用于火星电离层探测的星-星无线电掩星技术

火星和地球类似,周围束缚了不同密度的电离层.利用无线电掩星技术可以对火星电离层进行观测.星-地无线电掩星在探测精度和探测区域方面都受到一定的限制.中俄联合火星探测计划将于2011年10月一箭双星发射俄罗斯的Phobos-Grunt探测器和中国的萤火1号火星探测器.该计划将开展国际上首次火星电离层的星-星无线电掩星观测试验,重点是对星-地无线电掩星无法观测的正午和子夜区域的火星电离层进行探测.星-星无线电掩星观测试验采用双频工作模式,接收机灵敏度为-145dBm,相位测量精度优于5%周.在地面对接收机进行了动态模拟测试,测试得到的相位数据能很好地反演出火星电离层电子密度廓线.     

星-地无线电掩星技术探测火星大气和电离层

历史上几乎所有的行星探测任务都开展了无线电掩星实验,以探测行星的大气、电离层、行星环以及磁场,并取得了很多重要的科学成果.掩星发生时刻前后,测量航天器发出的信号穿过行星电离层和大气层时被遮掩而引起的信号频率、相位、幅度或极化等物理特性的变化,通过某种反演技术,可以得到大气的折射率廓线,推出中性大气的密度、温度、压强廓线以及电离层的电子浓度廓线.文章嗣绕中国"萤火1号"火星探测器(YH-1)火星探测计划中将要开展的星-地无线电掩星实验,介绍了该技术用于探测火星大气和电离层的相关情况.     

火星重力场研究现状及发展趋势

针对近年来月球与火星探测成为各航天大国的热点,以及中国首个火星探测计划"萤火1号"拟定的科学研究目标,文章对火星重力场模犁的历史、现状及展望做了简要描述.文中首先探讨了火星探测的多重意义和火星重力场在火星探测中起到的重要作用;接着介绍了火星重力场模型发展的历史和现状;最后介绍了利用中国"萤火1号"轨道跟踪数据对火星重力场模型的可能贡献,在此基础上对中国未来火星重力场探测提出了设想.     

火星空间环境磁场探测研究——"萤火1号"磁强计的研制与应用

文章介绍了"萤火1号"卫星对火星空问环境磁场进行探测的目的、意义及采用的方式方法.研究火星的空间环境离不开火星磁场,它对于火星弓激波、磁鞘、电离层、大气等绝大多数空间环境效应都有着深刻的影响,因此"萤火1号"卫星安装了一台重要的科学探测载荷--高精度磁强计,以满足科学研究和应用目标的需求.磁强计从原理选择到具体没计,都考虑到了火星轨道严酷的工作环境和科学目标所需的测量要求.通过"萤火1号"装星前的地面标定测试实验,验证了高精度磁强计可以在-140-75℃温度范围内测量±256nT以内的磁场,分辨率达到了0.01nT,带宽内总噪声小于0.03nT,能够胜任"萤火1号"对火星空间环境探测的科学任务."萤火1号"火星探测器将于2011年与俄罗斯的"福布斯-土壤"一同飞往火星,这是人类送往火星最精密的磁场探测器之一,将对火星空间环境磁场结构和动力学过程进行精密而详细的探测.     

火星车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪(MarsCoDe)在轨定标样品选取研究

我国首次火星全球遥感与区域巡视探测任务已获批立项,首个火星探测器也即将前往火星。为满足火星物质成分分析的需求,我国研制了不同类型的火星物质成分分析仪器,其中包括火星表面成分探测仪（MarsCoDe）,应用了激光诱导击穿光谱技术（laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy,LIBS）。火星表面覆盖尘埃,探测仪器想要准确获取火星尘埃之下的物质成分,必须剥去尘埃或者进行破坏从而深入岩层取样。LIBS可以用激光烧蚀待测物体表面,获得深部物质光谱信息,在火星表面探测中具有其他仪器无法取代的优势。LIBS在火星探测中几乎适用于探测每一个元素,包括轻元素H,Li,Be,B,C,N,O等,帮助寻找有机物和含水地质过程的证据。由于LIBS在火星环境工作,等离子体的物理性质与地球上完全不同。为了确保火星车载LIBS返回数据的光谱质量,需要对LIBS在着陆后开展在轨定标。借助火星车的携带在轨定标样品,对探测数据进行在轨定标,确保返回数据的可靠性。定标样品的选择是一项十分重要的工作,存在仪器工程条件限制、定标样品类型的代表性、元素成分分布范围、样品稳定性等多种考虑因素,需满足科学任务的同时达到加工工艺要求。总结了国外已有的火星车载LIBS在轨定标的研究进展,重点分析了LIBS在轨定标样品选择依据、国外选择样品的优缺点,并总结经验提出了几点建议,为我国在轨定标工作提供参考。对火星探测数据的正确解译,对未来研究火星的起源、火星的长期地质演变过程等具有重要的科学意义。     

用于"萤火1号"火星轨道器的开环电测技术

中国首个火星探测器"萤火1号"计划于2011年和俄罗斯的火卫一采样探测器一道发射升空."萤火1号"将探测火星的空间环境,并验证深空导航测控与通信技术.与常规的火星探测任务不同,该探测器的轨道与位置测量主要利用天文甚长基线干涉测量技术、开环跟踪测量技术、差分单程测距测速技术、同波束干涉测量技术以及单程多普勒(Doppler)测速技术.     

微型"生命分析器"将飞向火星

 美国宇航局计划在2009年对火星进行再一次探测,美国科学家研制出一种微型实验室--"生命分析器"(Lifechip),专门用来寻找火星上存在生命的生物迹象。生命分析器可以记录火星土壤中右氨基酸和左氨基酸的相对含量,科学家认为,其中若有一种氨基酸占优势则是火星上存在生命正确无误的特征,至少是在遥远的过去存在过生命。     

基于火星巡视器车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪系统设计米散射激光雷达可行性研究

火星大气气溶胶的地基探测对研究火星大气环境具有重要意义,为了能够在节约火星巡视器/着陆器体积、重量的条件下进行气溶胶探测,论证了基于巡视器车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪系统设计米散射激光雷达方案的可行性。所设计的米散射激光雷达系统使用巡视器车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪的既有硬件资源,加入分光元件和探测器模块,构成与激光诱导击穿光谱仪系统集成的米散射激光雷达,米散射激光雷达与激光诱导击穿光谱仪在火星地表分时工作,互不影响。为了论证所设计的米散射激光雷达的探测性能,对Phoenix火星探测任务中独立的米散射激光雷达得到的一组原始回波信号数据进行了处理,反演得到一组典型火星大气消光系数廓线,结合消光系数廓线与系统硬件参数计算了所设计的米散射激光雷达的回波信噪比,结果表明该系统在所用原始数据被记录的当日在火星大气边界层顶4 km高度处信噪比达到26 dB,在10 km高度附近下降到0 dB,说明基于火星巡视器车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪系统设计米散射激光雷达进行气溶胶探测具有现实可行性。对比Phoenix的独立米散射激光雷达设计方案,基于激光诱导击穿光谱仪的米散射激光雷达不但能够节省巡视器体积、重量,而且发射能量更高,回波接收方案更为简单,数据反演步骤更为简洁。     

非球对称电离层掩星数据反演

电离层掩星数据的传统反演方法是电离层球对称假设下的Abel变换反演方法,但是实际的电离层电子密度分布不是球对称的,电离层的非球对称分布给电离层电子密度反演带来误差.发展了一种新的非球对称电离层掩星反演方法,利用国际参考电离层模型提供的三维电离层电子密度分布先验信息来修正掩星总电子含量 ,再通过球对称假设下的Abel变换反演出电离层电子密度.利用新方法反演了星座气象、电离层和气候观察系统掩星实测数据,并将得到的反演结果与电离层探测器资料进行了比较.结果表明,新方法能够较好地反演出电离层电子密度. 关键词： 电离层掩星 电子密度 国际参考电离层模型     

探路者号飞船成功着陆火星

 美国航空航天局于1996年12月4日发射的探路者号(Pathfinder)火星探测飞船经过7个月的时间.     

Martian ionogram scaling by the Object Tracking Method

Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy - The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) onboard the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft started to collect data of the...     

开环多普勒技术用于火星快车的观测验证

利用中国甚长基线干涉(very long baseline interferometry,缩写为VLBI)网天线资源以及"嫦娥一号"(Chang'e-1,缩写为CE-1)32星观测试验,首次实现了中国深空任务的开环多普勒测量.这一新的测量技术应用于欧洲航天局(European Space Agency,缩写为ESA)的"火星快车"(Mars Express,缩写为MEX)探测器的观测实验中.实验结果显示,在1s积分情况下,开环多普勒(三程)测量精度随机误差达到1mm/s,这一精度与通常的闭环多普勒(双程)水平相当.开环多普勒(三程)数据已经开始尝试用于卫星的定轨,今后有关开环多普勒数据的科学应用也在准备中.     

An electrostatic precipitator system for the Martian environment

Human exploration missions to Mars will require the development of technologies for the utilization of the planet's own resources for the production of commodities. However, the Martian atmosphere contains large amounts of dust. The extraction of commodities from this atmosphere requires prior removal of this dust. We report on our development of an electrostatic precipitator able to collect Martian simulated dust particles in atmospheric conditions approaching those of Mars. Extensive experiments with an initial prototype in a simulated Martian atmosphere showed efficiencies of 99%. The design of a second prototype with aerosolized Martian simulated dust in a flow-through is described.     

Theoretical Study on Ion Escape in Martian Atmosphere

Based on the observation that Martian magnetic moment is gradually reducing from the ancient to the present, we investigate the O^＋ ion flux distribution along magnetic field lines and the ion escaping flux in Martian tail with different assumed Martian magnetic moments. The results show that the O^＋ ion flux along magnetic field lines decreases with distance from Mars; the ion flux along the field line decreases more quickly if the magnetic moment is larger; the larger the magnetic moment, the smaller the ion escaping flux in the Martian tail. The ion escaping flux depends on Z-coordinate in the Martian tail. With decrease of the magnetic moment, the ion escaping flux in the Martian tail increases. The results are significant for studying the water loss from Mars S uFface.     

Optically stimulated luminescence dating properties of Martian sediment analogue materials exposed to a simulated Martian solar spectral environment

Deciphering the geomorphic, climatic, and hydrologic history of Mars will require an extensive geochronology on numerous time scales from both returned samples and in-situ measurements. Optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL), or optical dating, is an established terrestrial geochronological method that is being developed as a member of a suite of dating tools for Mars. As part of this development process, we have built an optical system simulating the calculated Martian solar spectral irradiance taking into account seasonal variations due to attenuation of dust and the planet's orbital position and used it to catalogue the UV dosimetric response and optical dating behavior of a group of sediment analogues exposed to a simulated Martian spectral environment (SMSE) for the surface of the planet. Our results suggest that optical dating should not be compromised by the interaction of the enhanced UV radiation in the Martian spectrum with K-feldspar, Ca-feldspar, anhydrite, or hydrous Ca and Mg sulfates on Mars. However, Na-feldspar appears to be capable of acquiring and retaining an OSL signal under SMSE conditions, which could present a challenge for optical dating on Mars in sedimentary deposits containing more than a trace quantity of sodic feldspars.     

A survey of the signal stability and radiation dose response of sulfates in the context of adapting optical dating for Mars

The Martian landscape is currently dominated by eolian processes, and eolian dunes are a direct geomorphic expression of the dynamic interaction between the atmosphere and the lithosphere of planets. The timing, frequency, and spatial extent of dune mobility directly reflects changing climatic conditions, therefore, sedimentary depositional ages are important for understanding the paleoclimatic and geomorphologic history of features and processes present on the surface of the Earth or Mars. Optical dating is an established terrestrial dosimetric dating technique that is being developed for this task on Mars. Gypsum and anhydrite are two of the most stable and abundant sulfate species found on the Earth, and they have been discovered in Martian sediments along with various magnesium sulfates and jarosite. In this study, the optical dating properties of various Ca-, Mg-, and Fe-bearing sulfates were documented to help evaluate the influence they may have on in-situ optical dating in eolian environments on Mars. Single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) experimental procedures have been adapted to characterize the radiation dose response and signal stability of the Martian sulfate analogs. Jarosite was dosimetrically inert in our experiments. The radiation dose response of the Ca- and Mg-sulfates was monotonically increasing in all cases with characteristic doses ranging from ∼100 to ∼1000 Gy. Short-term signal fading also varied considerably in the Ca- and Mg-sulfates ranging from ∼0% to ∼40% per decade for these materials. These results suggest that the OSL properties of Ca- and Mg-sulfates will need to be considered when developing protocols for in-situ optical dating on Mars, but more enticingly, our results foreshadow the potential for gypsum to be developed as a geochronometer for Mars or the Earth.