Lower ionosphere response to external forcing: A brief review

There are two ways of external forcing of the lower ionosphere, the region below an altitude of about 100 km: (1) From above, which is directly or indirectly of solar origin. (2) From below, which is directly or indirectly of atmospheric origin. The external forcing of solar origin consists of two general factors – solar ionizing radiation variability and space weather. The solar ionization variability consist mainly from the 11-year solar cycle, the 27-day solar rotation and solar flares, strong flares being very important phenomenon in the daytime lower ionosphere due to the enormous increase of the solar X-ray flux resulting in temporal terminating of MF and partly LF and HF radio wave propagation due to heavy absorption of radio waves. Monitoring of the sudden ionospheric disturbances (SIDs – effects of solar flares in the lower ionosphere) served in the past as an important tool of monitoring the solar activity and its impacts on the ionosphere. Space weather effects on the lower ionosphere consist of many different but often inter-related phenomena, which govern the lower ionosphere variability at high latitudes, particularly at night. The most important space weather phenomenon for the lower ionosphere is strong geomagnetic storms, which affect substantially both the high- and mid-latitude lower ionosphere. As for forcing from below, it is caused mainly by waves in the neutral atmosphere, i.e. planetary, tidal, gravity and infrasonic waves. The most important and most studied waves are planetary and gravity waves. Another channel of the troposphere coupling to the lower ionosphere is through lightning-related processes leading to sprites, blue jets etc. and their ionospheric counterparts. These phenomena occur on very short time scales. The external forcing of the lower ionosphere has observationally been studied using predominantly ground-based methods exploiting in various ways the radio wave propagation, and by sporadic rocket soundings. All the above phenomena are briefly mentioned and some of them are treated in more detail.     

The solar cosmic ray ground-level enhancements on 20 January 2005 and 13 December 2006

Close to the current solar activity minimum, two large solar cosmic ray ground-level enhancements (GLE) were recorded by the worldwide network of neutron monitors (NM). The enormous GLE on 20 January 2005 is the largest increase observed since the famous GLE in 1956, and the solar cosmic-ray event recorded on 13 December 2006 is among the largest in solar cycle 23. From the recordings of the NMs during the two GLEs, we determined the characteristics of the solar particle flux near Earth.     

Asymmetric precipitation in a coronal loop as explanation of a singular observed spectrum

Almost 10 years of solar submillimeter observations have shown new aspects of solar activity, such as the presence of rapid solar spikes associated with the launch of coronal mass ejections and an increasing submillimeter spectral component in flares. We analyse the singular microwave–submillimeter spectrum of an M class solar flare on 20 December, 2002. Flux density observations measured by Sun patrol telescopes and the Solar Submillimeter Telescope are used to build the radio spectrum, which is fitted using Ramaty’s code. At submillimeter frequencies the spectrum shows a component different from the microwave classical burst. The fitting is achieved proposing two homogeneous sources of emission. This theoretical fitting is in agreement with differential precipitation through a magnetically asymmetric loop or set of loops. From a coronal magnetic field model we infer an asymmetric magnetic structure at the flare location. The model proposed to quantify the differential precipitation rates due to the asymmetry results in a total precipitation ratio Q₂/Q₁≈10⁴–10⁵, where Q₁(Q₂) represents the total precipitation in the loop foot with the high (low) magnetic field intensity. This ratio agrees with the electron total number ratio of the two sources proposed to fit the radio spectrum.     

菜园坝长江大桥主拱节段风洞试验及分析

中承式拱桥属于柔性空间结构,主拱上承受的脉动风荷载相互干扰。以重庆菜园坝长江大桥为研究对象,进行了湍流下的主拱单拱及双拱节段模型风洞试验。对模型表面脉动压力的功率谱、相关系数、水平和竖向相干函数进行了细致分析,讨论了双拱间距宽度比对脉动压力频域特性的影响。当间距宽度比大于5时,后拱风荷载受到前拱的干扰作用。当两拱间距宽度比小于5时,前后拱风荷载特性类似于组合截面。随间距宽度比变小,主拱涡脱落折算频率和压力功率谱逐渐增大,前后拱迎风面和背风面的相关系数及相干系数均逐步降低。     

气体减压阀的稳定性分析

针对逆向卸荷式气体减压阀,采用线性化分析方法,对其工作稳定性进行分析．得到了主要参数对减压阀稳定性的影响规律。研究结果表明阻尼和低压腔体积是影响减压阀稳定性的主要因素,并给出了提高减压阀稳定性设计的主要措施。     

空间环境模拟器热沉热辐射当量吸收特性研究

文章采用蒙特卡罗法模拟射线的传输过程,分别对两种热沉形式的热辐射当量吸收系数进行了数值计算,研究了表面形式、几何高度及入射光线方向等参数对表面热辐射当量吸收系数的影响。计算表明,正六边形凹腔形式的吸收效果远好于正四棱锥形式,但这种结构形式的吸收有明显的方向性,正四棱锥形式对光线的吸收呈现各向同性。     

SRAM FPGA电离辐射效应试验研究

针对SRAM FPGA空间应用日益增多,以100万门SRAM FPGA为样品,进行了单粒子效应和电离总剂量效应辐照试验。单粒子试验结果是:试验用粒子最小LET为1.66 MeV·cm2/mg,出现SEU（单粒子翻转）;LET为4.17 MeV·cm2/mg,出现SEFI（单粒子功能中断）,通过重新配置,样品功能恢复正常;LET在1.66～64.8 MeV?cm2/mg范围内,未出现SEL（单粒子锁定）;试验发现,随SEU数量的累积,样品功耗电流会随之增加,对样品进行重新配置,电流恢复正常。电离总剂量辐照试验结果是:辐照总剂量75 krad(Si)时,2只样品功能正常,功耗电流未见明显变化。辐照到87 krad(Si)时,样品出现功能失效。试验表明SRAM FPGA属于SEU敏感的器件,且存在SEFI。SEU和SEFI会破坏器件功能,导致系统故障。空间应用SRAM FPGA必须进行抗单粒子加固设计,推荐的加固方法是三模冗余（TMR）配合定时重新配置（Scrubbing）。关键部位如控制系统慎用SRAM FPGA。     

系统级链路预算方法

计算地面站和飞行器之间的通信链路余量问题常依赖于简单的数学叠加法,但在实际应用中,复杂飞行器模型以及气候条件等干扰因素都容易造成天线方向图的畸变,从而导致链路预算不准.为了尽可能准确评估链路性能,提出了一种系统级链路预算评估方法.应用旋转变换矩阵,建立了姿态变化造成天线方向图相对变化的关系式.仿真得出装机后天线方向图畸变信息.根据相对变化量对方向图信息作数据挖掘.按全系统链路余量表达式计算变姿态情况下链路余量.评估了一种超短波通信天线与地面站天线间的通信链路性能,以及飞机降落时航向天线和航向台站之间的通信链路问题,表明该方法具有一定工程应用价值.     

航空发动机环形燃烧室噪声总声级的GMDH方法研究

采用数据处理的组合方法（GMDH）,研究航空发动机环形燃烧室测试数据。通过简单的二元二次回归原理来构造出下一代较为复杂的次级回归方程,并且利用＂优选原理＂淘汰掉次级回归方程中的那些不理想的项,得到燃烧室噪声总声级的高阶方程,获得较客观的描写复杂非线性系统的非线性模式。     

等离子体单极天线辐射特性和隐身性能研究

在等离子体单极天线工作原理的基础上,详细研究了等离子体表面波的色散关系,推导了等离子体的浓度分布和等离子体气柱长度与激励源的关系。并分析了离子体参数对等离子体天线谐振频率、方向图的影响,计算并比较了等离子体天线和普通天线的雷达散射截面。结果表明了等离子体天线具有优良性能和很好的隐身效果。