Coronal mass ejection detection using wavelets,curvelets and ridgelets: Applications for space weather monitoring

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale eruptions of plasma and magnetic field that can produce adverse space weather at Earth and other locations in the Heliosphere. Due to the intrinsic multiscale nature of features in coronagraph images, wavelet and multiscale image processing techniques are well suited to enhancing the visibility of CMEs and suppressing noise. However, wavelets are better suited to identifying point-like features, such as noise or background stars, than to enhancing the visibility of the curved form of a typical CME front. Higher order multiscale techniques, such as ridgelets and curvelets, were therefore explored to characterise the morphology (width, curvature) and kinematics (position, velocity, acceleration) of CMEs. Curvelets in particular were found to be well suited to characterising CME properties in a self-consistent manner. Curvelets are thus likely to be of benefit to autonomous monitoring of CME properties for space weather applications.     

Study of GNSS-measured ionospheric total electron content variations generated by powerful HF-heating

The purpose of this work is to report the experimental evidences for the influence of perturbations in the electron density in the dayside mid-latitude ionosphere, that are caused by high-frequency heating of the F2 layer, on the GNSS signals. The experiments were carried out at the Sura heater (Radio Physical Research Institute, N. Novgorod). During the sessions of ionospheric heating with different time modulations of the radiated power the rays linking the navigational satellites with the ground receiver intersected the heated region. Variations in the total electron content (TEC) were studied; these variations are proportional to the reduced phases of navigational signals. It is shown that with the square-wave modulation of the radiated power (with periods of 1, 6, 10 and 15 min), perturbations with periods of the main modulation of heating and its harmonics appear in the spectrum of TEC variations. Examples are presented of identification of the heating-induced variations in TEC, including determination of the amplitudes and time characteristics of these variations.     

三角翼DBD等离子体流动控制研究进展

现代战机采用较多的三角翼，在大迎角绕流时存在前缘涡破裂等气动问题。作为新型主动流动控制技术，等离子体激励频带宽、响应快、结构简单、便于闭环控制，在解决三角翼气动问题上具有潜力。回顾了介质阻挡放电（DBD）等离子体气动激励的基本原理，及其用于三角翼前缘涡控制的研究进展。从来流条件、几何构型、激励参数等方面分析了DBD等离子体激励对流动控制效果的影响规律；结合不同激励频率下流场演化特性，分析了流动控制机理。最后，从理论研究和工程应用的角度，对三角翼前缘涡控制的发展进行总结展望。     

自制等离子喷枪冷却系统的设计及测试

等离子喷枪是制备热障涂层中的研究重点。目前关于等离子喷枪的研究多集中于喷嘴(阳极)、阴极,鲜有关于喷枪冷却系统方面的研究;喷枪冷却系统的优劣直接影响喷枪的工作寿命和喷涂过程的稳定性,同时制备热障涂层的质量也与冷却效果紧密相关。本文利用三维模型,详细阐述了自制的喷枪冷却系统通道及工作原理,并对设计进行了理论计算,对自制的喷枪进行点火试验和喷涂测试,结果显示自制的喷枪冷却系统功能良好,喷枪工作稳定,涂层质量较好。     

空间激光通信系统中的信道纠错编码技术

由于空间激光通信系统的信道状态和链路捕获跟踪的不确定性,多种形式的信道纠错编码技术正被广泛发展研究。结合空间激光通信链路中误码性能的主要影响因素,分别选择合适的编码方案进行分析。通过仿真实验可知,对于在大气结构参数为1.5×10~(-14) m~(-2/3)、风速为20 m/s的空地激光链路的环境下,在系统数据速率为2 Gbit/s、要求误码率为10~(-6)时,LDPC码结合交织码相对未编码系统有3 dB的等效编码增益,LT码相对未编码系统有3.8 dB的等效编码增益。提供了一种能快速生成、扩展和校验的编码和交织实现方法,以抵抗大气湍流的快速变化对系统性能产生的影响。     

Application of small-size antennas for estimation of angles of arrival of HF signals scattered by ionospheric irregularities

A modification of the Doppler Interferometry Technique is suggested to enable estimating angles of arrival of comparatively broadband HF signals scattered by random irregularities of the ionospheric plasma with the use of small-size weakly directional antennas. The technique is based on the measurements of cross-spectra phases of the probe radiation recorded at least in three spatially separated points. The developed algorithm has been used to investigate the angular and frequency-time characteristics of HF signals propagating at frequencies above the maximum usable one (MUF) for the direct radio path Moscow-Kharkiv. The received signal spectra show presence of three families of spatial components attributed, respectively, to scattering by plasma irregularities near the middle point of the radio path, ground backscatter signals and scattering of the sounding signals by the intense plasma turbulence associated with auroral activations. It has been shown that the regions responsible for the formation of the third family components are located well inside the auroral oval. The drift velocity and direction of the auroral ionosphere plasma have been determined. The obtained estimates are consistent with the classical conception of the ionospheric plasma convection at high latitudes and do not contradict the results of investigations of the auroral ionosphere dynamics using the SuperDARN network.     

WSO-UV project

During last three decades, astronomers have enjoyed continuous access to the 100–300 nm ultraviolet (UV) spectral range where the resonance transitions of the most abundant atoms and ions (at temperatures between 3000 and 300 000 K) reside. This UV range is not accessible from ground-based facilities. The successful International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observatory, the Russian ASTRON mission and successor instruments such as the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission or the COS and STIS spectrographs on-board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) prove the major impact of observations in the UV wavelength range in modern astronomy. Future access to space-based observatories is expected to be very limited. For the next decade, the post-HST era, the World Space Observatory – Ultraviolet (WSO–UV) will be the only 2-m class UV telescope with capabilities similar to the HST. WSO–UV will be equipped with instruments for imaging and spectroscopy and it will be a facility dedicated, full-time, to UV astronomy. In this article, we briefly outline the current status of the WSO–UV mission and the science management plan.     

Spectroscopy peculiarities of thermal plasma of electric arc discharge between electrodes with Zn admixtures

Plasma of the free burning electric arc between Ag–SnO₂–ZnO composite electrodes as well as brass electrodes were investigated. The plasma temperature distributions were obtained by Boltzmann plot method involving Cu I, Ag I or Zn I spectral line emissions. The electron density distributions were obtained from the width and from absolute intensity of spectral lines. The laser absorption spectroscopy was used for measurement of copper atom concentration in plasma. Plasma equilibrium composition was calculated using two independent groups of experimental values (temperature and copper atom concentration, temperature and electron density). It was found that plasma of the free burning electric arc between brass electrodes is in local thermodynamical equilibrium. The experimental verification of the spectroscopic data of Zn I spectral lines was carried out.     

Do RadioAstron detections correlate with flaring states? An initial study of seven southern AGN

We examine the state of seven southern radio sources at the time of their RadioAstron AGN Survey observations. Both ATCA flux density monitoring data and Fermi light-curves are considered in determining the relative activity of the source. A simple hypothesis, that sufficiently compact source structure exists for detections on RadioAstron baselines when the source is in a flaring state, is qualitatively tested. We find four instances of RadioAstron detections during flaring radio states and four instances of RadioAstron non-detections during fading or quiescent radio states, in support of the hypothesis. However, we also find three instances of RadioAstron detections during quiescent or fading radio states, and two non-detections during a flaring state, indicating that the situation is (not unexpectedly) more complex. Radio and gamma-ray monitoring such as that described here, together with the full RadioAstron AGN Survey results, will allow a more thorough investigation of the dependencies of detections on baselines of >10 Earth diameters.