Interplanetary medium – A dusty plasma

The average mass of dust per volume in space equals that of the solar wind so that the interplanetary medium should provide an obvious region to study dust plasma interactions. While dust collective behavior is typically not observed in the interplanetary medium, the dust component rather consists of isolated grains screened by and interacting with the plasma. Space measurements have revealed several phenomena possibly resulting from dust plasma interactions, but most of the dust plasma interactions are at present not quantified. Examples are the production of neutrals and pick-up ions from the dust, dust impact generated field variations at spacecraft and magnetic field variations possibly caused by solar wind interacting with dust trails. Since dust particles carry a surface charge, they are exposed to the Lorentz force in the interplanetary magnetic field and for grains of sub-micrometer sizes acceleration can be substantial.     

L׳ADROIT – A spaceborne ultraviolet laser system for space debris clearing

Small (1–10 cm) debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) are extremely dangerous, because they spread the breakup cascade. Pulsed laser active debris removal using laser ablation jets on target is the most cost-effective way to re-enter the small debris. No other solutions address the whole problem of large (~100 cm, 1 t) as well as small debris. Physical removal of small debris (by nets, tethers and so on) is uneconomical because of the energy cost of matching orbits. In this paper, we present a completely new proposal relative to our earlier work. This new approach uses rapid, head-on interaction in 10–40 s rather than 4 minutes, using 20–40 kW bursts of 100 ps, 355 nm UV pulses from a 1.5 m diameter aperture on a space-based station in LEO. The station employs “heat-capacity” laser mode with low duty cycle to create an adaptable, robust, dual-mode system which can lower or raise large derelict objects into less dangerous orbits, as well as clear out the small debris in a 400-km thick LEO band. Time-average laser optical power is less than 15 kW. The combination of short pulses and UV wavelength gives lower required fluence on target as well as higher momentum coupling coefficient. An orbiting system can have short range because of high interaction rate deriving from its velocity through the debris field. This leads to much smaller mirrors and lower average power than the ground-based systems we have considered previously. Our system also permits strong defense of specific assets. Analysis gives an estimated cost less than $1 k each to re-enter most small debris in a few months, and about 280 k$ each to raise or lower 1-ton objects by 40 km. We believe it can do this for 2000 such large objects in about four years. Laser ablation is one of the few interactions in nature that propel a distant object without any significant reaction on the source.     

Numerical investigation on flow field characteristics of dual synthetic cold/hot jets using POD and DMD methods

In order to improve the control ability of synthetic jets in compressible boundary layer, a novel control method based on dual synthetic cold/hot jets coupled control of velocity profile and temperature profile was proposed. As fundamental investigations on the effects of synthetic jet temperature on the jet behavior and flow field characteristics were essentially necessary, preliminary numerical simulations were conducted to study the influence of temperature (200 K and 400 K) on the flow field characteristics of synthetic jets using Large Eddy Simulations (LES) model. Time-averaged flow fields showed that different temperatures led to variable behavior of two strands of jets. For dual synthetic cold jets, a potential-core arose apparently with its height ranging from 0.01 to 0.03 m, while for dual synthetic hot jets, two strands of jets emerged downstream. The modal decomposition of instantaneous flow fields had been done using both Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD). Various modes showed different characteristics of the flow fields. As the POD method focuses on the energy of flow while the DMD method focuses on the frequency, the first two modes had many similarities, but the third and fourth modes demonstrated completely different vortex structures. The current researches play a role of preliminary investigations for further and comprehensive exploration of novel flow control measures in global velocity field.     

Possible evidence for small-scale wave seeding of equatorial plasma bubbles

The small-scale wave-like structure (SSWS) of F region bottomside plasma density was proposed to be an important seeding for equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) generation, and employed in theoretical simulations of EPBs in recent years. The seeding role of SSWS, however, is waiting to be demonstrated by observation. Here we present two cases of SSWS and EPB observed by the Fuke all-sky airglow imager (19.3°N, 109.1°E; dip latitude 14.3°N). For each case, the results show that two large-scale wave-like structures (LSWSs) initially appeared around sunset in the longitude regions separated by 3–4°, but EPB irregularities were only generated in one of the LSWSs where SSWSs were seen riding on LSWS. For the other LSWS, no SSWS and EPB irregularities were seen. Considering that the two LSWSs were situated closely in longitude where the amplitude of pre-reversal enhancement of background eastward electric field should be similar, the observation that EPB was only generated in the longitude with simultaneous LSWS and SSWS could provide supporting evidence for SSWS seeding of EPB.     

Comparison of Polar and Equatorial Coronal Holes Observed by UVCS/SOHO: Geometry and Physical Properties

We analyzed UVCS/SOHO data and compared the H I Lyα (121.6 nm) and O VI (103.2 nm, 103.7 nm) emission in the polar and equatorial coronal holes. We found that the emission lines have similar characteristics in these two types of coronal holes. Both types show evidence for superradially diverging boundaries. The latitudinal distribution of the O VI line ratio may indicate that the equatorial coronal hole has O⁺⁵ outflow velocities lower than in the polar coronal holes. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fronts and thermohaline structure of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence System

Fronts and thermohaline structure of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence System (BMCS) are studied from climatic data, “Marathon Exp. Leg.8, 1984” data, and Sea surface temperature (SST) data base “ds277-Reynolds” (1981–2000). The South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) is divided in two main types: tropical (TW) and subtropical water (ST). Water masses, Fronts, Inter-Frontal and Frontal Zones are analysed and classified: (a) the water masses: Tropical Low-Salinity Water, Tropical Surface Water, Tropical Tropospheric Water, Subtropical Low-Salinity Water, Subtropical Surface Water, Subtropical Tropospheric Water. T,S characteristics of intermediate, deep and bottom water defined by different authors are confirmed and completed; (b) the Inter-Frontal Zones: Tropical/Brazil Current Zone, Subtropical Zone and Subantarctic Zone; (c) the Frontal Zones: Subtropical, Subantarctic and Polar, and (d) the Fronts: Subtropical Front of the Brazil Current, Principal Subtropical Front, North Subtropical Front, Subtropical Surface Front, South Subtropical Front, Subantarctic Surface Front, Subantarctic Front and Polar Front. Several stable T–S relationships are found below the friction layer and at the Fronts. The maximum gradient of the oceanographic characteristics occurs at the Brazil Current Front, which can be any of the subtropical Fronts, depending on season. Minimum mean depth of the pycnocline coincides with the Fronts of the BMCS, indicating the paths of low-salinity shelf waters into the open ocean. In the work it is shown how to recover the horizontal and vertical thermohaline structure of waters from satellite data RSMAS SST.     

高阶矩谱分析与空间等离子体非线性相互作用识别

利用高阶矩统计分析方法对ＡＵＲＥＯＬ－３卫星观测数据进行分析处理，所涉及的信号分别为ＥＬＦ频率范围内的电场扰动Ｅｈ（ｔ）和等离子体密度波动δＮｅ／ｎｅ（ｔ），处理结果表明：利用高阶矩谱分析方法可以很好地识别空间等离了波－粒相互作用过程中的非线性成分     

用于合成金刚石薄膜的微波等离子体CVD系统

研制了一套功率容量大、结构合理、工作稳定的微波等离子体ＣＶＤ系统。描述了系统的基本结构和性能，讨论了它的特点。作者利用该系统，在单晶Ｓｉ等衬底材料上成功地合成了金刚石薄膜。     

水工质微波加热推力器的击穿点火与离解损失估算

对水工质微波等离子推力器(MPT),用微波击穿气体放电产生等离子体的条件,数值估算了其点火的可行性;通过化学动力学计算证明了水工质MPT中离解损失的存在,并初步估算了理解损失的大小。结果表明,在1 kW的输入功率下水工质MPT的点火启动并不特别困难,从点火到稳定工作,能量吸收从场致电离、碰撞电离转变为热电离、碰撞电离和场致电离;水在MPT工作过程中会发生离解,离解损失在各类能量损失中所占的比重较大。