

Grad-Shafranov Reconstruction of Magnetic Flux Ropes in the Near-Earth Space

Electric currents permeate space plasmas and often have a significant component along the magnetic field to form magnetic flux ropes. A larger spatial perspective of these structures than from the direct observation along the satellite path is crucial in visualizing their role in plasma dynamics. For magnetic flux ropes that are approximately two-dimensional equilibrium structures on a certain plane, Grad-Shafranov reconstruction technique, developed by Bengt Sonnerup and his colleagues (see Sonnerup et al. in J. Geophys. Res. 111:A09204, 2006), can be used to reveal two-dimensional maps of associated plasma and field parameters. This review gives a brief account of the technique and its application to magnetic flux ropes near the Earth’s magnetopause, in the solar wind, and in the magnetotail. From this brief survey, the ranges of the total field-aligned current and the total magnetic flux content for these magnetic flux ropes are assessed. The total field-aligned current is found to range from ∼0.14 to ∼9.7×10⁴ MA, a range of nearly six orders of magnitude. The total magnetic flux content is found to range from ∼0.25 to ∼2.3×10⁶ MWb, a range of nearly seven orders of magnitude. To the best of our knowledge, this review reports the largest range of both the total field-aligned current and the total magnetic flux content for magnetic flux ropes in space plasmas.