Cone model-based SEP event calculations for applications to multipoint observations

The problem of modeling solar energetic particle (SEP) events is important to both space weather research and forecasting, and yet it has seen relatively little progress. Most important SEP events are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that drive coronal and interplanetary shocks. These shocks can continuously produce accelerated particles from the ambient medium to well beyond 1 AU. This paper describes an effort to model real SEP events using a Center for Integrated Space weather Modeling (CISM) MHD solar wind simulation including a cone model of CMEs to initiate the related shocks. In addition to providing observation-inspired shock geometry and characteristics, this MHD simulation describes the time-dependent observer field line connections to the shock source. As a first approximation, we assume a shock jump-parameterized source strength and spectrum, and that scatter-free transport occurs outside of the shock source, thus emphasizing the role the shock evolution plays in determining the modeled SEP event profile. Three halo CME events on May 12, 1997, November 4, 1997 and December 13, 2006 are used to test the modeling approach. While challenges arise in the identification and characterization of the shocks in the MHD model results, this approach illustrates the importance to SEP event modeling of globally simulating the underlying heliospheric event. The results also suggest the potential utility of such a model for forcasting and for interpretation of separated multipoint measurements such as those expected from the STEREO mission.     

One dimensional blood flow in a planetocentric orbit

All life on earth is accustomed to the presence of gravity. When gravity is altered, biological processes can go awry. It is of great importance to ensure safety during a spaceflight. Long term exposure to microgravity can trigger detrimental physiological responses in the human body. Fluid redistribution coupled with fluid loss is one of the effects. In particular, in microgravity blood volume is shifted towards the thorax and head. Sympathetic nervous system-induced vasoconstriction is needed to maintain arterial pressure, while venoconstriction limits venous pooling of blood prevents further reductions in venous return of blood to the heart. In this paper, we modify an existing one dimensional blood flow model with the inclusion of the hydrostatic pressure gradient that further depends on the gravitational field modified by the oblateness and rotation of the Earth. We find that the velocity of the blood flow V_B is inversely proportional to the blood specific volume d, also proportional to the oblateness harmonic coefficient J₂, the angular velocity of the Earth ω_E, and finally proportional to an arbitrary constant c. For c = −0.39073 and ξ_H = −0.5 mmHg, all orbits result to less blood flow velocities than that calculated on the surface of the Earth. From all considered orbits, elliptical polar orbit of eccentricity e = 0.2 exhibit the largest flow velocity V_B = 1.031 m/s, followed by the orbits of inclination i = 45°and 0°. The Earth’s oblateness and its rotation contribute a 0.7% difference to the blood flow velocity.     

The acceleration of pickup ions

The well-established association of pickup ions with anomalous cosmic rays shows that acceleration of pickup ions to energies above 1 GeV occurs. At present, diffusive shock acceleration of the pickup ions at the termination shock of the solar wind seems to be the best candidate for acceleration to the high energies of anomalous cosmic rays, accounting well for many of their observed properties. However, it is shown that acceleration of pickup ions from their initial energies by this process appears to be difficult at very strong, nearly perpendicular shocks such as the termination shock. This injection problem remains without a clear solution. A number of alternatives have been proposed for the initial acceleration of pickup ions to the point where diffusive acceleration at the termination shock can take over, but none of these processes has yet emerged as a clear favorite.     

广义质量的空间算子代数描述

应用空间算子代数理论，研究机械多体系统广义质量的结构特点，研究表明广义质量可初步表示为：M＝HφMφ*H*，并进一步表示为：M＝[I＋HφK]D[I HφK]^*，其逆矩阵可表示为：M^-1＝[I－HψK]^*D^-1[I-HψK]。这种表示与牛顿第二运动定律和欧拉定律相互对应，具有简洁的数学表达和明确的物理意义，广义质量是正，反向动力学的重要参量，是联系旋量力和旋量加速度的桥梁，其理论依根源自通过旋量整合的牛顿第二运动定律和欧拉定律，即d^2β/dt^2=M^tT′，旋量加速度等广义质量的逆左乘旋量力，据此可形成对旋量加速度的高效递推算法，并为下一时刻的φ，H，P，D，G，K等参数的正向动力学计算作准备。     

一种改进的视线角加速度非线性估计与滤波方法研究

为消除采用跟踪-微分器渐进估计视线角加速度形成非线性比例微分(PD)型比例导引以提高末制导精度时因减小估计器产生的视线角加速度延迟形成的估计抖振噪声,提出了一种具有输出限幅的非线性跟踪-微分器和输出二阶低通滤波的视线角加速度估计滤波方案。仿真结果表明,该方案可明显减少估计抖振噪声和误差。滤波器参数对视线角加速度估计的消噪噪声和制导精度提高作用明显,一般宜采用低阻尼比的二阶低通滤波器。     

Alfvén waves as a driving mechanism in stellar winds

Alfvén waves have been invoked as an important mechanism of particle acceleration in stellar winds of cool stars. After their identification in the solar wind they started to be studied in winds of stars located in different regions of the HR diagram. We discuss here some characteristics of these waves and we present a direct application in the acceleration of late-type stellar winds.     

O5+ in High Speed Solar Wind Streams: SWICS/Ulysses Results

Recent observations with UVCS on SOHO of high outflow velocities of O⁵⁺ at low coronal heights have spurred much discussion about the dynamics of solar wind acceleration. On the other hand, O⁶⁺ is the most abundant oxygen charge state in the solar wind, but is not observed by UVCS or by SUMER because this helium-like ion has no emission lines falling in the wave lengths observable by these instruments. Therefore, there is considerable interest in observing O⁵⁺ in situ in order to understand the relative importance of O⁵⁺ with respect to the much more abundant O⁶⁺. High speed streams are the prime candidates for the search for O⁵⁺ because all elements exhibit lower freezing-in temperatures in high speed streams than in the slow solar wind. The Ulysses spacecraft was exposed to long time periods of high speed streams during its passage over the polar regions of the Sun. The Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) on Ulysses is capable of resolving this rare oxygen charge state. We present the first measurement of O⁵⁺ in the solar wind and compare these data with those of the more abundant oxygen species O⁶⁺ and O⁷⁺. We find that our observations of the oxygen charge states can be fitted with a single coronal electron temperature in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 MK assuming collisional ionization/recombination equilibrium with an ambient Maxwellian electron gas. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modeling PSBL high speed ion beams observed by Cluster and Double Star

On October 8, 2004, the Cluster and Double Star spacecraft crossed the near-Earth (12–19 R_E) magnetotail neutral sheet during the recovery phase of a small, isolated substorm. Although they were separated in distance by ∼7 R_E and in time by ∼30 min, both Cluster and Double Star observed steady, but highly structured Earthward moving >1000 km/s high speed H⁺ beams in the PSBL. This paper utilizes a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation driven by Wind spacecraft solar wind input to model the large-scale structure of the PSBL and large-scale kinetic (LSK) particle tracing calculations to investigate the similarities and differences in the properties of the observed beams. This study finds that the large-scale shape of the PSBL is determined by the MHD configuration. On smaller scales, the LSK calculations, in good qualitative agreement with both Cluster and Double Star observations, demonstrated that the PSBL is highly structured in both time and space, on time intervals of less than 2 min, and spatial distances of the order of 0.2–0.5 R_E. This picture of the PSBL is different from the ordered and structured region previously reported in observations.     

涡扇发动机装机状态自然低温试验

为完成涡扇发动机状态鉴定，在北方场站开展了发动机装机状态下的自然环境低温试验。通过地面试验完成了自然低 温试验环境的量化分析，研究了不同气源起动模式、不同使用方法对装机状态自然低温条件下发动机起动性能的影响，分析了发 动机样本量对试验鉴定结果的影响。结果表明：APU供气是低温冷浸透起动的首选起动方式；冷运转可以有效改善发动机低温起 动性能，使相对起动时间缩短0.125～0.250；增加发动机样本量可以获得更加科学的鉴定结果，在低温起动过程中，发动机可能出 现失速等不稳定现象，甚至造成起动失败。开展了飞行试验，研究了空中低温环境对发动机工作参数及加减速特性的影响。结果 表明：在相同高度和速度下发动机加速时间随进气温度的降低而延长，当空中进气温度相差约30 ℃时，加速时间延长最多约为 18%；减速时间随进气温度的变化不大。     

Furthering our understanding of electrostatic solitary waves through Cluster multispacecraft observations and theory

Nonlinear isolated electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) are observed routinely at many of Earth’s major boundaries by the Wideband Data (WBD) plasma wave receivers that are mounted on the four Cluster satellites. The current study discusses two aspects of ESWs: their characteristics in the magnetosheath, and their propagation in the magnetosheath and in the auroral acceleration (upward current) region. The characteristics (amplitude and time duration) of ESWs detected in the magnetosheath are presented for one case in which special mutual impedance tests were conducted allowing for the determination of the density and temperature of the hot and cold electrons. These electron parameters, together with those from the ion experiment, were used as inputs to an electron acoustic soliton model as a consideration for the generation of the observed ESWs. The results from this model showed that negative potential ESWs of a few Debye lengths (10–50 m) could be generated in this plasma. Other models of ESW generation are discussed, including beam instabilities and spontaneous generation out of turbulence. The results of two types of ESW propagation (in situ and remote sensing) studies are also presented. The first involves the propagation of bipolar type ESWs from one Cluster spacecraft to another in the magnetosheath, thus obtaining the velocity and size of the solitary structures. The structures were found to be very flat, with large scale perpendicular to the magnetic field (>40 km) and small scale parallel to the field (<1 km). These results were then discussed in terms of various models which predict such flat structures to be generated. The second type of propagation study uses striated Auroral Kilometric Radiation (SAKR) bursts, observed on multiple Cluster satellites, as tracers of ion solitary waves in the upward current region. The results of all studies discussed here (pulse characteristics and ESW velocity, lifetime, and size) are compared to in situ measurements previously made on one spacecraft and to theoretical predictions for these quantities, where available. The primary conclusion drawn from the propagation studies is that the multiple spacecraft technique allows us to better assess the stability (lifetime) of ESWs, which can be as large as a few seconds, than can be achieved with single satellites.