Preparation of the Biochip experiment on the EXPOSE-R2 mission outside the International Space Station

Biochips might be suited for planetary exploration. Indeed, they present great potential for the search for biomarkers – molecules that are the sign of past or present life in space – thanks to their size (miniaturized devices) and sensitivity. Their detection principle is based on the recognition of a target molecule by affinity receptors fixed on a solid surface. Consequently, one of the main concerns when developing such a system is the behavior of the biological receptors in a space environment. In this paper, we describe the preparation of an experiment planned to be part of the EXPOSE-R2 mission, which will be conducted on the EXPOSE-R facility, outside the International Space Station (ISS), in order to study the resistance of biochip models to space constraints (especially cosmic radiation and thermal cycling). This experiment overcomes the limits of ground tests which do not reproduce exactly the space parameters. Indeed, contrary to ground experiments where constraints are applied individually and in a limited time, the biochip models on the ISS will be exposed to cumulated constraints during several months. Finally, this ISS experiment is a necessary step towards planetary exploration as it will help assessing whether a biochip can be used for future exploration missions.     

CubeSail: A low cost CubeSat based solar sail demonstration mission

CubeSail is a nano-solar sail mission based on the 3U CubeSat standard, which is currently being designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey. CubeSail will have a total mass of around 3 kg and will deploy a 5 × 5 m sail in low Earth orbit. The primary aim of the mission is to demonstrate the concept of solar sailing and end-of-life de-orbiting using the sail membrane as a drag-sail. The spacecraft will have a compact 3-axis stabilised attitude control system, which uses three magnetic torquers aligned with the spacecraft principle axis as well as a novel two-dimensional translation stage separating the spacecraft bus from the sail. CubeSail’s deployment mechanism consists of four novel booms and four-quadrant sail membranes. The proposed booms are made from tape-spring blades and will deploy the sail membrane from a 2U CubeSat standard structure. This paper presents a systems level overview of the CubeSat mission, focusing on the mission orbit and de-orbiting, in addition to the deployment, attitude control and the satellite bus.     

导弹蒙皮红外辐射特性的数值计算与分析

采用逆向蒙特卡罗(RMC)计算方法,在给定的飞行状态下分别计算出亚声速与超声速导弹蒙皮辐射源在不同方位角的2～μm、8～14 μm波段红外光谱辐射强度及强度场分布.结果表明:对亚声速导弹,相对于8～14 μm,其2～μm的辐射可忽略不计;对超声速导弹,相对于2～μm,其8～14 μm的辐射只有0%左右,但其绝对值较大而不可忽略不计.导弹的红外辐射在0°～90°探测位置内增加,在90°～180°内减小.大气对低空亚声速导弹辐射衰减作用强,对高空超声速导弹辐射衰减作用弱.超声速导弹的最大辐射强度是亚声速的18倍.      

锥柱形药柱环形槽内传热现象的数值研究

采用标准k-ε湍流模型和离散传递热辐射模型对不同来流雷诺数下锥柱形药柱前向环形槽内的流场与传热进行了数值研究。对槽内各表面与热气流之间的换热量进行了比较,并对努塞尔数沿环形槽各表面的变化进行了分析。结果表明来流雷诺数的大小影响环形槽内的旋涡数和旋涡区域的分布,进而影响槽内温度的分布,最终影响槽内装药表面与点火热气流之间的换热量。整个计算结果可为装药设计和分析推进剂的热解燃烧提供参考。     

Asymmetric precipitation in a coronal loop as explanation of a singular observed spectrum

Almost 10 years of solar submillimeter observations have shown new aspects of solar activity, such as the presence of rapid solar spikes associated with the launch of coronal mass ejections and an increasing submillimeter spectral component in flares. We analyse the singular microwave–submillimeter spectrum of an M class solar flare on 20 December, 2002. Flux density observations measured by Sun patrol telescopes and the Solar Submillimeter Telescope are used to build the radio spectrum, which is fitted using Ramaty’s code. At submillimeter frequencies the spectrum shows a component different from the microwave classical burst. The fitting is achieved proposing two homogeneous sources of emission. This theoretical fitting is in agreement with differential precipitation through a magnetically asymmetric loop or set of loops. From a coronal magnetic field model we infer an asymmetric magnetic structure at the flare location. The model proposed to quantify the differential precipitation rates due to the asymmetry results in a total precipitation ratio Q₂/Q₁≈10⁴–10⁵, where Q₁(Q₂) represents the total precipitation in the loop foot with the high (low) magnetic field intensity. This ratio agrees with the electron total number ratio of the two sources proposed to fit the radio spectrum.     

空间环境模拟器热沉热辐射当量吸收特性研究

文章采用蒙特卡罗法模拟射线的传输过程,分别对两种热沉形式的热辐射当量吸收系数进行了数值计算,研究了表面形式、几何高度及入射光线方向等参数对表面热辐射当量吸收系数的影响。计算表明,正六边形凹腔形式的吸收效果远好于正四棱锥形式,但这种结构形式的吸收有明显的方向性,正四棱锥形式对光线的吸收呈现各向同性。     

SRAM FPGA电离辐射效应试验研究

针对SRAM FPGA空间应用日益增多,以100万门SRAM FPGA为样品,进行了单粒子效应和电离总剂量效应辐照试验。单粒子试验结果是:试验用粒子最小LET为1.66 MeV·cm2/mg,出现SEU（单粒子翻转）;LET为4.17 MeV·cm2/mg,出现SEFI（单粒子功能中断）,通过重新配置,样品功能恢复正常;LET在1.66～64.8 MeV?cm2/mg范围内,未出现SEL（单粒子锁定）;试验发现,随SEU数量的累积,样品功耗电流会随之增加,对样品进行重新配置,电流恢复正常。电离总剂量辐照试验结果是:辐照总剂量75 krad(Si)时,2只样品功能正常,功耗电流未见明显变化。辐照到87 krad(Si)时,样品出现功能失效。试验表明SRAM FPGA属于SEU敏感的器件,且存在SEFI。SEU和SEFI会破坏器件功能,导致系统故障。空间应用SRAM FPGA必须进行抗单粒子加固设计,推荐的加固方法是三模冗余（TMR）配合定时重新配置（Scrubbing）。关键部位如控制系统慎用SRAM FPGA。     

系统级链路预算方法

计算地面站和飞行器之间的通信链路余量问题常依赖于简单的数学叠加法,但在实际应用中,复杂飞行器模型以及气候条件等干扰因素都容易造成天线方向图的畸变,从而导致链路预算不准.为了尽可能准确评估链路性能,提出了一种系统级链路预算评估方法.应用旋转变换矩阵,建立了姿态变化造成天线方向图相对变化的关系式.仿真得出装机后天线方向图畸变信息.根据相对变化量对方向图信息作数据挖掘.按全系统链路余量表达式计算变姿态情况下链路余量.评估了一种超短波通信天线与地面站天线间的通信链路性能,以及飞机降落时航向天线和航向台站之间的通信链路问题,表明该方法具有一定工程应用价值.     

等离子体单极天线辐射特性和隐身性能研究

在等离子体单极天线工作原理的基础上,详细研究了等离子体表面波的色散关系,推导了等离子体的浓度分布和等离子体气柱长度与激励源的关系。并分析了离子体参数对等离子体天线谐振频率、方向图的影响,计算并比较了等离子体天线和普通天线的雷达散射截面。结果表明了等离子体天线具有优良性能和很好的隐身效果。     

A laboratory study on the thermally induced transformation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) to the cyanogen anion (CN) in Solar System analog ices

Mixtures of molecular nitrogen and methane have been identified in numerous outer Solar Systemices including the icy surfaces of Pluto and Triton. We have simulated the interaction of ionizing radiation in the Solar System by carrying out a radiolysis experiment on a methane – molecular nitrogen ice mixture with energetic electrons. We have identified the hydrogen cyanide molecule as the most prominent carbon–nitrogen-bearing reaction product formed. Upon warming the irradiated sample, we followed for the first time the kinetics and temporal evolution of the underlying acid–base chemistry which resulted in the formation of the cyanide ion from hydrogen cyanide. On the surfaces of Triton and Pluto and on comets in Oort’s cloud this sort of complex chemistry is likely to occur. In particular, hydrogen cyanide can be produced in low temperature environments (Oort cloud comets) and may be converted into cyanide ions once the comets reach the warmer regions of the Solar System.