Aerodynamic Stability of Satellites in Elliptic Low Earth Orbits

Topical observations of the thermosphere at altitudes below $200 \, km$ are of great benefit in advancing the understanding of the global distribution of mass, composition, and dynamical responses to geomagnetic forcing, and momentum transfer via waves. The perceived risks associated with such low altitude and short duration orbits has prohibited the launch of Discovery-class missions. Miniaturization of instruments such as mass spectrometers and advances in the nano-satellite technology, associated with relatively low cost of nano-satellite manufacturing and operation, open an avenue for performing low altitude missions. The time dependent coefficients of a second order non-homogeneous ODE which describes the motion have a double periodic shape. Hence, they will be approximated using Jacobi elliptic functions. Through a change of variables the original ODE will be converted into Hill's ODE for stability analysis using Floquet theory. We are interested in how changes in the coefficients of the ODE affect the stability of the solution. The expected result will be an allowable range of parameters for which the motion is dynamically stable. A possible extension of the application is a computational tool for the rapid evaluation of the stability of entry or re-entry vehicles in rarefied flow regimes and of satellites flying in relatively low orbits.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figure

On the structural theory of II_1 factors of negatively curved groups, II: Actions by product groups

This paper includes a series of structural results for von Neumann algebras arising from measure preserving actions by product groups on probability spaces. Expanding upon the methods used earlier by the first two authors \cite{CS}, we obtain new examples of strongly solid factors as well as von Neumann algebras with unique or no Cartan subalgebra. For instance we show that every II$_1$ factor associated with a weakly amenable group in the class $\mathcal S$ of Ozawa is strongly solid, \cite{OzSolid}. There is also the following product version of this result: any maximal abelian $\star$-subalgebra of any II$_1$ factor associated with a finite product of weakly amenable groups in the class $\mathcal S$ of Ozawa has an amenable normalizing algebra. Finally, pairing some of these results with cocycle superrigidity results from \cite{IoaCSR}, it follows that compact actions by finite products of lattices in $Sp(n, 1)$, $n \geq2$, are virtually $W^*$-superrigid.Comment: final versio

Agent-based Control of Multiple Satellite Formation Flying

Formation flying is an enabling technique for numerous proposed satellite missions. The TeamAgent software system, based on ObjectAgent technology, is designed to enable multiple satellites to cooperate autonomously with particular focus on formation flying. A generalized agent-based software architecture for formation flying has been devised and is being applied to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s TechSat 21 technology demonstration mission

Aerodynamic Stability of Satellites in Elliptic Low Earth Orbits

Topical observations of the thermosphere at altitudes below 200 km are of great benefit in advancing the understanding of the global distribution of mass, composition, and dynamical responses to geomagnetic forcing, and momentum transfer via waves. The perceived risks associated with such low altitude and short duration orbits has prohibited the launch of Discovery-class missions. Miniaturization of instruments such as mass spectrometers and advances in the nano-satellite technology, associated with relatively low cost of nano-satellite manufacturing and operation, open an avenue for performing low altitude missions. The time dependent coefficients of a second order non-homogeneous ODE which describes the motion have a double periodic shape. Hence, they will be approximated using Jacobi elliptic functions. Through a change of variables the original ODE will be converted into Hill’s ODE for stability analysis using Floquet theory. We are interested in how changes in the coefficients of the ODE affect the stability of the solution. The expected result will be an allowable range of parameters for which the motion is dynamically stable. A possible extension of the application is a computational tool for the rapid evaluation of the stability of entry or re-entry vehicles in rarefied flow regimes and of satellites flying in relatively low orbits