A numerical model characterizing internal gravity wave propagation into the upper atmosphere

A new two-dimensional, time-dependent and fully nonlinear model is developed to numerically simulate plane wave motions for internal gravity waves in a non-isothermal and windy atmosphere that accounts for the dissipation due to eddy and molecular processes. The atmosphere has been treated as a well mixed total gas with a constant mean molecular weight. The effects of Rayleigh friction and Newtonian cooling are applied near the upper boundary of the model to simulate the radiation conditions as well as to act as a sponge layer; lateral boundaries are periodic over a horizontal wavelength to simulate a horizontally infinite domain. The thermal excitation to initiate upward propagating waves is spatially localized in the troposphere and is a Gaussian function of time. A time-splitting technique is applied to the finite difference equations that are derived from the Navier–Stokes equations. The time integration for these highly coupled equations is performed using an explicit second order Lax–Wendroff scheme and an implicit Newton–Raphson scheme. The wave solutions derived from the model are found to be broadly agreeable with those derived from a Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin theory.     

A gravity wave analysis near to the Andes Range from GPS radio occultation data and mesoscale numerical simulations: Two case studies

Global maps of potential wave energy per unit mass, recently performed with the Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) technique and different satellite missions (CHAMP and SAC-C since 2001, GRACE and COSMIC since 2006) revealed in Argentina, at the eastern side of the highest Andes Mountains, a considerable wave activity (WA) in comparison with other extra-tropical regions. The main gravity wave (GW) sources in this natural laboratory are deep convection (mainly during late Spring and Summer), topographic forcing and geostrophic adjustment.     

一种快速稳定的非双曲线型非线性时间序列去噪算法

非双曲线型非线性系统同宿切面点和同宿横截点的存在,使得其时间序列的去噪或轨迹重影变得十分困难。在充分挖掘非线性系统本身特性的基础上,结合Gradient Descent算法的稳定性和Newton-Raphson算法的快速收敛性,提出了一种快速稳定的非双曲线型非线性时间序列去噪新算法,在机器精度内实现了非双曲线型非线性时间序列的去噪。该方法首先计算受扰序列的局部稳定流形和不稳定流形方向,进而确定同宿切面点存在的位置,很大程度上降低了同宿切面对算法性能的影响。不同于现有文献忽视同宿横截点对算法性能影响的做法,研究得出了同宿横截点间的最小距离和干扰噪声均方差二者间的关系,首次定量地估计了同宿横截点可能对算法造成的影响,这无疑对其他算法也将是一个有益的启示。     

Flight performance analysis of GRACE K-band ranging instrument with simulation data

A dual one-way ranging (DOWR) system provides very high accuracy range measurements between two satellites. The GRACE satellite mission implements the DOWR, called KBR (K-band ranging), to measure very small inter-satellite range change in order to map the Earth gravity field. The flight performance of the KBR is analyzed by using a hybrid software simulator that incorporates actual satellite orbit data into a comprehensive KBR simulator, which was earlier used for computing the GRACE baseline accuracy. Three types of experiments were performed. First is the comparison of the flight data with the simulated data in spectral domain. Second is the comparison of double differenced noise level. Third is the comparison of the range-rate difference with GPS clock estimates. The analysis shows a good agreement with the simulation model except some excessive high frequency noise, e.g. 10⁻⁴ m/√Hz at 0.1 Hz. The range-rate difference shows 0.003 cyc/s discrepancy with the clock estimates. These analyses are helpful to refine the DOWR simulation model and can be benefit to future DOWR instrument development.     

Impact of the orbital eccentricity on the attitude performance before and after the deorbiting phase for Alsat-1

Due to the presence of periodic forcing terms in the gravity gradient torque, orbit eccentricity may produce large response for the roll, yaw and pitch angles. This paper investigates the influence of the orbit eccentricity on the performance of the attitude determination and control subsystem (ADCS) pointing of passive Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites stabilized by a gravity gradient boom or having long appendages before and after the deorbiting operation. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, the satellite attitude dynamics and kinematics are modeled by introducing the orbit eccentricity in the equations of motion of a LEO satellite in order to provide the best scenario in which satellite operators can keep the nominal functionality of LEO satellites with a gravity gradient boom after the deorbiting operation. Second, a Quaternion-based Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is analyzed when the orbit eccentricity is considered in order to determine the influence of this disturbance on the convergence and stability of the filter. The simulations in this work are based on the true parameters of Alsat-1 which is a typical LEO satellite stabilized by a gravity gradient boom. The results show that the orbit eccentricity has a big influence on the pointing system accuracy causing micro-vibrations that affect the geocentric pointing particularly after the deorbiting phase. In this case, satellites have no orbital correction option. The Quaternion-based Extended Kalman Filter analyzed in this paper, achieved satisfactory results for eccentricity values less than 0.4 with respect to pointing system accuracy. However, singularities were observed for eccentricity values greater than 0.4.     

The identification of mesospheric frontal gravity-wave events at a mid-latitude site

Mesospheric frontal-type gravity waves are an uncommon type of wave disturbance that occurs in the mesospheric OH, Na, O₂, and O(¹S) nightglow. They are understood to be the result of gravity waves exhibiting various degrees of non-linear behavior. Despite their similar appearance in all-sky images, careful analysis reveals that there are at least two distinct types of frontal wave disturbances, each with completely different consequences in terms of vertical momentum transport and deposition. Therefore, a correct identification is important in order to characterize their propagation modes. In this report we present the frontal gravity wave activity that occurred during a twelve-month period at Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 172.5°W), a mid-latitude site, to illustrate their range of behaviors.     

Broad-search algorithms for the spacecraft trajectory design of Callisto–Ganymede–Io triple flyby sequences from 2024 to 2040, Part II: Lambert pathfinding and trajectory solutions

Triple-satellite-aided capture employs gravity-assist flybys of three of the Galilean moons of Jupiter in order to decrease the amount of ΔV$\mathrm{\Delta }V$ required to capture a spacecraft into Jupiter orbit. Similarly, triple flybys can be used within a Jupiter satellite tour to rapidly modify the orbital parameters of a Jovicentric orbit, or to increase the number of science flybys. In order to provide a nearly comprehensive search of the solution space of Callisto–Ganymede–Io triple flybys from 2024 to 2040, a third-order, Chebyshev's method variant of the p-iteration solution to Lambert's problem is paired with a second-order, Newton–Raphson method, time of flight iteration solution to the _V∞$V_{\infty }$-matching problem. The iterative solutions of these problems provide the orbital parameters of the Callisto–Ganymede transfer, the Ganymede flyby, and the Ganymede–Io transfer, but the characteristics of the Callisto and Io flybys are unconstrained, so they are permitted to vary in order to produce an even larger number of trajectory solutions. The vast amount of solution data is searched to find the best triple-satellite-aided capture window between 2024 and 2040.     

Determination of the mean dynamic ocean topography model through combining multi-source gravity data and DTU15 MSS around China's coast

Mean dynamic ocean topography (or MDT) is closely related to ocean circulation and global climate change. It has important scientific significance and application value for the development and utilization of marine resources in China's coastal areas. Based on the terrain gravity, marine gravity, and SRTM 3?s data, an algorithm to reduce the problem of gravity data gaps between land and sea is proposed. A consistent land-sea gravity model is established based on point-mass fusion method. Then geoid model, which accuracy was estimated to be 8.5?cm through the verification of 348 GNSS/level data from the coastal provinces, of China's coastal areas was calculated through remove-restore technique. Connecting the above geoid model with DTU15 MSS model to establish a MDT model in China's coastal areas using the direct method in space domain. The effect of gravity field model, dominant factors of sea surface topography, and low pass filter are analyzed. Taking Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea as an example, and comparing MDT with the two international models CNES_2013_MDT and DTU15_MDT. The results show that the MDT has the potential to construct a vertical datum of the ocean and carry out related scientific research and application.     

流体的压强梯度是决定升力的重要因素

认为经典升力理论遗漏了一个决定升力的重要因素：流体的压强梯度。指出：地球上的流体都具有压强梯度,这是由地球引力引起的流体的一种不均匀性,这种不均匀性会在流体的运动中表现出来。运用“升腾效应”和“擅升效应”解释了一些与升力有关的现象,特别是解释了机翼的展弦比、机翼的厚度、雷诺数等对升力的影响,并设计了几个检验这两个效应的试验方法。     

基于数字虚拟飞行的民机复飞爬升梯度评估

飞机的爬升梯度反映了其越过地面障碍达到安全高度的能力,为保障民机复飞时的飞行安全,适航条款规定复飞爬升梯度应满足一定的数值要求。根据适航条款对民机复飞程序和复飞爬升梯度的规定,提出了一种基于数字虚拟飞行的复飞爬升梯度适航符合性评估方法。基于适航条款规定和驾驶员操纵特点,建立了复飞任务的数字化模型和驾驶员操纵模型,进而以中国某型涡喷支线客机为对象建立飞行动力学模型,构成了可进行复飞爬升任务仿真的数字虚拟飞行仿真系统。通过仿真计算完成了对着陆爬升和进场爬升的爬升梯度评估,并与真实试飞结果对比,评估相对误差在10%以内,验证了本文方法的适用性和准确性。本文方法可应用于民机的概念方案设计,为保证飞机复飞爬升性能的适航符合性和最大着陆重量的确定等提供支持。