In-orbit assessment of laser retro-reflector efficiency onboard high orbiting satellites

The navigation and geodetic satellites that orbit the Earth at altitudes of approximately 20,000 km are tracked routinely by many of the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations of the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS). In order to meet increasing demands on SLR stations for daytime and nighttime observations, any new mission needs to ensure a strong return signal so that the target is easily acquirable. The ILRS has therefore set a minimum effective cross-section of 100 million square metres for the on-board laser retro-reflector arrays (LRAs) and further recommends the use of ‘uncoated’ cubes in the arrays. Given the large number of GNSS satellites that are currently supported by SLR, it is informative to make an assessment of the relative efficiencies of the various LRAs employed. This paper uses the laser ranging observations themselves to deduce and then compare the efficiencies of the LRAs on the COMPASS-M1 navigation satellite, two satellites from the GPS and three from the GLONASS constellations, the two GIOVE test satellites from the upcoming Galileo constellation, the two Etalon geodetic spheres and the geosynchronous communications test satellite, ETS-8. All the LRAs on this set of satellites employ back-coated retro-reflector cubes, except those on the COMPASS-M1 and ETS-8 vehicles which are uncoated. A measure of return signal strength, and thus of LRA-efficiency, is calculated using the laser-range full-rate data archive from 2007 to 2010, scaled to remove the effects of variations in satellite range, atmospheric attenuation and retro-reflector target total surface area. Observations from five SLR stations are used in this study; they are Herstmonceux (UK), Yarragadee (Australia), Monument Peak and McDonald (USA) and Wettzell (Germany). Careful consideration is given to the treatment of the observations from each station in order to take account of local working practices and system upgrades. The results show that the uncoated retro-reflector cubes offer significant improvements in efficiency.     

Determination of station positions and velocities from laser ranging observations to Ajisai,Starlette and Stella satellites

The positions and velocities of the four Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations: Yarragadee (7090), Greenbelt (7105), Graz (7839) and Herstmonceux (7840) from 5-year (2001–2005) SLR data of low orbiting satellites (LEO): Ajisai, Starlette and Stella were determined. The orbits of these satellites were computed from the data provided by 20 SLR stations. All orbital computations were performed by means of NASA Goddard’s GEODYN-II program. The geocentric coordinates were transformed to the topocentric North–South, East–West and Vertical components in reference to ITRF2005. The influence of the number of normal points per orbital arc and the empirical acceleration coefficients on the quality of station coordinates was studied. To get standard deviation of the coordinates determination lower than 1 cm, the number of the normal points per site had to be greater than 50. The computed positions and velocities were compared to those derived from LAGEOS-1/LAGEOS-2 data. Three parameters were used for this comparison: station coordinates stability, differences from ITRF2005 positions and velocities. The stability of coordinates of LEO satellites is significantly worse (17.8 mm) than those of LAGEOS (7.6 mm), the better results are for Ajisai (15.4 mm) than for Starlette/Stella (20.4 mm). The difference in positions between the computed values and ITRF2005 were little bit worse for Starlette/Stella (6.6 mm) than for LAGEOS (4.6 mm), the results for Ajisai were five times worse (29.7 mm) probably due to center of mass correction of this satellite. The station velocities with some exceptions were on the same level (≈1 mm/year) for all satellites. The results presented in this work show that results from Starlette/Stella are better than those from Ajisai for station coordinates determination. We can applied the data from LEO satellites, especially Starlette and Stella for determination of the SLR station coordinates but with two times lower accuracy than when using LAGEOS data.     

线性调频半导体激光衍射光栅干涉仪

介绍一种以线性调频半导体激光为光源的衍射光栅干涉仪。激光与光栅上衍射的±１级衍射波会合，由于有光程差而发生光拍频，测量拍频信号的相位移则可测得光栅的位移。设计了一种克服激光波长漂移和空气折射率变化影响的对称差动光路，使这种方法达到实用化的程度，分辨力达到纳米级。此外，还介绍了应用于接触干涉仪的实验情况。     

脉冲激光测距误差标定及不确定度分析CSCD

以脉冲激光测距机的测距误差标定为背景,通过对测距误差解析表达式的推导,给出了系统各不确定度分量对测距误差的影响,计算了信号延迟时间、探测器和激光二极管响应时间、晶振频率、大气折射率等不确定度分量。通过对某已标定激光测距机实验验证表明:该装置在500m^20 000m测距范围内,测量重复性引入的相对标准不确定度最大值为0.67m,满足该类激光测距机测量不确定度5m(k=2)的校准测试需求。因此,利用该解析表达式可以实现对脉冲激光测距误差的有效评估,这对于脉冲激光测距测试系统、脉冲激光测距机的设计具有重要的指导意义。     

次流通道对双喉道气动矢量喷管的性能影响研究

为了进一步了解次流通道对双喉道气动矢量喷管(Dual Throat Nozzle,DTN)气动矢量性能的影响,基于二维DTN喷管构型进行了详细的数值模拟研究。结果表明:收扩的次流通道相对于平直的次流通道不会改善DTN喷管的推力矢量性能;随着次流流量增加,DTN的推力矢量角存在一个最大值,超过该值各推力矢量性能均会降低;次流通道宽度对DTN喷管推力矢量性能影响显著:(1)次流宽度不影响所能达到的最大推力矢量角;(2)小的次流宽度在进口总压较高的条件下具有更高的推力矢量角;(3)增大次流宽度能降低次流总压,但达到的矢量角会有所减小。     

一种用于液晶曝光中的激光检测系统

介绍了一种非接触式激光检测系统，可用于检测液晶曝光中液晶模板与基板之间的间隙，给出了该种系统的测量原理、硬件系统、信号处理方法、测量结果、分辨力和误差分析，并指出了这种测量系统的应用。     

基于双光纤检测技术的激光点火控制系统设计

基于双光纤检测技术,对激光点火控制系统进行分析,给出了激光器输出功率和检测合格判据的设计方法,分析了影响激光器最低输出功率设计的各相关因素,为激光点火控制系统设计提供了理论依据.     

一种新型测距仪的研制

介绍了一种在中，小范围内，采用激光定位，超声测距的新型测量仪器，该仪器以单片微处理器为核心，对不同的测量距离，采用不同频率的超声波，结合信号处理方法，从而实现０．６～１４ｍ范围内高精度实时测量目标距离，其测量相对误差优于１％。     

捷联式移动平台重力仪地面测试结果

自主研制移动平台重力仪对我国矿产资源勘探及测绘等领域具有重要意义。研制了一种基于激光捷联惯导的移动平台重力仪,根据移动平台重力测量应用需求及激光捷联惯导系统特点,采用高精度石英挠性加速度计作为重力测量传感器,安装于系统垂向通道,既可作为导航用垂向加速度计,又用于实现标量重力测量。介绍了工程样机系统的组成。利用重力场随高度升高衰减的原理,以相邻楼层间的重力测量差值评价了系统的静态精度;通过地面跑车试验,获得了系统动态测量内符合精度。     

纳米碳粉掺杂对激光烧蚀GAP的推进性能影响

实验以含能聚合物聚叠氮缩水甘油醚(Glycidyl azide polymer,GAP）作为激光烧蚀微推力器的靶材。通过对不同浓度纳米碳粉掺杂和靶材厚度下激光烧蚀GAP的比冲、冲量耦合系数和能量转化效率测量，结合靶材喷射羽流图像，分析了纳米碳粉掺杂提高激光烧蚀聚合物靶材推进性能的机理，给出纳米碳粉掺杂的适用方式。实验结果表明：透射式下，掺杂纳米碳粉之后，聚合物对激光的吸收大幅增强，但激光烧蚀推进性能不随掺杂浓度增加而显著提升；纳米碳粉吸收激光能量形成温度极高的局部热区促进聚合物中化学能的释放，是推进性能提升的主要原因；掺杂纳米碳粉之后的GAP烧蚀深度降低，表现出面吸收特性；随着靶材厚度的增加，未完全烧蚀的工质质量增加，使得靶材的利用率大大降低，导致聚合物推进性能下降。实验中掺杂3%纳米碳粉、厚度为54 μm的GAP靶材最优能量转化效率超过250%，适合作为透射式激光烧蚀微推力器的靶材。