Element Separation in the Chromosphere Ionization-Diffusion Models for the FIP-Effect

Ionization-diffusion mechanisms to understand the first ionization potential (FIP) fractionation as observed in the solar corona and the solar wind are reviewed. The enrichment of the low-FIP elements (<10 eV) compared to the high-FIP elements, seen in e.g. slow and fast wind or polar plumes, is explained. The behaviour of the heavy noble gases becomes understandable. The absolute fractionation, i.e. in relation to hydrogen, can be calculated and fits well to the measurements. The theoretical velocity-dependence of the fractionation will with used to determine the velocities of the solar wind in the chromosphere. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the Velocity and Intensity Asymmetries of Solar P-Mode Lines

We show that to explain the opposite line asymmetries shown by the velocity and intensity spectra, it is necessary to solve the full non-adiabatic problem which is at least of the fourth order. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Space science education in Egypt and the 2006 solar eclipse

The space science research has been started in Egypt since 1910 by measuring the solar constant as indication of solar radiation at Helwan Observatory. The solar sunspot studies and its influence on the Nile flooding was erected and operated at Helwan as a first solar station in Egypt during 1957. Zeiss-Coude’ refractor was installed in 1964. Astronomy and space science educations started in Egypt at the university level since 1936 at Department of Astronomy and Meteorology of Cairo University. Undergraduate and graduate education in Egypt will be discussed in this work.     

国际空间太阳能电站的技术进展

综述了当前国际空间太阳能电站技术的研究进展与发展趋势。重点介绍了空间太阳能电站系统方案新构思“太阳塔”和“太阳盘”的特点；介绍了空间太阳能电站的主要相关技术———无线电能传输技术、太阳能转换技术和空间运输技术等的发展趋势；最后简要介绍了月球电站的进展情况。     

太阳能热推进系统效率分析

太阳能热推进采用小分子量气体作为推进剂可以获取800～900 s高比冲,但提高推进系统的换热效率是目前亟待解决的问题.本研究建立了太阳能热推进系统主要部件的基本分析模型,在利用有限单元法进行热分析的基础上,对系统在多种工况下的相关参数进行了计算,分析了各部件主要参数对提高太阳能热推进系统热效率和推进效率的影响,得出了系统效率在不同工作状态下的变化规律,并提出了提高系统效率的措施.     

地球同步卫星BSR硅太阳电池阵输出功率衰减规律分析

长期受粒子辐照、紫外辐照等因素的影响,地球同步卫星的太阳电池阵输出功率会出现较为明显的衰减。这里选取某地球同步卫星使用的背表面反射(BSR)硅太阳电池阵为研究对象,采用光强因子和温度因子修正太阳电池阵的输出功率,使用局部加权回归散点平滑法(LOWESS)分析了其在设计寿命期间的输出功率衰减规律;同时基于LOWESS建立了预测模型,用于硅太阳电池阵超寿运行期间的功率预测。实测数据表明:本文构建的预测模型可以满足超寿地球同步卫星在轨管理使用需求。     

Singular formalism and admissible control of spacecraft with rotating flexible solar array

This paper is concerned with the attitude control of a three-axis-stabilized spacecraft which consists of a central rigid body and a flexible sun-tracking solar array driven by a solar array drive assembly. Based on the linearization of the dynamics of the spacecraft and the modal identi- ties about the flexible and rigid coupling matrices, the spacecraft attitude dynamics is reduced to a formally singular system with periodically varying parameters, which is quite different from a space- craft with fixed appendages. In the framework of the singular control theory, the regularity and impulse-freeness of the singular system is analyzed and then admissible attitude controllers are designed by Lyapunov＇s method. To improve the robustness against system uncertainties, an H∞ optimal control is designed by optimizing the H∞ norm of the system transfer function matrix. Comparative numerical experiments are performed to verify the theoretical results.     

The Solar Sail Materials (SSM) project – Status of activities

SSM (Solar Sail Materials) is an on-going project for the European Space Agency (ESA) relying on past and recent European solar sail design projects. It aims at developing and testing future technologies suitable for large, operational solar sailcrafts.     

X-Ray Emission from Flare Collapsing Trap

An acceleration process in the collapsing magnetic trap, formed in the flare with cusp magnetic field topology, is described. Computations show that high-energy electrons are accumulated in the central part of the collapsing magnetic trap due to an increase of their pitch angles. The effect explains in a natural way the formation of X-ray loop-top sources. Then, using the model with the collapsing trap and considering only the adiabatic heating process, a possible explanation for the motion of the X-ray loop-top source observed at the beginning of some cusp-type flares is presented.     

Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar System

The oxygen three-isotope system has major advantages over the two-isotope systems of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen because different fractionation laws govern intraplanetary and interplanetary processes. This permits discriminating between solar nebular processes and parent-body processes. Oxygen isotopes also serve as a sensitive natural tracer for meteorite classification. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.