The thermospheric composition different responses to geomagnetic storm in the winter and summer hemisphere measured by “SZ” Atmospheric Composition Detectors

Three “SZ” Atmospheric Composition Detectors (ACDs) on board spacecraft “SZ-2”, “SZ-3” and “SZ-4” were launched on 10th January 2001, 26th March 2002 and 31st December 2002 separately. A large quantity of thermospheric composition data at the orbital altitude ranging from 330 to 362 km were collected from the in-situ measurement of ACDs. The spacecrafts’ lifetime was just in the second peak period of the 23rd solar cycle which includes two peaks and the solar activity value F_10.7 was from 89 to 228. During this period, several intense geomagnetic disturbances happened.     

The Mars Environment Analogue Platform long duration balloon flight

The MEAP (Mars Environment Analogue Platform) mission was to fly a stratospheric balloon on a semicircular trajectory around the North Pole in summer 2008. The balloon platform carried the high-resolution neutral gas mass spectrometer P-BACE (Polar Balloon Atmospheric Composition Experiment) as scientific payload. MEAP/P-BACE is a joint project between the Esrange Space Center, Sweden, the University of Bern, Switzerland and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Kiruna, Sweden. Mission objectives were to validate the platform for future long duration flights around the North pole, to validate the P-BACE instrument design for planetary mission applications (conditions in the Earth stratosphere are similar to the conditions at the Mars surface), to study variation of the stratospheric composition during the flight and to gain experience in balloon based mass spectrometry. All objectives were fulfilled.     

Deterministic pion and muon transport in Earth’s atmosphere

An accurate understanding of the physical interactions and transport of space radiation is important for safe and efficient space operations. Secondary particles produced by primary particle interactions with intervening materials are an important contribution to radiation risk. Pions are copiously produced in the nuclear interactions typical of space radiations and can therefore be an important contribution to radiation exposure. Charged pions decay almost exclusively to muons. As a consequence, muons must also be considered in space radiation exposure studies. In this work, the NASA space radiation transport code HZETRN has been extended to include the transport of charged pions and muons. The relevant transport equation, solution method, and implemented cross sections are reviewed. Muon production in the Earth’s upper atmosphere is then investigated, and comparisons with recent balloon flight measurements of differential muon flux are presented. Muon production from the updated version of HZETRN is found to match the experimental data well.     

Ion production and ionization effect in the atmosphere during the Bastille day GLE 59 due to high energy SEPs

The influence of high energy particles, specifically cosmic rays, on atmospheric physics and chemistry is highly discussed. In most of the proposed models the role of ionization in the atmosphere due to cosmic rays is not negligible. Moreover, effect(s) on minor constituents and aerosols are recently observed, specifically over the polar regions during strong solar particle events. According to the recent findings for such effects it is necessary an essential increase of ion production, specifically during the winter period. The galactic cosmic rays are the main source of ionization in the Earth’s stratosphere and troposphere. Occasionally, the atmospheric ionization is significantly enhanced during strong solar energetic particles events, specifically over the polar caps. During the solar cycle 23 several strong ground level enhancements were observed. One of the strongest was the Bastille day event occurred on 14 July 2000. Using a full Monte Carlo 3-D model, we compute the atmospheric ionization, considering explicitly the contribution of cosmic rays with galactic and solar origin, focusing on high energy particles. The model is based on atmospheric cascade simulation with the PLANETOCOSMICS code. The ion production rate is computed as a function of the altitude above the sea level. The ion production rate is computed on a step ranging from 10 to 30?min throughout the event, considering explicitly the spectral and angular characteristics of the high energy part of solar protons as well as their time evolution. The corresponding event averaged ionization effect relative to the average due to galactic cosmic rays is computed in lower stratosphere and upper troposphere at various altitudes, namely 20?km, 15?km, 12?km and 8?km above the sea level in a sub-polar and polar regions. The 24^h and the weekly ionization effects are also computed in the troposphere and low stratosphere. Several applications are discussed.     

NRLMSISE-00大气模型与GRACE和CHAMP卫星大气密度数据的对比分析

利用GRACE(Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment)和CHAMP(Challenging Mini-Satellite Payload)卫星2002-2008年的大气密度数据与NRLMSISE-00大气模型密度结果进行比较,分析了模型密度误差及其特点.结果显示,NRLMSISE-00大气模型计算的密度值普遍偏大,其相对误差随经纬度变化,在高纬度相对较小;相对误差随地方时变化,在02:00LT和15:00LT左右较大,10:00LT和20:00LT左右较小.通过模型密度相对误差与太阳F_10.7指数的对比分析发现,在太阳活动低年模型相对误差最大,而在太阳活动高年相对误差较小;将模型结果分别与GRACEA/B双星和CHAMP卫星的密度数据进行比较,发现对于轨道高度更高的GRACE卫星轨道,模型相对误差更大;在地磁平静期,相对误差与地磁ap指数(当前3h)相关性不强,但是在大磁暴发生时,误差急剧增大.      

新型高空探测系统

研发了一种新型全自动高空探测系统,其利用GPS定位,宽波瓣天线捕捉和低噪声接收的方法替代雷达或无线电经纬仪对高空探测仪进行跟踪定位和获取信息,具有不受低仰角的限制,目标不易丢失,性能价格比高等特点,成功将GPS应用于1680 MHz遥测数据传输体制.利用该系统进行了空中大气电场的探测实验,获得了满意的探测结果.由于系统轻便、操作简单、成本较低以及良好的机动性和可靠性,在近地空间环境探测和高空大气科学探测试验及常规的气象探测中有广阔的应用前景.     

六自由度飞行实时仿真和功率谱法比较

大气紊流是飞机巡航状态中影响飞机运动的主要大气扰动现象,以奖状飞机和波音747为例,研究飞机受大气紊流影响所产生的飞行姿态变化。使用了两种方法进行飞行仿真,一种是基于六自由度飞行力学方程的实时仿真法,另一种是基于线性化小扰动方程组的响应频谱法。通过与试飞数据进行比较,分析两种方法的优缺点。研究表明,六自由度飞行实时仿真可以更好地模拟大型飞机大气扰动下的飞行状态,较准确地表征各项参数变化特性。     

利用曙暮气晖反演中层臭氧的可行性

利用1.27μm曙暮气晖反演大气O₃是中间层03含量的重要测量方法.本文研究了1.27μm地面曙暮气晖所包含的独立信息参量、可测量高度和垂直分辨率;讨论了光化学参量、大气参量不定性的影响和对中间层O₃含量变化的灵敏度.结果指出,利用这一方法可以给出60－90km高度的大气O₃含量,光化模式参量不定性的影响约为10％.      

一种利用面质比调整提高编队构形稳定性的方法

分布式卫星编队构形受大气摄动的影响会产生沿航迹方向的相对漂移。通过合理的面质比调整,可以降低漂移,提高构形稳定性。基于包含周日效应的大气密度模型,研究了编队卫星轨道能量耗散的差异,进而指出大气摄动引起的构形漂移与构形初始相位、以及轨道面和太阳密度周日峰方向夹角之间存在的关系。给出解析形式和数值方式2种面质比调整方法,并对后一种方法进行了仿真。仿真结果显示,利用文中给出的面质比调整方法,能够大大提高构形的稳定性。     

一种高效的计算卫星轨道寿命的方法

关于在大气阻力作用下卫星生存寿命的估计 ,提出了一种高效的数值方法 ,称为微分 -积分法。它的实质是以轨道要素的平均变化率为基础的微分方程 ,而方程的右端包含定积分。与传统方法比较验证了此新方法的正确性 ,并且显示了它的极高效率。在诸如空间碎片减缓这种需要非常大量的计算卫星寿命的问题中 ,新方法的价值得到充分体现。