Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument (MIMI) on the Cassini Mission to Saturn/Titan

The magnetospheric imaging instrument (MIMI) is a neutral and charged particle detection system on the Cassini orbiter spacecraft designed to perform both global imaging and in-situ measurements to study the overall configuration and dynamics of Saturn’s magnetosphere and its interactions with the solar wind, Saturn’s atmosphere, Titan, and the icy satellites. The processes responsible for Saturn’s aurora will be investigated; a search will be performed for substorms at Saturn; and the origins of magnetospheric hot plasmas will be determined. Further, the Jovian magnetosphere and Io torus will be imaged during Jupiter flyby. The investigative approach is twofold. (1) Perform remote sensing of the magnetospheric energetic (E > 7 keV) ion plasmas by detecting and imaging charge-exchange neutrals, created when magnetospheric ions capture electrons from ambient neutral gas. Such escaping neutrals were detected by the Voyager l spacecraft outside Saturn’s magnetosphere and can be used like photons to form images of the emitting regions, as has been demonstrated at Earth. (2) Determine through in-situ measurements the 3-D particle distribution functions including ion composition and charge states (E > 3 keV/e). The combination of in-situ measurements with global images, together with analysis and interpretation techniques that include direct “forward modeling’’ and deconvolution by tomography, is expected to yield a global assessment of magnetospheric structure and dynamics, including (a) magnetospheric ring currents and hot plasma populations, (b) magnetic field distortions, (c) electric field configuration, (d) particle injection boundaries associated with magnetic storms and substorms, and (e) the connection of the magnetosphere to ionospheric altitudes. Titan and its torus will stand out in energetic neutral images throughout the Cassini orbit, and thus serve as a continuous remote probe of ion flux variations near 20R _S (e.g., magnetopause crossings and substorm plasma injections). The Titan exosphere and its cometary interaction with magnetospheric plasmas will be imaged in detail on each flyby. The three principal sensors of MIMI consists of an ion and neutral camera (INCA), a charge–energy–mass-spectrometer (CHEMS) essentially identical to our instrument flown on the ISTP/Geotail spacecraft, and the low energy magnetospheric measurements system (LEMMS), an advanced design of one of our sensors flown on the Galileo spacecraft. The INCA head is a large geometry factor (G ∼ 2.4 cm² sr) foil time-of-flight (TOF) camera that separately registers the incident direction of either energetic neutral atoms (ENA) or ion species (≥5^∘ full width half maximum) over the range 7 keV/nuc < E < 3 MeV/nuc. CHEMS uses electrostatic deflection, TOF, and energy measurement to determine ion energy, charge state, mass, and 3-D anisotropy in the range 3 ≤ E ≤ 220 keV/e with good (∼0.05 cm² sr) sensitivity. LEMMS is a two-ended telescope that measures ions in the range 0.03 ≤ E ≤ 18 MeV and electrons 0.015 ≤ E≤ 0.884 MeV in the forward direction (G ∼ 0.02 cm² sr), while high energy electrons (0.1–5 MeV) and ions (1.6–160 MeV) are measured from the back direction (G ∼ 0.4 cm² sr). The latter are relevant to inner magnetosphere studies of diffusion processes and satellite microsignatures as well as cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND). Our analyses of Voyager energetic neutral particle and Lyman-α measurements show that INCA will provide statistically significant global magnetospheric images from a distance of ∼60 R _S every 2–3 h (every ∼10 min from ∼20 R _S). Moreover, during Titan flybys, INCA will provide images of the interaction of the Titan exosphere with the Saturn magnetosphere every 1.5 min. Time resolution for charged particle measurements can be < 0.1 s, which is more than adequate for microsignature studies. Data obtained during Venus-2 flyby and Earth swingby in June and August 1999, respectively, and Jupiter flyby in December 2000 to January 2001 show that the instrument is performing well, has made important and heretofore unobtainable measurements in interplanetary space at Jupiter, and will likely obtain high-quality data throughout each orbit of the Cassini mission at Saturn. Sample data from each of the three sensors during the August 18 Earth swingby are shown, including the first ENA image of part of the ring current obtained by an instrument specifically designed for this purpose. Similarily, measurements in cis-Jovian space include the first detailed charge state determination of Iogenic ions and several ENA images of that planet’s magnetosphere.This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

关于刚体转动的角速度和角加速度的讨论

在理论力学教学中，平面运动刚体的转动与基点无关的证明过于简单，本利用矢量代数的知识，证明平面运动刚体的角度与角加速度与基点的选择无关。     

The Plasma Environment of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Throughout the Rosetta Main Mission

The plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission target comet, is explored over a range of heliocentric distances throughout the mission: 3.25 AU (Rosetta instruments on), 2.7 AU (Lander down), 2.0 AU, and 1.3 AU (perihelion). Because of the large range of gas production rates, we have used both a fluid-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model as well as a semi-kinetic hybrid particle model to study the plasma distribution. We describe the variation in plasma environs over the mission as well as the differences between the two modeling approaches under different conditions. In addition, we present results from a field aligned, two-stream transport electron model of the suprathermal electron flux when the comet is near perihelion.     

余辉等离子体的实验研究

利用调制脉冲产生的余辉等离子体的参数测量表明:等离子体空间电位和电子温度的衰变是重要的,它在余辉等离子体的密度衰变过程研究中必须予以考虑.对容器中余辉等离子体密度径向分布的测量结果与理论预言是一致的.     

Using gamma-ray burst prompt emission to probe relativistic shock acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV–10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broad-band spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).     

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。     

A simple control law for reducing the effective characteristic acceleration of a solar sail

The direction and magnitude of a solar sail acceleration are strongly related. For this reason, once the characteristic acceleration has been fixed, it is not possible to modulate the acceleration in a particular direction. In this work, a semi-analytical switching control law is derived, enabling a solar sail to emulate a smaller effective characteristic acceleration (without changes in geometry or optical properties); by periodically changing the pitch (cone) angle of the sail, in average over time, the acceleration produced by the sail matches exactly (in both direction and magnitude) that of a “smaller” sail. The range in which this is possible is determined, and the limitations on this range due to the size difference is computed. The method is validated on optimal Earth-Mars trajectories.     

Hexapod多自由度微激励系统的振动时域波形控制

摘要： Hexapod多自由度微激励系统常用于航天器有效载荷在轨微振动环境的模拟，但采用现有控制方法无法精确稳定跟踪低频正弦加速度，这是由于系统耦合度高、非线性在低频段较强，被控对象相位滞后过大造成的.针对此问题，基于传统离线迭代控制方法，提出一种复合超前校正、多倍频陷波滤波器的改进离线迭代控制方法.其中，离线迭代进行补偿控制，超前校正进一步补偿系统相位，多倍频陷波滤波器去除非线性干扰.跟踪低频定频正弦加速度的实验结果表明，对比传统离线迭代控制方法，改进方法收敛快、控制精度高；对比现有自适应正弦振动控制方法，改进方法将符合精度要求的加速度控制频带下限由14.5 Hz扩宽至8 Hz.实验结果验证了所提方法的有效性.     

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。