A model of foreground emission in UV using GALEX deep observations

Foreground emission, mainly airglow and zodiacal light, is a significant contributor in an ultraviolet observation especially from low earth orbit. Its careful estimation and removal are tedious yet unavoidable processes in the study of diffuse UV radiation and by extension interstellar dust studies. Our analysis of deep GALEX observations show that airglow is not only a function of Sun angle but also a strong function of Solar activity at the time of observation. We present here an empirical model of airglow emission, derived from GALEX deep observations, as a function of 10.7 cm Solar flux and Sun angle. We obtained the model by training machine learning models on the data using a variant of the regression algorithm that is both resilient toward outlier data and sensitive to the complexities of the provided data. Our model predictions across various observations show no loss in generalization as well as good agreement with the observed values. We find that the total airglow in an observation is the sum of a baseline part (AG_c) that depends on the Solar flux and Sun angle, and a variable part (AG_v) that depends on the Sun angle and the time of observation with respect to local midnight. We also find that the total airglow can vary between 85 – 390 photon units in FUV and 80 – 465 photon units in NUV.     

The potential of Meudon spectroheliograph for investigating long term solar activity and variability

Observations of the chromosphere with Deslandres’s spectroheliograph started at Paris Observatory in 1893 and were followed by systematic observations at Meudon since 1908. The solar collection of H$\alpha$ and CaII K images is probably the longest available worldwide, with associated products such as synoptic maps and tables. Since 2018, Meudon spectroheliograph is the only instrument producing data-cubes of full line profiles of CaII H, CaII K and H$\alpha$, for each pixel of the solar disk. Slices of the cubes provide monochromatic images. We summarize in this paper the capabilities of the successive generations of the instrument, and explore the potential of the collection and products for analysis of rare events, investigations of past solar activity and studies of long term variability.     

空间机械臂在轨维护任务规划与验证研究

随着我国空间站建设和载人航天计划的进一步实施，航天员舱外活动将成为实现复杂空间操作的重要任务。为了确保航天员在轨维护空间机械臂的任务规划切实可行与工作效率，需要将航天员在轨维护流程、工具装置操作过程进行仿真分析与地面试验验证。航天员在轨维护空间机械臂的任务是系统性工程，涉及维修流程设计、备件转移、航天员操作空间分析和操作能力分析等多方面内容。以航天员舱外维护空间机械臂为背景，建立空间站运营中航天员在轨维护机械臂的任务规划与验证系统，验证航天员可达性及维修过程可操作性分析，评估航天员在轨维护梦天舱机械臂任务设计的合理性，为后续开展航天员舱外活动训练与实施提供理论依据。     

Sun CubE OnE: A multi-wavelength synoptic solar micro satellite

The Sun cubE onE (SEE) is a 12U CubeSat mission proposed for a phase A/B study to the Italian Space Agency that will investigate Gamma and X-ray fluxes and ultraviolet (UV) solar emission to support studies in Sun-Earth interaction and Space Weather from LEO. More in detail, SEE’s primary goals are to measure the flares emission from soft-X to Gamma ray energy range and to monitor the solar activity in the Fraunhofer Mg II doublet at 280 nm, taking advantage of a full disk imager payload. The Gamma and X-ray fluxes will be studied with unprecedented temporal resolution and with a multi-wavelength approach thanks to the combined use of silicon photodiode and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) -based detectors. The flare spectrum will be explored from the keV to the MeV range of energies by the same payload, and with a cadence up to 10 kHz and with single-photon detection capabilities to unveil the sources of the solar flares. The energy range covers the same bands used by GOES satellites, which are the standard bands for flare magnitude definition. At the same time SiPM detectors combined with scintillators allow to cover the non-thermal bremsstrahlung emission in the gamma energy range. Given its UV imaging capabilities, SEE will be a key space asset to support detailed studies on solar activity, especially in relation to ultraviolet radiation which strongly interacts with the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, and in relation to space safety, included in the field of human space exploration. The main goal for the UV payload is to study the evolution of the solar UV emission in the Mg II band at two different time scales: yearly variations along the solar cycle and transient variations during flare events. The Mg II index is commonly used as a proxy of the solar activity in the Sun-as-a-star paradigm, in which solar irradiance variations in the UV correlate with the variations in stratospheric ozone concentrations and other physical parameters of the Earth high atmosphere. SEE data will be used together with space and ground-based observatories that provide Solar data (e.g. Solar Orbiter, IRIS, GONG, TSST), high energy particle fluxes (e.g. GOES, MAXI, CSES) and geomagnetic data in a multi-instrument/multi-wavelength/multi-messenger approach.     

New insights from cross-correlation studies between solar activity indices and cosmic-ray flux during Forbush decrease events

Observed galactic cosmic ray intensity can be subjected to a transient decrease. These so-called Forbush decreases are driven by coronal mass ejection induced shockwaves in the heliosphere. By combining in situ measurements by space borne instruments with ground-based cosmic ray observations, we investigate the relationship between solar energetic particle flux, various solar activity indices, and intensity measurements of cosmic rays during such an event. We present cross-correlation study done using proton flux data from the SOHO/ERNE instrument, as well as data collected during some of the strongest Forbush decreases over the last two completed solar cycles by the network of neutron monitor detectors and different solar observatories. We have demonstrated connection between the shape of solar energetic particles fluence spectra and selected coronal mass ejection and Forbush decrease parameters, indicating that power exponents used to model these fluence spectra could be valuable new parameters in similar analysis of mentioned phenomena. They appear to be better predictor variables of Forbush decrease magnitude in interplanetary magnetic field than coronal mass ejection velocities.     

舰载直升机系统安全评价指标体系

为了准确地对舰载机系统进行安全分析，确定客观的安全评价指标，文章选择“人、机、环境、管理”4个方面共29个评价指标，这些指标基本涵盖了舰载机系统的安全评价所包含的有效信息。利用模糊聚类的方法再对该指标体系进行筛选，最终确定了精简且具有科学性的指标体系。     

Ionospheric climate index as a driving parameter for the NeQuick model

Ionospheric delay is one of the significant error sources for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning. GNSSs broadcast the coefficients of the ionospheric model to correct ionospheric delay for single-frequency users. A modified three-dimensional model (NeQuick G) based on the NeQuick climatological model is adopted for Galileo users. The NeQuick G model uses the effective ionization level (Az) instead of the sunspot number as the driving parameter. In this study, we introduce the ionospheric climate index (ICI) as a new driving parameter for the NeQuick model. In comparison, the ICI-driven NeQuick model has a better performance than the Az-driven NeQuick G model at both low and high latitudes. In addition, only one GNSS station at low latitudes is required to calculate the ICI, which would save maintenance costs and improve the efficiency of updating the broadcast coefficients. This model has potential application value for future upgrades of Galileo’s ionospheric broadcast model.     

Evolutionary features of polar and non-polar coronal holes during solar cycle 24 and the rising phase of cycle 25

This paper presents the results of the analysis of the evolution of coronal holes (CHs) on the Sun during the period May 13, 2010 – March 20, 2022, covering Solar Cycle 24. Our study uses images in the extreme-ultraviolet iron line (Fe XII 193 Å) obtained with the Atmospheric Imager Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (AIA/SDO). To localize CHs and determine their areas, we used the Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase (HEK). We separate the CHs into polar and non-polar and study the evolutionary features of each group. During this period, an asymmetry between the Northern (N) and Southern (S) Hemispheres (N-S or hemispheric asymmetry) is detected both in the solar activity (SA) indices and in the localization of the maximum areas of the polar and non-polar CHs. It is shown that the hemispheric asymmetry of the areas of polar and non-polar CHs varies significantly over time and that the nature of these changes is clearly related to the SA cycle. We find that for most of the period, the polar CHs were predominated generated in the S- hemisphere while the non-polar CHs were dominant in the N- hemisphere. It is found that the maximum and minimum of the hemispheric imbalance in the areas of non-polar CHs are close in time to the maximum and minimum of the asymmetry of the SA indices (the number and areas of sunspots). The maximum hemispheric imbalance of the polar CH areas is observed at the maximum of Cycle 24, and the minimum imbalance is found at the cycle minimum. These results confirm our assumption that these two types of CHs are of a different nature and that the non-polar CHs, like sunspots, are elements of the general magnetic activity.     

Decline of geomagnetic and ionospheric activity at earthquake during spotless Sun

We investigate the geomagnetic and ionospheric effects of seismic activity during 1954 Sun spotless days (SSL) from 1995 to 2020. Two subsets of earthquakes (EQ) are evaluated for 676 events observed with the depth D1 ≤ 30 km and 1278 events with D2 > 30 km and the total set SSL. Newly developed 1 h geomagnetic index Hpo and the ionospheric W_EQ index are used for the comparisons with the daily peak earthquake. The ionosphere W_EQ index is derived at the EQ epicenter from JPL GIM-TEC map within the cell of 2.5°×5°, in latitude φ and longitude λ surrounding the epicenter at radius of about 200 km. We use the method of superposed epoch with the zero epoch time t₀ taken at EQ to extract peak values of Hpo and W_EQ during t₀-24 h ≤ t < t₀ (preEQ) and t₀ < t ≤ t₀ + 24 h (postEQ). It is found that the magnitude of Hpo(t₀) is less that the both peaks of Hpo(preEQ) and Hpo(postEQ) in 91 % of events independent of EQ’s depth. Similar effect is observed with the peak of the positive/negative ionosphere indices and the absolute values of |W(preEQ)| and |W(postEQ)| the both exceeding |W_EQ| in 77 % of events. The seismic activity tends to increase towards the solar minimum when SSLs occur. Our results provide evidence that EQ-related geomagnetic and ionospheric activities experience decline of intensity at the time of EQ under SSL.