High-Energy Electron Beam Relaxation in a Stationary Plasma Thruster

In the paper, processes of high-energy electron beam interaction with plasma particles in a discharge channel of a stationary plasma thruster are analyzed and the results are presented.     

Hardware reconfiguration algorithm in multiprocessor systems of integrated modular avionics

Reconfiguration of multiprocessor systems makes it possible to improve their failure-resistance that is especially important for the integrated modular avionics systems. The algorithm considered in this paper allows minimizing the reservation and providing the better safety level and more effective flight completion or even its further execution in the case of failures of airborne equipment.     

Observation of Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes in the RELEC space experiment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite

The RELEС scientific payload of the Vernov satellite launched on July 8, 2014 includes the DRGE spectrometer of gamma-rays and electrons. This instrument comprises a set of scintillator phoswich-detectors, including four identical X-ray and gamma-ray detector with an energy range of 10 kev to 3 MeV with a total area of ~500 cm² directed to the atmosphere, as well as an electron spectrometer containing three mutually orthogonal detector units with a geometric factor of ~2 cm² sr. The aim of a space experiment with the DRGE instrument is the study of fast phenomena, in particular Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGF) and magnetospheric electron precipitation. In this regard, the instrument provides the transmission of both monitoring data with a time resolution of 1 s, and data in the event-by-event mode, with a recording of the time of detection of each gamma quantum or electron to an accuracy of ~15 μs. This makes it possible to not only conduct a detailed analysis of the variability in the gamma-ray range, but also compare the time profiles with the results of measurements with other RELEC instruments (the detector of optical and ultraviolet flares, radio-frequency and low-frequency analyzers of electromagnetic field parameters), as well as with the data of ground-based facility for thunderstorm activity. This paper presents the first catalog of Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. The criterion for selecting flashes required in order to detect no less than 5 hard quanta in 1 ms by at least two independent detectors. The TGFs included in the catalog have a typical duration of ~400 μs, during which 10–40 gamma-ray quanta were detected. The time profiles, spectral parameters, and geographic position, as well as a result of a comparison with the output data of other Vernov instruments, are presented for each of candidates. The candidate for Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes detected in the near-polar region over Antarctica is discussed.     

Designing corrections for the trajectory of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spektr-R</Emphasis> spacecraft in the event of immersions into the Moon’s sphere of influence

The results of updating the parameters of motion of the Spektr-R spacecraft at the end of 2016 have shown that, in January 2018, with a probability close to unity, the condition that a spacecraft stay in the Earth’s shadow is violated; however, in May of the same year, the ballistic life of the spacecraft will be terminated. Thus, in 2017, the question arose of how to design the correction of flight of this spacecraft using its onboard propulsion system. The correction was designed with allowance for the fact that, for the first time since it was launched, the spacecraft in the course of several years, beginning with 2017, repeatedly approaches the Moon, deeply immersing into its sphere of influence. This paper presents the technologically and organizationally convenient, allowable versions of upcoming correction of the Spektr-R spacecraft trajectory and justifies the particular scheme of its implementation.     

Longitudinal dependence of the H<Superscript>+</Superscript> concentration distribution in the plasmasphere according to <Emphasis Type="Italic">INTERBALL-1</Emphasis> satellite data

The paper has presented a study of the dependence of the H⁺ ions concentration in the plasmasphere on geographic longitude. A vast database of measurements of the cold plasma density by the Alpha-3 instrument on board the INTERBALL-1 satellite has been used for the study. Based on these measurements, a dependence of the H⁺ ions concentration in the filled magnetic flux tube in the plasmasphere in the equatorial plane under quiet geomagnetic conditions has been obtained as a function of geographic longitude. Studies have been performed for two seasons, summer and winter. It has been shown that, during the summer in the near-midnight sector, the minimum in the H⁺ concentration falls within geographic longitudes of 270°–315°. The ratio of the concentration of H⁺ ions at various longitudes could reach a factor of three. During the winter, in the near-noon sector, the maximum of the H⁺ ions concentration falls within longitudes of 180°–225°, whereas the concentration ratio could reach a factor of 2.2.     

Neutral surfaces of coronal magnetic field and solar filaments

The shape of solar filaments is compared with the projection of parts of the neutral surface of the coronal magnetic field within a certain range of heights at different aspects of observation due to the rotation of the Sun. Neutral surfaces are calculated in the potential approximation from the photospheric data. The comparison shows that the material of filaments is concentrated mainly near the neutral surface of the potential field. The traces of the neutral surface section by the horizontal plane serve as polarity inversion lines (PILs) of the vertical field at the given height. In projection onto the disk, a lower edge of the filament with the intermediate barbs protruding on each side is delineated by the PIL at the low height, while an upper edge touches the high-height PIL. All material of the filament is enclosed in the space between these two lines. Although in reality the magnetic field structure near filaments differs very strongly from the potential field structure, their neutral surfaces can be similar and close, especially at low heights. This fact is probably the cause of the observed correlation. It can be used to determine the height of the upper edge of filaments above the photosphere in the case of observations only on the disk.     

Dynamics of electron fluxes in the slot between radiation belts in November–December 2014 according to data of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite

The variations in the spatial structure and time in electron fluxes with E = 235–300 keV in the slot region (2 < L < 3) between the radiation belts in the period of November 1, 2014 through December 8, 2014 during weak and moderate geomagnetic disturbances (Kp < 4, Dst >–60 nT) are analyzed based on the data of the RELEC complex on board the Vernov satellite (the height and inclination of the orbit are from 640 to 830 km and 98.4°, respectively). Irregular increases in the fluxes of such electrons and formation of a local maximum at L ~ 2.2–3.0 were observed. It has been shown that the intensity of this maximum is inversely proportional to the L value and grows with an increase in the geomagnetic activity level. New features discovered for the first time in the dynamics of radiation belt electrons manifest in the variations in the local structure and dynamics of fluxes of subrelativistic electrons in the slot region.     

The mass loss of spacecraft polyimide films under the action of atomic oxygen and vacuum ultraviolet radiation

The threshold values of the annual fluence of atomic oxygen (F _AO ≈ 10²⁰ cm^?2), as well as the ratios of the energy-flux density of vacuum ultraviolet radiation of the solar spectrum to the flux density of atomic oxygen (Φ _ν /Φ _AO ≈ 8 × 10^?15 mJ) were determined, which are characterized the influence of the synergistic effect on the mass loss of Kapton-H, PM-A, and PM-1E polyimide films, which are spacecraft materials.     

Erratum to: Determination of the Probability of Collision of Near-Earth Space Objects Taking into Account Form and Orientation

Cosmic Research - An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952521120030