Investigation of the effects of external current systems on the MAGSAT data utilizing grid cell modeling techniques

The feasibility of modeling magnetic fields due to certain electrical currents flowing in the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere was studied. Initial efforts were devoted to reading MAGSAT data tapes in preparation for further analysis of the MAGSAT data. Further efforts concern a modeling procedure developed to compute the magnetic field at satellite orbit due to hypothesized current distributions in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. This technique utilizes a linear current element representation of the large scale space current system

Earth's external magnetic fields at low orbital altitudes

Under our Jun. 1987 proposal, Magnetic Signatures of Near-Earth Distributed Currents, we proposed to render operational a modeling procedure that had been previously developed to compute the magnetic effects of distributed currents flowing in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. After adaptation of the software to our computing environment we would apply the model to low altitude satellite orbits and would utilize the MAGSAT data suite to guide the analysis. During the first year, basic computer codes to run model systems of Birkeland and ionospheric currents and several graphical output routines were made operational on a VAX 780 in our research facility. Software performance was evaluated using an input matchstick ionospheric current array, field aligned currents were calculated and magnetic perturbations along hypothetical satellite orbits were calculated. The basic operation of the model was verified. Software routines to analyze and display MAGSAT satellite data in terms of deviations with respect to the earth's internal field were also made operational during the first year effort. The complete set of MAGSAT data to be used for evaluation of the models was received at the end of the first year. A detailed annual report in May 1989 described these first year activities completely. That first annual report is included by reference in this final report. This document summarizes our additional activities during the second year of effort and describes the modeling software, its operation, and includes as an attachment the deliverable computer software specified under the contract

Yosemite Conference on Ionospheric Plasma in the Magnetosphere: Sources, Mechanisms and Consequences, meeting report

The sixth biennial Yosemite topical conference and the first as a Chapman Conference was held on February 3 to 6, 1986. Due to the recent changes in our perception of the dynamics of the ionospheric/magnetospheric system, it was deemed timely to bring researchers together to discuss and contrast the relative importance of solar versus terrestrial sources of magnetospheric plasma. Although the solar wind was once thought to dominate the supply of plasma in the Earth's magnetosphere, it is now thought that the Earth's ionosphere is a significant contributor. Polar wind and other large volume outflows of plasma have been seen at relatively high altitudes over the polar cap and are now being correlated with outflows found in the magnetotail. The auroral ion fountain and cleft ion fountain are examples of ionospheric sources of plasma in the magnetosphere, observed by the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) spacecraft. The conference was organized into six sessions: four consisting of prepared oral presentations, one poster session, and one session for open forum discussion. The first three oral sessions dealt separately with the three major topics of the conference, i.e., the sources, mechanisms, and consequences of ionospheric plasma in the magnetosphere. A special session of invited oral presentations was held to discuss extraterrestrial ionospheric/magnetospheric plasma processes. The poster session was extended over two evenings during which presenters discussed their papers on a one-on-one basis. The last session of the conferences was reserved for open discussions of those topics or ideas considered most interesting or controversial

Katolicismus a občanská společnost v České republice

Práce Katolicismus a občanská společnost v České republice zkoumá vztah těchto dvou sítí a možné pohledy na něj. V historickém úvodu je nastíněn vývoj katolické církve na našem území od příchodu prvních křesťanských misií, přes rozvoj činností a pravomocí církve, následné zásahy osvícenství, vliv rozpadu monarchie až po perzekuce ze strany komunistického režimu. Součástí je i pohled na měnící se poměr katolicismu k veřejné moci a formující se občanské společnosti. Následuje rozbor procesů jako je například sekularizace, privatizace a deprivatizace, které ovlivnily, ale i nadále ovlivňují vnímání katolického učení a postavení jeho institucionalizované reprezentantky, tedy římskokatolické církve. Důležitou součástí práce je analýza současné odborné diskuze o problematice vztahu občanské společnosti a náboženství se zaměřením na katolicismus reprezentované kupříkladu Janem Sokolem, Karlem Nešporem nebo Tomášem Halíkem. Mezinárodní srovnání vztahu církví a státu v okolních zemích, ale i ve Francii, Anglii či USA ukazuje různé možné praktikované modely. V další části nechybí rozbor reálné náboženské situace v České republice a výsledků výzkumů zaměřených na tuto oblast, které ukazují na stálý vliv katolicismu ve společnosti. Jedna z kapitol přibližuje tradiční činnosti církve jako je zejména charita, vzdělávání...The thesis The Catholicism and The Civil Society in The Czech Republic examines the relationship of these two entities and putative views on it. In the first part of the thesis the historical development of the Catholic church on our territory is outlined, from first Christian missions, to bloom of church activities, enlightenment, dissipation of Austrian- Hungarian Empire, finally to persecutions of the communistic era. It is followed by an analysis of processes as secularisation, privatisation and deprivatisation, which influenced and still influence the perception of catholic doctrine and the position of the Romancatholic church. An important part of the thesis is the analysis of the contemporary expert discussion on broad issue of relationship between the civil society and religion. This discussion focuses mostly on catholicism and it is performed by Jan Sokol, Karel Nešpor and Tomáš Halík, as representatives. An international comparison of church - state relatioship is shown in the thesis, describing the situation in France, Great Britain and The United States. The analysis of the real level of religiosity in the Czech Republic and results of investigations on this issue are comprised in the next part of the thesis and indicate a permanent influence of catholicism in the Czech society. Traditional...Department of Civil Society StudiesKatedra studií občanské společnostiFaculty of HumanitiesFakulta humanitních studi

RAVE: Rapid Visualization Environment

Visualization is used in the process of analyzing large, multidimensional data sets. However, the selection and creation of visualizations that are appropriate for the characteristics of a particular data set and the satisfaction of the analyst's goals is difficult. The process consists of three tasks that are performed iteratively: generate, test, and refine. The performance of these tasks requires the utilization of several types of domain knowledge that data analysts do not often have. Existing visualization systems and frameworks do not adequately support the performance of these tasks. In this paper we present the RApid Visualization Environment (RAVE), a knowledge-based system that interfaces with commercial visualization frameworks and assists a data analyst in quickly and easily generating, testing, and refining visualizations. RAVE was used for the visualization of in situ measurement data captured by spacecraft

NASA Cube Quest Challenge: Citizen Inventors Advance CubeSats into Deep Space on 2018 EM-1 Mission

Cube Quest Challenge, sponsored by Space Technology Mission Directorate\u27s Centennial Challenges program, is NASA\u27s first in-space prize competition. Cube Quest is open to any U.S.-based, nongovernment CubeSat developer. Entrants will compete for one of three available 6U CubeSat dispenser slots on the EM-1 mission - the first un-crewed lunar flyby of the Orion spacecraft launched by the Space Launch System in early 2018. The Cube Quest Challenge will award up to $5M in prizes. The advanced CubeSat technologies demonstrated by Cube Quest winners will enable NASA, universities, and industry to more quickly and affordably accomplish science and exploration objectives. This paper describes the teams, their novel CubeSat designs, and the emerging technologies for CubeSat operations in deep space environment. Over a 2-year development period, teams demonstrate progress and vie for one of three available dispenser slots on NASA\u27s SLS vehicle through a series of ground-based competitions called Ground Tournaments . The first Ground Tournament (GT-1) was conducted in August of 2015. The remaining three events are at roughly 6-month intervals. Judges assess the team\u27s designs and mission plans for technical excellence and compliance with rules and safety requirements. The top three winners of the fourth Ground Tournament, scheduled for March 2017, will be selected for integration with the SLS vehicle. After being dispensed in a trans-lunar injection trajectory, the three competing CubeSats will boldly go where no CubeSat has operated before, to compete at the moon and well beyond. The in-space competition is also open to qualified teams that can procure their own launch. There are two competition tracks: Lunar Derby requires teams to successfully achieve and maintain a lunar orbit, while the Deep Space Derby will be conducted only after CubeSats have achieved a range of over 4M km from Earth. Once in either lunar orbit or beyond 4M km, teams will attempt to achieve or exceed communications data goals (rates and data volume over time), to survive the longest (up to a year), and to successfully communicate from the farthest distance (for the Deep Space Derby). To survive in deep space and demonstrate the rigor needed to operate at the moon or beyond and attempt prizes, teams will have to push the envelope of CubeSat capabilities. Teams will have to demonstrate advancements in propulsion in order to get into lunar orbit, in navigation without GPS or Earth\u27s magnetic field, in reliability, in fault tolerance and radiation hardening to survive and operate in deep space beyond the Van Allen belts, and in long distance communications capabilities that no CubeSat has previously demonstrated. Twelve teams of citizen inventors registered for GT-1 and ten for GT-2. About two thirds of the competitors are from academia, while the remaining teams are small companies. At GT-1 there was one high school team and a team comprised of one individual engineer. Cube Quest is open to any team at no charge. Teams develop CubeSats on their own time without government support

University CubeSat Project Management for Success

CubeSats have been developed by many different institutions since they were introduced by California Polytechnic State University and Stanford University in 1999. Given the 40% failure rate of university missions, it is important to discover what project arrangements may give the CubeSat the best chance of success. The aim of this paper is to offer those wishing to start a CubeSat program some indications of what successful project management at a university may look like. This paper provides case studies of 3 universities who have launched more than 4 satellites: University of Michigan, the Montana State University, and Aalborg University in Denmark. The information was gathered by asking supervisors from these teams a series of questions relating to project management. These included team structure, continuity, how the students organize themselves, how much of the work is embedded in the curriculum, how new students were integrated and how documentation was used to manage the project. The different methods of organization used in the different programs were described with their unique features. After this, both the variation and the common elements were identified. It is hoped that this research will contribute to successful CubeSat projects in universities worldwide