微阴极电弧推力器工作性能影响因素研究

采用试验方法研究了微阴极电弧推力器中峰值放电电流及外加磁场对其推力、比冲、寿命的影响规律。试验结果表明:峰值放电电流增加,阴极烧蚀量增加,元冲量增大;相比于较低的峰值放电电流(10A),更高的峰值放电电流(40A)可延长推力器的工作寿命;外加磁场增强,推力器喷射等离子体轴向速度增大,比冲增加。     

Wobble of a spin stabilized satellite with cross products of inertia and magnetic attitude control

Asymmetrical spin stabilized satellite dynamics in the vicinity of the required motion is considered. The principal axis of the maximum moment of inertia slightly deviates from its assumed direction in the satellite reference frame. This is formalized in the cross products of inertia. This inertial uncertainty results in a wobble, that is undesired angular velocity components perpendicular to the rotation axis, and oscillations of this axis near the required direction. The torque-free motion is investigated first. Expressions that explicitly relate satellite inertia parameters to wobble are provided. Wobble evolution under the action of magnetic damping control is analyzed next. Its amplitude approximate exponential decay behavior and residual unavoidable wobble level are derived. These expressions are compared with numerical simulation results of nonlinear equations of motion including various disturbance sources.     

The auroral activity during the main phase of magnetic storms

The relationship of auroral activity indices (AE, Kp, SME) with interplanetary medium parameters during the main phase of magnetic storms is studied. For the period 1990–2020, 142 magnetic storms driven by (41) Sheath, (61) CIR, and (40) ICME events are selected. It is found that the correlation coefficient between average values of the SME index and the SW electric field for Sheath (r = 0.75) is close to correlation coefficients for CIR and ICME events. The correlation coefficient between Kp_aver&Esw_aver (r = 0.72) is higher than the correlation coefficient between AE_aver&Esw_aver (r = 0.63) at the main phase of magnetic storms induced by the Sheath events. It is shown that average values of SW dynamic pressure and IMF σB fluctuations correlate each other for all types of SW.     

Low-latitude geomagnetic response to the interplanetary conditions during very intense magnetic storms

The variations in the horizontal and declination components of the geomagnetic field in response to the interplanetary shocks driven by fast halo coronal mass ejections, fast solar wind streams from the coronal hole regions and the dynamic pressure pulses associated with these events are studied. Close association between the field-aligned current density (j_∥) and the fluctuations in the declination component (ΔD_ABG) at Alibag is found for intense storm conditions. Increase in the dawn-dusk interplanetary electric field (E_y) and ΔD_ABG are generally in phase. However, when the magnetospheric electric field is directed from dusk to dawn direction, a prominent scatter occurs between the two. It is suggested that low-latitude ground magnetic data may serve as a proxy for the interplanetary conditions in the solar wind.     

Jitter reduction of a reaction wheel by management of angular momentum using magnetic torquers in nano- and micro-satellites

Nowadays, nano- and micro-satellites, which are smaller than conventional large satellites, provide access to space to many satellite developers, and they are attracting interest as an application of space development because development is possible over shorter time period at a lower cost. In most of these nano- and micro-satellite missions, the satellites generally must meet strict attitude requirements for obtaining scientific data under strict constraints of power consumption, space, and weight. In many satellite missions, the jitter of a reaction wheel degrades the performance of the mission detectors and attitude sensors; therefore, jitter should be controlled or isolated to reduce its effect on sensor devices. In conventional standard-sized satellites, tip-tilt mirrors (TTMs) and isolators are used for controlling or isolating the vibrations from reaction wheels; however, it is difficult to use these devices for nano- and micro-satellite missions under the strict power, space, and mass constraints. In this research, the jitter of reaction wheels is reduced by using accurate sensors, small reaction wheels, and slow rotation frequency reaction wheel instead of TTMs and isolators. The objective of a reaction wheel in many satellite missions is the management of the satellite’s angular momentum, which increases because of attitude disturbances. If the magnitude of the disturbance is reduced in orbit or on the ground, the magnitude of the angular momentum that the reaction wheels gain from attitude disturbances in orbit becomes smaller; therefore, satellites can stabilize their attitude using only smaller reaction wheels or slow rotation speed, which cause relatively smaller vibration. In nano- and micro-satellite missions, the dominant attitude disturbance is a magnetic torque, which can be cancelled by using magnetic actuators. With the magnetic compensation, the satellite reduces the angular momentum that the reaction wheels gain, and therefore, satellites do not require large reaction wheels and higher rotation speed, which cause jitter. As a result, the satellite can reduce the effect of jitter without using conventional isolators and TTMs. Hence, the satellites can achieve precise attitude control under low power, space, and mass constraints using this proposed method. Through the example of an astronomical observation mission using nano- and micro-satellites, it is demonstrated that the jitter reduction using small reaction wheels is feasible in nano- and micro-satellites.     

Magnetic levitation of large water droplets and mice

We report successful levitation of large water droplets and mice using a newly built variable gravity simulator. The simulator consists mainly of a superconducting magnet with a room temperature accessible experimental levitating space. The superconducting magnet generates a field and field gradient product that is large enough to levitate water and many other common liquids. The warm bore of the magnet has a diameter of 66 mm, large enough to levitate small mammals. We demonstrate that water drops up to 50 mm in diameter and young mice can be levitated in the system. The capability of levitating large water drops and biological systems offers new opportunities for conducting detailed and in-depth study of properties of fluids and biological systems in reduced gravity environments.     

Imbalance of magnetic field observed in vector magnetograms

The systematic investigation of the three components of the magnetic field is made on 6629 vector magnetograms obtained with the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope at Huairou Solar Observing Station over 18 years 1988–2005. The sign distribution of these values has been analyzed over the solar hemispheres and the solar activity cycle as follows:     

Ionospheric reflection of the magnetic activity described by the index η

Differences in the external part of the vertical geomagnetic component point to the existence of local inhomogeneities in the magnetosphere or the ionosphere. Usually used magnetic indices are not sufficient to express the state of ionosphere, the common used global Kp index derived in the three-hour interval does not indicate much more rapidly changes appearing in ionosphere. Magnetic index η reflects ionospheric disturbances when other indices show very quiet conditions. Data of ionospheric characteristics (foE, foEs, h’E, h’F2) during 28-day long quiet day conditions (Kp = 0–2) in 2004 were analyzed. The correlations between strong local disturbances in ionosphere during very quiet days and high values of magnetic index η were found. The most sensitive to magnetic influence – ionospheric E layer data (foE characteristic) – reaches median deviations up to (+0.8 MHz and −0.8 MHz) during very low magnetic activity (Kp = 0–1). The high peaks (2–2.7) of the magnetic index η correlate in time with large local median deviations of foE. Such local deviations can suggest local inhomogeneities (vertical drifts) in the ionosphere. The correlation in space is not trivial. The strong peak of η is situated between the positive and negative deviations of foE. Additional observation is connected with correlation in time of the high η value with the negative median deviations of h’F2 (in some cases up to −90 km). The analysis was based on one-minute data recorded at each of 20 European Magnetic Observatories working in the INTERMAGNET network and from 19 ionosondes for 2004. Ionospheric data are sparse in time and in space in opposite to the magnetic data. The map of the magnetic indices can suggest the behavior of ionospheric characteristics in the areas where we have no data.