Asymmetries in Mars' Exosphere

Observations and simulations show that Mars' atmosphere has large seasonal variations. Total atmospheric density can have an order of magnitude latitudinal variation at exobase heights. By numerical simulations we show that these latitude variations in exobase parameters induce asymmetries in the hydrogen exosphere that propagate to large distances from the planet. We show that these asymmetries in the exosphere produce asymmetries in the fluxes of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) and soft X-rays produced by charge exchange between the solar wind and exospheric hydrogen. This could be an explanation for asymmetries that have been observed in ENA and X-ray fluxes at Mars.     

High energy-density propulsion—reducing the risk to humans in planetary exploration

The potential benefits to humankind of space exploration are tremendous. Space is not only the final frontier but is also the next marketplace. The orbital space above Earth offers tremendous opportunities for both strategic assets and commercial development. The critical obstacle retarding the use of the space around the Earth is the lack of low cost access to orbit. Further out, the next giant leap for mankind will be the human exploration of Mars. Almost certainly within the next 30 years, a human crew will brave the isolation, the radiation, and the lack of gravity to walk on and explore the Red planet. Both of these missions will change the outlook and perspective of every human being on the planet. However, these missions are expensive and extremely difficult. Chemical propulsion has demonstrated an inability to achieve orbit cheaply and is a very high-risk option to accomplish the Mars mission. An alternative solution is to develop a high performance propulsion system. Nuclear propulsion has the potential to be such a system. The question will be whether humanity is willing to take on the challenge.     

Earthshine and Asteroseismology Telescope (East) Network

Several automated optical telescopes have been setup at appropriate longitudes around the globe to study earthshine variations and asteroseismology. The first telescope has been setup at Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain in October 2004. The intensity of earthshine relates to the average of Earth’s albedo, and in turn relates to the global temperature of the Earth. A global network is necessary because each site can measure the earthshine reflected from only a part of the Earth. The network will also be used for asteroseismology study. It can measure photometric variations of pulsating stars. The long-term and continuous measurements allow the accurate determination of mode frequencies of stellar pulsations, which provides information on the properties of stellar interior.     

火星探测用降落伞研制试验简介

文章主要介绍了美国火星探测用降落伞研制过程以及在研制过程中的一些主要试验，并同时指出了试验中的一些特点。     

A Possible Transfer Mechanism for the 11-Year Solar Cycle to the Lower Stratosphere

Observational evidence of the 11-year solar cycle (SC) modulation of stratosphere temperatures and winds from the ERA-40 dataset is reviewed, with emphasis on the Northern winter hemisphere. A frequency modulation of sudden warming events is noted, with warmings occurring earlier in solar minimum periods than in solar maximum periods. The observed interaction between the influence of the SC and the quasi biennial oscillation (QBO) on the frequency of sudden warmings is noted as a possible clue for understanding their mechanism of influence. A possible transfer route for the 11-year solar cycle from the equatorial stratopause region to the lowest part of the stratosphere is proposed, via an influence on sudden warming events and the associated induced meridional circulation. SC and QBO composites of zonal wind anomalies show anomalous wind distributions in the subtropical upper stratosphere in early winter. Mechanistic model experiments are reviewed that demonstrate a sensitivity of sudden warmings to small wind anomalies in this region. Various diagnostics from these experiments are shown, including EP fluxes and their divergence and also the synoptic evolution of the polar vortex, in order to understand the mechanism of the influence. Some recent GCM experiments to investigate the SC/QBO interaction are also described. They simulate reasonably well the observed SC/QBO interaction of sudden warming events and appear to support the hypothesis that tropical/subtropical upper stratospheric wind anomalies are an important influence on the timing of sudden warmings.     

火星大气来流模拟装置CFD仿真与试验

根据我国火星着陆巡视器工作过程,其着陆发动机需要在相对火星大气高速迎风运动中可靠点火。由于巡视器着陆时发动机喷管出口气流与火星稀薄气流方向相反,目前无法通过理论计算准确获得着陆过程的动态流场对发动机起动过程的影响量值。为验证火星着陆环境下发动机点火的适应性,需要建立发动机的火星大气来流试验环境模拟条件。为模拟发动机在火星大气条件下的相对运动,在真空舱内发动机保持固定,前端设置环形来流形成装置,该装置在发动机喷管周围形成一定速度的逆向来流包络。采用数值模拟技术结合试验验证方法,在火星着陆器巡视器主发动机性能考核试验中,针对来流的形成装置开展了设计研究工作。来流模拟试验测试数据表明:在确保贮箱供应压力稳定的条件下,来流模拟系统能够形成100~200 m/s速度的稳定来流,发动机在来流下能稳定启动工作,真空舱压力满足试验要求。     

一种主动悬架式火星车稳定裕度优化控制策略

针对火星车在非结构化环境下行驶存在的稳定性不足而导致倾覆的风险,提出针对一种六轮主动悬架式火星车的稳定裕度优化控制方法。首先,考虑了火星车悬架机构调整过程中车轮与接触地面滑移和侧倾等运动关系,建立和完善了六轮主动悬架式火星车行驶的运动学模型。然后,以火星车夹角调整机构角度为变量,推导火星车在非结构环境下的稳定裕度模型。之后,使用内点法求解火星车稳定裕度的最优解,并获得期望的夹角调整机构关节角度。在此基础上,对夹角调整机构的关节角度进行规划和控制,实现火星车悬架机构构型的调整,从而提高火星车在非结构化环境下行驶的稳定裕度。最后,对火星车稳定裕度优化控制策略的有效性进行仿真验证,结果表明,所提出的控制方法可有效提高火星车在非结构化环境下行驶的稳定裕度。     

大气紊流环境下的纵向飞行参数响应分析

介绍了大气紊流环境下飞机纵向飞行参数的计算与匹配方法.由于紊流的随机性特征,飞行参数响应分析采用时域与频域相结合的方式,对某型飞机紊流环境下的纵向飞行参数进行了计算分析.采用所介绍的方法,可以获得比较合理的飞行情况来指导型号设计工作.     

太阳表面水平运动驱动的磁圈与开放磁场重联的模拟研究

太阳大气的诸多观测事件(如耀斑、喷流等)均被归因于磁重联产生的能量转换. 近年来, 关于太阳风起源, 有研究提出了磁重联使闭合磁圈开放为太阳风供应物质的新模式. 在该模式中, 闭合磁圈被光球超米粒组织对流携带, 向超米粒边界运动, 与位于边界的开放磁场相碰撞进而发生磁重联. 该模式中磁重联的驱动及其效应是本文的研究目标. 磁流体力学(MHD)数值模拟是研究太阳大气磁重联物理过程的重要途径. 本文建立了一个二维MHD数值模型, 结合太阳大气温度和密度的分层分布, 在超米粒组织尺度上模拟了水平流动驱动的闭合磁圈与开放磁场的重联过程. 通过对模拟结果的定量分析, 认为磁重联确实能够将闭合磁圈的物质释放, 进而供应给新的开放磁结构并产生向上流动. 该结果为进一步模拟研究太阳风初始外流奠定了基础.      

Autonomous navigation of Mars probe using X-ray pulsars: Modeling and results

Autonomous navigation of Mars probe is a main challenge due to the lack of dense ground tracking network measurements. In this paper, autonomous navigation of the Mars probe Orbits is investigated using the X-ray pulsars. A group of X-ray pulsars with high ranging accuracy are selected based on their properties and an adaptive extended Kalman filter is developed to incorporate the Mars probe dynamics and pulsar-based ranging measurements. Results of numerical experiment show that the three-dimensional positioning accuracy can achieve 750m in X-axis, 220m in Y-axis and 230m in Z-axis, which is much better than the positioning results by current Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) or Doppler observations with the accuracy of 150 km or several kilometers, respectively.