Instantaneous BeiDou–GPS attitude determination: A performance analysis

The advent of modernized and new global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) has enhanced the availability of satellite based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions. Specifically, it increases redundancy and yields operational back-up or independence in case of failure or unavailability of one system. Among existing GNSS, the Chinese BeiDou system (BDS) is being developed and will consist of geostationary (GEO) satellites, inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites, and medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellites. In this contribution, a BeiDou–GPS robustness analysis is carried out for instantaneous, unaided attitude determination.     

采用阵列天线的GPS接收机的多径抑制方法

提出一种新的用于阵列天线GPS接收机的多径抑制方法。考虑到通常GPS视线信号的来波方向与多径的来波方向不同,在每个导航数据符号位内测距（C/A）码重复,通过对阵列接收的信号矢量与它本身的延迟信号矢量互相关,提高接收机前端信噪比,再利用最大特征值法和前后向空间平滑技术准确地估计期望卫星视线信号（LOSS）的来波方向。最后综合多个GSC子阵列有效地降低了相关多径对码跟踪精度的影响。仿真结果显示,该方法能使接收机在与LOSS码同步前准确估计LOSS的角度信息,有效抑制相关多径,且鉴相结果准确。     

气体流场对C／C复合材料CVI致密化效果的影响

以丙烯为碳源气体,研究平板针刺预制体在不同倾斜角放置和不同进气方式条件下化学气相渗透（ CVI）工艺制备C／C复合材料的致密化效果。采用工业CT、浸泡介质法和偏光显微镜对沉积样品的密度分布、开孔孔隙率和织构分别进行表征。沉积102 h后,倾斜17°、前进气条件下试件的密度最高,达到1．45 g／cm－3。结果表明,试样由底端到顶端的密度是有小幅递增的,开孔孔隙率是逐渐减小的。4块试件热解炭的织构以光滑层为主,试样消光角的测量结果表明直立状态和倾斜17°、后进气状态热解炭织构取向度从底部到顶端有增大的趋势,这种织构的增长趋势与锥形回转体扩张段的材料设计相符合。     

玉树地震前的电离层异常现象分析

分析了玉树地震前地基电离层探测临界频率、GPS TEC和卫星探测原位等离子体参量等多个参数的扰动变化信息, 研究了不同高度异常变化的时空关联性. 分析发现, 在地震前一天的4月13日, 多个电离层参量出现同步扰动异常, 电离层临界频率f₀F₂异常相对滑动中值增大40%, 异常空间上存在从震中东南向西南漂移的特性; GPS TEC异常增强15TECU (1TECU=1016m-2)左右, 分布于震中南部经度15°范围内, 且有明显的磁共轭效应; DEMETER观测的原位氧离子密度N_i(O+) 4月13日为1-4月中最强的一天, 异常分布偏向赤道区, 但仅局限在30°-50°左右的经度范围内. 综合三个参量的异常特征发现, 无论是空间的局地性还是时间上的密切关联均反映这次电离层扰动可能与玉树地震孕育有关. 结合其他观测信息, 进一步探讨了这次地震孕育过程的地震电离层耦合机理.      

New trade tree for manned mars missions

Recent studies on human missions to Mars suggest revisiting the parameters that have the most important impact on the complexity, the initial mass in low Earth orbit, the risks and the development costs for the first journey to the red planet. In the last NASA reference mission, a trade tree is proposed.     

Assessment of precision in ionospheric electron density profiles retrieved by GPS radio occultations

The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) is a six satellite radio occultation mission that was launched in April 2006. The close proximity of these satellites during some months after launch provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the precision of Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) retrievals of ionospheric electron density from nearly collocated and simultaneous observations. RO data from 30 consecutive days during July and August 2006 are divided into ten groups in terms of daytime or nighttime and latitude. In all cases, the best precision values (about 1%) are found at the F peak height and they slightly degrade upwards. For all daytime groups, it is seen that electron density profiles above about 120 km height exhibit a substantial improvement in precision. Nighttime groups are rather diverse: in particular, the precision becomes better than 10% above different levels between 120 and 200 km height. Our overall results show that up to 100–200 km (depending on each group), the uncertainty associated with the precision is in the order of the measured electron density values. Even worse, the retrieved values tend sometimes to be negative. Although we cannot rely directly on electron density values at these altitudes, the shape of the profiles could be indicative of some ionospheric features (e.g. waves and sporadic E layers). Above 200 km, the profiles of precision are qualitatively quite independent from daytime or latitude. From all the nearly collocated pairs studied, only 49 exhibited a difference between line of sight angles of both RO at the F peak height larger than 10°. After analyzing them we find no clear indications of a significant representativeness error in electron density profiles due to the spherical assumption above 120 km height. Differences in precision between setting and rising GPS RO may be attributed to the modification of the processing algorithms applied to rising cases during the initial period of the COSMIC mission.     

Coordinated in situ measurements of plasma irregularities and ground based scintillation observations at the crest of equatorial anomaly

First comparison of in situ density fluctuations measured by the DEMETER satellite with ground based GPS receiver measurements at the equatorial anomaly station Bhopal (geographic coordinates (23.2°N, 77.6°E); geomagnetic coordinates (14.29°N, 151.12°E)) for the low solar activity year 2005, are presented in this paper. Calculation of the diurnal maximum of the strength of the equatorial electrojet, which can serve as precursor to ionospheric scintillations in the anomaly region is also done. The Langmuir Probe experiment and Plasma Analyzer onboard DEMETER measure the electron and ion densities respectively. Irregularities in electron density distribution cause scintillations on transionospheric links and there exists a close relationship between an irregularity and scintillation. In 40% of the cases, DEMETER detects the irregularity structures (dNe/Ne ? 5% and dNi/Ni (O⁺) ? 5%) and GPS L band scintillations (S4 ? 0.2) are also observed around the same time, for the low solar activity period. It is found that maximum irregularity intensity is obtained in the geomagnetic latitude range of 10–20° for both electron density and ion density. As the GPS signals pass through this irregularity structure, scintillations are recorded by the GPS receiver installed at the equatorial anomaly station, Bhopal it is interesting to note that in situ density fluctuations observed on magnetic flux tubes that pass over Bhopal can be used as indicator of ionospheric scintillations at that site. Many cases of density fluctuations and associated scintillations have been observed during the descending low solar activity period. The percentage occurrence of density irregularities and scintillations shows good correspondence with diurnal maximum of the strength of electrojet, however this varies with different seasons with maximum correspondence in summer (up to 66%) followed by equinox (up to 50%) and winter (up to 46%). Also, there is a threshold value of EEJ strength to produce density irregularities ((dNe/Ne)_max ? 5%) and for moderate to strong scintillations (S4 ? 0.3) to occur. For winter this value is found to be ∼40 nT whereas for equinox and summer it is around 50 nT.     

Atmosphere sounding by GPS radio occultation: First results from TanDEM-X and comparison with TerraSAR-X

On 21 June 2010 the TerraSAR-X satellite was joined by the TanDEM-X satellite. A Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) experiment using the twin satellites has been carried out to estimate the precision of GPS atmospheric soundings. For the Day Of Year (DOY) 330–336, 2011, we analyze phase and amplitude data recorded by GPS receivers separated by a few hundred meters in a low earth orbit and derive collocated atmospheric refractivity profiles. In the altitude range 10–20 km the standard deviation between TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X refractivity does not exceed 0.15%. The standard deviation is rapidly increasing for lower and higher altitudes; close to the surface and at an altitude of 30 km the standard deviation reaches 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively. Systematic deviations between TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X refractivity in the considered altitude range (0–30 km) are negligible. The results confirm the anticipated high precision of the GPS RO technique. However, the difference in the retrieved refractivity in the lower troposphere for different Open Loop (OL) signal tracking parameters, altered onboard TanDEM-X for DOY 49–55, 2012, calls for an in depth analysis. At the moment we can not exclude that a potential bias in the OL Doppler model introduces a bias in our retrieved refractivity at altitudes <8$<8$ km.     

Investigation of ionospheric response to two moderate geomagnetic storms using GPS–TEC measurements in the South American and African sectors during the ascending phase of solar cycle 24

The responses of the ionospheric F region using GPS–TEC measurements during two moderate geomagnetic storms at equatorial, low-, and mid-latitude regions over the South American and African sectors in May 2010, during the ascending phase of solar cycle 24, are investigated. The first moderate geomagnetic storm studied reached a minimum Dst value of −64 nT at 1500 UT on 02 May 2010 and the second moderate geomagnetic storm reached a minimum Dst value of −85 nT at 1400 UT on 29 May 2010. In this paper, we present vertical total electron content (VTEC) and phase fluctuations (in TECU/min) from Global Positioning System (GPS) observations from the equatorial to mid-latitude regions in the South American and African sectors. Our results obtained during these two moderate geomagnetic storms from both sectors show significant positive ionospheric storms during daytime hours at the equatorial, low-, and mid-latitude regions during the main and recovery phases of the storms. The thermospheric wind circulation change towards the equator is a strong indicator that suggests an important mechanism is responsible for these positive phases at these regions. A pre-storm event that was observed in the African sector from low- to the mid-latitude regions on 01 May 2010 was absent in the South American sector. This study also showed that there was no generation or suppression of ionospheric irregularities by storm events. Therefore, knowledge about the suppression and generation of ionospheric irregularities during moderate geomagnetic storms is still unclear.