International Heliophysical Year: GPS Network in Africa

The main scientific objectives of the International Heliophysical Year are to discover and study all the physical processes coupling the Earth to the Sun. During the IHY a number of scientific instruments are being deployed all over the world. This brief report presents the scientific objectives, the GPS receiver network over Africa and the long lasting research planned for the next decades in Africa.     

Proposal to Use MAGDAS/CPMN to Study the Equatorial Electrojet: A Philippine Contribution to the International Heliophysical Year

As a Philippine contribution to the International Heliophysical Year, we propose to use the MAGnetic Data Acquisition System/Circum Pan-Pacific Magnetometer Network (MAGDAS/CPMN), installed by the Space Environment Research Center (SERC), Kyushu University along the 210° magnetic meridian and the magnetic equator, to study the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and counter electrojet (CEJ). Through this installation, it is made possible to observe geomagnetic field variations in real time. By utilizing this network of ground-based instruments, we hope to elucidate their regular day-to-day and seasonal variabilities and variations during magnetic storms and substorms. We also want to study the behavior of this ionospheric current system before, during, and after the occurrence of an earthquake.     

The Meteors, Meteoroids and Interplanetary Dust Program of the International Heliophysical Year 2007/9

Under the title ‘Meteors, Meteoroids and Interplanetary Dust’, meteor research is included in the program of the International Heliophysical Year 2007/9.We list issues for coordinated meteor research within the framework of this global international program.     

The Remote Equatorial Nighttime Observatory of Ionospheric Regions Project and the International Heliospherical Year

We describe a new suite of instruments planned for deployment to Cape Verde as part of the International Heliospherical Year. The Remote Equatorial Nighttime Observatory of Ionospheric Regions (RENOIR) project consists of a bistatic Fabry–Perot interferometer system, an all-sky imaging system, a dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and an array of single-frequency GPS scintillation monitors. This instrumentation will allow for studying the low-latitude thermosphere/ionosphere (TI) system in great detail. Investigations to be conducted using this instrumentation while in Cape Verde include studying equatorial irregularity processes, the effects of neutral winds and gravity waves on irregularity development, the midnight temperature maximum, and ion-neutral coupling in the nighttime TI system. Initial observations from the RENOIR instrumentation during pre-deployment testing at the Urbana Atmospheric Observatory are presented, as is the deployment scenario for the project in Cape Verde.     

区域GPS网实测电离层变化和卫星硬件延迟的可靠性研究

根据高精度卫星导航定位的实际需要,介绍了利用中国GPS区域网双频相位平滑伪距实测数据,准实时监测区域网电离层电子总含量(TEC)变化和GPS卫星硬件延迟(DCB)的方法和结果.着重研究了区域网独立测定DCB的可靠性,利用中国境内的GPS站点分别构造了3个大小不同的区域网,通过实测DCB和垂直电子总含量(VTEC)与CO...     

A Study on the Reliability of the Ionospheric VTEC and Satellite DCB Derived from a Regional GPS Network

According to the requirement of high-precision satellite navigation, we have introduced the method for the quasi-realtime monitoring of variations of the regional ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and GPS satellite differential code bias (DCB), based on the dual-frequency carrier-phase smoothed pseudorange data obtained from a regional GPS network in China. Especially, we have studied the feasibility of retrieving DCB independently from the regional GPS networks with different sizes. For this purpose, 3 regional networks based on the countrywide GPS stations are investigated. The comparisons of the computed DCB and VTEC(vertical total electron content) with those of CODE(the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe) indicate that in order to realize a reliable quasi-realtime measurement of DCB by a regional network, there is a certain requirement on the size of the regional network, and that the relative accuracies of the quasi-realtime VTEC and DCB measured by using a Chinese GPS regional network can reach 2.0TECu and 0.25 ns, respectively.     

Tomography: A window on the role of sulfur in the structure of micrometeorites

Abstract– To determine the role played by sulfides in the formation of vesicles and FeNi metal beads, we mapped the locations and tabulated the numbers of sulfides, metal beads, and vesicles in 1583 sectioned micrometeorites (MMs) using conventional microscopy and in 190 whole MMs using synchrotron computed microtomography (SCMT). Both the section and the SCMT images show that sulfides melt, coalesce, and migrate to the MMs surface. The decomposition of sulfides may occur during all these stages. Given the sulfide morphologies and compositions that we see in section, we think the breakdown of Ni sulfides produces the FeNi beads. The SCMT images show that metal beads are common in melted MMs, >50% have them. Vesicles in porphyritic and scoriaceous MMs are also probably formed as sulfides decompose. Not only do sulfides abut the vesicles but also the temperatures at which sulfides decompose overlap those at which MM surfaces first melt and temporarily seal, suggesting that S gases could produce most of these vesicles. As the vesicle shapes and patterns of distribution differ among MM classes, tomography can be used to nondestructively screen for specific types of MMs. Tomography is a powerful tool for visualizing the three‐dimensional distribution of metal beads, sulfides, mean densities, and vesicles in MMs.     

世界引力波探测网的现状

引力波是广义相对论的重要推论之一,迄今为止尚未被直接探测到。上世纪末共振棒引力波探测网曾联合运行.历经十余年的努力,世界激光干涉引力波探测网已经初步形成。今后一、两年将会同步运行。最新的关于中子双星的天文观测和分析给引力波探测带来了希望。     

多径效应对接收机环路影响的仿真研究

为了研究和减小卫星导航接收机中的多径误差的影响,从理论上对多径效应引起的码相位和载波相位误差进行了分析,完成了Matlab下相应的仿真,为进一步消除多径误差奠定了基础.     

FAST模型接收机中的本地振荡器

介绍了以国家半导体公司的LMX2306芯片为主要元件,构建的锁相环型振荡器.该设计具有电路简易,输出频率可由计算机实时控制,功耗小,输出稳定等优点.该振荡器用于FAST模型接收机,作为基带混频的本地振荡器.在观测实验中,证明该振荡器工作正常,性能稳定.     

Ionospheric disturbances: Evidence for the contraction of the plasmasphere during severe geomagnetic storms

Continuous measurements of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) provide a parameter well suited for the study of F-region disturbance effects. In this investigation, five cases of large and rapid drops in TEC observed near the sunset period are interpreted as being due to the contraction of the plasmasphere to L values less than 3. A model calculation is performed for the specific case of 1 November 1968 using simultaneous Alouette I data to define the position and magnitude of the ionospheric trough. The results indicate that the motion of a deep trough across the ray path from a geostationary satellite to an observing station can cause drastic changes in the measured amounts of Faraday rotation and therefore in the derived values of TEC. All of the TEC data sources available for the five events are then examined in an attempt to describe more completely the latitude dependence of the effects. It is suggested that during severe geomagnetic storms, the large and rapid decays in TEC during the 18–21 LT period to values significantly below normal can be used as a criterion to determine the approximate latitudinal extent of the contracted plasmasphere.     

一种低频时码接收机数字式自动增益控制的设计

为扩大低频时码接收机的输入动态范围,进行了数字式自动增益控制(AGC)的设计。详细介绍了低频时码接收机数字式自动增益控制的设计方法和实现原理,并进行了计算机仿真。仿真结果表明,该数字式自动增益控制是可行的,相对于没有实行自动增益控制的情况而言,大大增加了接收机的动态范围。     

Ionospheric inversion of the Venus Express radio occultation data observed by Shanghai 25m and New Norcia 35m antennas

Electron density profiles of Venus' ionosphere are inverted from the Venus Express(VEX) one-way open-loop radio occultation experiments carried out by the Shanghai 25 m antenna from November 2011 to January 2012 at solar maximum conditions and by the New Norcia 35 m antenna from August 2006 to June 2008 at solar intermediate conditions. The electron density profile(from 110 km to 400 km), retrieved from the X-band egress observation at the Shanghai station, shows a single peak near 147 km with a peak density of about 2 × 104cm-3at a solar zenith angle of 94?. As a comparison, the VEX radio science(Ve Ra) observations at the New Norcia station were also examined, including S- and X-band and dual-frequency data in the ingress mode. The results show that the electron density profiles retrieved from the S-band data are more analogous to the dual-frequency data in terms of the profile shape, compared with the X-band data. Generally, the S-band results slightly underestimate the magnitude of the peak density, while the X-band results overestimate it.The discrepancy in the X-band profile is probably due to the relatively larger unmodeled orbital errors. It is also expected that the ionopause height is sensitive to the solar wind dynamical pressure in high and intermediate solar activities, usually in the range of 200–1000 km on the dayside and much higher on the nightside. Structural variations("bulges" and fluctuations) can be found in the electron density profiles during intermediate solar activity, which may be caused by the interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere. Considerable ionizations can be observed in Venus' nightside ionosphere, which are unexpected for the Martian nightside ionosphere in most cases.     

1．3厘米接收机背架调整系统设计

基于新疆天文台研制的1．3em双极化制冷接收机的安装及观测需求,设计了其背架调整系统。首先,通过力学分析选择合适的滚珠丝杠及驱动电机;其次,通过对电机进行测试,研制电机驱动模块,以满足安装要求;最后,编写电机驱动控制软件,实现终端对接收机馈源的精确控制。     

Ionospheric winds in the F-region and their effects on the limiting periods of gravity waves

Spectrum analyses of ionospheric electron density and content fluctuations show periods with a lower limit near 5 min. Interpretation of this cut off in terms of gravity waves in a windless atmosphere leads to unacceptably low thermospheric temperatures near 180°K. It is concluded that neutral winds reduce the apparent cut-off period in the ionosphere. The maximum horizontal wind speed obtained from cut-off data is about 100 m/sec.     

一种提高车载单频GPS实时定位精度的方法

民用单频GPS接收机实时定位精度约为 1 0 0m。将民用单频GPS接收机装载到汽车上进行导航工作 ,如不用差分等方法 ,则其实时定位精度也只能为 1 0 0m。假设在车上另加测向测距装置 ,以此为基础 ,提出一种提高车载单频GPS接收机实时定位精度的算法。     

低频时码接收机的FIR滤波器设计及其DSP实现

将FIR(有限冲击响应)数字滤波器应用于低频时码接收机中,并利用DSP(digital signal proccssor)芯片TMS320C5402实现了低频时码信号的FIR滤波。实验表明,FIR滤波可以使信号中混杂的较为严重的干扰得到很好的抑制,并且失真较小,有利于实现高性能的定时接收机。