Broadening of Fe X (6374 Å) profiles above the limb in a coronal hole

Profiles of the visible Fe X (6374 Å) coronal emission line as a function of height above the limb were obtained out to 1.16 solar radii in a coronal hole using the NSO/Sacramento Peak Observatory Coronagraph, Universal Spectrograph and a CCD camera. These are the first coronal line profiles obtained as a function of height in a coronal hole from the ground. Analysis of the line widths suggests a large component of nonthermal broadening which increases with height ranging from 40 to 60 km/s, depending upon the assumed temperature or thermal component of the profile.     

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。     

Statistical Analysis of EUV and UV Lines Inside and Outside of Solar Coronal Holes

Two studies performed with SUMER (the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation spectrometer on SOHO) in September 1996 are presented. Spatial scans, a long exposure time and a broad spectral window provide reliable line profiles for various regions of the Sun (off-limb corona, coronal hole, quiet Sun, bright and dark regions on disk) and for different formation temperatures (Si II, 14 000 K; C IV, 100 000 K; Ne VIII, 630 000 K). Line intensity, position and width distributions are presented together with the line positions relative to the wavelength seen above the limb. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

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 resolution solar ultraviolet measurements

The increase of our understanding of the processes acting in the solar corona and maintaining it is strongly dependent on the quality of the data that are obtained to check theories. The fine structure of the solar atmosphere seen from the photosphere and extending to the hottest parts of the corona requires data with high resolution in all parameter space (angular, spectral and temporal). To constrain the hypotheses that are proposed to describe the solar corona, it is necessary to establish an accurate energy budget taking into account the processes which are acting from the chromosphere to the corona. Some requirements can be established and compared with the data collected so far (or about to be collected) with the present SUMER (Solar Utraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiations) instrumentation.     

Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

Scheduled to land in August of 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission was initiated to explore the habitability of Mars. This includes both modern environments as well as ancient environments recorded by the stratigraphic rock record preserved at the Gale crater landing site. The Curiosity rover has a designed lifetime of at least one Mars year (～23?months), and drive capability of at least 20?km. Curiosity’s science payload was specifically assembled to assess habitability and includes a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and gas analyzer that will search for organic carbon in rocks, regolith fines, and the atmosphere (SAM instrument); an x-ray diffractometer that will determine mineralogical diversity (CheMin instrument); focusable cameras that can image landscapes and rock/regolith textures in natural color (MAHLI, MARDI, and Mastcam instruments); an alpha-particle x-ray spectrometer for in situ determination of rock and soil chemistry (APXS instrument); a?laser-induced breakdown spectrometer to remotely sense the chemical composition of rocks and minerals (ChemCam instrument); an active neutron spectrometer designed to search for water in rocks/regolith (DAN instrument); a weather station to measure modern-day environmental variables (REMS instrument); and a sensor designed for continuous monitoring of background solar and cosmic radiation (RAD instrument). The various payload elements will work together to detect and study potential sampling targets with remote and in situ measurements; to acquire samples of rock, soil, and atmosphere and analyze them in onboard analytical instruments; and to observe the environment around the rover. The 155-km diameter Gale crater was chosen as Curiosity’s field site based on several attributes: an interior mountain of ancient flat-lying strata extending almost 5?km above the elevation of the landing site; the lower few hundred meters of the mountain show a progression with relative age from clay-bearing to sulfate-bearing strata, separated by an unconformity from overlying likely anhydrous strata; the landing ellipse is characterized by a mixture of alluvial fan and high thermal inertia/high albedo stratified deposits; and a number of stratigraphically/geomorphically distinct fluvial features. Samples of the crater wall and rim rock, and more recent to currently active surface materials also may be studied. Gale has a well-defined regional context and strong evidence for a progression through multiple potentially habitable environments. These environments are represented by a stratigraphic record of extraordinary extent, and insure preservation of a rich record of the environmental history of early Mars. The interior mountain of Gale Crater has been informally designated at Mount Sharp, in honor of the pioneering planetary scientist Robert Sharp. The major subsystems of the MSL Project consist of a single rover (with science payload), a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, an Earth-Mars cruise stage, an entry, descent, and landing system, a launch vehicle, and the mission operations and ground data systems. The primary communication path for downlink is relay through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The primary path for uplink to the rover is Direct-from-Earth. The secondary paths for downlink are Direct-to-Earth and relay through the Mars Odyssey orbiter. Curiosity is a scaled version of the 6-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, rocker bogie system from the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity and the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner. Like Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity offers three primary modes of navigation: blind-drive, visual odometry, and visual odometry with hazard avoidance. Creation of terrain maps based on HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) and other remote sensing data were used to conduct simulated driving with Curiosity in these various modes, and allowed selection of the Gale crater landing site which requires climbing the base of a mountain to achieve its primary science goals. The Sample Acquisition, Processing, and Handling (SA/SPaH) subsystem is responsible for the acquisition of rock and soil samples from the Martian surface and the processing of these samples into fine particles that are then distributed to the analytical science instruments. The SA/SPaH subsystem is also responsible for the placement of the two contact instruments (APXS, MAHLI) on rock and soil targets. SA/SPaH consists of a robotic arm and turret-mounted devices on the end of the arm, which include a drill, brush, soil scoop, sample processing device, and the mechanical and electrical interfaces to the two contact science instruments. SA/SPaH also includes drill bit boxes, the organic check material, and an observation tray, which are all mounted on the front of the rover, and inlet cover mechanisms that are placed over the SAM and CheMin solid sample inlet tubes on the rover top deck.     

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) Investigation

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is an energetic particle detector designed to measure a broad spectrum of energetic particle radiation. It will make the first-ever direct radiation measurements on the surface of Mars, detecting galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, secondary neutrons, and other secondary particles created both in the atmosphere and in the Martian regolith. The radiation environment on Mars, both past and present, may have implications for habitability and the ability to sustain life. Radiation exposure is also a major concern for future human missions. The RAD instrument combines charged- and neutral-particle detection capability over a wide dynamic range in a compact, low-mass, low-power instrument. These capabilities are required in order to measure all the important components of the radiation environment. RAD consists of the RAD Sensor Head (RSH) and the RAD Electronics Box (REB) integrated together in a small, compact volume. The RSH contains a solid-state detector telescope with three silicon PIN diodes for charged particle detection, a thallium doped Cesium Iodide scintillator, plastic scintillators for neutron detection and anti-coincidence shielding, and the front-end electronics. The REB contains three circuit boards, one with a novel mixed-signal ASIC for processing analog signals and an associated control FPGA, another with a second FPGA to communicate with the rover and perform onboard analysis of science data, and a third board with power supplies and power cycling or “sleep”-control electronics. The latter enables autonomous operation, independent of commands from the rover. RAD is a highly capable and highly configurable instrument that paves the way for future compact energetic particle detectors in space.     

Search for Signatures of a Coronal Hole in Transition Region Lines Near Disk Center

The analysis of data taken by SUMER near disk center, where a small coronal hole is observed in EIT images, is performed. From the measurements of Doppler non-thermal velocities and intensities, we search for the diagnostics and the signature of small scale structures in the coronal hole using transition region lines. Transition region lines in the range of 7 × 10⁴ K to 2.5 × 10⁵ K have a non-thermal velocity excess of 4.0 to 5.5 km s^-1 relative to the contiguous quiet Sun. While the average intensity is lower in the coronal hole than in the quiet area, this result shows an increase of turbulence at the base of the high speed solar wind. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.