MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury’s Magnetosphere

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet’s miniature magnetosphere since the brief flybys of Mariner 10. Mercury’s magnetosphere is unique in many respects. The magnetosphere of Mercury is among the smallest in the solar system; its magnetic field typically stands off the solar wind only ∼1000 to 2000 km above the surface. For this reason there are no closed drift paths for energetic particles and, hence, no radiation belts. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause may erode the subsolar magnetosphere, allowing solar wind ions to impact directly the regolith. Inductive currents in Mercury’s interior may act to modify the solar wind interaction by resisting changes due to solar wind pressure variations. Indeed, observations of these induction effects may be an important source of information on the state of Mercury’s interior. In addition, Mercury’s magnetosphere is the only one with its defining magnetic flux tubes rooted beneath the solid surface as opposed to an atmosphere with a conductive ionospheric layer. This lack of an ionosphere is probably the underlying reason for the brevity of the very intense, but short-lived, ∼1–2 min, substorm-like energetic particle events observed by Mariner 10 during its first traversal of Mercury’s magnetic tail. Because of Mercury’s proximity to the sun, 0.3–0.5 AU, this magnetosphere experiences the most extreme driving forces in the solar system. All of these factors are expected to produce complicated interactions involving the exchange and recycling of neutrals and ions among the solar wind, magnetosphere, and regolith. The electrodynamics of Mercury’s magnetosphere are expected to be equally complex, with strong forcing by the solar wind, magnetic reconnection, and pick-up of planetary ions all playing roles in the generation of field-aligned electric currents. However, these field-aligned currents do not close in an ionosphere, but in some other manner. In addition to the insights into magnetospheric physics offered by study of the solar wind–Mercury system, quantitative specification of the “external” magnetic field generated by magnetospheric currents is necessary for accurate determination of the strength and multi-polar decomposition of Mercury’s intrinsic magnetic field. MESSENGER’s highly capable instrumentation and broad orbital coverage will greatly advance our understanding of both the origin of Mercury’s magnetic field and the acceleration of charged particles in small magnetospheres. In this article, we review what is known about Mercury’s magnetosphere and describe the MESSENGER science team’s strategy for obtaining answers to the outstanding science questions surrounding the interaction of the solar wind with Mercury and its small, but dynamic, magnetosphere.     

大气准两年振荡对赤道行星波上传的影响

本文讨论了热带大气行星波在QBO风场中向上传播的规律,并运用数值模拟的方法,得到了开尔文波和混合罗斯贝重力波在QBO不同相位下交替上传的结果。试图用QBO对行星波的调制解释QBO在日地相关性中的作用.      

Mars Phobos and Deimos Survey (M-PADS) – A martian Moons orbiter and Phobos lander

We describe a Mars ‘Micro Mission’ for detailed study of the martian satellites Phobos and Deimos. The mission involves two ∼330 kg spacecraft equipped with solar electric propulsion to reach Mars orbit. The two spacecraft are stacked for launch: an orbiter for remote investigation of the moons and in situ studies of their environment in Mars orbit, and another carrying a lander for in situ measurements on the surface of Phobos (or alternatively Deimos). Phobos and Deimos remain only partially studied, and Deimos less well than Phobos. Mars has almost always been the primary mission objective, while the more dedicated Phobos project (1988–89) failed to realise its full potential. Many questions remain concerning the moons’ origins, evolution, physical nature and composition. Current missions, such as Mars Express, are extending our knowledge of Phobos in some areas but largely neglect Deimos. The objectives of M-PADS focus on: origins and evolution, interactions with Mars, volatiles and interiors, surface features, and differences. The consequent measurement requirements imply both landed and remote sensing payloads. M-PADS is expected to accommodate a 60 kg orbital payload and a 16 kg lander payload. M-PADS resulted from a BNSC-funded study carried out in 2003 to define candidate Mars Micro Mission concepts for ESA’s Aurora programme.     

基于人工免疫算法的载人登月任务地月转移双脉冲中止策略研究彭 坤,果琳丽,向开恒,王 平,杨 雷

载人登月任务中,任务中止策略设计是确保航天员安全返回的重要基础。首先结合"星座"计划飞行方案分析了载人登月任务各飞行阶段的中止策略;其次针对地月转移巡航段进行了双脉冲中止策略设计,以速度增量数值、方位角以及变轨时间间隔为控制变量,加入轨道同向、近地点高度、偏心率以及飞行时间约束,提出双脉冲变轨计算流程;最后采用人工免疫算法对该问题进行了求解和优化。仿真算例表明,双脉冲中止策略存在多组解,其全局分布特性为:飞行时间越短速度增量需求越大;飞行时间相近时,大偏心率中止轨道对应的速度增量小;故障点离地月加速点越近,所需速度增量越小。同时也验证了人工免疫算法求解双脉冲中止策略问题的有效性。     

行星着陆大气进入段自适应滑模抗扰控制方法

针对行星探测器着陆过程可能存在的干扰影响着陆精度问题,提出了一种抗干扰控制方法。首先建立行星探测器着陆控制模型,利用非线性干扰观测器实现对系统外部干扰的估计;在此基础上提出一种自适应滑模控制律,使得系统状态快速收敛到平衡点附近。最后,将该方法应用于火星着陆场景进行仿真。结果表明,提出的自适应滑模控制方法能够在未知扰动存在的情况下,有效实现行星探测器安全着陆,提高着陆任务的成功率。     

Numerical modeling of inhomogeneous orographic wave influence on planetary waves in the middle atmosphere

Parameterization of dynamical and thermal effects of stationary orographic gravity waves (OGWs) generated by the Earth’s surface topography is incorporated into a numerical model of general circulation of the middle and upper atmosphere. Responses of atmospheric general circulation and characteristics of planetary waves at altitudes from the troposphere up to the thermosphere to the effects of OGWs propagating from the earth surface are studied. Changes in atmospheric circulation and amplitudes of planetary waves due to variations of OGW generation and propagation in different seasons are considered. It is shown that during solstices the main OGW dynamical and heat effects occur in the middle atmosphere of winter hemispheres, where changes in planetary wave amplitudes due to OGWs may reach up to 50%. During equinoxes OGW effects are distributed more homogeneously between northern and southern hemispheres.     

On the planetary ionospheric vortex electric fields

The paper presents a physical mechanism of large-scale vortex electric field generation in the ionospheric E- and F-layers. It shows that the planetary-scale, synoptic short-period (from several second to several hours) and fast processes (with propagation velocity higher than 1 km/s) produce a planetary-scale internal vortex electric field. Its value may far exceed that of the dynamo-field generated in the same ionospheric layer by local wind motion. We found, that an ionospheric source of the vortex electric field is spatial inhomogeneity of the geomagnetic field.     

Antiparticle content in the magnetosphere

In the present work we assess the stable and transient antiparticle content of planetary magnetospheres, and subsequently we consider their capture and application to high delta-v space propulsion. We estimate the total antiparticle mass contained within the Earth’s magnetosphere to assess the expediency of such usage. Using Earth’s magnetic field region as an example, we have considered the various source mechanisms that are applicable to a planetary magnetosphere, the confinement duration versus transport processes, and the antiparticle loss mechanisms. We have estimated the content of the trapped population of antiparticles magnetically confined following production in the exosphere due to nuclear interactions between high energy cosmic rays (CR) and constituents of the residual planetary upper atmosphere.The galactic antiprotons that directly penetrate into the Earth’s magnetosphere are themselves secondary by its nature, i.e. produced in nuclear reactions of the cosmic rays passing through the interstellar matter. These antiproton fluxes are modified, dependent on energy, when penetrating into the heliosphere and subsequently into planetary magnetospheres. During its lifetime in the Galaxy, CR pass through the small grammage of the interstellar matter where they produce secondary antiprotons. In contrast to this, antiprotons generated by the same CR in magnetosphere are locally produced at a path length of several tens g/cm² of matter in the ambient planetary upper atmosphere. Due to the latter process, the resulting magnetically confined fluxes significantly exceed the fluxes of the galactic antiprotons in the Earth’s vicinity by up to two orders of magnitude at some energies.The radiation belt antiparticles can possibly be extracted with an electromagnetic-based “scoop” device. The antiparticles could be concentrated by and then stored within the superimposed magnetic field structure of such a device. In future developments, it is anticipated that the energy of the captured antiparticles (both rest energy and kinetic energy) can be adapted for use as a fuel for propelling spacecraft to high velocities for remote solar system missions.     

Performance of a small and low-cost chamber to simulate lunar surface environment

The performance of a small and low-cost metal chamber built to simulate the pressure and temperature conditions of lunar surface was assessed and the results are presented. This chamber is intended for studying the physical properties of lunar surface and subsurface (using soil simulants) and also to validate the technology readiness of certain newly developed payloads planned for future lunar surface missions (Lander/Rover). It is possible to reach down to ∼10⁻⁷ Pa under specific conditions and maintain the temperature of the sample under investigation to lunar day and night temperatures. The designed system has been subjected to various tests to evaluate its performance and suitability for carrying out experiments in a simulated lunar environment.