The heliospheric modulation of cosmic rays: Effects of a latitude dependent solar wind termination shock

Observations made with the two Voyager spacecraft confirmed that the solar wind decelerates to form the heliospheric termination shock and that it has begun its merger with the local interstellar medium. The compression ratio of this shock affects galactic cosmic rays when they enter the heliosphere. Hydrodynamic (HD) models show that the compression ratio can have a significant latitude dependence; with the largest value in the nose direction of the heliosphere, becoming significantly less towards the polar regions. The modulation effects of such large latitude dependence are studied, using a well-established numerical drift and shock modulation model. We focus on computing the modulated spectra for galactic protons with emphasis on the radial and polar gradients in the equatorial plane and at a polar angle of θ = 55°, corresponding to the heliolatitude of Voyager 1. Two sets of solutions are computed and compared each time; with and without a latitude dependence for the compression ratio. All computations are done for the two magnetic field polarity cycles assuming solar minimum conditions. Including the termination shock in the model allows the study of the re-acceleration of galactic protons in the outer heliosphere. We find that for the A < 0 polarity cycle the intensity between ∼200 MeV and ∼1 GeV in the vicinity of the shock in the heliospheric equatorial plane may exceed the local interstellar value specified at the heliopause. Unfortunately, at θ = 55°, the effect is reduced. This seems not possible during an A > 0 cycle because significant modulation is then predicted between the heliopause and the termination shock, depending on how strong global gradient and curvature drifts are in the heliosheath. The overall effect of the shock on galactic protons in the equatorial plane is to reduce the total modulation as a function of radial distance with respect to the interstellar spectrum. Making the compression ratio latitude dependent enhances these effects at energies E < 200 MeV in the equatorial plane. At larger heliolatitudes these effects are even more significant. The differences in the modulation between the two drift cycles are compelling when the compression ratio is made latitude dependent but at Earth this effect is insignificant. A general result is that the computed radial gradient changes for galactic protons at and close to the TS and that these changes are polarity dependent. In line with previous work, large polarity dependent effects are predicted for the inner heliosphere and also close to the shock’s position in the equatorial plane. In contrast, at θ = 55°, the largest polarity effect occurs in the middle heliosphere (50 AU), enhanced by the latitude dependence of the compression ratio. At this latitude, the amount of proton modulation between the heliopause and the termination shock is much reduced. If galactic cosmic rays were to experience some diffusive shock acceleration over the 100–1000 MeV range at the shock, the radial gradient should change its sign in the vicinity of the shock, how large, depends on the compression ratio and the amount of drifts taking place in the outer heliosphere. The effective polar gradient shows a strong polarity dependence at Earth but this dissipates at θ = 55°, especially with increasing radial distance. This tendency is enhanced by making the compression ratio latitude dependent.     

Kinetic theory of sheath formation in solar wind plasma

We present a general self-consistent kinetic theory for plasma sheath formation in solar wind plasma. The theory could be applied to anisotropic, as well as to isotropic collisionless plasma without resorting to any simplifications, limitations, or assumptions, such as the necessary existence of a ‘pre-sheath’ region of ions acceleration to ensure the Bohm criterion. The kinetic framework is first applied to sheath formation around an arbitrary oriented planar absorbing surface, charged by solar wind anisotropic plasma, under the condition of negligible photoelectric effect. We then make use of our kinetic approach for the plane geometry in isotropic collisionless plasma, as a particular case of a planar electrode orientation parallel to plasma streaming velocity, also analyzing the sheath structure around spherical and cylindrical absorbing electrodes submerged in isotropic collisionless plasma. Obtained results demonstrate principal differences in spatial charge distributions in sheath regions between spherical or cylindrical electrodes of large size and an unbound planar surface submerged in isotropic plasma. In the case of a planar electrode, we directly compare results obtained in our kinetic and hydrodynamic theories and conventional hydrodynamic theory of plasma sheath formation. The outcome from the present study have direct implications to the analysis of plasma sheath structure and associated distribution in space of charged dust grains, which is relevant to the moon exploration near the optical terminator region or in shadowed craters in the moon.     

Solar rhythms in the characteristics of the Arctic frontal zone in the North Atlantic

Long-term changes of the Arctic frontal zone characteristics near the south-eastern coasts of Greenland were considered, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data being used. It was found that in the cold half of the year the temperature gradients in the layer 1000–500 hPa in the region under study reveal strong ∼10-yr and ∼22-yr periodicities that seem to be related to solar activity cycles. The results obtained suggest the influence of solar activity and cosmic ray variations on the structure of the temperature field of the troposphere resulting in the changes of the temperature contrasts in the Arctic frontal zone that, in turn, may affect the intensity of cyclogenesis at middle latitudes. The detected effects seem to indicate an important part of frontal zones in the mechanism of solar activity and cosmic ray variation influence on the development of extratropical baric systems. It is suggested that the variations of the temperature gradients revealed in the Arctic frontal zone are due to the radiative forcing of cloudiness changes which may be associated with geomagnetic activity and cosmic ray variations.     

光学压力敏感涂料测量技术及其 在内流场的应用

介绍了应用基于发光强度的全域压力测量方法进行叶片表面压力分布的一系列实验结果.在自主建立光学压力测量系统和自主研发国产压力敏感涂料的基础上,对高亚声速叶栅风洞出口处大弯度孤立叶片吸力面和对转压气机实验平台出口整流叶片吸力面的压力分布进行了测量,并采用传统电子静压扫描装置在高亚声速叶栅风洞中进行了同步测量.光学压力测量与电子压力扫描结果的对比表明所建立的光学压力测量系统可用于内流场测量,其精度达到了工程应用水平.      

毫米级平面叶栅的PSP测量

建立了一种新型的非接触式压敏涂料（Pressure Sensitive Paint,PSP）测压系统,设计了一套可拆卸式毫米级平面叶栅实验段,首次应用PSP测压技术测量了有／无叶尖间隙毫米级叶栅叶背表面静压分布。结果表明：由于存在叶尖间隙,叶盆处高压气体通过间隙泄漏流入叶背,使叶背叶尖处压力明显大于叶根处;与无叶尖间隙相比,有间隙时泄漏对叶背表面压力的影响约占叶高1／3,叶背底端受泄漏的影响较小。     

固体火箭发动机燃烧室外压稳定性

应用有限元软件开展了燃烧室外压稳定计算,以壳体表面环向应变为判据,从环向应变-载荷曲线保守估算了燃烧室外压失稳载荷。为了验证有限元计算模型,通过假药配方的调试,研制外压试验用模拟燃烧室,开展全尺寸模拟燃烧室外压试验,得到了燃烧室失稳载荷。通过计算与试验结果的比较分析,为有限元模型的修正提供了基础,采用推进剂的压缩模量进行燃烧室外压稳定性计算更接近实际情况。     

航天用SRAM型FPGA抗单粒子翻转设计

采用SRAM工艺的FPGA因其性能优异,在空间领域的应用受到重视;但是在空间环境中,SRAM型FPGA易受单粒子翻转的影响而导致逻辑故障或功能中断。文章提出对该类芯片的配置逻辑部分采用回读比较后刷新、对其BRAM部分采用通用自纠错宏的抗单粒子翻转（SEU）设计方案,在牺牲一定的器件性能的情况下,能达到较好的抗辐射效果。     

Global Hybrid Simulation of Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosheath

A three-dimensional (3-D) global hybrid simulation is carried out for the generation and structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath due to interaction of an interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity (TD) with the bow shock and magnetosphere. Runs are performed for solar wind TDs possessing different initial half-widths. As the TD propagates through the bow shock toward the magnetopause, it is greatly narrowed by a two-step compression processes, a "shock compression' followed by a subsequent ``convective compression'. In cases with a relatively thin solar wind TD, 3-D patchy reconnection is initiated in the transmitted TD, forming magnetosheath flux ropes. Multiple components of ion particles are present in the velocity distribution in the magnetosheath merging, accompanied by ion heating. For cases with a relatively wide initial TD, a dominant single X-line appears in the subsolar magnetosheath after the transmitted TD is narrowed. A shock analysis is performed for the detailed structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath. Rotational Discontinuity (RD)/Time-Dependent Intermediate Shock (TDIS) are found to dominate the reconnection layer, which and some weak slow shocks are responsible for the ion heating and acceleration.      

航天器密封舱真空热试验用压控系统设计与实现

带有密封舱段的航天器在进行真空热试验时,经常需要对密封舱内压力进行调节控制。压控系统具有泄压、复压、稳压功能,可以实现密封舱内压力调控的目的。文章详细介绍了某型号真空热试验用密封舱压控系统的结构原理及设计方法,同时解决了真空低温环境下真空管路的隔热与密封难题。通过模拟测试对系统主要指标进行了验证,结果表明系统能够满足试验要求。     

3DG111F等四种双极晶体管空间总剂量效应研究

3DG111F等4种双极晶体管在航天器驱动电子设备中有着重要的应用。研究和掌握空间辐射环境对这些器件产生的总剂量效应有助于了解单机总剂量效应。文章对3DG111F等4种双极晶体管进行了总剂量辐照试验、测量及试验结果分析。研究结果可为单机总剂量效应的分析提供试验依据。