A Dynamical Systems Approach to the Design of the Science Orbit Around Europa

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Gerard; Lara, Martin; Russell, Ryan P.

2006-01-01

The science orbit for a future mission to Europa requires low eccentricity, low altitude, and high inclination. However, high inclination orbits around planetary satellites are unstable due to third-body perturbations. Without control, the orbiter impacts Europa after few weeks. To minimize control, a tour over the stable-unstable, averaged manifolds of unstable frozen orbits has been suggested. We proceed with the unaveraged equations and study the manifolds of unstable orbits that are periodic in a rotating frame attached to Europa. Massive numerical computation helps in understanding the unstable dynamics close to Europa, and, thus, in selecting long lifetime high inclination orbits. A final test of a selected set of initial conditions on a high fidelity, ephemeris model, validate the results.

On-Orbit Planetary Science Laboratories for Simulating Surface Conditions of Planets and Small Bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Thangavelautham, J.; Asphaug, E.; Schwartz, S.

2017-02-01

Our work has identified the use of on-orbit centrifuge science laboratories as a key enabler towards low-cost, fast-track physical simulation of off-world environments for future planetary science missions.

Titan Orbiter Aerorover Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Sittler Jr., E. C.; Acuna, M.; Burchell, M. J.; Coates, A.; Farrell, W.; Flasar, M.; Goldstein, B. E.; Gorevan, S.; Hartle, R. E.; Johnson, W. T. K.

2001-01-01

We propose a combined Titan orbiter and Titan Aerorover mission with an emphasis on both in situ and remote sensing measurements of Titan's surface, atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetospheric interaction. The biological aspect of the Titan environment will be emphasized by the mission (i.e., search for organic materials which may include simple organics to 'amono' analogues of amino acids and possibly more complex, lightening detection and infrared, ultraviolet, and charged particle interactions with Titan's surface and atmosphere). An international mission is assumed to control costs. NASA will provide the orbiter, launch vehicle, DSN coverage and operations, while international partners will provide the Aerorover and up to 30% of the cost for the scientific instruments through collaborative efforts. To further reduce costs we propose a single PI for orbiter science instruments and a single PI for Aerorover science instruments. This approach will provide single command/data and power interface between spacecraft and orbiter instruments that will have redundant central DPU and power converter for their instruments. A similar approach could be used for the Aerorover. The mission profile will be constructed to minimize conflicts between Aerorover science, orbiter radar science, orbiter radio science, orbiter imaging science, and orbiter fields and particles (FP) science. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

EPSILON AURIGAE: AN IMPROVED SPECTROSCOPIC ORBITAL SOLUTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanik, Robert P.; Torres, Guillermo; Lovegrove, Justin; Latham, David W.; Zajac, Joseph; Pera, Vivian E.; Mazeh, Tsevi

2010-01-01

A rare eclipse of the mysterious object ε Aurigae will occur in 2009-2011. We report an updated single-lined spectroscopic solution for the orbit of the primary star based on 20 years of monitoring at the CfA, combined with historical velocity observations dating back to 1897. There are 518 new CfA observations obtained between 1989 and 2009. Two solutions are presented. One uses the velocities outside the eclipse phases together with mid-times of previous eclipses, from photometry dating back to 1842, which provide the strongest constraint on the ephemeris. This yields a period of 9896.0 ± 1.6 days (27.0938 ± 0.0044 years) with a velocity semi-amplitude of 13.84 ± 0.23 km s -1 and an eccentricity of 0.227 ± 0.011. The middle of the current ongoing eclipse predicted by this combined fit is JD 2,455,413.8 ± 4.8, corresponding to 2010 August 5. If we use only the radial velocities, we find that the predicted middle of the current eclipse is nine months earlier. This would imply that the gravitating companion is not the same as the eclipsing object. Alternatively, the purely spectroscopic solution may be biased by perturbations in the velocities due to the short-period oscillations of the supergiant.

Moving Towards a Science-Driven Workbench for Earth Science Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Graves, S. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Law, E.; Yang, C. P.; Keiser, K.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded EarthCube Integration and Test Environment (ECITE) prototype was proposed as a 2015 Integrated Activities project and resulted in the prototyping of an EarthCube federated cloud environment and the Integration and Testing Framework. The ECITE team has worked with EarthCube science and technology governance committees to define the types of integration, testing and evaluation necessary to achieve and demonstrate interoperability and functionality that benefit and support the objectives of the EarthCube cyber-infrastructure. The scope of ECITE also includes reaching beyond NSF and EarthCube to work with the broader Earth science community, such as the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) to incorporate lessons learned from other testbed activities, and ultimately provide broader community benefits. This presentation will discuss evolving ECITE ideas for a science-driven workbench that will start with documented science use cases, map the use cases to solution scenarios that identify the available technology and data resources that match the use case, the generation of solution workflows and test plans, the testing and evaluation of the solutions in a cloud environment, and finally the documentation of identified technology and data gaps that will assist with driving the development of additional EarthCube resources.

A Complete First-Order Analytical Solution for Optimal Low-Thrust Limited-Power Transfers Between Coplanar Orbits with Small Eccentricities

Science.gov (United States)

Da Silva Fernandes, Sandro; Das Chagas Carvalho, Francisco; Vilhena de Moraes, Rodolpho

The purpose of this work is to present a complete first order analytical solution, which includes short periodic terms, for the problem of optimal low-thrust limited power trajectories with large amplitude transfers (no rendezvous) between coplanar orbits with small eccentricities in Newtonian central gravity field. The study of these transfers is particularly interesting because the orbits found in practice often have a small eccentricity and the problem of transferring a vehicle from a low earth orbit to a high earth orbit is frequently found. Besides, the analysis has been motivated by the renewed interest in the use of low-thrust propulsion systems in space missions verified in the last two decades. Several researchers have obtained numerical and sometimes analytical solutions for a number of specific initial orbits and specific thrust profiles. Averaging methods are also used in such researches. Firstly, the optimization problem associated to the space transfer problem is formulated as a Mayer problem of optimal control with Cartesian elements - position and velocity vectors - as state variables. After applying the Pontryagin Maximum Principle, successive Mathieu transformations are performed and suitable sets of orbital elements are introduced. The short periodic terms are eliminated from the maximum Hamiltonian function through an infinitesimal canonical transformation built through Hori method - a perturbation canonical method based on Lie series. The new Hamiltonian function, which results from the infinitesimal canonical transformation, describes the extremal trajectories for long duration maneuvers. Closed-form analytical solutions are obtained for the new canonical system by solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equation through the separation of variables technique. By applying the transformation equations of the algorithm of Hori method, a first order analytical solution for the problem is obtained in non-singular orbital elements. For long duration maneuvers

On-Orbit Assembly of a Universally Interlocking Modular Spacecraft (7224-110), Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Physical Sciences Inc. and Advanced Solutions, Inc. propose a novel approach for on-orbit assembly of a modular spacecraft using a unique universal, intelligent,...

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Instrument Modelling Approach to Streamline Science Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz Fernandez, Michela; Frew, David; Ashman, Michael; Cardesin Moinelo, Alejandro; Garcia Beteta, Juan Jose; Geiger, Bernhard; Metcalfe, Leo; Nespoli, Federico; Muniz Solaz, Carlos

2018-05-01

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) science operations activities are centralised at ESAC's Science Operations Centre (SOC). The SOC receives the inputs from the principal investigators (PIs) in order to implement and deliver the spacecraft pointing requests and instrument timelines to the Mission Operations Centre (MOC). The high number of orbits per planning cycle has made it necessary to abstract the planning interactions between the SOC and the PI teams at the observation level. This paper describes the modelling approach we have conducted for TGOís instruments to streamline science operations. We have created dynamic observation types that scale to adapt to the conditions specified by the PI teams including observation timing, and pointing block parameters calculated from observation geometry. This approach is considered and improvement with respect to previous missions where the generation of the observation pointing and commanding requests was performed manually by the instrument teams. Automation software assists us to effectively handle the high density of planned orbits with increasing volume of scientific data and to successfully meet opportunistic scientific goals and objectives. Our planning tool combines the instrument observation definition files provided by the PIs together with the flight dynamics products to generate the Pointing Requests and the instrument timeline (ITL). The ITL contains all the validated commands at the TC sequence level and computes the resource envelopes (data rate, power, data volume) within the constraints. At the SOC, our main goal is to maximise the science output while minimising the number of iterations among the teams, ensuring that the timeline does not violate the state transitions allowed in the Mission Operations Rules and Constraints Document.

Trajectory Options for a Potential Mars Mission Combining Orbiting Science, Relay and a Sample Return Rendezvous Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Guinn, Joseph R.; Kerridge, Stuart J.; Wilson, Roby S.

2012-01-01

Mars sample return is a major scientific goal of the 2011 US National Research Council Decadal Survey for Planetary Science. Toward achievement of this goal, recent architecture studies have focused on several mission concept options for the 2018/2020 Mars launch opportunities. Mars orbiters play multiple roles in these architectures such as: relay, landing site identification/selection/certification, collection of on-going or new measurements to fill knowledge gaps, and in-orbit collection and transportation of samples from Mars to Earth. This paper reviews orbiter concepts that combine these roles and describes a novel family of relay orbits optimized for surface operations support. Additionally, these roles provide an intersection of objectives for long term NASA science, human exploration, technology development and international collaboration.

Doing Your Science While You're in Orbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, Mark L; Miller, Stephen D; Vazhkudai, Sudharshan S; Trater, James R

2010-01-01

Large-scale neutron facilities such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory need easy-to-use access to Department of Energy Leadership Computing Facilities and experiment repository data. The Orbiter thick- and thin-client and its supporting Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based services (available at https://orbiter.sns.gov) consist of standards-based components that are reusable and extensible for accessing high performance computing, data and computational grid infrastructure, and cluster-based resources easily from a user configurable interface. The primary Orbiter system goals consist of (1) developing infrastructure for the creation and automation of virtual instrumentation experiment optimization, (2) developing user interfaces for thin- and thick-client access, (3) provide a prototype incorporating major instrument simulation packages, and (4) facilitate neutron science community access and collaboration. The secure Orbiter SOA authentication and authorization is achieved through the developed Virtual File System (VFS) services, which use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for data repository file access, thin-and thick-client functionality and application access, and computational job workflow management. The VFS Relational Database Management System (RDMS) consists of approximately 45 database tables describing 498 user accounts with 495 groups over 432,000 directories with 904,077 repository files. Over 59 million NeXus file metadata records are associated to the 12,800 unique NeXus file field/class names generated from the 52,824 repository NeXus files. Services that enable (a) summary dashboards of data repository status with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics, (b) data repository NeXus file field/class name full text search capabilities within a Google like interface, (c) fully functional RBAC browser for the read-only data repository and shared areas, (d) user/group defined and shared metadata for data

Exomars orbiter science and data-relay mission / looking for trace gases on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Fratacci, Olivier

EXOMARS Orbiter Module: looking for trace gas on Mars and providing data relay support for future Mars Surface assets O.Fratacci, M.Mesrine, H.Renault, Thales Alenia Space France B.Musetti, M.Montagna, Thales Alenia Space Italy M.Kesselmann, M.Barczewski OHB P.Mitschdoerfer, D.Dellantonio Euro-pean Space Agency / ESTEC The European Space Agency (ESA) in a joint cooperation with NASA, will launch in 2016 the EXOMARS spacecraft composite to develop European landing technologies and provide a science orbiter with data-relay capability around Mars until end 2022. The spacecraft composite is composed of the Orbitr Module (OM), provided by TAS-France, an entry descent and landing demonstrator module (EDM) provided by TAS-Italy, and a set of six scientific payloads to be selected by the JPL during 2010. Recent observations of the planet Mars have indicated detection of methane as well as temporal, perhaps spatial variability in the detected signal while current photochemical models cannot explain the presence of methane in the atmosphere of Mars nor its reported rapid variations in space and time. The triple scientific objectives that drive the selection of these six instruments for the Exomars 2016 mission is to detect trace gases in Mars atmosphere, to characterise their spatial and temporal variation and to explore the source of the key trace gases (e.g. methane) on the surface. The launch is scheduled in January 2016 from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) using an ATLAS V 421 launcher with a total launch mass of 4.4 tons. After release of the EDM on Mars, the OM will perform the Mars Orbit Insertion manoeuvre and then reduce its elliptic orbit by implementing the first European Aerobraking around Mars for about 6 to 9 months, to finally end on a circular 400x400km orbit with an altitude in the range of 350km to 420km. From this orbit, a science phase will follow lasting 2 years in which the Mars atmosphere and surface is continuously observed. Science instruments composed of

INDIGO-DataCloud solutions for Earth Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar Gómez, Fernando; de Lucas, Jesús Marco; Fiore, Sandro; Monna, Stephen; Chen, Yin

2017-04-01

INDIGO-DataCloud (https://www.indigo-datacloud.eu/) is a European Commission funded project aiming to develop a data and computing platform targeting scientific communities, deployable on multiple hardware and provisioned over hybrid (private or public) e-infrastructures. The development of INDIGO solutions covers the different layers in cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), and provides tools to exploit resources like HPC or GPGPUs. INDIGO is oriented to support European Scientific research communities, that are well represented in the project. Twelve different Case Studies have been analyzed in detail from different fields: Biological & Medical sciences, Social sciences & Humanities, Environmental and Earth sciences and Physics & Astrophysics. INDIGO-DataCloud provides solutions to emerging challenges in Earth Science like: -Enabling an easy deployment of community services at different cloud sites. Many Earth Science research infrastructures often involve distributed observation stations across countries, and also have distributed data centers to support the corresponding data acquisition and curation. There is a need to easily deploy new data center services while the research infrastructure continuous spans. As an example: LifeWatch (ESFRI, Ecosystems and Biodiversity) uses INDIGO solutions to manage the deployment of services to perform complex hydrodynamics and water quality modelling over a Cloud Computing environment, predicting algae blooms, using the Docker technology: TOSCA requirement description, Docker repository, Orchestrator for deployment, AAI (AuthN, AuthZ) and OneData (Distributed Storage System). -Supporting Big Data Analysis. Nowadays, many Earth Science research communities produce large amounts of data and and are challenged by the difficulties of processing and analysing it. A climate models intercomparison data analysis case study for the European Network for Earth System Modelling (ENES) community has been setup, based on the Ophidia big

Orbits

CERN Document Server

Xu, Guochang

2008-01-01

This is the first book of the satellite era which describes orbit theory with analytical solutions of the second order with respect to all possible disturbances. Based on such theory, the algorithms of orbits determination are completely revolutionized.

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometerfor lunar science: Instrument description, calibration, on‐orbit measurements, science data calibration and on‐orbit validation

Science.gov (United States)

C. Pieters,; P. Mouroulis,; M. Eastwood,; J. Boardman,; Green, R.O.; Glavich, T.; Isaacson, P.; Annadurai, M.; Besse, S.; Cate, D.; Chatterjee, A.; Clark, R.; Barr, D.; Cheek, L.; Combe, J.; Dhingra, D.; Essandoh, V.; Geier, S.; Goswami, J.N.; Green, R.; Haemmerle, V.; Head, J.; Hovland, L.; Hyman, S.; Klima, R.; Koch, T.; Kramer, G.; Kumar, A.S.K.; Lee, K.; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T.; McLaughlin, S.; Mustard, J.; Nettles, J.; Petro, N.; Plourde, K.; Racho, C.; Rodriguez, J.; Runyon, C.; Sellar, G.; Smith, C.; Sobel, H.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J.; Taylor, L.; Thaisen, K.; Tompkins, S.; Tseng, H.; Vane, G.; Varanasi, P.; White, M.; Wilson, D.

2011-01-01

The NASA Discovery Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was selected to pursue a wide range of science objectives requiring measurement of composition at fine spatial scales over the full lunar surface. To pursue these objectives, a broad spectral range imaging spectrometer with high uniformity and high signal-to-noise ratio capable of measuring compositionally diagnostic spectral absorption features from a wide variety of known and possible lunar materials was required. For this purpose the Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was designed and developed that measures the spectral range from 430 to 3000 nm with 10 nm spectral sampling through a 24 degree field of view with 0.7 milliradian spatial sampling. The instrument has a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 400 for the specified equatorial reference radiance and greater than 100 for the polar reference radiance. The spectral cross-track uniformity is >90% and spectral instantaneous field-of-view uniformity is >90%. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper was launched on Chandrayaan-1 on the 22nd of October. On the 18th of November 2008 the Moon Mineralogy Mapper was turned on and collected a first light data set within 24 h. During this early checkout period and throughout the mission the spacecraft thermal environment and orbital parameters varied more than expected and placed operational and data quality constraints on the measurements. On the 29th of August 2009, spacecraft communication was lost. Over the course of the flight mission 1542 downlinked data sets were acquired that provide coverage of more than 95% of the lunar surface. An end-to-end science data calibration system was developed and all measurements have been passed through this system and delivered to the Planetary Data System (PDS.NASA.GOV). An extensive effort has been undertaken by the science team to validate the Moon Mineralogy Mapper science measurements in the context of the mission objectives. A focused spectral, radiometric

Coordinated science with the Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe Plus, Interhelioprobe and SPORT missions

Science.gov (United States)

Maksimovic, Milan; Vourlidas, Angelos; Zimovets, Ivan; Velli, Marco; Zhukov, Andrei; Kuznetsov, Vladimir; Liu, Ying; Bale, Stuart; Ming, Xiong

The concurrent science operations of the ESA Solar Orbiter (SO), NASA Solar Probe Plus (SPP), Russian Interhelioprobe (IHP) and Chinese SPORT missions will offer a truly unique epoch in heliospheric science. While each mission will achieve its own important science objectives, taken together the four missions will be capable of doing the multi-point measurements required to address many problems in Heliophysics such as the coronal origin of the solar wind plasma and magnetic field or the way the Solar transients drive the heliospheric variability. In this presentation, we discuss the capabilities of the four missions and the Science synergy that will be realized by concurrent operations

Doing Your Science While You're in Orbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, Mark L.; Miller, Stephen D.; Vazhkudai, Sudharshan S.; Trater, James R.

2009-01-01

Large-scale neutron facilities such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory need easy-to-use access to Department of Energy Leadership Computing Facilities and experiment repository data. The Orbiter thick- and thinclient and its supporting Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based services (available at https://nucleus.sns.gov) consist of standards-based components that are reusable and extensible for accessing high performance computing, data and computational grid infrastructure, and cluster-based resources easily from a user configurable interface. The primary Orbiter system goals consist of (1) developing infrastructure for the creation and automation of virtual instrumentation experiment optimization, (2) developing user interfaces for thin- and thickclient access, (3) provide a prototype incorporating major instrument simulation packages, and (4) facilitate neutron science community access and collaboration. The secure Orbiter SOA authentication and authorization is achieved through the developed Virtual File System (VFS) services, which use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for data repository file access, thinand thick-client functionality and application access, and computational job workflow management. The VFS Relational Database Management System (RDMS) consists of approximately 43 database tables describing 429 user accounts with 437 groups over 451,000 directories with 739,618 repository files. Over 39 million NeXus file metadata records are associated to the 12,794 unique NeXus file field/class names generated from the 42,894 repository NeXus files. Services that enable (a) summary dashboards of data repository status with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics, (b) data repository NeXus file field/class name full text search capabilities within a Google like interface, (c) fully functional RBAC browser for the read-only data repository and shared areas, (d) user/group defined and shared metadata for data repository

Doing Your Science While You're in Orbit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Green, Mark L; Miller, Stephen D; Vazhkudai, Sudharshan S; Trater, James R, E-mail: mlgreen@txcorp.com

2010-11-01

Large-scale neutron facilities such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory need easy-to-use access to Department of Energy Leadership Computing Facilities and experiment repository data. The Orbiter thick- and thin-client and its supporting Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based services (available at https://orbiter.sns.gov) consist of standards-based components that are reusable and extensible for accessing high performance computing, data and computational grid infrastructure, and cluster-based resources easily from a user configurable interface. The primary Orbiter system goals consist of (1) developing infrastructure for the creation and automation of virtual instrumentation experiment optimization, (2) developing user interfaces for thin- and thick-client access, (3) provide a prototype incorporating major instrument simulation packages, and (4) facilitate neutron science community access and collaboration. The secure Orbiter SOA authentication and authorization is achieved through the developed Virtual File System (VFS) services, which use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for data repository file access, thin-and thick-client functionality and application access, and computational job workflow management. The VFS Relational Database Management System (RDMS) consists of approximately 45 database tables describing 498 user accounts with 495 groups over 432,000 directories with 904,077 repository files. Over 59 million NeXus file metadata records are associated to the 12,800 unique NeXus file field/class names generated from the 52,824 repository NeXus files. Services that enable (a) summary dashboards of data repository status with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics, (b) data repository NeXus file field/class name full text search capabilities within a Google like interface, (c) fully functional RBAC browser for the read-only data repository and shared areas, (d) user/group defined and shared metadata for data

Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) Mission: Science from Geostationary Orbit on-board a Commercial Communications Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Eastes, R.; Deaver, T.; Krywonos, A.; Lankton, M. R.; McClintock, W. E.; Pang, R.

2011-12-01

Geostationary orbits are ideal for many science investigations of the Earth system on global scales. These orbits allow continuous observations of the same geographic region, enabling spatial and temporal changes to be distinguished and eliminating the ambiguity inherent to observations from low Earth orbit (LEO). Just as observations from geostationary orbit have revolutionized our understanding of changes in the troposphere, they will dramatically improve our understanding of the space environment at higher altitudes. However, geostationary orbits are infrequently used for science missions because of high costs. Geostationary satellites are large, typically weighing tons. Consequently, devoting an entire satellite to a science mission requires a large financial commitment, both for the spacecraft itself and for sufficient science instrumentation to justify a dedicated spacecraft. Furthermore, the small number of geostationary satellites produced for scientific missions increases the costs of each satellite. For these reasons, it is attractive to consider flying scientific instruments on satellites operated by commercial companies, some of whom have fleets of ~40 satellites. However, scientists' lack of understanding of the capabilities of commercial spacecraft as well as commercial companies' concerns about risks to their primary mission have impeded the cooperation necessary for the shared use of a spacecraft. Working with a commercial partner, the GOLD mission has successfully overcome these issues. Our experience indicates that there are numerous benefits to flying on commercial communications satellites (e.g., it is possible to downlink large amounts of data) and the costs are low if the experimental requirements adequately match the capabilities and available resources of the host spacecraft. Consequently, affordable access to geostationary orbit aboard a communications satellite now appears possible for science payloads.

Approximately analytical solutions of the Manning-Rosen potential with the spin-orbit coupling term and spin symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Gaofeng; Dong Shihai

2008-01-01

In this Letter the approximately analytical bound state solutions of the Dirac equation with the Manning-Rosen potential for arbitrary spin-orbit coupling quantum number k are carried out by taking a properly approximate expansion for the spin-orbit coupling term. In the case of exact spin symmetry, the associated two-component spinor wave functions of the Dirac equation for arbitrary spin-orbit quantum number k are presented and the corresponding bound state energy equation is derived. We study briefly two special cases; the general s-wave problem and the equal scalar and vector Manning-Rosen potential

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission: 10 Years of Exploration from Mars Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, M. Daniel; Zurek, Richard W.

2016-01-01

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ( MRO ) entered Mars orbit on March 10, 2006. After five months of aerobraking, a series of propulsive maneuvers were used to establish the desired low -altitude science orbit. The spacecraft has been on station in its 255 x 320 k m, sun -synchronous (approximately 3 am -pm ), primary science orbit since September 2006 performing both scientific and Mars programmatic support functions. This paper will provide a summary of the major achievements of the mission to date and the major flight activities planned for the remainder of its third Extended Mission (EM3). Some of the major flight challenges the flight team has faced are also discussed.

An exact solution for orbit view-periods from a station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal planet

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, C. C. H.

1986-01-01

This paper presents the concise exact solution for predicting view-periods to be observed from a masked or unmasked tracking station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal surface. The new exact approach expresses the azimuth and elevation angles of a spacecraft in terms of the station-centered geodetic topocentric coordinates in an elegantly concise manner. A simple and efficient algorithm is developed to avoid costly repetitive computations in searching for neighborhoods near the rise and set times of each satellite orbit for each station. Only one search for each orbit is necessary for each station. Sample results indicate that the use of an assumed spherical earth instead of an 'actual' tri-axial ellipsoidal earth could introduce an error up to a few minutes in a view-period prediction for circular orbits of low or medium altitude. For an elliptical orbit of high eccentricity and long period, the maximum error could be even larger. The analytic treatment and the efficient algorithm are designed for geocentric orbits, but they should be applicable to interplanetary trajectories by an appropriate coordinates transformation at each view-period calculation. This analysis can be accomplished only by not using the classical orbital elements.

An exact solution for orbit view-periods from a station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal planet

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, C. C. H.

1986-08-01

This paper presents the concise exact solution for predicting view-periods to be observed from a masked or unmasked tracking station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal surface. The new exact approach expresses the azimuth and elevation angles of a spacecraft in terms of the station-centered geodetic topocentric coordinates in an elegantly concise manner. A simple and efficient algorithm is developed to avoid costly repetitive computations in searching for neighborhoods near the rise and set times of each satellite orbit for each station. Only one search for each orbit is necessary for each station. Sample results indicate that the use of an assumed spherical earth instead of an 'actual' tri-axial ellipsoidal earth could introduce an error up to a few minutes in a view-period prediction for circular orbits of low or medium altitude. For an elliptical orbit of high eccentricity and long period, the maximum error could be even larger. The analytic treatment and the efficient algorithm are designed for geocentric orbits, but they should be applicable to interplanetary trajectories by an appropriate coordinates transformation at each view-period calculation. This analysis can be accomplished only by not using the classical orbital elements.

Modeling low-thrust transfers between periodic orbits about five libration points: Manifolds and hierarchical design

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hao; Zhang, Jingrui

2018-04-01

The low-thrust version of the fuel-optimal transfers between periodic orbits with different energies in the vicinity of five libration points is exploited deeply in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem. Indirect optimization technique incorporated with constraint gradients is employed to further improve the computational efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm. The required optimal thrust magnitude and direction can be determined to create the bridging trajectory that connects the invariant manifolds. A hierarchical design strategy dividing the constraint set is proposed to seek the optimal solution when the problem cannot be solved directly. Meanwhile, the solution procedure and the value ranges of used variables are summarized. To highlight the effectivity of the transfer scheme and aim at different types of libration point orbits, transfer trajectories between some sample orbits, including Lyapunov orbits, planar orbits, halo orbits, axial orbits, vertical orbits and butterfly orbits for collinear and triangular libration points, are investigated with various time of flight. Numerical results show that the fuel consumption varies from a few kilograms to tens of kilograms, related to the locations and the types of mission orbits as well as the corresponding invariant manifold structures, and indicates that the low-thrust transfers may be a beneficial option for the extended science missions around different libration points.

Analysis of Periodic Orbits about the Triangular Solutions of the Restricted Sum-Jupiter and Earth-Moon Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang-Young Park

1988-12-01

Full Text Available Using the numerical solution in the plane restricted problem of three bodies, about 490 periodic orbits are computed numerically around the L5 of Sun-Jupiter and about 1600 periodic orbits also be done around the L5 of Earth-Moon system. As period increase, the energy and the shape of periodic orbits increase around the L5 of Sun-Jupiter system. But, in Earth-Moon system, the complex shapes and dents appear around the L5 and periodic orbits intersect one another in the place where dents are shown. And there is a region that three different periodic orbits exist with the same period in this region. The regions can exist around the L5 of Sun-Jupiter system where periodic orbit can be unstable by perturbation of other force besides the gravitational force of Jupiter. These regions which is close to L5 are a ~5.12 AU and a ~5.29 AU. The Trojan asteroids that have a small eccentricity and inclination can not exist in this region.

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometer for lunar science: Instrument description, calibration, on-orbit measurements, science data calibration and on-orbit validation

Science.gov (United States)

Green, R.O.; Pieters, C.; Mouroulis, P.; Eastwood, M.; Boardman, J.; Glavich, T.; Isaacson, P.; Annadurai, M.; Besse, S.; Barr, D.; Buratti, B.; Cate, D.; Chatterjee, A.; Clark, R.; Cheek, L.; Combe, J.; Dhingra, D.; Essandoh, V.; Geier, S.; Goswami, J.N.; Green, R.; Haemmerle, V.; Head, J.; Hovland, L.; Hyman, S.; Klima, R.; Koch, T.; Kramer, G.; Kumar, A.S.K.; Lee, Kenneth; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T.; McLaughlin, S.; Mustard, J.; Nettles, J.; Petro, N.; Plourde, K.; Racho, C.; Rodriquez, J.; Runyon, C.; Sellar, G.; Smith, C.; Sobel, H.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J.; Taylor, L.; Thaisen, K.; Tompkins, S.; Tseng, H.; Vane, G.; Varanasi, P.; White, M.; Wilson, D.

2011-01-01

The NASA Discovery Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was selected to pursue a wide range of science objectives requiring measurement of composition at fine spatial scales over the full lunar surface. To pursue these objectives, a broad spectral range imaging spectrometer with high uniformity and high signal-to-noise ratio capable of measuring compositionally diagnostic spectral absorption features from a wide variety of known and possible lunar materials was required. For this purpose the Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was designed and developed that measures the spectral range from 430 to 3000 nm with 10 nm spectral sampling through a 24 degree field of view with 0.7 milliradian spatial sampling. The instrument has a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 400 for the specified equatorial reference radiance and greater than 100 for the polar reference radiance. The spectral cross-track uniformity is >90% and spectral instantaneous field-of-view uniformity is >90%. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper was launched on Chandrayaan-1 on the 22nd of October. On the 18th of November 2008 the Moon Mineralogy Mapper was turned on and collected a first light data set within 24 h. During this early checkout period and throughout the mission the spacecraft thermal environment and orbital parameters varied more than expected and placed operational and data quality constraints on the measurements. On the 29th of August 2009, spacecraft communication was lost. Over the course of the flight mission 1542 downlinked data sets were acquired that provide coverage of more than 95% of the lunar surface. An end-to-end science data calibration system was developed and all measurements have been passed through this system and delivered to the Planetary Data System (PDS.NASA.GOV). An extensive effort has been undertaken by the science team to validate the Moon Mineralogy Mapper science measurements in the context of the mission objectives. A focused spectral, radiometric

Orbital classical solutions, non-perturbative phenomena and singularity at the zero coupling constant point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vourdas, A.

1982-01-01

We try to extend previous arguments on orbital classical solutions in non-relativistic quantum mechanics to the 1/4lambda vertical stroke phi vertical stroke 4 complex relativistic field theory. The single valuedness of the Green function in the semiclassical (Planksche Konstante → 0) limit leads to a Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization. A path integral formalism for the Green functions analogous to that in non-relativistic quantum mechanics is employed and a semiclassical approach which uses our classical solutions indicates non-perturbative effects. They reflect an esub(1/lambda) singularity at the zero coupling constant point. (orig.)

Verified solutions for the gravitational attraction to an oblate spheroid: Implications for planet mass and satellite orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmeister, Anne M.; Criss, Robert E.; Criss, Everett M.

2018-03-01

Forces external to the oblate spheroid shape, observed from planetary to galactic scales, are demonstrably non-central, which has important ramifications for planetary science. We simplify historic formulae and derive new analytical solutions for the gravitational potential and force outside a constant density oblate. Numerical calculations that sum point mass contributions in a >109 element mesh confirm our equations. We show that contours of constant force and potential about oblate bodies are closely approximated by two confocal families whose foci (f) respectively are (9/10)½ae and (3/5)½ae for a body with f = ae. This leads to useful approximations that address internal density variations. We demonstrate that the force on a general point is not directed towards the oblate's center, nor are forces simply proportional to the inverse square of that distance, despite forces in the equatorial and axial directions pointing towards the center. Our results explain complex dynamics of galactic systems. Because most planets and stars have an aspect ratio >0.9, the spherical approximation is reasonable except for orbits within ∼2 body radii. We show that applying the "generalized" potential, which assumes central forces, yields J2 values half those expected for oblate bodies, and probably underestimates masses of Uranus and Neptune by ∼0.2%. We show that the inner Saturnian moons are subject to non-central forces, which may affect calculations of their orbital precession. Our new series should improve interpretation of flyby data.

Exploring Europa's Habitability: Science achieved from the Europa Orbiter and Clipper Mission Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Senske, D. A.; Prockter, L. M.; Pappalardo, R. T.; Patterson, G. W.; Vance, S.

2012-12-01

Europa is a prime candidate in the search for present-day habitable environments in our solar system. Europa is unique among the large icy satellites because it probably has a saltwater ocean today beneath an ice shell that is geodynamically active. The combination of irradiation of its surface and tidal heating of its interior could make Europa a rich source of chemical energy for life. Perhaps most importantly, Europa's ocean is believed to be in direct contact with its rocky mantle, where conditions could be similar to those on Earth's biologically rich sea floor. Hydrothermal zones on Earth's seafloor are known to be rich with life, powered by energy and nutrients that result from reactions between the seawater and the warm rocky ocean floor. Life as we know it depends on three principal "ingredients": 1) a sustained liquid water environment; 2) essential chemical elements that are critical for building life; and 3) a source of energy that could be utilized by life. Europa's habitability requires understanding whether it possesses these three ingredients. NASA has enlisted a study team to consider Europa mission options feasible over the next decade, compatible with NASA's projected planetary science budget and addressing Planetary Decadal Survey priorities. Two Europa mission concepts (Orbiter and multiple flyby—call the "Clipper") are undergoing continued study with the goal to "Explore Europa to investigate its habitability." Each mission would address this goal in complementary ways, with high science value of its own. The Orbiter and Clipper architectures lend themselves to specific types of scientific measurements. The Orbiter concept is tailored to the unique geophysical science that requires being in orbit at Europa. This includes confirming the existence of an ocean and characterizing that ocean through geophysical measurements of Europa's gravitational tides and magnetic induction response. It also includes mapping of the global morphology and

Building Science and Technology Solutions for National Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, Alan R.

2012-01-01

The nation's investment in Los Alamos has fostered scientific capabilities for national security missions. As the premier national security science laboratory, Los Alamos tackles: (1) Multidisciplinary science, technology, and engineering challenges; (2) Problems demanding unique experimental and computational facilities; and (3) Highly complex national security issues requiring fundamental breakthroughs. Our mission as a DOE national security science laboratory is to develop and apply science, technology, and engineering solutions that: (1) ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the US nuclear deterrent; (2) protect against the nuclear threat; and (3) solve national security challenges.

Orbit Determination Using Vinti’s Solution

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-15

crew capsule orbited the earth twice and then experienced re-entry as part of an experimental test flight (Orion EFT -1). With a flight duration of almost...utility greatly outweighs these initial difficulties. A summary of efforts required to tap into these benefits follows. • The current research developed...and Lear, D., “Orion EFT -1 Postflight MMOD Inspection,” Orbital Debris Quarterly News, Vol. 19, April 2015, pp. 6–9. [16] European Space Agency, “Space

SEL2 servicing: increased science return via on-orbit propellant replenishment

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Benjamin B.; DeWeese, Keith; Kienlen, Michael; Aranyos, Thomas; Pellegrino, Joseph; Bacon, Charles; Qureshi, Atif

2016-07-01

Spacecraft designers are driving observatories to the distant Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (SEL2) to meet ever-increasing science requirements. The mass fraction dedicated to propellant for these observatories to reach and operate at SEL2 will be allocated with the upmost care, as it comes at the expense of optics and instrument masses. As such, these observatories could benefit from on-orbit refueling, allowing greater dry-to-wet mass ratio at launch and/or longer mission life. NASA is developing technologies, capabilities and integrated mission designs for multiple servicing applications in low Earth orbit (LEO), geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and cisluner locations. Restore-L, a mission officially in formulation, will launch a free-flying robotic servicer to refuel a government-owned satellite in LEO by mid 2020. This paper will detail the results of a point design mission study to extend Restore-L servicing technologies from LEO to SEL2. This SEL2 mission would launch an autonomous, robotic servicer spacecraft equipped to extend the life of two space assets through refueling. Two space platforms were chosen to 1) drive the requirements for achieving SEL2 orbit and rendezvous with a spacecraft, and 2) to drive the requirements to translate within SEL2 to conduct a follow-on servicing mission. Two fuels, xenon and hydrazine, were selected to assess a multiple delivery system. This paper will address key mission drivers, such as servicer autonomy (necessitated due to communications latency at L2). Also discussed will be the value of adding cooperative servicing elements to the client observatories to reduce mission risk.

Rehabilitation of orbital cavity after orbital exenteration using polymethyl methacrylate orbital prosthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumeet Jain

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid is the second most common malignant neoplasm of the eye with the incidence of 0.09 and 2.42 cases/100 000 people. Orbital invasion is a rare complication but, if recognized early, can be treated effectively with exenteration. Although with advancements in technology such as computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, material science, and retentive methods like implants, orbital prosthesis with stock ocular prosthesis made of methyl methacrylate retained by anatomic undercuts is quiet effective and should not be overlooked and forgotten. This clinical report describes prosthetic rehabilitation of two male patients with polymethyl methacrylate resin orbital prosthesis after orbital exenteration, for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper eyelid. The orbital prosthesis was sufficiently retained by hard and soft tissue undercuts without any complications. The patients using the prosthesis are quite satisfied with the cosmetic results and felt comfortable attending the social events.

The Earth System Science Pathfinder Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Crisp, David

2003-01-01

A viewgraph presentation describing the Earth System Science Pathfinder Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) Mission is shown. The contents include: 1) Why CO2?; 2) What Processes Control CO2 Sinks?; 3) OCO Science Team; 4) Space-Based Measurements of CO2; 5) Driving Requirement: Precise, Bias-Free Global Measurements; 6) Making Precise CO2 Measurements from Space; 7) OCO Spatial Sampling Strategy; 8) OCO Observing Modes; 9) Implementation Approach; 10) The OCO Instrument; 11) The OCO Spacecraft; 12) OCO Will Fly in the A-Train; 13) Validation Program Ensures Accuracy and Minimizes Spatially Coherent Biases; 14) Can OCO Provide the Required Precision?; 15) O2 Column Retrievals with Ground-based FTS; 16) X(sub CO2) Retrieval Simulations; 17) Impact of Albedo and Aerosol Uncertainty on X(sub CO2) Retrievals; 18) Carbon Cycle Modeling Studies: Seasonal Cycle; 19) Carbon Cycle Modeling Studies: The North-South Gradient in CO2; 20) Carbon Cycle Modeling Studies: Effect of Diurnal Biases; 21) Project Status and Schedule; and 22) Summary.

Story - Science - Solutions: A new middle school science curriculum that promotes climate-stewardship

Science.gov (United States)

Cordero, E.; Centeno Delgado, D. C.

2017-12-01

Over the last five years, Green Ninja has been developing educational media to help motivate student interest and engagement around climate science and solutions. The adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a unique opportunity where schools are changing both what they teach in a science class and how they teach. Inspired by the new emphasis in NGSS on climate change, human impact and engineering design, Green Ninja developed a technology focused, integrative, and yearlong science curriculum (6th, 7th and 8th grade) focused broadly around solutions to environmental problems. The use of technology supports the development of skills valuable for students, while also offering real-time metrics to help measure both student learning and environmental impact of student actions. During the presentation, we will describe the design philosophy around our middle school curriculum and share data from a series of classes that have created environmental benefits that transcend the traditional classroom. The notion that formal education, if done correctly, can be leveraged as a viable climate mitigation strategy will be discussed.

Orbit Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anatoliy Klimyk

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In the paper, properties of orbit functions are reviewed and further developed. Orbit functions on the Euclidean space E_n are symmetrized exponential functions. The symmetrization is fulfilled by a Weyl group corresponding to a Coxeter-Dynkin diagram. Properties of such functions will be described. An orbit function is the contribution to an irreducible character of a compact semisimple Lie group G of rank n from one of its Weyl group orbits. It is shown that values of orbit functions are repeated on copies of the fundamental domain F of the affine Weyl group (determined by the initial Weyl group in the entire Euclidean space E_n. Orbit functions are solutions of the corresponding Laplace equation in E_n, satisfying the Neumann condition on the boundary of F. Orbit functions determine a symmetrized Fourier transform and a transform on a finite set of points.

Introducing Earth's Orbital Eccentricity

Science.gov (United States)

Oostra, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Most students know that planetary orbits, including Earth's, are elliptical; that is Kepler's first law, and it is found in many science textbooks. But quite a few are mistaken about the details, thinking that the orbit is very eccentric, or that this effect is somehow responsible for the seasons. In fact, the Earth's orbital eccentricity is…

Combination of precise GNSS orbit and clock solutions in a multi-constellation, multi-frequency environment

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz Geist, Estefania

2015-04-01

Precise GNSS orbit and clock solutions are essential for the generation of the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) and required for a broad variety of applications. Over the last decades the combination products of the International GNSS Service (IGS) have become the standard for all kinds of GNSS applications requiring highest accuracy. The emerging new GNSS constellations Galileo, BeiDou and the QZSS as well as the modernization of the already established GPS and GLONASS constellations will stimulate a new development in the GNSS data processing in order to gain be best benefit from the new signals and systems for geodetic and geodynamic applications. This introduces the question regarding the influence of this development on the orbit and clock products. What are the consequences for the consistency of the contributions from the Analysis Centres (ACs) of the IGS and how does the combination procedure need to react on his development? Another set of questions is related to the expected scenario in which not all IGS ACs will likely include all GNSS. The algorithm for the orbit and clock combination needs to be adapted for a multi-system combination to keep on one hand the internal consistency between the GNSS during the combination procedure but also consider the differences in the expected orbit qualities between the satellite systems (e.g., due to the number of satellites or network coverage). To investigate these questions ESOC and AIUB have agreed on a joint research fellowship for three years. The objective of this research is to analyse the capabilities and challenges when combining hybrid multi-GNSS solutions and to develop a concept, which compares and combines orbit and clock contributions to come up with a consistent, reliable, truly combined multi-GNSS combination product. Well-defined test scenarios shall be constructed and analysed based on the GNSS data processing software packages in the two institutions, namely "NAPEOS" and "Bernese GNSS Software

Space station orbit maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, D. I.; Jones, R. M.

1983-01-01

The orbit maintenance problem is examined for two low-earth-orbiting space station concepts - the large, manned Space Operations Center (SOC) and the smaller, unmanned Science and Applications Space Platform (SASP). Atmospheric drag forces are calculated, and circular orbit altitudes are selected to assure a 90 day decay period in the event of catastrophic propulsion system failure. Several thrusting strategies for orbit maintenance are discussed. Various chemical and electric propulsion systems for orbit maintenance are compared on the basis of propellant resupply requirements, power requirements, Shuttle launch costs, and technology readiness.

The Double Star Orbit Initial Value Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Hensley, Hagan

2018-04-01

Many precise algorithms exist to find a best-fit orbital solution for a double star system given a good enough initial value. Desmos is an online graphing calculator tool with extensive capabilities to support animations and defining functions. It can provide a useful visual means of analyzing double star data to arrive at a best guess approximation of the orbital solution. This is a necessary requirement before using a gradient-descent algorithm to find the best-fit orbital solution for a binary system.

Absence of periodic orbits in digital memcomputing machines with solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Di Ventra, Massimiliano; Traversa, Fabio L.

2017-10-01

In Traversa and Di Ventra [Chaos 27, 023107 (2017)] we argued, without proof, that if the non-linear dynamical systems with memory describing the class of digital memcomputing machines (DMMs) have equilibrium points, then no periodic orbits can emerge. In fact, the proof of such a statement is a simple corollary of a theorem already demonstrated in Traversa and Di Ventra [Chaos 27, 023107 (2017)]. Here, we point out how to derive such a conclusion. Incidentally, the same demonstration implies absence of chaos, a result we have already demonstrated in Di Ventra and Traversa [Phys. Lett. A 381, 3255 (2017)] using topology. These results, together with those in Traversa and Di Ventra [Chaos 27, 023107 (2017)], guarantee that if the Boolean problem the DMMs are designed to solve has a solution, the system will always find it, irrespective of the initial conditions.

Exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation for an electron in the circular quantum ring taking into account spin-orbit interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudryashov, V.V.; Baran, A.V.

2012-01-01

The exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation are obtained for an electron in two-dimensional circular semiconductor quantum ring in the presence of the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions of equal strength. Confinement is simulated by a realistic potential well of finite depth. The dependence of energy levels on the strength of spin-orbit interaction, the relative ring width, and the depth of a potential well is presented. (authors)

Phase Error Modeling and Its Impact on Precise Orbit Determination of GRACE Satellites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Tu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Limiting factors for the precise orbit determination (POD of low-earth orbit (LEO satellite using dual-frequency GPS are nowadays mainly encountered with the in-flight phase error modeling. The phase error is modeled as a systematic and a random component each depending on the direction of GPS signal reception. The systematic part and standard deviation of random part in phase error model are, respectively, estimated by bin-wise mean and standard deviation values of phase postfit residuals computed by orbit determination. By removing the systematic component and adjusting the weight of phase observation data according to standard deviation of random component, the orbit can be further improved by POD approach. The GRACE data of 1–31 January 2006 are processed, and three types of orbit solutions, POD without phase error model correction, POD with mean value correction of phase error model, and POD with phase error model correction, are obtained. The three-dimensional (3D orbit improvements derived from phase error model correction are 0.0153 m for GRACE A and 0.0131 m for GRACE B, and the 3D influences arisen from random part of phase error model are 0.0068 m and 0.0075 m for GRACE A and GRACE B, respectively. Thus the random part of phase error model cannot be neglected for POD. It is also demonstrated by phase postfit residual analysis, orbit comparison with JPL precise science orbit, and orbit validation with KBR data that the results derived from POD with phase error model correction are better than another two types of orbit solutions generated in this paper.

Lunar Prospector Orbit Determination Uncertainties Using the High Resolution Lunar Gravity Models

Science.gov (United States)

Carranza, Eric; Konopliv, Alex; Ryne, Mark

1999-01-01

The Lunar Prospector (LP) mission began on January 6, 1998, when the LP spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The objectives of the mission were to determine whether water ice exists at the lunar poles, generate a global compositional map of the lunar surface, detect lunar outgassing, and improve knowledge of the lunar magnetic and gravity fields. Orbit determination of LP performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is conducted as part of the principal science investigation of the lunar gravity field. This paper will describe the JPL effort in support of the LP Gravity Investigation. This support includes high precision orbit determination, gravity model validation, and data editing. A description of the mission and its trajectory will be provided first, followed by a discussion of the orbit determination estimation procedure and models. Accuracies will be examined in terms of orbit-to-orbit solution differences, as a function of oblateness model truncation, and inclination in the plane-of-sky. Long term predictions for several gravity fields will be compared to the reconstructed orbits to demonstrate the accuracy of the orbit determination and oblateness fields developed by the Principal Gravity Investigator.

Astrophysical parameters and orbital solution of the peculiar X-ray transient IGR J00370+6122

Science.gov (United States)

González-Galán, A.; Negueruela, I.; Castro, N.; Simón-Díaz, S.; Lorenzo, J.; Vilardell, F.

2014-06-01

Context. BD + 60° 73 is the optical counterpart of the X-ray source IGR J00370+6122, a probable accretion-powered X-ray pulsar. The X-ray light curve of this binary system shows clear periodicity at 15.7 d, which has been interpreted as repeated outbursts around the periastron of an eccentric orbit. Aims: We aim to characterise the binary system IGR J00370+6122 by deriving its orbital and physical parameters. Methods: We obtained high-resolution spectra of BD + 60° 73 at different epochs. We used the fastwind code to generate a stellar atmosphere model to fit the observed spectrum and obtain physical magnitudes. The synthetic spectrum was used as a template for cross-correlation with the observed spectra to measure radial velocities. The radial velocity curve provided an orbital solution for the system. We also analysed the RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT light curves to confirm the stability of the periodicity. Results: BD + 60° 73 is a BN0.7 Ib low-luminosity supergiant located at a distance ~3.1 kpc, in the Cas OB4 association. We derive Teff = 24 000 K and log gc = 3.0, and chemical abundances consistent with a moderately high level of evolution. The spectroscopic and evolutionary masses are consistent at the 1-σ level with a mass M∗ ≈ 15 M⊙. The recurrence time of the X-ray flares is the orbital period of the system. The neutron star is in a high-eccentricity (e = 0.56 ± 0.07) orbit, and the X-ray emission is strongly peaked around orbital phase φ = 0.2, though the observations are consistent with some level of X-ray activity happening at all orbital phases. Conclusions: The X-ray behaviour of IGR J00370+6122 is reminiscent of "intermediate" supergiant X-ray transients, though its peak luminosity is rather low. The orbit is somewhat wider than those of classical persistent supergiant X-ray binaries, which when combined with the low luminosity of the mass donor, explains the low X-ray luminosity. IGR J00370+6122 will very likely evolve towards a persistent

Displaced Electric Sail Orbits Design and Transition Trajectory Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naiming Qi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Displaced orbits for spacecraft propelled by electric sails are investigated as an alternative to the use of solar sails. The orbital dynamics of electric sails based spacecraft are studied within a spherical coordinate system, which permits finding the solutions of displaced electric sail orbits and optimize transfer trajectory. Transfer trajectories from Earth's orbit to displaced orbit are also studied in an optimal framework, by using genetic algorithm and Gauss pseudospectral method. The initial guesses for the state and control histories used in the Gauss pseudospectral method are interpolated from the best solution of a genetic algorithm. Numerical simulations show that the electric sail is able to perform the transfer from Earth’s orbit to displaced orbit in acceptable time, and the hybrid optimization method has the capability to search the feasible and optimal solution without any initial value guess.

Rotating and orbiting strings in Dp-brane background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biswas, Sagar; Panigrahi, Kamal L. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur,721302, Kharagpur (India)

2015-03-04

We probe the open fundamental strings in Dp-brane (p=1, 3, 5) backgrounds and find new classes of rotating and orbiting string solutions. We show that for various worldsheet embedding ansatz we get solutions of the string equations of motion that correspond to the well known giant magnon and single spikes, in addition to few new solutions corresponding to the orbiting strings. We make a systematic study of both rigidly rotating and orbiting strings in D1, D3 and D5-brane backgrounds.

Orbit Determination of Spacecraft in Earth-Moon L1 and L2 Libration Point Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Woodard, Mark; Cosgrove, Daniel; Morinelli, Patrick; Marchese, Jeff; Owens, Brandon; Folta, David

2011-01-01

The ARTEMIS mission, part of the THEMIS extended mission, is the first to fly spacecraft in the Earth-Moon Lissajous regions. In 2009, two of the five THEMIS spacecraft were redeployed from Earth-centered orbits to arrive in Earth-Moon Lissajous orbits in late 2010. Starting in August 2010, the ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft executed numerous stationkeeping maneuvers, initially maintaining a lunar L2 Lissajous orbit before transitioning into a lunar L1 orbit. The ARTEMIS P2 spacecraft entered a L1 Lissajous orbit in October 2010. In April 2011, both ARTEMIS spacecraft will suspend Lissajous stationkeeping and will be maneuvered into lunar orbits. The success of the ARTEMIS mission has allowed the science team to gather unprecedented magnetospheric measurements in the lunar Lissajous regions. In order to effectively perform lunar Lissajous stationkeeping maneuvers, the ARTEMIS operations team has provided orbit determination solutions with typical accuracies on the order of 0.1 km in position and 0.1 cm/s in velocity. The ARTEMIS team utilizes the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), using a batch least squares method, to process range and Doppler tracking measurements from the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN), Berkeley Ground Station (BGS), Merritt Island (MILA) station, and United Space Network (USN). The team has also investigated processing of the same tracking data measurements using the Orbit Determination Tool Kit (ODTK) software, which uses an extended Kalman filter and recursive smoother to estimate the orbit. The orbit determination results from each of these methods will be presented and we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with using each method in the lunar Lissajous regions. Orbit determination accuracy is dependent on both the quality and quantity of tracking measurements, fidelity of the orbit force models, and the estimation techniques used. Prior to Lissajous operations, the team determined the appropriate quantity of tracking

Satellite laser ranging to low Earth orbiters: orbit and network validation

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Daniel; Montenbruck, Oliver; Hackel, Stefan; Sośnica, Krzysztof

2018-04-01

Satellite laser ranging (SLR) to low Earth orbiters (LEOs) provides optical distance measurements with mm-to-cm-level precision. SLR residuals, i.e., differences between measured and modeled ranges, serve as a common figure of merit for the quality assessment of orbits derived by radiometric tracking techniques. We discuss relevant processing standards for the modeling of SLR observations and highlight the importance of line-of-sight-dependent range corrections for the various types of laser retroreflector arrays. A 1-3 cm consistency of SLR observations and GPS-based precise orbits is demonstrated for a wide range of past and present LEO missions supported by the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS). A parameter estimation approach is presented to investigate systematic orbit errors and it is shown that SLR validation of LEO satellites is not only able to detect radial but also along-track and cross-track offsets. SLR residual statistics clearly depend on the employed precise orbit determination technique (kinematic vs. reduced-dynamic, float vs. fixed ambiguities) but also reveal pronounced differences in the ILRS station performance. Using the residual-based parameter estimation approach, corrections to ILRS station coordinates, range biases, and timing offsets are derived. As a result, root-mean-square residuals of 5-10 mm have been achieved over a 1-year data arc in 2016 using observations from a subset of high-performance stations and ambiguity-fixed orbits of four LEO missions. As a final contribution, we demonstrate that SLR can not only validate single-satellite orbit solutions but also precise baseline solutions of formation flying missions such as GRACE, TanDEM-X, and Swarm.

A UNIFIED SOLUTION FOR THE ORBIT AND LIGHT-TIME EFFECT IN THE V505 Sgr SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broz, M.; Mayer, P.; Zasche, P.; Vokrouhlicky, D.; Pribulla, T.; Uhlar, R.

2010-01-01

The multiple system V505 Sagittarii is composed of at least three stars: a compact eclipsing pair and a distant component, whose orbit is measured directly using speckle interferometry. In order to explain the observed orbit of the third body in V505 Sagittarii and also other observable quantities, namely the minima timings of the eclipsing binary and three different radial velocities (RVs) detected in the spectrum, we thoroughly test a fourth-body hypothesis-a perturbation by a dim, yet-unobserved object. We use an N-body numerical integrator to simulate future and past orbital evolution of three or four components in this system. We construct a suitable χ 2 metric from all available speckle-interferometry, minima-timings, and RV data and we scan a part of a parameter space to get at least some of the possible solutions. In principle, we are able to explain all observable quantities by the presence of a fourth body, but the resulting likelihood of this hypothesis is very low. We also discuss other theoretical explanations of the minima-timing variations. Further observations of the minima timings during the next decade or high-resolution spectroscopic data can significantly constrain the model.

TerraSAR-X precise orbit determination with real-time GPS ephemerides

Science.gov (United States)

Wermuth, Martin; Hauschild, Andre; Montenbruck, Oliver; Kahle, Ralph

globally valid. The latency of the estimated clocks is approximately 7 seconds. Another limiting factor is the frequency of satellite downlinks and the latency of the data transfer from the ground station to the computation center. Therefore a near real-time scenario is examined in which the satellite has about one ground station contact per orbit or respectively one contact in 90 minutes. The results of the near real-time POD are evaluated in an internal consistency check and compared against the science orbit solution and laser ranging observations.

Antisymmetric Orbit Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anatoliy Klimyk

2007-02-01

Full Text Available In the paper, properties of antisymmetric orbit functions are reviewed and further developed. Antisymmetric orbit functions on the Euclidean space $E_n$ are antisymmetrized exponential functions. Antisymmetrization is fulfilled by a Weyl group, corresponding to a Coxeter-Dynkin diagram. Properties of such functions are described. These functions are closely related to irreducible characters of a compact semisimple Lie group $G$ of rank $n$. Up to a sign, values of antisymmetric orbit functions are repeated on copies of the fundamental domain $F$ of the affine Weyl group (determined by the initial Weyl group in the entire Euclidean space $E_n$. Antisymmetric orbit functions are solutions of the corresponding Laplace equation in $E_n$, vanishing on the boundary of the fundamental domain $F$. Antisymmetric orbit functions determine a so-called antisymmetrized Fourier transform which is closely related to expansions of central functions in characters of irreducible representations of the group $G$. They also determine a transform on a finite set of points of $F$ (the discrete antisymmetric orbit function transform. Symmetric and antisymmetric multivariate exponential, sine and cosine discrete transforms are given.

GLGM-3: A Degree-ISO Lunar Gravity Model from the Historical Tracking Data of NASA Moon Orbiters

Science.gov (United States)

Mazarico, E.; Lemoine, F. G.; Han, Shin-Chan; Smith, D. E.

2010-01-01

In preparation for the radio science experiment of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, we analyzed the available radio tracking data of previous NASA lunar orbiters. Our goal was to use these historical observations in combination with the new low-altitude data to be obtained by LRO. We performed Precision Orbit Determination on trajectory arcs from Lunar Orbiter 1 in 1966 to Lunar Prospector in 1998, using the GEODYN II program developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We then created a set of normal equations and solved for the coefficients of a spherical harmonics expansion of the lunar gravity potential up to degree and order 150. The GLGM-3 solution obtained with a global Kaula constraint (2.5 x 10(exp -4)/sq l) shows good agreement with model LP150Q from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, especially over the nearside. The levels of data fit with both gravity models are very similar (Doppler RMS of approx.0.2 and approx. 1-2 mm/s in the nominal and extended phases, respectiVely). Orbit overlaps and uncertainties estimated from the covariance matrix also agree well. GLGM-3 shows better correlation with lunar topography and admittance over the nearside at high degrees of expansion (l > 100), particularly near the poles. We also present three companion solutions, obtained with the same data set but using alternate inversion strategies that modify the power law constraint and expectation of the individual spherical harmonics coefficients. We give a detailed discussion of the performance of this family of gravity field solutions in terms of observation fit, orbit quality, and geophysical consistency.

Science Planning Implementation and Challenges for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Ashman, Mike; Cardesin Moinelo, Alejandro; Frew, David; Garcia Beteta, Juan Jose; Geiger, Bernhard; Metcalfe, Leo; Muñoz, Michela; Nespoli, Federico

2018-05-01

The ExoMars Science Operations Centre (SOC) is located at ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid, Spain and is responsible for coordinating the science planning activities for TGO in order to optimize the scientific return of the mission. The SOC constructs, in accordance with Science Working Team (SWT) science priorities, and in coordination with the PI science teams and ESA's Mission Operations Centre (MOC), a plan of scientific observations and delivers conflict free operational products for uplink and execution on-board. To achieve this, the SOC employs a planning concept based on Long, Medium and Short Term planning cycles. Long Term planning covers mission segments of several months and is conducted many months prior to execution. Its goal is to establish a feasible science observation strategy given the science priorities and the expected mission profile. Medium Term planning covers a 1 month mission segment and is conducted from 3 to 2 months prior to execution whilst Short Term planning covers a 1 week segment and is conducted from 2 weeks to 1 week prior to execution. The goals of Medium and Short Term planning are to operationally instantiate and validate the Long Term plan such that the SOC may deliver to MOC a conflict free spacecraft pointing profile request (a Medium Term planning deliverable), and the final instrument telecommanding products (a Short Term planning deliverable) such that the science plan is achieved and all operational constraints are met. With a 2 hour-400km science orbit, the vast number of solar occultation, nadir measurement, and surface imaging opportunities, combined with additional mission constraints such as the necessary provision of TGO communication slots to support the ExoMars 2020 Rover & Surface Platform mission and NASA surface assets, creates a science planning task of considerable magnitude and complexity. In this paper, we detail how the SOC is developing and implementing the necessary planning

New Frontiers Science at Venus from Orbit plus Atmospheric Gas Sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Smrekar, Suzanne; Dyar, Melinda; Hensley, Scott; Helbert, Joern; VOX Science and Engineering Teams

2017-10-01

Venus remains the most Earth-like body in terms of size, composition, surface age, and insulation. Venus Origins Explorer (VOX) determines how Earth’s twin diverged, and enables breakthroughs in our understanding of rocky planet evolution and habitability. At the time of the Decadal Survey the ability to map mineralogy from orbit (Helbert et al.) and present-day radar techniques to detect active deformation were not fully appreciated. VOX leverages these methods and in-situ noble gases to answer New Frontiers science objectives:1. Atmospheric physics/chemistry: noble gases and isotopes to constrain atmospheric sources, escape processes, and integrated volcanic outgassing; global search for current volcanically outgassed water.2. Past hydrological cycles: global tessera composition to determine the role of volatiles in crustal formation.3. Crustal physics/chemistry: global crustal mineralogy/chemistry, tectonic processes, heat flow, resolve the catastrophic vs. equilibrium resurfacing debate, active geologic processes and possible crustal recycling.4. Crustal weathering: surface-atmosphere weathering reactions from redox state and the chemical equilibrium of the near-surface atmosphere.5. Atmospheric properties/winds: map cloud particle modes and their temporal variations, and track cloud-level winds in the polar vortices.6. Surface-atmosphere interactions: chemical reactions from mineralogy; weathering state between new, recent and older flows; possible volcanically outgassed water.VOX’s Atmosphere Sampling Vehicle (ASV) dips into and samples the well-mixed atmosphere, using Venus Original Constituents Experiment (VOCE) to measure noble gases. VOX’s orbiter carries the Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) and the Venus Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (VISAR), and maps the gravity field using Ka-band tracking.VOX is the logical next mission to Venus because it delivers: 1) top priority atmosphere, surface, and interior science; 2) key global data for

CASA Uno GPS orbit and baseline experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Schutz, B. E.; Ho, C. S.; Abusali, P. A. M.; Tapley, B. D.

1990-01-01

CASA Uno data from sites distributed in longitude from Australia to Europe have been used to determine orbits of the GPS satellites. The characteristics of the orbits determined from double difference phase have been evaluated through comparisons of two-week solutions with one-week solutions and by comparisons of predicted and estimated orbits. Evidence of unmodeled effects is demonstrated, particularly associated with the orbit planes that experience solar eclipse. The orbit accuracy has been assessed through the repeatability of unconstrained estimated baseline vectors ranging from 245 km to 5400 km. Both the baseline repeatability and the comparison with independent space geodetic methods give results at the level of 1-2 parts in 100,000,000. In addition, the Mojave/Owens Valley (245 km) and Kokee Park/Ft. Davis (5409 km) estimates agree with VLBI and SLR to better than 1 part in 100,000,000.

Stellar orbits around Sgr A*

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trippe, S; Gillessen, S; Ott, T; Eisenhauer, F; Paumard, T; Martins, F; Genzel, R; Schoedel, R; Eckart, A; Alexander, T

2006-01-01

In this article we present and discuss the latest results from the observations of stars (''S-stars'') orbiting Sgr A* . With improving data quality the number of observed S-stars has increased substantially in the last years. The combination of radial velocity and proper motion information allows an ever more precise determination of orbital parameters and of the mass of and the distance to the supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way. Additionally, the orbital solutions allow us to verify an agreement between the NIR source Sgr A* and the dynamical centre of the stellar orbits to within 2 mas

The TWA 3 Young Triple System: Orbits, Disks, Evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kellogg, Kendra [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Prato, L.; Avilez, I.; Wasserman, L. H.; Levine, S. E.; Bosh, A. S. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Torres, Guillermo [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Schaefer, G. H. [The CHARA Array of Georgia State University, Mount Wilson Observatory, Mount Wilson, CA 91023 (United States); Ruíz-Rodríguez, D. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611 (Australia); Bonanos, Alceste Z. [IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Penteli (Greece); Guenther, E. W. [Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany); Neuhäuser, R. [Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitäts-Sternwarte, FSU Jena, Schillergäßchen 2-3, D-07745 Jena (Germany); Morzinski, Katie M.; Close, Laird; Hinz, Phil; Males, Jared R. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bailey, Vanessa, E-mail: kkellogg@uwo.ca, E-mail: lprato@lowell.edu [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 (United States)

2017-08-01

We have characterized the spectroscopic orbit of the TWA 3A binary and provide preliminary families of probable solutions for the TWA 3A visual orbit, as well as for the wide TWA 3A–B orbit. TWA 3 is a hierarchical triple located at 34 pc in the ∼10 Myr old TW Hya association. The wide component separation is 1.″55; the close pair was first identified as a possible binary almost 20 years ago. We initially identified the 35-day period orbital solution using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy that angularly resolved the A and B components. We then refined the preliminary orbit by combining the infrared data with a reanalysis of our high-resolution optical spectroscopy. The orbital period from the combined spectroscopic solution is ∼35 days, the eccentricity is ∼0.63, and the mass ratio is ∼0.84; although this high mass ratio would suggest that optical spectroscopy alone should be sufficient to identify the orbital solution, the presence of the tertiary B component likely introduced confusion in the blended optical spectra. Using millimeter imaging from the literature, we also estimate the inclinations of the stellar orbital planes with respect to the TWA 3A circumbinary disk inclination and find that all three planes are likely misaligned by at least ∼30°. The TWA 3A spectroscopic binary components have spectral types of M4.0 and M4.5; TWA 3B is an M3. We speculate that the system formed as a triple, is bound, and that its properties were shaped by dynamical interactions between the inclined orbits and disk.

Gravity Probe B orbit determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shestople, P; Ndili, A; Parkinson, B W; Small, H; Hanuschak, G

2015-01-01

The Gravity Probe B (GP-B) satellite was equipped with a pair of redundant Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers used to provide navigation solutions for real-time and post-processed orbit determination (OD), as well as to establish the relation between vehicle time and coordinated universal time. The receivers performed better than the real-time position requirement of 100 m rms per axis. Post-processed solutions indicated an rms position error of 2.5 m and an rms velocity error of 2.2 mm s −1 . Satellite laser ranging measurements provided independent verification of the GPS-derived GP-B orbit. We discuss the modifications and performance of the Trimble Advance Navigation System Vector III GPS receivers. We describe the GP-B precision orbit and detail the OD methodology, including ephemeris errors and the laser ranging measurements. (paper)

Orbital transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oertel, H. Jr.; Koerner, H.

1993-01-01

The Third Aerospace Symposium in Braunschweig presented, for the first time, the possibility of bringing together the classical disciplines of aerospace engineering and the natural science disciplines of meteorology and air chemistry in a european setting. In this way, aspects of environmental impact on the atmosphere could be examined quantitatively. An essential finding of the european conference, is the unrestricted agreement of the experts that the given launch frequencies of the present orbital transport result in a negligible amount of pollutants being released in the atmosphere. The symposium does, however, call attention to the increasing need to consider the effect of orbital and atmospheric environmental impact of a future increase in launch frequencies of orbital transport in connection with future space stations. The Third Aerospace Symposium, 'Orbital Transport, Technical, Meteorological and Chemical Aspects', constituted a first forum of discussion for engineers and scientists. Questions of new orbital transport technologies and their environmental impact were to be discussed towards a first consensus. Through the 34 reports and articles, the general problems of space transportation and environmental protection were addressed, as well as particular aspects of high temperatures during reentry in the atmosphere of the earth, precision navigation of flight vehicles or flow behavior and air chemistry in the stratosphere. (orig./CT). 342 figs

Stationary D = 4 black holes in supergravity: The issue of real nilpotent orbits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruggeri, Daniele [Universita di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica (Italy); INFN, Torino (Italy); Trigiante, Mario [Universita di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica (Italy); DISAT, Politecnico di Torino (Italy); INFN, Torino (Italy)

2017-05-15

The complete classification of the nilpotent orbits of SO(2,2){sup 2} in the representation (2,2,2,2), achieved in [14], is applied to the study of multi-center, asymptotically flat, extremal black hole solutions to the STU model. These real orbits provide an intrinsic characterization of regular single-center solutions, which is invariant with respect to the action of the global symmetry group SO(4,4), underlying the stationary solutions of the model, and provide stringent regularity constraints on multi-centered solutions. The known almost-BPS and composite non-BPS solutions are revisited in this setting. We systematically provide, for the relevant SO(2,2){sup 2}-nilpotent orbits of the global Noether charge matrix, regular representatives thereof. This analysis unveils a composition law of the orbits according to which those containing regular multi-centered solutions can be obtained as combinations of specific single-center orbits defining the constituent black holes. Some of the SO(2,2){sup 2}-orbits of the total Noether charge matrix are characterized as ''intrinsically singular'' in that they cannot contain any regular solution. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Orbit-attitude coupled motion around small bodies: Sun-synchronous orbits with Sun-tracking attitude motion

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, Shota; Howell, Kathleen C.; Tsuda, Yuichi; Kawaguchi, Jun'ichiro

2017-11-01

The motion of a spacecraft in proximity to a small body is significantly perturbed due to its irregular gravity field and solar radiation pressure. In such a strongly perturbed environment, the coupling effect of the orbital and attitude motions exerts a large influence that cannot be neglected. However, natural orbit-attitude coupled dynamics around small bodies that are stationary in both orbital and attitude motions have yet to be observed. The present study therefore investigates natural coupled motion that involves both a Sun-synchronous orbit and Sun-tracking attitude motion. This orbit-attitude coupled motion enables a spacecraft to maintain its orbital geometry and attitude state with respect to the Sun without requiring active control. Therefore, the proposed method can reduce the use of an orbit and attitude control system. This paper first presents analytical conditions to achieve Sun-synchronous orbits and Sun-tracking attitude motion. These analytical solutions are then numerically propagated based on non-linear coupled orbit-attitude equations of motion. Consequently, the possibility of implementing Sun-synchronous orbits with Sun-tracking attitude motion is demonstrated.

Burn Delay Analysis of the Lunar Orbit Insertion for Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jonghee; Song, Young-Joo; Kim, Young-Rok; Kim, Bangyeop

2017-12-01

The first Korea lunar orbiter, Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), has been in development since 2016. After launch, the KPLO will execute several maneuvers to enter into the lunar mission orbit, and will then perform lunar science missions for one year. Among these maneuvers, the lunar orbit insertion (LOI) is the most critical maneuver because the KPLO will experience an extreme velocity change in the presence of the Moon’s gravitational pull. However, the lunar orbiter may have a delayed LOI burn during operation due to hardware limitations and telemetry delays. This delayed burn could occur in different captured lunar orbits; in the worst case, the KPLO could fly away from the Moon. Therefore, in this study, the burn delay for the first LOI maneuver is analyzed to successfully enter the desired lunar orbit. Numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the difference between the desired and delayed lunar orbits due to a burn delay in the LOI maneuver. Based on this analysis, critical factors in the LOI maneuver, the periselene altitude and orbit period, are significantly changed and an additional delta-V in the second LOI maneuver is required as the delay burn interval increases to 10 min from the planned maneuver epoch.

RAVAN CubeSat Results: Technologies and Science Demonstrated On Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, W. H.; Lorentz, S. R.; Huang, P. M.; Smith, A. W.; Yu, Y.; Briscoe, J. S.; Reilly, N.; Reilly, S.; Reynolds, E.; Carvo, J.; Wu, D.

2017-12-01

Elucidating Earth's energy budget is vital to understanding and predicting climate, particularly the small imbalance between the incident solar irradiance and Earth-leaving fluxes of total and solar-reflected energy. Accurately quantifying the spatial and temporal variation of Earth's outgoing energy from space is a challenge—one potentially rendered more tractable with the advent of multipoint measurements from small satellite or hosted payload constellations. The Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) 3U CubeSat, launched November 11, 2016, is a pathfinder for a constellation to measure the Earth's energy imbalance. The objective of RAVAN is to establish that compact, broadband radiometers absolutely calibrated to high accuracy can be built and operated in space for low cost. RAVAN demonstrates two key technologies: (1) vertically aligned carbon nanotubes as spectrally flat radiometer absorbers and (2) gallium phase-change cells for on-board calibration and degradation monitoring of RAVAN's radiometer sensors. We show on-orbit results, including calibrated irradiance measurements at both shortwave, solar-reflected wavelengths and in the thermal infrared. These results are compared with both modeled upwelling fluxes and those measured by independent Earth energy instruments in low-Earth orbit. Further, we show the performance of two gallium phase-change cells that are used to monitor the degradation of RAVAN's radiometer sensors. In addition to Earth energy budget technology and science, RAVAN also demonstrates partnering with a commercial vendor for the CubeSat bus, payload integration and test, and mission operations. We conclude with a discussion of how a RAVAN-type constellation could enable a breakthrough in the measurement of Earth's energy budget and lead to superior predictions of future climate.

Global optimum spacecraft orbit control subject to bounded thrust in presence of nonlinear and random disturbances in a low earth orbit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer Mekky Ahmed Habib

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this work is to develop an effective spacecraft orbit control algorithm suitable for spacecraft orbital maneuver and/or rendezvous. The actual governing equation of a spacecraft orbiting the earth is merely nonlinear. Disturbance forces resulting from aerodynamic drag, oblateness of the earth till the fourth order (i.e. J4, and random disturbances are modeled for the initial and target orbits. These disturbances increase the complexity of nonlinear governing equations. Global optimum solutions of the control algorithm parameters are determined throughout real coded genetic algorithms such that the steady state difference between the actual and desired trajectories is minimized. The resulting solutions are constrained to avoid spacecraft collision with the surface of the earth taking into account limited thrust budget.

Precision orbit determination performance for CryoSat-2

Science.gov (United States)

Schrama, Ernst

2018-01-01

In this paper we discuss our efforts to perform precision orbit determination (POD) of CryoSat-2 which depends on Doppler and satellite laser ranging tracking data. A dynamic orbit model is set-up and the residuals between the model and the tracking data is evaluated. The average r.m.s. of the 10 s averaged Doppler tracking pass residuals is approximately 0.39 mm/s; and the average of the laser tracking pass residuals becomes 1.42 cm. There are a number of other tests to verify the quality of the orbit solution, we compare our computed orbits against three independent external trajectories provided by the CNES. The CNES products are part of the CryoSat-2 products distributed by ESA. The radial differences of our solution relative to the CNES precision orbits shows an average r.m.s. of 1.25 cm between Jun-2010 and Apr-2017. The SIRAL altimeter crossover difference statistics demonstrate that the quality of our orbit solution is comparable to that of the POE solution computed by the CNES. In this paper we will discuss three important changes in our POD activities that have brought the orbit performance to this level. The improvements concern the way we implement temporal gravity accelerations observed by GRACE; the implementation of ITRF2014 coordinates and velocities for the DORIS beacons and the SLR tracking sites. We also discuss an adjustment of the SLR retroreflector position within the satellite reference frame. An unexpected result is that we find a systematic difference between the median of the 10 s Doppler tracking residuals which displays a statistically significant pattern in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SSA) area where the median of the velocity residuals varies in the range of -0.15 to +0.15 mm/s.

Multi-GNSS orbit determination using satellite laser ranging

Science.gov (United States)

Bury, Grzegorz; Sośnica, Krzysztof; Zajdel, Radosław

2018-04-01

Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, and NavIC are emerging global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) and regional navigation satellite systems all of which are equipped with laser retroreflector arrays for range measurements. This paper summarizes the GNSS-intensive tracking campaigns conducted by the International Laser Ranging Service and provides results from multi-GNSS orbit determination using solely SLR observations. We consider the whole constellation of GLONASS, all active Galileo, four BeiDou satellites: 1 MEO, 3 IGSO, and one QZSS. We analyze the influence of the number of SLR observations on the quality of the 3-day multi-GNSS orbit solution. About 60 SLR observations are needed for obtaining MEO orbits of sufficient quality with the root mean square (RMS) of 3 cm for the radial component when compared to microwave-based orbits. From the analysis of a minimum number of tracking stations, when considering the 3-day arcs, 5 SLR stations do not provide a sufficient geometry of observations. The solution obtained using ten stations is characterized with RMS of 4, 9, and 18 cm in the radial, along-track, and cross-track direction, respectively, for MEO satellites. We also investigate the impact of the length of orbital arc on the quality of SLR-derived orbits. Hence, 5- and 7-day arcs constitute the best solution, whereas 3-day arcs are of inferior quality due to an insufficient number of SLR observations and 9-day arcs deteriorate the along-track component. The median RMS from the comparison between 7-day orbital arcs determined using SLR data with microwave-based orbits assumes values in the range of 3-4, 11-16, and 15-27 cm in radial, along-track, and cross-track, respectively, for MEO satellites. BeiDou IGSO and QZSS are characterized by RMS values higher by a factor of 8 and 24, respectively, than MEO orbits.

Engaging the creative to better build science into water resource solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Klos, P. Z.

2014-12-01

Psychological thought suggests that social engagement with an environmental problem requires 1) cognitive understanding of the problem, 2) emotional engagement with the problem, and 3) perceived efficacy that there is something we can do to solve the problem. Within the water sciences, we form problem-focused, cross-disciplinary teams to help address complex water resource problems, but often we only seek teammates from other disciplines within the realms of engineering and the natural/social sciences. Here I argue that this science-centric focus fails to fully solve these water resource problems, and often the science goes unheard because it is heavily cognitive and lacks the ability to effectively engage the audience through crucial social-psychological aspects of emotion and efficacy. To solve this, future cross-disciplinary collaborations that seek to include creative actors from the worlds of art, humanities, and design can begin to provide a much stronger overlap of the cognition, emotion, and efficacy needed to communicate the science, engage the audience, and create the solutions needed to solve or world's most complex water resource problems. Disciplines across the arts, sciences, and engineering all bring unique strengths that, through collaboration, allow for uniquely creative modes of art-science overlap that can engage people through additions of emotion and efficacy that compliment the science and go beyond the traditional cognitive approach. I highlight examples of this art-science overlap in action and argue that water resource collaborations like these will be more likely to have their hydrologic science accepted and applied by those who decide on water resource solutions. For this Pop-up Talk session, I aim to share the details of this proposed framework in the context of my own research and the work of others. I hope to incite discussion regarding the utility and relevance of this framework as a future option for other water resource

A Reflight of the Explorer-1 Science Mission: The Montana EaRth Orbiting Pico Explorer (MEROPE)

Science.gov (United States)

Klumpar, D. M.; Obland, M.; Hunyadi, G.; Jepsen, S.; Larsen, B.; Kankelborg, C.; Hiscock, W.

2001-05-01

Montana State University's interdisciplinary Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) under support from the Montana NASA Space Grant Consortium is engaged in an earth orbiting satellite student design and flight project. The Montana EaRth Orbiting Pico Explorer (MEROPE) will carry a modern-day reproduction of the scientific payload carried on Explorer-1. On February 1, 1958 the United States launched its first earth orbiting satellite carrying a 14 kg scientific experiment built by Professor James Van Allen's group at the State University of Iowa (now The University of Iowa). The MEROPE student satellite will carry a reproduction, using current-day technology, of the scientific payload flown on Explorer-1. The CubeSat-class satellite will use currently available, low cost technologies to produce a payload-carrying satellite with a total orbital mass of 1 kg in a volume of 1 cubic liter. The satellite is to be launched in late 2001 into a 600 km, 65° inclination orbit. MEROPE will utilize passive magnetic orientation for 2-axis attitude control. A central microprocessor provides timing, controls on-board operations and switching, and enables data storage. Body mounted GaAs solar arrays are expected to provide in excess of 1.5 W. to maintain battery charge and operate the bus and payload. The Geiger counter will be operated at approximately 50% duty cycle, primarily during transits of the earth's radiation belts. Data will be stored on board and transmitted approximately twice per day to a ground station located on the Bozeman campus of the Montana State University. Owing to the 65° inclination, the instrument will also detect the higher energy portion of the electron spectrum responsible for the production of the Aurora Borealis. This paper describes both the technical implementation and design of the satellite and its payload as well as the not inconsiderable task of large team organization and management. As of March 2001, the student team consists of

Advances in the management of orbital fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, P N; Sullivan, P

1992-01-01

Great progress has been made in both the basic science and the clinical knowledge base used in orbital reconstruction. With this, increasing complex orbital reconstructive problems are better managed. The diagnosis, treatment plan, and the actual reconstruction have evolved to a higher level. Several areas of progress are of note: the greater appreciation of the intimate relation between the bony orbit's shape and the position of the globe; application of computer technology in orbital injuries; effect of rigid fixation on autogenous and alloplastic graft; and the use of advanced biocompatible synthetic materials in orbital reconstruction. Although this progress has great impact on treatment of orbital injuries, there are many unanswered challenges in the treatment of the fragile frame of the window to the human soul.

Development, Demonstration and Validation of the Deep Space Orbit Determination Software Using Lunar Prospector Tracking Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunji Lee

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The deep space orbit determination software (DSODS is a part of a flight dynamic subsystem (FDS for the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO, a lunar exploration mission expected to launch after 2018. The DSODS consists of several sub modules, of which the orbit determination (OD module employs a weighted least squares algorithm for estimating the parameters related to the motion and the tracking system of the spacecraft, and subroutines for performance improvement and detailed analysis of the orbit solution. In this research, DSODS is demonstrated and validated at lunar orbit at an altitude of 100 km using actual Lunar Prospector tracking data. A set of a priori states are generated, and the robustness of DSODS to the a priori error is confirmed by the NASA planetary data system (PDS orbit solutions. Furthermore, the accuracy of the orbit solutions is determined by solution comparison and overlap analysis as about tens of meters. Through these analyses, the ability of the DSODS to provide proper orbit solutions for the KPLO are proved.

Summary of the results from the lunar orbiter laser altimeter after seven years in lunar orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Mazarico, Erwan; Lemoine, Frank G.; Head, James W., III; Lucey, Paul G.; Aharonson, Oded; Robinson, Mark S.; Sun, Xiaoli; Torrence, Mark H.; Barker, Michael K.; Oberst, Juergen; Duxbury, Thomas C.; Mao, Dandan; Barnouin, Olivier S.; Jha, Kopal; Rowlands, David D.; Goossens, Sander; Baker, David; Bauer, Sven; Gläser, Philipp; Lemelin, Myriam; Rosenburg, Margaret; Sori, Michael M.; Whitten, Jennifer; Mcclanahan, Timothy

2017-02-01

In June 2009 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft was launched to the Moon. The payload consists of 7 science instruments selected to characterize sites for future robotic and human missions. Among them, the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) was designed to obtain altimetry, surface roughness, and reflectance measurements. The primary phase of lunar exploration lasted one year, following a 3-month commissioning phase. On completion of its exploration objectives, the LRO mission transitioned to a science mission. After 7 years in lunar orbit, the LOLA instrument continues to map the lunar surface. The LOLA dataset is one of the foundational datasets acquired by the various LRO instruments. LOLA provided a high-accuracy global geodetic reference frame to which past, present and future lunar observations can be referenced. It also obtained high-resolution and accurate global topography that were used to determine regions in permanent shadow at the lunar poles. LOLA further contributed to the study of polar volatiles through its unique measurement of surface brightness at zero phase, which revealed anomalies in several polar craters that may indicate the presence of water ice. In this paper, we describe the many LOLA accomplishments to date and its contribution to lunar and planetary science.

Summary of the Results from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter after Seven Years in Lunar Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Mazarico, Erwan; Lemoine, Frank G.; Head, James W., III; Lucey, Paul G.; Aharonson, Oded; Robinson, Mark S.; Sun, Xiaoli;

The Effects of Observations and Maneuvers on Orbit Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-01

1 1.2 Motivation ...15 Figure 6 Example Covariance Bubble ( Rugby Ball...better than other methods such as Least Squares. 1.2 Motivation Space is becoming an ever more congested and contested environment. Orbital debris

A Small Spacecraft Swarm Deployment and Stationkeeping Strategy for Sun-Earth L1 Halo Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Renea Conn, Tracie; Bookbinder, Jay

2018-01-01

Spacecraft orbits about the Sun-Earth librarian point L1 have been of interest since the 1950s. An L1 halo orbit was first achieved with the International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) mission, and similar orbits around Sun-Earth L1 were achieved in the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Genesis, and Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) missions. With recent advancements in CubeSat technology, we envision that it will soon be feasible to deploy CubeSats at L1. As opposed to these prior missions where one large satellite orbited alone, a swarm of CubeSats at L1 would enable novel science data return, providing a topology for intersatellite measurements of heliophysics phenomena both spatially and temporally, at varying spatial scales.The purpose of this iPoster is to present a flight dynamics strategy for a swarm of numerous CubeSats orbiting Sun-Earth L1. The presented method is a coupled, two-part solution. First, we present a deployment strategy for the CubeSats that is optimized to produce prescribed, time-varying intersatellite baselines for the purposes of collecting magnetometer data as well as radiometric measurements from cross-links. Second, we employ a loose control strategy that was successfully applied to SOHO and ACE for minimized stationkeeping propellant expenditure. We emphasize that the presented solution is practical within the current state-of-the-art and heritage CubeSat technology, citing capabilities of CubeSat designs that will launch on the upcoming Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) to lunar orbits and beyond. Within this iPoster, we present animations of the simulated deployment strategy and resulting spacecraft trajectories. Mission design parameters such as total Δv required for long-term station keeping and minimum/maximum/mean spacecraft separation distances are also presented.

Maintaining Aura's Orbit Requirements While Performing Orbit Maintenance Maneuvers Containing an Orbit Normal Delta-V Component

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Megan R.; Petersen, Jeremy D.

2014-01-01

The Earth Observing System (EOS) Afternoon Constellation consists of five member missions (GCOM-W1, Aqua, CALIPSO, CloudSat, and Aura), each of which maintain a frozen, sun-synchronous orbit with a 16-day repeating ground track that follows the Worldwide Reference System-2 (WRS-2). Under nominal science operations for Aura, the propulsion system is oriented such that the resultant thrust vector is aligned 13.493 degrees away from the velocity vector along the yaw axis. When performing orbit maintenance maneuvers, the spacecraft performs a yaw slew to align the thrust vector in the appropriate direction. A new Drag Make Up (DMU) maneuver operations scheme has been implemented for Aura alleviating the need for the 13.493 degree yaw slew. The focus of this investigation is to assess the impact that no-slew DMU maneuver operations will have on Aura's Mean Local Time (MLT) which drives the required along track separation between Aura and the constellation members, as well as Aura's frozen orbit properties, eccentricity and argument of perigee. Seven maneuver strategies were analyzed to determine the best operational approach. A mirror pole strategy, with maneuvers alternating at the North and South poles, was implemented operationally to minimize impact to the MLT. Additional analysis determined that the mirror pole strategy could be further modified to include frozen orbit maneuvers and thus maintain both MLT and the frozen orbit properties under noslew operations.

GLONASS Orbits in Teqc: Methodology and Future Extension for Using SP3 Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Estey, L.; Wier, S.

2011-12-01

UNAVCO's teqc software package provides translation of a wide variety of GNSS receiver formats, metadata editing (either during translation to RINEX or on existing RINEX files), time-windowing and epoch decimation editing, and quality check (qc) analysis. Teqc is used extensively in GNSS pre-processing, and is designed to handle mixed satellite constellations, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and SBAS. The latest release of teqc adds GLONASS orbit calculations using GLONASS broadcast navigation messages, read from RINEX file format, during qc. The ephemerides for each GLONASS SV have time and orbit position in Earth-centered, Earth-fixed x, y, and z coordinates. Following Schenewerk [2003], we use trigonometric interpolation, essentially a fit of a partial sum of the Fourier series for each time-varying cartesian orbital component, allowing estimates of orbit positions at most GLONASS observation times. Tests show the interpolated GLONASS orbits made from the broadcast messages diverge from final orbits little more than the same differences using GPS orbits computed from their broadcast messages. Since GLONASS ephemerides do not use Keplerian orbital elements, GLONASS SV orbits can only be interpolated using this method for time intervals when an adequate sequence of ephemerides are available. For typical daily navigation messages collected at a single sit, when a GLONASS SV is in view less than three hours, that SV's signals are generally not used by teqc due to less precise orbit positions. Teqc quality control including SV position can now use GPS alone, GLONASS alone, or the joint solution. Future work will extend teqc to use SP3 format files, such as the IGS final orbit files, and SBAS data, which have broadcast ephemerides with elements similar to GLONASS.

Low-Thrust Orbital Transfers in the Two-Body Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Sukhanov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Low-thrust transfers between given orbits within the two-body problem are considered; the thrust is assumed power limited. A simple method for obtaining the transfer trajectories based on the linearization of the motion near reference orbits is suggested. Required calculation accuracy can be reached by means of use of a proper number of the reference orbits. The method may be used in the case of a large number of the orbits around the attracting center; no averaging is necessary in this case. The suggested method also is applicable to the cases of partly given final orbit and if there are constraints on the thrust direction. The method gives an optimal solution to the linearized problem which is not optimal for the original nonlinear problem; the difference between the optimal solutions to the original and linearized problems is estimated using a numerical example. Also examples illustrating the method capacities are given.

Self-consistent field theory of collisions: Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hahn, Y.K., E-mail: ykhahn22@verizon.net

2014-12-15

The self-consistent field theory of collisions is formulated, incorporating the unique dynamics generated by the self-averaged potentials. The bound state Hartree–Fock approach is extended for the first time to scattering states, by properly resolving the principal difficulties of non-integrable continuum orbitals and imposing complex asymptotic conditions. The recently developed asymptotic source theory provides the natural theoretical basis, as the asymptotic conditions are completely transferred to the source terms and the new scattering function is made fullyintegrable. The scattering solutions can then be directly expressed in terms of bound state HF configurations, establishing the relationship between the bound and scattering state solutions. Alternatively, the integrable spin orbitals are generated by constructing the individual orbital equations that contain asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials. However, the orbital energies are not determined by the equations, and a special channel energy fixing procedure is developed to secure the solutions. It is also shown that the variational construction of the orbital equations has intrinsic ambiguities that are generally associated with the self-consistent approach. On the other hand, when a small subset of open channels is included in the source term, the solutions are only partiallyintegrable, but the individual open channels can then be treated more simply by properly selecting the orbital energies. The configuration mixing and channel coupling are then necessary to complete the solution. The new theory improves the earlier continuum HF model. - Highlights: • First extension of HF to scattering states, with proper asymptotic conditions. • Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and integrable orbital solutions. • Construction of self-averaged potentials, and orbital energy fixing. • Channel coupling and configuration mixing, involving the new orbitals. • Critical evaluation of the

Orbiting radiation stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, Dean P; Langford, John; Perez-Giz, Gabe

2016-01-01

We study a spherically symmetric solution to the Einstein equations in which the source, which we call an orbiting radiation star (OR-star), is a compact object consisting of freely falling null particles. The solution avoids quantum scale regimes and hence neither relies upon nor ignores the interaction of quantum mechanics and gravitation. The OR-star spacetime exhibits a deep gravitational well yet remains singularity free. In fact, it is geometrically flat in the vicinity of the origin, with the flat region being of any desirable scale. The solution is observationally distinct from a black hole because a photon from infinity aimed at an OR-star escapes to infinity with a time delay. (paper)

Orbital stability of Gausson solutions to logarithmic Schrodinger equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex H. Ardila

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we prove of the orbital stability of the ground state for logarithmic Schrodinger equation in any dimension and under nonradial perturbations. This general stability result was announced by Cazenave and Lions [9, Remark II.3], but no details were given there.

Geosynchronous inclined orbits for high-latitude communications

Science.gov (United States)

Fantino, E.; Flores, R. M.; Di Carlo, M.; Di Salvo, A.; Cabot, E.

2017-11-01

We present and discuss a solution to the growing demand for satellite telecommunication coverage in the high-latitude geographical regions (beyond 55°N), where the signal from geostationary satellites is limited or unavailable. We focus on the dynamical issues associated to the design, the coverage, the maintenance and the disposal of a set of orbits selected for the purpose. Specifically, we identify a group of highly inclined, moderately eccentric geosynchronous orbits derived from the Tundra orbit (geosynchronous, eccentric and critically inclined). Continuous coverage can be guaranteed by a constellation of three satellites in equally spaced planes and suitably phased. By means of a high-precision model of the terrestrial gravity field and the relevant environmental perturbations, we study the evolution of these orbits. The effects of the different perturbations on the ground track (which is more important for coverage than the orbital elements themselves) are isolated and analyzed. The physical model and the numerical setup are optimized with respect to computing time and accuracy. We show that, in order to maintain the ground track unchanged, the key parameters are the orbital period and the argument of perigee. Furthermore, corrections to the right ascension of the ascending node are needed in order to preserve the relative orientation of the orbital planes. A station-keeping strategy that minimizes propellant consumption is then devised, and comparisons are made between the cost of a solution based on impulsive maneuvers and one with continuous thrust. Finally, the issue of end-of-life disposal is discussed.

An Orbit And Dispersion Correction Scheme for the PEP II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Y.; Donald, M.; Shoaee, H.; White, G.; Yasukawa, L.A.

2011-01-01

To achieve optimum luminosity in a storage ring it is vital to control the residual vertical dispersion. In the original PEP storage ring, a scheme to control the residual dispersion function was implemented using the ring orbit as the controlling element. The 'best' orbit not necessarily giving the lowest vertical dispersion. A similar scheme has been implemented in both the on-line control code and in the simulation code LEGO. The method involves finding the response matrices (sensitivity of orbit/dispersion at each Beam-Position-Monitor (BPM) to each orbit corrector) and solving in a least squares sense for minimum orbit, dispersion function or both. The optimum solution is usually a subset of the full least squares solution. A scheme of simultaneously correcting the orbits and dispersion has been implemented in the simulation code and on-line control system for PEP-II. The scheme is based on the eigenvector decomposition method. An important ingredient of the scheme is to choose the optimum eigenvectors that minimize the orbit, dispersion and corrector strength. Simulations indicate this to be a very effective way to control the vertical residual dispersion.

Nilpotent orbits in real symmetric pairs and stationary black holes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietrich, Heiko [School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, VIC (Australia); De Graaf, Willem A. [Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Povo (Italy); Ruggeri, Daniele [Universita di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Torino (Italy); Trigiante, Mario [DISAT, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

2017-02-15

In the study of stationary solutions in extended supergravities with symmetric scalar manifolds, the nilpotent orbits of a real symmetric pair play an important role. In this paper we discuss two approaches to determine the nilpotent orbits of a real symmetric pair. We apply our methods to an explicit example, and thereby classify the nilpotent orbits of (SL{sub 2}(R)){sup 4} acting on the fourth tensor power of the natural 2-dimensional SL{sub 2}(R)-module. This makes it possible to classify all stationary solutions of the so-called STU-supergravity model. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Nilpotent orbits in real symmetric pairs and stationary black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietrich, Heiko; De Graaf, Willem A.; Ruggeri, Daniele; Trigiante, Mario

2017-01-01

In the study of stationary solutions in extended supergravities with symmetric scalar manifolds, the nilpotent orbits of a real symmetric pair play an important role. In this paper we discuss two approaches to determine the nilpotent orbits of a real symmetric pair. We apply our methods to an explicit example, and thereby classify the nilpotent orbits of (SL 2 (R)) 4 acting on the fourth tensor power of the natural 2-dimensional SL 2 (R)-module. This makes it possible to classify all stationary solutions of the so-called STU-supergravity model. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Continuation of Sets of Constrained Orbit Segments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schilder, Frank; Brøns, Morten; Chamoun, George Chaouki

Sets of constrained orbit segments of time continuous flows are collections of trajectories that represent a whole or parts of an invariant set. A non-trivial but simple example is a homoclinic orbit. A typical representation of this set consists of an equilibrium point of the flow and a trajectory...... that starts close and returns close to this fixed point within finite time. More complicated examples are hybrid periodic orbits of piecewise smooth systems or quasi-periodic invariant tori. Even though it is possible to define generalised two-point boundary value problems for computing sets of constrained...... orbit segments, this is very disadvantageous in practice. In this talk we will present an algorithm that allows the efficient continuation of sets of constrained orbit segments together with the solution of the full variational problem....

GPS Based Reduced-Dynamic Orbit Determination for Low Earth Orbiters with Ambiguity Fixing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With the ever-increasing number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO for scientific missions, the precise determination of the position and velocity of the satellite is a necessity. GPS (Global Positioning System based reduced-dynamic orbit determination (RPOD method is commonly used in the post processing with high precision. This paper presents a sequential RPOD strategy for LEO satellite in the framework of Extended Kalman Filter (EKF. Precise Point Positioning (PPP technique is used to process the GPS observations, with carrier phase ambiguity resolution using Integer Phase Clocks (IPCs products. A set of GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment mission data is used to test and validate the RPOD performance. Results indicate that orbit determination accuracy could be improved by 15% in terms of 3D RMS error in comparison with traditional RPOD method with float ambiguity solutions.

Spin-orbit beams for optical chirality measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Samlan, C. T.; Suna, Rashmi Ranjan; Naik, Dinesh N.; Viswanathan, Nirmal K.

2018-01-01

Accurate measurement of chirality is essential for the advancement of natural and pharmaceutical sciences. We report here a method to measure chirality using non-separable states of light with geometric phase-gradient in the circular polarization basis, which we refer to as spin-orbit beams. A modified polarization Sagnac interferometer is used to generate spin-orbit beams wherein the spin and orbital angular momentum of the input Gaussian beam are coupled. The out-of-phase interference between counter-propagating Gaussian beams with orthogonal spin states and lateral-shear or/and linear-phase difference between them results in spin-orbit beams with linear and azimuthal phase gradient. The spin-orbit beams interact efficiently with the chiral medium, inducing a measurable change in the center-of-mass of the beam, using the polarization rotation angle and hence the chirality of the medium are accurately calculated. Tunable dynamic range of measurement and flexibility to introduce large values of orbital angular momentum for the spin-orbit beam, to improve the measurement sensitivity, highlight the techniques' versatility.

'Limbitless Solutions': the Prosthetic Arm, Iron Man and the Science Fiction of Technoscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Susan

2016-12-01

Early last year, a non-profit organisation called 'Limbitless Solutions' modelled a 3D printed prosthetic arm on a fighting suit that features in the popular superhero film series, Iron Man (2008-2013). In addition, 'Limbitless Solutions' resourcefully deployed the fictional character and inventor of the Iron Man suit, weapons specialist and philanthropist, Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, in a celebrity/superhero endorsed promotional short film, showing 'Tony', the 'real Iron Man', gifting the futuristic military styled 'gauntlet' to Alex, a 7-year-old boy with a partially developed right arm. Engaging with scholarly work on the science fiction of technoscience, prostheses and the posthuman, and disability and DIY assistive technology, I analyse 'Limbitless Solutions' use of science fiction in a high-profile media event that problematically portrays an impaired child 'in need' of 'repair' and subsequently 'fixed' by technology. Overall, the aim is to integrate science fiction tropes, such as the wounded hero, the fighting suit and prosthetic arm, with disability studies, to highlight the sustained challenges that emerging theories of disability and technology face as contemporary economic, political and ideological forces endorse and promote militarised images of cyborg assimilation over human variation and physical difference. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Space Gravity Spectroscopy - determination of the Earth’s gravitational field by means of Newton interpolated LEO ephemeris Case studies on dynamic (CHAMP Rapid Science Orbit and kinematic orbits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Reubelt

2003-01-01

Full Text Available An algorithm for the (kinematic orbit analysis of a Low Earth Orbiting (LEO GPS tracked satellite to determine the spherical harmonic coefficients of the terrestrial gravitational field is presented. A contribution to existing long wavelength gravity field models is expected since the kinematic orbit of a LEO satellite can nowadays be determined with very high accuracy in the range of a few centimeters. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method, first results from the analysis of real CHAMP Rapid Science (dynamic Orbits (RSO and kinematic orbits are illustrated. In particular, we take advantage of Newton’s Law of Motion which balances the acceleration vector and the gradient of the gravitational potential with respect to an Inertial Frame of Reference (IRF. The satellite’s acceleration vector is determined by means of the second order functional of Newton’s Interpolation Formula from relative satellite ephemeris (baselines with respect to the IRF. Therefore the satellite ephemeris, which are normally given in a Body fixed Frame of Reference (BRF have to be transformed into the IRF. Subsequently the Newton interpolated accelerations have to be reduced for disturbing gravitational and non-gravitational accelerations in order to obtain the accelerations caused by the Earth’s gravitational field. For a first insight in real data processing these reductions have been neglected. The gradient of the gravitational potential, conventionally expressed in vector-valued spherical harmonics and given in a Body Fixed Frame of Reference, must be transformed from BRF to IRF by means of the polar motion matrix, the precession-nutation matrices and the Greenwich Siderial Time Angle (GAST. The resulting linear system of equations is solved by means of a least squares adjustment in terms of a Gauss-Markov model in order to estimate the spherical harmonics coefficients of the Earth’s gravitational field.Key words. space gravity spectroscopy

Strategies for high-precision Global Positioning System orbit determination

Science.gov (United States)

Lichten, Stephen M.; Border, James S.

1987-01-01

Various strategies for the high-precision orbit determination of the GPS satellites are explored using data from the 1985 GPS field test. Several refinements to the orbit determination strategies were found to be crucial for achieving high levels of repeatability and accuracy. These include the fine tuning of the GPS solar radiation coefficients and the ground station zenith tropospheric delays. Multiday arcs of 3-6 days provided better orbits and baselines than the 8-hr arcs from single-day passes. Highest-quality orbits and baselines were obtained with combined carrier phase and pseudorange solutions.

Comparison of ERBS orbit determination accuracy using batch least-squares and sequential methods

Science.gov (United States)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Fabien, S. M.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.; Doll, C. E.

1991-10-01

The Flight Dynamics Div. (FDD) at NASA-Goddard commissioned a study to develop the Real Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft on a DOS based personal computer (PC). An overview is presented of RTOD/E capabilities and the results are presented of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft obtained using RTOS/E on a PC with the accuracy of an established batch least squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), operating on a mainframe computer. RTOD/E was used to perform sequential orbit determination for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) was used to perform the batch least squares orbit determination. The estimated ERBS ephemerides were obtained for the Aug. 16 to 22, 1989, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for ERBS were available. Independent assessments were made to examine the consistencies of results obtained by the batch and sequential methods. Comparisons were made between the forward filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions and definitive GTDS orbit solutions for ERBS; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

Comparison of ERBS orbit determination accuracy using batch least-squares and sequential methods

Science.gov (United States)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Fabien, S. M.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.; Doll, C. E.

1991-01-01

The Flight Dynamics Div. (FDD) at NASA-Goddard commissioned a study to develop the Real Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft on a DOS based personal computer (PC). An overview is presented of RTOD/E capabilities and the results are presented of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft obtained using RTOS/E on a PC with the accuracy of an established batch least squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), operating on a mainframe computer. RTOD/E was used to perform sequential orbit determination for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) was used to perform the batch least squares orbit determination. The estimated ERBS ephemerides were obtained for the Aug. 16 to 22, 1989, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for ERBS were available. Independent assessments were made to examine the consistencies of results obtained by the batch and sequential methods. Comparisons were made between the forward filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions and definitive GTDS orbit solutions for ERBS; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

Discrete restricted four-body problem: Existence of proof of equilibria and reproducibility of periodic orbits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minesaki, Yukitaka [Tokushima Bunri University, Nishihama, Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima 770-8514 (Japan)

2015-01-01

We propose the discrete-time restricted four-body problem (d-R4BP), which approximates the orbits of the restricted four-body problem (R4BP). The d-R4BP is given as a special case of the discrete-time chain regularization of the general N-body problem published in Minesaki. Moreover, we analytically prove that the d-R4BP yields the correct orbits corresponding to the elliptic relative equilibrium solutions of the R4BP when the three primaries form an equilateral triangle at any time. Such orbits include the orbit of a relative equilibrium solution already discovered by Baltagiannis and Papadakis. Until the proof in this work, there has been no discrete analog that preserves the orbits of elliptic relative equilibrium solutions in the R4BP. For a long time interval, the d-R4BP can precisely compute some stable periodic orbits in the Sun–Jupiter–Trojan asteroid–spacecraft system that cannot necessarily be reproduced by other generic integrators.

Elliptical Orbit [arrow right] 1/r[superscript 2] Force

Science.gov (United States)

Prentis, Jeffrey; Fulton, Bryan; Hesse, Carol; Mazzino, Laura

2007-01-01

Newton's proof of the connection between elliptical orbits and inverse-square forces ranks among the "top ten" calculations in the history of science. This time-honored calculation is a highlight in an upper-level mechanics course. It would be worthwhile if students in introductory physics could prove the relation "elliptical orbit" [arrow right]…

Environmental studies using earth orbital photography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wobber, F J

1969-01-01

Orbital remote sensing, and particularly orbital photography, can provide immediately useful data for scientists familiar with applying aerial photographic techniques to environmental problems. Despite the expansion of analytical techniques in the earth sciences, the environmental data base has remained relatively static compared with increased information needs because of the difficulty of effective worldwide surveys and the high cost of timely data collection. Color, color infrared and black and white space photographs obtained incident to the Gemini and Apollo programs provide unique synoptic tools for analyzing modern environments and processes, and data that cannot be duplicated by aerial photographic mosaics. Principal advantages of orbital surveys include repetitious worldwide coverage promising environmental synthesis within the full spectrum of seasonal contrasts, and synoptic observations on a scale generally impossible from aircraft. The general categories of environmental data that can be extracted from orbital photography are summarized. 26 references, 37 figures, 3 tables.

A Preliminary Formation Flying Orbit Dynamics Analysis for Leonardo-BRDF

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Steven P.; Mailhe, Laurie M.

2001-01-01

Leonardo-BRDF is a NASA mission concept proposed to allow the investigation of radiative transfer and its effect on the Earth's climate and atmospheric phenomenon. Enabled by the recent developments in small-satellite and formation flying technology, the mission is envisioned to be composed of an array of spacecraft in carefully designed orbits. The different perspectives provided by a distributed array of spacecraft offer a unique advantage to study the Earth's albedo. This paper presents the orbit dynamics analysis performed in the context of the Leonardo-BRDF science requirements. First, the albedo integral is investigated and the effect of viewing geometry on science return is studied. The method used in this paper, based on Gauss quadrature, provides the optimal formation geometry to ensure that the value of the integral is accurately approximated. An orbit design approach is presented to achieve specific relative orbit geometries while simultaneously satisfying orbit dynamics constraints to reduce formation-keeping fuel expenditure. The relative geometry afforded by the design is discussed in terms of mission requirements. An optimal two-burn initialization scheme is presented with the required delta-V to distribute all spacecraft from a common parking orbit into their appropriate orbits in the formation. Finally, formation-keeping strategies are developed and the associated delta-V's are calculated to maintain the formation in the presence of perturbations.

DOT strategies versus orbiter strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutten, R.J.

2001-01-01

The Dutch Open Telescope is a high-resolution solar imager coming on-line at La Palma. The definition of the DOT science niche, strategies, and requirements resemble Solar Orbiter considerations and deliberations. I discuss the latter in the light of the former, and claim that multi-line observation

The Viking Orbiter and its Mariner inheritance

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, A. E.; Norris, H. W.

1975-01-01

The orbiter system of the Viking spacecraft performs the functions of transporting the lander into orbit around Mars, surveying the proposed landing sites, relaying lander data to earth, and conducting independent scientific observations of Mars. The orbiter system is a semiautomatic, solar-powered, triaxially stabilized platform capable of making trajectory corrections and communicating with earth on S-band. Its instruments for visual imaging, detecting water vapor, and thermal mapping are mounted on a separate two-degree-of-freedom scan platform. Radio science is conducted at three frequencies, using the main S-band system, a separate X-band derived from the S-band, and the UHF one-way link with the lander.

EDITORIAL: XVI Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

de Melo, Cristiano F.; Macau, Elbert E. N.; Prado, Antonio B. A.; Hetem Jnr, Annibal

2013-10-01

The XVI Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics was held from 26-30 November 2012, at the Biazi Grand Hotel, Serra Negra, São Paulo, Brazil. The Brazilian Colloquia on Orbital Dynamics are scientific events that occur bi-annually and are designed to develop those areas of research in celestial mechanics, orbital dynamics, planetary science, fundamental astronomy, aerospace engineering, and nonlinear systems and chaos. The meeting has been held for 30 years and it brings together researchers, professors and students from South American and also from other continents. Acknowledgements National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level - CAPES São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP

OCEANUS: A high science return Uranus orbiter with a low-cost instrument suite

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, C. M.; Bramson, A. M.; Blum, L. W.; Chilton, H. T.; Chopra, A.; Chu, C.; Das, A.; Davis, A. B.; Delgado, A.; Fulton, J.; Jozwiak, L. M.; Khayat, A.; Landis, M. E.; Molaro, J. L.; Slipski, M.; Valencia, S.; Watkins, J.; Young, C. L.; Budney, C. J.; Mitchell, K. L.

2018-07-01

Ice-giant-sized planets are the most common type of observed exoplanet, yet the two ice giants in our own solar system (Uranus and Neptune) are the least explored class of planet, having only been observed through ground-based observations and a single flyby each by Voyager 2 approximately 30 years ago. These single flybys were unable to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in ice giant magnetospheres, some of the most odd and intriguing magnetospheres in the solar system. They also offered only limited constraints on the internal structure of ice giants; understanding the internal structure of a planet is important for understanding its formation and evolution. The most recent planetary science Decadal Survey by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, "Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022," identified the ice giant Uranus as the third highest priority for a Flagship mission in the decade 2013-2022. However, in the event that NASA or another space agency is unable to fly a Flagship-class mission to an ice giant in the next decade, this paper presents a mission concept for a focused, lower cost Uranus orbiter called OCEANUS (Origins and Composition of the Exoplanet Analog Uranus System). OCEANUS would increase our understanding of the interior structure of Uranus, its magnetosphere, and how its magnetic field is generated. These goals could be achieved with just a magnetometer and the spacecraft's radio system. This study shows that several of the objectives outlined by the Decadal Survey, including one of the two identified as highest priority, are within reach for a New-Frontiers-class mission.

Spacetime and orbits of bumpy black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigeland, Sarah J.; Hughes, Scott A.

2010-01-01

Our Universe contains a great number of extremely compact and massive objects which are generally accepted to be black holes. Precise observations of orbital motion near candidate black holes have the potential to determine if they have the spacetime structure that general relativity demands. As a means of formulating measurements to test the black hole nature of these objects, Collins and Hughes introduced ''bumpy black holes'': objects that are almost, but not quite, general relativity's black holes. The spacetimes of these objects have multipoles that deviate slightly from the black hole solution, reducing to black holes when the deviation is zero. In this paper, we extend this work in two ways. First, we show how to introduce bumps which are smoother and lead to better behaved orbits than those in the original presentation. Second, we show how to make bumpy Kerr black holes--objects which reduce to the Kerr solution when the deviation goes to zero. This greatly extends the astrophysical applicability of bumpy black holes. Using Hamilton-Jacobi techniques, we show how a spacetime's bumps are imprinted on orbital frequencies, and thus can be determined by measurements which coherently track the orbital phase of a small orbiting body. We find that in the weak field, orbits of bumpy black holes are modified exactly as expected from a Newtonian analysis of a body with a prescribed multipolar structure, reproducing well-known results from the celestial mechanics literature. The impact of bumps on strong-field orbits is many times greater than would be predicted from a Newtonian analysis, suggesting that this framework will allow observations to set robust limits on the extent to which a spacetime's multipoles deviate from the black hole expectation.

Orbital motion in pre-main sequence binaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, G. H. [The CHARA Array of Georgia State University, Mount Wilson Observatory, Mount Wilson, CA 91023 (United States); Prato, L. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Simon, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (United States); Patience, J., E-mail: schaefer@chara-array.org [Astrophysics Group, School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QL (United Kingdom)

2014-06-01

We present results from our ongoing program to map the visual orbits of pre-main sequence (PMS) binaries in the Taurus star forming region using adaptive optics imaging at the Keck Observatory. We combine our results with measurements reported in the literature to analyze the orbital motion for each binary. We present preliminary orbits for DF Tau, T Tau S, ZZ Tau, and the Pleiades binary HBC 351. Seven additional binaries show curvature in their relative motion. Currently, we can place lower limits on the orbital periods for these systems; full solutions will be possible with more orbital coverage. Five other binaries show motion that is indistinguishable from linear motion. We suspect that these systems are bound and might show curvature with additional measurements in the future. The observations reported herein lay critical groundwork toward the goal of measuring precise masses for low-mass PMS stars.

A hybrid numerical method for orbit correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, G.; Himel, T.; Shoaee, H.

1997-09-01

The authors describe a simple hybrid numerical method for beam orbit correction in particle accelerators. The method overcomes both degeneracy in the linear system being solved and respects boundaries on the solution. It uses the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to find and remove the null-space in the system, followed by a bounded Linear Least Squares analysis of the remaining recast problem. It was developed for correcting orbit and dispersion in the B-factory rings

Two-Level Solutions to Exponentially Complex Problems in Glass Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mauro, John C.; Smedskjær, Morten Mattrup

Glass poses an especially challenging problem for physicists. The key to making progress in theoretical glass science is to extract the key physics governing properties of practical interest. In this spirit, we discuss several two-level solutions to exponentially complex problems in glass science....... Topological constraint theory, originally developed by J.C. Phillips, is based on a two-level description of rigid and floppy modes in a glass network and can be used to derive quantitatively accurate and analytically solvable models for a variety of macroscopic properties. The temperature dependence...... that captures both primary and secondary relaxation modes. Such a model also offers the ability to calculate the distinguishability of particles during glass transition and relaxation processes. Two-level models can also be used to capture the distribution of various network-forming species in mixed...

Improving multi-GNSS ultra-rapid orbit determination for real-time precise point positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xingxing; Chen, Xinghan; Ge, Maorong; Schuh, Harald

2018-03-01

Currently, with the rapid development of multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), the real-time positioning and navigation are undergoing dramatic changes with potential for a better performance. To provide more precise and reliable ultra-rapid orbits is critical for multi-GNSS real-time positioning, especially for the three merging constellations Beidou, Galileo and QZSS which are still under construction. In this contribution, we present a five-system precise orbit determination (POD) strategy to fully exploit the GPS + GLONASS + BDS + Galileo + QZSS observations from CDDIS + IGN + BKG archives for the realization of hourly five-constellation ultra-rapid orbit update. After adopting the optimized 2-day POD solution (updated every hour), the predicted orbit accuracy can be obviously improved for all the five satellite systems in comparison to the conventional 1-day POD solution (updated every 3 h). The orbit accuracy for the BDS IGSO satellites can be improved by about 80, 45 and 50% in the radial, cross and along directions, respectively, while the corresponding accuracy improvement for the BDS MEO satellites reaches about 50, 20 and 50% in the three directions, respectively. Furthermore, the multi-GNSS real-time precise point positioning (PPP) ambiguity resolution has been performed by using the improved precise satellite orbits. Numerous results indicate that combined GPS + BDS + GLONASS + Galileo (GCRE) kinematic PPP ambiguity resolution (AR) solutions can achieve the shortest time to first fix (TTFF) and highest positioning accuracy in all coordinate components. With the addition of the BDS, GLONASS and Galileo observations to the GPS-only processing, the GCRE PPP AR solution achieves the shortest average TTFF of 11 min with 7{°} cutoff elevation, while the TTFF of GPS-only, GR, GE and GC PPP AR solution is 28, 15, 20 and 17 min, respectively. As the cutoff elevation increases, the reliability and accuracy of GPS-only PPP AR solutions

The Dawn of Vesta Science

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, Charles E.; Rayman, Marc D.; Brophy, John R.; Mikes, Steven C.

2011-01-01

The Dawn mission is part of NASA's Discovery Program and has as its goal the scientific exploration of the two most massive main-belt asteroids, Vesta and Ceres. The Dawn spacecraft was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on September 27, 2007 on a Delta-II 7925H-9.5 (Delta-II Heavy) rocket that placed the 1218-kg spacecraft onto an Earth-escape trajectory. On-board the spacecraft is an ion propulsion system (IPS) developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory which will provide a total ?V of 11.3 km/s for the heliocentric transfer to Vesta, orbit capture at Vesta, transfer between Vesta science orbits, departure and escape from Vesta, heliocentric transfer to Ceres, orbit capture at Ceres, and transfer between Ceres science orbits. Fullpower thrusting from December 2007 through October 2008 was used to successfully target a Mars gravity assist flyby in February 2009 that provided an additional ?V of 2.6 km/s. Deterministic thrusting for the heliocentric transfer to Vesta resumed in June 2009 and concluded with orbit capture at Vesta on July 16, 2011. An additional 210 hours of IPS thrusting was used to enter the first Vesta science orbit, called Survey orbit, on August 3, 2011 at an altitude of approximately 2,735 km. To date the IPS has been operated for 23,621 hours, consumed approximately 252 kg of xenon, and provided a delta-V of approximately 6.7 km/s. The IPS performance characteristics are very close to the expected performance based on analysis and testing performed pre-launch. The only significant issue in over the almost four years of IPS operations in flight was the temporary failure of a valve driver board in the Digital Control and Interface Unit-1 (DCIU-1), resulting in a loss of thrust of approximately 29 hours. Thrusting operations resumed after switching to DCIU-2, and power cycling conducted after orbit capture restored DCIU-1 to full functionality. After about three weeks of Survey orbit operations the IPS will be used to transfer the

On the atmospheric drag in orbit determination for low Earth orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jingshi; Liu, Lin; Miao, Manqian

2012-07-01

The atmosphere model is always a major limitation for low Earth orbit (LEO) in orbit prediction and determination. The accelerometer can work around the non-gravitational perturbations in orbit determination, but it helps little to improve the atmosphere model or to predict the orbit. For certain satellites, there may be some specific software to handle the orbit problem. This solution can improve the orbit accuracy for both prediction and determination, yet it always contains empirical terms and is exclusive for certain satellites. This report introduces a simple way to handle the atmosphere drag for LEO, which does not depend on instantaneous atmosphere conditions and improves accuracy of predicted orbit. This approach, which is based on mean atmospheric density, is supported by two reasons. One is that although instantaneous atmospheric density is very complicated with time and height, the major pattern is determined by the exponential variation caused by hydrostatic equilibrium and periodic variation caused by solar radiation. The mean density can include the major variations while neglect other minor details. The other reason is that the predicted orbit is mathematically the result from integral and the really determinant factor is the mean density instead of instantaneous density for every time and spot. Using the mean atmospheric density, which is mainly determined by F10.7 solar flux and geomagnetic index, can be combined into an overall parameter B^{*} = C_{D}(S/m)ρ_{p_{0}}. The combined parameter contains several less accurate parameters and can be corrected during orbit determination. This approach has been confirmed in various LEO computations and an example is given below using Tiangong-1 spacecraft. Precise orbit determination (POD) is done using one-day GPS positioning data without any accurate a-priori knowledge on spacecraft or atmosphere conditions. Using the corrected initial state vector of the spacecraft and the parameter B^* from POD, the

Heliophysical Explorers (HELEX): Solar Orbiter and Sentinels - Report of the Joint Science and Technology Definition Team (JSTDT)

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

Heliophysical Explorers (HELEX) brings together and augments the unique capabilities of ESA's Solar Orbiter mission (near-Sun and out-of-ecliptic in-situ plus remote-sensing observations) with those of NASA's Inner Heliospheric Sentinels (in-situ observations from multiple platforms arrayed at varying radial distances and azimuthal locations in the near-ecliptic plane)to investigate, characterize, and understand how the Sun determines the environment of the inner solar system and, more broadly, generates the heliosphere itself. This joint ESA-NASA science program offers a unique opportunity for coordinated, correlative measurements, resulting in a combined observational capability and science return that far outweighs that of either mission alone. Building on the knowledge gained from missions like Helios and Ulysses, and STEREO, HELEX will bring to bear the power of multipoint, in-situ measurements using previously unavailable instrumental capabilities in combination with remote-sensing observations from a new, inner heliospheric perspective to answer fundamental questions about the Sun-heliosphere linkage.

Invariant Solar Sail Formations in Elliptical Sun-Synchronous Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Parsay, Khashayar

Current and past missions that study the Earth's geomagnetic tail require multiple spacecraft to fly in formation about a highly eccentric Keplerian reference orbit that has its apogee inside a predefined science region of interest. Because the geomagnetic tail is directed along the Sun-Earth line and therefore rotates annually, inertially fixed Keplerian orbits are only aligned with the geomagnetic tail once per year. This limitation reduces the duration of the science phase to less than a few months annually. Solar sails are capable of creating non-Keplerian, Sun-synchronous orbits that rotate with the geomagnetic tail. A solar sail flying in a Sun-synchronous orbit will have a continuous presence in the geomagnetic tail throughout the entire year, which significantly improves the in situ observations of the magnetosphere. To achieve a Sun-synchronous orbit, a solar sail is required to maintain a Sun-pointing attitude, which leads to the artificial precession of the orbit apse line in a Sun-synchronous manner, leaving the orbit apogee inside the science region of interest throughout entire the year. To study the spatial and temporal variations of plasma in the highly dynamic environment of the magnetosphere, multiple spacecraft must fly in a formation. The objective for this dissertation is to investigate the feasibility of solar sail formation flying in the Earth-centered, Sun-synchronous orbit regime. The focus of this effort is to enable formation flying for a group of solar sails that maintain a nominally fixed Sun-pointing attitude during formation flight, solely for the purpose of precessing their orbit apse lines Sun-synchronously. A fixed-attitude solar sail formation is motivated by the difficulties in the simultaneous control of orbit and attitude in flying solar sails. First, the secular rates of the orbital elements resulting from the effects of solar radiation pressure (SRP) are determined using averaging theory for a Sun-pointing attitude sail

Orbiter LH2 Feedline Flowliner Cracking Problem. Version 1.0

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Charles E.; Cragg, Clinton H.; Raju, Ivatury S.; Elliot, Kenny B.; Madaras, Eric I.; Piascik, Robert S.; Halford, Gary R.; Bonacuse, Peter J.; Sutliff, Daniel L.; Bakhle, Milind A.

2005-01-01

In May of 2002, three cracks were found in the downstream flowliner at the gimbal joint in the LH2 feedline at the interface with the Low Pressure Fuel Turbopump (LPFP) of Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) #1 of Orbiter OV-104. Subsequent inspections of the feedline flowliners in the other orbiters revealed the existence of 8 additional cracks. No cracks were found in the LO2 feedline flowliners. A solution to the cracking problem was developed and implemented on all orbiters. The solution included weld repair of all detectable cracks and the polishing of all slot edges to remove manufacturing discrepancies that could initiate new cracks. Using the results of a fracture mechanics analysis with a scatter factor of 4 on the predicted fatigue life, the orbiters were cleared for return to flight with a one-flight rationale requiring inspections after each flight. OV-104 flew mission STS-112 and OV-105 flew mission STS-113. The post-flight inspections did not find any cracks in the repaired flowliners. At the request of the Orbiter Program, the NESC conducted an assessment of the Orbiter LH2 Feedline Flowliner cracking problem with a team of subject matter experts from throughout NASA.

Comparing orbiter and rover image-based mapping of an ancient sedimentary environment, Aeolis Palus, Gale crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Stack, Kathryn M.; Edwards, Christopher; Grotzinger, J. P.; Gupta, S.; Sumner, D.; Edgar, Lauren; Fraeman, A.; Jacob, S.; LeDeit, L.; Lewis, K.W.; Rice, M.S.; Rubin, D.; Calef, F.; Edgett, K.; Williams, R.M.E.; Williford, K.H.

2016-01-01

This study provides the first systematic comparison of orbital facies maps with detailed ground-based geology observations from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover to examine the validity of geologic interpretations derived from orbital image data. Orbital facies maps were constructed for the Darwin, Cooperstown, and Kimberley waypoints visited by the Curiosity rover using High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images. These maps, which represent the most detailed orbital analysis of these areas to date, were compared with rover image-based geologic maps and stratigraphic columns derived from Curiosity’s Mast Camera (Mastcam) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Results show that bedrock outcrops can generally be distinguished from unconsolidated surficial deposits in high-resolution orbital images and that orbital facies mapping can be used to recognize geologic contacts between well-exposed bedrock units. However, process-based interpretations derived from orbital image mapping are difficult to infer without known regional context or observable paleogeomorphic indicators, and layer-cake models of stratigraphy derived from orbital maps oversimplify depositional relationships as revealed from a rover perspective. This study also shows that fine-scale orbital image-based mapping of current and future Mars landing sites is essential for optimizing the efficiency and science return of rover surface operations.

Saving Citrus: Does the Next Generation See GM Science as a Solution?

Science.gov (United States)

Rumble, Joy N.; Ruth, Taylor K.; Owens, Courtney T.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Taylor, Melissa R.; Ellis, Jason D.

2016-01-01

Citrus is one of Florida's most prominent commodities, providing 66% of the total United States' value for oranges. Florida's citrus production decreased 21% in 2014 from the previous season, partly due to the disease citrus greening. The science of genetic modification (GM) is one of the most promising solutions to the problem. However, a…

An Analytical Solution for Yaw Maneuver Optimization on the International Space Station and Other Orbiting Space Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrinskaya, Tatiana

2015-01-01

errors. The suggested analytical solution provides a new method of maneuver optimization which is less complicated, automatic and more universal. A maneuver optimization approach, presented in this paper, can be used not only for the ISS, but for other orbiting space vehicles.

Schmidt-Kalman Filter with Polynomial Chaos Expansion for Orbit Determination of Space Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y.; Cai, H.; Zhang, K.

2016-09-01

Parameter errors in orbital models can result in poor orbit determination (OD) using a traditional Kalman filter. One approach to account for these errors is to consider them in the so-called Schmidt-Kalman filter (SKF), by augmenting the state covariance matrix (CM) with additional parameter covariance rather than additively estimating these so-called "consider" parameters. This paper introduces a new SKF algorithm with polynomial chaos expansion (PCE-SKF). The PCE approach has been proved to be more efficient than Monte Carlo method for propagating the input uncertainties onto the system response without experiencing any constraints of linear dynamics, or Gaussian distributions of the uncertainty sources. The state and covariance needed in the orbit prediction step are propagated using PCE. An inclined geosynchronous orbit scenario is set up to test the proposed PCE-SKF based OD algorithm. The satellite orbit is propagated based on numerical integration, with the uncertain coefficient of solar radiation pressure considered. The PCE-SKF solutions are compared with extended Kalman filter (EKF), SKF and PCE-EKF (EKF with PCE) solutions. It is implied that the covariance propagation using PCE leads to more precise OD solutions in comparison with those based on linear propagation of covariance.

Viking orbiter and its Mariner inheritance

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

Improvements to the design of the Mariner spacecraft resulted in the Viking spacecraft. The Viking spacecraft would consist of two major systems - an orbiter and a lander, while the lander would provide the means for safely delivering the scientific instruments to the surface, house, and provide the necessary power source and communication links for those experiments, the orbiter would transport the lander to Mars, rovide a platform for the Viking imaging system so that proposed landing sites could be surveyed and certified, relay lander science information back to Earth, and conduct scientific observations in its own right.

Solutions of nuclear pairing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balantekin, A. B.; Pehlivan, Y.

2007-01-01

We give the exact solution of orbit dependent nuclear pairing problem between two nondegenerate energy levels using the Bethe ansatz technique. Our solution reduces to previously solved cases in the appropriate limits including Richardson's treatment of reduced pairing in terms of rational Gaudin algebra operators

Collaborative Science with Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Solutions: Why, How, and with Whom?

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, J.; Lazrus, H.; Gough, B.

2017-12-01

The inherent complexity of climate change requires diverse perspectives to understand and respond to its impacts. The Rising Voices: Collaborative Science with Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Solutions (Rising Voices) program represents a growing network of engaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous scientists committed to cross-cultural and collaborative research and activities to understand and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. Five annual Rising Voices workshops have occurred since 2013, engaging hundreds of participants from across Tribal communities, the United States, and internationally over the years. Housed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Rising Voices aims to expand how diversity is understood in atmospheric science, to include intellectual diversity stemming from distinct cultural backgrounds. It envisions collaborative research that brings together Indigenous knowledges and science with Western climate and weather sciences in a respectful and inclusive manner to achieve culturally relevant and scientifically robust climate and weather adaptation solutions. The premise of the program and the research and collaborations it produces is that there is an opportunity cost to not involving diverse knowledge systems and observations from varied cultural backgrounds in addressing climate change. We cannot afford that cost given the challenges ahead. This poster presents some of the protocols, methods, challenges, and outcomes of cross-cultural research between Western and Indigenous scientists and communities from across the United States. It also presents some of the recommendations that have emerged from Rising Voices workshops over the past five years.

Tipping Points and Balancing Acts: Grand Challenges and Synergistic Opportunities of Integrating Research and Education, Science and Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

McCaffrey, M. S.; Stroeve, J. C.

2011-12-01

The "Grand Challenges" to address Global Change identified by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its partners through the Earth System Sustainability Initiative-improving forecasting, enhancing and integrating observation systems, confining and minimizing global environmental change, responding effectively to change, as well as innovating and evaluating these efforts-require an integrative approach that engages and inspires society in general and young people in particular. What are some of the effective strategies-and stumbling blocks-in being able to make Earth System science and related sustainability efforts relevant and practical to non-technical audiences? Recent climate education projects have pioneered new strategies toward linking and infusing research with education, science with solutions. For example, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), a National Science Digital Library Pathway funded by NSF, has approached this integral approach by "closing the loop" between climate and energy topics, identifying and annotating high quality online resources relating to the carbon cycle and related topics. The Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) project, funded by NASA, offers professional development for teachers that infuses climate science with solutions as an emerging "best practice" while being sensitive to the emotional, psychological and political aspects of avoiding "gloom and doom" on one hand or advocating for particular policy solutions on another. Other examples includes NASA's climate website (http://climate.nasa.gov ), which serves as a robust, engaging portal for climate research and data, especially for educators. The recent PBS series Earth: The Operators' Manual and related book and website are other recent example of how climate science research, education and solutions can be incorporated in a way that is appealing and informative. The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) has given assemblies in

Early Assessment of VIIRS On-Orbit Calibration and Support Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Chiang, Kwofu; McIntire, Jeffrey; Oudrari, Hassan; Wu, Aisheng; Schwaller, Mathew; Butler, James

2012-01-01

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, formally the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP), provides a bridge between current and future low-Earth orbiting weather and environmental observation satellite systems. The NASA s NPP VIIRS Characterization Support Team (VCST) is designed to assess the long term geometric and radiometric performance of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard the S-NPP spacecraft and to support NPP Science Team Principal Investigators (PI) for their independent evaluation of VIIRS Environmental Data Records (EDRs). This paper provides an overview of Suomi NPP VIIRS on-orbit calibration activities and examples of sensor initial on-orbit performance. It focuses on the radiometric calibration support activities and capabilities provided by the NASA VCST.

Review of current activities to model and measure the orbital debris environment in low-earth orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, R. C.

A very active orbital debris program is currently being pursued at the NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC), with projects designed to better define the current environment, to project future environments, to model the processes contributing to or constraining the growth of debris in the environment, and to gather supporting data needed to improve the understanding of the orbital debris problem and the hazard it presents to spacecraft. This paper is a review of the activity being conducted at JSC, by NASA, Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company, and other support contractors, and presents a review of current activity, results of current research, and a discussion of directions for future development.

High degree gravitational sensitivity from Mars orbiters for the GMM-1 gravity model

Science.gov (United States)

Lerch, F. J.; Smith, D. E.; Chan, J. C.; Patel, G. B.; Chinn, D. S.

1994-01-01

Orbital sensitivity of the gravity field for high degree terms (greater than 30) is analyzed on satellites employed in a Goddard Mars Model GMM-1, complete in spherical harmonics through degree and order 50. The model is obtained from S-band Doppler data on Mariner 9 (M9), Viking Orbiter 1 (VO1), and Viking Orbiter 2 (VO2) spacecraft, which were tracked by the NASA Deep Space Network on seven different highly eccentric orbits. The main sensitivity of the high degree terms is obtained from the VO1 and VO2 low orbits (300 km periapsis altitude), where significant spectral sensitivity is seen for all degrees out through degree 50. The velocity perturbations show a dominant effect at periapsis and significant effects out beyond the semi-latus rectum covering over 180 degrees of the orbital groundtrack for the low altitude orbits. Because of the wideband of periapsis motion covering nearly 180 degrees in w and +39 degrees in latitude coverage, the VO1 300 km periapsis altitude orbit with inclination of 39 degrees gave the dominant sensitivity in the GMM-1 solution for the high degree terms. Although the VO2 low periapsis orbit has a smaller band of periapsis mapping coverage, it strongly complements the VO1 orbit sensitivity for the GMM-1 solution with Doppler tracking coverage over a different inclination of 80 degrees.

Periodic orbits around areostationary points in the Martian gravity field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaodong; Baoyin Hexi; Ma Xingrui

2012-01-01

This study investigates the problem of areostationary orbits around Mars in three-dimensional space. Areostationary orbits are expected to be used to establish a future telecommunication network for the exploration of Mars. However, no artificial satellites have been placed in these orbits thus far. The characteristics of the Martian gravity field are presented, and areostationary points and their linear stability are calculated. By taking linearized solutions in the planar case as the initial guesses and utilizing the Levenberg-Marquardt method, families of periodic orbits around areostationary points are shown to exist. Short-period orbits and long-period orbits are found around linearly stable areostationary points, but only short-period orbits are found around unstable areostationary points. Vertical periodic orbits around both linearly stable and unstable areostationary points are also examined. Satellites in these periodic orbits could depart from areostationary points by a few degrees in longitude, which would facilitate observation of the Martian topography. Based on the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix, the evolution of the stability index of periodic orbits is determined. Finally, heteroclinic orbits connecting the two unstable areostationary points are found, providing the possibility for orbital transfer with minimal energy consumption.

Analytic model for the long-term evolution of circular Earth satellite orbits including lunar node regression

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ting-Lei; Zhao, Chang-Yin; Zhang, Ming-Jiang

2017-04-01

This paper aims to obtain an analytic approximation to the evolution of circular orbits governed by the Earth's J2 and the luni-solar gravitational perturbations. Assuming that the lunar orbital plane coincides with the ecliptic plane, Allan and Cook (Proc. R. Soc. A, Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 280(1380):97, 1964) derived an analytic solution to the orbital plane evolution of circular orbits. Using their result as an intermediate solution, we establish an approximate analytic model with lunar orbital inclination and its node regression be taken into account. Finally, an approximate analytic expression is derived, which is accurate compared to the numerical results except for the resonant cases when the period of the reference orbit approximately equals the integer multiples (especially 1 or 2 times) of lunar node regression period.

Improving GLONASS Precise Orbit Determination through Data Connection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Liu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the precision of GLONASS orbits, this paper presents a method to connect the data segments of a single station-satellite pair to increase the observation continuity and, consequently, the strength of the precise orbit determination (POD solution. In this method, for each GLONASS station-satellite pair, the wide-lane ambiguities derived from the Melbourne–Wübbena combination are statistically tested and corrected for phase integer offsets and then the same is carried out for the narrow-lane ambiguities calculated from the POD solution. An experimental validation was carried out using one-month GNSS data of a global network with 175 IGS stations. The result shows that, on average, 27.1% of the GLONASS station-satellite pairs with multiple data segments could be connected to a single long observation arc and, thus, only one ambiguity parameter was estimated. Using the connected data, the GLONASS orbit overlapping RMS at the day boundaries could be reduced by 19.2% in ideal cases with an averaged reduction of about 6.3%.

TWO STARS TWO WAYS: CONFIRMING A MICROLENSING BINARY LENS SOLUTION WITH A SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENT OF THE ORBIT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yee, Jennifer C.; Johnson, John Asher; Eastman, Jason; Vanderburg, Andrew [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Skowron, Jan [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland); Gould, Andrew [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Pineda, J. Sebastian [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Howard, Andrew, E-mail: jyee@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: jjohnson@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: jason.eastman@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: avanderburg@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839 (United States)

2016-04-20

Light curves of microlensing events involving stellar binaries and planetary systems can provide information about the orbital elements of the system due to orbital modulations of the caustic structure. Accurately measuring the orbit in either the stellar or planetary case requires detailed modeling of subtle deviations in the light curve. At the same time, the natural, Cartesian parameterization of a microlensing binary is partially degenerate with the microlens parallax. Hence, it is desirable to perform independent tests of the predictions of microlens orbit models using radial velocity (RV) time series of the lens binary system. To this end, we present 3.5 years of RV monitoring of the binary lens system OGLE-2009-BLG-020 L, for which Skowron et al. constrained all internal parameters of the 200–700 day orbit. Our RV measurements reveal an orbit that is consistent with the predictions of the microlens light curve analysis, thereby providing the first confirmation of orbital elements inferred from microlensing events.

Fundamentals of the orbit and response for TianQin

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xin-Chun; Li, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Yan; Feng, Wen-Fan; Zhou, Ming-Yue; Hu, Yi-Ming; Hu, Shou-Cun; Mei, Jian-Wei; Shao, Cheng-Gang

2018-05-01

TianQin is a space-based laser interferometric gravitational wave detector aimed at detecting gravitational waves at low frequencies (0.1 mHz–1 Hz). It is formed by three identical drag-free spacecrafts in an equilateral triangular constellation orbiting around the Earth. The distance between each pair of spacecrafts is approximately 1.7 × 105 ~km . The spacecrafts are interconnected by infrared laser beams forming up to three Michelson-type interferometers. The detailed mission design and the study of science objectives for the TianQin project depend crucially on the orbit and the response of the detector. In this paper, we provide the analytic expressions for the coordinates of the orbit for each spacecraft in the heliocentric-ecliptic coordinate system to the leading orders. This enables a sufficiently accurate study of science objectives and data analysis, and serves as a first step to further orbit design and optimization. We calculate the response of a single Michelson detector to plane gravitational waves in arbitrary waveform which is valid in the full range of the sensitive frequencies. It is then used to generate the more realistic sensitivity curve of TianQin. We apply this model on a reference white-dwarf binary as a proof of principle.

Why 'Science + Solutions' Is An Effective & Essential Climate Communications Strategy (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Haines-Stiles, G.; Alley, R. B.; Akuginow, E.

2013-12-01

Success in the Second World War was enabled in large part through advances in science and technology such as radar and the Manhattan Project, and the subsequent growth of the US economy endowed scientists with unrivaled influence in society and policy-making. But climate science has not been immune to criticism, and attacks on what 97% of expert climate scientists regard as well-established have continued. However, as shown in Leiserowitz et al's series of SIX AMERICAS studies, the vast majority of citizens are neither firmly committed against accepting the reality of human-caused climate change, nor 100% certain of the cause. The question, then, is how to reach 'the movable middle.' Richard Alley's 'Earth: The Operators' Manual'-a 3-part series aired nationally on PBS, and supported by the National Science Foundation-was an attempt to improve the understanding of consensus climate science, and showcase examples of clean energy innovations in the United States and worldwide. A fundamental design principle for the series, derived from close reading of social science studies, was to include solutions along with solid science. In addition, the producers enlisted a diverse cast of on-camera personalities alongside Alley: Texas ranchers, Republican senators and Kansan bankers, CEOs and academics, a Navy rear admiral in dress whites, and 'energy captains' in inner city Baltimore. An NSF-mandated Summative Evaluation documented the success of these approaches, and the first two programs reached some 3.6 million viewers on PBS. However, the rapidly-evolving media landscape has meant that national primetime exposure is only part of how climate information is 'sent' and 'received' today. ETOM structured its Facebook page to embody the same solutions-oriented philosophy, and has secured an 'Engagement Index' higher than Buzzfeed, and more than most other environment- and climate-oriented pages. ETOM programs can be downloaded in HD for watch parties, and many schools

Tangent Orbital Rendezvous Using Linear Relative Motion with J2 Perturbations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The tangent-impulse coplanar orbit rendezvous problem is studied based on the linear relative motion for J2-perturbed elliptic orbits. There are three cases: (1 only the first impulse is tangent; (2 only the second impulse is tangent; (3 both impulses are tangent. For a given initial impulse point, the first two problems can be transformed into finding all roots of a single variable function about the transfer time, which can be done by the secant method. The bitangent rendezvous problem requires the same solution for the first two problems. By considering the initial coasting time, the bitangent rendezvous solution is obtained with a difference function. A numerical example for two coplanar elliptic orbits with J2 perturbations is given to verify the efficiency of these proposed techniques.

Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Heidar Raissi. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 124 Issue 3 May 2012 pp 731-739. Theoretical study on β-aminoacroleine; Density functional theory, atoms in molecules theory and natural bond orbitals studies · Heidar Raissi Mehdi Yoosefian Effat ...

Titan Orbiter with Aerorover Mission (TOAM)

Science.gov (United States)

Sittler, Edward C.; Cooper, J. F.; Mahaffey, P.; Esper, J.; Fairbrother, D.; Farley, R.; Pitman, J.; Kojiro, D. R.; TOAM Team

2006-12-01

We propose to develop a new mission to Titan called Titan Orbiter with Aerorover Mission (TOAM). This mission is motivated by the recent discoveries of Titan, its atmosphere and its surface by the Huygens Probe, and a combination of in situ, remote sensing and radar mapping measurements of Titan by the Cassini orbiter. Titan is a body for which Astrobiology (i.e., prebiotic chemistry) will be the primary science goal of any future missions to it. TOAM is planned to use an orbiter and balloon technology (i.e., aerorover). Aerobraking will be used to put payload into orbit around Titan. The Aerorover will probably use a hot air balloon concept using the waste heat from the MMRTG 500 watts. Orbiter support for the Aerorover is unique to our approach for Titan. Our strategy to use an orbiter is contrary to some studies using just a single probe with balloon. Autonomous operation and navigation of the Aerorover around Titan will be required, which will include descent near to the surface to collect surface samples for analysis (i.e., touch and go technique). The orbiter can provide both relay station and GPS roles for the Aerorover. The Aerorover will have all the instruments needed to sample Titan’s atmosphere, surface, possible methane lakes-rivers, use multi-spectral imagers for surface reconnaissance; to take close up surface images; take core samples and deploy seismometers during landing phase. Both active and passive broadband remote sensing techniques will be used for surface topography, winds and composition measurements.

Modelling with the master equation solution methods and applications in social and natural sciences

CERN Document Server

Haag, Günter

2017-01-01

This book presents the theory and practical applications of the Master equation approach, which provides a powerful general framework for model building in a variety of disciplines. The aim of the book is to not only highlight different mathematical solution methods, but also reveal their potential by means of practical examples. Part I of the book, which can be used as a toolbox, introduces selected statistical fundamentals and solution methods for the Master equation. In Part II and Part III, the Master equation approach is applied to important applications in the natural and social sciences. The case studies presented mainly hail from the social sciences, including urban and regional dynamics, population dynamics, dynamic decision theory, opinion formation and traffic dynamics; however, some applications from physics and chemistry are treated as well, underlining the interdisciplinary modelling potential of the Master equation approach. Drawing upon the author’s extensive teaching and research experience...

Small Probes for Orbital Return of Experiments Mission Design

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Currently the Georgia Tech Small Probes for Orbital Return of Experiments (SPORE) team is collaborating with Aurora Flight Sciences to provide a launch, re-entry,...

Dealing with Uncertainties in Initial Orbit Determination

Science.gov (United States)

Armellin, Roberto; Di Lizia, Pierluigi; Zanetti, Renato

2015-01-01

A method to deal with uncertainties in initial orbit determination (IOD) is presented. This is based on the use of Taylor differential algebra (DA) to nonlinearly map the observation uncertainties from the observation space to the state space. When a minimum set of observations is available DA is used to expand the solution of the IOD problem in Taylor series with respect to measurement errors. When more observations are available high order inversion tools are exploited to obtain full state pseudo-observations at a common epoch. The mean and covariance of these pseudo-observations are nonlinearly computed by evaluating the expectation of high order Taylor polynomials. Finally, a linear scheme is employed to update the current knowledge of the orbit. Angles-only observations are considered and simplified Keplerian dynamics adopted to ease the explanation. Three test cases of orbit determination of artificial satellites in different orbital regimes are presented to discuss the feature and performances of the proposed methodology.

Exact results relating spin-orbit interactions in two-dimensional strongly correlated systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kucska, Nóra; Gulácsi, Zsolt

2018-06-01

A 2D square, two-bands, strongly correlated and non-integrable system is analysed exactly in the presence of many-body spin-orbit interactions via the method of Positive Semidefinite Operators. The deduced exact ground states in the high concentration limit are strongly entangled, and given by the spin-orbit coupling are ferromagnetic and present an enhanced carrier mobility, which substantially differs for different spin projections. The described state emerges in a restricted parameter space region, which however is clearly accessible experimentally. The exact solutions are provided via the solution of a matching system of equations containing 74 coupled, non-linear and complex algebraic equations. In our knowledge, other exact results for 2D interacting systems with spin-orbit interactions are not present in the literature.

Distant retrograde orbits and the asteroid hazard

Science.gov (United States)

Perozzi, Ettore; Ceccaroni, Marta; Valsecchi, Giovanni B.; Rossi, Alessandro

2017-08-01

Distant Retrograde Orbits (DROs) gained a novel wave of fame in space mission design because of their numerous advantages within the framework of the US plans for bringing a large asteroid sample in the vicinity of the Earth as the next target for human exploration. DROs are stable solutions of the three-body problem that can be used whenever an object, whether of natural or artificial nature, is required to remain in the neighborhood of a celestial body without being gravitationally captured by it. As such, they represent an alternative option to Halo orbits around the collinear Lagrangian points L1 and L2. Also known under other names ( e.g., quasi-satellite orbits, cis-lunar orbits, family- f orbits) these orbital configurations found interesting applications in several mission profiles, like that of a spacecraft orbiting around the small irregularly shaped satellite of Mars Phobos or the large Jovian moon Europa. In this paper a basic explanation of the DRO dynamics is presented in order to clarify some geometrical properties that characterize them. Their accessibility is then discussed from the point of view of mission analysis under different assumptions. Finally, their relevance within the framework of the present asteroid hazard protection programs is shown, stressing the significant increase in warning time they would provide in the prediction of impactors coming from the direction of the Sun.

New variational principles for locating periodic orbits of differential equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Boghosian, Bruce M; Fazendeiro, Luis M; Lätt, Jonas; Tang, Hui; Coveney, Peter V

2011-06-13

We present new methods for the determination of periodic orbits of general dynamical systems. Iterative algorithms for finding solutions by these methods, for both the exact continuum case, and for approximate discrete representations suitable for numerical implementation, are discussed. Finally, we describe our approach to the computation of unstable periodic orbits of the driven Navier-Stokes equations, simulated using the lattice Boltzmann equation.

Conversing about Citrus Greening: Extension's Role in Educating about Genetic Modification Science as a Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Ruth, Taylor K.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Rumble, Joy N.; Ellis, Jason D.

2017-01-01

Extension agents across the nation will need to facilitate difficult conversations with the public if genetic modification (GM) science is used to combat citrus greening disease. This study used the innovation characteristics described by Rogers to explore if using GM science as a solution to citrus greening had diffused amongst US residents. An…

Generating precise and homogeneous orbits for Jason-1 and Jason-2

Science.gov (United States)

Flohrer, Claudia; Otten, Michiel; Springer, Tim; Dow, John M.

-bined GPS/GLONASS IGS solution from 2002-2009 for the generation of 30 second satellite clocks, which enabled us to use 30 second-sampled GPS observations in our POD process. Data of all three tracking instruments on-board the satellites, i.e. GPS, DORIS, and SLR measure-ments, were used in a combined data analysis. About 8 years of Jason-1 data and about 2 years of Jason-2 data were processed. We present the orbit determination results, focusing on the benefits when adding the 30 second-sampled GPS data (used together with DORIS and SLR measurements) to the solution. We evaluate the orbit accuracy by analysing post-fit residuals, orbit overlap errors, and orbit differences between our orbits and external orbits generated by other analysis centres. The consistency between our solutions and external orbits is below the 1 cm level in the radial direction, the most crucial component for altimetry height measurements. In the cross-track component we observe a clear improvement when adding GPS data to the POD process. The use of GPS data also seems to improve the DORIS data processing, as the DORIS post-fit residuals clearly benefit.

Application of artificial intelligence to impulsive orbital transfers

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Rowland E.

1987-01-01

A generalized technique for the numerical solution of any given class of problems is presented. The technique requires the analytic (or numerical) solution of every applicable equation for all variables that appear in the problem. Conditional blocks are employed to rapidly expand the set of known variables from a minimum of input. The method is illustrated via the use of the Hohmann transfer problem from orbital mechanics.

Man-Made Debris In and From Lunar Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Nicholas L.; McKay, Gordon A. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

During 1966-1976, as part of the first phase of lunar exploration, 29 manned and robotic missions placed more than 40 objects into lunar orbit. Whereas several vehicles later successfully landed on the Moon and/or returned to Earth, others were either abandoned in orbit or intentionally sent to their destruction on the lunar surface. The former now constitute a small population of lunar orbital debris; the latter, including four Lunar Orbiters and four Lunar Module ascent stages, have contributed to nearly 50 lunar sites of man's refuse. Other lunar satellites are known or suspected of having fallen from orbit. Unlike Earth satellite orbital decays and deorbits, lunar satellites impact the lunar surface unscathed by atmospheric burning or melting. Fragmentations of lunar satellites, which would produce clouds of numerous orbital debris, have not yet been detected. The return to lunar orbit in the 1990's by the Hagoromo, Hiten, Clementine, and Lunar Prospector spacecraft and plans for increased lunar exploration early in the 21st century, raise questions of how best to minimize and to dispose of lunar orbital debris. Some of the lessons learned from more than 40 years of Earth orbit exploitation can be applied to the lunar orbital environment. For the near-term, perhaps the most important of these is postmission passivation. Unique solutions, e.g., lunar equatorial dumps, may also prove attractive. However, as with Earth satellites, debris mitigation measures are most effectively adopted early in the concept and design phase, and prevention is less costly than remediation.

Link Analysis of High Throughput Spacecraft Communication Systems for Future Science Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Rainee N.

2015-01-01

NASA's plan to launch several spacecrafts into low Earth Orbit (LEO) to support science missions in the next ten years and beyond requires down link throughput on the order of several terabits per day. The ability to handle such a large volume of data far exceeds the capabilities of current systems. This paper proposes two solutions, first, a high data rate link between the LEO spacecraft and ground via relay satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO). Second, a high data rate direct to ground link from LEO. Next, the paper presents results from computer simulations carried out for both types of links taking into consideration spacecraft transmitter frequency, EIRP, and waveform; elevation angle dependent path loss through Earths atmosphere, and ground station receiver GT.

Science Fairs and Observational Science: A Case History from Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Lowman, Paul D., Jr.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Having judged dozens of science fairs over the years, I am repeatedly disturbed by the ground rules under which students must prepare their entries. They are almost invariably required to follow the "scientific method," involving formulating a hypothesis, a test of the hypothesis, and then a project in which this test is carried out. As a research scientist for over 40 years, I consider this approach to science fairs fundamentally unsound. It is not only too restrictive, but actually avoids the most important (and difficult) part of scientific research: recognizing a scientific problem in the first place. A well-known example is one of the problems that, by his own account, stimulated Einstein's theory of special relativity: the obvious fact that when an electric current is induced in a conductor by a magnetic field , it makes no difference whether the field or the conductor is actually (so to speak) moving. There is in other words no such thing as absolute motion. Physics was transformed by Einstein's recognition of a problem. Most competent scientists can solve problems after they have been recognized and a hypothesis properly formulated, but the ability to find problems in the first Place is much rarer. Getting down to specifics, the "scientific method" under which almost all students must operate is actually the experimental method, involving controlled variables, one of which, ideally, is changed at a time. However, there is another type of science that can be called observational science. As it happens, almost all the space research I have carried out since 1959 has been this type, not experimental science.

Orbital stability of periodic traveling-wave solutions for the log-KdV equation

Science.gov (United States)

Natali, Fábio; Pastor, Ademir; Cristófani, Fabrício

2017-09-01

In this paper we establish the orbital stability of periodic waves related to the logarithmic Korteweg-de Vries equation. Our motivation is inspired in the recent work [3], in which the authors established the well-posedness and the linear stability of Gaussian solitary waves. By using the approach put forward recently in [20] to construct a smooth branch of periodic waves as well as to get the spectral properties of the associated linearized operator, we apply the abstract theories in [13] and [25] to deduce the orbital stability of the periodic traveling waves in the energy space.

The O/OREOS Mission - Astrobiology in Low Earth Orbit. [Astrobiology in Low Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrenfreund, P.; Ricco, A. J.; Squires, D.; Kitts, C.; Agasid, E.; Bramall, N.; Bryson, K.; Chittenden, J.; Conley, C.; Cook, A.;

Spacecraft Software Maintenance: An Effective Approach to Reducing Costs and Increasing Science Return

Science.gov (United States)

Shell, Elaine M.; Lue, Yvonne; Chu, Martha I.

1999-01-01

environment, may find the developer unprepared for the challenges. The second approach is to train a member of the flight operations team to maintain the spacecraft software. This can prove to be a costly and inflexible solution. The person assigned to this duty may not have enough work to do during a problem free period and may have too much to do when a problem arises. If the person is a talented software engineer, he/she may not enjoy the limited software opportunities available in this position; and may eventually leave for newer technology computer science opportunities. Training replacement flight software personnel can be a difficult and lengthy process. The third approach is to assemble a center of excellence for on-orbit spacecraft software maintenance. Personnel in this specialty center can be managed to support flight software of multiple missions at once. The variety of challenges among a set of on-orbit missions, can result in a dedicated, talented staff which is fully trained and available to support each mission's needs. Such staff are not software developers but are rather spacecraft software systems engineers. The cost to any one mission is extremely low because the software staff works and charges, minimally on missions with no current operations issues; and their professional insight into on-orbit software troubleshooting and maintenance methods ensures low risk, effective and minimal-cost solutions to on-orbit issues.

Hydrogen atom in a magnetic field: Ghost orbits, catastrophes, and uniform semiclassical approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Main, J.; Wunner, G.

1997-01-01

Applying closed-orbit theory to the recurrence spectra of the hydrogen atom in a magnetic field, one can interpret most, but not all, structures semiclassically in terms of closed classical orbits. In particular, conventional closed-orbit theory fails near bifurcations of orbits where semiclassical amplitudes exhibit unphysical divergences. Here we analyze the role of ghost orbits living in complex phase space. The ghosts can explain resonance structures in the spectra of the hydrogen atom in a magnetic field at positions where no real orbits exist. For three different types of catastrophes, viz. fold, cusp, and butterfly catastrophes, we construct uniform semiclassical approximations and demonstrate that these solutions are completely determined by classical parameters of the real orbits and complex ghosts. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

So ware-Defined Network Solutions for Science Scenarios: Performance Testing Framework and Measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Settlemyer, Bradley [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Kettimuthu, R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Boley, Josh [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Katramatos, Dimitrios [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL); Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Sen, Satyabrata [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL

2018-01-01

High-performance scientific work flows utilize supercomputers, scientific instruments, and large storage systems. Their executions require fast setup of a small number of dedicated network connections across the geographically distributed facility sites. We present Software-Defined Network (SDN) solutions consisting of site daemons that use dpctl, Floodlight, ONOS, or OpenDaylight controllers to set up these connections. The development of these SDN solutions could be quite disruptive to the infrastructure, while requiring a close coordination among multiple sites; in addition, the large number of possible controller and device combinations to investigate could make the infrastructure unavailable to regular users for extended periods of time. In response, we develop a Virtual Science Network Environment (VSNE) using virtual machines, Mininet, and custom scripts that support the development, testing, and evaluation of SDN solutions, without the constraints and expenses of multi-site physical infrastructures; furthermore, the chosen solutions can be directly transferred to production deployments. By complementing VSNE with a physical testbed, we conduct targeted performance tests of various SDN solutions to help choose the best candidates. In addition, we propose a switching response method to assess the setup times and throughput performances of different SDN solutions, and present experimental results that show their advantages and limitations.

Orbits in elementary, power-law galaxy bars - 1. Occurrence and role of single loops

Science.gov (United States)

Struck, Curtis

2018-05-01

Orbits in galaxy bars are generally complex, but simple closed loop orbits play an important role in our conceptual understanding of bars. Such orbits are found in some well-studied potentials, provide a simple model of the bar in themselves, and may generate complex orbit families. The precessing, power ellipse (p-ellipse) orbit approximation provides accurate analytic orbit fits in symmetric galaxy potentials. It remains useful for finding and fitting simple loop orbits in the frame of a rotating bar with bar-like and symmetric power-law potentials. Second-order perturbation theory yields two or fewer simple loop solutions in these potentials. Numerical integrations in the parameter space neighbourhood of perturbation solutions reveal zero or one actual loops in a range of such potentials with rising rotation curves. These loops are embedded in a small parameter region of similar, but librating orbits, which have a subharmonic frequency superimposed on the basic loop. These loops and their librating companions support annular bars. Solid bars can be produced in more complex potentials, as shown by an example with power-law indices varying with radius. The power-law potentials can be viewed as the elementary constituents of more complex potentials. Numerical integrations also reveal interesting classes of orbits with multiple loops. In two-dimensional, self-gravitating bars, with power-law potentials, single-loop orbits are very rare. This result suggests that gas bars or oval distortions are unlikely to be long-lived, and that complex orbits or three-dimensional structure must support self-gravitating stellar bars.

Overview of Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) for BepiColombo

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, G.; Hayakawa, H.; Fujimoto, M.; BepiColombo Project Team

2018-05-01

The next Mercury exploration mission BepiColombo will be launched in October 2018 and will arrive at Mercury in December 2025. We present the current status, science goals, and observation plans of JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO).

ADCS controllers comparison for small satellitess in Low Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, Daniel; Laverón-Simavilla, Ana; Lapuerta, Victoria

2016-07-01

Fuzzy logic controllers are flexible and simple, suitable for small satellites Attitude Determination and Control Subsystems (ADCS). In a previous work, a tailored Fuzzy controller was designed for a nanosatellite. Its performance and efficiency were compared with a traditional Proportional Integrative Derivative (PID) controller within the same specific mission. The orbit height varied along the mission from injection at around 380 km down to 200 km height, and the mission required pointing accuracy over the whole time. Due to both, the requirements imposed by such a low orbit, and the limitations in the power available for the attitude control, an efficient ADCS is required. Both methodologies, fuzzy and PID, were fine-tuned using an automated procedure to grant maximum efficiency with fixed performances. The simulations showed that the Fuzzy controller is much more efficient (up to 65% less power required) in single manoeuvres, achieving similar, or even better, precision than the PID. The accuracy and efficiency improvement of the Fuzzy controller increase with orbit height because the environmental disturbances decrease, approaching the ideal scenario. However, the controllers are meant to be used in a vast range of situations and configurations which exceed those used in the calibration process carried out in the previous work. To assess the suitability and performance of both controllers in a wider framework, parametric and statistical methods have been applied using the Monte Carlo technique. Several parameters have been modified randomly at the beginning of each simulation: the moments of inertia of the whole satellite and of the momentum wheel, the residual magnetic dipole and the initial conditions of the test. These parameters have been chosen because they are the main source of uncertainty during the design phase. The variables used for the analysis are the error (critical for science) and the operation cost (which impacts the mission lifetime and

Symplectic manifolds, coadjoint orbits, and Mean Field Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosensteel, G.

1986-01-01

Mean field theory is given a geometrical interpretation as a Hamiltonian dynamical system. The Hartree-Fock phase space is the Grassmann manifold, a symplectic submanifold of the projective space of the full many-fermion Hilbert space. The integral curves of the Hartree-Fock vector field are the time-dependent Hartree-Fock solutions, while the critical points of the energy function are the time-independent states. The mean field theory is generalized beyond determinants to coadjoint orbit spaces of the unitary group; the Grassmann variety is the minimal coadjoint orbit

Asteroid Origins Satellite (AOSAT) I: An On-orbit Centrifuge Science Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Lightholder, Jack; Thoesen, Andrew; Adamson, Eric; Jakubowski, Jeremy; Nallapu, Ravi; Smallwood, Sarah; Raura, Laksh; Klesh, Andrew; Asphaug, Erik; Thangavelautham, Jekan

2017-04-01

Exploration of asteroids, comets and small moons (small bodies) can answer fundamental questions relating to the formation of the solar system, the availability of resources, and the nature of impact hazards. Near-earth asteroids and the small moons of Mars are potential targets of human exploration. But as illustrated by recent missions, small body surface exploration remains challenging, expensive, and fraught with risk. Despite their small size, they are among the most extreme planetary environments, with low and irregular gravity, loosely bound regolith, extreme temperature variation, and the presence of electrically charged dust. Here we describe the Asteroid Origins Satellite (AOSAT-I), an on-orbit, 3U CubeSat centrifuge using a sandwich-sized bed of crushed meteorite fragments to replicate asteroid surface conditions. Demonstration of this CubeSat will provide a low-cost pathway to physical asteroid model validation, shed light on the origin and geophysics of asteroids, and constrain the design of future landers, rovers, resource extractors, and human missions. AOSAT-I will conduct scientific experiments within its payload chamber while operating in two distinct modes: (1) as a nonrotating microgravity laboratory to investigate primary accretion, and (2) as a rotating centrifuge producing artificial milligravity to simulate surface conditions on asteroids, comets and small moons. AOSAT-I takes advantage of low-cost, off-the-shelf components, modular design, and the rapid assembly and instrumentation of the CubeSat standard, to answer fundamental questions in planetary science and reduce cost and risk of future exploration.

FINANCING OF SCIENCE ADVANCEMENT IN UKRAINE: EXISTENT PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF THEIR SOLUTIONFINANCING OF SCIENCE ADVANCEMENT IN UKRAINE: EXISTENT PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF THEIR SOLUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetiana Bogolib

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Science plays an important role of development of national economies of developed countries. Postindustrial society, society of knowledge is a society where scientific discoveries, scientific research results ensure economic growth, economic stability, economic exuberance. In such a society not goods, not movable and real property and not natural resources, including power, put together the main society wealth, but scientific discoveries, new knowledge. Countries, which gain primary income from scientific discoveries and high technologies, are prosperous in the modern world. The purpose of study. A solution of science problems in the modern world should become an important direction of a state’s attention to providing national security. Weakening of academic and technological as well as technological potential of the country, research reduction, mass closure of research institutes and centres, several-ford reduction in the volume of funding of science, outflow of specialists and intellectual property abroad for the last three years menace Ukraine with a loss of advanced positions in the world, degradation of knowledge-intensive industries, strengthening of external technological dependence and undermining of its defensive capacity. Such a situation predetermined the topic of our research, its main purpose – identification of problems of science financing and determination of ways to solve them. Research methods. When writing the article, a set of methods and approaches was used that allowed realizing a conceptual unity of the research. Dialectical, system, structural methods are used for the analysis of financing of the science advancement in Ukraine, existent problems of the science financing are generalized with the help of comparative and factorial methods; ways for improving financing of the science advancement are determined by using methods of scientific abstraction, synthesis, functional analysis. The results of the study. In Ukraine

Estimating maneuvers for precise relative orbit determination using GPS

Science.gov (United States)

Allende-Alba, Gerardo; Montenbruck, Oliver; Ardaens, Jean-Sébastien; Wermuth, Martin; Hugentobler, Urs

2017-01-01

Precise relative orbit determination is an essential element for the generation of science products from distributed instrumentation of formation flying satellites in low Earth orbit. According to the mission profile, the required formation is typically maintained and/or controlled by executing maneuvers. In order to generate consistent and precise orbit products, a strategy for maneuver handling is mandatory in order to avoid discontinuities or precision degradation before, after and during maneuver execution. Precise orbit determination offers the possibility of maneuver estimation in an adjustment of single-satellite trajectories using GPS measurements. However, a consistent formulation of a precise relative orbit determination scheme requires the implementation of a maneuver estimation strategy which can be used, in addition, to improve the precision of maneuver estimates by drawing upon the use of differential GPS measurements. The present study introduces a method for precise relative orbit determination based on a reduced-dynamic batch processing of differential GPS pseudorange and carrier phase measurements, which includes maneuver estimation as part of the relative orbit adjustment. The proposed method has been validated using flight data from space missions with different rates of maneuvering activity, including the GRACE, TanDEM-X and PRISMA missions. The results show the feasibility of obtaining precise relative orbits without degradation in the vicinity of maneuvers as well as improved maneuver estimates that can be used for better maneuver planning in flight dynamics operations.

WIYN Open Cluster Study: Binary Orbits and Tidal Circularization in NGC 6819

Science.gov (United States)

Morscher, Meagan B.; Mathieu, R. D.; Kaeppler, S.; Hole, K. T.; Meibom, S.

2006-12-01

We are conducting a comprehensive stellar radial-velocity survey in NGC 6819, a rich, intermediate age ( 2.4 Gyr) open cluster with [Fe/H] -0.05. As of October 2006, we have obtained 7065 radial-velocity measurements of 1409 stars using the WIYN Hydra Multi-Object Spectrograph, with typical velocity measurement precisions of 0.4 km/s. Using an E/I criterion of 3, we have identified 282 velocity variables. In the past year we have expanded the number of final orbital solutions by 45 to a total of more than 80 solutions. In coeval stellar populations, circular binaries tend to have the shortest orbital periods, while longer period binaries show a distribution of non-zero eccentricities. The circularization of the shortest period orbits is the result of an exchange of stellar and orbital angular momentum due to tidal interactions. We defined a population’s tidal circularization period as the longest orbital period at which a binary of typical initial eccentricity has become circularized (e.g., has evolved to an eccentricity e = 0.01) over the lifetime of the cluster (Meibom & Mathieu, 2005, ApJ, 620, 970). We are studying the trend of increasing tidal circularization periods with population age. Preliminary results in NGC 6819 indicate a tidal circularization period of 7.5 days, which is consistent with this overall trend. We will recalculate the tidal circularization period in order to include the latest sample of orbital solutions. This comprehensive survey also allows us to investigate the relative spatial distributions of spectroscopic binaries and other constant-velocity cluster members of similar mass. We find the spectroscopic binaries to be more centrally concentrated at a statistically significant level, which we attribute to energy equipartition processes. MM was supported by REU NSF grant AST-0453442. RDM, SK, KTH, and SM were supported by NSF grant AST-0406615.

Precise Orbital and Geodetic Parameter Estimation using SLR Observations for ILRS AAC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Rok Kim

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we present results of precise orbital geodetic parameter estimation using satellite laser ranging (SLR observations for the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS associate analysis center (AAC. Using normal point observations of LAGEOS-1, LAGEOS-2, ETALON-1, and ETALON-2 in SLR consolidated laser ranging data format, the NASA/ GSFC GEODYN II and SOLVE software programs were utilized for precise orbit determination (POD and finding solutions of a terrestrial reference frame (TRF and Earth orientation parameters (EOPs. For POD, a weekly-based orbit determination strategy was employed to process SLR observations taken from 20 weeks in 2013. For solutions of TRF and EOPs, loosely constrained scheme was used to integrate POD results of four geodetic SLR satellites. The coordinates of 11 ILRS core sites were determined and daily polar motion and polar motion rates were estimated. The root mean square (RMS value of post-fit residuals was used for orbit quality assessment, and both the stability of TRF and the precision of EOPs by external comparison were analyzed for verification of our solutions. Results of post-fit residuals show that the RMS of the orbits of LAGEOS-1 and LAGEOS-2 are 1.20 and 1.12 cm, and those of ETALON-1 and ETALON-2 are 1.02 and 1.11 cm, respectively. The stability analysis of TRF shows that the mean value of 3D stability of the coordinates of 11 ILRS core sites is 7.0 mm. An external comparison, with respect to International Earth rotation and Reference systems Service (IERS 08 C04 results, shows that standard deviations of polar motion Xp and Yp are 0.754 milliarcseconds (mas and 0.576 mas, respectively. Our results of precise orbital and geodetic parameter estimation are reasonable and help advance research at ILRS AAC.

Increasing Diversity in the Sciences: a Partial Solution to the Challenge and the Benefits it Produces

Science.gov (United States)

Givan, A. V.

2009-12-01

Science is supposed to be about talent devoid of the bias’ and judgments generated by background, gender, ethnicity or any culturally determined discriminators. The scientific, academic, corporate and government communities have a vested interest in developing models, practices and policies that significantly increase the number of U.S. graduates in scientific disciplines. Additionally, it is crucial that these graduates possess the essential competencies and creative problem solving skills to compete in the current global economy. The stakeholders (corporations, researchers, educational practitioners, policymakers and funders) who have the common goal of producing highly qualified scientists must commit to collaborate in developing innovative strategies and solutions to this complex challenge. Volumes of research data from a variety of sources such the social and cognitive sciences, educational psychology, National Science Foundation and non-profit groups have been and are available for use enabling us to rise to the challenge we have been charged with, and are responsible for the outcome. A proposed solution to part of the challenge and discussion of the impacts of increasing diversity in science will be discussed in this paper. The paper will address one element of the issue - strategies for the recruitment and retention of under-represented groups in science focusing on the historical and current culture, climate and barriers encountered by minorities as they progress through the educational system and career pathways. The paper will examine the benefits of diversity to the individual and society as a whole.

Orbital Motion of Young Binaries in Ophiuchus and Upper Centaurus–Lupus

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, G. H.; Prato, L.; Simon, M.

2018-03-01

We present measurements of the orbital positions and flux ratios of 17 binary and triple systems in the Ophiuchus star-forming region and the Upper Centaurus–Lupus cluster based on adaptive optics imaging at the Keck Observatory. We report the detection of visual companions in MML 50 and MML 53 for the first time, as well as the possible detection of a third component in WSB 21. For six systems in our sample, our measurements provide a second orbital position following their initial discoveries over a decade ago. For eight systems with sufficient orbital coverage, we analyze the range of orbital solutions that fit the data. Ultimately, these observations will help provide the groundwork toward measuring precise masses for these pre-main-sequence stars and understanding the distribution of orbital parameters in young multiple systems.

Generalized molecular orbital theory: a limited multiconfiguration self-consistent-field-theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, M.B.

1981-01-01

The generalized molecular orbital (GMO) approach is a limited type of multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) calculation which divides the orbitals of a closed shell molecule into four shells: doubly occupied, strongly occupied, weakly occupied, and unoccupied. The orbitals within each shell have the same occupation number and are associated with the same Fock operator. Thus, the orbital optimization is ideally suited to solution via a coupling operator. The determination of the orbitals is followed by a configuration interaction (CI) calculation within the strongly and weakly occupied shells. Results for BH 3 show a striking similarity between the GMO's and the natural orbitals (NO's) from an all singles and doubles CI calculation. Although the GMO approach would not be accurate for an entire potential surface, results for spectroscopic constants of N 2 show that it is suitable near the equilibrium geometry. This paper describes the use of the GMO technique to determine the primary orbital space, but a potentially important application may be in the determination of a secondary orbital space following a more accurate MCSCF determination of the primary space

A Detailed Derivation of Gaussian Orbital-Based Matrix Elements in Electron Structure Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Petersson, T.; Hellsing, B.

2010-01-01

A detailed derivation of analytic solutions is presented for overlap, kinetic, nuclear attraction and electron repulsion integrals involving Cartesian Gaussian-type orbitals. It is demonstrated how s-type orbitals can be used to evaluate integrals with higher angular momentum via the properties of Hermite polynomials and differentiation with…

Dynamics of Orbits near 3:1 Resonance in the Earth-Moon System

Science.gov (United States)

Dichmann, Donald J.; Lebois, Ryan; Carrico, John P., Jr.

2013-01-01

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft is currently in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth with a period near 3:1 resonance with the Moon. Its orbit is oriented so that apogee does not approach the Moon. Simulations show this orbit to be remarkably stable over the next twenty years. This article examines the dynamics of such orbits in the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP). We look at three types of periodic orbits, each exhibiting a type of symmetry of the CR3BP. For each of the orbit types, we assess the local stability using Floquet analysis. Although not all of the periodic solutions are stable in the mathematical sense, any divergence is so slow as to produce practical stability over several decades. We use Poincare maps with twenty-year propagations to assess the nonlinear stability of the orbits, where the perturbation magnitudes are related to the orbit uncertainty for the IBEX mission. Finally we show that these orbits belong to a family of orbits connected in a bifurcation diagram that exhibits exchange of stability. The analysis of these families of period orbits provides a valuable starting point for a mission orbit trade study.

Long-Term Prediction of Satellite Orbit Using Analytical Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Cheol Yoon

1997-12-01

Full Text Available A long-term prediction algorithm of geostationary orbit was developed using the analytical method. The perturbation force models include geopotential upto fifth order and degree and luni-solar gravitation, and solar radiation pressure. All of the perturbation effects were analyzed by secular variations, short-period variations, and long-period variations for equinoctial elements such as the semi-major axis, eccentricity vector, inclination vector, and mean longitude of the satellite. Result of the analytical orbit propagator was compared with that of the cowell orbit propagator for the KOREASAT. The comparison indicated that the analytical solution could predict the semi-major axis with an accuarcy of better than ~35meters over a period of 3 month.

Electric sail elliptic displaced orbits with advanced thrust model

Science.gov (United States)

Niccolai, Lorenzo; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Mengali, Giovanni

2017-09-01

This paper analyzes the performance of an Electric Solar Wind Sail for generating and maintaining an elliptic, heliocentric, displaced non-Keplerian orbit. In this sense, this paper extends and completes recent studies regarding the performances of an Electric Solar Wind Sail that covers a circular, heliocentric, displaced orbit of given characteristics. The paper presents the general equations that describe the elliptic orbit maintenance in terms of both spacecraft attitude and performance requirements, when a refined thrust model (recently proposed for the preliminary mission design) is taken into account. In particular, the paper also discusses some practical applications on particular mission scenarios in which an analytic solution of the governing equations has been found.

Spin flip in single quantum ring with Rashba spin–orbit interation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Duan-Yang; Xia, Jian-Bai

2018-03-01

We theoretically investigate spin transport in the elliptical ring and the circular ring with Rashba spin–orbit interaction. It is shown that when Rashba spin–orbit interaction is relatively weak, a single circular ring can not realize spin flip, however an elliptical ring may work as a spin-inverter at this time, and the influence of the defect of the geometry is not obvious. Howerver if a giant Rashba spin–orbit interaction strength has been obtained, a circular ring can work as a spin-inverter with a high stability. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11504016).

A Framework for Orbital Performance Evaluation in Distributed Space Missions for Earth Observation

Science.gov (United States)

Nag, Sreeja; LeMoigne-Stewart, Jacqueline; Miller, David W.; de Weck, Olivier

2015-01-01

Distributed Space Missions (DSMs) are gaining momentum in their application to earth science missions owing to their unique ability to increase observation sampling in spatial, spectral and temporal dimensions simultaneously. DSM architectures have a large number of design variables and since they are expected to increase mission flexibility, scalability, evolvability and robustness, their design is a complex problem with many variables and objectives affecting performance. There are very few open-access tools available to explore the tradespace of variables which allow performance assessment and are easy to plug into science goals, and therefore select the most optimal design. This paper presents a software tool developed on the MATLAB engine interfacing with STK, for DSM orbit design and selection. It is capable of generating thousands of homogeneous constellation or formation flight architectures based on pre-defined design variable ranges and sizing those architectures in terms of predefined performance metrics. The metrics can be input into observing system simulation experiments, as available from the science teams, allowing dynamic coupling of science and engineering designs. Design variables include but are not restricted to constellation type, formation flight type, FOV of instrument, altitude and inclination of chief orbits, differential orbital elements, leader satellites, latitudes or regions of interest, planes and satellite numbers. Intermediate performance metrics include angular coverage, number of accesses, revisit coverage, access deterioration over time at every point of the Earth's grid. The orbit design process can be streamlined and variables more bounded along the way, owing to the availability of low fidelity and low complexity models such as corrected HCW equations up to high precision STK models with J2 and drag. The tool can thus help any scientist or program manager select pre-Phase A, Pareto optimal DSM designs for a variety of science

Orbital Instabilities in a Triaxial Cusp Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Fred C.; Bloch, Anthony M.; Butler, Suzanne C.; Druce, Jeffrey M.; Ketchum, Jacob A.

2007-12-01

This paper constructs an analytic form for a triaxial potential that describes the dynamics of a wide variety of astrophysical systems, including the inner portions of dark matter halos, the central regions of galactic bulges, and young embedded star clusters. Specifically, this potential results from a density profile of the form ρ(m)~m-1, where the radial coordinate is generalized to triaxial form so that m2=x2/a2+y2/b2+z2/c2. Using the resulting analytic form of the potential and the corresponding force laws, we construct orbit solutions and show that a robust orbit instability exists in these systems. For orbits initially confined to any of the three principal planes, the motion in the perpendicular direction can be unstable. We discuss the range of parameter space for which these orbits are unstable, find the growth rates and saturation levels of the instability, and develop a set of analytic model equations that elucidate the essential physics of the instability mechanism. This orbit instability has a large number of astrophysical implications and applications, including understanding the formation of dark matter halos, the structure of galactic bulges, the survival of tidal streams, and the early evolution of embedded star clusters.

Do-It-Yourself: 3D Models of Hydrogenic Orbitals through 3D Printing

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Kaitlyn M.; de Cataldo, Riccardo; Fogarty, Keir H.

2016-01-01

Introductory chemistry students often have difficulty visualizing the 3-dimensional shapes of the hydrogenic electron orbitals without the aid of physical 3D models. Unfortunately, commercially available models can be quite expensive. 3D printing offers a solution for producing models of hydrogenic orbitals. 3D printing technology is widely…

Radiologic evaluation of orbital index among Ghanaians using CT scan.

Science.gov (United States)

Botwe, Benard Ohene; Sule, Derick Seyram; Ismael, Abdul Mumin

2017-07-11

Orbital index (OI) expresses the proportion of the orbital height to the orbital width and varies with race, regions within the same race and periods in evolution. This index is useful in forensic medicine, anthropology and surgery. However, the average OI among Ghanaian adults was unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the orbital index of adult Ghanaians and classify them under one of the three predetermined groups. The study design was a retrospective cross-sectional. A systematic random sampling method was used for selecting 350 adult Ghanaian head computed tomography images available from 1 January to 31 December 2015 at KBTH Hospital. The orbital height and orbital width of each orbit were measured on a 3D CT skull. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. The study had more females than men (167, 47.71%, vs 183, 52.29%). The observed orbital index of Ghanaians in the study was 81.22 ± 4.22. The mean orbital index was 80.52 ± 4.66 in males and 82.15 ± 3.83 in females with their difference being statistically significant (p value forensic medicine for skull classification and also for better surgical approach in neurosurgery as well as cosmetic surgery.

The spectroscopic orbit of Capella revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, M.; Strassmeier, K. G.

2011-07-01

Context. Capella is among the few binary stars with two evolved giant components. The hotter component is a chromospherically active star within the Hertzsprung gap, while the cooler star is possibly helium-core burning. Aims: The known inclination of the orbital plane from astrometry in combination with precise radial velocities will allow very accurate masses to be determined for the individual Capella stars. This will constrain their evolutionary stage and possibly the role of the active star's magnetic field on the dynamical evolution of the binary system. Methods: We obtained a total of 438 high-resolution échelle spectra during the years 2007-2010 and used the measured velocities to recompute the orbital elements. Our double-lined orbital solution yields average residuals of 64 m s-1 for the cool component and 297 m s-1 for the more rapidly rotating hotter component. Results: The semi-amplitude of the cool component is smaller by 0.045 km s-1 than the orbit determination of Torres et al. from data taken during 1996-1999 but more precise by a factor of 5.5, while for the hotter component it is larger by 0.580 km s-1 and more precise by a factor of 3.6. This corresponds to masses of 2.573 ± 0.009 M⊙ and 2.488 ± 0.008 M⊙ for the cool and hot component, respectively. Their relative errors of 0.34% and 0.30% are about half of the values given in Torres et al. for a combined literature-data solution but with absolute values different by 4% and 2% for the two components, respectively. The mass ratio of the system is therefore q = MA/MB = 0.9673 ± 0.0020. Conclusions: Our orbit is the most precise and also likely to be the most accurate ever obtained for Capella. Based on data obtained with the STELLA robotic telescope in Tenerife, an AIP facility jointly operated by AIP and IAC.Full Table 1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/531/A89

Impact of ITRS 2014 realizations on altimeter satellite precise orbit determination

Science.gov (United States)

Zelensky, Nikita P.; Lemoine, Frank G.; Beckley, Brian D.; Chinn, Douglas S.; Pavlis, Despina E.

2018-01-01

This paper evaluates orbit accuracy and systematic error for altimeter satellite precise orbit determination on TOPEX, Jason-1, Jason-2 and Jason-3 by comparing the use of four SLR/DORIS station complements from the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) 2014 realizations with those based on ITRF2008. The new Terrestrial Reference Frame 2014 (TRF2014) station complements include ITRS realizations from the Institut National de l'Information Géographique et Forestière (IGN) ITRF2014, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) JTRF2014, the Deutsche Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut (DGFI) DTRF2014, and the DORIS extension to ITRF2014 for Precise Orbit Determination, DPOD2014. The largest source of error stems from ITRF2008 station position extrapolation past the 2009 solution end time. The TRF2014 SLR/DORIS complement impact on the ITRF2008 orbit is only 1-2 mm RMS radial difference between 1992-2009, and increases after 2009, up to 5 mm RMS radial difference in 2016. Residual analysis shows that station position extrapolation error past the solution span becomes evident even after two years, and will contribute to about 3-4 mm radial orbit error after seven years. Crossover data show the DTRF2014 orbits are the most accurate for the TOPEX and Jason-2 test periods, and the JTRF2014 orbits for the Jason-1 period. However for the 2016 Jason-3 test period only the DPOD2014-based orbits show a strong and statistically significant margin of improvement. The positive results with DTRF2014 suggest the new approach to correct station positions or normal equations for non-tidal loading before combination is beneficial. We did not find any compelling POD advantage in using non-linear over linear station velocity models in our SLR & DORIS orbit tests on the Jason satellites. The JTRF2014 proof-of-concept ITRS realization demonstrates the need for improved SLR+DORIS orbit centering when compared to the Ries (2013) CM annual model. Orbit centering error is seen as an annual

Searching for stable orbits in the HD 10180 planetary system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laskar J.

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A planetary system with at least seven planets has been found around the star HD 10180. However, the traditional Keplerian and n-body fits to the data provide an orbital solution that becomes unstable very quickly, which may quest the reliability of the observations. Here we show that stable orbital configurations can be obtained if general relativity and long-term dissipation raised by tides on the innermost planet are taken into account.

Integrating Free and Open Source Solutions into Geospatial Science Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaclav Petras

2015-06-01

Full Text Available While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and industry, open science perspectives are generally less reflected in universities’ educational programs. We present an example of how free and open source software can be incorporated into geospatial education to promote open and reproducible science. Since 2008 graduate students at North Carolina State University have the opportunity to take a course on geospatial modeling and analysis that is taught with both proprietary and free and open source software. In this course, students perform geospatial tasks simultaneously in the proprietary package ArcGIS and the free and open source package GRASS GIS. By ensuring that students learn to distinguish between geospatial concepts and software specifics, students become more flexible and stronger spatial thinkers when choosing solutions for their independent work in the future. We also discuss ways to continually update and improve our publicly available teaching materials for reuse by teachers, self-learners and other members of the GIS community. Only when free and open source software is fully integrated into geospatial education, we will be able to encourage a culture of openness and, thus, enable greater reproducibility in research and development applications.

Designing high-Performance layered thermoelectric materials through orbital engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jiawei; Song, Lirong; Madsen, Georg K. H.

2016-01-01

Thermoelectric technology, which possesses potential application in recycling industrial waste heat as energy, calls for novel high-performance materials. The systematic exploration of novel thermoelectric materials with excellent electronic transport properties is severely hindered by limited...... insight into the underlying bonding orbitals of atomic structures. Here we propose a simple yet successful strategy to discover and design high-performance layered thermoelectric materials through minimizing the crystal field splitting energy of orbitals to realize high orbital degeneracy. The approach...... naturally leads to design maps for optimizing the thermoelectric power factor through forming solid solutions and biaxial strain. Using this approach, we predict a series of potential thermoelectric candidates from layered CaAl2Si2-type Zintl compounds. Several of them contain nontoxic, low-cost and earth...

NASA's Earth Science Flight Program overview

Science.gov (United States)

Neeck, Steven P.; Volz, Stephen M.

2011-11-01

NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) conducts pioneering work in Earth system science, the interdisciplinary view of Earth that explores the interaction among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself that has enabled scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by governments, organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The ESD makes the data collected and results generated by its missions accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster management, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. In addition to four missions now in development and 14 currently operating on-orbit, the ESD is now developing the first tier of missions recommended by the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey and is conducting engineering studies and technology development for the second tier. Furthermore, NASA's ESD is planning implementation of a set of climate continuity missions to assure availability of key data sets needed for climate science and applications. These include a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), OCO-2, planned for launch in 2013; refurbishment of the SAGE III atmospheric chemistry instrument to be hosted by the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2014; and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE FO) mission scheduled for launch in 2016. The new Earth Venture (EV) class of missions is a series of uncoupled, low to moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected, full orbital missions, instruments for orbital missions of opportunity, and sub-orbital projects.

The Lunar Scout Program: An international program to survey the Moon from orbit for geochemistry, mineralogy, imagery, geodesy, and gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Donald A. (Editor)

1994-01-01

The Lunar Scout Program was one of a series of attempts by NASA to develop and fly an orbiting mission to the moon to collect geochemical, geological, and gravity data. Predecessors included the Lunar Observer, the Lunar Geochemical Orbiter, and the Lunar Polar Orbiter - missions studied under the auspices of the Office of Space Science. The Lunar Scout Program, however, was an initiative of the Office of Exploration. It was begun in late 1991 and was transferred to the Office of Space Science after the Office of Exploration was disbanded in 1993. Most of the work was done by a small group of civil servants at the Johnson Space Center; other groups also responsible for mission planning included personnel from the Charles Stark Draper Laboratories, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Boeing, and Martin Marietta. The Lunar Scout Program failed to achieve new start funding in FY 93 and FY 94 as a result of budget downturns, the de-emphasis of the Space Exploration Initiative, and the fact that lunar science did not rate as high a priority as other planned planetary missions, and was cancelled. The work done on the Lunar Scout Program and other lunar orbiter studies, however, represents assets that will be useful in developing new approaches to lunar orbit science.

THE TRANSIENT ACCRETING X-RAY PULSAR XTE J1946+274: STABILITY OF X-RAY PROPERTIES AT LOW FLUX AND UPDATED ORBITAL SOLUTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcu-Cheatham, Diana M.; Pottschmidt, Katja [CRESST and Department of Physics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Kühnel, Matthias; Müller, Sebastian; Falkner, Sebastian; Kreykenbohm, Ingo [Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory and ECAP, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Sternwartstr. 7, Bamberg (Germany); Caballero, Isabel [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/IRFU, CNRS/INSU, Université Paris Diderot, CEA DSM/IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Finger, Mark H. [Universities Space Research Association, National Space Science and Technology Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Jenke, Peter J. [University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A. [Astrophysics Office, ZP 12, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Fürst, Felix [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Grinberg, Victoria [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hemphill, Paul B.; Rothschild, Richard E. [University of California, San Diego, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0424 (United States); Klochkov, Dmitry [Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen (IAAT), Sand 1, Tübingen (Germany); Terada, Yukikatsu [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Simo-Ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570 (Japan); and others

2015-12-10

We present a timing and spectral analysis of the X-ray pulsar XTE J1946+274 observed with Suzaku during an outburst decline in 2010 October and compare with previous results. XTE J1946+274 is a transient X-ray binary consisting of a Be-type star and a neutron star with a 15.75 s pulse period in a 172 days orbit with 2–3 outbursts per orbit during phases of activity. We improve the orbital solution using data from multiple instruments. The X-ray spectrum can be described by an absorbed Fermi–Dirac cut-off power-law model along with a narrow Fe Kα line at 6.4 keV and a weak Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature (CRSF) at ∼35 keV. The Suzaku data are consistent with the previously observed continuum flux versus iron line flux correlation expected from fluorescence emission along the line of sight. However, the observed iron line flux is slightly higher, indicating the possibility of a higher iron abundance or the presence of non-uniform material. We argue that the source most likely has only been observed in the subcritical (non-radiation dominated) state since its pulse profile is stable over all observed luminosities and the energy of the CRSF is approximately the same at the highest (∼5 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup −1}) and lowest (∼5 × 10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1}) observed 3–60 keV luminosities.

Human Exploration Science Office (KX) Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, Tracy A.

2014-01-01

The Human Exploration Science Office supports human spaceflight, conducts research, and develops technology in the areas of space orbital debris, hypervelocity impact technology, image science and analysis, remote sensing, imagery integration, and human and robotic exploration science. NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) resides in the Human Exploration Science Office. ODPO provides leadership in orbital debris research and the development of national and international space policy on orbital debris. The office is recognized internationally for its measurement and modeling of the debris environment. It takes the lead in developing technical consensus across U.S. agencies and other space agencies on debris mitigation measures to protect users of the orbital environment. The Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) project evaluates the risks to spacecraft posed by micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD). HVIT facilities at JSC and White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) use light gas guns, diagnostic tools, and high-speed imagery to quantify the response of spacecraft materials to MMOD impacts. Impact tests, with debris environment data provided by ODPO, are used by HVIT to predict risks to NASA and commercial spacecraft. HVIT directly serves NASA crew safety with MMOD risk assessments for each crewed mission and research into advanced shielding design for future missions. The Image Science and Analysis Group (ISAG) supports the International Space Station (ISS) and commercial spaceflight through the design of imagery acquisition schemes (ground- and vehicle-based) and imagery analyses for vehicle performance assessments and mission anomaly resolution. ISAG assists the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Program in the development of camera systems for the Orion spacecraft that will serve as data sources for flight test objectives that lead to crewed missions. The multi-center Imagery Integration Team is led by the Human Exploration Science Office and provides

Probing Transient Valence Orbital Changes with Picosecond Valence-to-Core X-ray Emission Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

March, Anne Marie; Assefa, Tadesse A.; Boemer, Christina

2017-01-01

We probe the dynamics of valence electrons in photoexcited [Fe(terpy)2]2+ in solution to gain deeper insight into the Fe ligand bond changes. We use hard X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), which combines element specificity and high penetration with sensitivity to orbital structure, making...... valence orbitals to the nascent core-hole. Vtc-XES offers particular insight into the molecular orbitals directly involved in the light-driven dynamics; a change in the metal ligand orbital overlap results in an intensity reduction and a blue energy shift in agreement with our theoretical calculations...... and more subtle features at the highest energies reflect changes in the frontier orbital populations....

Small Aerostationary Telecommunications Orbiter Concept for Mars in the 2020s

Science.gov (United States)

Lock, Robert E.; Edwards, Charles D., Jr.; Nicholas, Austin; Woolley, Ryan; Bell, David J.

2016-01-01

Current Mars science orbiters carry UHF proximity payloads to provide limited access and data services to landers and rovers on Mars surface. In the era of human spaceflight to Mars, very high rate and reliable relay services will be needed to serve a large number of supporting vehicles, habitats, and orbiters, as well as astronaut EVAs. These will likely be provided by a robust network of orbiting assets in very high orbits, such as areostationary orbits. In the decade leading to that era, telecommunications orbits can be operated at areostationary orbit that can support a significant population of robotic precursor missions and build the network capabilities needed for the human spaceflight era. Telecommunications orbiters of modest size and cost, delivered by Solar Electric Propulsion to areostationary orbit, can provide continuous access at very high data rates to users on the surface and in Mars orbit.In the era of human spaceflight to Mars very high rate andreliable relay services will be needed to serve a largenumber of supporting vehicles, habitats, and orbiters, aswell as astronaut EVAs. These could be provided by arobust network of orbiting assets in very high orbits. In thedecade leading to that era, telecommunications orbiterscould be operated at areostationary orbit that could support asignificant population of robotic precursor missions andbuild the network capabilities needed for the humanspaceflight era. These orbiters could demonstrate thecapabilities and services needed for the future but withoutthe high bandwidth and high reliability requirements neededfor human spaceflight.Telecommunications orbiters of modest size and cost,delivered by Solar Electric Propulsion to areostationaryorbit, could provide continuous access at very high datarates to users on the surface and in Mars orbit. Twoexamples highlighting the wide variety of orbiter deliveryand configuration options were shown that could providehigh-performance service to users.

Precise orbit determination of Multi-GNSS constellation including GPS GLONASS BDS and GALIEO

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Xiaolei

2014-05-01

In addition to the existing American global positioning system (GPS) and the Russian global navigation satellite system (GLONASS), the new generation of GNSS is emerging and developing, such as the Chinese BeiDou satellite navigation system (BDS) and the European GALILEO system. Multi-constellation is expected to contribute to more accurate and reliable positioning and navigation service. However, the application of multi-constellation challenges the traditional precise orbit determination (POD) strategy that was designed usually for single constellation. In this contribution, we exploit a more rigorous multi-constellation POD strategy for the ongoing IGS multi-GNSS experiment (MGEX) where the common parameters are identical for each system, and the frequency- and system-specified parameters are employed to account for the inter-frequency and inter-system biases. Since the authorized BDS attitude model is not yet released, different BDS attitude model are implemented and their impact on orbit accuracy are studied. The proposed POD strategy was implemented in the PANDA (Position and Navigation Data Analyst) software and can process observations from GPS, GLONASS, BDS and GALILEO together. The strategy is evaluated with the multi-constellation observations from about 90 MGEX stations and BDS observations from the BeiDou experimental tracking network (BETN) of Wuhan University (WHU). Of all the MGEX stations, 28 stations record BDS observation, and about 80 stations record GALILEO observations. All these data were processed together in our software, resulting in the multi-constellation POD solutions. We assessed the orbit accuracy for GPS and GLONASS by comparing our solutions with the IGS final orbit, and for BDS and GALILEO by overlapping our daily orbit solution. The stability of inter-frequency bias of GLONASS and inter-system biases w.r.t. GPS for GLONASS, BDS and GALILEO were investigated. At last, we carried out precise point positioning (PPP) using the multi

Analytic solutions of QCD motivated Hamiltonians at low energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yepez, T.; Amor, A.; Hess, P.O.; Szczepaniak, A.; Civitarese, O.

2011-01-01

A model Hamiltonian, motivated by QCD, is investigated in order to study only the quark sector, then only the gluon sector and finally both together. Restricting to the pure quark sector and setting the mass of the quarks to zero, we find analytic solutions, involving two to three orbitals. Allowing the mass of the quarks to be different to zero, we find semi-analytic solutions involving an arbitrary number of orbitals. Afterwards, we indicate on how to incorporate gluons. (author)

A FDTD solution of scattering of laser beam with orbital angular momentum by dielectric particles: Far-field characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Wenbo; Hu, Yongxiang; Weimer, Carl; Ayers, Kirk; Baize, Rosemary R.; Lee, Tsengdar

2017-01-01

particles is studied. • The 3D CPML FDTD technique is applied in the solution of OAM laser beam scattering. • Forward-scattering peak disappears when laser beam has orbital angular momentum. • This feature of OAM beam scattering may result in an accurate profiling of particle layers.

Mean Orbital Elements for Geosynchronous Orbit - II - Orbital inclination, longitude of ascending node, mean longitude

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyu-Hong Choi

1990-06-01

Full Text Available The osculating orbital elements include the mean, secular, long period, and short period terms. The iterative algorithm used for conversion of osculating orbital elements to mean orbital elements is described. The mean orbital elements of Wc, Ws, and L are obtained.

Impacts of Satellite Orbit and Clock on Real-Time GPS Point and Relative Positioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Junbo; Wang, Gaojing; Han, Xianquan; Guo, Jiming

2017-06-12

Satellite orbit and clock corrections are always treated as known quantities in GPS positioning models. Therefore, any error in the satellite orbit and clock products will probably cause significant consequences for GPS positioning, especially for real-time applications. Currently three types of satellite products have been made available for real-time positioning, including the broadcast ephemeris, the International GNSS Service (IGS) predicted ultra-rapid product, and the real-time product. In this study, these three predicted/real-time satellite orbit and clock products are first evaluated with respect to the post-mission IGS final product, which demonstrates cm to m level orbit accuracies and sub-ns to ns level clock accuracies. Impacts of real-time satellite orbit and clock products on GPS point and relative positioning are then investigated using the P3 and GAMIT software packages, respectively. Numerical results show that the real-time satellite clock corrections affect the point positioning more significantly than the orbit corrections. On the contrary, only the real-time orbit corrections impact the relative positioning. Compared with the positioning solution using the IGS final product with the nominal orbit accuracy of ~2.5 cm, the real-time broadcast ephemeris with ~2 m orbit accuracy provided <2 cm relative positioning error for baselines no longer than 216 km. As for the baselines ranging from 574 to 2982 km, the cm-dm level positioning error was identified for the relative positioning solution using the broadcast ephemeris. The real-time product could result in <5 mm relative positioning accuracy for baselines within 2982 km, slightly better than the predicted ultra-rapid product.

Impacts of Satellite Orbit and Clock on Real-Time GPS Point and Relative Positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junbo Shi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Satellite orbit and clock corrections are always treated as known quantities in GPS positioning models. Therefore, any error in the satellite orbit and clock products will probably cause significant consequences for GPS positioning, especially for real-time applications. Currently three types of satellite products have been made available for real-time positioning, including the broadcast ephemeris, the International GNSS Service (IGS predicted ultra-rapid product, and the real-time product. In this study, these three predicted/real-time satellite orbit and clock products are first evaluated with respect to the post-mission IGS final product, which demonstrates cm to m level orbit accuracies and sub-ns to ns level clock accuracies. Impacts of real-time satellite orbit and clock products on GPS point and relative positioning are then investigated using the P3 and GAMIT software packages, respectively. Numerical results show that the real-time satellite clock corrections affect the point positioning more significantly than the orbit corrections. On the contrary, only the real-time orbit corrections impact the relative positioning. Compared with the positioning solution using the IGS final product with the nominal orbit accuracy of ~2.5 cm, the real-time broadcast ephemeris with ~2 m orbit accuracy provided <2 cm relative positioning error for baselines no longer than 216 km. As for the baselines ranging from 574 to 2982 km, the cm–dm level positioning error was identified for the relative positioning solution using the broadcast ephemeris. The real-time product could result in <5 mm relative positioning accuracy for baselines within 2982 km, slightly better than the predicted ultra-rapid product.

Spin-orbit torques in locally and globally noncentrosymmetric crystals: Antiferromagnets and ferromagnets

KAUST Repository

Železný , J.; Gao, H.; Manchon, Aurelien; Freimuth, Frank; Mokrousov, Yuriy; Zemen, J.; Mašek, J.; Sinova, Jairo; Jungwirth, T.

2017-01-01

One of the main obstacles that prevents practical applications of antiferromagnets is the difficulty of manipulating the magnetic order parameter. Recently, following the theoretical prediction [J. Železný, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 157201 (2014)]PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.113.157201, the electrical switching of magnetic moments in an antiferromagnet was demonstrated [P. Wadley, Science 351, 587 (2016)]SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aab1031. The switching is due to the so-called spin-orbit torque, which has been extensively studied in ferromagnets. In this phenomena a nonequilibrium spin-polarization exchange coupled to the ordered local moments is induced by current, hence exerting a torque on the order parameter. Here we give a general systematic analysis of the symmetry of the spin-orbit torque in locally and globally noncentrosymmetric crystals. We study when the symmetry allows for a nonzero torque, when is the torque effective, and its dependence on the applied current direction and orientation of magnetic moments. For comparison, we consider both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders. In two representative model crystals we perform microscopic calculations of the spin-orbit torque to illustrate its symmetry properties and to highlight conditions under which the spin-orbit torque can be efficient for manipulating antiferromagnetic moments.

Spin-orbit torques in locally and globally noncentrosymmetric crystals: Antiferromagnets and ferromagnets

KAUST Repository

Železný, J.

2017-01-10

One of the main obstacles that prevents practical applications of antiferromagnets is the difficulty of manipulating the magnetic order parameter. Recently, following the theoretical prediction [J. Železný, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 157201 (2014)]PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.113.157201, the electrical switching of magnetic moments in an antiferromagnet was demonstrated [P. Wadley, Science 351, 587 (2016)]SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aab1031. The switching is due to the so-called spin-orbit torque, which has been extensively studied in ferromagnets. In this phenomena a nonequilibrium spin-polarization exchange coupled to the ordered local moments is induced by current, hence exerting a torque on the order parameter. Here we give a general systematic analysis of the symmetry of the spin-orbit torque in locally and globally noncentrosymmetric crystals. We study when the symmetry allows for a nonzero torque, when is the torque effective, and its dependence on the applied current direction and orientation of magnetic moments. For comparison, we consider both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders. In two representative model crystals we perform microscopic calculations of the spin-orbit torque to illustrate its symmetry properties and to highlight conditions under which the spin-orbit torque can be efficient for manipulating antiferromagnetic moments.

Orbital motion in strongly perturbed environments applications to asteroid, comet and planetary satellite orbiters

CERN Document Server

Scheeres, Daniel J

2012-01-01

The proposed book will provide a detailed, technical introduction to the analysis of orbital motion in strongly perturbed environments, focusing on motion about small Solar System bodies, such as comets and asteroids. The author shows why such small bodies are of interest and why they can be used as a motivation for the general analysis of orbital mechanics. He shows how it is possible to model the small body environment, including specialised cases such as those of binary asteroids, comets and ‘rubble piles’, and how the fundamental equations of motion are derived. The properties of the various solutions to the equations of motion are described and the methods of analysis and their application are discussed. Both ballistic motion and powered motion on and about small bodies are considered and case studies for different small body missions are presented. The author concludes his comprehensive treatment with a discussion of the mechanics of multi-body small body systems and a review of advanced topics and ...

Economic analysis requirements in support of orbital debris regulatory policy

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Joel S.

1996-10-01

As the number of Earth orbiting objects increases so does the potential for generating orbital debris with the consequent increase in the likelihood of impacting and damaging operating satellites. Various debris remediation approaches are being considered that encompass both in-orbit and return-to-Earth schema and have varying degrees of operations, cost, international competitiveness, and safety implications. Because of the diversity of issues, concerns and long-term impacts, there is a clear need for the setting of government policies that will lead to an orderly abatement of the potential orbital debris hazards. These policies may require the establishment of a supportive regulatory regime. The Department of Transportation is likely to have regulatory responsibilities relating to orbital debris stemming from its charge to protect the public health and safety, safety of property, and national security interests and foreign policy interests of the United States. This paper describes DOT's potential regulatory role relating to orbital debris remediation, the myriad of issues concerning the need for establishing government policies relating to orbital debris remediation and their regulatory implications, the proposed technological solutions and their economic and safety implications. Particular emphasis is placed upon addressing cost-effectiveness and economic analyses as they relate to economic impact analysis in support of regulatory impact analysis.

Circular revisit orbits design for responsive mission over a single target

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Taibo; Xiang, Junhua; Wang, Zhaokui; Zhang, Yulin

2016-10-01

The responsive orbits play a key role in addressing the mission of Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) because of their capabilities. These capabilities are usually focused on supporting specific targets as opposed to providing global coverage. One subtype of responsive orbits is repeat coverage orbit which is nearly circular in most remote sensing applications. This paper deals with a special kind of repeating ground track orbit, referred to as circular revisit orbit. Different from traditional repeat coverage orbits, a satellite on circular revisit orbit can visit a target site at both the ascending and descending stages in one revisit cycle. This typology of trajectory allows a halving of the traditional revisit time and does a favor to get useful information for responsive applications. However the previous reported numerical methods in some references often cost lots of computation or fail to obtain such orbits. To overcome this difficulty, an analytical method to determine the existence conditions of the solutions to revisit orbits is presented in this paper. To this end, the mathematical model of circular revisit orbit is established under the central gravity model and the J2 perturbation. A constraint function of the circular revisit orbit is introduced, and the monotonicity of that function has been studied. The existent conditions and the number of such orbits are naturally worked out. Taking the launch cost into consideration, optimal design model of circular revisit orbit is established to achieve a best orbit which visits a target twice a day in the morning and in the afternoon respectively for several days. The result shows that it is effective to apply circular revisit orbits in responsive application such as reconnoiter of natural disaster.

Combined orbits and clocks from IGS second reprocessing

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Jake

2018-05-01

The Analysis Centers (ACs) of the International GNSS Service (IGS) have reprocessed a large global network of GPS tracking data from 1994.0 until 2014.0 or later. Each AC product time series was extended uniformly till early 2015 using their weekly operational IGS contributions so that the complete combined product set covers GPS weeks 730 through 1831. Three ACs also included GLONASS data from as early as 2002 but that was insufficient to permit combined GLONASS products. The reprocessed terrestrial frame combination procedures and results have been reported already, and those were incorporated into the ITRF2014 multi-technique global frame released in 2016. This paper describes the orbit and clock submissions and their multi-AC combinations and assessments. These were released to users in early 2017 in time for the adoption of IGS14 for generating the operational IGS products. While the reprocessing goal was to enable homogeneous modeling, consistent with the current operational procedures, to be applied retrospectively to the full history of observation data in order to achieve a more suitable reference for geophysical studies, that objective has only been partially achieved. Ongoing AC analysis changes and a lack of full participation limit the consistency and precision of the finished IG2 products. Quantitative internal measures indicate that the reprocessed orbits are somewhat less precise than current operational orbits or even the later orbits from the first IGS reprocessing campaign. That is even more apparent for the clocks where a lack of robust AC participation means that it was only possible to form combined 5-min clocks but not the 30-s satellite clocks published operationally. Therefore, retrospective precise point positioning solutions by users are not recommended using the orbits and clocks. Nevertheless, the orbits do support long-term stable user solutions when used with network processing with either double differencing or explicit clock

[Orbital inflammation].

Science.gov (United States)

Mouriaux, F; Coffin-Pichonnet, S; Robert, P-Y; Abad, S; Martin-Silva, N

2014-12-01

Orbital inflammation is a generic term encompassing inflammatory pathologies affecting all structures within the orbit : anterior (involvement up to the posterior aspect of the globe), diffuse (involvement of intra- and/or extraconal fat), apical (involvement of the posterior orbit), myositis (involvement of only the extraocular muscles), dacryoadenitis (involvement of the lacrimal gland). We distinguish between specific inflammation and non-specific inflammation, commonly referred to as idiopathic inflammation. Specific orbital inflammation corresponds to a secondary localization of a "generalized" disease (systemic or auto-immune). Idiopathic orbital inflammation corresponds to uniquely orbital inflammation without generalized disease, and thus an unknown etiology. At the top of the differential diagnosis for specific or idiopathic orbital inflammation are malignant tumors, represented most commonly in the adult by lympho-proliferative syndromes and metastases. Treatment of specific orbital inflammation begins with treatment of the underlying disease. For idiopathic orbital inflammation, treatment (most often corticosteroids) is indicated above all in cases of visual loss due to optic neuropathy, in the presence of pain or oculomotor palsy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Interactive orbital proximity operations planning system instruction and training guide

Science.gov (United States)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1994-01-01

This guide instructs users in the operation of a Proximity Operations Planning System. This system uses an interactive graphical method for planning fuel-efficient rendezvous trajectories in the multi-spacecraft environment of the space station and allows the operator to compose a multi-burn transfer trajectory between orbit initial chaser and target trajectories. The available task time (window) of the mission is predetermined and the maneuver is subject to various operational constraints, such as departure, arrival, spatial, plume impingement, and en route passage constraints. The maneuvers are described in terms of the relative motion experienced in a space station centered coordinate system. Both in-orbital plane as well as out-of-orbital plane maneuvering is considered. A number of visual optimization aids are used for assisting the operator in reaching fuel-efficient solutions. These optimization aids are based on the Primer Vector theory. The visual feedback of trajectory shapes, operational constraints, and optimization functions, provided by user-transparent and continuously active background computations, allows the operator to make fast, iterative design changes that rapidly converge to fuel-efficient solutions. The planning tool is an example of operator-assisted optimization of nonlinear cost functions.

PyORBIT: A Python Shell For ORBIT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jean-Francois Ostiguy; Jeffrey Holmes

2003-07-01

ORBIT is code developed at SNS to simulate beam dynamics in accumulation rings and synchrotrons. The code is structured as a collection of external C++ modules for SuperCode, a high level interpreter shell developed at LLNL in the early 1990s. SuperCode is no longer actively supported and there has for some time been interest in replacing it by a modern scripting language, while preserving the feel of the original ORBIT program. In this paper, we describe a new version of ORBIT where the role of SuperCode is assumed by Python, a free, well-documented and widely supported object-oriented scripting language. We also compare PyORBIT to ORBIT from the standpoint of features, performance and future expandability.

PyORBIT: A Python Shell For ORBIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jean-Francois Ostiguy; Jeffrey Holmes

2003-01-01

ORBIT is code developed at SNS to simulate beam dynamics in accumulation rings and synchrotrons. The code is structured as a collection of external C++ modules for SuperCode, a high level interpreter shell developed at LLNL in the early 1990s. SuperCode is no longer actively supported and there has for some time been interest in replacing it by a modern scripting language, while preserving the feel of the original ORBIT program. In this paper, we describe a new version of ORBIT where the role of SuperCode is assumed by Python, a free, well-documented and widely supported object-oriented scripting language. We also compare PyORBIT to ORBIT from the standpoint of features, performance and future expandability

ISS External Contamination Environment for Space Science Utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Carlos; Mikatarian, Ron; Steagall, Courtney; Huang, Alvin; Koontz, Steven; Worthy, Erica

2014-01-01

(1) The International Space Station is the largest and most complex on-orbit platform for space science utilization in low Earth orbit, (2) Multiple sites for external payloads, with exposure to the associated natural and induced environments, are available to support a variety of space science utilization objectives, (3) Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle, and (4)The ISS has been designed, built and integrated with strict contamination requirements to provide low levels of induced contamination on external payload assets.

LAGRANGE SOLUTIONS TO THE DISCRETE-TIME GENERAL THREE-BODY PROBLEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minesaki, Yukitaka

2013-01-01

There is no known integrator that yields exact orbits for the general three-body problem (G3BP). It is difficult to verify whether a numerical procedure yields the correct solutions to the G3BP because doing so requires knowledge of all 11 conserved quantities, whereas only six are known. Without tracking all of the conserved quantities, it is possible to show that the discrete general three-body problem (d-G3BP) yields the correct orbits corresponding to Lagrange solutions of the G3BP. We show that the d-G3BP yields the correct solutions to the G3BP for two special cases: the equilateral triangle and collinear configurations. For the triangular solution, we use the fact that the solution to the three-body case is a superposition of the solutions to the three two-body cases, and we show that the three bodies maintain the same relative distances at all times. To obtain the collinear solution, we assume a specific permutation of the three bodies arranged along a straight rotating line, and we show that the d-G3BP maintains the same distance ratio between two bodies as in the G3BP. Proving that the d-G3BP solutions for these cases are equivalent to those of the G3BP makes it likely that the d-G3BP and G3BP solutions are equivalent in other cases. To our knowledge, this is the first work that proves the equivalence of the discrete solutions and the Lagrange orbits.

Determination of fragment orbitals and LCFO MO's in semiempirical methods with overlap matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinavicius, K.V.; Lazauskas, V.M.

1988-01-01

We propose a technique for a fragment stage solution of the Roothaan equations, allowing us to obtain fragment orbitals (FO's) and to form molecular orbitals (LCFO MO'S) for the molecule from them. As an example, in the Mulliken-Wolfsberg-Helmholtz (MWH) approximation we obtain the orbitals for fragments of the simplest hydrocarbon molecules and we compare them with the FO's found in the CNDO/2 approximation. We discuss the possibilities in perturbation theory for joining the fragments and for study of the properties of the molecules in the FO basis

Bayesian solutions for food science problems?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekel, van M.A.J.S.

2004-01-01

This paper starts with an overview of some typical food-science problems. In view of the development of safe and healthy food, the use of mathematical models in food science is much needed and the use of statistics is therefore indispensable. Because of the biological variability in the raw

MESSENGER at Mercury: Early Orbital Operations

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, Ralph L., Jr; Solomon, Sean C.; Bedini, Peter D.; Anderson, Brian J.; Blewett, David T.; Evans, Larry G.; Gold, Robert E.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Murchie, Scott L.; Nittler, Larry R.;

The environmental virtual observatory pilot (EVOp): a cloud solution demonstrating effective science for efficient decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Gurney, R. J.; Emmett, B.; McDonald, A.

2012-12-01

Environmental managers and policy makers face a challenging future trying to accommodate growing expectations of environmental well-being, while subject to maturing regulation, constrained budgets and a public scrutiny that expects easier and more meaningful access to data and decision logic. To support such a challenge requires new tools and new approaches. The EVOp is an initiative from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) designed to deliver proof of concept for these new tools and approaches. A series of exemplar 'big catchment science questions' are posed and the prospects for their solution are assessed. These are then used to develop cloud solutions for serving data, models, visualisation and analysis tools to scientists, regulators, private companies and the public, all of whom have different expectations of what environmental information is important. Approaches are tested regularly with users using SCRUM. The VO vision encompasses seven key ambitions: i. being driven by the need to contribute to the solution of major environmental issues that impinge on, or link to, catchment science ii. having the flexibility and adaptability to address future problems not yet defined or fully clarified iii. being able to communicate issues and solutions to a range of audiences iv. supporting easy access by a variety of users v. drawing meaningful information from data and models and identifying the constraints on application in terms of errors, uncertainties, etc vi. adding value and cost effectiveness to current investigations by supporting transfer and scale adjustment thus limiting the repetition of expensive field monitoring addressing essentially the same issues in varying locations vii. promoting effective interfacing of robust science with a variety of end users by using terminology or measures familiar to the user (or required by regulation), including financial and carbon accounting, whole life or fixed period costing, risk as probability or as

Optical Orbit Determination of a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Satellite Effected by Baseline Distances between Various Ground-based Tracking Stations Ⅱ: COMS Case with Analysis of Actual Observation Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ju Young Son

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We estimated the orbit of the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS, a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO satellite, through data from actual optical observations using telescopes at the Sobaeksan Optical Astronomy Observatory (SOAO of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI, Optical Wide field Patrol (OWL at KASI, and the Chungbuk National University Observatory (CNUO from August 1, 2014, to January 13, 2015. The astrometric data of the satellite were extracted from the World Coordinate System (WCS in the obtained images, and geometrically distorted errors were corrected. To handle the optically observed data, corrections were made for the observation time, light-travel time delay, shutter speed delay, and aberration. For final product, the sequential filter within the Orbit Determination Tool Kit (ODTK was used for orbit estimation based on the results of optical observation. In addition, a comparative analysis was conducted between the precise orbit from the ephemeris of the COMS maintained by the satellite operator and the results of orbit estimation using optical observation. The orbits estimated in simulation agree with those estimated with actual optical observation data. The error in the results using optical observation data decreased with increasing number of observatories. Our results are useful for optimizing observation data for orbit estimation.

Innermost stable circular orbit of Kerr-MOG black hole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyun-Chul; Han, Yong-Jin [Soonchunhyang University, Department of Physics, Asan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-10-15

We study the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of the metric of the Kerr black hole in modified gravity (Kerr-MOG black hole), which is one of the exact solutions of the field equation of modified gravity in the strong gravity regime. The Kerr-MOG metric is constructed; it is the commonly known Kerr metric in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates by adding a repulsive term like the Yukawa force, which is explained in quantum gravity. In this paper, we numerically calculate the circular orbit of a photon and the ISCO of a test particle of Kerr-MOG black holes. (orig.)

Orbit Propagation and Determination of Low Earth Orbit Satellites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Nien Shou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper represents orbit propagation and determination of low Earth orbit (LEO satellites. Satellite global positioning system (GPS configured receiver provides position and velocity measures by navigating filter to get the coordinates of the orbit propagation (OP. The main contradictions in real-time orbit which is determined by the problem are orbit positioning accuracy and the amount of calculating two indicators. This paper is dedicated to solving the problem of tradeoffs. To plan to use a nonlinear filtering method for immediate orbit tasks requires more precise satellite orbit state parameters in a short time. Although the traditional extended Kalman filter (EKF method is widely used, its linear approximation of the drawbacks in dealing with nonlinear problems was especially evident, without compromising Kalman filter (unscented Kalman Filter, UKF. As a new nonlinear estimation method, it is measured at the estimated measurements on more and more applications. This paper will be the first study on UKF microsatellites in LEO orbit in real time, trying to explore the real-time precision orbit determination techniques. Through the preliminary simulation results, they show that, based on orbit mission requirements and conditions using UKF, they can satisfy the positioning accuracy and compute two indicators.

In-flight performance analysis of MEMS GPS receiver and its application to precise orbit determination of APOD-A satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Defeng; Liu, Ye; Yi, Bin; Cao, Jianfeng; Li, Xie

2017-12-01

An experimental satellite mission termed atmospheric density detection and precise orbit determination (APOD) was developed by China and launched on 20 September 2015. The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) GPS receiver provides the basis for precise orbit determination (POD) within the range of a few decimetres. The in-flight performance of the MEMS GPS receiver was assessed. The average number of tracked GPS satellites is 10.7. However, only 5.1 GPS satellites are available for dual-frequency navigation because of the loss of many L2 observations at low elevations. The variations in the multipath error for C1 and P2 were estimated, and the maximum multipath error could reach up to 0.8 m. The average code noises are 0.28 m (C1) and 0.69 m (P2). Using the MEMS GPS receiver, the orbit of the APOD nanosatellite (APOD-A) was precisely determined. Two types of orbit solutions are proposed: a dual-frequency solution and a single-frequency solution. The antenna phase center variations (PCVs) and code residual variations (CRVs) were estimated, and the maximum value of the PCVs is 4.0 cm. After correcting the antenna PCVs and CRVs, the final orbit precision for the dual-frequency and single-frequency solutions were 7.71 cm and 12.91 cm, respectively, validated using the satellite laser ranging (SLR) data, which were significantly improved by 3.35 cm and 25.25 cm. The average RMS of the 6-h overlap differences in the dual-frequency solution between two consecutive days in three dimensions (3D) is 4.59 cm. The MEMS GPS receiver is the Chinese indigenous onboard receiver, which was successfully used in the POD of a nanosatellite. This study has important reference value for improving the MEMS GPS receiver and its application in other low Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellites.

DRAGON - 8U Nanosatellite Orbital Deployer

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrowolski, Marcin; Grygorczuk, Jerzy; Kedziora, Bartosz; Tokarz, Marta; Borys, Maciej

2014-01-01

The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (SRC PAS) together with Astronika company have developed an Orbital Deployer called DRAGON for ejection of the Polish scientific nanosatellite BRITE-PL Heweliusz (Fig. 1). The device has three unique mechanisms including an adopted and scaled lock and release mechanism from the ESA Rosetta mission MUPUS instrument. This paper discusses major design restrictions of the deployer, unique design features, and lessons learned from development through testing.

Jupiter's Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere after Juno's First 8 Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Connerney, J. E. P.; Oliversen, R. J.; Espley, J. R.; Gruesbeck, J.; Kotsiaros, S.; DiBraccio, G. A.; Joergensen, J. L.; Joergensen, P. S.; Merayo, J. M. G.; Denver, T.; Benn, M.; Bjarno, J. B.; Malinnikova Bang, A.; Bloxham, J.; Moore, K.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S.; Gershman, D. J.

2017-12-01

The Juno spacecraft entered polar orbit about Jupiter on July 4, 2016, embarking upon an ambitious mission to map Jupiter's magnetic and gravitational potential fields and probe its deep atmosphere, in search of clues to the planet's formation and evolution. Juno is also instrumented to conduct the first exploration of the polar magnetosphere and to acquire images and spectra of its polar auroras and atmosphere. Juno's 53.5-day orbit trajectory carries her science instruments from pole to pole in approximately 2 hours, with a closest approach to within 1.05 Rj of the center of the planet (one Rj = 71,492 km, Jupiter's equatorial radius), just a few thousand km above the clouds. Repeated periapsis passes will eventually encircle the planet with a dense net of observations equally spaced in longitude (magnetometer sensor suites, located 10 and 12 m from the center of the spacecraft at the end of one of Juno's three solar panel wings. Each contains a vector fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) sensor and a pair of co-located non-magnetic star tracker camera heads, providing accurate attitude determination for the FGM sensors. We present an overview of the magnetometer observations obtained during Juno's first year in orbit in context with prior observations and those acquired by Juno's other science instruments.

Orbit-related sea level errors for TOPEX altimetry at seasonal to decadal timescales

Science.gov (United States)

Esselborn, Saskia; Rudenko, Sergei; Schöne, Tilo

2018-03-01

Interannual to decadal sea level trends are indicators of climate variability and change. A major source of global and regional sea level data is satellite radar altimetry, which relies on precise knowledge of the satellite's orbit. Here, we assess the error budget of the radial orbit component for the TOPEX/Poseidon mission for the period 1993 to 2004 from a set of different orbit solutions. The errors for seasonal, interannual (5-year), and decadal periods are estimated on global and regional scales based on radial orbit differences from three state-of-the-art orbit solutions provided by different research teams: the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the Groupe de Recherche de Géodésie Spatiale (GRGS), and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The global mean sea level error related to orbit uncertainties is of the order of 1 mm (8 % of the global mean sea level variability) with negligible contributions on the annual and decadal timescales. In contrast, the orbit-related error of the interannual trend is 0.1 mm yr-1 (27 % of the corresponding sea level variability) and might hamper the estimation of an acceleration of the global mean sea level rise. For regional scales, the gridded orbit-related error is up to 11 mm, and for about half the ocean the orbit error accounts for at least 10 % of the observed sea level variability. The seasonal orbit error amounts to 10 % of the observed seasonal sea level signal in the Southern Ocean. At interannual and decadal timescales, the orbit-related trend uncertainties reach regionally more than 1 mm yr-1. The interannual trend errors account for 10 % of the observed sea level signal in the tropical Atlantic and the south-eastern Pacific. For decadal scales, the orbit-related trend errors are prominent in a several regions including the South Atlantic, western North Atlantic, central Pacific, South Australian Basin, and the Mediterranean Sea. Based on a set of test orbits calculated at GFZ, the sources of the

Orbit-related sea level errors for TOPEX altimetry at seasonal to decadal timescales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Esselborn

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Interannual to decadal sea level trends are indicators of climate variability and change. A major source of global and regional sea level data is satellite radar altimetry, which relies on precise knowledge of the satellite's orbit. Here, we assess the error budget of the radial orbit component for the TOPEX/Poseidon mission for the period 1993 to 2004 from a set of different orbit solutions. The errors for seasonal, interannual (5-year, and decadal periods are estimated on global and regional scales based on radial orbit differences from three state-of-the-art orbit solutions provided by different research teams: the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ, the Groupe de Recherche de Géodésie Spatiale (GRGS, and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC. The global mean sea level error related to orbit uncertainties is of the order of 1 mm (8 % of the global mean sea level variability with negligible contributions on the annual and decadal timescales. In contrast, the orbit-related error of the interannual trend is 0.1 mm yr−1 (27 % of the corresponding sea level variability and might hamper the estimation of an acceleration of the global mean sea level rise. For regional scales, the gridded orbit-related error is up to 11 mm, and for about half the ocean the orbit error accounts for at least 10 % of the observed sea level variability. The seasonal orbit error amounts to 10 % of the observed seasonal sea level signal in the Southern Ocean. At interannual and decadal timescales, the orbit-related trend uncertainties reach regionally more than 1 mm yr−1. The interannual trend errors account for 10 % of the observed sea level signal in the tropical Atlantic and the south-eastern Pacific. For decadal scales, the orbit-related trend errors are prominent in a several regions including the South Atlantic, western North Atlantic, central Pacific, South Australian Basin, and the Mediterranean Sea. Based on a set of test

Orbit dynamics for unstable linear motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parzen, G.

1997-01-01

A treatment is given of the orbit dynamics for linear unstable motion that allows for the zeros in the beta function and makes no assumptions about the realness of the betatron and phase functions. The phase shift per turn is shown to be related to the beta function and the number of zeros the beta function goes through per turn. The solutions of the equations of motion are found in terms of the beta function

Orbit dynamics for unstable linear motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parzen, G.

1996-04-01

A treatment is given of the orbit dynamics for linear unstable motion that allows for the zeros in the beta function and makes no assumption about the realness of the betatron and phase functions. The phase shift per turn is shown to be related to the beta function and the number of zeros the beta function goes through per turn. The solutions of the equations of motion are found in terms of the beta function

ORBITAL INJURIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej Kansky

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Background. Orbit is involved in 40% of all facial fractures. There is considerable variety in severity, ranging from simple nondisplaced to complex comminuted fractures. Complex comminuted fractures (up to 20% are responsible for the majority of complications and unfavorable results. Orbital fractures are classified as internal orbital fractures, zygomatico-orbital fractures, naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures and combined fractures. The ophtalmic sequelae of midfacial fractures are usually edema and ecchymosis of the soft tissues, subconjuctival hemorrhage, diplopia, iritis, retinal edema, ptosis, enophthalmos, ocular muscle paresis, mechanical restriction of ocular movement and nasolacrimal disturbances. More severe injuries such as optic nerve trauma and retinal detachments have also been reported. Within the wide range of orbital fractures small group of complex fractures causes most of the sequelae. Therefore identification of severe injuries and adequate treatment is of major importance. The introduction of craniofacial techniques made possible a wide exposure even of large orbital wall defects and their reconstruction by bone grafts. In spite of significant progress, repair of complex orbital wall defects remains a problem even for the experienced surgeons.Results. In 1999 121 facial injuries were treated at our department (Clinical Centre Ljubljana Dept. Of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery. Orbit was involved in 65% of cases. Isolated inner orbital fractures presented 4% of all fractures. 17 (14% complex cases were treated, 5 of them being NOE, 5 orbital (frame and inner walls, 3 zygomatico-orbital, 2 FNO and 2 maxillo-orbital fractures.Conclusions. Final result of the surgical treatment depends on severity of maxillofacial trauma. Complex comminuted fractures are responsable for most of the unfavorable results and ocular function is often permanently damaged (up to 75% in these fractures.

Orbital

OpenAIRE

Yourshaw, Matthew Stephen

2017-01-01

Orbital is a virtual reality gaming experience designed to explore the use of traditional narrative structure to enhance immersion in virtual reality. The story structure of Orbital was developed based on the developmental steps of 'The Hero's Journey,' a narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell. Using this standard narrative pattern, Orbital is capable of immersing the player quickly and completely for the entirety of play time. MFA

Families of periodic orbits in Hill's problem with solar radiation pressure: application to Hayabusa 2

Science.gov (United States)

Giancotti, Marco; Campagnola, Stefano; Tsuda, Yuichi; Kawaguchi, Jun'ichiro

2014-11-01

This work studies periodic solutions applicable, as an extended phase, to the JAXA asteroid rendezvous mission Hayabusa 2 when it is close to target asteroid 1999 JU3. The motion of a spacecraft close to a small asteroid can be approximated with the equations of Hill's problem modified to account for the strong solar radiation pressure. The identification of families of periodic solutions in such systems is just starting and the field is largely unexplored. We find several periodic orbits using a grid search, then apply numerical continuation and bifurcation theory to a subset of these to explore the changes in the orbit families when the orbital energy is varied. This analysis gives information on their stability and bifurcations. We then compare the various families on the basis of the restrictions and requirements of the specific mission considered, such as the pointing of the solar panels and instruments. We also use information about their resilience against parameter errors and their ground tracks to identify one particularly promising type of solution.

Two impulse trajectory optimization for the RAE-B orbit trim problem

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, M. H.; Pines, S.; Horsewood, J. L.

1972-01-01

The results are reported of work on an appropriate approach to the solution of the optimum two-impulse transfer problem between orbits of specified inclination. The task included a literature search to identify the current state of the art and a definition of the suggested approach for the specific application of a lunar orbit trim. The applications of the results to the problem are included. The formulation for a computer program developed under this task following a more conventional approach is also included.

Probing evolution of binaries influenced by the spin–orbit resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, A; Gopakumar, A

2014-01-01

We evolve isolated comparable mass spinning compact binaries experiencing Schnittman’s post-Newtonian spin–orbit resonances in an inertial frame associated with j 0 , the initial direction of the total angular momentum. We argue that accurate gravitational wave (GW) measurements of the initial orientations of the two spins and orbital angular momentum from j 0 should allow us to distinguish between the two possible families of spin–orbit resonances. Therefore, these measurements have the potential to provide direct observational evidence of possible binary formation scenarios. The above statements should also apply for binaries that do not remain in a resonant plane when they become detectable by GW interferometers. The resonant plane, characterized by the vanishing scalar triple product involving the two spins and the orbital angular momentum, naturally appears in the one parameter family of equilibrium solutions, discovered by Schnittman. We develop a prescription to compute the time-domain inspiral templates for binaries residing in these resonant configurations and explore their preliminary data analysis consequences. (paper)

Solar Array Disturbances to Spacecraft Pointing During the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, Philip

2010-01-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the first spacecraft to support NASA s return to the Moon, launched on June 18, 2009 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle. It was initially inserted into a direct trans-lunar trajectory to the Moon. After a five day transit to the Moon, LRO was inserted into the Lunar orbit and successfully lowered to a low altitude elliptical polar orbit for spacecraft commissioning. Successful commissioning was completed in October 2009 when LRO was placed in its near circular mission orbit with an approximate altitude of 50km. LRO will spend at least one year orbiting the Moon, collecting lunar environment science and mapping data, utilizing a suite of seven instruments to enable future human exploration. The objective is to provide key science data necessary to facilitate human return to the Moon as well as identification of opportunities for future science missions. LRO's instrument suite will provide the high resolution imaging data with sub-meter accuracy, highly accurate lunar cartographic maps, mineralogy mapping, amongst other science data of interest. LRO employs a 3-axis stabilized attitude control system (ACS) whose primary control mode, the "Observing Mode", provides Lunar nadir, off-nadir, and inertial fine pointing for the science data collection and instrument calibration. This controller combines the capability of fine pointing with on-demand large angle full-sky attitude reorientation. It provides simplicity of spacecraft operation as well as additional flexibility for science data collection. A conventional suite of ACS components is employed in the Observing Mode to meet the pointing and control objectives. Actuation is provided by a set of four reaction wheels developed in-house at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Attitude feedback is provided by a six state Kalman filter which utilizes two SELEX Galileo Star Trackers for attitude updates, and a single Honeywell Miniature

Solar radiation pressure resonances in Low Earth Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Alessi, Elisa Maria; Schettino, Giulia; Rossi, Alessandro; Valsecchi, Giovanni B.

2018-01-01

The aim of this work is to highlight the crucial role that orbital resonances associated with solar radiation pressure can have in Low Earth Orbit. We review the corresponding literature, and provide an analytical tool to estimate the maximum eccentricity which can be achieved for well-defined initial conditions. We then compare the results obtained with the simplified model with the results obtained with a more comprehensive dynamical model. The analysis has important implications both from a theoretical point of view, because it shows that the role of some resonances was underestimated in the past, and also from a practical point of view in the perspective of passive deorbiting solutions for satellites at the end-of-life.

Formation flying for electric sails in displaced orbits. Part I: Geometrical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Mengali, Giovanni; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Yuan, Jianping

2017-09-01

We present a geometrical methodology for analyzing the formation flying of electric solar wind sail based spacecraft that operate in heliocentric, elliptic, displaced orbits. The spacecraft orbit is maintained by adjusting its propulsive acceleration modulus, whose value is estimated using a thrust model that takes into account a variation of the propulsive performance with the sail attitude. The properties of the relative motion of the spacecraft are studied in detail and a geometrical solution is obtained in terms of relative displaced orbital elements, assumed to be small quantities. In particular, for the small eccentricity case (i.e. for a near-circular displaced orbit), the bounds characterized by the extreme values of relative distances are analytically calculated, thus providing an useful mathematical tool for preliminary design of the spacecraft formation structure.

Orbit covariance propagation via quadratic-order state transition matrix in curvilinear coordinates

Science.gov (United States)

Hernando-Ayuso, Javier; Bombardelli, Claudio

2017-09-01

In this paper, an analytical second-order state transition matrix (STM) for relative motion in curvilinear coordinates is presented and applied to the problem of orbit uncertainty propagation in nearly circular orbits (eccentricity smaller than 0.1). The matrix is obtained by linearization around a second-order analytical approximation of the relative motion recently proposed by one of the authors and can be seen as a second-order extension of the curvilinear Clohessy-Wiltshire (C-W) solution. The accuracy of the uncertainty propagation is assessed by comparison with numerical results based on Monte Carlo propagation of a high-fidelity model including geopotential and third-body perturbations. Results show that the proposed STM can greatly improve the accuracy of the predicted relative state: the average error is found to be at least one order of magnitude smaller compared to the curvilinear C-W solution. In addition, the effect of environmental perturbations on the uncertainty propagation is shown to be negligible up to several revolutions in the geostationary region and for a few revolutions in low Earth orbit in the worst case.

First Materials Science Research Rack Capabilities and Design Features

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, D.; King, R.; Cobb, S.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) will accommodate dual Experiment Modules (EM's) and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first international Materials Science Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 is an international cooperative research activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center. (ESTEC). This International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) will contain the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) developed by ESA as an Experiment Module. The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts. Module Inserts currently planned are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, Solidification with Quench Furnace, and Diffusion Module Insert. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Department (SPD). It includes capabilities for vapor transport processes and liquid metal sintering. This Experiment Module will be replaced on-orbit with other NASA Materials Science EMs.

Rigorous Numerics for ill-posed PDEs: Periodic Orbits in the Boussinesq Equation

Science.gov (United States)

Castelli, Roberto; Gameiro, Marcio; Lessard, Jean-Philippe

2018-04-01

In this paper, we develop computer-assisted techniques for the analysis of periodic orbits of ill-posed partial differential equations. As a case study, our proposed method is applied to the Boussinesq equation, which has been investigated extensively because of its role in the theory of shallow water waves. The idea is to use the symmetry of the solutions and a Newton-Kantorovich type argument (the radii polynomial approach) to obtain rigorous proofs of existence of the periodic orbits in a weighted ℓ1 Banach space of space-time Fourier coefficients with exponential decay. We present several computer-assisted proofs of the existence of periodic orbits at different parameter values.

Orbit Stability of OSIRIS-REx in the Vicinity of Bennu Using a High-Fidelity Solar Radiation Model

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Trevor; Hughes, Kyle; Mashiku, Alinda; Longuski, James

2015-01-01

The OSIRIS-REx mission (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith EXPlorer) is an asteroid sample return mission to Bennu (RQ36) that is scheduled to launch in 2016. The planned science operations precluding the small retrieval involve operations in terminator orbits (orbit plane is perpendicular to the sun). Over longer durations the solar radiation pressure (SRP) perturbs the orbit causing it to precess. Our work involves: modeling high fidelity SRP model to capture the perturbations during attitude changes; design a stable orbit from the high fidelity models to analyze the stability over time.

What's New for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2? A Summary of Changes between the Original and Re-flight Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Boland, S. W.; Kahn, P. B.

2012-12-01

The original Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission was lost in 2009 when the spacecraft failed to achieve orbit due to a launch vehicle failure. In 2010, NASA authorized a re-flight mission, known as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission, with direction to re-use the original hardware, designs, drawings, documents, and procedures wherever possible in order to minimize cost, schedule, and performance risk. During implementation, it was realized that some changes were required due to parts obsolescence, incorporation of lessons learned from the original OCO mission, and to provide optimal science return. In response to the OCO and Glory launch vehicle failures, a change in launch vehicle was also recently announced. A summary of changes, including those to hardware, orbit, and launch vehicle is provided, along with rationale, implementation approach, and impact (if any) on mission science.

Low-Thrust Out-of-Plane Orbital Station-Keeping Maneuvers for Satellites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivian M. Gomes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the problem of out of plane orbital maneuvers for station keeping of satellites. The main idea is to consider that a satellite is in an orbit around the Earth and that it has its orbit is disturbed by one or more forces. Then, it is necessary to perform a small amplitude orbital correction to return the satellite to its original orbit, to keep it performing its mission. A low thrust propulsion is used to complete this task. It is important to search for solutions that minimize the fuel consumption to increase the lifetime of the satellite. To solve this problem a hybrid optimal control approach is used. The accuracy of the satisfaction of the constraints is considered, in order to try to decrease the fuel expenditure by taking advantage of this freedom. This type of problem presents numerical difficulties and it is necessary to adjust parameters, as well as details of the algorithm, to get convergence. In this versions of the algorithm that works well for planar maneuvers are usually not adequate for the out of plane orbital corrections. In order to illustrate the method, some numerical results are presented.

Benchmarking time-dependent renormalized natural orbital theory with exact solutions for a laser-driven model helium atom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brics, Martins

2016-12-09

Intense, ultra-short laser pulses interacting with atoms, molecules, clusters, and solids give rise to many new fascinating phenomena, not at all accessible to quantum mechanics textbook perturbation theory. A full numerical solution of the time-dependent Schr¨odinger equation (TDSE) for such strong-field problems is also impossible for more than two electrons. Hence, powerful time-dependent quantum many-body approaches need to be developed. Unfortunately, efficient methods such as time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) fail in reproducing experimental observations, in particular if strong correlations are involved. In TDDFT, the approximation not only lies in the so-called exchange correlation potential but also in the density functionals for the observables of interest. In fact, with just the single-particle density alone it is unclear how to calculate, e.g., multiple-ionization probabilities or photoelectron spectra, or, even worse, correlated photoelectron spectra, as measured in nowadays experiments. In general, the simple structure of the time-dependent many-body Schroedinger equation for a highly-dimensional many-body wavefunction can only be traded for more complicated equations of motion for simpler quantities. In this thesis, a theory is examined that goes one step beyond TDDFT as far as the complexity of the propagated quantity is concerned. In time-dependent renormalized natural orbital theory (TDRNOT), the basic quantities that are propagated in time are the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the one-body reduced density matrix (1-RDM). The eigenstates are called natural orbitals (NOs), the eigenvalues are the corresponding occupation numbers (ONs). Compared to TDDFT, the knowledge of the NOs and the ONs relax the problem of calculating observables in practice because they can be used to construct the 1-RDM and the two-body reduced density matrix (2-RDM). After the derivation of the equations of motion for a combination of NOs and ONs, the so

Benchmarking time-dependent renormalized natural orbital theory with exact solutions for a laser-driven model helium atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brics, Martins

2016-01-01

Intense, ultra-short laser pulses interacting with atoms, molecules, clusters, and solids give rise to many new fascinating phenomena, not at all accessible to quantum mechanics textbook perturbation theory. A full numerical solution of the time-dependent Schr¨odinger equation (TDSE) for such strong-field problems is also impossible for more than two electrons. Hence, powerful time-dependent quantum many-body approaches need to be developed. Unfortunately, efficient methods such as time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) fail in reproducing experimental observations, in particular if strong correlations are involved. In TDDFT, the approximation not only lies in the so-called exchange correlation potential but also in the density functionals for the observables of interest. In fact, with just the single-particle density alone it is unclear how to calculate, e.g., multiple-ionization probabilities or photoelectron spectra, or, even worse, correlated photoelectron spectra, as measured in nowadays experiments. In general, the simple structure of the time-dependent many-body Schroedinger equation for a highly-dimensional many-body wavefunction can only be traded for more complicated equations of motion for simpler quantities. In this thesis, a theory is examined that goes one step beyond TDDFT as far as the complexity of the propagated quantity is concerned. In time-dependent renormalized natural orbital theory (TDRNOT), the basic quantities that are propagated in time are the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the one-body reduced density matrix (1-RDM). The eigenstates are called natural orbitals (NOs), the eigenvalues are the corresponding occupation numbers (ONs). Compared to TDDFT, the knowledge of the NOs and the ONs relax the problem of calculating observables in practice because they can be used to construct the 1-RDM and the two-body reduced density matrix (2-RDM). After the derivation of the equations of motion for a combination of NOs and ONs, the so

Air-ground temperature coupling: analysis by means of Thermal Orbits

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čermák, Vladimír; Bodri, L.

2016-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 1 (2016), s. 112-122 ISSN 2160-0414 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP210/11/0183; GA MŠk(CZ) LG13040 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : Thermal Orbits * temperature monitoring * air temperature vs ground temperature Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology

Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... Mid Year Meetings · Discussion Meetings · Public Lectures · Lecture Workshops · Refresher Courses · Symposia · Live Streaming. Home; Journals; Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences; Volume 122; Issue 1. The Cohomology of Orbit Spaces of Certain Free Circle Group Actions. Hemant Kumar Singh Tej Bahadur Singh.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Planning Tool for Missions to the Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, J. W.; Petro, N. E.

2017-12-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission was conceived as a one year exploration mission to pave the way for a return to the lunar surface, both robotically and by humans. After a year in orbit LRO transitioned to a science mission but has operated in a duel role of science and exploration ever since. Over the years LRO has compiled a wealth of data that can and is being used for planning future missions to the Moon by NASA, other national agencies and by private enterprises. While collecting this unique and unprecedented data set, LRO's science investigations have uncovered new questions that motivate new missions and targets. Examples include: when did volcanism on the Moon cease, motivating a sample return mission from an irregular mare patch such as Ina-D; or, is there significant water ice sequestered near the poles outside of the permanently shaded regions? In this presentation we will review the data products, tools and maps that are available for mission planning, discuss how the operating LRO mission can further enhance future missions, and suggest new targets motivated by LRO's scientific investigations.

Circular Orbit Target Capture Using Space Tether-Net System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang Zhai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The space tether-net system for on-orbit capture is proposed in this paper. In order to research the dynamic behaviors during system deployment, both free and nonfree deployment dynamics in circular orbit are developed; the system motion with respect to Local Vertical and Local Horizontal frame is also researched with analysis and simulation. The results show that in the case of free deployment, the capture net follows curve trajectories due to the relative orbit dynamic perturbation, and the initial deployment velocities are planned by state transformation equations for static and floating target captures; in the case of non-free deployment, the system undergoes an altitude libration along the Local Vertical, and the analytical solutions that describe the attitude libration are obtained by using variable separation and integration. Finally, the dynamics of postdeployment system is also proved marginally stable if the critical initial conditions are satisfied.

One-Centimeter Orbits in Near-Real Time: The GPS Experience on OSTM/JASON-2

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, Bruce; Armatys, Michael; Bar-Sever, Yoaz; Bertiger, Willy; Desai, Shailen; Dorsey, Angela; Lane, Christopher; Weiss, Jan

2010-01-01

The advances in Precise Orbit Determination (POD) over the past three decades have been driven in large measure by the increasing demands of satellite altimetry missions. Since the launch of Seasat in 1978, both tracking-system technologies and orbit modeling capabilities have evolved considerably. The latest in a series of precise (TOPEX-class) altimeter missions is the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM, also Jason-2). GPS-based orbit solutions for this mission are accurate to 1-cm (radial RMS) within 3-5 hrs of real time. These GPS-based orbit products provide the basis for a near-real time sea-surface height product that supports increasingly diverse applications of operational oceanography and climate forecasting.

Return to Venus of AKATSUKI, the Japanese Venus Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, M.; Iwagami, N.; Satoh, T.; Taguchi, M.; Watanabe, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Imamura, T.; Suzuki, M.; Ueno, M.; Yamazaki, A.; Fukuhara, T.; Yamada, M.; Ishii, N.; Ogohara, K.

2011-12-01

Japanese Venus Climate Orbiter 'AKATSUKI' (PLANET-C) was proposed in 2001 with strong support by international Venus science community and approved as an ISAS mission soon after the proposal. AKATSUKI and ESA's Venus Express complement each other in Venus climate study. Various coordinated observations using the two spacecraft have been planned. Also participating scientists from US have been selected. Its science target is to understand the climate of Venus. The mission life we expected was more than 2 Earth years in Venus orbit. AKATSUKI was successfully launched at 06:58:22JST on May 21, by H-IIA F17. After the separation from H-IIA, the telemetry from AKATSUKI was normally detected by DSN Goldstone station (10:00JST) and the solar cell paddles' expansion was confirmed. AKATSUKI was put into the 3-axis stabilized mode in the initial operation from Uchinoura station and the critical operation was finished at 20:00JST on the same day. The malfunction, which happened during the Venus Orbit Insertion (VOI) on7 Dec, 2010 is as follows. We set all commands on Dec. 5. Attitude control for Venus orbit insertion (VOI) was automatically done on Dec. 6. Orbital maneuver engine (OME) was fired 08:49 JST on Dec. 7. 1min. after firing the spacecraft went into the occultation region and we had no telemetry, but we expected to continuous firing for 12min. Recording on the spacecraft told us later that, unfortunately the firing continued just 152sec. and stopped. The reason of the malfunction of the OME was the blocking of check valve of the gas pressure line to push the fuel to the engine. We failed to make the spacecraft the Venus orbiter, and it is rotating the sun with the orbital period of 203 days. As the Venus orbit the sun with the period of 225 days, AKATSUKI has a chance to meet Venus again in 5 or 6 years depending on the orbit correction plan. Let us summarize the present situation of AKATSUKI. Most of the fuel still remains. But the condition of the propulsion

ERS orbit control

Science.gov (United States)

Rosengren, Mats

1991-12-01

The European remote sensing mission orbit control is addressed. For the commissioning phase, the orbit is defined by the following requirements: Sun synchronous, local time of descending node 10:30; three days repeat cycle with 43 orbital revolutions; overhead Venice tower (12.508206 deg east, 45.314222 deg north). The launch, maneuvers for the initial acquisition of the operational orbit, orbit maintenance maneuvers, evaluation of the orbit control, and the drift of the inclination are summarized.

Comparison of Ultra-Rapid Orbit Prediction Strategies for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Tao; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Wei; Xie, Xin

2018-02-06

Currently, ultra-rapid orbits play an important role in the high-speed development of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) real-time applications. This contribution focuses on the impact of the fitting arc length of observed orbits and solar radiation pressure (SRP) on the orbit prediction performance for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. One full year's precise ephemerides during 2015 were used as fitted observed orbits and then as references to be compared with predicted orbits, together with known earth rotation parameters. The full nine-parameter Empirical Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) Orbit Model (ECOM) and its reduced version were chosen in our study. The arc lengths of observed fitted orbits that showed the smallest weighted root mean squares (WRMSs) and medians of the orbit differences after a Helmert transformation fell between 40 and 45 h for GPS and GLONASS and between 42 and 48 h for Galileo, while the WRMS values and medians become flat after a 42 h arc length for BeiDou. The stability of the Helmert transformation and SRP parameters also confirmed the similar optimal arc lengths. The range around 42-45 h is suggested to be the optimal arc length interval of the fitted observed orbits for the multi-GNSS joint solution of ultra-rapid orbits.

The science, policy and practice of nature-based solutions: An interdisciplinary perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesshöver, Carsten; Assmuth, Timo; Irvine, Katherine N; Rusch, Graciela M; Waylen, Kerry A; Delbaere, Ben; Haase, Dagmar; Jones-Walters, Lawrence; Keune, Hans; Kovacs, Eszter; Krauze, Kinga; Külvik, Mart; Rey, Freddy; van Dijk, Jiska; Vistad, Odd Inge; Wilkinson, Mark E; Wittmer, Heidi

2017-02-01

In this paper, we reflect on the implications for science, policy and practice of the recently introduced concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), with a focus on the European context. First, we analyse NBS in relation to similar concepts, and reflect on its relationship to sustainability as an overarching framework. From this, we derive a set of questions to be addressed and propose a general framework for how these might be addressed in NBS projects by funders, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. We conclude that: To realise their full potential, NBS must be developed by including the experience of all relevant stakeholders such that 'solutions' contribute to achieving all dimensions of sustainability. As NBS are developed, we must also moderate the expectations placed on them since the precedent provided by other initiatives whose aim was to manage nature sustainably demonstrates that we should not expect NBS to be cheap and easy, at least not in the short-term. Copyright © 2016 British Geological Survey, NERC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Exenteration of the Orbit for Basal Cell Carcinoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Furdová, A; Horkovičová, K; Krčová, I; Krásnik, V

2015-08-01

Primary treatment of basal cell carcinoma of the lower eyelid and the inner corner is essentially surgical, but advanced lesions require extensive surgical interventions. In some cases it is necessary to continue with the mutilating surgery--exenteration of the orbit. In this work we evaluate the indications of radical solutions in patients with basal cell carcinoma invading the orbit and the subsequent possibility for individually made prosthesis to cover the defect of the cavity. Indications to exenteration of the orbit in patients with basal cell carcinoma findings in 2008-2013. Case report of 2 patients. In period 2008-20013 at the Dept. of Ophthalmology, Comenius University in Bratislava totally 221 patients with histologically confirmed basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids and the inner corner were treated. In 5 cases (2.7 %) with infiltration of the orbit the radical surgical procedure, exenteration was necessary. In 3 patients exenteration was indicated as the first surgical procedure in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, since they had never visited ophthalmologist before only at in the stage of infiltration of the orbit (stage T4). In one case was indicated exenteration after previous surgical interventions and relapses. After healing the cavity patients got individually prepared epithesis. Surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma involves the radical removal of the neoplasm entire eyelid and stage T1 or T2 can effectively cure virtually all tumors with satisfactory cosmetic and functional results. In advanced stages (T4 stage) by infiltrating the orbit by basal cell carcinoma exenteration of the orbit is necessary. This surgery is a serious situation for the patient and also for his relatives. Individually made prosthesis helps the patient to be enrolled to the social environment.

Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day-Night Band On-Orbit Calibration and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongda; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Sun, Chengbo; Chen, Xuexia; Chiang, Kwofu

2017-01-01

The Suomi national polar-orbiting partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument has successfully operated since its launch in October 2011. The VIIRS day-night band (DNB) is a panchromatic channel covering wavelengths from 0.5 to 0.9 microns that is capable of observing Earth scenes during both daytime and nighttime at a spatial resolution of 750 m. To cover the large dynamic range, the DNB operates at low-, middle-, and high-gain stages, and it uses an on-board solar diffuser (SD) for its low-gain stage calibration. The SD observations also provide a means to compute the gain ratios of low-to-middle and middle-to-high gain stages. This paper describes the DNB on-orbit calibration methodology used by the VIIRS characterization support team in supporting the NASA Earth science community with consistent VIIRS sensor data records made available by the land science investigator-led processing systems. It provides an assessment and update of the DNB on-orbit performance, including the SD degradation in the DNB spectral range, detector gain and gain ratio trending, and stray-light contamination and its correction. Also presented in this paper are performance validations based on Earth scenes and lunar observations, and comparisons to the calibration methodology used by the operational interface data processing segment.

A Typical Presentation of Orbital Pseudotumor Mimicking Orbital Cellulitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Ayatollahi

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Orbital pseudotumor, also known as idiopathic orbital inflammatory syndrome (IOIS, is a benign, non- infective inflammatory condition of the orbit without identifiable local or systemic causes. The disease may mimics a variety of pathologic conditions. We pre-sent a case of pseudotumor observed in a patient admitted under the name of orbital celluli-ties. Case Report: A 26-year-old woman reffered to our hospital with the history of left ocular pain and headache 2 days before her visit.. Ophthalmological examination of the patient was normal except for the redness and lid edema, mild chemosis and conjunctival injection. Gen-eral assessment was normal but a low grade fever was observed. She was hospitalized as an orbital cellulitis patient. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics. On the third day , sud-denly diplopia, proptosis in her left eye and ocular pain in her right side appeared. MRI re-vealed bilateral enlargement of extraocular muscles. Diagnosis of orbital pseudotumor was made and the patient was treated with oral steroid.She responded promptly to the treatment. Antibiotics were discontinued and steroid was tapered in one month period under close fol-low up. Conclusion: The clinical features of orbital pseudotumor vary widely . Orbital pseudotumor and orbital cellulitis can occasionally demonstrate overlapping features.. Despite complete physical examination and appropriate imaging, sometimes correct diagnosis of the disease would be difficult (Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2013; 20 (3:256-259

NICER Discovers the Ultracompact Orbit of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J17062–6143

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strohmayer, T. E.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Bogdanov, S.

2018-01-01

We present results of recent Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) observations of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP) IGR J17062−6143 that show that it resides in a circular, ultracompact binary with a 38-minute orbital period. NICER observed the source for ≈26 ks over a 5...... of the neutron star. A coherent search for the orbital solution using the Z2 method finds a best-fitting circular orbit with a period of 2278.21 s (37.97 minutes), a projected semimajor axis of 0.00390 lt-s, and a barycentric pulsar frequency of 163.6561105 Hz. This is currently the shortest known orbital period...

Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2): Science Overview and A-Train Synergy

Science.gov (United States)

Crisp, David

2011-01-01

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) was designed to provide global estimates of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) with the sensitivity, accuracy and sampling density needed to quantify regional scale carbon sources and sinks and characterize their behavior over the annual cycle.

Honorary Authorship Practices in Environmental Science Teams: Structural and Cultural Factors and Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Kevin C; Settles, Isis H; Montgomery, Georgina M; Brassel, Sheila T; Cheruvelil, Kendra Spence; Soranno, Patricia A

2017-01-01

Overinclusive authorship practices such as honorary or guest authorship have been widely reported, and they appear to be exacerbated by the rise of large interdisciplinary collaborations that make authorship decisions particularly complex. Although many studies have reported on the frequency of honorary authorship and potential solutions to it, few have probed how the underlying dynamics of large interdisciplinary teams contribute to the problem. This article reports on a qualitative study of the authorship standards and practices of six National Science Foundation-funded interdisciplinary environmental science teams. Using interviews of the lead principal investigator and an early-career member on each team, our study explores the nature of honorary authorship practices as well as some of the motivating factors that may contribute to these practices. These factors include both structural elements (policies and procedures) and cultural elements (values and norms) that cross organizational boundaries. Therefore, we provide recommendations that address the intersection of these factors and that can be applied at multiple organizational levels.

Deadly Sunflower Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Douglas P.

2018-04-01

Solar radiation pressure is usually very effective at removing hazardous millimeter-sized debris from distant orbits around asteroidsand other small solar system bodies (Hamilton and Burns 1992). Theprimary loss mechanism, driven by the azimuthal component of radiationpressure, is eccentricity growth followed by a forced collision withthe central body. One large class of orbits, however, neatly sidestepsthis fate. Orbits oriented nearly perpendicular to the solar directioncan maintain their face-on geometry, oscillating slowly around a stableequilibrium orbit. These orbits, designated sunflower orbits, arerelated to terminator orbits studied by spacecraft mission designers(Broschart etal. 2014).Destabilization of sunflower orbits occurs only for particles smallenough that radiation pressure is some tens of percent the strength ofthe central body's direct gravity. This greatly enhanced stability,which follows from the inability of radiation incident normal to theorbit to efficiently drive eccentricities, presents a threat tospacecraft missions, as numerous dangerous projectiles are potentiallyretained in orbit. We have investigated sunflower orbits insupport of the New Horizons, Aida, and Lucy missions and find thatthese orbits are stable for hazardous particle sizes at asteroids,comets, and Kuiper belt objects of differing dimensions. Weinvestigate the sources and sinks for debris that might populate suchorbits, estimate timescales and equilibrium populations, and willreport on our findings.

Developing a yearlong Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) learning sequence focused on climate solutions: opportunities, challenges and reflections

Science.gov (United States)

Cordero, E.; Centeno, D.

2015-12-01

Over the last four years, the Green Ninja Project (GNP) has been developing educational media (e.g., videos, games and online lessons) to help motivate student interest and engagement around climate science and solutions. Inspired by the new emphasis in NGSS on climate change, human impact and engineering design, the GNP is developing a technology focused, integrative, and yearlong science curriculum focused around solutions to climate change. Recognizing the importance of teacher training on the successful implementation of NGSS, we have also integrated teacher professional development into our curriculum. During the presentation, we will describe the design philosophy around our middle school curriculum and share data from a series of classes that are piloting the curriculum during Fall 2015. We will also share our perspectives on how data, media creation and engineering can be used to create educational experiences that model the type of 'three-dimensional learning' encouraged by NGSS.

Orbital parameters of the multiple system EM Boo

Science.gov (United States)

Özkardeş, B.; Bakış, H.; Bakış, V.

2018-02-01

EM Boo is a relatively bright (V = 8.98 mag.) and short orbital period (P⁓2.45 days) binary star member of the multiple system WDS J14485+2445AB. There is neither photometric nor spectroscopic study of the system in the literature. In this work, we obtained spectroscopic orbital parameters of the system from new high resolution spectroscopic observations made with échelle spectrograph attached to UBT60 telescope of Akdeniz University. The spectroscopic solution yielded the values K1 = 100.7±2.6 km/s, K2 = 120.1±2.6 km/s and Vγ = -14.6±3.1 km/s, and thus the mass ratio of the system q = 0.838±0.064.

Cassini's Grand Finale Science Highlights

Science.gov (United States)

Spilker, Linda

2017-10-01

After 13 years in orbit, the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn ended in a science-rich blaze of glory. Cassini returned its final bits of unique science data on September 15, 2017, as it plunged into Saturn's atmosphere satisfying planetary protection requirements. Cassini's Grand Finale covered a period of roughly five months and ended with the first time exploration of the region between the rings and planet.The final close flyby of Titan in late April 2017 propelled Cassini across Saturn’s main rings and into its Grand Finale orbits; 22 orbits that repeatedly dove between Saturn’s innermost rings and upper atmosphere making Cassini the first spacecraft to explore this region. The last orbit turned the spacecraft into the first Saturn upper atmospheric probe.The Grand Finale orbits provided highest resolution observations of both the rings and Saturn, and in-situ sampling of the ring particle composition, Saturn's atmosphere, plasma, and innermost radiation belts. The gravitational field was measured to unprecedented accuracy, providing information on the interior structure of the planet, winds in the deeper atmosphere, and mass of the rings. The magnetic field provided insight into the physical nature of the magnetic dynamo and structure of the internal magnetic field. The ion and neutral mass spectrometer sampled the upper atmosphere for molecules that escape the atmosphere in addition to molecules originating from the rings. The cosmic dust analyzer directly sampled the composition from different parts of the main rings for the first time. Fields and particles instruments directly measured the plasma environment between the rings and planet.Science highlights and new mysteries gleaned to date from the Grand Finale orbits will be discussed.The research described in this paper was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Copyright 2017

ε-neighbourhoods of orbits of parabolic diffeomorphisms and cohomological equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Resman, Maja

2014-01-01

In this article, we study the analyticity of (directed) areas of ε-neighbourhoods of orbits of parabolic germs. The article is motivated by the question of analytic classification using ε-neighbourhoods of orbits in the simplest formal class. We show that the coefficient in front of the ε 2 term in the asymptotic expansion in ε, which we call the principal part of the area, is a sectorially analytic function in the initial point of the orbit. It satisfies a cohomological equation similar to the standard trivialization equation for parabolic diffeomorphisms. We give necessary and sufficient conditions on a diffeomorphism f for the existence of a globally analytic solution of this equation. Furthermore, we introduce a new classification type for diffeomorphisms implied by this new equation and investigate the relative position of its classes with respect to the analytic classes. (paper)

Supporting a Deep Space Gateway with Free-Return Earth-Moon Periodic Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, A. L.; Dunham, D. W.; Hardgrove, C.

2018-02-01

Earth-Moon periodic orbits travel between the Earth and Moon via free-return circumlunar segments and can host a station that can provide architecture support to other nodes near the Moon and Mars while enabling science return from cislunar space.

Automated Construction of Molecular Active Spaces from Atomic Valence Orbitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayfutyarova, Elvira R; Sun, Qiming; Chan, Garnet Kin-Lic; Knizia, Gerald

2017-09-12

We introduce the atomic valence active space (AVAS), a simple and well-defined automated technique for constructing active orbital spaces for use in multiconfiguration and multireference (MR) electronic structure calculations. Concretely, the technique constructs active molecular orbitals capable of describing all relevant electronic configurations emerging from a targeted set of atomic valence orbitals (e.g., the metal d orbitals in a coordination complex). This is achieved via a linear transformation of the occupied and unoccupied orbital spaces from an easily obtainable single-reference wave function (such as from a Hartree-Fock or Kohn-Sham calculations) based on projectors to targeted atomic valence orbitals. We discuss the premises, theory, and implementation of the idea, and several of its variations are tested. To investigate the performance and accuracy, we calculate the excitation energies for various transition-metal complexes in typical application scenarios. Additionally, we follow the homolytic bond breaking process of a Fenton reaction along its reaction coordinate. While the described AVAS technique is not a universal solution to the active space problem, its premises are fulfilled in many application scenarios of transition-metal chemistry and bond dissociation processes. In these cases the technique makes MR calculations easier to execute, easier to reproduce by any user, and simplifies the determination of the appropriate size of the active space required for accurate results.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter Missions: Discovering the Secrets of our Star

Science.gov (United States)

Zurbuchen, T.

2017-12-01

This session will explore the importance of the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter missions to NASA Science, and the preparations for discoveries from these missions. NASA's Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter Missions have complementary missions and will provide unique and unprecedented contributions to heliophysics and astrophysics overall. These inner heliospheric missions will also be part of the Heliophysics System Observatory which includes an increasing amount of innovative new technology and architectures to address science and data in an integrated fashion and advance models through assimilation and system-level tests. During this talk, we will briefly explore how NASA Heliophysics research efforts not only increase our understanding and predictive capability of space weather phenomena, but also provide key insights on fundamental processes important throughout the universe.

Orbital Chondroma: A rare mesenchymal tumor of orbit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruchi S Kabra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available While relatively common in the skeletal system, cartilaginous tumors are rarely seen originating from the orbit. Here, we report a rare case of an orbital chondroma. A 27-year-old male patient presented with a painless hard mass in the superonasal quadrant (SNQ of left orbit since 3 months. On examination, best-corrected visual acuity of both eyes was 20/20, with normal anterior and posterior segment with full movements of eyeballs and normal intraocular pressure. Computerized tomography scan revealed well defined soft tissue density lesion in SNQ of left orbit. Patient was operated for anteromedial orbitotomy under general anesthesia. Mass was excised intact and sent for histopathological examination (HPE. HPE report showed lobular aggregates of benign cartilaginous cells with mild atypia suggesting of benign cartilaginous tumor - chondroma. Very few cases of orbital chondroma have been reported in literature so far.

ON THE ORBIT OF EXOPLANET WASP-12b

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campo, Christopher J.; Harrington, Joseph; Hardy, Ryan A.; Stevenson, Kevin B.; Nymeyer, Sarah; Lust, Nate B.; Blecic, Jasmina; Britt, Christopher B. T.; Bowman, William C.; Ragozzine, Darin; Anderson, David R.; Hellier, Coel; Maxted, Pierre F. L.; Collier-Cameron, Andrew; Wheatley, Peter J.; Loredo, Thomas J.; Deming, Drake; Hebb, Leslie; Pollaco, Don; West, Richard G.

2011-01-01

We observed two secondary eclipses of the exoplanet WASP-12b using the Infrared Array Camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The close proximity of WASP-12b to its G-type star results in extreme tidal forces capable of inducing apsidal precession with a period as short as a few decades. This precession would be measurable if the orbit had a significant eccentricity, leading to an estimate of the tidal Love number and an assessment of the degree of central concentration in the planetary interior. An initial ground-based secondary-eclipse phase reported by Lopez-Morales et al. (0.510 ± 0.002) implied eccentricity at the 4.5σ level. The spectroscopic orbit of Hebb et al. has eccentricity 0.049 ± 0.015, a 3σ result, implying an eclipse phase of 0.509 ± 0.007. However, there is a well-documented tendency of spectroscopic data to overestimate small eccentricities. Our eclipse phases are 0.5010 ± 0.0006 (3.6 and 5.8 μm) and 0.5006 ± 0.0007 (4.5 and 8.0 μm). An unlikely orbital precession scenario invoking an alignment of the orbit during the Spitzer observations could have explained this apparent discrepancy, but the final eclipse phase of Lopez-Morales et al. (0.510 ± +0.007 -0.006 ) is consistent with a circular orbit at better than 2σ. An orbit fit to all the available transit, eclipse, and radial-velocity data indicates precession at <1σ; a non-precessing solution fits better. We also comment on analysis and reporting for Spitzer exoplanet data in light of recent re-analyses.

Reconciliation of the Devils Hole climate record with orbital forcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Moseley, Gina E; Edwards, R Lawrence; Wendt, Kathleen A; Cheng, Hai; Dublyansky, Yuri; Lu, Yanbin; Boch, Ronny; Spötl, Christoph

2016-01-08

The driving force behind Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles and much associated climate change is widely considered to be orbital forcing. However, previous versions of the iconic Devils Hole (Nevada) subaqueous calcite record exhibit shifts to interglacial values ~10,000 years before orbitally forced ice age terminations, and interglacial durations ~10,000 years longer than other estimates. Our measurements from Devils Hole 2 replicate virtually all aspects of the past 204,000 years of earlier records, except for the timing during terminations, and they lower the age of the record near Termination II by ~8000 years, removing both ~10,000-year anomalies. The shift to interglacial values now broadly coincides with the rise in boreal summer insolation, the marine termination, and the rise in atmospheric CO2, which is consistent with mechanisms ultimately tied to orbital forcing. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Suspended Cell Culture ANalysis (SCAN) Tool to Enhance ISS On-Orbit Capabilities, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Aurora Flight Sciences and partner, Draper Laboratory, propose to develop an on-orbit immuno-based label-free Suspension Cell Culture ANalysis tool, SCAN tool, which...

A Simple Time Domain Collocation Method to Precisely Search for the Periodic Orbits of Satellite Relative Motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaokui Yue

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A numerical approach for obtaining periodic orbits of satellite relative motion is proposed, based on using the time domain collocation (TDC method to search for the periodic solutions of an exact J2 nonlinear relative model. The initial conditions for periodic relative orbits of the Clohessy-Wiltshire (C-W equations or Tschauner-Hempel (T-H equations can be refined with this approach to generate nearly bounded orbits. With these orbits, a method based on the least-squares principle is then proposed to generate projected closed orbit (PCO, which is a reference for the relative motion control. Numerical simulations reveal that the presented TDC searching scheme is effective and simple, and the projected closed orbit is very fuel saving.

The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP): Continuing NASA Research and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, James; Gleason, James; Jedlovec, Gary; Coronado, Patrick

2015-01-01

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite was successfully launched into a polar orbit on October 28, 2011 carrying 5 remote sensing instruments designed to provide data to improve weather forecasts and to increase understanding of long-term climate change. SNPP provides operational continuity of satellite-based observations for NOAA's Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and continues the long-term record of climate quality observations established by NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites. In the 2003 to 2011 pre-launch timeframe, NASA's SNPP Science Team assessed the adequacy of the operational Raw Data Records (RDRs), Sensor Data Records (SDRs), and Environmental Data Records (EDRs) from the SNPP instruments for use in NASA Earth Science research, examined the operational algorithms used to produce those data records, and proposed a path forward for the production of climate quality products from SNPP. In order to perform these tasks, a distributed data system, the NASA Science Data Segment (SDS), ingested RDRs, SDRs, and EDRs from the NOAA Archive and Distribution and Interface Data Processing Segments, ADS and IDPS, respectively. The SDS also obtained operational algorithms for evaluation purposes from the NOAA Government Resource for Algorithm Verification, Independent Testing and Evaluation (GRAVITE). Within the NASA SDS, five Product Evaluation and Test Elements (PEATEs) received, ingested, and stored data and performed NASA's data processing, evaluation, and analysis activities. The distributed nature of this data distribution system was established by physically housing each PEATE within one of five Climate Analysis Research Systems (CARS) located at either at a NASA or a university institution. The CARS were organized around 5 key EDRs directly in support of the following NASA Earth Science focus areas: atmospheric sounding, ocean, land, ozone, and atmospheric composition products. The PEATES provided

Analysis of the SPS Long Term Orbit Drifts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velotti, Francesco [CERN; Bracco, Chiara [CERN; Cornelis, Karel [CERN; Drøsdal, Lene [CERN; Fraser, Matthew [CERN; Gianfelice-Wendt, Eliana [Fermilab; Goddard, Brennan [CERN; Kain, Verena [CERN; Meddahi, Malika [CERN

2016-06-01

The Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) is the last accelerator in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) injector chain, and has to deliver the two high-intensity 450 GeV proton beams to the LHC. The transport from SPS to LHC is done through the two Transfer Lines (TL), TI2 and TI8, for Beam 1 (B1) and Beam 2 (B2) respectively. During the first LHC operation period Run 1, a long term drift of the SPS orbit was observed, causing changes in the LHC injection due to the resulting changes in the TL trajectories. This translated into longer LHC turnaround because of the necessity to periodically correct the TL trajectories in order to preserve the beam quality at injection into the LHC. Different sources for the SPS orbit drifts have been investigated: each of them can account only partially for the total orbit drift observed. In this paper, the possible sources of such drift are described, together with the simulated and measured effect they cause. Possible solutions and countermeasures are also discussed.

Science of Sexism?

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

darshanw

2015-06-20

Jun 20, 2015 ... tive of the attitudes many of them have faced in ... This image of women scientists at ISRO celebrating the launch of the Mars orbiter ... engineers writing on social media about ... women to Indian science) and Prof. Shobhona ...

Variational Approach to the Orbital Stability of Standing Waves of the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation

KAUST Repository

Hadj Selem, Fouad

2014-08-26

This paper is concerned with the mathematical analysis of a masssubcritical nonlinear Schrödinger equation arising from fiber optic applications. We show the existence and symmetry of minimizers of the associated constrained variational problem. We also prove the orbital stability of such solutions referred to as standing waves and characterize the associated orbit. In the last section, we illustrate our results with few numerical simulations. © 2014 Springer Basel.

Streamwise-Localized Solutions with natural 1-fold symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Altmeyer, Sebastian; Willis, Ashley; Hof, Björn

2014-11-01

It has been proposed in recent years that turbulence is organized around unstable invariant solutions, which provide the building blocks of the chaotic dynamics. In direct numerical simulations of pipe flow we show that when imposing a minimal symmetry constraint (reflection in an axial plane only) the formation of turbulence can indeed be explained by dynamical systems concepts. The hypersurface separating laminar from turbulent motion, the edge of turbulence, is spanned by the stable manifolds of an exact invariant solution, a periodic orbit of a spatially localized structure. The turbulent states themselves (turbulent puffs in this case) are shown to arise in a bifurcation sequence from a related localized solution (the upper branch orbit). The rather complex bifurcation sequence involves secondary Hopf bifurcations, frequency locking and a period doubling cascade until eventually turbulent puffs arise. In addition we report preliminary results of the transition sequence for pipe flow without symmetry constraints.

Contraction of high eccentricity satellite orbits using uniformly regular KS canonical elements with oblate diurnally varying atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Xavier James

2016-07-01

Accurate orbit prediction of an artificial satellite under the influence of air drag is one of the most difficult and untraceable problem in orbital dynamics. The orbital decay of these satellites is mainly controlled by the atmospheric drag effects. The effects of the atmosphere are difficult to determine, since the atmospheric density undergoes large fluctuations. The classical Newtonian equations of motion, which is non linear is not suitable for long-term integration. Many transformations have emerged in the literature to stabilize the equations of motion either to reduce the accumulation of local numerical errors or allowing the use of large integration step sizes, or both in the transformed space. One such transformation is known as KS transformation by Kustaanheimo and Stiefel, who regularized the nonlinear Kepler equations of motion and reduced it into linear differential equations of a harmonic oscillator of constant frequency. The method of KS total energy element equations has been found to be a very powerful method for obtaining numerical as well as analytical solution with respect to any type of perturbing forces, as the equations are less sensitive to round off and truncation errors. The uniformly regular KS canonical equations are a particular canonical form of the KS differential equations, where all the ten KS Canonical elements αi and βi are constant for unperturbed motion. These equations permit the uniform formulation of the basic laws of elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic motion. Using these equations, developed analytical solution for short term orbit predictions with respect to Earth's zonal harmonic terms J2, J3, J4. Further, these equations were utilized to include the canonical forces and analytical theories with air drag were developed for low eccentricity orbits (e 0.2) orbits by assuming the atmosphere to be oblate only. In this paper a new non-singular analytical theory is developed for the motion of high eccentricity satellite

Impact of GPS antenna phase center and code residual variation maps on orbit and baseline determination of GRACE

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, X.; Visser, P. N. A. M.; van den IJssel, J.

2017-06-01

Precision Orbit Determination (POD) is a prerequisite for the success of many Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite missions. With high-quality, dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, typically precisions of the order of a few cm are possible for single-satellite POD, and of a few mm for relative POD of formation flying spacecraft with baselines up to hundreds of km. To achieve the best precision, the use of Phase Center Variation (PCV) maps is indispensable. For LEO GPS receivers, often a-priori PCV maps are obtained by a pre-launch ground campaign, which is not able to represent the real space-borne environment of satellites. Therefore, in-flight calibration of the GPS antenna is more widely conducted. This paper shows that a further improvement is possible by including the so-called Code Residual Variation (CRV) maps in absolute/undifferenced and relative/Double-differenced (DD) POD schemes. Orbit solutions are produced for the GRACE satellite formation for a four months test period (August-November, 2014), demonstrating enhanced orbit precision after first using the in-flight PCV maps and a further improvement after including the CRV maps. The application of antenna maps leads to a better consistency with independent Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and K-band Ranging (KBR) low-low Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (ll-SST) observations. The inclusion of the CRV maps results also in a much better consistency between reduced-dynamic and kinematic orbit solutions for especially the cross-track direction. The improvements are largest for GRACE-B, where a cross-talk between the GPS main antenna and the occultation antenna yields higher systematic observation residuals. For high-precision relative POD which necessitates DD carrier-phase ambiguity fixing, in principle frequency-dependent PCV maps would be required. To this aim, use is made of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) that is capable of optimizing relative spacecraft dynamics and iteratively fixing

Comparison of Ultra-Rapid Orbit Prediction Strategies for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Geng

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Currently, ultra-rapid orbits play an important role in the high-speed development of global navigation satellite system (GNSS real-time applications. This contribution focuses on the impact of the fitting arc length of observed orbits and solar radiation pressure (SRP on the orbit prediction performance for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. One full year’s precise ephemerides during 2015 were used as fitted observed orbits and then as references to be compared with predicted orbits, together with known earth rotation parameters. The full nine-parameter Empirical Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE Orbit Model (ECOM and its reduced version were chosen in our study. The arc lengths of observed fitted orbits that showed the smallest weighted root mean squares (WRMSs and medians of the orbit differences after a Helmert transformation fell between 40 and 45 h for GPS and GLONASS and between 42 and 48 h for Galileo, while the WRMS values and medians become flat after a 42 h arc length for BeiDou. The stability of the Helmert transformation and SRP parameters also confirmed the similar optimal arc lengths. The range around 42–45 h is suggested to be the optimal arc length interval of the fitted observed orbits for the multi-GNSS joint solution of ultra-rapid orbits.

Local orbitals by minimizing powers of the orbital variance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jansik, Branislav; Høst, Stinne; Kristensen, Kasper

2011-01-01

's correlation consistent basis sets, it is seen that for larger penalties, the virtual orbitals become more local than the occupied ones. We also show that the local virtual HF orbitals are significantly more local than the redundant projected atomic orbitals, which often have been used to span the virtual...

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This laboratory at the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT-Bombay is currently developing pure end mineral library of mineral particulates (> 65 m), and adding new end members to the existing ASU spectral library. The paper argues the need for considering Lunar Orbiter Thermal Emission Spectrometer (LOTES) for future ...

Spin-orbital quantum liquid on the honeycomb lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Corboz, Philippe

2013-03-01

The symmetric Kugel-Khomskii can be seen as a minimal model describing the interactions between spin and orbital degrees of freedom in transition-metal oxides with orbital degeneracy, and it is equivalent to the SU(4) Heisenberg model of four-color fermionic atoms. We present simulation results for this model on various two-dimensional lattices obtained with infinite projected-entangled pair states (iPEPS), an efficient variational tensor-network ansatz for two dimensional wave functions in the thermodynamic limit. This approach can be seen as a two-dimensional generalization of matrix product states - the underlying ansatz of the density matrix renormalization group method. We find a rich variety of exotic phases: while on the square and checkerboard lattices the ground state exhibits dimer-Néel order and plaquette order, respectively, quantum fluctuations on the honeycomb lattice destroy any order, giving rise to a spin-orbital liquid. Our results are supported from flavor-wave theory and exact diagonalization. Furthermore, the properties of the spin-orbital liquid state on the honeycomb lattice are accurately accounted for by a projected variational wave-function based on the pi-flux state of fermions on the honeycomb lattice at 1/4-filling. In that state, correlations are algebraic because of the presence of a Dirac point at the Fermi level, suggesting that the ground state is an algebraic spin-orbital liquid. This model provides a good starting point to understand the recently discovered spin-orbital liquid behavior of Ba3CuSb2O9. The present results also suggest to choose optical lattices with honeycomb geometry in the search for quantum liquids in ultra-cold four-color fermionic atoms. We acknowledge the financial support from the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Energy Decision Science and Informatics | Integrated Energy Solutions |

Science.gov (United States)

NREL Decision Science and Informatics Energy Decision Science and Informatics NREL utilizes and advances state-of-the-art decision science and informatics to help partners make well-informed energy decisions backed by credible, objective data analysis and insights to maximize the impact of energy

Overload control of artificial gravity facility using spinning tether system for high eccentricity transfer orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, Xing-wang; Li, Ai-jun; Tian, Hao-chang; Wang, Chang-qing; Lu, Hong-shi

2018-06-01

As the major part of space life supporting systems, artificial gravity requires further study before it becomes mature. Spinning tether system is a good alternative solution to provide artificial gravity for the whole spacecraft other than additional devices, and its longer tether length could significantly reduce spinning velocity and thus enhance comfortability. An approximated overload-based feedback method is proposed to provide estimated spinning velocity signals for controller, so that gravity level could be accurately controlled without complicated GPS modules. System behavior in high eccentricity transfer orbits is also studied to give a complete knowledge of the spinning stabilities. The application range of the proposed method is studied in various orbit cases and spinning velocities, indicating that it is accurate and reliable for most of the mission phases especially for the final constant gravity level phase. In order to provide stable gravity level for transfer orbit missions, a sliding mode controller based on estimated angular signals is designed for closed-loop control. Numerical results indicate that the combination of overload-based feedback and sliding mode controller could satisfy most of the long-term artificial gravity missions. It is capable of forming flexible gravity environment in relatively good accuracy even in the lowest possible orbital radiuses and high eccentricity orbits of crewed space missions. The proposed scheme provides an effective tether solution for the artificial gravity construction in interstellar travel.

Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour STS-47 Launch

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

A smooth countdown culminated in a picture-perfect launch as the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (STS-47) climbed skyward atop a ladder of billowing smoke on September 12, 1992. The primary payload for the plarned seven-day flight was the Spacelab-J science laboratory. The second flight of Endeavour marks a number of historic firsts: the first space flight of an African-American woman, the first Japanese citizen to fly on a Space Shuttle, and the first married couple to fly in space.

A geometric initial guess for localized electronic orbitals in modular biological systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckman, P. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Fattebert, J. L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lau, E. Y. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Osei-Kuffuor, D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-09-11

Recent first-principles molecular dynamics algorithms using localized electronic orbitals have achieved O(N) complexity and controlled accuracy in simulating systems with finite band gaps. However, accurately deter- mining the centers of these localized orbitals during simulation setup may require O(N³) operations, which is computationally infeasible for many biological systems. We present an O(N) approach for approximating orbital centers in proteins, DNA, and RNA which uses non-localized solutions for a set of fixed-size subproblems to create a set of geometric maps applicable to larger systems. This scalable approach, used as an initial guess in the O(N) first-principles molecular dynamics code MGmol, facilitates first-principles simulations in biological systems of sizes which were previously impossible.

Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences; Volume 117; Issue 3. Issue front cover thumbnail. Volume 117, Issue 3. August 2007, pages 287-427. pp 287-292. On the Cohomology of Orbit Space of Free Z Z p -Actions on Lens Spaces · Hemant Kumar Singh Tej Bahadur Singh · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF.

Low earth orbit environmental effects on the space station photovoltaic power generation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nahra, H.K.

1977-01-01

A summary of the Low Earth Orbital Environment, its impact on the photovoltaic power systems of the space station and the solutions implemented to resolve the environmental concerns or issues are described. Low Earth Orbital Environment (LEO) presents several concerns to the photovoltaic power systems of the space station. These concerns include atomic oxygen interaction with the polymeric substrate of the solar arrays, ionized environment effects on the array operating voltage, the effects of the meteoroids and debris impacts and penetration through the different layers of the solar cells and their circuits, and the high energy particle and radiation effects on the overall solar array performance. Potential solutions to some of the degrading environmental interactions that will provide the photovoltaic power system of the space station with the desired life are also summarized

The fluxgate magnetometer of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Glassmeier, K.-H.; Auster, H.-U.; Heyner, D.; Okrafka, K.; Carr, C.; Berghofer, G.; Anderson, B. J.; Balogh, A.; Baumjohann, W.; Cargill, P.; Christensen, U.; Delva, M.; Dougherty, M.; Fornaçon, K.-H.; Horbury, T. S.; Lucek, E. A.; Magnes, W.; Mandea, M.; Matsuoka, A.; Matsushima, M.; Motschmann, U.; Nakamura, R.; Narita, Y.; O'Brien, H.; Richter, I.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Shibuya, H.; Slavin, J. A.; Sotin, C.; Stoll, B.; Tsunakawa, H.; Vennerstrom, S.; Vogt, J.; Zhang, T.

2010-01-01

The magnetometer (MAG) on the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) of the joint European-Japanese BepiColombo mission to planet Mercury is a low-noise, tri-axial, dual-sensor, digital fluxgate instrument with its sensors mounted on a 2.8-m-long boom. The primary MPO/MAG science objectives are to determine the spatial and temporal structure of the magnetic field in the Hermean system, in particular the structure and origin of the intrinsic magnetic field of Mercury. MPO/MAG has a dynamic measurement range of ±2000nT with a resolution of 2 pT during operation along the near-polar orbit of the MPO spacecraft around Mercury. MPO/MAG is designed to provide measurements with rates between 0.5 and 128 vectors/s. In cooperation with its sister magnetometer instrument, MMO/MGF on board the BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), MPO/MAG will be able to distinguish between temporal and spatial magnetic field variations in the magnetically closely coupled Hermean system.

Earth Orbiting Support Systems for commercial low Earth orbit data relay: Assessing architectures through tradespace exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Palermo, Gianluca; Golkar, Alessandro; Gaudenzi, Paolo

2015-06-01

As small satellites and Sun Synchronous Earth Observation systems are assuming an increased role in nowadays space activities, including commercial investments, it is of interest to assess how infrastructures could be developed to support the development of such systems and other spacecraft that could benefit from having a data relay service in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), as opposed to traditional Geostationary relays. This paper presents a tradespace exploration study of the architecture of such LEO commercial satellite data relay systems, here defined as Earth Orbiting Support Systems (EOSS). The paper proposes a methodology to formulate architectural decisions for EOSS constellations, and enumerate the corresponding tradespace of feasible architectures. Evaluation metrics are proposed to measure benefits and costs of architectures; lastly, a multicriteria Pareto criterion is used to downselect optimal architectures for subsequent analysis. The methodology is applied to two case studies for a set of 30 and 100 customer-spacecraft respectively, representing potential markets for LEO services in Exploration, Earth Observation, Science, and CubeSats. Pareto analysis shows how increased performance of the constellation is always achieved by an increased node size, as measured by the gain of the communications antenna mounted on EOSS spacecraft. On the other hand, nonlinear trends in optimal orbital altitude, number of satellites per plane, and number of orbital planes, are found in both cases. An upward trend in individual node memory capacity is found, although never exceeding 256 Gbits of onboard memory for both cases that have been considered, assuming the availability of a polar ground station for EOSS data downlink. System architects can use the proposed methodology to identify optimal EOSS constellations for a given service pricing strategy and customer target, thus identifying alternatives for selection by decision makers.

Orbital Dynamics of Low-Earth Orbit Laser-Propelled Space Vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Funaki, Ikkoh; Komurasaki, Kimiya

2008-01-01

Trajectories applicable to laser-propelled space vehicles with a laser station in low-Earth orbit are investigated. Laser vehicles are initially located in the vicinity of the Earth-orbiting laser station in low-earth orbit at an altitude of several hundreds kilometers, and are accelerated by laser beaming from the laser station. The laser-propelled vehicles start from low-earth orbit and finally escape from the Earth gravity well, enabling interplanetary trajectories and planetary exploration

Solitary wave solution to a singularly perturbed generalized Gardner ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-03-24

Mar 24, 2017 ... Abstract. This paper is concerned with the existence of travelling wave solutions to a singularly perturbed gen- eralized Gardner equation with nonlinear terms of any order. By using geometric singular perturbation theory and based on the relation between solitary wave solution and homoclinic orbits of the ...

Equilibrium Solutions of the Logarithmic Hamiltonian Leapfrog for the N-body Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Minesaki, Yukitaka

2018-04-01

We prove that a second-order logarithmic Hamiltonian leapfrog for the classical general N-body problem (CGNBP) designed by Mikkola and Tanikawa and some higher-order logarithmic Hamiltonian methods based on symmetric multicompositions of the logarithmic algorithm exactly reproduce the orbits of elliptic relative equilibrium solutions in the original CGNBP. These methods are explicit symplectic methods. Before this proof, only some implicit discrete-time CGNBPs proposed by Minesaki had been analytically shown to trace the orbits of elliptic relative equilibrium solutions. The proof is therefore the first existence proof for explicit symplectic methods. Such logarithmic Hamiltonian methods with a variable time step can also precisely retain periodic orbits in the classical general three-body problem, which generic numerical methods with a constant time step cannot do.

A New Model of Jupiter's Magnetic Field from Juno's First Nine Orbits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Connerney, J. E. P.; Kotsiaros, S.; Oliversen, R. J.

2018-01-01

A spherical harmonic model of the magnetic field of Jupiter is obtained from vector magnetic field observations acquired by the Juno spacecraft during its first nine polar orbits about the planet. Observations acquired during eight of these orbits provide the first truly global coverage of Jupiter...... currents. Partial solution of the underdetermined inverse problem using generalized inverse techniques yields a model (“Juno Reference Model through Perijove 9”) of the planetary magnetic field with spherical harmonic coefficients well determined through degree and order 10, providing the first detailed...

Plasma balance equations based on orbit theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehnert, B.

1982-01-01

A set of plasma balance equations is proposed which is based on orbit theory and the particle distribution function, to provide means for theoretical analysis of a number of finite Larmor radius (FLR) phenomena without use of the Vlasov equation. Several important FLR effects originate from the inhomogeneity of an electric field in the plasma. The exact solution of a simple case shows that this inhomogeneity introduces fundamental changes in the physics of the particle motion. Thus, the periodic Larmor motion (gyration) is shifted in frequency and becomes elliptically polarized. Further, the non-periodic guiding-centre drift obtains additional components, part of which are accelerated such as to make the drift orbits intersect the equipotential surfaces of a static electric field. An attempt is finally made to classify the FLR effects, also with the purpose of identifying phenomena which have so far not been investigated. (author)

Large-size space debris flyby in low earth orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Baranov, A. A.; Grishko, D. A.; Razoumny, Y. N.

2017-09-01

the analysis of NORAD catalogue of space objects executed with respect to the overall sizes of upper-stages and last stages of carrier rockets allows the classification of 5 groups of large-size space debris (LSSD). These groups are defined according to the proximity of orbital inclinations of the involved objects. The orbits within a group have various values of deviations in the Right Ascension of the Ascending Node (RAAN). It is proposed to use the RAANs deviations' evolution portrait to clarify the orbital planes' relative spatial distribution in a group so that the RAAN deviations should be calculated with respect to the concrete precessing orbital plane of the concrete object. In case of the first three groups (inclinations i = 71°, i = 74°, i = 81°) the straight lines of the RAAN relative deviations almost do not intersect each other. So the simple, successive flyby of group's elements is effective, but the significant value of total Δ V is required to form drift orbits. In case of the fifth group (Sun-synchronous orbits) these straight lines chaotically intersect each other for many times due to the noticeable differences in values of semi-major axes and orbital inclinations. The intersections' existence makes it possible to create such a flyby sequence for LSSD group when the orbit of one LSSD object simultaneously serves as the drift orbit to attain another LSSD object. This flyby scheme requiring less Δ V was called "diagonal." The RAANs deviations' evolution portrait built for the fourth group (to be studied in the paper) contains both types of lines, so the simultaneous combination of diagonal and successive flyby schemes is possible. The value of total Δ V and temporal costs were calculated to cover all the elements of the 4th group. The article is also enriched by the results obtained for the flyby problem solution in case of all the five mentioned LSSD groups. The general recommendations are given concerned with the required reserve of total �

NASA's Space Launch System: A Flagship for Exploration Beyond Earth's Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

May, Todd A.

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, is making progress toward delivering a new capability for exploration beyond Earth orbit in an austere economic climate. This fact drives the SLS team to find innovative solutions to the challenges of designing, developing, fielding, and operating the largest rocket in history. To arrive at the current SLS plan, government and industry experts carefully analyzed hundreds of architecture options and arrived at the one clear solution to stringent requirements for safety, affordability, and sustainability over the decades that the rocket will be in operation. This paper will explore ways to fit this major development within the funding guidelines by using existing engine assets and hardware now in testing to meet a first launch by 2017. It will explain the SLS Program s long-range plan to keep the budget within bounds, yet evolve the 70 metric ton (t) initial lift capability to 130-t lift capability after the first two flights. To achieve the evolved configuration, advanced technologies must offer appropriate return on investment to be selected through a competitive process. For context, the SLS will be larger than the Saturn V that took 12 men on 6 trips for a total of 11 days on the lunar surface over 4 decades ago. Astronauts train for long-duration voyages on the International Space Station, but have not had transportation to go beyond Earth orbit in modern times, until now. NASA is refining its mission manifest, guided by U.S. Space Policy and the Global Exploration Roadmap. Launching the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle s (MPCV s) first autonomous certification flight in 2017, followed by a crewed flight in 2021, the SLS will offer a robust way to transport international crews and the air, water, food, and equipment they need for extended trips to asteroids, Lagrange Points, and Mars. In addition, the SLS will accommodate

CONGENITAL ORBITAL TERATOMA

African Journals Online (AJOL)

was done without contrast and 3mm/5mm/10mm slices were obtained to cover the orbit, skull base and brain. The findings included a soft tissue mass arising from the orbit. The left eye ball was extra orbital. There was no defect .... love's Short Practice of Surgery. 7 Edition,. Levis London, 1997; 45-64. 2. Orbital tumor Part 1, ...

Ground Track Acquisition and Maintenance Maneuver Modeling for Low-Earth Orbit Satellite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byoung-Sun Lee

1997-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comprehensive analytical approach for determining key maneuver parameters associated with the acquisition and maintenance of the ground track for a low-earth orbit. A livearized model relating changes in the drift rate of the ground track directly to changes in the orbital semi-major axis is also developed. The effect of terrestrial atmospheric drag on the semi-major axis is also explored, being quantified through an analytical expression for the decay rate as a function of density. The non-singular Lagrange planetary equations, further simplified for nearly circular orbits, provide the desired relationships between the corrective in-plane impulsive velocity increments and the corresponding effects on the orbit elements. The resulting solution strategy offers excellent insight into the dynamics affecting the timing, magnitude, and frequency of these maneuvers. Simulations are executed for the ground track acquisition and maintenance maneuver as a pre-flight planning and analysis.

Determination of Eros Physical Parameters for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Orbit Phase Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J. K.; Antreasian, P. J.; Georgini, J.; Owen, W. M.; Williams, B. G.; Yeomans, D. K.

1995-01-01

used in February of 2001. The initial attitude and spin rate of Eros, as well as estimates of reference landmark locations, are obtained from images of the asteroid. These initial estimates are used as a priori values for a more precise refinement of these parameters by the orbit determination software which combines optical measurements with Doppler tracking data to obtain solutions for the required parameters. As the spacecraft is maneuvered; closer to the asteroid, estimates of spacecraft state, asteroid attitude, solar pressure, landmark locations and Eros physical parameters including mass, moments of inertia and gravity harmonics are determined with increasing precision. The determination of the elements of the inertia tensor of the asteroid is critical to spacecraft orbit determination and prediction of the asteroid attitude. The moments of inertia about the principal axes are also of scientific interest since they provide some insight into the internal mass distribution. Determination of the principal axes moments of inertia will depend on observing free precession in the asteroid's attitude dynamics. Gravity harmonics are in themselves of interest to science. When compared with the asteroid shape, some insight may be obtained into Eros' internal structure. The location of the center of mass derived from the first degree harmonic coefficients give a direct indication of overall mass distribution. The second degree harmonic coefficients relate to the radial distribution of mass. Higher degree harmonics may be compared with surface features to gain additional insight into mass distribution. In this paper, estimates of Eros physical parameters obtained from the December 23,1998 flyby will be presented. This new knowledge will be applied to simplification of Eros orbital operations in February of 2001. The resulting revision to the orbit determination strategy will also be discussed.

Circles in the spectrum and the geometry of orbits: a numerical ranges approach

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Müller, Vladimír; Tomilov, Y.

2018-01-01

Roč. 274, č. 2 (2018), s. 433-460 ISSN 0022-1236 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-07880S EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 318910 - AOS Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : spectrum * orbits of linear operators * numerical range * convergence of operator iterates Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Pure mathematics Impact factor: 1.254, year: 2016 http://www. science direct.com/ science /article/pii/S0022123617304111?via%3Dihub

Optimisation of the Future Routine Orbit for Mars Express

Science.gov (United States)

Carranza, Manuel; Companys, Vincente

2007-01-01

Mars Express (MEX), the first planetary mission of the European Space Agency (ESA), reached Mars on December 25th 2003. Since then it is performing routine operations. Its operational phase had to cover one Martian year, with the possibility of an extension for a second Martian year (i.e. until November 2007). The end of the mission extension is approaching but, given the good health of the payload instruments and the high science return of the mission, there is a strong will to achieve further extensions. Mars Express is also seen as an important asset, capable to provide relay functions for future Martian missions. The ESA Science Program Committee has recently approved a second extension of the MEX mission until May 2009 and even further extensions are possible. Mars Express has an eccentric quasi-polar orbit with a period of approximately 6.72 hours and a pericentre height of about 300 km. Science observations are mainly performed at pericentre (but not only). In addition the orbit has a resonance of 11 revolutions per 3 Martian days. This means that ground tracks corresponding to orbits separated by 11 revolutions are adjacent, such that a given area can be covered by the on-board camera without leaving gaps. The J2 effect of Mars causes a drift of both ascending node and argument of pericentre. The drift of argument of pericentre makes it possible to observe periodically all Mars latitudes from close distance. Illumination conditions at pericentre are influenced by both the drift of the argument of pericentre and the drift of ascending node, as well as by the rotation of Mars around the Sun. The original MEX routine orbit was optimized for the duration of the nominal mission and extension, such that it produced a balanced share of day-side observations (for the optical instruments) and night-side observations (for the radar). The orbit was thus not optimized for the time beyond the assumed extension. Indeed, the evolution of the ascending node and argument of

Radiovolumetry of the orbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abujamra, S.

1983-01-01

The authors present a method called ''Radiovolumetry of the orbit'' that permits the evaluation of the orbital volume from anteroposterior skull X-Rays (CALDWELL 30 0 position). The research was based in the determination of the orbital volume with lead spheres, in 1010 orbits of 505 dry skulls of Anatomy Museums. After the dry skulls was X-rayed six frontal orbital diameters were made, with care to correct the radiographic amplification. PEARSON correlation coeficient test was applied between the mean orbital diameter and the orbital volume. The result was r = 0,8 with P [pt

SPADER - Science Planning Analysis and Data Estimation Resource for the NASA Parker Solar Probe Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, D. J.; Fox, N. J.; Kusterer, M. B.; Turner, F. S.; Woleslagle, A. B.

2017-12-01

Scheduled to launch in July 2018, the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) will orbit the Sun for seven years, making a total of twenty-four extended encounters inside a solar radial distance of 0.25 AU. During most orbits, there are extended periods of time where PSP-Sun-Earth geometry dramatically reduces PSP-Earth communications via the Deep Space Network (DSN); there is the possibility that multiple orbits will have little to no high-rate downlink available. Science and housekeeping data taken during an encounter may reside on the spacecraft solid state recorder (SSR) for multiple orbits, potentially running the risk of overflowing the SSR in the absence of mitigation. The Science Planning Analysis and Data Estimation Resource (SPADER) has been developed to provide the science and operations teams the ability to plan operations accounting for multiple orbits in order to mitigate the effects caused by the lack of high-rate downlink. Capabilities and visualizations of SPADER are presented; further complications associated with file downlink priority and high-speed data transfers between instrument SSRs and the spacecraft SSR are discussed, as well as the long-term consequences of variations in DSN downlink parameters on the science data downlink.

A novel orbiter mission concept for venus with the EnVision proposal

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Marta R. R.; Gil, Paulo J. S.; Ghail, Richard

2018-07-01

In space exploration, planetary orbiter missions are essential to gain insight into planets as a whole, and to help uncover unanswered scientific questions. In particular, the planets closest to the Earth have been a privileged target of the world's leading space agencies. EnVision is a mission proposal designed for Venus and competing for ESA's next launch opportunity with the objective of studying Earth's closest neighbor. The main goal is to study geological and atmospheric processes, namely surface processes, interior dynamics and atmosphere, to determine the reasons behind Venus and Earth's radically different evolution despite the planets' similarities. To achieve these goals, the operational orbit selection is a fundamental element of the mission design process. The design of an orbit around Venus faces specific challenges, such as the impossibility of choosing Sun-synchronous orbits. In this paper, an innovative genetic algorithm optimization was applied to select the optimal orbit based on the parameters with more influence in the mission planning, in particular the mission duration and the coverage of sites of interest on the Venusian surface. The solution obtained is a near-polar circular orbit with an altitude of 259 km that enables the coverage of all priority targets almost two times faster than with the parameters considered before this study.

Coarse Initial Orbit Determination for a Geostationary Satellite Using Single-Epoch GPS Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghangho Kim

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A practical algorithm is proposed for determining the orbit of a geostationary orbit (GEO satellite using single-epoch measurements from a Global Positioning System (GPS receiver under the sparse visibility of the GPS satellites. The algorithm uses three components of a state vector to determine the satellite’s state, even when it is impossible to apply the classical single-point solutions (SPS. Through consideration of the characteristics of the GEO orbital elements and GPS measurements, the components of the state vector are reduced to three. However, the algorithm remains sufficiently accurate for a GEO satellite. The developed algorithm was tested on simulated measurements from two or three GPS satellites, and the calculated maximum position error was found to be less than approximately 40 km or even several kilometers within the geometric range, even when the classical SPS solution was unattainable. In addition, extended Kalman filter (EKF tests of a GEO satellite with the estimated initial state were performed to validate the algorithm. In the EKF, a reliable dynamic model was adapted to reduce the probability of divergence that can be caused by large errors in the initial state.

Coarse Initial Orbit Determination for a Geostationary Satellite Using Single-Epoch GPS Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ghangho; Kim, Chongwon; Kee, Changdon

2015-01-01

A practical algorithm is proposed for determining the orbit of a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite using single-epoch measurements from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver under the sparse visibility of the GPS satellites. The algorithm uses three components of a state vector to determine the satellite’s state, even when it is impossible to apply the classical single-point solutions (SPS). Through consideration of the characteristics of the GEO orbital elements and GPS measurements, the components of the state vector are reduced to three. However, the algorithm remains sufficiently accurate for a GEO satellite. The developed algorithm was tested on simulated measurements from two or three GPS satellites, and the calculated maximum position error was found to be less than approximately 40 km or even several kilometers within the geometric range, even when the classical SPS solution was unattainable. In addition, extended Kalman filter (EKF) tests of a GEO satellite with the estimated initial state were performed to validate the algorithm. In the EKF, a reliable dynamic model was adapted to reduce the probability of divergence that can be caused by large errors in the initial state. PMID:25835299

MetNet - In situ observational Network and Orbital platform to investigate the Martian environment

Science.gov (United States)

Harri, Ari-Matti; Leinonen, Jussi; Merikallio, Sini; Paton, Mark; Haukka, Harri; Polkko, Jouni

2007-09-01

MetNet Mars Mission is an in situ observational network and orbital platform mission to investigate the Martian environment and it has been proposed to European Space Agency in response to Call for proposals for the first planning cycle of Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 D/SCI/DJS/SV/val/21851. The MetNet Mars Mission is to be implemented in collaboration with ESA, FMI, LA, IKI and the payload providing science teams. The scope of the MetNet Mission is to deploy 16 MetNet Landers (MNLs) on the Martian surface by using inflatable descent system structures accompanied by an atmospheric sounder and data relay onboard the MetNet Orbiter (MNO), which is based on ESA Mars Express satellite platform. The MNLs are attached on the three sides of the satellite and most of the MNLs are deployed to Mars separately a few weeks prior to the arrival to Mars. The MetNet Orbiter will perform continuous atmospheric soundings thus complementing the accurate in situ observations at the Martian ground produced by the MetNet observation network, as well as the orbiter will serve as the primary data relay between the MetNet Landers and the Earth. The MNLs are equipped with a versatile science payload focused on the atmospheric science of Mars. Detailed characterisation of the Martian atmospheric circulation patterns, boundary layer phenomena, and climatological cycles, as well as interior investigations, require simultaneous in situ meteorological, seismic and magnetic measurements from networks of stations on the Martian surface. MetNet Mars Mission will also provide a crucial support for the safety of large landing missions in general and manned Mars missions in particular. Accurate knowledge of atmospheric conditions and weather data is essential to guarantee safe landings of the forthcoming Mars mission elements.

PENGEMBANGAN PERANGKAT PEMBELAJARAN SCIENCE BERORIENTASI CULTURAL DEVIANCE SOLUTION BERBASIS INKUIRI MENGGUNAKAN ICT UNTUK MENGEMBANGKAN KARAKTER PESERTA DIDIK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Akhlis

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Tujuan penelitian ini ialah menghasilkan perangkat pembelajaran yang mampu berperan serta dalam memberikan solusi terhadap salah satu isu global yaitu cultural deviance melalui penumbuhkembangan kembali nilai ideologi pancasila pada peserta didik. Hasil validasi diperoleh hasil bahwa perangkat sudah layak digunakan meskipun ada perbaikan namun bukan mencangkup konsep. Pada kegiatan simulasi RPP, seluruh rencana kegiatan terlaksana dengan baik. Hasil uji keterbacaan dan validasi instrumen tes menunjukan ada beberapa kata yang perlu direvisi dan dari 8 soal yang direncanakan hanya 5 soal yang teruji valid. Perangkat pembelajaran science berorientasi cultural deviation solution  berbasis inkuiri menggunakan ICT untuk mengembangkan karakter peserta didik memberikan peluang yang besar untuk menumbuh kembangkan nilai tersebut. The purpose of this study is to produce a device capable of learning to participate in finding solutions to one global issue that is cultural deviance through return values of Pancasila ideology on the learner. Results obtained results validate that the device is suitable to be used even though there is improvement but instead covers the concept. In the simulation activity lesson plans, all plans come to fruition activities. Readability test results and instrument validation tests show there are some words that need to be revised and planned from 8 questions only about 5 proven valid. Device-oriented science teaching inquiry-based cultural deviation solution using ICT to develop the character of students presents a great opportunity to cultivate these values.

Making On-line Science Course Materials Easily Translatable and Accessible Worldwide: Challenges and Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Wendy K.; Alhadlaq, Hisham; Malley, Christopher V.; Perkins, Katherine K.; Olson, Jonathan; Alshaya, Fahad; Alabdulkareem, Saleh; Wieman, Carl E.

2012-02-01

The PhET Interactive Simulations Project partnered with the Excellence Research Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saud University with the joint goal of making simulations useable worldwide. One of the main challenges of this partnership is to make PhET simulations and the website easily translatable into any language. The PhET project team overcame this challenge by creating the Translation Utility. This tool allows a person fluent in both English and another language to easily translate any of the PhET simulations and requires minimal computer expertise. In this paper we discuss the technical issues involved in this software solution, as well as the issues involved in obtaining accurate translations. We share our solutions to many of the unexpected problems we encountered that would apply generally to making on-line scientific course materials available in many different languages, including working with: languages written right-to-left, different character sets, and different conventions for expressing equations, variables, units and scientific notation.

Changes of Space Debris Orbits After LDR Operation

Science.gov (United States)

Wnuk, E.; Golebiewska, J.; Jacquelard, C.; Haag, H.

2013-09-01

A lot of technical studies are currently developing concepts of active removal of space debris to protect space assets from on orbit collision. For small objects, such concepts include the use of ground-based lasers to remove or reduce the momentum of the objects thereby lowering their orbit in order to facilitate their decay by re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. The concept of the Laser Debris Removal (LDR) system is the main subject of the CLEANSPACE project. One of the CLEANSPACE objectives is to define a global architecture (including surveillance, identification and tracking) for an innovative ground-based laser solution, which can remove hazardous medium debris around selected space assets. The CLEANSPACE project is realized by a European consortium in the frame of the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), Space topic. The use of sequence of laser operations to remove space debris, needs very precise predictions of future space debris orbital positions, on a level even better than 1 meter. Orbit determination, tracking (radar, optical and laser) and orbit prediction have to be performed with accuracy much better than so far. For that, the applied prediction tools have to take into account all perturbation factors that influence object orbit. The expected object's trajectory after the LDR operation is a lowering of its perigee. To prevent the debris with this new trajectory to collide with another object, a precise trajectory prediction after the LDR sequence is therefore the main task allowing also to estimate re-entry parameters. The LDR laser pulses change the debris object velocity v. The future orbit and re-entry parameters of the space debris after the LDR engagement can be calculated if the resulting ?v vector is known with the sufficient accuracy. The value of the ?v may be estimated from the parameters of the LDR station and from the characteristics of the orbital debris. However, usually due to the poor knowledge of the debris

Orbital wall fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iinuma, Toshitaka; Ishio, Ken-ichirou; Yoshinami, Hiroyoshi; Kuriyama, Jun-ichi; Hirota, Yoshiharu.

1993-01-01

A total of 59 cases of mild facial fractures (simple orbital wall fractures, 34 cases, other facial fractures, 25 cases) with the clinical suspects of orbital wall fractures were evaluated both by conventional views (Waters' and Caldwell views) and coronal CT scans. Conventional views were obtained, as an average, after 4 days and CT after 7 days of injuries. Both the medial wall and the floor were evaluated at two sites, i.e., anterior and posterior. The ethmoid-maxillary plate was also included in the study. The degree of fractures was classified as, no fractures, fractures of discontinuity, dislocation and fragmentation. The coronal CT images in bone window condition was used as reference and the findings were compared between conventional views and CT. The correct diagnosis was obtained as follows: orbital floor (anterior, 78%, posterior, 73%), medial orbital wall (anterior, 72%, posterior, 72%) and ethmoid-maxillary plate (64%). The false positive diagnosis was as follows: orbital floor (anterior only, 13%), medial orbital wall (anterior only, 7%) and ethmoid-maxillary plate (11%). The false negative diagnosis was as follows: orbital floor (anterior, 9%, posterior, 10%), medial orbital wall (anterior, 21%, posterior, 28%) and ethmoid-maxillary plate (21%). The results were compared with those of others in the past. (author)

Approximate solutions of the Wei Hua oscillator using the Pekeris ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The approximate analytical bound-state solutions of the Schrödinger equation for the. Wei Hua oscillator are carried out in N-dimensional space by taking Pekeris approximation scheme to the orbital centrifugal term. Solutions of the corresponding hyper-radial equation are obtained using the conventional Nikiforov–Uvarov ...

Exact, E = 0, classical and quantum solutions for general power-law oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto, M.M.; Daboul, J.

1994-01-01

For zero energy, E = 0, we derive exact, classical and quantum solutions for all power-law oscillators with potentials V(r) = -γ/r ν , γ > 0 and -∞ 0 (t))] 1/μ , with μ = ν/2 - 1 ≠ 0. For ν > 2, the orbits are bound and go through the origin. We calculate the periods and precessions of these bound orbits, and graph a number of specific examples. The unbound orbits are also discussed in detail. Quantum mechanically, this system is also exactly solvable. We find that when ν > 2 the solutions are normalizable (bound), as in the classical case. Also, there are normalizable discrete, yet unbound, state which correspond to unbound classical particles which reach infinity in a finite time. These and other interesting comparisons to the classical system will be discussed

SYSTEMATIC BIASES IN THE OBSERVED DISTRIBUTION OF KUIPER BELT OBJECT ORBITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, R. L.; Parker, J. Wm.; Bieryla, A.; Marsden, B. G.; Gladman, B.; Kavelaars, JJ.; Petit, J.-M.

2010-01-01

The orbital distribution of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) provides important tests of solar system evolution models. However, our understanding of this orbital distribution can be affected by many observational biases. An important but difficult to quantify bias results from tracking selection effects; KBOs are recovered or lost depending on assumptions made about their orbital elements when fitting the initial (short) observational arc. Quantitatively studying the effects and significance of this bias is generally difficult, because only the objects where the assumptions were correct are recovered and thus available to study 'the problem', and because different observers use different assumptions and methods. We have used a sample of 38 KBOs that were discovered and tracked, bias-free, as part of the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey to evaluate the potential for losing objects based on the two most common orbit and ephemeris prediction sources: the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and the Bernstein and Khushalani (BK) orbit fitting code. In both cases, we use early discovery and recovery astrometric measurements of the objects to generate ephemeris predictions that we then compare to later positional measurements; objects that have large differences between the predicted and actual positions would be unlikely to be recovered and are thus considered 'lost'. We find systematic differences in the orbit distributions which would result from using the two orbit-fitting procedures. In our sample, the MPC-derived orbit solutions lost slightly fewer objects (five out of 38) due to large ephemeris errors at one year recovery, but the objects which were lost belonged to more 'unusual' orbits such as scattering disk objects or objects with semimajor axes interior to the 3:2 resonance. Using the BK code, more objects (seven out of 38) would have been lost due to ephemeris errors, but the lost objects came from a range of orbital regions, primarily the classical belt region. We also

The Copernicus POD Service and beyond: Scientific exploitation of the orbit-related data and products

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Heike; Fernández, Jaime; Fernández, Carlos; Féménias, Pierre

2017-04-01

The Copernicus POD (Precise Orbit Determination) Service is part of the Copernicus Processing Data Ground Segment (PDGS) of the Sentinel-1, -2 and -3 missions. A GMV-led consortium is operating the Copernicus POD Service being in charge of generating precise orbital products and auxiliary data files for their use as part of the processing chains of the respective Sentinel PDGS. The orbital products are available through the dedicated Copernicus data hub. The Copernicus POD Service is supported by the Copernicus POD Quality Working Group (QWG) for the validation of the orbit product accuracy. The QWG is delivering independent orbit solutions for the satellites. The cross-comparison of all these orbit solutions is essential to monitor and to improve the orbit accuracy because for Sentinel-1 and -2 this is the only possibility to externally assess the quality of the orbits. Each of the Sentinel-1, -2, and -3 satellites carries dual-frequency GPS receivers delivering the necessary measurements for the precise orbit determination of the satellites. The Sentinel-3 satellites are additionally equipped with a DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite) receiver and a Laser Retro Reflector for Satellite Laser Ranging. These two additional observation techniques allow for independent validation of the GPS-derived orbit determination results and for studying biases between the different techniques. The scientific exploitation of the orbit determination and the corresponding input data is manifold. Sophisticated satellite macro models improve the modelling of the non-gravitational forces acting on the satellite. On the other hand, comparisons to orbits based on pure empirical modelling of the non-gravitational forces help to sort out deficiencies in the satellite geometry information. The dual-frequency GPS data delivered by the satellites can give valuable input for ionospheric studies important for Space Weather research. So-called kinematic

On the orbit calculation of visual binaries with a very short arc: application to the PMS binary system, FW Tau AB

Science.gov (United States)

Docobo, J. A.; Tamazian, V. S.; Campo, P. P.

2018-05-01

In the vast majority of cases when available astrometric measurements of a visual binary cover a very short orbital arc, it is practically impossible to calculate a good quality orbit. It is especially important for systems with pre-main-sequence components where standard mass-spectrum calibrations cannot be applied nor can a dynamical parallax be calculated. We have shown that the analytical method of Docobo allows us to put certain constraints on the most likely orbital solutions, using an available realistic estimate of the global mass of the system. As an example, we studied the interesting PMS binary, FW Tau AB, located in the Taurus-Auriga as well as investigated a range of its possible orbital solutions combined with an assumed distance between 120 and 160 pc. To maintain the total mass of FW Tau AB in a realistic range between 0.2 and 0.6M_{⊙}, minimal orbital periods should begin at 105, 150, 335, and 2300 yr for distances of 120, 130, 140, and 150 pc, respectively (no plausible orbits were found assuming a distance of 160 pc). An original criterion to establish the upper limit of the orbital period is applied. When the position angle in some astrometric measurements was flipped by 180°, orbits with periods close to 45 yr are also plausible. Three example orbits with periods of 44.6, 180, and 310 yr are presented.

Interaction between subdaily Earth rotation parameters and GPS orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Panafidina, Natalia; Seitz, Manuela; Hugentobler, Urs

2013-04-01

In processing GPS observations the geodetic parameters like station coordinates and ERPs (Earth rotation parameters) are estimated w.r.t. the celestial reference system realized by the satellite orbits. The interactions/correlations between estimated GPS orbis and other parameters may lead to numerical problems with the solution and introduce systematic errors in the computed values: the well known correlations comprise 1) the correlation between the orbital parameters determining the orientation of the orbital plane in inertial space and the nutation and 2) in the case of estimating ERPs with subdaily resolution the correlation between retrograde diurnal polar motion and nutation (and so the respective orbital elements). In this contribution we study the interaction between the GPS orbits and subdaily model for the ERPs. Existing subdaily ERP model recommended by the IERS comprises ~100 terms in polar motion and ~70 terms in Universal Time at diurnal and semidiurnal tidal periods. We use a long time series of daily normal equation systems (NEQ) obtaine from GPS observations from 1994 till 2007 where the ERPs with 1-hour resolution are transformed into tidal terms and the influence of the tidal terms with different frequencies on the estimated orbital parameters is considered. We found that although there is no algebraic correlation in the NEQ between the individual orbital parameters and the tidal terms, the changes in the amplitudes of tidal terms with periods close to 24 hours can be better accmodated by systematic changes in the orbital parameters than for tidal terms with other periods. Since the variation in Earth rotation with the period of siderial day (23.93h, tide K1) in terrestrial frame has in inertial space the same period as the period of revolution of GPS satellites, the K1 tidal term in polar motion is seen by the satellites as a permanent shift. The tidal terms with close periods (from ~24.13h to ~23.80h) are seen as a slow rotation of the

Orbit Determination Using SLR Data for STSAT-2C:Short-arc Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Rok Kim

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, we present the results of orbit determination (OD using satellite laser ranging (SLR data for the Science and Technology Satellite (STSAT-2C by a short-arc analysis. For SLR data processing, the NASA/GSFC GEODYN II software with one year (2013/04 – 2014/04 of normal point observations is used. As there is only an extremely small quantity of SLR observations of STSAT-2C and they are sparsely distribution, the selection of the arc length and the estimation intervals for the atmospheric drag coefficients and the empirical acceleration parameters was made on an arc-to-arc basis. For orbit quality assessment, the post-fit residuals of each short-arc and orbit overlaps of arcs are investigated. The OD results show that the weighted root mean square post-fit residuals of short-arcs are less than 1 cm, and the average 1-day orbit overlaps are superior to 50/600/900 m for the radial/cross-track/along-track components. These results demonstrate that OD for STSAT-2C was successfully achieved with cm-level range precision. However its orbit quality did not reach the same level due to the availability of few and sparse measurement conditions. From a mission analysis viewpoint, obtaining the results of OD for STSAT-2C is significant for generating enhanced orbit predictions for more frequent tracking.

Network science landers for Mars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harri, A.M.; Marsal, O.; Lognonne, P.

1999-01-01

by the Mars Express Orbiter that is expected to be functional during the NetLander Mission's operational phase. Communication between the landers and the Earth would take place via a data relay onboard the Mars Express Orbiter. (C) 1999 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.......The NetLander Mission will deploy four landers to the Martian surface. Each lander includes a network science payload with instrumentation for studying the interior of Mars, the atmosphere and the subsurface, as well as the ionospheric structure and geodesy. The NetLander Mission is the first......, ionospheric, geodetic measurements and ground penetrating radar mapping supported by panoramic images. The payloads also include entry phase measurements of the atmospheric vertical structure. The scientific data could be combined with simultaneous observations of the atmosphere and surface of Mars...

Time scale controversy: Accurate orbital calibration of the early Paleogene

Science.gov (United States)

Roehl, U.; Westerhold, T.; Laskar, J.

2012-12-01

Timing is crucial to understanding the causes and consequences of events in Earth history. The calibration of geological time relies heavily on the accuracy of radioisotopic and astronomical dating. Uncertainties in the computations of Earth's orbital parameters and in radioisotopic dating have hampered the construction of a reliable astronomically calibrated time scale beyond 40 Ma. Attempts to construct a robust astronomically tuned time scale for the early Paleogene by integrating radioisotopic and astronomical dating are only partially consistent. Here, using the new La2010 and La2011 orbital solutions, we present the first accurate astronomically calibrated time scale for the early Paleogene (47-65 Ma) uniquely based on astronomical tuning and thus independent of the radioisotopic determination of the Fish Canyon standard. Comparison with geological data confirms the stability of the new La2011 solution back to 54 Ma. Subsequent anchoring of floating chronologies to the La2011 solution using the very long eccentricity nodes provides an absolute age of 55.530 ± 0.05 Ma for the onset of the Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), 54.850 ± 0.05 Ma for the early Eocene ash -17, and 65.250 ± 0.06 Ma for the K/Pg boundary. The new astrochronology presented here indicates that the intercalibration and synchronization of U/Pb and 40Ar/39Ar radioisotopic geochronology is much more challenging than previously thought.

Charge-spin-orbital dynamics of one-dimensional two-orbital Hubbard model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onishi, Hiroaki [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan)

2010-01-15

We study the real-time evolution of a charge-excited state in a one-dimensional e{sub g}-orbital degenerate Hubbard model, by a time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method. Considering a chain along the z direction, electrons hop between adjacent 3z{sup 2}-r{sup 2} orbitals, while x{sup 2}-y{sup 2} orbitals are localized. For the charge-excited state, a holon-doublon pair is introduced into the ground state at quarter filling. At initial time, there is no electron in a holon site, while a pair of electrons occupies 3z{sup 2}-r{sup 2} orbital in a doublon site. As the time evolves, the holon motion is governed by the nearest-neighbor hopping, but the electron pair can transfer between 3z{sup 2}-r{sup 2} orbital and x{sup 2}-y{sup 2} orbital through the pair hopping in addition to the nearest-neighbor hopping. Thus holon and doublon propagate at different speed due to the pair hopping that is characteristic of multi-orbital systems.

Managing globally distributed expertise with new competence management solutions: a big-science collaboration as a pilot case.

OpenAIRE

Ferguson, J; Koivula, T; Livan, M; Nordberg, M; Salmia, T; Vuola, O

2003-01-01

In today's global organisations and networks, a critical factor for effective innovation and project execution is appropriate competence and skills management. The challenges include selection of strategic competences, competence development, and leveraging the competences and skills to drive innovation and collaboration for shared goals. This paper presents a new industrial web-enabled competence management and networking solution and its implementation and piloting in a complex big-science ...

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Clementine spacecraft orbited the Moon and acquired science data for 10 weeks in the Spring of 1994. During this time it collected global 11-band multispectral images and near global altimetry. Select areas of the Moon were imaged at 25 m/pixel in visible light and 60 m/pixel in thermal wavelengths. From these ...

Localization of periodic orbits of polynomial vector fields of even degree by linear functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starkov, Konstantin E. [CITEDI-IPN, Av. del Parque 1310, Mesa de Otay, Tijuana, BC (Mexico)] e-mail: konst@citedi.mx

2005-08-01

This paper is concerned with the localization problem of periodic orbits of polynomial vector fields of even degree by using linear functions. Conditions of the localization of all periodic orbits in sets of a simple structure are obtained. Our results are based on the solution of the conditional extremum problem and the application of homogeneous polynomial forms of even degrees. As examples, the Lanford system, the jerky system with one quadratic monomial and a quartically perturbed harmonic oscillator are considered.

Localization of periodic orbits of polynomial vector fields of even degree by linear functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkov, Konstantin E.

2005-01-01

This paper is concerned with the localization problem of periodic orbits of polynomial vector fields of even degree by using linear functions. Conditions of the localization of all periodic orbits in sets of a simple structure are obtained. Our results are based on the solution of the conditional extremum problem and the application of homogeneous polynomial forms of even degrees. As examples, the Lanford system, the jerky system with one quadratic monomial and a quartically perturbed harmonic oscillator are considered

The Integration of Biomimicry as a Solution-Oriented Approach to the Environmental Science Curriculum for High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Staples, Hilary

2005-01-01

Biomimicry is an interdisciplinary science in which scientists look for solutions to human needs in nature. It endeavors to discover answers from the molecular, or material level, all the way up to the interrelationships, or systems level. The purpose of this review of the literature is to demonstrate the need and potential application of this new…

The Inner Magnetospheric Imager (IMI): Instrument heritage and orbit viewing analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Gordon R.

1992-12-01

For the last two years an engineering team in the Program Development Office at MSFC has been doing design studies for the proposed Inner Magnetospheric Imager (IMI) mission. This team had a need for more information about the instruments that this mission would carry so that they could get a better handle on instrument volume, mass, power, and telemetry needs as well as information to help assess the possible cost of such instruments and what technology development they would need. To get this information, an extensive literature search was conducted as well as interviews with several members of the IMI science working group. The results of this heritage survey are summarized below. There was also a need to evaluate the orbits proposed for this mission from the stand point of their suitability for viewing the various magnetospheric features that are planned for this mission. This was accomplished by first, identifying the factors which need to be considered in selecting an orbit, second, translating these considerations into specific criteria, and third, evaluating the proposed orbits against these criteria. The specifics of these criteria and the results of the orbit analysis are contained in the last section of this report.

Reconstruction of high-dimensional states entangled in orbital angular momentum using mutually unbiased measurements

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Giovannini, D

2013-06-01

Full Text Available : QELS_Fundamental Science, San Jose, California United States, 9-14 June 2013 Reconstruction of High-Dimensional States Entangled in Orbital Angular Momentum Using Mutually Unbiased Measurements D. Giovannini1, ⇤, J. Romero1, 2, J. Leach3, A...

Data Acquisition, Management, and Analysis in Support of the Audiology and Hearing Conservation and the Orbital Debris Program Office

Science.gov (United States)

Dicken, Todd

2012-01-01

My internship at Johnson Space Center, Houston TX comprised of working simultaneously in the Space Life Science Directorate (Clinical Services Branch, SD3) in Audiology and Hearing Conservation and in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Directorate in the Orbital Debris Program Office (KX). The purpose of the project done to support the Audiology and Hearing Conservation Clinic (AuHCon) is to organize and analyze auditory test data that has been obtained from tests conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in Johnson Space Center's clinic. Astronauts undergo a special type of auditory test called an On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (OOHA), which monitors hearing function while crewmembers are exposed to noise and microgravity during long-duration spaceflight. Data needed to be formatted to assist the Audiologist in studying, analyzing and reporting OOHA results from all ISS missions, with comparison to conventional preflight and post-flight audiometric test results of crewmembers. Orbital debris is the #1 threat to manned spacecraft; therefore NASA is investing in different measurement techniques to acquire information on orbital debris. These measurements are taken with telescopes in different parts of the world to acquire brightness variations over time, from which size, rotation rates and material information can be determined for orbital debris. Currently many assumptions are taken to resolve size and material from observed brightness, therefore a laboratory (Optical Measurement Center) is used to simulate the space environment and acquire information of known targets suited to best model the orbital debris population. In the Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) telescopic data were acquired and analyzed to better assess the orbital debris population.

The BepiColombo MORE gravimetry and rotation experiments with the ORBIT14 software

Science.gov (United States)

Cicalò, S.; Schettino, G.; Di Ruzza, S.; Alessi, E. M.; Tommei, G.; Milani, A.

2016-04-01

The BepiColombo mission to Mercury is an ESA/JAXA cornerstone mission, consisting of two spacecraft in orbit around Mercury addressing several scientific issues. One spacecraft is the Mercury Planetary Orbiter, with full instrumentation to perform radio science experiments. Very precise radio tracking from Earth, on-board accelerometer and optical measurements will provide large data sets. From these it will be possible to study the global gravity field of Mercury and its tidal variations, its rotation state and the orbit of its centre of mass. With the gravity field and rotation state, it is possible to constrain the internal structure of the planet. With the orbit of Mercury, it is possible to constrain relativistic theories of gravitation. In order to assess that all the scientific goals are achievable with the required level of accuracy, full cycle numerical simulations of the radio science experiment have been performed. Simulated tracking, accelerometer and optical camera data have been generated, and a long list of variables including the spacecraft initial conditions, the accelerometer calibrations and the gravity field coefficients have been determined by a least-squares fit. The simulation results are encouraging: the experiments are feasible at the required level of accuracy provided that some critical terms in the accelerometer error are moderated. We will show that BepiColombo will be able to provide at least an order of magnitude improvement in the knowledge of Love number k2, libration amplitudes and obliquity, along with a gravity field determination up to degree 25 with a signal-to-noise ratio of 10.

OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) mission operations planning and initial operations experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Basilio, Ralph R.; Pollock, H. Randy; Hunyadi-Lay, Sarah L.

2014-10-01

OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) is the first NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, specifically to identify sources (emitters) and sinks (absorbers) on a regional (1000 km x 1000 km) scale. The mission is designed to meet a science imperative by providing critical and urgent measurements needed to improve understanding of the carbon cycle and global climate change processes. The single instrument consisting of three grating spectrometers was built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but is based on the design co-developed with Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation for the original OCO mission. The instrument underwent an extensive ground test program. This was generally made possible through the use of a thermal vacuum chamber with a window/port that allowed optical ground support equipment to stimulate the instrument. The instrument was later delivered to Orbital Sciences Corporation for integration and test with the LEOStar-2 spacecraft. During the overall ground test campaign, proper function and performance in simulated launch, ascent, and space environments were verified. The observatory was launched into space on 02 July 2014. Initial indications are that the instrument is meeting functional and performance specifications, and there is every expectation that the spatially-order, geo-located, calibrated spectra of reflected sunlight and the science retrievals will meet the Level 1 science requirements.

The EChO science case

OpenAIRE

Tinetti, Giovanna; Drossart, Pierre; Eccleston, Paul; Hartogh, Paul; Isaak, Kate; Linder, Martin; Lovis, Christophe; Micela, Giusi; Ollivier, Marc; Puig, Ludovic; Ribas, Ignasi; Snellen, Ignas; Swinyard, Bruce; Allard, France; Barstow, Joanna

2015-01-01

The discovery of almost two thousand exoplanets has revealed an unexpectedly diverse planet population. We see gas giants in few-day orbits, whole multi-planet systems within the orbit of Mercury, and new populations of planets with masses between that of the Earth and Neptune-all unknown in the Solar System. Observations to date have shown that our Solar System is certainly not representative of the general population of planets in our Milky Way. The key science questions that urgently need ...

The EChO science case

OpenAIRE

Tinetti, Giovanna; Drossart, Pierre; Eccleston, Paul; Hartogh, Paul; Isaak, Kate; Linder, Martin; Lovis, Christophe; Micela, Giusi; Ollivier, Marc; Puig, Ludovic; Ribas, Ignasi; Snellen, Ignas; Swinyard, Bruce; Allard, France; Barstow, Joanna

2015-01-01

The discovery of almost two thousand exoplanets has revealed an unexpectedly diverse planet population. We see gas giants in few-day orbits, whole multi-planet systems within the orbit of Mercury, and new populations of planets with masses between that of the Earth and Neptune—all unknown in the Solar System. Observations to date have shown that our Solar System is certainly not representative of the general population of planets in our Milky Way. The key science questions that urgently need ...

Neuroscience discipline science plan

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

Over the past two decades, NASA's efforts in the neurosciences have developed into a program of research directed at understanding the acute changes that occur in the neurovestibular and sensorimotor systems during short-duration space missions. However, the proposed extended-duration flights of up to 28 days on the Shuttle orbiter and 6 months on Space Station Freedom, a lunar outpost, and Mars missions of perhaps 1-3 years in space, make it imperative that NASA's Life Sciences Division begin to concentrate research in the neurosciences on the chronic effects of exposure to microgravity on the nervous system. Major areas of research will be directed at understanding (1) central processing, (2) motor systems, (3) cognitive/spatial orientation, and (4) sensory receptors. The purpose of the Discipline Science Plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences Division research and development activities in the comprehensive area of neurosciences. It covers the significant research areas critical to NASA's programmatic requirements for the Extended-Duration Orbiter, Space Station Freedom, and exploration mission science activities. These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied, and operational; and animal and human research and development. This document summarizes the current status of the program, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, identifies science priorities, and defines critical questions in the subdiscipline areas of nervous system function. It contains a general plan that will be used by NASA Headquarters Program Offices and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational intramural and extramural research and development activities in this area.

Traumatic orbital CSF leak

Science.gov (United States)

Borumandi, Farzad

2013-01-01

Compared to the cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) leak through the nose and ear, the orbital CSF leak is a rare and underreported condition following head trauma. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman with oedematous eyelid swelling and ecchymosis after a seemingly trivial fall onto the right orbit. Apart from the above, she was clinically unremarkable. The CT scan revealed a minimally displaced fracture of the orbital roof with no emphysema or intracranial bleeding. The fractured orbital roof in combination with the oedematous eyelid swelling raised the suspicion for orbital CSF leak. The MRI of the neurocranium demonstrated a small-sized CSF fistula extending from the anterior cranial fossa to the right orbit. The patient was treated conservatively and the lid swelling resolved completely after 5 days. Although rare, orbital CSF leak needs to be included in the differential diagnosis of periorbital swelling following orbital trauma. PMID:24323381

Astrometric detectability of systems with unseen companions: effects of the Earth orbital motion

Science.gov (United States)

Butkevich, Alexey G.

2018-06-01

The astrometric detection of an unseen companion is based on an analysis of the apparent motion of its host star around the system's barycentre. Systems with an orbital period close to 1 yr may escape detection if the orbital motion of their host stars is observationally indistinguishable from the effects of parallax. Additionally, an astrometric solution may produce a biased parallax estimation for such systems. We examine the effects of the orbital motion of the Earth on astrometric detectability in terms of a correlation between the Earth's orbital position and the position of the star relative to its system barycentre. The χ2 statistic for parallax estimation is calculated analytically, leading to expressions that relate the decrease in detectability and accompanying parallax bias to the position correlation function. The impact of the Earth's motion critically depends on the exoplanet's orbital period, diminishing rapidly as the period deviates from 1 yr. Selection effects against 1-yr-period systems is, therefore, expected. Statistical estimation shows that the corresponding loss of sensitivity results in a typical 10 per cent increase in the detection threshold. Consideration of eccentric orbits shows that the Earth's motion has no effect on detectability for e≳ 0.5. The dependence of the detectability on other parameters, such as orbital phases and inclination of the orbital plane to the ecliptic, are smooth and monotonic because they are described by simple trigonometric functions.

Localization of periodic orbits of polynomial systems by ellipsoidal estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkov, Konstantin E.; Krishchenko, Alexander P.

2005-01-01

In this paper we study the localization problem of periodic orbits of multidimensional continuous-time systems in the global setting. Our results are based on the solution of the conditional extremum problem and using sign-definite quadratic and quartic forms. As examples, the Rikitake system and the Lamb's equations for a three-mode operating cavity in a laser are considered

Localization of periodic orbits of polynomial systems by ellipsoidal estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starkov, Konstantin E. [CITEDI-IPN, Avenue del Parque 1310, Mesa de Otay, Tijuana, BC (Mexico)]. E-mail: konst@citedi.mx; Krishchenko, Alexander P. [Bauman Moscow State Technical University, 2nd Baumanskaya Street, 5, Moscow 105005 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: apkri@999.ru

2005-02-01

In this paper we study the localization problem of periodic orbits of multidimensional continuous-time systems in the global setting. Our results are based on the solution of the conditional extremum problem and using sign-definite quadratic and quartic forms. As examples, the Rikitake system and the Lamb's equations for a three-mode operating cavity in a laser are considered.

International Space Station External Contamination Environment for Space Science Utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Steagall, Courtney A.; Huang, Alvin Y.; Koontz, Steven; Worthy, Erica

2014-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest and most complex on-orbit platform for space science utilization in low Earth orbit. Multiple sites for external payloads, with exposure to the associated natural and induced environments, are available to support a variety of space science utilization objectives. Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle. The ISS has been designed, built and integrated with strict contamination requirements to provide low levels of induced contamination on external payload assets. This paper addresses the ISS induced contamination environment at attached payload sites, both at the requirements level as well as measurements made on returned hardware, and contamination forecasting maps being generated to support external payload topology studies and science utilization.

Solution Method and Precision Analysis of Double-difference Dynamic Precise Orbit Determination of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Weiping

2016-02-01

Full Text Available To resolve the high relativity between the transverse element of GEO orbit and double-difference ambiguity, the classical double-difference dynamic method is improved and the method, which is to determine precise BeiDou satellite orbit using carrier phase and pseudo-range smoothed by phase, is proposed. The feasibility of the method is discussed and the influence of the method about ambiguity fixing is analyzed. Considering the characteristic of BeiDou, the method, which is to fix double-difference ambiguity of BeiDou satellites by QIF, is derived. The real data analysis shows that the new method, which can reduce the relativity and assure the precision, is better than the classical double-difference dynamic method. The result of ambiguity fixing is well by QIF, but the ambiguity fixing success rate is not high on the whole. So the precision of BeiDou orbit can't be improved clearly after ambiguity fixing.

ORBITS AND MASSES OF THE SATELLITES OF THE DWARF PLANET HAUMEA (2003 EL61)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ragozzine, D.; Brown, M. E.

2009-01-01

Using precise relative astrometry from the Hubble Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Telescope, we have determined the orbits and masses of the two dynamically interacting satellites of the dwarf planet (136108) Haumea, formerly 2003 EL61. The orbital parameters of Hi'iaka, the outer, brighter satellite, match well the previously derived orbit. On timescales longer than a few weeks, no Keplerian orbit is sufficient to describe the motion of the inner, fainter satellite Namaka. Using a fully interacting three-point-mass model, we have recovered the orbital parameters of both orbits and the mass of Haumea and Hi'iaka; Namaka's mass is marginally detected. The data are not sufficient to uniquely determine the gravitational quadrupole of the nonspherical primary (described by J 2 ). The nearly coplanar nature of the satellites, as well as an inferred density similar to water ice, strengthen the hypothesis that Haumea experienced a giant collision billions of years ago. The excited eccentricities and mutual inclination point to an intriguing tidal history of significant semimajor axis evolution through satellite mean-motion resonances. The orbital solution indicates that Namaka and Haumea are currently undergoing mutual events and that the mutual event season will last for next several years.

Orbitals from local RDMFT: Are they Kohn-Sham or natural orbitals?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theophilou, Iris; Helbig, Nicole; Lathiotakis, Nektarios N.; Gidopoulos, Nikitas I.; Rubio, Angel

2015-01-01

Recently, an approximate theoretical framework was introduced, called local reduced density matrix functional theory (local-RDMFT), where functionals of the one-body reduced density matrix (1-RDM) are minimized under the additional condition that the optimal orbitals satisfy a single electron Schrödinger equation with a local potential. In the present work, we focus on the character of these optimal orbitals. In particular, we compare orbitals obtained by local-RDMFT with those obtained with the full minimization (without the extra condition) by contrasting them against the exact NOs and orbitals from a density functional calculation using the local density approximation (LDA). We find that the orbitals from local-RMDFT are very close to LDA orbitals, contrary to those of the full minimization that resemble the exact NOs. Since local RDMFT preserves the good quality of the description of strong static correlation, this finding opens the way to a mixed density/density matrix scheme, where Kohn-Sham orbitals obtain fractional occupations from a minimization of the occupation numbers using 1-RDM functionals. This will allow for a description of strong correlation at a cost only minimally higher than a density functional calculation

Automatic Detection of Changes on Mars Surface from High-Resolution Orbital Images

Science.gov (United States)

Sidiropoulos, Panagiotis; Muller, Jan-Peter

2017-04-01

Over the last 40 years Mars has been extensively mapped by several NASA and ESA orbital missions, generating a large image dataset comprised of approximately 500,000 high-resolution images (of citizen science can be employed for training and verification it is unsuitable for planetwide systematic change detection. In this work, we introduce a novel approach in planetary image change detection, which involves a batch-mode automatic change detection pipeline that identifies regions that have changed. This is tested in anger, on tens of thousands of high-resolution images over the MC11 quadrangle [5], acquired by CTX, HRSC, THEMIS-VIS and MOC-NA instruments [1]. We will present results which indicate a substantial level of activity in this region of Mars, including instances of dynamic natural phenomena that haven't been cataloged in the planetary science literature before. We will demonstrate the potential and usefulness of such an automatic approach in planetary science change detection. Acknowledgments: The research leading to these results has received funding from the STFC "MSSL Consolidated Grant" ST/K000977/1 and partial support from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under iMars grant agreement n° 607379. References: [1] P. Sidiropoulos and J. - P. Muller (2015) On the status of orbital high-resolution repeat imaging of Mars for the observation of dynamic surface processes. Planetary and Space Science, 117: 207-222. [2] O. Aharonson, et al. (2003) Slope streak formation and dust deposition rates on Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 108(E12):5138 [3] A. McEwen, et al. (2011) Seasonal flows on warm martian slopes. Science, 333 (6043): 740-743. [4] S. Byrne, et al. (2009) Distribution of mid-latitude ground ice on mars from new impact craters. Science, 325(5948):1674-1676. [5] K. Gwinner, et al (2016) The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) of Mars Express and its approach to science analysis and mapping for Mars and

The Extended Duration Sounding Rocket (EDSR): Low Cost Science and Technology Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Cruddace, R. G.; Chakrabarti, S.; Cash, W.; Eberspeaker, P.; Figer, D.; Figueroa, O.; Harris, W.; Kowalski, M.; Maddox, R.; Martin, C.; McCammon, D.; Nordsieck, K.; Polidan, R.; Sanders, W.; Wilkinson, E.; Asrat

2011-12-01

The 50-year old NASA sounding rocket (SR) program has been successful in launching scientific payloads into space frequently and at low cost with a 85% success rate. In 2008 the NASA Astrophysics Sounding Rocket Assessment Team (ASRAT), set up to review the future course of the SR program, made four major recommendations, one of which now called Extended Duration Sounding Rocket (EDSR). ASRAT recommended a system capable of launching science payloads (up to 420 kg) into low Earth orbit frequently (1/yr) at low cost, with a mission duration of approximately 30 days. Payload selection would be based on meritorious high-value science that can be performed by migrating sub-orbital payloads to orbit. Establishment of this capability is a essential for NASA as it strives to advance technical readiness and lower costs for risk averse Explorers and flagship missions in its pursuit of a balanced and sustainable program and achieve big science goals within a limited fiscal environment. The development of a new generation of small, low-cost launch vehicles (SLV), primarily the SpaceX Falcon 1 and the Orbital Sciences Minotaur I has made this concept conceivable. The NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF)conducted a detailed engineering concept study, aimed at defining the technical characteristics of all phases of a mission, from design, procurement, assembly, test, integration and mission operations. The work was led by Dr. Raymond Cruddace, a veteran of the SR program and the prime mover of the EDSR concept. The team investigated details such as, the "FAA licensed contract" for launch service procurement, with WFF and NASA SMD being responsible for mission assurance which results in a factor of two cost savings over the current approach. These and other creative solutions resulted in a proof-of-concept Class D mission design that could have a sustained launch rate of at least 1/yr, a mission duration of up to about 3 months, and a total cost of $25-30 million for each mission

An Efficient Algorithm for Perturbed Orbit Integration Combining Analytical Continuation and Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration

Science.gov (United States)

Elgohary, T.; Kim, D.; Turner, J.; Junkins, J.

2014-09-01

Several methods exist for integrating the motion in high order gravity fields. Some recent methods use an approximate starting orbit, and an efficient method is needed for generating warm starts that account for specific low order gravity approximations. By introducing two scalar Lagrange-like invariants and employing Leibniz product rule, the perturbed motion is integrated by a novel recursive formulation. The Lagrange-like invariants allow exact arbitrary order time derivatives. Restricting attention to the perturbations due to the zonal harmonics J2 through J6, we illustrate an idea. The recursively generated vector-valued time derivatives for the trajectory are used to develop a continuation series-based solution for propagating position and velocity. Numerical comparisons indicate performance improvements of ~ 70X over existing explicit Runge-Kutta methods while maintaining mm accuracy for the orbit predictions. The Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration (MCPI) is an iterative path approximation method to solve nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The MCPI utilizes Picard iteration with orthogonal Chebyshev polynomial basis functions to recursively update the states. The key advantages of the MCPI are as follows: 1) Large segments of a trajectory can be approximated by evaluating the forcing function at multiple nodes along the current approximation during each iteration. 2) It can readily handle general gravity perturbations as well as non-conservative forces. 3) Parallel applications are possible. The Picard sequence converges to the solution over large time intervals when the forces are continuous and differentiable. According to the accuracy of the starting solutions, however, the MCPI may require significant number of iterations and function evaluations compared to other integrators. In this work, we provide an efficient methodology to establish good starting solutions from the continuation series method; this warm start improves the performance of the

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Solute transport; convection–dispersion equation; boundary layer theory; ... to convection–dispersion equation (CDE) based on boundary layer theory has been ... Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ...

Kalman Orbit Optimized Loop Tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Lawrence E.; Meehan, Thomas K.

2011-01-01

Under certain conditions of low signal power and/or high noise, there is insufficient signal to noise ratio (SNR) to close tracking loops with individual signals on orbiting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. In addition, the processing power available from flight computers is not great enough to implement a conventional ultra-tight coupling tracking loop. This work provides a method to track GNSS signals at very low SNR without the penalty of requiring very high processor throughput to calculate the loop parameters. The Kalman Orbit-Optimized Loop (KOOL) tracking approach constitutes a filter with a dynamic model and using the aggregate of information from all tracked GNSS signals to close the tracking loop for each signal. For applications where there is not a good dynamic model, such as very low orbits where atmospheric drag models may not be adequate to achieve the required accuracy, aiding from an IMU (inertial measurement unit) or other sensor will be added. The KOOL approach is based on research JPL has done to allow signal recovery from weak and scintillating signals observed during the use of GPS signals for limb sounding of the Earth s atmosphere. That approach uses the onboard PVT (position, velocity, time) solution to generate predictions for the range, range rate, and acceleration of the low-SNR signal. The low- SNR signal data are captured by a directed open loop. KOOL builds on the previous open loop tracking by including feedback and observable generation from the weak-signal channels so that the MSR receiver will continue to track and provide PVT, range, and Doppler data, even when all channels have low SNR.

Detecting a Subsurface Ocean From Periodic Orbits at Enceladus

Science.gov (United States)

Casotto, S.; Padovan, S.; Russell, R. P.; Lara, M.

2008-12-01

from the tiger- stripes. Near-circular, low altitude highly inclined orbits with arbitrary initial conditions will impact Enceladus if uncontrolled in about 1 to 2 days. To reduce risk and station-keeping requirements we choose periodic orbits in the Hill's plus non-spherical Enceladus model. Despite the instability, the repeat ground track solutions represent equilibria in the dominant terms of the dynamics and therefore extend the uncontrolled lifetimes to ~7 to ~10 days. Round-trip transfers between the two orbital phases is expected to conservatively cost between ~50 and ~100 m/s. We use orbits of different altitudes and inclinations to simulate Earth-based ranging to the orbiter and altimeter measurements to the surface of Enceladus. The simulations are made assuming different tidal responses by adopting different values of the Love numbers. The synthetic measurements are then inverted and the tidal parameters h2 and k2 estimated. Results will be presented in terms of sensitivity of detection of Love numbers to the different orbital geometries. Indications will thus be provided for optimized orbit planning of future exploration missions aimed at investigating the internal structure of the satellite and the detection of its putative subcrustal ocean.

Space Shuttle Orbiter AFT heat shield seal

Science.gov (United States)

Walkover, L. J.

1979-01-01

The evolution of the orbiter aft heat shield seal (AHSS) design, which involved advancing mechanical seal technology in severe thermal environment is discussed. The baseline design, various improvements for engine access, and technical problem solution are presented. It is a structure and mechanism at the three main propulsion system (MPS) engine interfaces to the aft compartment structure. Access to each MPS engine requires disassembly and removal of the AHSS. Each AHSS accommodates the engine movement, is exposed to an extremely high temperature environment, and is part of the venting control of the aft compartment.

Angles-only relative orbit determination in low earth orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Ardaens, Jean-Sébastien; Gaias, Gabriella

2018-06-01

The paper provides an overview of the angles-only relative orbit determination activities conducted to support the Autonomous Vision Approach Navigation and Target Identification (AVANTI) experiment. This in-orbit endeavor was carried out by the German Space Operations Center (DLR/GSOC) in autumn 2016 to demonstrate the capability to perform spaceborne autonomous close-proximity operations using solely line-of-sight measurements. The images collected onboard have been reprocessed by an independent on-ground facility for precise relative orbit determination, which served as ultimate instance to monitor the formation safety and to characterize the onboard navigation and control performances. During two months, several rendezvous have been executed, generating a valuable collection of images taken at distances ranging from 50 km to only 50 m. Despite challenging experimental conditions characterized by a poor visibility and strong orbit perturbations, angles-only relative positioning products could be continuously derived throughout the whole experiment timeline, promising accuracy at the meter level during the close approaches. The results presented in the paper are complemented with former angles-only experience gained with the PRISMA satellites to better highlight the specificities induced by different orbits and satellite designs.

Meteoroid orbits from video meteors. The case of the Geminid stream

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hajduková jr., M.; Koten, Pavel; Kornoš, L.; Toth, J.

2017-01-01

Roč. 143, SI (2017), s. 89-98 ISSN 0032-0633. [Meteoroids 2016. Nordwijk, 06.06.2016-10.06.2016] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-25251S Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : meteors * meteoroid orbits * meteoroid streams Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics OBOR OECD: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science ) Impact factor: 1.892, year: 2016

Orbital fractures: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey M Joseph

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Jeffrey M Joseph, Ioannis P GlavasDivision of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, New York, NY, USAAbstract: This review of orbital fractures has three goals: 1 to understand the clinically relevant orbital anatomy with regard to periorbital trauma and orbital fractures, 2 to explain how to assess and examine a patient after periorbital trauma, and 3 to understand the medical and surgical management of orbital fractures. The article aims to summarize the evaluation and management of commonly encountered orbital fractures from the ophthalmologic perspective and to provide an overview for all practicing ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists in training.Keywords: orbit, trauma, fracture, orbital floor, medial wall, zygomatic, zygomatic complex, zmc fracture, zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures 

Orbital apex cyst: a rare cause of compressive optic neuropathy post-functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koh YN

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Yi Ni Koh,1,2 Shu Fen Ho,2 Letchumanan Pathma,3 Harvinder Singh,3 Embong Zunaina1 1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 2Department of Ophthalmology, 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia Abstract: There are various causes that can lead to compressive optic neuropathy. We present here orbital apex cyst as an unusual cause of compressive optic neuropathy in a 49-year-old male. He presented with 2 weeks painless loss of vision in the left eye with left-sided headache. He had had left functional endoscopic sinus surgery for left nasal polyps 4 years earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain and orbit revealed a left discrete orbital nodule, possibly orbital cyst or mucocele, which was compressing on the left optic nerve. Left eye vision improved markedly from hand movement to 6/36 pinhole 6/18 after initiation of intravenous dexamethasone. A subsequent endoscopic endonasal left optic nerve decompression found the orbital nodule lesion to be an orbital cyst. Marsupialization was performed instead of excision, as the cyst ruptured intraoperatively. Postoperative vision improved to 6/7.5 with normal optic nerve function postoperatively. Possible cause of orbital apex cyst is discussed. Keywords: orbital cyst, compressive optic neuropathy, functional endoscopic sinus surgery

RHIC 10 Hz global orbit feedback system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michnoff, R.; Arnold, L.; Carboni, L.; Cerniglia, P.; Curcio, A.; DeSanto, L.; Folz, C.; Ho, C.; Hoff, L.; Hulsart, R.; Karl, R.; Luo, Y.; Liu, C.; MacKay, W.; Mahler, G.; Meng, W.; Mernick, K.; Minty, M.; Montag, C.; Olsen, R.; Piacentino, J.; Popken, P.; Przybylinski, R.; Ptitsyn, V.; Ritter, J.; Schoenfeld, R.; Thieberger, P.; Tuozzolo, J.; Weston, A.; White, J.; Ziminski, P.; Zimmerman, P.

2011-01-01

Vibrations of the cryogenic triplet magnets at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are suspected to be causing the horizontal beam perturbations observed at frequencies around 10 Hz. Several solutions to counteract the effect have been considered in the past, including a local beam feedback system at each of the two experimental areas, reinforcing the magnet base support assembly, and a mechanical servo feedback system. However, the local feedback system was insufficient because perturbation amplitudes outside the experimental areas were still problematic, and the mechanical solutions are very expensive. A global 10 Hz orbit feedback system consisting of 36 beam position monitors (BPMs) and 12 small dedicated dipole corrector magnets in each of the two 3.8 km circumference counter-rotating rings has been developed and commissioned in February 2011. A description of the system architecture and results with beam will be discussed.

Quenching of orbital momentum by crystalline fields in a multichannel Kondo impurity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlottmann, P.; Lee, K.

1995-01-01

We consider an impurity of spin S interacting via an isotropic spin exchange with conduction electrons of spin 1/2. The conduction electrons can be in n different orbital channels. We assume that crystalline fields split the orbital degrees of freedom into two multiplets, the one with lower energy consisting of n * orbitals and the one of higher energy of n-n * orbitals. The exchange coupling is the same for all channels. We derive the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations for this model and discuss the ground-state properties of the impurity as a function of the spin S and the magnetic field. The solution of the ground-state Bethe ansatz equations is obtained numerically. Three situations have to be distinguished when the magnetic field is small compared to the Kondo temperature: (i) If S=n/2 or S=n * /2 the conduction electrons exactly compensate the impurity spin into a singlet ground state, (ii) if S>n/2 the impurity is undercompensated, i.e., only partially compensated leaving an effective spin S-n/2 at low temperatures, and (iii) in all other cases the impurity spin is overcompensated giving rise to critical behavior. The quenching of the orbits by the crystalline field dramatically affects the cases S * /2

Peripheral orbit model

CERN Document Server

Hara, Yasuo

1975-01-01

Peripheral orbit model, in which an incoming hadron is assumed to revolve in a peripheral orbit around a target hadron, is discussed. The non-diffractive parts of two-body reaction amplitudes of hadrons are expressed in terms of the radius, width an absorptivity of the orbit. The radius of the orbit is about 1 fm and the width of the orbit is determined by the range of the interaction between the hadrons. The model reproduces all available experimental data on differential cross-sections and polarizations of $K^{-}p\\to K^{-}p$ and $\\bar K^{\\circ}n$ reactions for all angles successfully. This contribution is not included in the proceedings since it will appear in Progress of Theoretical Physics Vol. 51 (1974) No 2. Any person interested in the subject may apply for reprints to the author.

Orbital apex syndrome associated with fractures of the inferomedial orbital wall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugamata A

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Akira SugamataDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, JapanAbstract: Although trauma is one of the main causes of orbital apex syndrome (OAS, reports of OAS associated with orbital fractures are relatively rare. We recently treated two patients who sustained severe visual impairment with damage to multiple cranial nerves (third to sixth associated with inferomedial orbital wall fractures. In these patients, posterior movement of the globe caused neuropathy of the cranial and optic nerves by posterior globe edema and hemorrhage, or direct impact between the globe and wall, which might then have induced OAS in the cases described in this report. Steroid therapy was unsuccessful for optic neuropathy due to the delay between injury and administration. When treating patients with inferomedial orbital blowout fractures due to globe-to-wall contact, it is necessary to routinely assess and monitor visual acuity since there may be a delay between the injury and OAS onset.Keywords: orbital apex syndrome, orbital fracture, blowout fracture, optic nerve, globe-to-wall contact mechanism

Orbit Refinement of Asteroids and Comets Using a Robotic Telescope Network

Science.gov (United States)

Lantz Caughey, Austin; Brown, Johnny; Puckett, Andrew W.; Hoette, Vivian L.; Johnson, Michael; McCarty, Cameron B.; Whitmore, Kevin; UNC-Chapel Hill SKYNET Team

2016-01-01

We report on a multi-semester project to refine the orbits of asteroids and comets in our Solar System. One of the newest fields of research for undergraduate Astrophysics students at Columbus State University is that of asteroid astrometry. By measuring the positions of an asteroid in a set of images, we can reduce the overall uncertainty in the accepted orbital parameters of that object. These measurements, using our WestRock Observatory (WRO) and several other telescopes around the world, are being published through the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and benefit the global community.Three different methods are used to obtain these observations. First, we use our own 24-inch telescope at WRO, located in at CSU's Coca-Cola Space Science Center in downtown Columbus, Georgia . Second, we have access to data from the 20-inch telescope at Stone Edge Observatory in El Verano, California. Finally, we may request images remotely using Skynet, an online worldwide network of robotic telescopes. Our primary and long-time collaborator on Skynet has been the "41-inch" reflecting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Thus far, we have used these various telescopes to refine the orbits of more than 15 asteroids and comets. We have also confirmed the resulting reduction in orbit-model uncertainties using Monte Carlo simulations and orbit visualizations, using Find_Orb and OrbitMaster software, respectively.Before any observatory site can be used for official orbit refinement projects, it must first become a trusted source of astrometry data for the MPC. We have therefore obtained Observatory Codes not only for our own WestRock Observatory (W22), but also for 3 Skynet telescopes that we may use in the future: Dark Sky Observatory in Boone, North Carolina (W38) Hume Observatory in Santa Rosa, California (U54) and Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory in Athabasca, Alberta, Canada (U96).

Managing globally distributed expertise with new competence management solutions a big-science collaboration as a pilot case.

CERN Document Server

Ferguson, J; Livan, M; Nordberg, M; Salmia, T; Vuola, O

2003-01-01

In today's global organisations and networks, a critical factor for effective innovation and project execution is appropriate competence and skills management. The challenges include selection of strategic competences, competence development, and leveraging the competences and skills to drive innovation and collaboration for shared goals. This paper presents a new industrial web-enabled competence management and networking solution and its implementation and piloting in a complex big-science environment of globally distributed competences.

Orbit error characteristic and distribution of TLE using CHAMP orbit data

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiao-li; Xiong, Yong-qing

2018-02-01

Space object orbital covariance data is required for collision risk assessments, but publicly accessible two line element (TLE) data does not provide orbital error information. This paper compared historical TLE data and GPS precision ephemerides of CHAMP to assess TLE orbit accuracy from 2002 to 2008, inclusive. TLE error spatial variations with longitude and latitude were calculated to analyze error characteristics and distribution. The results indicate that TLE orbit data are systematically biased from the limited SGP4 model. The biases can reach the level of kilometers, and the sign and magnitude are correlate significantly with longitude.

An Orbit Propagation Software for Mars Orbiting Spacecraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Joo Song

2004-12-01

Full Text Available An orbit propagation software for the Mars orbiting spacecraft has been developed and verified in preparations for the future Korean Mars missions. Dynamic model for Mars orbiting spacecraft has been studied, and Mars centered coordinate systems are utilized to express spacecraft state vectors. Coordinate corrections to the Mars centered coordinate system have been made to adjust the effects caused by Mars precession and nutation. After spacecraft enters Sphere of Influence (SOI of the Mars, the spacecraft experiences various perturbation effects as it approaches to Mars. Every possible perturbation effect is considered during integrations of spacecraft state vectors. The Mars50c gravity field model and the Mars-GRAM 2001 model are used to compute perturbation effects due to Mars gravity field and Mars atmospheric drag, respectively. To compute exact locations of other planets, JPL's DE405 ephemerides are used. Phobos and Deimos's ephemeris are computed using analytical method because their informations are not released with DE405. Mars Global Surveyor's mapping orbital data are used to verify the developed propagator performances. After one Martian day propagation (12 orbital periods, the results show about maximum ±5 meter errors, in every position state components(radial, cross-track and along-track, when compared to these from the Astrogator propagation in the Satellite Tool Kit. This result shows high reliability of the developed software which can be used to design near Mars missions for Korea, in future.

Limitations of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Wave Observations in Low Earth Orbit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junga Hwang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Pc1 pulsations are geomagnetic fluctuations in the frequency range of 0.2 to 5 Hz. There have been several observations of Pc1 pulsations in low earth orbit by MAGSAT, DE-2, Viking, Freja, CHAMP, and SWARM satellites. However, there has been a clear limitation in resolving the spatial and temporal variations of the pulsation by using a single-point observation by a single satellite. To overcome such limitations of previous observations, a new space mission was recently initiated, using the concept of multi-satellites, named the Small scale magNetospheric and Ionospheric Plasma Experiments (SNIPE. The SNIPE mission consists of four nanosatellites (~10 kg, which will be launched into a polar orbit at an altitude of 600 km (TBD in 2020. Four satellites will be deployed in orbit, and the distances between each satellite will be controlled from 10 to 1,000 km by a high-end formation-flying algorithm. One of the possible science targets of the SNIPE mission is observing electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC waves. In this paper, we report on examples of observations, showing the limitations of previous EMIC observations in low earth orbit, and suggest possibilities to overcome those limitations through a new mission.

Managment of orbital complications of sinusitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkurt, Fazil Emre; Ozkurt, Zeynep Gursel; Gul, Aylin; Akdag, Mehmet; Sengul, Engin; Yilmaz, Beyhan; Yuksel, Harun; Meric, Faruk

2014-10-01

Purpose: We reported on the clinical approaches of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology departments in the treatment of the orbital complications of sinusitis. We also included an in-depth literature review. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical files of 51 patients from January 2008 to January 2014. The records were evaluated for age, gender, type of orbital complications, symptoms, predisposing factors, imaging studies, medical and surgical management, culture results, and follow-up information. SPSS version 15.0 software (Statistical Analysis, The Statistical Package for Social Sciences Inc, Chicago, IL) was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Fifty-one patients met the criteria, with available medical records, for the study (29 male, 22 female). Thirty-two (62.7%) were diagnosed with preseptal cellulitis and 19 (37.3%) with postseptal cellulitis. After a detailed evaluation, 15 were diagnosed with a subperiosteal abscess (SPA), and 4 were diagnosed with orbital cellulitis. The age and gender was similar for the two groups. Five patients with medial SPA were treated with endoscopic sinus surgery, one patient with inferior SPA was treated with external surgery, and six patients with other localizations were treated with a combination of endoscopic sinus surgery and external surgery. All patients presented with periorbital erythema and edema. The length of hospitalization and duration of symptoms were similar in both groups. Visual acuity was between 1/10 to 10/10 (mean 7/10) and statistically significant for preseptal and postseptal cellulitis groups (p<0.001). All patients received intravenous antibiotics upon the first day of admission. Conclusion: Orbital complications of acute sinusitis required intensive follow-up and a multidisciplinary approach. A contrast-enhanced paranasal sinus computerized tomography (CT) scan can detect the extent of the infection. An initial trial of intravenosus (IV) antibiotics may be appropriate when close

Managment of orbital complications of sinusitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fazil Emre Ozkurt

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: We reported on the clinical approaches of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology departments in the treatment of the orbital complications of sinusitis. We also included an in-depth literature review. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical files of 51 patients from January 2008 to January 2014. The records were evaluated for age, gender, type of orbital complications, symptoms, predisposing factors, imaging studies, medical and surgical management, culture results, and follow-up information. SPSS version 15.0 software (Statistical Analysis, The Statistical Package for Social Sciences Inc, Chicago, IL was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Fifty-one patients met the criteria, with available medical records, for the study (29 male, 22 female. Thirty-two (62.7% were diagnosed with preseptal cellulitis and 19 (37.3% with postseptal cellulitis. After a detailed evaluation, 15 were diagnosed with a subperiosteal abscess (SPA, and 4 were diagnosed with orbital cellulitis. The age and gender was similar for the two groups. Five patients with medial SPA were treated with endoscopic sinus surgery, one patient with inferior SPA was treated with external surgery, and six patients with other localizations were treated with a combination of endoscopic sinus surgery and external surgery. All patients presented with periorbital erythema and edema. The length of hospitalization and duration of symptoms were similar in both groups. Visual acuity was between 1/10 to 10/10 (mean 7/10 and statistically significant for preseptal and postseptal cellulitis groups (p<0.001. All patients received intravenous antibiotics upon the first day of admission. Conclusion: Orbital complications of acute sinusitis required intensive follow-up and a multidisciplinary approach. A contrast-enhanced paranasal sinus computerized tomography (CT scan can detect the extent of the infection. An initial trial of intravenosus (IV antibiotics may be appropriate when

Development of an Architecture of Sun-Synchronous Orbital Slots to Minimize Conjunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Weeden, B.

Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) satellites serve many important functions, primarily in the areas of Earth reconnaissance and weather. The orbital parameters of altitude, inclination and right ascension which allow for the unique utility of Sun-sync orbit limit these satellites to a very specific region of space. The popularity of these satellite missions combined with the use of similar engineering solutions has resulted in the majority of current Sun-sync satellites within this region having very similar inclinations and altitudes while also spaced around the Equator in right ascension, creating the opportunity for conjunctions at the polar crossing points and a serious safety issue that could endanger long-term sustainability of SSO. This paper outlines the development of a new architecture of SSO zoning to create specific slots separating SSO satellites in altitude, right ascension and time at all orbital intersections while minimizing the limitations on utility. A methodical approach for the development of the system is presented along with the work-to-date and a software tool for calculating repeating ground track orbits. The slot system is intended to allow for continued utility of and safe operation within SSO while greatly decreasing the chance of collisions at orbital intersections. This architecture is put forward as one possible element of a new Space Traffic Management (STM) system with the overall goal of maintaining the safe and continued used of space by all actors.

Orbital Elements and Period Variation of the Eclipsing Binary T LMi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyu-Dong Oh

1987-12-01

Full Text Available A photometric solutions of T LMi were derived with derived with the Wilson and Devinney model using the BV photoelectric light curves of Okazaki(1977 and orbital period changes are discussed from the all of the collected times of minima available in the literature. We obtained a variation with a period of 62.y01 and an amplitude of 0.d0425 form the (O-C diagram. According to the physical properties of T LMi on the basis of derived photometric solution, it have a doubt the credibility of the existence of "R CMs type".

Hierarchy of model Kohn–Sham potentials for orbital-dependent functionals: A practical alternative to the optimized effective potential method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohut, Sviataslau V.; Staroverov, Viktor N.; Ryabinkin, Ilya G.

2014-01-01

We describe a method for constructing a hierarchy of model potentials approximating the functional derivative of a given orbital-dependent exchange-correlation functional with respect to electron density. Each model is derived by assuming a particular relationship between the self-consistent solutions of Kohn–Sham (KS) and generalized Kohn–Sham (GKS) equations for the same functional. In the KS scheme, the functional is differentiated with respect to density, in the GKS scheme—with respect to orbitals. The lowest-level approximation is the orbital-averaged effective potential (OAEP) built with the GKS orbitals. The second-level approximation, termed the orbital-consistent effective potential (OCEP), is based on the assumption that the KS and GKS orbitals are the same. It has the form of the OAEP plus a correction term. The highest-level approximation is the density-consistent effective potential (DCEP), derived under the assumption that the KS and GKS electron densities are equal. The analytic expression for a DCEP is the OCEP formula augmented with kinetic-energy-density-dependent terms. In the case of exact-exchange functional, the OAEP is the Slater potential, the OCEP is roughly equivalent to the localized Hartree–Fock approximation and related models, and the DCEP is practically indistinguishable from the true optimized effective potential for exact exchange. All three levels of the proposed hierarchy require solutions of the GKS equations as input and have the same affordable computational cost

A decision science approach for integrating social science in climate and energy solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; Krishnamurti, Tamar; Davis, Alex; Schwartz, Daniel; Fischhoff, Baruch

2016-06-01

The social and behavioural sciences are critical for informing climate- and energy-related policies. We describe a decision science approach to applying those sciences. It has three stages: formal analysis of decisions, characterizing how well-informed actors should view them; descriptive research, examining how people actually behave in such circumstances; and interventions, informed by formal analysis and descriptive research, designed to create attractive options and help decision-makers choose among them. Each stage requires collaboration with technical experts (for example, climate scientists, geologists, power systems engineers and regulatory analysts), as well as continuing engagement with decision-makers. We illustrate the approach with examples from our own research in three domains related to mitigating climate change or adapting to its effects: preparing for sea-level rise, adopting smart grid technologies in homes, and investing in energy efficiency for office buildings. The decision science approach can facilitate creating climate- and energy-related policies that are behaviourally informed, realistic and respectful of the people whom they seek to aid.

Nontraumatic orbital roof encephalocele.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Amber; Maugans, Todd; Ngo, Thang; Ikeda, Jamie

2017-02-01

Intraorbital meningoencephaloceles occur most commonly as a complication of traumatic orbital roof fractures. Nontraumatic congenital orbital meningoncephaloceles are very rare, with most secondary to destructive processes affecting the orbit and primary skull defects. Treatment for intraorbital meningoencephaloceles is surgical repair, involving the excision of herniated brain parenchyma and meninges and reconstruction of the osseous defect. Most congenital lesions present in infancy with obvious globe and orbital deformities; we report an orbital meningoencephalocele in a 3-year-old girl who presented with ptosis. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Delphi-Based Framework for systems architecting of in-orbit exploration infrastructure for human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Aliakbargolkar, Alessandro; Crawley, Edward F.

2014-01-01

The current debate in the U.S. Human Spaceflight Program focuses on the development of the next generation of man-rated heavy lift launch vehicles. While launch vehicle systems are of critical importance for future exploration, a comprehensive analysis of the entire exploration infrastructure is required to avoid costly pitfalls at early stages of the design process. This paper addresses this need by presenting a Delphi-Based Systems Architecting Framework for integrated architectural analysis of future in-orbit infrastructure for human space exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The paper is structured in two parts. The first part consists of an expert elicitation study to identify objectives for the in-space transportation infrastructure. The study was conducted between November 2011 and January 2012 with 15 senior experts involved in human spaceflight in the United States and Europe. The elicitation study included the formation of three expert panels representing exploration, science, and policy stakeholders engaged in a 3-round Delphi study. The rationale behind the Delphi approach, as imported from social science research, is discussed. Finally, a novel version of the Delphi method is presented and applied to technical decision-making and systems architecting in the context of human space exploration. The second part of the paper describes a tradespace exploration study of in-orbit infrastructure coupled with a requirements definition exercise informed by expert elicitation. The uncertainties associated with technical requirements and stakeholder goals are explicitly considered in the analysis. The outcome of the expert elicitation process portrays an integrated view of perceived stakeholder needs within the human spaceflight community. Needs are subsequently converted into requirements and coupled to the system architectures of interest to analyze the correlation between exploration, science, and policy goals. Pareto analysis is used to identify architectures

Orbital angular momentum of general astigmatic modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visser, Jorrit; Nienhuis, Gerard

2004-01-01

We present an operator method to obtain complete sets of astigmatic Gaussian solutions of the paraxial wave equation. In case of general astigmatism, the astigmatic intensity and phase distribution of the fundamental mode differ in orientation. As a consequence, the fundamental mode has a nonzero orbital angular momentum, which is not due to phase singularities. Analogous to the operator method for the quantum harmonic oscillator, the corresponding astigmatic higher-order modes are obtained by repeated application of raising operators on the fundamental mode. The nature of the higher-order modes is characterized by a point on a sphere, in analogy with the representation of polarization on the Poincare sphere. The north and south poles represent astigmatic Laguerre-Gaussian modes, similar to circular polarization on the Poincare sphere, while astigmatic Hermite-Gaussian modes are associated with points on the equator, analogous to linear polarization. We discuss the propagation properties of the modes and their orbital angular momentum, which depends on the degree of astigmatism and on the location of the point on the sphere

An Artificial Gravity Spacecraft Approach which Minimizes Mass, Fuel and Orbital Assembly Reg

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, L.

2002-01-01

The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) is undertaking a multi-year research and design study that is exploring near and long-term commercial space development opportunities. Space tourism in low-Earth orbit (LEO), and possibly beyond LEO, comprises one business element of this plan. Supported by a financial gift from the owner of a national U.S. hotel chain, SICSA has examined opportunities, requirements and facility concepts to accommodate up to 100 private citizens and crewmembers in LEO, as well as on lunar/planetary rendezvous voyages. SICSA's artificial gravity Science Excursion Vehicle ("AGSEV") design which is featured in this presentation was conceived as an option for consideration to enable round-trip travel to Moon and Mars orbits and back from LEO. During the course of its development, the AGSEV would also serve other important purposes. An early assembly stage would provide an orbital science and technology testbed for artificial gravity demonstration experiments. An ultimate mature stage application would carry crews of up to 12 people on Mars rendezvous missions, consuming approximately the same propellant mass required for lunar excursions. Since artificial gravity spacecraft that rotate to create centripetal accelerations must have long spin radii to limit adverse effects of Coriolis forces upon inhabitants, SICSA's AGSEV design embodies a unique tethered body concept which is highly efficient in terms of structural mass and on-orbit assembly requirements. The design also incorporates "inflatable" as well as "hard" habitat modules to optimize internal volume/mass relationships. Other important considerations and features include: maximizing safety through element and system redundancy; means to avoid destabilizing mass imbalances throughout all construction and operational stages; optimizing ease of on-orbit servicing between missions; and maximizing comfort and performance through careful attention to human needs. A

Intertwining solutions for magnetic relativistic Hartree type equations

Science.gov (United States)

Cingolani, Silvia; Secchi, Simone

2018-05-01

We consider the magnetic pseudo-relativistic Schrödinger equation where , m  >  0, is an external continuous scalar potential, is a continuous vector potential and is a convolution kernel, is a constant, , . We assume that A and V are symmetric with respect to a closed subgroup G of the group of orthogonal linear transformations of . If for any , the cardinality of the G-orbit of x is infinite, then we prove the existence of infinitely many intertwining solutions assuming that is either linear in x or uniformly bounded. The results are proved by means of a new local realization of the square root of the magnetic laplacian to a local elliptic operator with Neumann boundary condition on a half-space. Moreover we derive an existence result of a ground state intertwining solution for bounded vector potentials, if G admits a finite orbit.

E-Orbit Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Patera

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We review and further develop the theory of $E$-orbit functions. They are functions on the Euclidean space $E_n$ obtained from the multivariate exponential function by symmetrization by means of an even part $W_{e}$ of a Weyl group $W$, corresponding to a Coxeter-Dynkin diagram. Properties of such functions are described. They are closely related to symmetric and antisymmetric orbit functions which are received from exponential functions by symmetrization and antisymmetrization procedure by means of a Weyl group $W$. The $E$-orbit functions, determined by integral parameters, are invariant withrespect to even part $W^{aff}_{e}$ of the affine Weyl group corresponding to $W$. The $E$-orbit functions determine a symmetrized Fourier transform, where these functions serve as a kernel of the transform. They also determine a transform on a finite set of points of the fundamental domain $F^{e}$ of the group $W^{aff}_{e}$ (the discrete $E$-orbit function transform.

Regional positioning using a low Earth orbit satellite constellation

Science.gov (United States)

Shtark, Tomer; Gurfil, Pini

2018-02-01

Global and regional satellite navigation systems are constellations orbiting the Earth and transmitting radio signals for determining position and velocity of users around the globe. The state-of-the-art navigation satellite systems are located in medium Earth orbits and geosynchronous Earth orbits and are characterized by high launching, building and maintenance costs. For applications that require only regional coverage, the continuous and global coverage that existing systems provide may be unnecessary. Thus, a nano-satellites-based regional navigation satellite system in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with significantly reduced launching, building and maintenance costs, can be considered. Thus, this paper is aimed at developing a LEO constellation optimization and design method, using genetic algorithms and gradient-based optimization. The preliminary results of this study include 268 LEO constellations, aimed at regional navigation in an approximately 1000 km × 1000 km area centered at the geographic coordinates [30, 30] degrees. The constellations performance is examined using simulations, and the figures of merit include total coverage time, revisit time, and geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) percentiles. The GDOP is a quantity that determines the positioning solution accuracy and solely depends on the spatial geometry of the satellites. Whereas the optimization method takes into account only the Earth's second zonal harmonic coefficient, the simulations include the Earth's gravitational field with zonal and tesseral harmonics up to degree 10 and order 10, Solar radiation pressure, drag, and the lunisolar gravitational perturbation.

Congenital orbital encephalocele, orbital dystopia, and exophthalmos.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Kun; Kim, Han Joon

2012-07-01

We present here an exceedingly rare variant of a nonmidline basal encephalocele of the spheno-orbital type, and this was accompanied with orbital dystopia in a 56-year-old man. On examination, his left eye was located more inferolaterally than his right eye, and the patient said this had been this way since his birth. The protrusion of his left eye was aggravated when he is tired. His naked visual acuity was 0.7/0.3, and the ocular pressure was 14/12 mm Hg. The exophthalmometry was 10/14 to 16 mm. His eyeball motion was not restricted, yet diplopia was present in all directions. The distance from the midline to the medial canthus was 20/15 mm. The distance from the midline to the midpupillary line was 35/22 mm. The vertical dimension of the palpebral fissure was 12/9 mm. The height difference of the upper eyelid margin was 11 mm, and the height difference of the lower eyelid margin was 8 mm. Facial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed left sphenoid wing hypoplasia and herniation of the left anterior temporal pole and dura mater into the orbit, and this resulted into left exophthalmos and encephalomalacia in the left anterior temporal pole. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the second case of basal encephalocele and orbital dystopia.

Quantum-orbit theory of high-order atomic processes in strong fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milosevic, D.B.

2005-01-01

Full text: Atoms submitted to strong laser fields can emit electrons and photons of very high energies. These processes find a highly intuitive and also quantitative explanation in terms of Feynman's path integral and the concept of quantum orbits. The quantum-orbit formalism is particularly useful for high-order atomic processes in strong laser fields. For such multi-step processes there is an intermediate step during which the electron is approximately under the influence of the laser field only and can absorb energy from the field. This leads to the appearance of the plateau structures in the emitted electron or photon spectra. Usual examples of such processes are high-order harmonic generation (HHG) and high-order above threshold ionization (HATI). These structures were also observed in high-order above-threshold detachment, laser-assisted x-ray-atom scattering, laser-assisted electron-ion recombination, and electron-atom scattering. We will present high-order strong-field approximation (SFA) and show how the quantum-orbit formalism follows from it. This will be done for various above-mentioned processes. For HHG a classification of quantum orbits will be given [10) and generalized to the presence of a static field. The low-energy part of the HHG spectra and the enhancement of HHG near the channel closings can be explained taking into account a large number of quantum orbits. For HATI we will concentrate on the case of few-cycle laser pulse. The influence of the carrier-envelope relative phase on the HATI spectrum can easily be explained in terms of quantum orbits. The SFA and the quantum-orbit results will be compared with the results obtained by Dieter Bauer using ab initio solutions of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. It will be shown that the Coulomb effects are important for low-energy electron spectra. Refs. 11 (author)

Measurement of orbital volume by computed tomography. Especially on the growth of orbit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furuta, Minoru [Fukushima Medical Coll. (Japan)

2000-10-01

Using reconstructed X-ray computed tomography (CT) images of serial coronal sections, we measured the orbital volume and studied its changes with age. The subjects consisted of 109 patients (74 males, 35 females) who had undergone X-ray CT. After the reproducibility of orbital volume measurements and laterality in individuals were confirmed, the relation between the orbital volume and the age, sex, weight, and interlateral orbital rim distance were examined. The difference between two measurements in the same patients was 0.4% for measured volume, which showed the reproducibility of this measurement to be good. The laterality in individuals was 0.06 cm{sup 3}: this difference was very small and not significant. The orbital volume showed no unbalance between the right and left at any stage of growth. Both the height and the interlateral orbital rim distance had a strong correlation with the orbital volume. Referring to the relation between age and orbital volume, a strong correlation with an almost identical approximate equation was obtained for both sexes under 12 years of age. Presumably, the rapid growth of the orbit comes to an end by 15 years of age in males and 11 years in females. This means that more than 95% growth of adults has already been completed in the first half of the teens. The mean orbital volume in adult Japanese is 23.6{+-}2.0 (mean{+-}standard deviation) cm{sup 3} in males and 20.9{+-}1.3 cm{sup 3} in females. (author)

Measurement of orbital volume by computed tomography. Especially on the growth of orbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, Minoru

2000-01-01

Using reconstructed X-ray computed tomography (CT) images of serial coronal sections, we measured the orbital volume and studied its changes with age. The subjects consisted of 109 patients (74 males, 35 females) who had undergone X-ray CT. After the reproducibility of orbital volume measurements and laterality in individuals were confirmed, the relation between the orbital volume and the age, sex, weight, and interlateral orbital rim distance were examined. The difference between two measurements in the same patients was 0.4% for measured volume, which showed the reproducibility of this measurement to be good. The laterality in individuals was 0.06 cm 3 : this difference was very small and not significant. The orbital volume showed no unbalance between the right and left at any stage of growth. Both the height and the interlateral orbital rim distance had a strong correlation with the orbital volume. Referring to the relation between age and orbital volume, a strong correlation with an almost identical approximate equation was obtained for both sexes under 12 years of age. Presumably, the rapid growth of the orbit comes to an end by 15 years of age in males and 11 years in females. This means that more than 95% growth of adults has already been completed in the first half of the teens. The mean orbital volume in adult Japanese is 23.6±2.0 (mean±standard deviation) cm 3 in males and 20.9±1.3 cm 3 in females. (author)

Heavy ion composition in the inner heliosphere: Predictions for Solar Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Lepri, S. T.; Livi, S. A.; Galvin, A. B.; Kistler, L. M.; Raines, J. M.; Allegrini, F.; Collier, M. R.; Zurbuchen, T.

2014-12-01

The Heavy Ion Sensor (HIS) on SO, with its high time resolution, will provide the first ever solar wind and surpathermal heavy ion composition and 3D velocity distribution function measurements inside the orbit of Mercury. These measurements will provide us the most in depth examination of the origin, structure and evolution of the solar wind. The near co-rotation phases of the orbiter will enable the most accurate mapping of in-situ structures back to their solar sources. Measurements of solar wind composition and heavy ion kinetic properties enable characterization of the sources, transport mechanisms and acceleration processes of the solar wind. This presentation will focus on the current state of in-situ studies of heavy ions in the solar wind and their implications for the sources of the solar wind, the nature of structure and variability in the solar wind, and the acceleration of particles. Additionally, we will also discuss opportunities for coordinated measurements across the payloads of Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe in order to answer key outstanding science questions of central interest to the Solar and Heliophysics communities.

Low-Cost 3D Printing Orbital Implant Templates in Secondary Orbital Reconstructions.

Science.gov (United States)

Callahan, Alison B; Campbell, Ashley A; Petris, Carisa; Kazim, Michael

Despite its increasing use in craniofacial reconstructions, three-dimensional (3D) printing of customized orbital implants has not been widely adopted. Limitations include the cost of 3D printers able to print in a biocompatible material suitable for implantation in the orbit and the breadth of available implant materials. The authors report the technique of low-cost 3D printing of orbital implant templates used in complex, often secondary, orbital reconstructions. A retrospective case series of 5 orbital reconstructions utilizing a technique of 3D printed orbital implant templates is presented. Each patient's Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine data were uploaded and processed to create 3D renderings upon which a customized implant was designed and sent electronically to printers open for student use at our affiliated institutions. The mock implants were sterilized and used intraoperatively as a stencil and mold. The final implant material was chosen by the surgeons based on the requirements of the case. Five orbital reconstructions were performed with this technique: 3 tumor reconstructions and 2 orbital fractures. Four of the 5 cases were secondary reconstructions. Molded Medpor Titan (Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI) implants were used in 4 cases and titanium mesh in 1 case. The stenciled and molded implants were adjusted no more than 2 times before anchored in place (mean 1). No case underwent further revision. The technique and cases presented demonstrate 1) the feasibility and accessibility of low-cost, independent use of 3D printing technology to fashion patient-specific implants in orbital reconstructions, 2) the ability to apply this technology to the surgeon's preference of any routinely implantable material, and 3) the utility of this technique in complex, secondary reconstructions.

The EUI Data Center at the Royal Observatory of Belgium: challenges and solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Verbeeck, Cis; Stegen, Koen; Berghmans, David; West, Matthew; Kraaikamp, Emil; Gissot, Samuel; Giordanengo, Boris; Nicula, Bogdan

ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission is conceived to perform a close-up study of the Sun and the inner heliosphere. With a perihelion close at 0.29 AU and a maximum aphelion at about 0.85 AU, Solar Orbiter ventures closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before. Furthermore, about 3 years after launch, the spacecraft will begin an out-of-ecliptic phase, with inclinations gradually increasing up to 30 degrees. Solar Orbiter will be launched in 2017 and its nominal mission will last until 2024 (with the possibility of an extended mission until 2026). It will provide unique data and imagery of the Sun. The Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) suite onboard Solar Orbiter is composed of two High Resolution Imagers (HRI, one at Lyman-alpha and one at 174 Angstrom), and one dual band Full-Sun imager (FSI) working alternatively at the 174 and 304 Angstrom EUV passbands. The EUI Data Center (EDC), under PI supervision and located at the Royal Observatory of Belgium (Brussels), will be the single point of contact for instrument planning activities and for data deliveries to the Solar Orbiter archive at ESAC (Madrid), and is currently in its design phase. The EUI Data Center will be responsible for delivery to ESAC and the maintenance of the pipeline software that will process EUI data from telemetry packets to higher level data products. It will also ensure the delivery of these data products to the Solar Orbiter Data Archive, and maintain the instrument user manual that documents the processing of EUI non-science TM packets at ESOC (Darmstadt). The EDC will monitor any anomaly affecting the EUI instrument and produce on a regular basis the Instrument Operations Reports including an instrument health and science performance review. Here, we present an overview of the EDC and how it envisages to tackle some specific challenges. Since EUI will only observe during three “science windows” of 10 days each per orbit of about 165 days and in view of a severely limited telemetry, it is

Numerical Algorithms for Precise and Efficient Orbit Propagation and Positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Ben K.

Motivated by the growing space catalog and the demands for precise orbit determination with shorter latency for science and reconnaissance missions, this research improves the computational performance of orbit propagation through more efficient and precise numerical integration and frame transformation implementations. Propagation of satellite orbits is required for astrodynamics applications including mission design, orbit determination in support of operations and payload data analysis, and conjunction assessment. Each of these applications has somewhat different requirements in terms of accuracy, precision, latency, and computational load. This dissertation develops procedures to achieve various levels of accuracy while minimizing computational cost for diverse orbit determination applications. This is done by addressing two aspects of orbit determination: (1) numerical integration used for orbit propagation and (2) precise frame transformations necessary for force model evaluation and station coordinate rotations. This dissertation describes a recently developed method for numerical integration, dubbed Bandlimited Collocation Implicit Runge-Kutta (BLC-IRK), and compare its efficiency in propagating orbits to existing techniques commonly used in astrodynamics. The BLC-IRK scheme uses generalized Gaussian quadratures for bandlimited functions. It requires significantly fewer force function evaluations than explicit Runge-Kutta schemes and approaches the efficiency of the 8th-order Gauss-Jackson multistep method. Converting between the Geocentric Celestial Reference System (GCRS) and International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) is necessary for many applications in astrodynamics, such as orbit propagation, orbit determination, and analyzing geoscience data from satellite missions. This dissertation provides simplifications to the Celestial Intermediate Origin (CIO) transformation scheme and Earth orientation parameter (EOP) storage for use in positioning and

VLT/SPHERE robust astrometry of the HR8799 planets at milliarcsecond-level accuracy. Orbital architecture analysis with PyAstrOFit

Science.gov (United States)

Wertz, O.; Absil, O.; Gómez González, C. A.; Milli, J.; Girard, J. H.; Mawet, D.; Pueyo, L.

2017-02-01

Context. HR8799 is orbited by at least four giant planets, making it a prime target for the recently commissioned Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (VLT/SPHERE). As such, it was observed on five consecutive nights during the SPHERE science verification in December 2014. Aims: We aim to take full advantage of the SPHERE capabilities to derive accurate astrometric measurements based on H-band images acquired with the Infra-Red Dual-band Imaging and Spectroscopy (IRDIS) subsystem, and to explore the ultimate astrometric performance of SPHERE in this observing mode. We also aim to present a detailed analysis of the orbital parameters for the four planets. Methods: We performed thorough post-processing of the IRDIS images with the Vortex Imaging Processing (VIP) package to derive a robust astrometric measurement for the four planets. This includes the identification and careful evaluation of the different contributions to the error budget, including systematic errors. Combining our astrometric measurements with the ones previously published in the literature, we constrain the orbital parameters of the four planets using PyAstrOFit, our new open-source python package dedicated to orbital fitting using Bayesian inference with Monte-Carlo Markov Chain sampling. Results: We report the astrometric positions for epoch 2014.93 with an accuracy down to 2.0 mas, mainly limited by the astrometric calibration of IRDIS. For each planet, we derive the posterior probability density functions for the six Keplerian elements and identify sets of highly probable orbits. For planet d, there is clear evidence for nonzero eccentricity (e 0.35), without completely excluding solutions with smaller eccentricities. The three other planets are consistent with circular orbits, although their probability distributions spread beyond e = 0.2, and show a peak at e ≃ 0.1 for planet e. The four planets have consistent inclinations of approximately 30° with respect to the sky

Spacelab Life Sciences-1

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Bonnie P.; Jahns, Gary; Meylor, John; Hawes, Nikki; Fast, Tom N.; Zarow, Greg

1995-01-01

This report provides an historical overview of the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission along with the resultant biomaintenance data and investigators' findings. Only the nonhuman elements, developed by Ames Research Center (ARC) researchers, are addressed herein. The STS-40 flight of SLS-1, in June 1991, was the first spacelab flown after 'return to orbit', it was also the first spacelab mission specifically designated as a Life Sciences Spacelab. The experiments performed provided baseline data for both hardware and rodents used in succeeding missions.

Stable low-altitude orbits around Ganymede considering a disturbing body in a circular orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso dos Santos, J.; Carvalho, J. P. S.; Vilhena de Moraes, R.

2014-10-01

Some missions are being planned to visit Ganymede like the Europa Jupiter System Mission that is a cooperation between NASA and ESA to insert the spacecraft JGO (Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter) into Ganymedes orbit. This comprehension of the dynamics of these orbits around this planetary satellite is essential for the success of this type of mission. Thus, this work aims to perform a search for low-altitude orbits around Ganymede. An emphasis is given in polar orbits and it can be useful in the planning of space missions to be conducted around, with respect to the stability of orbits of artificial satellites. The study considers orbits of artificial satellites around Ganymede under the influence of the third-body (Jupiter's gravitational attraction) and the polygenic perturbations like those due to non-uniform distribution of mass (J_2 and J_3) of the main body. A simplified dynamic model for these perturbations is used. The Lagrange planetary equations are used to describe the orbital motion of the artificial satellite. The equations of motion are developed in closed form to avoid expansions in eccentricity and inclination. The results show the argument of pericenter circulating. However, low-altitude (100 and 150 km) polar orbits are stable. Another orbital elements behaved variating with small amplitudes. Thus, such orbits are convenient to be applied to future space missions to Ganymede. Acknowledgments: FAPESP (processes n° 2011/05671-5, 2012/12539-9 and 2012/21023-6).

SciBox, an end-to-end automated science planning and commanding system

Science.gov (United States)

Choo, Teck H.; Murchie, Scott L.; Bedini, Peter D.; Steele, R. Josh; Skura, Joseph P.; Nguyen, Lillian; Nair, Hari; Lucks, Michael; Berman, Alice F.; McGovern, James A.; Turner, F. Scott

2014-01-01

SciBox is a new technology for planning and commanding science operations for Earth-orbital and planetary space missions. It has been incrementally developed since 2001 and demonstrated on several spaceflight projects. The technology has matured to the point that it is now being used to plan and command all orbital science operations for the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury. SciBox encompasses the derivation of observing sequences from science objectives, the scheduling of those sequences, the generation of spacecraft and instrument commands, and the validation of those commands prior to uploading to the spacecraft. Although the process is automated, science and observing requirements are incorporated at each step by a series of rules and parameters to optimize observing opportunities, which are tested and validated through simulation and review. Except for limited special operations and tests, there is no manual scheduling of observations or construction of command sequences. SciBox reduces the lead time for operations planning by shortening the time-consuming coordination process, reduces cost by automating the labor-intensive processes of human-in-the-loop adjudication of observing priorities, reduces operations risk by systematically checking constraints, and maximizes science return by fully evaluating the trade space of observing opportunities to meet MESSENGER science priorities within spacecraft recorder, downlink, scheduling, and orbital-geometry constraints.

Critical solution for a Hill's type problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabral, Hildeberto; Castilho, Cesar

2001-08-01

We studied the problem of two satellites attracted by a center of force. Assuming the motion of the center of mass of the two satellites describes a keplerian circular motion around the center of force we regularized the collision between them using the Levi-Civita procedure. The existence of a constant of motion in the extended phase space allowed us to study the stability of the solution where the two satellites are tied together in their circular motion around the center of force. We call this solution the critical solution. A theorem of M Kummer is applied to prove, in specific conditions, the existence of two one-parametric families of almost periodic orbits for the satellites motion that bifurcates from the critical solution. (author)

Harmonically excited orbital variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, T.

1985-01-01

Rephrasing the equations of motion for orbital maneuvers in terms of Lagrangian generalized coordinates instead of Newtonian rectangular cartesian coordinates can make certain harmonic terms in the orbital angular momentum vector more readily apparent. In this formulation the equations of motion adopt the form of a damped harmonic oscillator when torques are applied to the orbit in a variationally prescribed manner. The frequencies of the oscillator equation are in some ways unexpected but can nonetheless be exploited through resonant forcing functions to achieve large secular variations in the orbital elements. Two cases are discussed using a circular orbit as the control case: (1) large changes in orbital inclination achieved by harmonic excitation rather than one impulsive velocity change, and (2) periodic and secular changes to the longitude of the ascending node using both stable and unstable excitation strategies. The implications of these equations are also discussed for both artificial satellites and natural satellites. For the former, two utilitarian orbits are suggested, each exploiting a form of harmonic excitation. 5 refs

Optimizing Orbit-Instrument Configuration for Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Satellite Fleet

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Eric A.; Adams, James; Baptista, Pedro; Haddad, Ziad; Iguchi, Toshio; Im, Eastwood; Kummerow, Christian; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Following the scientific success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spearheaded by a group of NASA and NASDA scientists, their external scientific collaborators, and additional investigators within the European Union's TRMM Research Program (EUROTRMM), there has been substantial progress towards the development of a new internationally organized, global scale, and satellite-based precipitation measuring mission. The highlights of this newly developing mission are a greatly expanded scope of measuring capability and a more diversified set of science objectives. The mission is called the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM). Notionally, GPM will be a constellation-type mission involving a fleet of nine satellites. In this fleet, one member is referred to as the "core" spacecraft flown in an approximately 70 degree inclined non-sun-synchronous orbit, somewhat similar to TRMM in that it carries both a multi-channel polarized passive microwave radiometer (PMW) and a radar system, but in this case it will be a dual frequency Ku-Ka band radar system enabling explicit measurements of microphysical DSD properties. The remainder of fleet members are eight orbit-synchronized, sun-synchronous "constellation" spacecraft each carrying some type of multi-channel PMW radiometer, enabling no worse than 3-hour diurnal sampling over the entire globe. In this configuration the "core" spacecraft serves as a high quality reference platform for training and calibrating the PMW rain retrieval algorithms used with the "constellation" radiometers. Within NASA, GPM has advanced to the pre-formulation phase which has enabled the initiation of a set of science and technology studies which will help lead to the final mission design some time in the 2003 period. This presentation first provides an overview of the notional GPM program and mission design, including its organizational and programmatic concepts, scientific agenda, expected instrument package, and basic flight

Real-time clock and orbit calculation of the GPS satellite constellation based on observation data of RTIGS-station network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thaler, G.

2011-01-01

Due to the development of faster communication networks and improving computer technology beside postprocessing techniques real-time applications and services are more and more created and used in the eld of precise positioning and navigation using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) like GPS. Data formats like RTCM (NTRIP) or RTIGS serve in this manner as basic tool to transmit real-time GNSS observation data to a eld of users. To handle this trend to real-time, the International GNSS Service (IGS) or more precisely the Real-Time Working Group (RTWG) of the IGS started to establish a global GNSS station network several years ago. These reference stations (RTIGS stations) transmit their observation data in real-time via the open internet to registerd users to support the development of potential new real-time products and services. One example for such a new real-time application based on the observations of the RTIGS network is the software RTIGU-Control developed within this PHD thesis. RTIGU-Control fulls 2 main tasks. The rst task is the monitoring (integrity) of the predicted IGS orbit and clock products (IGU products) using real-time observations from the station network. The second task deals with calculating more precise satellite and station clock corrections compared to the predicted values of the IGU solutions based on the already very precise IGU orbit solutions. In a rst step RTIGU-Control calculates based on the IGU orbit predictions together with code-smoothed station observations precise values for the satellite and station clock corrections.The code-smoothed observations are additionally corrected for several corrections eecting the GNSS observations (for example the delay of the signal propagation time due to the atmosphere, relativistic eects, etc.). The second calculation step deals with monitoring the IGU predicted orbits using the calculated clock solution in the calculation step before and again the corrected real-time observations

TRMM On-Orbit Performance Reassessed After Control Change

Science.gov (United States)

Bilanow, Stephen

2006-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft, a joint mission between the U.S. and Japan, launched onboard an H-I1 rocket on November 27, 1997, and transitioned in August, 2001, from an average operating altitude of 350 kilometers to 402.5 kilometers. Due to problems using the Earth Sensor Assembly (ESA) at the higher altitude, TRMM switched to a backup attitude control mode. Prior to the orbit boost TRMM controlled pitch and roll to the local vertical using ESA measurements while using gyro data to propagate yaw attitude between yaw updates from the Sun sensors. After the orbit boost, a Kalman filter used 3-axis gyro data with Sun sensor and magnetometers to estimate onboard attitude. While originally intended to meet a degraded attitude accuracy of 0.7 degrees, the new control mode met the original 0.2 degree attitude accuracy requirement after improving onboard ephemeris prediction and adjusting the magnetometer calibration onboard. Independent roll attitude checks using a science instrument, the Precipitation Radar (PR) which was built in Japan, provided a novel insight into the pointing performance. The PR data helped identify the pointing errors after the orbit boost, track the performance improvements, and show subtle effects from ephemeris errors and gyro bias errors. It also helped identify average bias trends throughout the mission. Roll errors tracked by the PR from sample orbits pre-boost and post-boost are shown in Figure 1. Prior to the orbit boost, the largest attitude errors were due to occasional interference in the ESA. These errors were sometime larger than 0.2 degrees in pitch and roll, but usually less, as estimated from a comprehensive review of the attitude excursions using gyro data. Sudden jumps in the onboard roll show up as spikes in the reported attitude since the control responds within tens of seconds to null the pointing error. The PR estimated roll tracks well with an estimate of the roll history propagated using gyro

Mitigating Aviation Communication and Satellite Orbit Operations Surprises from Adverse Space Weather

Science.gov (United States)

Tobiska, W. Kent

2008-01-01

Adverse space weather affects operational activities in aviation and satellite systems. For example, large solar flares create highly variable enhanced neutral atmosphere and ionosphere electron density regions. These regions impact aviation communication frequencies as well as precision orbit determination. The natural space environment, with its dynamic space weather variability, is additionally changed by human activity. The increase in orbital debris in low Earth orbit (LEO), combined with lower atmosphere CO2 that rises into the lower thermosphere and causes increased cooling that results in increased debris lifetime, adds to the environmental hazards of navigating in near-Earth space. This is at a time when commercial space endeavors are posed to begin more missions to LEO during the rise of the solar activity cycle toward the next maximum (2012). For satellite and aviation operators, adverse space weather results in greater expenses for orbit management, more communication outages or aviation and ground-based high frequency radio used, and an inability to effectively plan missions or service customers with space-based communication, imagery, and data transferal during time-critical activities. Examples of some revenue-impacting conditions and solutions for mitigating adverse space weather are offered.

Spin-orbit torques from interfacial spin-orbit coupling for various interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyoung-Whan; Lee, Kyung-Jin; Sinova, Jairo; Lee, Hyun-Woo; Stiles, M. D.

2017-09-01

We use a perturbative approach to study the effects of interfacial spin-orbit coupling in magnetic multilayers by treating the two-dimensional Rashba model in a fully three-dimensional description of electron transport near an interface. This formalism provides a compact analytic expression for current-induced spin-orbit torques in terms of unperturbed scattering coefficients, allowing computation of spin-orbit torques for various contexts, by simply substituting scattering coefficients into the formulas. It applies to calculations of spin-orbit torques for magnetic bilayers with bulk magnetism, those with interface magnetism, a normal-metal/ferromagnetic insulator junction, and a topological insulator/ferromagnet junction. It predicts a dampinglike component of spin-orbit torque that is distinct from any intrinsic contribution or those that arise from particular spin relaxation mechanisms. We discuss the effects of proximity-induced magnetism and insertion of an additional layer and provide formulas for in-plane current, which is induced by a perpendicular bias, anisotropic magnetoresistance, and spin memory loss in the same formalism.

On 3d bulk geometry of Virasoro coadjoint orbits: orbit invariant charges and Virasoro hair on locally AdS{sub 3} geometries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M. [Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), School of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yavartanoo, H. [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Beijing (China)

2016-09-15

Expanding upon [arXiv:1404.4472, arXiv:1511.06079], we provide a further detailed analysis of Banados geometries, the most general solutions to the AdS{sub 3} Einstein gravity with Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions. We analyze in some detail the causal, horizon, and boundary structure, and the geodesic motion on these geometries, as well as the two classes of symplectic charges one can associate with these geometries: charges associated with the exact symmetries and the Virasoro charges. We elaborate on the one-to-one relation between the coadjoint orbits of two copies of the Virasoro group and Banados geometries. We discuss that the information as regards the Banados geometries falls into two categories: ''orbit invariant'' information and ''Virasoro hairs''. The former concerns geometric quantities, while the latter are specified by the non-local surface integrals. We elaborate on multi-BTZ geometries which have a number of disconnected pieces at the horizon bifurcation curve. We study multi-BTZ black hole thermodynamics and discuss that the thermodynamic quantities are orbit invariants. We also comment on the implications of our analysis for a 2d CFT dual which could possibly be dual to AdS{sub 3} Einstein gravity. (orig.)

Solutions of the Wheeler-Feynman equations with discontinuous velocities.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Daniel Câmara; De Luca, Jayme

2015-01-01

We generalize Wheeler-Feynman electrodynamics with a variational boundary value problem for continuous boundary segments that might include velocity discontinuity points. Critical-point orbits must satisfy the Euler-Lagrange equations of the action functional at most points, which are neutral differential delay equations (the Wheeler-Feynman equations of motion). At velocity discontinuity points, critical-point orbits must satisfy the Weierstrass-Erdmann continuity conditions for the partial momenta and the partial energies. We study a special setup having the shortest time-separation between the (infinite-dimensional) boundary segments, for which case the critical-point orbit can be found using a two-point boundary problem for an ordinary differential equation. For this simplest setup, we prove that orbits can have discontinuous velocities. We construct a numerical method to solve the Wheeler-Feynman equations together with the Weierstrass-Erdmann conditions and calculate some numerical orbits with discontinuous velocities. We also prove that the variational boundary value problem has a unique solution depending continuously on boundary data, if the continuous boundary segments have velocity discontinuities along a reduced local space.

Finite banana orbit effects in the presence of mini-magnetic islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.P.; Hegna, C.C.; Callen, J.D.

1993-01-01

To address the interaction of trapped ions on magnetic islands, the contribution of collisionless finite banana orbit effects on the parallel (to the magnetic field B) current is investigated. In this calculation the width of the magnetic islands and the ion banana orbits are assumed to be small compared with the characteristic equilibrium gradient scale length, a, but comparable to each other, e.g., w isl ∼Δr T much-lt a. The ion drift kinetic equation is solved near the rational flux surface for a single resonant helicity perturbation of the magnetic field, B 1 =∇x(-ψ 1 ∇ζ)∼exp{im(θ-ζ/q s )}. Here, θ is the poloidal angle, ζ the toroidal angle, and q s =m/n the safety factor on the rational flux surface. Then, using this solution, the parallel current will be calculated in combination with the electron drift kinetic solution previously solved by Hegna and Callen, where the electron banana width effects are neglected since the electron poloidal gyro radius is taken to be very small with respect to the magnetic island width

The nature of the progenitor of the M31 north-western stream: globular clusters as milestones of its orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Kirihara, T.; Miki, Y.; Mori, M.

2017-08-01

We examine the nature, possible orbits and physical properties of the progenitor of the north-western stellar stream (NWS) in the halo of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). The progenitor is assumed to be an accreting dwarf galaxy with globular clusters (GCs). It is, in general, difficult to determine the progenitor's orbit precisely because of many necessary parameters. Recently, Veljanoski et al. reported five GCs whose positions and radial velocities suggest an association with the stream. We use these data to constrain the orbital motions of the progenitor using test-particle simulations. Our simulations split the orbit solutions into two branches according to whether the stream ends up in the foreground or in the background of M31. Upcoming observations that will determine the distance to the NWS will be able to reject one of the two branches. In either case, the solutions require that the pericentric radius of any possible orbit be over 2 kpc. We estimate the efficiency of the tidal disruption and confirm the consistency with the assumption for the progenitor being a dwarf galaxy. The progenitor requires the mass ≳ 2 × 106 M⊙ and half-light radius ≳ 30 pc. In addition, N-body simulations successfully reproduce the basic observed features of the NWS and the GCs' line-of-sight velocities.

Surface Science Foundations of Catalysis and Nanoscience

CERN Document Server

Kolasinski, Kurt K

2012-01-01

Surface science has evolved beyond being a sub-field of chemistry or physics and has now become an underpinning science. The Third Edition of this book incorporates extensive worked solutions, as well as details on how problem solving relevant to surface science should be performed. It contextualizes the exercises and their solutions to further explicate the methods of problem solving, application of scientific principles and to deliver a deeper understanding of the field of surface science. Solutions will be accompanied by figures and/or graphs of data, as appropriate.

Present status of the Japanese Venus climate orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, M.; Imamura, T.; Abe, T.; Ishii, N.

The code name of 24th science spacecraft of ISAS/JAXA is Planet-C. It is the first Venus Climate Orbiter (VCO) of Japan. The ministry of finance of Japan finally agreed to start phase B study of VCO from this April, 2004. We plan 1-2 years phase B study followed by 2 years of flight model integration. The spacecraft will be launched between 2009 and 2010. After arriving Venus, 2 years of operation is expected. VCO will complemet the ESA's Venus Express mission which have several spectrometers and will reveal the composition of the Venusian atmosphere. On the other hand, VCO is designed to reveal the details of the atmospheric motion on Venus and approach the dynamics of the Venusian climate. Cooperation between Japanese VCO and ESA's Venus Express, in the colaboration framework of U.S., Europian, and Japanese scienctist is very important. To elucidate the driving mechanism of the 4-days super-rotation is one of our main targets. We have 4 cameras to take snap shots of the planets in different wave lengths. They are the IR1 camera (1 micron-meter), the IR2 camera (2.4 micron-meter), the LIR camera (10-12 micron-meter), and the UVI camera (340nm). They are attached to the side panel of the 3-axis stabilized spacecraft, and are directed to Venus with the spacecraft's attitude control. Snap shots are expected to be taken every 2 hours. The spacecraft has an orbit of 300km x 13Rv (Venusian radii) with 172 degrees inclination. Orbital period is 30 hours. The angular position of the spacecraft on this orbit is synchronized for 20 hours at its apoapsis with the global atmospheric circulation at the altitude of 50km, thus the snap shots of every 2 hours will be the images of the same side of the atmosphere. In addition to these 4 cameras, we have a Lightning and Airglow camera (LAC) in visible range. This will be operated when the orbiter is close to the planet.

Congenital orbital teratoma

OpenAIRE

Aiyub, Shereen; Chan, Weng Onn; Szetu, John; Sullivan, Laurence J; Pater, John; Cooper, Peter; Selva, Dinesh

2013-01-01

We present a case of mature congenital orbital teratoma managed with lid-sparing exenteration and dermis fat graft. This is a case report on the management of congenital orbital teratoma. A full-term baby was born in Fiji with prolapsed right globe which was surrounded by a nonpulsatile, cystic mass. Clinical and imaging features were consistent with congenital orbital teratoma. Due to limited surgical expertise, the patient was transferred to Adelaide, Australia for further management. The p...

Laser Remediation of Threats Posed by Small Orbital Debris

Science.gov (United States)

Fork, Richard L.; Rogers, Jan R.; Hovater, Mary A.

2012-01-01

The continually increasing amount of orbital debris in near Earth space poses an increasing challenge to space situational awareness. Recent collisions of spacecraft caused abrupt increases in the density of both large and small debris in near Earth space. An especially challenging class of threats is that due to the increasing density of small (1 mm to 10 cm dimension) orbital debris. This small debris poses a serious threat since: (1) The high velocity enables even millimeter dimension debris to cause serious damage to vulnerable areas of space assets, e.g., detector windows; (2) The small size and large number of debris elements prevent adequate detection and cataloguing. We have identified solutions to this threat in the form of novel laser systems and novel ways of using these laser systems. While implementation of the solutions we identify is challenging we find approaches offering threat mitigation within time frames and at costs of practical interest. We base our analysis on the unique combination of coherent light specifically structured in both space and time and applied in novel ways entirely within the vacuum of space to deorbiting small debris. We compare and contrast laser based small debris removal strategies using ground based laser systems with strategies using space based laser systems. We find laser systems located and used entirely within space offer essential and decisive advantages over groundbased laser systems.

Topology of tokamak orbits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rome, J.A.; Peng, Y.K.M.

1978-09-01

Guiding center orbits in noncircular axisymmetric tokamak plasmas are studied in the constants of motion (COM) space of (v, zeta, psi/sub m/). Here, v is the particle speed, zeta is the pitch angle with respect to the parallel equilibrium current, J/sub parallels/, and psi/sub m/ is the maximum value of the poloidal flux function (increasing from the magnetic axis) along the guiding center orbit. Two D-shaped equilibria in a flux-conserving tokamak having β's of 1.3% and 7.7% are used as examples. In this space, each confined orbit corresponds to one and only one point and different types of orbits (e.g., circulating, trapped, stagnation and pinch orbits) are represented by separate regions or surfaces in the space. It is also shown that the existence of an absolute minimum B in the higher β (7.7%) equilibrium results in a dramatically different orbit topology from that of the lower β case. The differences indicate the confinement of additional high energy (v → c, within the guiding center approximation) trapped, co- and countercirculating particles whose orbit psi/sub m/ falls within the absolute B well

Binary Star Orbits. V. The Nearby White Dwarf/Red Dwarf Pair 40 Eri BC

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Brian D.; Hartkopf, William I.; Miles, Korie N.

2017-11-01

A new relative orbit solution with new dynamical masses is determined for the nearby white dwarf-red dwarf pair 40 Eri BC. The period is 230.09 ± 0.68 years. It is predicted to close slowly over the next half-century, getting as close as 1.″32 in early 2066. We determine masses of 0.575 ± 0.018 {{ M }}⊙ for the white dwarf and 0.2041 ± 0.0064 {{ M }}⊙ for the red dwarf companion. The inconsistency of the masses determined by gravitational redshift and dynamical techniques, due to a premature orbit calculation, no longer exists.

Periodic orbits of hybrid systems and parameter estimation via AD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guckenheimer, John; Phipps, Eric Todd; Casey, Richard

2004-01-01

Rhythmic, periodic processes are ubiquitous in biological systems; for example, the heart beat, walking, circadian rhythms and the menstrual cycle. Modeling these processes with high fidelity as periodic orbits of dynamical systems is challenging because: (1) (most) nonlinear differential equations can only be solved numerically; (2) accurate computation requires solving boundary value problems; (3) many problems and solutions are only piecewise smooth; (4) many problems require solving differential-algebraic equations; (5) sensitivity information for parameter dependence of solutions requires solving variational equations; and (6) truncation errors in numerical integration degrade performance of optimization methods for parameter estimation. In addition, mathematical models of biological processes frequently contain many poorly-known parameters, and the problems associated with this impedes the construction of detailed, high-fidelity models. Modelers are often faced with the difficult problem of using simulations of a nonlinear model, with complex dynamics and many parameters, to match experimental data. Improved computational tools for exploring parameter space and fitting models to data are clearly needed. This paper describes techniques for computing periodic orbits in systems of hybrid differential-algebraic equations and parameter estimation methods for fitting these orbits to data. These techniques make extensive use of automatic differentiation to accurately and efficiently evaluate derivatives for time integration, parameter sensitivities, root finding and optimization. The boundary value problem representing a periodic orbit in a hybrid system of differential algebraic equations is discretized via multiple-shooting using a high-degree Taylor series integration method (GM00, Phi03). Numerical solutions to the shooting equations are then estimated by a Newton process yielding an approximate periodic orbit. A metric is defined for computing the distance

Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences; Volume 124; Issue 3. Time-Periodic Solution of a 2D ... Xiaopeng Zhao1 Changchun Liu2. School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China; Department of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China ...

Correlation between the 2-Dimensional Extent of Orbital Defects and the 3-Dimensional Volume of Herniated Orbital Content in Patients with Isolated Orbital Wall Fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong Hyun Cha

2017-01-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the 2-dimensional (2D extent of orbital defects and the 3-dimensional (3D volume of herniated orbital content in patients with an orbital wall fracture.MethodsThis retrospective study was based on the medical records and radiologic data of 60 patients from January 2014 to June 2016 for a unilateral isolated orbital wall fracture. They were classified into 2 groups depending on whether the fracture involved the inferior wall (group I, n=30 or the medial wall (group M, n=30. The 2D area of the orbital defect was calculated using the conventional formula. The 2D extent of the orbital defect and the 3D volume of herniated orbital content were measured with 3D image processing software. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the correlations between the 2D and 3D parameters.ResultsVarying degrees of positive correlation were found between the 2D extent of the orbital defects and the 3D herniated orbital volume in both groups (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.568−0.788; R2=32.2%−62.1%.ConclusionsBoth the calculated and measured 2D extent of the orbital defects showed a positive correlation with the 3D herniated orbital volume in orbital wall fractures. However, a relatively large volume of herniation (>0.9 cm3 occurred not infrequently despite the presence of a small orbital defect (<1.9 cm2. Therefore, estimating the 3D volume of the herniated content in addition to the 2D orbital defect would be helpful for determining whether surgery is indicated and ensuring adequate surgical outcomes.

Neonatal orbital abscess

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil M Al-Salem

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Orbital complications due to ethmoiditis are rare in neonates. A case of orbital abscess due to acute ethmoiditis in a 28-day-old girl is presented. A Successful outcome was achieved following antimicrobial therapy alone; spontaneous drainage of the abscess occurred from the lower lid without the need for surgery. From this case report, we intend to emphasize on eyelid retraction as a sign of neonatal orbital abscess, and to review all the available literature of similar cases.

Orbit determination using real tracking data from FY3C-GNOS

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Chao; Lu, Chuanfang; Zhu, Jun; Ding, Huoping

2017-08-01

China is currently developing the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, also known as BDS. The nominal constellation of BDS (regional), which had been able to provide preliminary regional positioning and navigation functions, was composed of fourteen satellites, including 5 GEO, 5 IGSO and 4 MEO satellites, and was realized by the end of 2013. Global navigation satellite system occultation sounder (GNOS) on board the Fengyun3C (FY3C) satellite, which is the first BDS/GPS compatible radio occultation (RO) sounder in the world, was launched on 23 September 2013. The GNOS instrument is capable of tracking up to 6 BeiDou satellites and more than 8 GPS satellites. We first present a quality analysis using 1-week onboard BDS/GPS measurements collected by GNOS. Satellite visibility, multipath combination and the ratio of cycle slips are analyzed. The analysis of satellite visibility shows that for one week the BDS receiver can track up to 6 healthy satellites. The analysis of multipath combinations (MPC) suggests more multipath present for BDS than GPS for the CA code (B1 MPC is 0.597 m, L1 MPC is 0.326 m), but less multipath for the P code (B2 MPC is 0.421 m, L2 MPC is 0.673 m). More cycle slips occur for the BDS than for the GPS receiver as shown by the ratio of total satellites/cycle slips observed over a 24 h period. Both the maximum value and average of the ratio of cycle slips based on BDS measurements is 72/50.29, which is smaller than 368/278.71 based on GPS measurements. Second, the results of reduced dynamic orbit determination using BDS/GPS code and phase measurements, standalone BDS SPP (Single Point Positioning) kinematic solution and real-time orbit determination using BDS/GPS code measurements are presented and analyzed. Using an overlap analysis, the orbit consistency of FY3C-GNOS is about 3.80 cm. The precision of BDS only solutions is about 22 cm. The precision of FY3C-GNOS orbit with the Helmert variance component estimation are improved slightly after

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science; Volume 117; Issue 4. Simultaneous transport of water and solutes under transient unsaturated flow conditions – A case study ... Keywords. Hydraulic conductivity; infiltration; leaching; Malaprabha; modeling; permeability; salinity; solute transport; SWIM model; water flow.

Two-craft Coulomb formation study about circular orbits and libration points

Science.gov (United States)

Inampudi, Ravi Kishore

This dissertation investigates the dynamics and control of a two-craft Coulomb formation in circular orbits and at libration points; it addresses relative equilibria, stability and optimal reconfigurations of such formations. The relative equilibria of a two-craft tether formation connected by line-of-sight elastic forces moving in circular orbits and at libration points are investigated. In circular Earth orbits and Earth-Moon libration points, the radial, along-track, and orbit normal great circle equilibria conditions are found. An example of modeling the tether force using Coulomb force is discussed. Furthermore, the non-great-circle equilibria conditions for a two-spacecraft tether structure in circular Earth orbit and at collinear libration points are developed. Then the linearized dynamics and stability analysis of a 2-craft Coulomb formation at Earth-Moon libration points are studied. For orbit-radial equilibrium, Coulomb forces control the relative distance between the two satellites. The gravity gradient torques on the formation due to the two planets help stabilize the formation. Similar analysis is performed for along-track and orbit-normal relative equilibrium configurations. Where necessary, the craft use a hybrid thrusting-electrostatic actuation system. The two-craft dynamics at the libration points provide a general framework with circular Earth orbit dynamics forming a special case. In the presence of differential solar drag perturbations, a Lyapunov feedback controller is designed to stabilize a radial equilibrium, two-craft Coulomb formation at collinear libration points. The second part of the thesis investigates optimal reconfigurations of two-craft Coulomb formations in circular Earth orbits by applying nonlinear optimal control techniques. The objective of these reconfigurations is to maneuver the two-craft formation between two charged equilibria configurations. The reconfiguration of spacecraft is posed as an optimization problem using the

Orbital hyperfine interaction and qubit dephasing in carbon nanotube quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Palyi, Andras; Csiszar, Gabor

2015-03-01

Hyperfine interaction (HF) is of key importance for the functionality of solid-state quantum information processing, as it affects qubit coherence and enables nuclear-spin quantum memories. In this work, we complete the theory of the basic hyperfine interaction mechanisms (Fermi contact, dipolar, orbital) in carbon nanotube quantum dots by providing a theoretical description of the orbital HF. We find that orbital HF induces an interaction between the nuclear spins of the nanotube lattice and the valley degree of freedom of the electrons confined in the quantum dot. We show that the resulting nuclear-spin-electron-valley interaction (i) is approximately of Ising type, (ii) is essentially local, in the sense that an effective atomic interaction strength can be defined, and (iii) has a strength that is comparable to the combined strength of Fermi contact and dipolar interactions. We argue that orbital HF provides a new decoherence mechanism for single-electron valley qubits and spin-valley qubits in a range of multi-valley materials. We explicitly evaluate the corresponding inhomogeneous dephasing time T2* for a nanotube-based valley qubit. We acknowledge funding from the EU Marie Curie CIG-293834, OTKA Grant PD 100373, and EU ERC Starting Grant CooPairEnt 258789. AP is supported by the Janos Bolyai Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Canadian radiation belt science in the ILWS era

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, I. R.

other distributed networks of ground-based instrumentation will also be critical for reaching science closure. This paper outlines the radiation belt science targets for the ORBITALS mission, and describe how the ORBITALS can provide an essential complement to other proposed inner magnetospheric missions in the ILWS era.

Bulletin of Materials Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science. TRAN NGOC TUYEN. Articles written in Bulletin of Materials Science. Volume 41 Issue 1 February 2018 pp 6. Lead ions removal from aqueous solution using modified carbon nanotubes · NGUYEN DUC VU QUYEN TRAN NGOC TUYEN DINH QUANG KHIEU HO VAN MINH ...

Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Arlin Jose Amali. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 124 Issue 2 March 2012 pp 375-383. Formation of fractals by the self-assembly of interpolymer adducts of polymethacrylic acid with complementary polymers in aqueous solution · Kandhasamy Durai ...

Update on orbital reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chien-Tzung; Chen, Yu-Ray

2010-08-01

Orbital trauma is common and frequently complicated by ocular injuries. The recent literature on orbital fracture is analyzed with emphasis on epidemiological data assessment, surgical timing, method of approach and reconstruction materials. Computed tomographic (CT) scan has become a routine evaluation tool for orbital trauma, and mobile CT can be applied intraoperatively if necessary. Concomitant serious ocular injury should be carefully evaluated preoperatively. Patients presenting with nonresolving oculocardiac reflex, 'white-eyed' blowout fracture, or diplopia with a positive forced duction test and CT evidence of orbital tissue entrapment require early surgical repair. Otherwise, enophthalmos can be corrected by late surgery with a similar outcome to early surgery. The use of an endoscope-assisted approach for orbital reconstruction continues to grow, offering an alternative method. Advances in alloplastic materials have improved surgical outcome and shortened operating time. In this review of modern orbital reconstruction, several controversial issues such as surgical indication, surgical timing, method of approach and choice of reconstruction material are discussed. Preoperative fine-cut CT image and thorough ophthalmologic examination are key elements to determine surgical indications. The choice of surgical approach and reconstruction materials much depends on the surgeon's experience and the reconstruction area. Prefabricated alloplastic implants together with image software and stereolithographic models are significant advances that help to more accurately reconstruct the traumatized orbit. The recent evolution of orbit reconstruction improves functional and aesthetic results and minimizes surgical complications.

One year in orbit of the first Geostationary Ocean Colour Imager (GOCI)

Science.gov (United States)

Faure, François; Coste, Pierre; Benchetrit, Thierry; Kang, Gm Sil; Kim, Han-dol

2017-11-01

Geostationary Ocean Colour Imager (GOCI) is the first Ocean Colour Imager to operate from a Geostationary Orbit. It was developed by Astrium SAS under KARI contract in about 3 years between mid 2005 and October 2008 and integrated on-board COMS satellite end 2008 aside the COMS Meteo Imager (MI). COMS satellite was launched in June 2010 and the in-orbit commissioning tests were completed in beginning of 2011. The mission is designed to significantly improve ocean observation in complement with low orbit service by providing high frequency coverage. The GOCI is designed to provide multi-spectral data to detect, monitor, quantify, and predict short-term changes of coastal ocean environment for marine science research and application purpose. Target area for the GOCI observation in the COMS satellite covers a large 2500 x 2500 km2 sea area around the Korean Peninsula, with an average Ground sampling distance (GSD) of 500m, corresponding to a NADIR GSD of 360m. The presentation will shortly recall the mission objectives and major instrument requirements, and then present the results of inorbit testing and validations. All functions and in particular the CMOS detector matrix operate nominally. Performances evaluated in orbit (SNR, MTF, etc.) show results above the requirements. Finally, in-orbit calibrations using the sun diffuser provide very satisfactory consistency with the ground characterisation. GOCI is now delivering operational products and proving the interest of Geo observation in the Ocean Colour applications

Orbital glass in HTSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusmartsev, F.V.

1992-10-01

The physical reasons why the orbital glass may exist in granular high-temperature superconductors and the existing experimental data appeared recently are discussed. The orbital glass is characterized by the coexistence of the orbital paramagnetic state with the superconducting state and occurs at small magnetic fields H c0 c1 . The transition in orbital glass arises at the critical field H c0 which is inversely proportional to the surface cross-area S of an average grain. In connection with theoretical predictions the possible experiments are proposed. (author). 10 refs

First Materials Science Research Facility Rack Capabilities and Design Features

Science.gov (United States)

Cobb, S.; Higgins, D.; Kitchens, L.; Curreri, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) is the primary facility for U.S. sponsored materials science research on the International Space Station. MSRR-1 is contained in an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for the best possible microgravity environment. MSRR-1 will accommodate dual Experiment Modules and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first Experiment Module for the MSRR-1, the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL), is an international cooperative activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC). The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts which provide distinct thermal processing capabilities. Module Inserts currently planned for the MSL are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, and a Solidification with Quench Furnace. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Development (SPD) Group. Transparent furnace assemblies include capabilities for vapor transport processes and annealing of glass fiber preforms. This Experiment Module is replaceable on-orbit. This paper will describe facility capabilities, schedule to flight and research opportunities.

Orbital Infarction due to Sickle Cell Disease without Orbital Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cameron L. McBride

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sickle cell disease is a hemoglobinopathy that results in paroxysmal arteriolar occlusion and tissue infarction that can manifest in a plurality of tissues. Rarely, these infarcted crises manifest in the bony orbit. Orbital infarction usually presents with acute onset of periorbital tenderness, swelling, erythema, and pain. Soft tissue swelling can result in proptosis and attenuation of extraocular movements. Expedient diagnosis of sickle cell orbital infarction is crucial because this is a potentially sight-threatening entity. Diagnosis can be delayed since the presentation has physical and radiographic findings mimicking various infectious and traumatic processes. We describe a patient who presented with sickle cell orbital crisis without pain. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion in patients with known sickle cell disease or of African descent born outside the United States in a region where screening for hemoglobinopathy is not routine, even when the presentation is not classic.

Eye and orbital cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panfilova, G.V.; Koval', G.Yu.

1984-01-01

Radioanatomy of eyes and orbit is described. Diseases of the orbit (developmental anomalies, inflammatory diseases, lacrimal apparatus deseases, toxoplasmosis, tumors and cysts et al.), methods of foreign body localization in the eye are considered. Roentgenograms of the orbit and calculation table for foreign body localization in spherical eyes of dissimilar diameter are presented

A Brief History of Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Shielding Technology for US Manned Spacecraft