The primary goal of this report is to describe the operational concepts of NASA’s ACTIVATE mission. ACTIVATE hopes to improve the understanding of aerosol dispersion and models, provide accurate data for aerosols’ c...The primary goal of this report is to describe the operational concepts of NASA’s ACTIVATE mission. ACTIVATE hopes to improve the understanding of aerosol dispersion and models, provide accurate data for aerosols’ characterization and ozone profiles, and establish knowledge of the relationships between aerosols and water. ACTIVATE’s science objectives are to quantify Na-CCN-Nd relationships and reduce uncertainty in model cloud droplet activation parameterizations, improve process-level understanding and model representation of factors governing cloud micro/macro-physical properties and how they couple with cloud effects on aerosol, plus assess advanced remote sensing capabilities for retrieving aerosol and cloud properties related to aerosol-cloud interactions. ACTIVATE utilizes the fixed-wing B-200 King Air to collect data. Data collected by ACTIVATE is highly relevant for meteorologists and environmental scientists looking to understand more about aerosol-cloud formations. Finally, ACTIVATE is a 5-year mission spanning from January 2019 to December 2023 and has used, and will continue to use, instruments such as the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2), the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP), and the Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH).展开更多
The feasibility of a Lunar LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) was introduced in 1986 as part of NASA’s planned return to the Moon by the end of the last century. That return to the Moon missio...The feasibility of a Lunar LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) was introduced in 1986 as part of NASA’s planned return to the Moon by the end of the last century. That return to the Moon mission was cancelled, but is once again planned as Artemis in 2024. In this paper, the feasibility of such a Lunar LIGO as part of NASA’s return there will be discussed for that program. Details of the physics of the original Lunar LIGO proposal as a potential portion of future lunar base astronomy and astrophysics designs are presented. Results from NASA’s original planned return to the Moon to establish a gravitational wave observatory there are presented and discussed.展开更多
Complex Field Theory (CFT) proposes that dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) are pervasive, complex fields of charged complex masses of equally positive and negative complex charges, respectively. It proposes that e...Complex Field Theory (CFT) proposes that dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) are pervasive, complex fields of charged complex masses of equally positive and negative complex charges, respectively. It proposes that each material object, including living creatures, is concomitant with a fraction of the charged complex masses of DM and DE in proportion to its mass. This perception provides new insights into the physics of nature and its constituents from subatomic to cosmic scales. This complex nature of DM and DE explains our inability to see DM or harvest DE for the last several decades. The positive complex DM is responsible for preserving the integrity of galaxies and all material systems. The negative complex charged DE induces a positive repelling force with the positively charged DM and contributes to the universe’s expansion. Both fields are Lorentz invariants in all directions and entangle the whole universe. The paper uses CFT to investigate zero-point energy, particle-wave duality, relativistic mass increase, and entanglement phenomenon and unifies Coulomb’s and Newton’s laws. The paper also verifies the existence of tachyons and explains the spooky action of quantum mechanics at a distance. The paper encourages further research into how CFT might resolve several physical mysteries in physics.展开更多
Over the past fi ve years, tropical activity in the East Pacifi c has increased, while declining in the Atlantic Basin. In addition, during El Ni?o years, warmer than average sea surface temperatures further increase ...Over the past fi ve years, tropical activity in the East Pacifi c has increased, while declining in the Atlantic Basin. In addition, during El Ni?o years, warmer than average sea surface temperatures further increase the likelihood of tropical cyclone formation in the East Pacifi c. Hurricane fi eld campaigns used the Ku-/Ka-band HighAltitude Wind and Rain Airborne Profi ler(HIWRAP) radar on the Global Hawk(GH) unmanned aircraft, in GRIP(Genesis and Rapid Intensifi cation Processes 2010), HS3(Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel 2012-14), and the NOAA Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology(SHOUT 2015-16) fi eld campaigns. Although originally designed for the GH, the X-band high-altitude RADar(EXRAD) has yet to be integrated and fl own on an unmanned aerial vehicle. EXRAD will provide data with less attenuation of signal over deep convection as well as better estimates of three-dimensional winds with its nadir-pointing beam. As part of the NASA Hand On Project Experience(HOPE) Training Opportunity, our team proposed to fl y the AV-6 GH aircraft with the EXRAD radar, the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer(HAMSR), and NOAA Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profi ling System(AVAPS) dropsondes to investigate genesis and/or rapid intensifi cation(RI) of an East Pacifi c hurricane by measuring both the environment and interior structures. Information on planned activities primarily focused on the EXRAD high-altitude radar integration for the July-August 2017 science fl ight will be presented.展开更多
On-time mapping dynamics of crop area,yield,and production is important for global food security.Such information,however,is often not available.Here,we used satellite information,a spectral-phenology integration appr...On-time mapping dynamics of crop area,yield,and production is important for global food security.Such information,however,is often not available.Here,we used satellite information,a spectral-phenology integration approach for mapping crop area,and a machine learning model for predicting yield in the war-stricken Ukraine.We found that in Ukraine crop area and production declined in 2022 relative to 2017–2021 and 2021 for wintertriticeae crops,which was invaded before the cropping season in February of that year.At the same time,crop area and production for rapeseed increased in Ukraine,with yields consistently lower by 6.5%relative to 2021.The low precipitation and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict-related factors contributed to such yield variations by-1.3%and-0.9%for winter-triticeae crops and-4.2%and-0.5%for rapeseed in 2022.We demonstrate a robust framework for monitoring country-wide crop production dynamics in near real-time,serving as an early-foodsecurity-warning system.展开更多
The SMILE(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)project(http://www.nssc.cas.cn/smile/,https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/smile/mission)is a joint spacecraft mission of the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chi...The SMILE(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)project(http://www.nssc.cas.cn/smile/,https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/smile/mission)is a joint spacecraft mission of the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)with an expected launch in 2025.SMILE aims to study the global interactions of solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere innovatively by imaging the Earth’s magnetosheath and cusps in soft X-rays and the northern auroral region in ultraviolet(UV)while simultaneously measuring plasma and magnetic field parameters in the solar wind and magnetosheath along a highly-elliptical and highly-inclined orbit.This special issue is composed of 22 articles,presenting recent progress in modeling and data analysis techniques developed for the SMILE mission.In this preface,we categorize the articles into the following seven topics and provide brief summaries:(1)instrument descriptions of the Soft X-ray Imager(SXI),(2)numerical modeling of the X-ray signals,(3)data processing of the X-ray images,(4)boundary tracing methods from the simulated images,(5)physical phenomena and a mission concept related to the scientific goals of SMILE-SXI,(6)studies of the aurora,and(7)ground-based support for SMILE.展开更多
Solar wind charge exchange produces emissions in the soft X-ray energy range which can enable the study of near-Earth space regions such as the magnetopause,the magnetosheath and the polar cusps by remote sensing tech...Solar wind charge exchange produces emissions in the soft X-ray energy range which can enable the study of near-Earth space regions such as the magnetopause,the magnetosheath and the polar cusps by remote sensing techniques.The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)and Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)missions aim to obtain soft Xray images of near-Earth space thanks to their Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instruments.While earlier modeling works have already simulated soft X-ray images as might be obtained by SMILE SXI during its mission,the numerical models used so far are all based on the magnetohydrodynamics description of the space plasma.To investigate the possible signatures of ion-kinetic-scale processes in soft Xray images,we use for the first time a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the geospace from the Vlasiator model.The simulation is driven by fast and tenuous solar wind conditions and purely southward interplanetary magnetic field.We first produce global X-ray images of the dayside near-Earth space by placing a virtual imaging satellite at two different locations,providing meridional and equatorial views.We then analyze regional features present in the images and show that they correspond to signatures in soft X-ray emissions of mirrormode wave structures in the magnetosheath and flux transfer events(FTEs)at the magnetopause.Our results suggest that,although the time scales associated with the motion of those transient phenomena will likely be significantly smaller than the integration time of the SMILE and LEXI imagers,mirror-mode structures and FTEs can cumulatively produce detectable signatures in the soft X-ray images.For instance,a local increase by 30%in the proton density at the dayside magnetopause resulting from the transit of multiple FTEs leads to a 12%enhancement in the line-of-sight-and time-integrated soft X-ray emissivity originating from this region.Likewise,a proton density increase by 14%in the magnetosheath associated with mirror-mode structures can result in an enhancement in the soft X-ray signal by 4%.These are likely conservative estimates,given that the solar wind conditions used in the Vlasiator run can be expected to generate weaker soft X-ray emissions than the more common denser solar wind.These results will contribute to the preparatory work for the SMILE and LEXI missions by providing the community with quantitative estimates of the effects of small-scale,transient phenomena occurring on the dayside.展开更多
To determine the cause(s)of perturbations seen in dayside equatorial ground magnetograms,we conducted a systematic survey of simultaneous ground-based and geosynchronous satellite-based observations during the 90-day ...To determine the cause(s)of perturbations seen in dayside equatorial ground magnetograms,we conducted a systematic survey of simultaneous ground-based and geosynchronous satellite-based observations during the 90-day period from December 1,2020 to February 28,2021.We examined Huancayo ground magnetometer observations from 14:00:00 to 20:00:00 UT each day,during which Huancayo passed through local noon.From those data we chose perturbation events selected on the basis of large(>20 nT)event amplitude and classified the selected events as responding primarily to solar wind pressure,or to variations in the north/south component of the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF Bz),or perhaps in part to both.The results show that an equivalent number of events were identified for each model during this 90-day period.Variations in the lagged solar wind dynamic pressure routinely correspond to nearly simultaneous sudden impulses recorded at both geosynchronous orbit and on the ground.Variations in IMF Bz produce erosion signatures at geosynchronous orbit and can correspond to ground events if lag times for reconnection to enhance convection in the magnetosphere are taken into account.展开更多
Variability in the location and shape of the dayside magnetopause is attributed to magnetic reconnection,a fundamental process that enables the transfer of mass,energy,and momentum from the solar wind into the magneto...Variability in the location and shape of the dayside magnetopause is attributed to magnetic reconnection,a fundamental process that enables the transfer of mass,energy,and momentum from the solar wind into the magnetosphere.The spatial and temporal properties of the magnetopause,under varying solar and magnetospheric conditions,remain largely unknown because empirical studies using in-situ observations are challenging to interpret.Global wide field-of-view(FOV)imaging is the only means to simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of the plasma properties over the vast dayside magnetospheric region and,subsequently,quantify the energy transport from the interplanetary medium into the terrestrial magnetosphere.Two upcoming missions,ESA/CAS SMILE and NASA’s LEXI will provide wide-field imagery of the dayside magnetosheath in soft X-rays,an emission generated by charge exchange interactions between high charge-state heavy ions of solar wind origin and exospheric neutral atoms.High-cadence two-dimensional observations of the magnetosheath will allow the estimation of dynamic properties of its inner boundary,the magnetopause,and enable studies of its response to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation.This work introduces a statistically-based estimation approach based on inverse theory to estimate the spatial distribution of magnetosheath soft X-ray emissivities and,with this,identify the location of the magnetopause over the Sun−Earth line.To do so,we simulate the magnetosheath structure using the MHD-based OpenGGCM model and generate synthetic soft X-ray images using LEXI’s orbit and attitude information.Our results show that 3-D estimations using the described statistically-based technique are robust against Poisson-distributed shot noise inherent to soft X-ray images.Also,our proposed methodology shows that the accuracy of both three-dimensional(3-D)estimation and the magnetopause standoff distance calculation highly depends on the observational point.展开更多
Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind−Magnetosphere−Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)will observe magnetosheath and its boundary motion in soft X-rays for understanding magnetopause reconnectio...Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind−Magnetosphere−Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)will observe magnetosheath and its boundary motion in soft X-rays for understanding magnetopause reconnection modes under various solar wind conditions after their respective launches in 2024 and 2025.Magnetosheath conditions,namely,plasma density,velocity,and temperature,are key parameters for predicting and analyzing soft X-ray images from the LEXI and SMILE missions.We developed a userfriendly model of magnetosheath that parameterizes number density,velocity,temperature,and magnetic field by utilizing the global Magnetohydrodynamics(MHD)model as well as the pre-existing gas-dynamic and analytic models.Using this parameterized magnetosheath model,scientists can easily reconstruct expected soft X-ray images and utilize them for analysis of observed images of LEXI and SMILE without simulating the complicated global magnetosphere models.First,we created an MHD-based magnetosheath model by running a total of 14 OpenGGCM global MHD simulations under 7 solar wind densities(1,5,10,15,20,25,and 30 cm)and 2 interplanetary magnetic field Bz components(±4 nT),and then parameterizing the results in new magnetosheath conditions.We compared the magnetosheath model result with THEMIS statistical data and it showed good agreement with a weighted Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.77,especially for plasma density and plasma velocity.Second,we compiled a suite of magnetosheath models incorporating previous magnetosheath models(gas-dynamic,analytic),and did two case studies to test the performance.The MHD-based model was comparable to or better than the previous models while providing self-consistency among the magnetosheath parameters.Third,we constructed a tool to calculate a soft X-ray image from any given vantage point,which can support the planning and data analysis of the aforementioned LEXI and SMILE missions.A release of the code has been uploaded to a Github repository.展开更多
The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)missions will image the Earth’s dayside magneto pause and cusps in soft X-rays after their respective l...The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)missions will image the Earth’s dayside magneto pause and cusps in soft X-rays after their respective launches in the near future,to specify glo bal magnetic reconnection modes for varying solar wind conditions.To suppo rt the success of these scientific missions,it is critical to develop techniques that extract the magnetopause locations from the observed soft X-ray images.In this research,we introduce a new geometric equation that calculates the subsolar magnetopause position(RS)from a satellite position,the look direction of the instrument,and the angle at which the X-ray emission is maximized.Two assumptions are used in this method:(1)The look direction where soft X-ray emissions are maximized lies tangent to the magnetopause,and(2)the magnetopause surface near the subsolar point is almost spherical and thus RSis nea rly equal to the radius of the magneto pause curvature.We create synthetic soft X-ray images by using the Open Geospace General Circulation Model(OpenGGCM)global magnetohydrodynamic model,the galactic background,the instrument point spread function,and Poisson noise.We then apply the fast Fourier transform and Gaussian low-pass filte rs to the synthetic images to re move noise and obtain accurate look angles for the soft X-ray pea ks.From the filte red images,we calculate RS and its accuracy for different LEXI locations,look directions,and solar wind densities by using the OpenGGCM subsolar magnetopause location as ground truth.Our method estimates RS with an accuracy of<0.3 RE when the solar wind density exceeds>10 cm-3.The accuracy improves for greater solar wind densities and during southward interplanetary magnetic fields.The method ca ptures the magnetopause motion during southwa rd interplaneta ry magnetic field turnings.Consequently,the technique will enable quantitative analysis of the magnetopause motion and help reveal the dayside reconnection modes for dynamic solar wind conditions.This technique will suppo rt the LEXI and SMILE missions in achieving their scientific o bjectives.展开更多
While we eagerly anticipate SMILE’s(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)unprecedented X-ray observations of the Earth’s magnetosheath and the initiation of a new era of magnetospheric research,it seems...While we eagerly anticipate SMILE’s(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)unprecedented X-ray observations of the Earth’s magnetosheath and the initiation of a new era of magnetospheric research,it seems appropriate to look ahead to the abilities of the next generation of astrophysics missions.Of these,the Line Emission Mapper(LEM),a large aperture micro-calorimeter based mission,is currently planned to be able to observe the magnetosheath at high spectral resolution(~2 eV).With a field of view of~30′,LEM will allow higher spatial resolution and higher cadence measurement of the motion of a very small portion of the magnetopause over relatively short periods of time(multiple hours),complementing SMILE’s global mapping.LEM’s strength is its spectral resolution.It will be able to measure the abundance of a broad range of elements and ionization states,many of which are inaccessible to current in situ instruments,and will be able to separate the emission from the magnetosheath from the emission from the cosmic X-ray background using the difference in their relative velocities.展开更多
Aims: The expansion of the Universe and gravitation are considered different fundamental properties of the cosmos. We explore whether they are connected and propose an equation that links and unifies them. This equati...Aims: The expansion of the Universe and gravitation are considered different fundamental properties of the cosmos. We explore whether they are connected and propose an equation that links and unifies them. This equation describes the expansion of space as related to the mass of matter in that space. An expanding frame of reference, defined as expanding at the same rate, is the natural frame for an observer since the observer is part of the Universe and expands with it. In this frame, the expansion of the Universe by itself accounts for phenomena previously ascribed to gravitation. Gravity is fictitious and unnecessary. Here, we show that universal expansion naturally manifests as “gravity”. Methods: A theory is presented that postulates a natural expansion of the observer’s frame of reference due to matter and a generalized universal principle of equivalence of acceleration and gravitation that extends to any frame. It is consistent with both the general theory of relativity and our knowledge about the expansion of the Universe. Results: We tested the theory positively by applying its equation to global and local scales of the Universe with available data. It is applied to a Universe of homogeneous mass and discrete two and three-body systems and other phenomena hitherto thought to be unrelated. The results show that the proposed equation is valid at any scale. The fundamental nature of the Universe, from which gravity and other properties are derived, is its expansion.展开更多
Morphological(e.g.shape,size,and height)and function(e.g.working,living,and shopping)information of buildings is highly needed for urban planning and management as well as other applications such as city-scale buildin...Morphological(e.g.shape,size,and height)and function(e.g.working,living,and shopping)information of buildings is highly needed for urban planning and management as well as other applications such as city-scale building energy use modeling.Due to the limited availability of socio-economic geospatial data,it is more challenging to map building functions than building morphological information,especially over large areas.In this study,we proposed an integrated framework to map building functions in 50 U.S.cities by integrating multi-source web-based geospatial data.First,a web crawler was developed to extract Points of Interest(POIs)from Tripadvisor.com,and a map crawler was developed to extract POIs and land use parcels from Google Maps.Second,an unsupervised machine learning algorithm named OneClassSVM was used to identify residential buildings based on landscape features derived from Microsoft building footprints.Third,the type ratio of POIs and the area ratio of land use parcels were used to identify six non-residential functions(i.e.hospital,hotel,school,shop,restaurant,and office).The accuracy assessment indicates that the proposed framework performed well,with an average overall accuracy of 94%and a kappa coefficient of 0.63.With the worldwide coverage of Google Maps and Tripadvisor.com,the proposed framework is transferable to other cities over the world.The data products generated from this study are of great use for quantitative city-scale urban studies,such as building energy use modeling at the single building level over large areas.展开更多
We report the confirmation of a sub-Saturn-size exoplanet,TOI-1194 b,with a mass of about 0.456+0.055-0.051M_(J),and a very low mass companion star with a mass of about 96.5±1.5 MJ,TOI-1251 B.Exoplanet candidates...We report the confirmation of a sub-Saturn-size exoplanet,TOI-1194 b,with a mass of about 0.456+0.055-0.051M_(J),and a very low mass companion star with a mass of about 96.5±1.5 MJ,TOI-1251 B.Exoplanet candidates provided by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS)are suitable for further follow-up observations by ground-based telescopes with small and medium apertures.The analysis is performed based on data from several telescopes worldwide,including telescopes in the Sino-German multiband photometric campaign,which aimed at confirming TESS Objects of Interest(TOIs)using ground-based small-aperture and medium-aperture telescopes,especially for long-period targets.TOI-1194 b is confirmed based on the consistent periodic transit depths from the multiband photometric data.We measure an orbital period of 2.310644±0.000001 days,the radius is 0.767+0.045-0.041RJ and the amplitude of the RV curve is 69.4_(-7.3)^(+7.9)m s^(-1).TOI-1251 B is confirmed based on the multiband photometric and high-resolution spectroscopic data,whose orbital period is 5.963054+0.000002-0.000001days,radius is 0.947+0.035-0.033 R_(J) and amplitude of the RV curve is 9849_(-40)^(+42)ms^(-1).展开更多
The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)is part of the scientific payload of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.SMILE is a joint science mission between the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese...The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)is part of the scientific payload of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.SMILE is a joint science mission between the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)and is due for launch in 2025.SXI is a compact X-ray telescope with a wide field-of-view(FOV)capable of encompassing large portions of Earth’s magnetosphere from the vantage point of the SMILE orbit.SXI is sensitive to the soft X-rays produced by the Solar Wind Charge eXchange(SWCX)process produced when heavy ions of solar wind origin interact with neutral particles in Earth’s exosphere.SWCX provides a mechanism for boundary detection within the magnetosphere,such as the position of Earth’s magnetopause,because the solar wind heavy ions have a very low density in regions of closed magnetic field lines.The sensitivity of the SXI is such that it can potentially track movements of the magnetopause on timescales of a few minutes and the orbit of SMILE will enable such movements to be tracked for segments lasting many hours.SXI is led by the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom(UK)with collaborating organisations on hardware,software and science support within the UK,Europe,China and the United States.展开更多
The joint European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission will explore global dynamics of the magnetosphere under varying solar wind and interplane...The joint European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission will explore global dynamics of the magnetosphere under varying solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions,and simultaneously monitor the auroral response of the Northern Hemisphere ionosphere.Combining these large-scale responses with medium and fine-scale measurements at a variety of cadences by additional ground-based and space-based instruments will enable a much greater scientific impact beyond the original goals of the SMILE mission.Here,we describe current community efforts to prepare for SMILE,and the benefits and context various experiments that have explicitly expressed support for SMILE can offer.A dedicated group of international scientists representing many different experiment types and geographical locations,the Ground-based and Additional Science Working Group,is facilitating these efforts.Preparations include constructing an online SMILE Data Fusion Facility,the discussion of particular or special modes for experiments such as coherent and incoherent scatter radar,and the consideration of particular observing strategies and spacecraft conjunctions.We anticipate growing interest and community engagement with the SMILE mission,and we welcome novel ideas and insights from the solar-terrestrial community.展开更多
文摘The primary goal of this report is to describe the operational concepts of NASA’s ACTIVATE mission. ACTIVATE hopes to improve the understanding of aerosol dispersion and models, provide accurate data for aerosols’ characterization and ozone profiles, and establish knowledge of the relationships between aerosols and water. ACTIVATE’s science objectives are to quantify Na-CCN-Nd relationships and reduce uncertainty in model cloud droplet activation parameterizations, improve process-level understanding and model representation of factors governing cloud micro/macro-physical properties and how they couple with cloud effects on aerosol, plus assess advanced remote sensing capabilities for retrieving aerosol and cloud properties related to aerosol-cloud interactions. ACTIVATE utilizes the fixed-wing B-200 King Air to collect data. Data collected by ACTIVATE is highly relevant for meteorologists and environmental scientists looking to understand more about aerosol-cloud formations. Finally, ACTIVATE is a 5-year mission spanning from January 2019 to December 2023 and has used, and will continue to use, instruments such as the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2), the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP), and the Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH).
文摘The feasibility of a Lunar LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) was introduced in 1986 as part of NASA’s planned return to the Moon by the end of the last century. That return to the Moon mission was cancelled, but is once again planned as Artemis in 2024. In this paper, the feasibility of such a Lunar LIGO as part of NASA’s return there will be discussed for that program. Details of the physics of the original Lunar LIGO proposal as a potential portion of future lunar base astronomy and astrophysics designs are presented. Results from NASA’s original planned return to the Moon to establish a gravitational wave observatory there are presented and discussed.
文摘Complex Field Theory (CFT) proposes that dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) are pervasive, complex fields of charged complex masses of equally positive and negative complex charges, respectively. It proposes that each material object, including living creatures, is concomitant with a fraction of the charged complex masses of DM and DE in proportion to its mass. This perception provides new insights into the physics of nature and its constituents from subatomic to cosmic scales. This complex nature of DM and DE explains our inability to see DM or harvest DE for the last several decades. The positive complex DM is responsible for preserving the integrity of galaxies and all material systems. The negative complex charged DE induces a positive repelling force with the positively charged DM and contributes to the universe’s expansion. Both fields are Lorentz invariants in all directions and entangle the whole universe. The paper uses CFT to investigate zero-point energy, particle-wave duality, relativistic mass increase, and entanglement phenomenon and unifies Coulomb’s and Newton’s laws. The paper also verifies the existence of tachyons and explains the spooky action of quantum mechanics at a distance. The paper encourages further research into how CFT might resolve several physical mysteries in physics.
文摘Over the past fi ve years, tropical activity in the East Pacifi c has increased, while declining in the Atlantic Basin. In addition, during El Ni?o years, warmer than average sea surface temperatures further increase the likelihood of tropical cyclone formation in the East Pacifi c. Hurricane fi eld campaigns used the Ku-/Ka-band HighAltitude Wind and Rain Airborne Profi ler(HIWRAP) radar on the Global Hawk(GH) unmanned aircraft, in GRIP(Genesis and Rapid Intensifi cation Processes 2010), HS3(Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel 2012-14), and the NOAA Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology(SHOUT 2015-16) fi eld campaigns. Although originally designed for the GH, the X-band high-altitude RADar(EXRAD) has yet to be integrated and fl own on an unmanned aerial vehicle. EXRAD will provide data with less attenuation of signal over deep convection as well as better estimates of three-dimensional winds with its nadir-pointing beam. As part of the NASA Hand On Project Experience(HOPE) Training Opportunity, our team proposed to fl y the AV-6 GH aircraft with the EXRAD radar, the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer(HAMSR), and NOAA Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profi ling System(AVAPS) dropsondes to investigate genesis and/or rapid intensifi cation(RI) of an East Pacifi c hurricane by measuring both the environment and interior structures. Information on planned activities primarily focused on the EXRAD high-altitude radar integration for the July-August 2017 science fl ight will be presented.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42061144003).
文摘On-time mapping dynamics of crop area,yield,and production is important for global food security.Such information,however,is often not available.Here,we used satellite information,a spectral-phenology integration approach for mapping crop area,and a machine learning model for predicting yield in the war-stricken Ukraine.We found that in Ukraine crop area and production declined in 2022 relative to 2017–2021 and 2021 for wintertriticeae crops,which was invaded before the cropping season in February of that year.At the same time,crop area and production for rapeseed increased in Ukraine,with yields consistently lower by 6.5%relative to 2021.The low precipitation and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict-related factors contributed to such yield variations by-1.3%and-0.9%for winter-triticeae crops and-4.2%and-0.5%for rapeseed in 2022.We demonstrate a robust framework for monitoring country-wide crop production dynamics in near real-time,serving as an early-foodsecurity-warning system.
基金Sun acknowledges the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grants(No.s 42322408,42188101,and 42074202).
文摘The SMILE(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)project(http://www.nssc.cas.cn/smile/,https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/smile/mission)is a joint spacecraft mission of the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)with an expected launch in 2025.SMILE aims to study the global interactions of solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere innovatively by imaging the Earth’s magnetosheath and cusps in soft X-rays and the northern auroral region in ultraviolet(UV)while simultaneously measuring plasma and magnetic field parameters in the solar wind and magnetosheath along a highly-elliptical and highly-inclined orbit.This special issue is composed of 22 articles,presenting recent progress in modeling and data analysis techniques developed for the SMILE mission.In this preface,we categorize the articles into the following seven topics and provide brief summaries:(1)instrument descriptions of the Soft X-ray Imager(SXI),(2)numerical modeling of the X-ray signals,(3)data processing of the X-ray images,(4)boundary tracing methods from the simulated images,(5)physical phenomena and a mission concept related to the scientific goals of SMILE-SXI,(6)studies of the aurora,and(7)ground-based support for SMILE.
基金the European Research Council for starting grant 200141-QuESpace,with which the Vlasiator model was developedconsolidator grant 682068-PRESTISSIMO awarded for further development of Vlasiator and its use in scientific investigations+4 种基金Academy of Finland grant numbers 338629-AERGELC’H,339756-KIMCHI,336805-FORESAIL,and 335554-ICT-SUNVACThe Academy of Finland also supported this work through the PROFI4 grant(grant number 3189131)support from the NASA grants,80NSSC20K1670 and 80MSFC20C0019the NASA GSFC FY23 IRADHIF funds。
文摘Solar wind charge exchange produces emissions in the soft X-ray energy range which can enable the study of near-Earth space regions such as the magnetopause,the magnetosheath and the polar cusps by remote sensing techniques.The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)and Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)missions aim to obtain soft Xray images of near-Earth space thanks to their Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instruments.While earlier modeling works have already simulated soft X-ray images as might be obtained by SMILE SXI during its mission,the numerical models used so far are all based on the magnetohydrodynamics description of the space plasma.To investigate the possible signatures of ion-kinetic-scale processes in soft Xray images,we use for the first time a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the geospace from the Vlasiator model.The simulation is driven by fast and tenuous solar wind conditions and purely southward interplanetary magnetic field.We first produce global X-ray images of the dayside near-Earth space by placing a virtual imaging satellite at two different locations,providing meridional and equatorial views.We then analyze regional features present in the images and show that they correspond to signatures in soft X-ray emissions of mirrormode wave structures in the magnetosheath and flux transfer events(FTEs)at the magnetopause.Our results suggest that,although the time scales associated with the motion of those transient phenomena will likely be significantly smaller than the integration time of the SMILE and LEXI imagers,mirror-mode structures and FTEs can cumulatively produce detectable signatures in the soft X-ray images.For instance,a local increase by 30%in the proton density at the dayside magnetopause resulting from the transit of multiple FTEs leads to a 12%enhancement in the line-of-sight-and time-integrated soft X-ray emissivity originating from this region.Likewise,a proton density increase by 14%in the magnetosheath associated with mirror-mode structures can result in an enhancement in the soft X-ray signal by 4%.These are likely conservative estimates,given that the solar wind conditions used in the Vlasiator run can be expected to generate weaker soft X-ray emissions than the more common denser solar wind.These results will contribute to the preparatory work for the SMILE and LEXI missions by providing the community with quantitative estimates of the effects of small-scale,transient phenomena occurring on the dayside.
文摘To determine the cause(s)of perturbations seen in dayside equatorial ground magnetograms,we conducted a systematic survey of simultaneous ground-based and geosynchronous satellite-based observations during the 90-day period from December 1,2020 to February 28,2021.We examined Huancayo ground magnetometer observations from 14:00:00 to 20:00:00 UT each day,during which Huancayo passed through local noon.From those data we chose perturbation events selected on the basis of large(>20 nT)event amplitude and classified the selected events as responding primarily to solar wind pressure,or to variations in the north/south component of the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF Bz),or perhaps in part to both.The results show that an equivalent number of events were identified for each model during this 90-day period.Variations in the lagged solar wind dynamic pressure routinely correspond to nearly simultaneous sudden impulses recorded at both geosynchronous orbit and on the ground.Variations in IMF Bz produce erosion signatures at geosynchronous orbit and can correspond to ground events if lag times for reconnection to enhance convection in the magnetosphere are taken into account.
基金supported by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center through Cooperative Agreement 80NSSC21M0180 to Catholic UniversityPartnership for Heliophysics and Space Environment Research(PHaSER)+2 种基金the NASA Heliophysics United States Participating Investigator Program under Grant WBS516741.01.24.01.03(DS)support from the NASA grants 80NSSC19K0844,80NSSC20K1670,and 80MSFC20C0019the NASA GSFC internal fundings(HIF,ISFM,and IRAD)。
文摘Variability in the location and shape of the dayside magnetopause is attributed to magnetic reconnection,a fundamental process that enables the transfer of mass,energy,and momentum from the solar wind into the magnetosphere.The spatial and temporal properties of the magnetopause,under varying solar and magnetospheric conditions,remain largely unknown because empirical studies using in-situ observations are challenging to interpret.Global wide field-of-view(FOV)imaging is the only means to simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of the plasma properties over the vast dayside magnetospheric region and,subsequently,quantify the energy transport from the interplanetary medium into the terrestrial magnetosphere.Two upcoming missions,ESA/CAS SMILE and NASA’s LEXI will provide wide-field imagery of the dayside magnetosheath in soft X-rays,an emission generated by charge exchange interactions between high charge-state heavy ions of solar wind origin and exospheric neutral atoms.High-cadence two-dimensional observations of the magnetosheath will allow the estimation of dynamic properties of its inner boundary,the magnetopause,and enable studies of its response to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation.This work introduces a statistically-based estimation approach based on inverse theory to estimate the spatial distribution of magnetosheath soft X-ray emissivities and,with this,identify the location of the magnetopause over the Sun−Earth line.To do so,we simulate the magnetosheath structure using the MHD-based OpenGGCM model and generate synthetic soft X-ray images using LEXI’s orbit and attitude information.Our results show that 3-D estimations using the described statistically-based technique are robust against Poisson-distributed shot noise inherent to soft X-ray images.Also,our proposed methodology shows that the accuracy of both three-dimensional(3-D)estimation and the magnetopause standoff distance calculation highly depends on the observational point.
基金supported by the NSF grant AGS-1928883the NASA grants,80NSSC20K1670 and 80MSFC20C0019+2 种基金support from NASA GSFC IRADHIFISFM funds。
文摘Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind−Magnetosphere−Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)will observe magnetosheath and its boundary motion in soft X-rays for understanding magnetopause reconnection modes under various solar wind conditions after their respective launches in 2024 and 2025.Magnetosheath conditions,namely,plasma density,velocity,and temperature,are key parameters for predicting and analyzing soft X-ray images from the LEXI and SMILE missions.We developed a userfriendly model of magnetosheath that parameterizes number density,velocity,temperature,and magnetic field by utilizing the global Magnetohydrodynamics(MHD)model as well as the pre-existing gas-dynamic and analytic models.Using this parameterized magnetosheath model,scientists can easily reconstruct expected soft X-ray images and utilize them for analysis of observed images of LEXI and SMILE without simulating the complicated global magnetosphere models.First,we created an MHD-based magnetosheath model by running a total of 14 OpenGGCM global MHD simulations under 7 solar wind densities(1,5,10,15,20,25,and 30 cm)and 2 interplanetary magnetic field Bz components(±4 nT),and then parameterizing the results in new magnetosheath conditions.We compared the magnetosheath model result with THEMIS statistical data and it showed good agreement with a weighted Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.77,especially for plasma density and plasma velocity.Second,we compiled a suite of magnetosheath models incorporating previous magnetosheath models(gas-dynamic,analytic),and did two case studies to test the performance.The MHD-based model was comparable to or better than the previous models while providing self-consistency among the magnetosheath parameters.Third,we constructed a tool to calculate a soft X-ray image from any given vantage point,which can support the planning and data analysis of the aforementioned LEXI and SMILE missions.A release of the code has been uploaded to a Github repository.
基金supported by NASA(Grant Nos.80NSSC19K0844,80NSSC20K1670,80MSFC20C0019,and 80GSFC21M0002)support from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center internal funding programs(HIF,Internal Scientist Funding Model,and Internal Research and Development)。
文摘The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)missions will image the Earth’s dayside magneto pause and cusps in soft X-rays after their respective launches in the near future,to specify glo bal magnetic reconnection modes for varying solar wind conditions.To suppo rt the success of these scientific missions,it is critical to develop techniques that extract the magnetopause locations from the observed soft X-ray images.In this research,we introduce a new geometric equation that calculates the subsolar magnetopause position(RS)from a satellite position,the look direction of the instrument,and the angle at which the X-ray emission is maximized.Two assumptions are used in this method:(1)The look direction where soft X-ray emissions are maximized lies tangent to the magnetopause,and(2)the magnetopause surface near the subsolar point is almost spherical and thus RSis nea rly equal to the radius of the magneto pause curvature.We create synthetic soft X-ray images by using the Open Geospace General Circulation Model(OpenGGCM)global magnetohydrodynamic model,the galactic background,the instrument point spread function,and Poisson noise.We then apply the fast Fourier transform and Gaussian low-pass filte rs to the synthetic images to re move noise and obtain accurate look angles for the soft X-ray pea ks.From the filte red images,we calculate RS and its accuracy for different LEXI locations,look directions,and solar wind densities by using the OpenGGCM subsolar magnetopause location as ground truth.Our method estimates RS with an accuracy of<0.3 RE when the solar wind density exceeds>10 cm-3.The accuracy improves for greater solar wind densities and during southward interplanetary magnetic fields.The method ca ptures the magnetopause motion during southwa rd interplaneta ry magnetic field turnings.Consequently,the technique will enable quantitative analysis of the magnetopause motion and help reveal the dayside reconnection modes for dynamic solar wind conditions.This technique will suppo rt the LEXI and SMILE missions in achieving their scientific o bjectives.
基金financial support from CNES via its Sun-Heliosphere-Magnetosphere(SHM)programsupport from NASA grant#80NSSC20K1709。
文摘While we eagerly anticipate SMILE’s(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)unprecedented X-ray observations of the Earth’s magnetosheath and the initiation of a new era of magnetospheric research,it seems appropriate to look ahead to the abilities of the next generation of astrophysics missions.Of these,the Line Emission Mapper(LEM),a large aperture micro-calorimeter based mission,is currently planned to be able to observe the magnetosheath at high spectral resolution(~2 eV).With a field of view of~30′,LEM will allow higher spatial resolution and higher cadence measurement of the motion of a very small portion of the magnetopause over relatively short periods of time(multiple hours),complementing SMILE’s global mapping.LEM’s strength is its spectral resolution.It will be able to measure the abundance of a broad range of elements and ionization states,many of which are inaccessible to current in situ instruments,and will be able to separate the emission from the magnetosheath from the emission from the cosmic X-ray background using the difference in their relative velocities.
文摘Aims: The expansion of the Universe and gravitation are considered different fundamental properties of the cosmos. We explore whether they are connected and propose an equation that links and unifies them. This equation describes the expansion of space as related to the mass of matter in that space. An expanding frame of reference, defined as expanding at the same rate, is the natural frame for an observer since the observer is part of the Universe and expands with it. In this frame, the expansion of the Universe by itself accounts for phenomena previously ascribed to gravitation. Gravity is fictitious and unnecessary. Here, we show that universal expansion naturally manifests as “gravity”. Methods: A theory is presented that postulates a natural expansion of the observer’s frame of reference due to matter and a generalized universal principle of equivalence of acceleration and gravitation that extends to any frame. It is consistent with both the general theory of relativity and our knowledge about the expansion of the Universe. Results: We tested the theory positively by applying its equation to global and local scales of the Universe with available data. It is applied to a Universe of homogeneous mass and discrete two and three-body systems and other phenomena hitherto thought to be unrelated. The results show that the proposed equation is valid at any scale. The fundamental nature of the Universe, from which gravity and other properties are derived, is its expansion.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation[grant numbers 1854502 and 1855902]Publication was made possible in part by support from the HKU Libraries Open Access Author Fund sponsored by the HKU Libraries.USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S.Department of Agriculture.
文摘Morphological(e.g.shape,size,and height)and function(e.g.working,living,and shopping)information of buildings is highly needed for urban planning and management as well as other applications such as city-scale building energy use modeling.Due to the limited availability of socio-economic geospatial data,it is more challenging to map building functions than building morphological information,especially over large areas.In this study,we proposed an integrated framework to map building functions in 50 U.S.cities by integrating multi-source web-based geospatial data.First,a web crawler was developed to extract Points of Interest(POIs)from Tripadvisor.com,and a map crawler was developed to extract POIs and land use parcels from Google Maps.Second,an unsupervised machine learning algorithm named OneClassSVM was used to identify residential buildings based on landscape features derived from Microsoft building footprints.Third,the type ratio of POIs and the area ratio of land use parcels were used to identify six non-residential functions(i.e.hospital,hotel,school,shop,restaurant,and office).The accuracy assessment indicates that the proposed framework performed well,with an average overall accuracy of 94%and a kappa coefficient of 0.63.With the worldwide coverage of Google Maps and Tripadvisor.com,the proposed framework is transferable to other cities over the world.The data products generated from this study are of great use for quantitative city-scale urban studies,such as building energy use modeling at the single building level over large areas.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,Grant Nos.U1831209 and U2031144)the research fund of Ankara University(BAP)through the project 18A0759001。
文摘We report the confirmation of a sub-Saturn-size exoplanet,TOI-1194 b,with a mass of about 0.456+0.055-0.051M_(J),and a very low mass companion star with a mass of about 96.5±1.5 MJ,TOI-1251 B.Exoplanet candidates provided by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS)are suitable for further follow-up observations by ground-based telescopes with small and medium apertures.The analysis is performed based on data from several telescopes worldwide,including telescopes in the Sino-German multiband photometric campaign,which aimed at confirming TESS Objects of Interest(TOIs)using ground-based small-aperture and medium-aperture telescopes,especially for long-period targets.TOI-1194 b is confirmed based on the consistent periodic transit depths from the multiband photometric data.We measure an orbital period of 2.310644±0.000001 days,the radius is 0.767+0.045-0.041RJ and the amplitude of the RV curve is 69.4_(-7.3)^(+7.9)m s^(-1).TOI-1251 B is confirmed based on the multiband photometric and high-resolution spectroscopic data,whose orbital period is 5.963054+0.000002-0.000001days,radius is 0.947+0.035-0.033 R_(J) and amplitude of the RV curve is 9849_(-40)^(+42)ms^(-1).
基金funding and support from the United Kingdom Space Agency(UKSA)the European Space Agency(ESA)+5 种基金funded and supported through the ESA PRODEX schemefunded through PRODEX PEA 4000123238the Research Council of Norway grant 223252funded by Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 grant PID2019-107061GB-C61funding and support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)funding and support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)。
文摘The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)is part of the scientific payload of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.SMILE is a joint science mission between the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)and is due for launch in 2025.SXI is a compact X-ray telescope with a wide field-of-view(FOV)capable of encompassing large portions of Earth’s magnetosphere from the vantage point of the SMILE orbit.SXI is sensitive to the soft X-rays produced by the Solar Wind Charge eXchange(SWCX)process produced when heavy ions of solar wind origin interact with neutral particles in Earth’s exosphere.SWCX provides a mechanism for boundary detection within the magnetosphere,such as the position of Earth’s magnetopause,because the solar wind heavy ions have a very low density in regions of closed magnetic field lines.The sensitivity of the SXI is such that it can potentially track movements of the magnetopause on timescales of a few minutes and the orbit of SMILE will enable such movements to be tracked for segments lasting many hours.SXI is led by the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom(UK)with collaborating organisations on hardware,software and science support within the UK,Europe,China and the United States.
基金supported by Royal Society grant DHFR1211068funded by UKSA+14 种基金STFCSTFC grant ST/M001083/1funded by STFC grant ST/W00089X/1supported by NERC grant NE/W003309/1(E3d)funded by NERC grant NE/V000748/1support from NERC grants NE/V015133/1,NE/R016038/1(BAS magnetometers),and grants NE/R01700X/1 and NE/R015848/1(EISCAT)supported by NERC grant NE/T000937/1NSFC grants 42174208 and 41821003supported by the Research Council of Norway grant 223252PRODEX arrangement 4000123238 from the European Space Agencysupport of the AUTUMN East-West magnetometer network by the Canadian Space Agencysupported by NASA’s Heliophysics U.S.Participating Investigator Programsupport from grant NSF AGS 2027210supported by grant Dnr:2020-00106 from the Swedish National Space Agencysupported by the German Research Foundation(DFG)under number KR 4375/2-1 within SPP"Dynamic Earth"。
文摘The joint European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission will explore global dynamics of the magnetosphere under varying solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions,and simultaneously monitor the auroral response of the Northern Hemisphere ionosphere.Combining these large-scale responses with medium and fine-scale measurements at a variety of cadences by additional ground-based and space-based instruments will enable a much greater scientific impact beyond the original goals of the SMILE mission.Here,we describe current community efforts to prepare for SMILE,and the benefits and context various experiments that have explicitly expressed support for SMILE can offer.A dedicated group of international scientists representing many different experiment types and geographical locations,the Ground-based and Additional Science Working Group,is facilitating these efforts.Preparations include constructing an online SMILE Data Fusion Facility,the discussion of particular or special modes for experiments such as coherent and incoherent scatter radar,and the consideration of particular observing strategies and spacecraft conjunctions.We anticipate growing interest and community engagement with the SMILE mission,and we welcome novel ideas and insights from the solar-terrestrial community.
