A synchrotron-based facility for the in-situ location,chemical and mineralogical characterization of ∼10 μm particles captured in aerogel

NASA’s Stardust mission collected dust from the coma of Comet Wild-2 on January 2nd, 2004, by direct capture into aerogel cells that flew through the dust coma at ∼6 km/s. Stardust collected several hundred comet particles >10 μm in size. These comet samples were delivered to Earth on January 15th, 2006. We developed a facility at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY, USA) for the in-situ characterization of ∼10 μm particles collected in aerogel. These analytical instruments allow us to perform extensive chemical, mineralogical, and size-frequency characterization of particles captured in aerogel. These analyses are conducted without any invasive extraction, minimizing the possibility of contamination or particle loss during preparation. This facility was used to determine the chemical composition, the oxidation state, the mineralogy and to provide an indication of the grain size of the Wild-2 particles before they were removed from the aerogel. This information provides a catalog of particle types, allowing a more reasoned allocation of the particles to subsequent investigators based on a relatively detailed knowledge of the chemical composition and mineralogy of each particle. These measurements allowed a comparison of the chemical and mineralogical properties of the Wild-2 particles with other types of extraterrestrial materials, including interplanetary dust particles and meteorites. The success of in-situ analysis for Wild 2 particles demonstrates that synchrotron-based facilities will be important for the analysis of particles collected in aerogel on future earth-orbiting satellites and spacecraft.     

Theoretical modelling of X-ray fluorescence signals for different lunar compositions and dependence on solar activity

We present a forward modelling technique for calculating the surface X-ray spectra for a variety of lunar terrains. Our calculations considered variations in solar fluxes from solar quiescent condition to large flare activity (M1 flare), and expected elemental concentrations in the target, as well as yield, instrumental, and viewing geometry parameters for X-ray induced fluorescence from the lunar surface. Additionally, we present estimates of anticipated XRF signals from prominent K_α lines observable by a collimated 14 cm² X-ray detector from a 100 km lunar orbit with ∼20 km spatial resolution. Our results show that Mg, Al and Si characteristic K_α lines can be observed for all solar conditions. The Ca K_α lines line can be differentiated from a fixed background during more energetic solar conditions such as C1 and M1 flares, whereas Ti and Fe lines are identifiable only during C1 and M1 solar flare conditions for Apollo 12 site composition. Both the K_α X-ray intensity ratios of Mg/Si and Al/Si correlate well with concentration ratios of Mg/Si and Al/Si, respectively, for B1 and M1 solar conditions. The K_α X-ray intensity ratios of Fe/Si and Ca/Si correlates with concentration ratios of Fe/Si and Ca/Si, respectively, for M1 solar condition. In principle, the modelling technique outlined here can be used to determine absolute elemental abundances (Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti and Fe) from X-ray spectra measured during recent and future lunar missions.     

脉冲星导航试验卫星观测数据处理与分析

脉冲星导航试验卫星(X-ray Pulsar-based Navigation-1,XPNAV-1)的第一批观测数据公开发布,利用国际天文协会(International Astronomical Union,IAU)的标准基本天文程序库和喷气推进实验室(Jet Propulsion Laboratory,JPL)星历对数据进行处理,得到了35个光子到达太阳系质心时间序列的文件。基于历元折叠和已知的星历参数得到了35个脉冲积分轮廓,使用核回归法对轮廓进行了降噪处理,并分析了历元折叠时bin数对计时残差的影响。结果表明,观测数据有效,能够得到较好的脉冲积分轮廓,实现了对Crab星的观测,核回归算法有效改善了bin数对计时残差的影响,拟合前计时残差均方根约40 us。     

脉冲星导航的天体测量考虑

X射线脉冲星导航是基于X射线脉冲星观测,经过信号处理得到脉冲到达时刻序列,进而分析该时间序列提供导航相关信息的技术。为了分析脉冲星导航的可行性和依赖条件,从概念上描述了脉冲星的观测模型,并比较了射电脉冲星观测和X射线脉冲星观测数据处理过程;进而从天体测量的角度论述了脉冲星导航可行性的相关问题,主要包含观测量的获取、整周模糊度和应用范围3个问题。经分析可知:观测量的获取与观测者的速度有关,该速度可通过最大化观测轮廓法确定;对于深空和超深空导航,整周模糊度是首先需要解决的问题,脉冲星的位置精度也是需要考虑的因素。理论上X射线脉冲星导航可以应用于近地和深空探测。     

基于星联网的深空自主导航方案设计

为了降低地面测控系统的负担、提高深空探测器的导航效率,提出了基于星联网的航天器自主导航概念,对星联网的应用体系进行了设计。借助脉冲星、星间链路等手段实现星联网系统中基准航天器完全自主的高精度导航,用户航天器通过与基准航天器或其他用户航天器的交互通信与测量就可以实现自身状态估计。以地月转移任务为例,设计了星联网系统在地月空间的具体应用方案,分析了地月空间基准航天器的配置与自主导航方法,阐述了用户航天器的单层与多层导航策略。对基于脉冲星与星间链路观测的基准航天器自主导航进行了仿真,验证了观测基准航天器或者其他用户航天器时,地月转移段航天器自主导航的可行性。结果表明:基准航天器可以达到20 m的定位精度,用户航天器可以达到优于30 m的定位精度。基于星联网的航天器自主导航是可行的,发展星联网可以为我国构建天基自主基准导航系统提供有力支持。     

X射线脉冲星自主导航的光子到达时间转换

根据广义相对论的后牛顿近似时空理论, 在忽略太阳系天体自转和扁率的情况下, 详细推导出X射线脉冲星自主导航中, 光子到达观测航天器和太阳系质心的时间差值, 它是对现行公式的修正．导出了质心坐标时与航天器固有时的变换关系, 根据这一关系, 建议在脉冲星导航的工程设计中可以仿照GPS, 将航天器携带时钟作频率调整, 从而有利于工程计算.      

脉冲星导航的整周模糊度解算方法研究

脉冲相位是X射线脉冲星导航方法的基本观测量,在测量的脉冲相位与预报相位比对的过程中存在整周期模糊度问题．借鉴GPS载波相位模糊度的解算方法,提出了单差搜索法、最小二乘搜索法和模糊度函数法3种空间搜索方法用以解算脉冲星导航系统的整周模糊度,并针对地球卫星完全迷失的情况进行了搜索仿真验证．结果表明,这3种方法都能够准确地解算出整周模糊度,均可用于脉冲星导航系统的在轨解算．其中最小二乘搜索法的性能稳定,搜索速度快;模糊度函数法搜索速度慢,但适用于装配单X射线探测器的脉冲星导航系统．     

太阳硬X射线爆简单脉冲峰的理论模型

ＳＭＭ卫星上γ射线谱仪（ＧＲＳ）于１９８０年２月至１９８２年１２月间，观测到１０３个强硬Ｘ射线爆发。根据它们的时间轮廓图，发现其中的２４个事件含有变化幅度大，时间轮廓平滑的简单脉冲峰。２４个峰在５４－１００ｋｅＶ能道的统计结果显示，时间轮廓的上相斜率与下降相斜率具有较好的相关性，相关系数达０．８０，且上升相斜率略大于下降相斜率，平均值比值约为１．３７，为了定理比较，根据它们斜率的平均值构造成了一个     

JUXTA: A new probe of X-ray emission from the Jupiter system

For the future Japanese exploration mission of the Jupiter’s magnetosphere (JMO: Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter), a unique instrument named JUXTA (Jupiter X-ray Telescope Array) is being developed. It aims at the first in-situ measurement of X-ray emission associated with Jupiter and its neighborhood. Recent observations with Earth-orbiting satellites have revealed various X-ray emission from the Jupiter system. X-ray sources include Jupiter’s aurorae, disk emission, inner radiation belts, the Galilean satellites and the Io plasma torus. X-ray imaging spectroscopy can be a new probe to reveal rotationally driven activities, particle acceleration and Jupiter–satellite binary system. JUXTA is composed of an ultra-light weight X-ray telescope based on micromachining technology and a radiation-hard semiconductor pixel detector. It covers 0.3–2 keV with the energy resolution of <100 eV at 0.6 keV. Because of proximity to Jupiter (∼30 Jovian radii at periapsis), the image resolution of <5 arcmin and the on-axis effective area of >3 cm² at 0.6 keV allow extremely high photon statistics and high resolution observations.