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Books > Professional & Technical > Other technologies > Space science > Astronautics
Cosmogenic radionuclides are radioactive isotopes which are produced by natural processes and distributed within the Earth system. With a holistic view of the environment the authors show in this book how cosmogenic radionuclides can be used to trace and to reconstruct the history of a large variety of processes. They discuss the way in which cosmogenic radionuclides can assist in the quantification of complex processes in the present-day environment. The book aims to demonstrate to the reader the strength of analytic tools based on cosmogenic radionuclides, their contribution to almost any field of modern science, and how these tools may assist in the solution of many present and future problems that we face here on Earth. The book provides a comprehensive discussion of the basic principles behind the applications of cosmogenic (and other) radionuclides as environmental tracers and dating tools. The second section of the book discusses in some detail the production of radionuclides by cosmic radiation, their transport and distribution in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, their storage in natural archives, and how they are measured. The third section of the book presents a number of examples selected to illustrate typical tracer and dating applications in a number of different spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, solar physics and astronomy). At the same time the authors have outlined the limitations of the use of cosmogenic radionuclides. Written on a level understandable by graduate students without specialist skills in physics or mathematics, the book addresses a wide audience, ranging from archaeology, biophysics, and geophysics, to atmospheric physics, hydrology, astrophysics and space science.
Spaceflight Life Support and Biospherics is the introduction to space life support systems and artificial ecosystems that has so far been lacking. It is a source of information for everyone involved in the life support system design and development process - engineers, scientists, and students - as well as all those who are simply interested in this existing discipline. The structure of this book is such that it gives step-by-step answers to the basic questions concerning life support systems on any scale - from small microbial systems to the Earth's biosphere: Why life support system development and biosphere research? How does our natural life support system, the biosphere, work? What are the environmental conditions for life support systems in space? What are the fundamental terms and requirements of life support? Which physicochemical life support subsystems currently exist? Which are the potential bioregenerative life support technologies of the future? What are life support systems of future planetary habitats going to look like? What are the experiences of the largest artificial ecosystem - Biosphere 2? What are the potential terrestrial benefits of life support development? GBP/LISTGBP
Dramatic progress is a trademark of the recent study of globular cluster systems. Considerations about the formation and evolution compose the first chapter, followed by a chapter on young star clusters. Then come four chapters reviewing the globular cluster system of early-type, late-type and dwarf galaxies, as well as of groups of galaxies. One chapter is dedicated to stellar population models and their applications to the field. Finally a chapter reviews the kinematics of galaxies derived from globular cluster systems and another their role in the context of galaxy formation and evolution studies. As a whole, the book gives an up-to-date view of the field at the beginning of the new decade, which will without doubt again bring significant progress in our understanding of globular cluster systems and galaxy formation and evolution.
This volume presents an original treatment of the influence of different types of vortex fields on the dynamics of solid bodies. This is encountered in many ways: flight dynamics, hydrofoil vehicle dynamics, rockets and spacecraft dynamics, and satellite dynamics. The contents are divided into eight chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to a synthesis of phenomenological mathematical models of objects, for which the consideration of vortex fields plays a dominant role in the formulation of those models. Chapter 3 deals with the solution of sets of integrodifferential equations which arise in the analysis of the dynamics of complex controlled systems. Chapter 4 considers the experimental verification of models and the limits of their applicability. Chapter 5 analyses the influence of eddy currents on the stability of electromagnetic levitation systems. Chapter 6 considers the influence on spacecraft motion of the vortex motions of a low-viscous liquid in the vehicle fuel tanks. Chapter 7 presents examples of a control law for the air-gap stabilization of a magnetic levitation system. Finally, Chapter 8 deals with the general mathematical model based on magnetohydrodynamics of a solid-low-viscous electrically conductive ferromagnetic liquid. For mechanical and aerospace engineers whose work involves guidance and control systems.
Fault Detection and Fault-tolerant Control Using Sliding Modes is the first text dedicated to showing the latest developments in the use of sliding-mode concepts for fault detection and isolation (FDI) and fault-tolerant control in dynamical engineering systems. It begins with an introduction to the basic concepts of sliding modes to provide a background to the field. This is followed by chapters that describe the use and design of sliding-mode observers for FDI using robust fault reconstruction. The development of a class of sliding-mode observers is described from first principles through to the latest schemes that circumvent minimum-phase and relative-degree conditions. Recent developments have shown that the field of fault tolerant control is a natural application of the well-known robustness properties of sliding-mode control. A family of sliding-mode control designs incorporating control allocation, which can deal with actuator failures directly by exploiting redundancy, is presented. Various realistic case studies, specifically highlighting aircraft systems and including results from the implementation of these designs on a motion flight simulator, are described. A reference and guide for researchers in fault detection and fault-tolerant control, this book will also be of interest to graduate students working with nonlinear systems and with sliding modes in particular. Advances in Industrial Control aims to report and encourage the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.
The past forty years of space research have seen a substantial improvement in our understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere and its coupling with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic ?eld (IMF). The magnetospheric str- ture has been mapped and major processes determining this structure have been de?ned. However, the picture obtained is too often static. We know how the magnetosphere forms via the interaction of the solar wind and IMF with the Earth's magnetic ?eld. We can describe the steady state for various upstream conditions but do not really understand the dynamic processes leading from one state to another. The main dif?culty is that the magnetosphere is a comp- cated system with many time constants ranging from fractions of a second to days and the system rarely attains a steady state. Two decades ago, it became clear that further progress would require multi-point measurements. Since then, two multi-spacecraft missions have been launched - INTERBALL in 1995/96 and CLUSTER II in 2000. The objectives of these missions d- fered but were complementary: While CLUSTER is adapted to meso-scale processes, INTERBALL observed larger spatial and temporal scales. However, the number of papers taking advantage of both missions simul- neously is rather small.
This book focuses on all of the major problems associated with the absence of body weight in space, by analyzing effects, adaption, and re-adaptation upon returning to Earth, using sound scientific principles embedded in a historical context. Serious problems for space travelers range from Space Motion Sickness (SMS) to recently discovered ocular effects that may permanently impair vision. Fluid loss and shifts, spinal changes, and bone and muscle loss are also all results of weightlessness. Starting with a brief definition and history of weightlessness, the authors then address in detail each problem as well as the countermeasures aimed at alleviating them. In some cases, alternative hypotheses regarding what can and should be attempted are also presented. As plans for long-term missions to the Moon and Mars develop, it will be essential to find countermeasures to weightlessness that are effective for missions that could span years.
Captures advances being made in the field of coronal magnetism, from theory to observations and instrumentation. This volume is a collection of research articles on the subject of the solar corona, and particularly, coronal magnetism. The book was motivated by the Workshop on Coronal Magnetism: Connecting Models to Data and the Corona to the Earth, which was held 21 - 23 May 2012 in Boulder, Colorado, USA. This workshop was attended by approximately 60 researchers. Articles from this meeting are contained in this topical issue, but the topical issue also contains contributions from researchers not present at the workshop. This volume is aimed at researchers and graduate students active in solar physics. Originally published in Solar Physics, Vol. 288, Issue 2, 2013 and Vol. 289, Issue 8, 2014.
The study of the Solar system, particularly of its newly discovered outer parts, is one of the hottest topics in modern astrophysics with great potential for revealing fundamental clues about the origin of planets and even the emergence of life. The three lecturers of the 35th Saas-Fee Advanced Course, which have been updated and collected in this volume, cover the field from observational, theoretical and numerical perspectives.
Reducing the cost of space program interests people more and more nowadays due to the concerns of budget limitation and commercialization of space technology. The Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Reducing the Cost of Spacecraft Ground Systems and Operations bring together papers contributed by the authors representing the research organizations, academic institutions and commercial sectors of 10 countries around the world. The papers encompass the subject areas in mission planning and operation, TT&C systems, mission control centers, and mini and small satellite support, highlighting the issues concerned by the researchers and engineers involved in a wide range of space programs and space industries.
Neutron stars hold a central place in astrophysics, not only because they are made up of the most extreme states of the condensed matter, but also because they are, along with white dwarfs and black holes, one of the stable configurations that stars reach at the end of stellar evolution. Neutron stars posses the highest rotation rates and strongest magnetic fields among all stars. They radiate prolifically, in high energy electromagnetic radiation and in the radio band. This book is devoted to the selected lectures presented in the 6th NATO-ASI series entitled "The Electromagnetic Spectrum of Neutron Stars" in Marmaris, Turkey, on 7-18 June 2004. This ASI is devoted to the spectral properties of neutron stars. Spectral observations of neutron stars help us to understand the magnetospheric emission processes of isolated radio pulsars and the emission processes of accreting neutron stars. This volume includes spectral information from the neutron stars in broadest sense, namely neutrino and gravitational radiation along with the electromagnetic spectrum. We believe that this volume can serve as graduate level of text including the broad range of properties of neutron stars.
Peter Bond describes the development and evolution of space stations, with particular emphasis on the International Space Station, beginning with the revolution that began in 1970, when Salyut 1, the world's first space station was sent into orbit by the Soviet Union. Defeated in the race to the Moon, the Soviets redirected their efforts towards the conquest of near-Earth space. In the next three decades, their increasingly large and sophisticated structures rewrote the history books as cosmonauts continued to push back all space endurance records. Only the U.S. Skylab, a technological cul-de-sac based on surplus Apollo hardware, interrupted this era of Soviet domination. By the mid-1990's, Russian physician Valeri Poliakov had lived continuously for 14 months on board the Mir space station, long enough to travel to Mars and back. The book explains how the human exploitation of low-Earth orbit is about to change. With Mir no longer in existence, all eyes are on the next generation, the International Space Station (ISS).
Magnetized plasmas in the universe exhibit complex dynamical behavior over a huge range of scales. The fundamental mechanisms of energy transport, redistribution and conversion occur at multiple scales. The driving mechanisms often include energy accumulation, free-energy-excited relaxation processes, dissipation and self-organization. The plasma processes associated with energy conversion, transport and self-organization, such as magnetic reconnection, instabilities, linear and nonlinear waves, wave-particle interactions, dynamo processes, turbulence, heating, diffusion and convection represent fundamental physical effects. They demonstrate similar dynamical behavior in near-Earth space, on the Sun, in the heliosphere and in astrophysical environments. 'Multi-scale Dynamical Processes in Space and Astrophysical Plasmas' presents the proceedings of the International Astrophysics Forum Alpbach 2011. The contributions discuss the latest advances in the exploration of dynamical behavior in space plasmas environments, including comprehensive approaches to theoretical, experimental and numerical aspects. The book will appeal to researchers and students in the fields of physics, space and astrophysics, solar physics, geophysics and planetary science.
The present book Essential Spaceflight Dynamics and Magnetospherics
describes, in the first instance, some of the key aspects of
celestial mechanics and spaceflight dynamics. It begins with
classical two and three body problems illustrative of the aesthetic
aspects of applying analytical methods of investigation to
celestial mechanics. Then, osculating orbital elements are
introduced as well as analysis techniques sufficient to evaluate
the influence of various disturbing forces on spacecraft. Next a
theory of manoeuvres is outlined and the methodology of making
interplanetary trajectory corrections. Ideas involving various
approaches to orbital element determinations using measured data
are also considered. The forces applied to a spacecraft can result
in the development of torques that influence attitude motion and
the effects of the most important of these are described in terms
of equilibrium positions, periodic motions, steady-state and
transient motions. Also considered is the problem of attitude
control of a spacecraft using active and/or passive methods of
orientation and stabilization. In addition, a more advanced
treatment of the development of attitude control systems is
provided.
This book provides an overview of recent research highlights in the main areas of application of magnetic reconnection (MR), including planetary, solar and magnetospheric physics and astrophysics. It describes how research on magnetic reconnection, especially concerning the Earth's magnetosphere, has grown extensively due to dedicated observations from major satellite missions such as Cluster, Double Star and Themis. The accumulated observations from these missions are being supplemented by many theoretical and modelling efforts, for which large scale computer facilities are successfully being used, and the theoretical advances are also covered in detail. Opening with an introductory discussion of some fundamental issues related to magnetic reconnection, subsequent chapters address topics including collisionless magnetic reconnection, MHD structures in 3D reconnection, energy conversion processes, fast reconnection mediated by plasmoids, rapid reconnection and magnetic field topology. Further chapters consider specific areas of application such as magnetospheric dayside and tail reconnection, comparative reconnection in planetary systems and reconnection in astrophysical systems. The book offers insight into discussions about fundamental concepts and key aspects of MR, access to the full set of applications of MR as presently known in space physics and in astrophysics, and an introduction to a new related area of study dealing with the annihilation of quantum magnetic fluxes and its implications in the study on neutron star activity. The book is aimed primarily at students entering the field, but will also serve as a useful reference text for established scientists and senior researchers.
Y. Fujimori, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, and Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: fujimori@isu. isunet. edu M. Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: rycroft@isu. isunet. edu Building on the foundations provided by the International Space Station, now partially constructed and already in use in low Earth orbit, what will be the future directions of human spaceflight? This was the key question discussed from many viewpoints - technical, entrepreneurial, governmental, legal - at the seventh Annual Symposium held in Strasbourg, France, early in June 2002. Many ideas on the "whys" and the "hows" of our future exploration of the final frontier were put forward in a stimulating environment. The unique perspective of the International Space University (ISU) - namely an interdisciplinary, international and intercultural perspective - enhanced both the presentations and the discussions. More than 150 people attended the Symposium, including the current members of the Master of Space Studies class who are attending an 11 month course at ISU. They are young professionals and postgraduate students who develop in-depth some part of the broad Symposium theme in their parallel Team Projects. Their final reports will be completed at the end of July 2002, and will be published independently. 1 Beyond the ISS: The Future of Human Spaceflight Keynote Address: A Summary The Need for a New Vision E. Vallerani, Advanced Logistic Technology Engineering Center, The Italian Gateway to the ISS, Corso Marche 79, Torino 10146, Italy e-mail: vallerani. ernesto@spacegate-altec.
Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms describes the integral process of developing cost-effective, reliable structures and mechanical products for space programs. Processes are defined, methods are described and examples are given. It has been written by 24 engineers in the space industry, who cover the themes of (1) ensuring a successful mission, and (2) reducing total cost through good designs and intelligent risk management. Topics include: Introduction and requirements (development process, requirements documentation, requirements definition, space mission environments); Analysis (statics, dynamics and load analysis, fatigue and fracture mechanics, mechanics of materials, strength analysis, heat transfer and thermal effects); Verification and quality assurance (verification planning, structural, mechanical and environmental testing, quality assurance and configuration control, compliance documentation, structural reliability analysis, verification criteria - factors of safety, margins of safety, fracture control, test options); Design (spacecraft configuration development, finite element analysis, mechanism development, designing for producibility, structural design, materials, designing to control loads, load cycles, sensitivity analysis); Final verification (model correlation, risk management, launch readiness reviews). For system engineers, mechanical designers, stress analysts, dynamics and load analysts, technical leads, program managers.
As a stand-alone volume, Transistor Circuits For Spacecraft Power System presents numerous transistor circuits and building blocks associated with power electronics in general, and examines the major subsystem components for solar-based spacecraft power systems. The technique and concept, of "continuity of states" for nonlinear circuits handling power transfer under cyclic excitation is introduced in Part I and further developed throughout the book. This powerful technique employing matrix formulation bypasses eigen-transients and yields steady-state responses rapidly. Closed-loop treatments are also given for large-scale linear circuits, many closed-form solutions for control loop-gain, conducted susceptibility, output impedance, etc. are covered. Extensive mathematical procedures are retained to highlight the importance of analytical flows. The author also reviews the evolution of solar-based spacecraft power systems; introduces modes of operations: discharge (boost), shunt, and charge; and covers pulse-width-modulated (PWM) boost power converter for both DC and AC conditions. A configuration tree for shunt mode operation is conceived. Based on the configuration tree, the best topologies, sequential PWM shunt and ripple-regulated free-running shunt, are intensively examined and formulated. Transistor Circuits For Spacecraft Power System provides important information for understanding the relationship between earthbound semiconductor circuits and space borne vehicles.
This book shows how anthropology can provide an innovative perspective on the human movement into space. It examines adaptation to space on timescales of generations, rather than merely months or years, and uses evolutionary adaptation as a guiding theme. Employing the lessons of evolutionary adaptation, Principles of Extraterrestrial Anthropology recommends evolutionarily-sound strategies of space settlement, covering genetics at the organismal and population levels. The author organizes the concept of cultural adaptation to environments beyond Earth according to observed patterns in human adaptation on Earth. He uses original artwork and tables to help convey complex information in a form accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. Though primarily written to engage students interested in space settlement and exploration, who will eventually build a full anthropology of space settlement, Principles of Extraterrestrial Anthropology is engaging to anthropologists across sub-disciplines, as well as scholars interested in the human dimensions of space exploration and settlement. Just as the term exobiology was invented only a few decades ago to shape the field of space life studies, exoanthropology is outlined to assist in the perpetuation of Earth life through human space settlement.
There is little doubt that robotic and automated systems in space will contribute considerably to the future commercialisation of the space environment. This text provides a systems eye view of robotic spacecraft design with an emphasis on control systems.The first half of the book introduces the techniques of robotics and robotic control, and is the most mathematical part of the book. The second half of the book deals with spacecraft systems themselves, and how a robotic-type payload influences them, including consideration of financial and legal issues which are often left out of technical texts.Running through the book is the implementation of a freeflying robotic spacecraft called ATLAS (Advanced TeLerobotic Actuation System). However, the techniques presented in the book are completely general and the ATLAS spacecraft just serves as an example, albeit a very useful and economically viable space system.
The design of space stations like the recently launched ISS is a highly complex and interdisciplinary task. This book describes component technologies, system integration, and the potential usage of space stations in general and of the ISS in particular. It so adresses students and engineers in space technology. Ernst Messerschmid holds the chair of space systems at the University of Stuttgart and was one of the first German astronauts.
Documents the science, the mission, the spacecraft and the
instrumentation on a unique NASA mission to study the Earth s
dynamic, dangerous and fascinating Van Allen radiation belts that
surround the planet This collection of articles provides broad and detailed information about NASA s Van Allen Probes (formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes) twin-spacecraft Earth-orbiting mission. The mission has the objective of achieving predictive understanding of the dynamic, intense, energetic, dangerous, and presently unpredictable belts of energetic particles that are magnetically trapped in Earth s space environment above the atmosphere. It documents the science of the radiation belts and the societal benefits of achieving predictive understanding. Detailed information is provided about the Van Allen Probes mission design, the spacecraft, the science investigations, and the onboard instrumentation that must all work together to make unprecedented measurements within a most unforgiving environment, the core of Earth s most intense radiation regions. This volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers active in space science, solar-terrestrial interactions and studies of the upper atmosphere.Originally published in Space Science Reviews, Vol. 179/1-4, 2013."
This book aims to contribute significantly to the understanding of issues of value (including the ultimate value of space-related activities) which repeatedly emerge in interdisciplinary discussions on space and society. Although a recurring feature of discussions about space in the humanities, the treatment of value questions has tended to be patchy, of uneven quality and even, on occasion, idiosyncratic rather than drawing upon a close familiarity with state-of-the-art ethical theory. One of the volume's aims is to promote a more robust and theoretically informed approach to the ethical dimension of discussions on space and society. While the contributions are written in a manner which is accessible across disciplines, the book still withstands scrutiny by those whose work is primarily on ethics. At the same time it allows academics across a range of disciplines an insight into current approaches toward how the work of ethics gets done. The issues of value raised could be used to inform debates about regulation, space law and protocols for microbial discovery as well as longer-range policy debates about funding.
With the success of Cherenkov Astronomy and more recently with the launch of NASA's Fermi mission, very-high-energy astrophysics has undergone a revolution in the last years. This book provides three comprehensive and up-to-date reviews of the recent advances in gamma-ray astrophysics and of multi-messenger astronomy. Felix Aharonian and Charles Dermer address our current knowledge on the sources of GeV and TeV photons, gleaned from the precise measurements made by the new instrumentation. Lars Bergstroem presents the challenges and prospects of astro-particle physics with a particular emphasis on the detection of dark matter candidates. The topics covered by the 40th Saas-Fee Course present the capabilities of current instrumentation and the physics at play in sources of very-high-energy radiation to students and researchers alike. This book will encourage and prepare readers for using space and ground-based gamma-ray observatories, as well as neutrino and other multi-messenger detectors. |
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