Estimates of Carrington-class solar particle event radiation exposures as a function of altitude in the atmosphere of Mars

Radiation exposure estimates for crew members on the surface of Mars may vary widely because of the large variations in terrain altitude. The maximum altitude difference between the highest (top of Olympus Mons) and the lowest (bottom of the Hellas impact basin) points on Mars is about 32 km. In this work estimates of radiation exposures as a function of altitude, from the Hellas impact basin to Olympus Mons, are made for a solar particle event proton radiation environment comparable to the Carrington event of 1859. We assume that the proton energy distribution for this Carrington-type event is similar to that of the Band Function fit of the February 1956 event. In this work we use the HZETRN 2010 radiation transport code, originally developed at NASA Langley Research Center, and the Computerized Anatomical Male and Female human geometry models to estimate exposures for aluminum shield areal densities similar to those provided by a spacesuit, surface lander, and permanent habitat as a function of altitude in the Mars atmosphere. Comparisons of the predicted organ exposures with current NASA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) are made.     

低轨航天器长期轨道预报的初步研究

低轨航天器的长期管理和维护需要较高精度的长期轨道预报,影响长期预报精度最主要的因素来自低轨航天器所受的大气阻力摄动.借助平均大气密度模型,以340 km高度的低轨航天器为例,研究了低轨长期轨道预报问题.利用基于长弧段的逐天精密定轨,可以修正参考点的平均密度.根据目前积累的数据,通过引入太阳自转周期27 d和半年180 d这2个周期拟合平均密度序列,未来的平均密度可以预报到较高精度.目前的计算结果表明,在此基础上低轨航天器的长期轨道预报精度可以得到保证,在不同算例中表现基本稳定可靠.     

Advances in Researches on the Middle and Upper Atmosphere in 2008-2010

This paper summarizes the results of the researches on the middle and upper atmosphere obtained by Chinese scientists in 2008-2010. The focuses are specifically placed on the researches being associated with ground-based observation capability development, dynamical processes, the property of atmospheric circulation and the chemistry-climate coupling of the middle atmospheric layers.     

Exploration life support technology challenges for the Crew Exploration Vehicle and future human missions

As NASA implements the U.S. Space Exploration Policy, life support systems must be provided for an expanding sequence of exploration missions. NASA has implemented effective life support for Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station (ISS) and continues to develop advanced systems. This paper provides an overview of life support requirements, previously implemented systems, and new technologies being developed by the Exploration Life Support Project for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Lunar Outpost and future Mars missions. The two contrasting practical approaches to providing space life support are (1) open loop direct supply of atmosphere, water, and food, and (2) physicochemical regeneration of air and water with direct supply of food. Open loop direct supply of air and water is cost effective for short missions, but recycling oxygen and water saves costly launch mass on longer missions. Because of the short CEV mission durations, the CEV life support system will be open loop as in Apollo and Space Shuttle. New life support technologies for CEV that address identified shortcomings of existing systems are discussed. Because both ISS and Lunar Outpost have a planned 10-year operational life, the Lunar Outpost life support system should be regenerative like that for ISS and it could utilize technologies similar to ISS. The Lunar Outpost life support system, however, should be extensively redesigned to reduce mass, power, and volume, to improve reliability and incorporate lessons learned, and to take advantage of technology advances over the last 20 years. The Lunar Outpost design could also take advantage of partial gravity and lunar resources.     

一种半解析方法火星再入探测器一体化设计模型

提出了一种火星再入探测器的半解析法一体化模型,为未来火星探测器的初步设计提供包括弹道、气动参数、防热系统在内的设计依据。在任务初步设计阶段,由于涉及多个学科,火星大气与地球大气模型差异很大,需要考虑的因素很多,因此需要一个半解析的,能够实时进行弹道、气动参数和防热层温度分布计算的设计工具。该工具应该包括气动外形、弹道、防热为一体的设计模型,且能满足计算负担要求。基于此,提出了一种普遍适应的火星探测器外形定义方程,并对其中的一种特殊情况进行了解析公式的推导。在合理假设的前提下,给出了计算防热层内部温度分布的半解析计算公式,并以MER\|B (Mars Exploration Rover)探测器为例进行了弹道和气动受热仿真。计算结果表明,该一体化计算模型的仿真计算落点与实际落点很接近,达到了火星探测器初步设计阶段一体化的计算要求。
     

Particle acceleration and gamma rays in solar flares: Recent observations and new modeling

Experiments on SMM, GAMMA, Yohkoh, GRANAT, Compton GRO, INTEGRAL, RHESSI and CORONAS-F satellites over the past three decades have provided copious data for fundamental research relating to particle acceleration, transport and energetics of flares and to the ambient abundance of the solar corona, chromosphere and photosphere. We summarize main results of solar gamma-astronomy (including some results of several joint Russian–Chinese projects) and try to appraise critically a real contribution of those results into modern understanding of solar flares, particle acceleration at the Sun and some properties of the solar atmosphere. Recent findings based on the RHESSI, INTEGRAL and CORONAS-F measurements (source locations, spectrum peculiarities, ³He abundance etc.) are especially discussed. Some unusual features of extreme solar events (e.g., 28 October 2003 and 20 January 2005) have been found in gamma-ray production and generation of relativistic particles (solar cosmic rays, or SCR). A number of different plausible assumptions are considered concerning the details of underlying physical processes during large flares: (1) existence of a steeper distribution of surrounding medium density as compared to a standard astrophysical model (HSRA) for the solar atmosphere; (2) enhanced content of the ³He isotope; (3) formation of magnetic trap with specific properties; (4) prevailing non-uniform (e.g., fan-like) velocity (angular) distributions of secondary neutrons, etc. It is emphasized that real progress in this field may be achieved only by combination of gamma-ray data in different energy ranges with multi-wave and energetic particle observations during the same event. We especially note several promising lines for the further studies: (1) resonant acceleration of the ³He ions in the corona; (2) timing of the flare evolution by gamma-ray fluxes in energy range above 90 MeV; (3) separation of gamma-ray fluxes from different sources at/near the Sun (e.g., different acceleration sources/episodes during the same flare, contribution of energetic particles accelerated by the CME-driven shocks etc.); (4) asymmetric magnetic geometry and new magnetic topology models of the near-limb flares; (5) modeling of self-consistent time scenario of the event.     

Patterns of carbon monoxide in the middle atmosphere and effects of solar variability

We determine the spatial-time patterns of zonally averaged carbon monoxide (CO) in the middle atmosphere by applying Principle Component Analysis to the CO data obtained from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements on the Aura satellite in 2004–2012. The first two principal components characterize more than 90% of the CO variability. Both principal components are localized in the low thermosphere near the mesopause. The first principal component is asymmetric relative to the poles. It has opposite signs in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere at mid to high latitudes and strongly oscillates with an annual periodicity. The second principal component has the same sign in both hemispheres and oscillates mainly with a semi-annual frequency. Both principal components are modulated by the 11-year solar cycle and display short-term variations. To test possible correlations of these variations with the short term solar ultraviolet (UV) variability we use the simultaneous measurements of the UV solar radiance from the Solar-Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite to investigate the correlation between CO in the middle atmosphere and solar UV in 2004–2012. Using a wavelet coherence technique a weak, intermittent 27-day signal is detected in high-frequency parts of the CO principal components.     

大气湍流对深空天线组阵相位影响分析

深空测控网采用大规模天线组阵系统比单个大天线具有一定优势,构建一个Ka频段的天线组阵系统无论对于星际测控通信还是天文观测都是一种经济、可持续扩展的技术方案。然而天线组阵系统工作于Ka频段时,由于天线间相位的快速起伏漂移将使得合成信噪比迅速恶化,尤其对于深空测控上行链路信号的相位监测和闭环控制带来巨大挑战,所以对天线间大气相位扰动测量和数值模拟非常必要。参考国外相关的干涉测量数据,首先分析了天线组阵大气相位扰动测量和统计分析方法;然后利用微波大气湍流模型,建立了天线组阵相位漂移抖动模型;对大气湍流引起的相位延迟扰动过程进行了仿真实现。利用模型产生的天线组阵相位抖动数值,可以测试和评估天线组阵信号合成处理系统的适用性。     

TiAl＋Sb合金室温变形亚结构的研究

使用透射电子显微镜，较详细地研究了Ｔｉ－３４Ａｌ－０．５Ｓｂ（ｗｔ％）合金经过２～３％室温压缩塑性变形以后的变形亚结构。试验结果表明，ＴｉＡｌ＋Ｓｂ合金室温变形时，在ｒ相板条内形成大量变形孪晶。相邻板条呈某种位向关系下，可以以相界面作镜面，在其两侧的两片ｒ相板条内形成呈一一对应关系的变形孪晶。而在一些取向的ｒ相板条内只产生位错。