Composition Variations in the Solar Corona and Solar Wind

Order of magnitude variations in relative elemental abundances are observed in the solar corona and solar wind. The instruments aboard SOHO make it possible to explore these variations in detail to determine whether they arise near the solar surface or higher in the corona. A substantial enhancement of low First Ionization Potential (FIP) elements relative to high FIP elements is often seen in both the corona and the solar wind, and that must arise in the chromosphere. Several theoretical models have been put forward to account for the FIP effect, but as yet even the basic physical mechanism responsible remains an open question. Evidence for gravitational settling is also found at larger heights in quiescent streamers. The question is why the heavier elements don't settle out completely. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Soho Observations of Density Fluctuations in Coronal Holes

In recent UVCS/SOHO White Light Channel (WLC) observations we found quasi-periodic variations in the polarized brightness (pB) in the polar coronal holes at heliocentric distances of 1.9 to 2.45 solar radii. The motivation for the observation is the 2.5D MHD model of solar wind acceleration by nonlinear waves, that predicts compressive fluctuations in coronal holes. In February 1998 we performed new observations using the UVCS/WLC in the coronal hole and obtained additional data. The new data corroborate our earlier findings with higher statistical significance. The new longer observations show that the power spectrum peaks in the 10–12 minute range. These timescales agree with EIT observations of brightness fluctuations in polar plumes. We performed preliminary LASCO/C2 observations in an effort to further establish the coronal origin of the fluctuations. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intelligent control of a planning system for astronaut training

This work intends to design, analyze and solve, from the systems control perspective, a complex, dynamic, and multiconstrained planning system for generating training plans for crew members of the NASA-led International Space Station. Various intelligent planning systems have been developed within the framework of artificial intelligence. These planning systems generally lack a rigorous mathematical formalism to allow a reliable and flexible methodology for their design, modeling, and performance analysis in a dynamical, time-critical, and multiconstrained environment. Formulating the planning problem in the domain of discrete-event systems under a unified framework such that it can be modeled, designed, and analyzed as a control system will provide a self-contained theory for such planning systems. This will also provide a means to certify various planning systems for operations in the dynamical and complex environments in space. The work presented here completes the design, development, and analysis of an intricate, large-scale, and representative mathematical formulation for intelligent control of a real planning system for Space Station crew training. This planning system has been tested and used at NASA-Johnson Space Center     

Small satellite access of the Space Network

Small satellites have been perceived as having limited access to NASA's Space Network (SN). The potential for satellite access of the Space Network when the design utilizes a fixed antenna configuration and low-power, coded transmission is analyzed. From the analysis, satellites using this configuration in high-inclination orbits are shown to have a daily data throughput in the 100 to 1000 Mbit range using the multiple access communications service     

Calculating Detection Probabilities for Systems Employing Noncoherent Integration

Cumulative probability distributions that occur in radar and sonar detection problems are calculated directly from the characteristic function by using a Fourier series. The error in the result is controlled by two parameters which can be adjusted to suit the application. The technique is applied to the problem of determining the detection performance of consecutive discrete Fourier transforms (DFTs) for a narrowband Gaussian signal with a rectangular spectrum. Since the characteristic function is used directly in its product form this technique does not suffer from the numerical problems associated with the partial fraction approach. The technique can handle many different problems in a single computational structure making it a valuable tool in system performance studies.     

Hard Limiter Performance as a Polarity Detector for Extremely Polluted Signals

A hard limiter is a simple, yet highly efficient, RF signal sensor for VLF and LF navigation receivers. The observation reliability is used as the single quality criterion for the hard limiter if applied as a singlebit analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The effects of noise (Gaussian and atmospheric), nonsynchronous and synchronous interference, and dc offset on the observation reliability are described extensively. The single parameter determination Pobs is adequate for characterizing the polarity detector. This facilitates rank ordering of influences disturbing the signal and is a useful tool in optimizing digital tracking loops. The ?built-in? noise-censoring properties of the hard limiter in the presence of atmospheric noise are excellent. Therefore, three different atmospheric noise models are used in the determination of the observation reliability Pobs. Some ways for coping with other disturbances that potentially threaten the good performance of the hard limiter are suggested.     

The long term variability of 4U 1258-61 (GX304-1)

We present optical spectroscopy and photometry of 4U 1258-61 obtained over the course of six years. Evidence for the evolution of a circumstellar envelope throughout the course of the observations is presented.     

利用极值分布概型预测海峡地区风环境期望风速

根据《公路桥梁抗风设计规范》,对于特别重要的桥梁要求对桥址处的设计基本风速进行重新观测或参考实测风速样本进行推算得到,选取合理的基本设计风速。本文选取厦门-漳州跨海大桥附近的厦门市专业气象台和龙海市气象局360个月的极值10分钟平均时距的风速和风向标准值,采用3种极值分布概型推算出不同重现期内的设计风速。得出了厦门海峡桥址处100年一遇的期望风速为35．8m／s,小于规范给出的厦门地区100年一遇基本设计风速39．7m／s。     

脉冲爆震火箭发动机引射模态的起爆实验研究

为实现脉冲爆震火箭发动机(PDRE)引射模态下主爆震室的起爆,采用航空煤油和氧气作为推进剂,设计了PDRE引射模态的模型机,采用压电传感器测量主爆震室中爆震波的压力和速度.在主爆震室中成功实现了5 ～8Hz稳定连续的爆震,爆震波的峰值压力能够达到3MPa,爆震波以1600～ 2000m/s左右的速度在主爆震室中传播.实验结果表明:PDRE引射模态下主爆震室的DDT距离,远低于常规高能电喷起爆下的两相PDRE的DDT距离;高频PDRE引射模态下主爆震室的起爆难度加大;加长主爆震室、末端增加收敛段可以提高引射模态的爆震性能.     

环境条件对铝粉颗粒燃烧产物凝聚的影响

采用金属颗粒蒸汽相扩散燃烧模型和燃烧产物多相成核理论,对铝粉燃烧所形成的Al₂O₃平均粒径进行了计算研究。根据计算结果,就环境因素对铝粉燃烧区域中的温度、燃烧产物的过饱和度及其凝聚成核速率的影响规律进行了分析讨论。结果表明:环境压强增加,铝粉燃烧温度和液滴表面温度提高,铝粉燃烧产物平均粒径降低;环境压强对参数分布特性的影响比环境温度的影响更为显着。