导航卫星高精度太阳光压摄动分析建模及验证

为提高导航卫星精密定轨与轨道预报精度,提出了一种导航卫星太阳光压摄动的分析建模方法.相较于其他摄动因素模型完善且精度较高,光压摄动由于太阳活动导致太阳能量误差、卫星姿态控制误差和表面材料老化等问题,是最难以精确建模的摄动源,也是动力学模型最大的误差源.基于此,提出了一种基于卫星的姿态控制规律,通过分析法建立卫星太阳光压摄动模型,给出了光压摄动加速度在星体坐标系中的模型,并以GPSBlock IIR为例进行了验证.计算结果表明,该仿真分析法所建立的摄动模型与T30模型、ECOM模型精度接近,达到了光压建模研究的初步计算要求.     

Some problems with developing a standard for determining solar energetic particle fluxes

Based on the author’s experience in ISO TC20/SC14 Working Group 4, this paper discusses the common problems encountered when developing a standard for solar energetic particle (SEP) fluxes. The problem involving the reliability of the distribution function describing the SEP events and the interpolation of this function into the region of not-yet-observed large events are discussed. The problems with describing the fluences of SEPs over a wide range of energy in the form of energetic spectra are analyzed. Requirements for SEP flux models are formulated. The reliability of some SEP flux models is determined by comparing their predictions with the experimental data.     

帆板转动时卫星姿态的非线性控制

当帆板转动时，卫星姿态因系统质量特性的改变和帆板驱动力矩的作用而发生扰动，本文采用一种具有鲁棒性的非线性控制方法，实现了高精度的卫星姿态控制。     

Ionospheric wave signature of the American solar eclipse on 21 August 2017 in Europe

A total solar eclipse occurred on 21 August 2017, with the path of totality starting over the North Pacific Ocean, crossing North-America and ending over the Mid-Atlantic Ocean slightly North of the equator. As a result, a partial solar eclipse was observed as far away as the Western Europe. The ionospheric observatory in Dourbes, Belgium, was right on the edge of the partial eclipse and was exposed for a very short period of only few minutes just before the local sunset. High-resolution ionospheric measurements were carried out at the observatory with collocated digital ionosonde and GNSS receivers. The data analysis revealed a clear wave-like pattern in the ionosphere that can be seen arriving before the local onset of the eclipse. The paper details the analysis and provides a possible explanation of the observed phenomenon.     

Improving the orbits of GPS block IIA satellites during eclipse seasons

During Sun-Earth eclipse seasons, GPS-IIA satellites perform noon, shadow and post-shadow yaw maneuvers. If the yaw maneuvers are not properly taken into account in the orbit determination process, two problems appear: (1) the observations residuals increase since the modeled position of the satellite’s navigation antenna differs from the true position, and (2) the non-conservative forces like solar radiation pressure or Earth radiation pressure are mismodeled due to the wrong orientation of the satellite’s surfaces in space.     

Ionospheric responses to the 21 August 2017 great American solar eclipse – A multi-instrument study

Herein, we report on the ionospheric responses to a total solar eclipse that occurred on 21 August 2017 over the US region. Ground-based GPS total electron content (TEC) data along with ground-based measurements (Millstone Hill Observatory (MHO) and digital ionosondes) and space-based measurements (COSMIC radio occultation (RO) technique) allowed us to identify eclipse-associated ionospheric responses. TEC data at ~20°, ~30°, and ~40°N latitudes from the west to east longitudes show not only considerable depression but also wave-like characteristics in TEC both in the path of totality and away from it, exclusively on the day of eclipse. Interestingly, the observed depressions are associated with lesser (higher) magnitudes at stations over which the solar obscuration percentage was meager (significant), a clear indication of bow-wave-like features. The MHO observes a 30% reduction in F₂-layer electron densities between 180 and 220 km on eclipse day. Ionosonde-scaled parameters over Boulder (40.4°N, 100°E) and Austin (30.4°N, 94.4°E) show a significant decrease in critical frequencies while an altitude elevation is seen in the virtual heights of the F-layer only during the eclipse day and that decreases are associated with wave-like signatures, which could be attributed to eclipse-generated waves. The estimated vertical electron density profile from the COSMIC RO-based technique shows a maximum depletion of 40%. Relatively intense and moderate depths of TEC depression, considerable reductions in the F₂-layer electron densities measured by the MHO and COSMIC RO-measured densities at the F₂-layer peak, and elevations in virtual heights and reduction in the critical frequencies measured by ionosondes during the eclipse day could be due to the eclipse-induced dynamical effects such as gravity waves (GWs) and their associated electro-dynamical effects (modification of ionospheric electric fields due to GWs).     

Energization of charged particle in a time-dependent chaotic magnetic field with an implication of the production of seed particles in solar energetic particle events

We investigate the acceleration of charged particles in a time-dependent chaotic magnetic field in this work. In earlier works, it has been demonstrated that in an asymmetric wire-loop current systems (WLCSs), the magnetic field is of chaotic in nature. Furthermore, observations also showed that there exist time-varying current loops and current filaments in solar corona. It is therefore natural to conceive that the magnetic field on the solar surface is chaotic and time-dependent. Here, we develop a numerical model to study the acceleration process of charged particles in a time-varying chaotic magnetic field that is generated by an ensemble of 8 WLCSs. We found that the motion of energetic particles in the system is of diffusive in nature and a power law spectrum can quickly develop. The mechanism examined here may serve as an efficient pre-acceleration mechanism that generates the so-called seed particles for diffusive shock acceleration at a coronal mass ejection (CME) driven shock in large solar energetic particle (SEP) events.     

Coupling of earth’s magnetosphere,solar wind and lunar plasma environment

The Moon does not have significant atmosphere and magnetic field. So it was considered like a passive absorber of incoming plasma. The latest observation revealed that the significant deflected proton fluxes exist over magnetic anomalies at lunar surface. Such deflection implies that the magnetic anomalies may act as magnetosphere-like obstacles (mini-magnetospheres), modifying the upstream plasma.     

Issues in planetary protection: policy, protocol and implementation

Planetary protection is NASA's term for the practice of protecting solar system bodies from Earth life while protecting Earth from life that may be brought back from other solar system bodies. Spacefaring nations will soon begin retrieving samples from Mars and other solar system bodies. For these samples, planetary protection is in order, and measures are already in place to prevent the forward contamination of Mars and other bodies by Earth microbes and the backward contamination of Earth by possible extraterrestrial life. A major goal of planetary protection controls on forward contamination is to preserve the planetary record of natural processes by preventing human-caused microbial introductions.