Engineering concepts for inflatable Mars surface greenhouses.

A major challenge of designing a bioregenerative life support system for Mars is the reduction of the mass, volume, power, thermal and crew-time requirements. Structural mass of the greenhouse could be saved by operating the greenhouse at low atmospheric pressure. This paper investigates the feasibility of this concept. The method of equivalent system mass is used to compare greenhouses operated at high atmospheric pressure to greenhouses operated at low pressure for three different lighting methods: natural, artificial and hybrid lighting.     

Theory and Modeling for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission will provide measurement capabilities, which will exceed those of earlier and even contemporary missions by orders of magnitude. MMS will, for the first time, be able to measure directly and with sufficient resolution key features of the magnetic reconnection process, down to the critical electron scales, which need to be resolved to understand how reconnection works. Owing to the complexity and extremely high spatial resolution required, no prior measurements exist, which could be employed to guide the definition of measurement requirements, and consequently set essential parameters for mission planning and execution. Insight into expected details of the reconnection process could hence only been obtained from theory and modern kinetic modeling. This situation was recognized early on by MMS leadership, which supported the formation of a fully integrated Theory and Modeling Team (TMT). The TMT participated in all aspects of mission planning, from the proposal stage to individual aspects of instrument performance characteristics. It provided and continues to provide to the mission the latest insights regarding the kinetic physics of magnetic reconnection, as well as associated particle acceleration and turbulence, assuring that, to the best of modern knowledge, the mission is prepared to resolve the inner workings of the magnetic reconnection process. The present paper provides a summary of key recent results or reconnection research by TMT members.     

Lick Observatory Optical SETI: targeted search and new directions

Lick Observatory's Optical SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) program has been in regular operation for 4.5 years. We have observed 4,605 stars of spectral types F-M within 200 light-years of Earth. Occasionally, we have appended objects of special interest, such as stars with known planetary systems. We have observed 14 candidate signals ("triple coincidences"), all but one of which are explained by transient local difficulties. Additional observations of the remaining candidate have failed to confirm arriving pulse events. We now plan to proceed in a more economical manner by operating in an unattended drift scan mode. Between operational and equipment modifications, efficiency will more than double.     

Earth as an extrasolar planet: Earth model validation using EPOXI earth observations

The EPOXI Discovery Mission of Opportunity reused the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft to obtain spatially and temporally resolved visible photometric and moderate resolution near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic observations of Earth. These remote observations provide a rigorous validation of whole-disk Earth model simulations used to better understand remotely detectable extrasolar planet characteristics. We have used these data to upgrade, correct, and validate the NASA Astrobiology Institute's Virtual Planetary Laboratory three-dimensional line-by-line, multiple-scattering spectral Earth model. This comprehensive model now includes specular reflectance from the ocean and explicitly includes atmospheric effects such as Rayleigh scattering, gas absorption, and temperature structure. We have used this model to generate spatially and temporally resolved synthetic spectra and images of Earth for the dates of EPOXI observation. Model parameters were varied to yield an optimum fit to the data. We found that a minimum spatial resolution of ～100 pixels on the visible disk, and four categories of water clouds, which were defined by using observed cloud positions and optical thicknesses, were needed to yield acceptable fits. The validated model provides a simultaneous fit to Earth's lightcurve, absolute brightness, and spectral data, with a root-mean-square (RMS) error of typically less than 3% for the multiwavelength lightcurves and residuals of ～10% for the absolute brightness throughout the visible and NIR spectral range. We have extended our validation into the mid-infrared by comparing the model to high spectral resolution observations of Earth from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, obtaining a fit with residuals of ～7% and brightness temperature errors of less than 1?K in the atmospheric window. For the purpose of understanding the observable characteristics of the distant Earth at arbitrary viewing geometry and observing cadence, our validated forward model can be used to simulate Earth's time-dependent brightness and spectral properties for wavelengths from the far ultraviolet to the far infrared. Key Words: Astrobiology-Extrasolar terrestrial planets-Habitability-Planetary science-Radiative transfer. Astrobiology 11, 393-408.     

基于遗传算法的参数优化在控制器设计中的应用

本文详述了遗传算法作为一种随机搜索算法在控制器设计参数优化中的应用。从遗传算法基本原理入手，结合工程实际，论述了遗传算法在PID控制器设计、鲁棒控制器设计、最优控制、系统参数辨识、模糊逻辑控制系统和神经网络控制中的应用成果。讨论了影响遗传算法的因素，并提出了改进的策略。     

Space missions for SETI.

Radio Telescopes for SETI searches are less demanding than general purpose astronomical radio telescopes. This provides an opportunity to exploit economical approaches in designing SETI systems. Radio Telescopes in low Earth orbit offer no discernible advantages to SETI; indeed, they probably would perform more poorly than a telescope in any other location. Telescopes in geosynchronous orbits would be sufficiently far from Earth to mitigate greatly the deleterious effect of human radio transmissions. Telescopes on the far side of the moon would be superb both from a radio interference standpoint, and from a civil engineering standpoint. Single-reflector telescopes as large as 50 kilometers in diameter could be constructed with conventional materials. However, their costs appear prohibitive. The asteroid belt and the outer solar system are unpromising places to place a large radio telescope. Perhaps the ultimate radio telescope would utilize the sun as a gravitational lens, focusing radiation on free-flying 10-meter class or possibly larger radio telescopes located at distances of the order of 1000 A.U. from the sun. Such a combination has an energy collecting area at 10 centimeters wavelength equivalent to that of a radio telescope about 11 kilometers in diameter, or of the order of 3000 Arecibo radio telescopes. Such a system could detect transmitters with EIRP of the order of a gigawatt at a distance of the order of the distance to the galactic center.     

The Toroidal Imaging Mass-Angle Spectrograph (TIMAS) for the polar mission

The science objectives of the Toroidal Imaging Mass-Angle Spectrograph (TIMAS) are to investigate the transfer of solar wind energy and momentum to the magnetosphere, the interaction between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere, the transport processes that distribute plasma and energy throughout the magnetosphere, and the interactions that occur as plasma of different origins and histories mix and interact. In order to meet these objectives the TIMAS instrument measures virtually the full three-dimensional velocity distribution functions of all major magnetospheric ion species with one-half spin period time resolution. The TIMAS is a first-order double focusing (angle and energy), imaging spectrograph that simultaneously measures all mass per charge components from 1 AMU e^–1 to greater than 32 AMU e^–1 over a nearly 360° by 10° instantaneous field-of-view. Mass per charge is dispersed radially on an annular microchannel plate detector and the azimuthal position on the detector is a map of the instantaneous 360° field of view. With the rotation of the spacecraft, the TIMAS sweeps out very nearly a 4 solid angle image in a half spin period. The energy per charge range from 15 eV e^–1 to 32 keV e^–1 is covered in 28 non-contiguous steps spaced approximately logarithmically with adjacent steps separated by about 30%. Each energy step is sampled for approximately 20 ms;14 step (odd or even) energy sweeps are completed 16 times per spin. In order to handle the large volume of data within the telemetry limitations the distributions are compressed to varying degrees in angle and energy, log-count compressed and then further compressed by a lossless technique. This data processing task is supported by two SA3300 microprocessors. The voltages (up to 5 kV) for the tandem toroidal electrostatic analyzers and preacceleration sections are supplied from fixed high voltage supplies using optically controlled series-shunt regulators.     

航空板结构强度的边界元法

边界元即边界积分方程方法,可方便地用来解板弯曲问题。本文在局部极坐标下建立公式,采用具有较高协调性的函数插值方案,利用外点技术完全避免边界奇异积分。列举的一系列算例表明该方法输入数据少、机时省、精度高,是板结构强度分析的一个有效方法。     

High precision gamma-ray spectrometer PGS for Russian interplanetary mission to Mars

The high precision gamma-ray spectrometer (PGS) is scheduled to be launched on the Russian MARS mission in 1996, and to go into an elliptical polar orbit around Mars. The PGS consists of two high-purity germanium detectors, associated electronics, and a passive cooler and will be deployed from one of the solar panels. The PGS will measure nuclear gamma-ray emissions from the Martian surface, cosmic gamma-ray bursts, and the high-energy component of solar flares in the broad energy range from 50 keV to 8 MeV in 4096 energy channels. The first results are presented of development, integration and qualification of the instrument, both for the passive cooler and for the detector with spectrometric electronics.