Hyperthermal atomic oxygen effects on satellite systems

曼彻斯特大学正在开发一种独特的实验设施，用于复制极低地球轨道（VLEO）中的超高温原子氧通量，基本上是一种稀薄流风洞，称为稀薄轨道空气动力学研究设施（ROAR）。这将是一个独特的设施，能够从表面重新发射流，从而确定其空气动力学特性。该学生将是少数几个能够使用注重成果的年度报告设施的博士生之一，能够参与其建立，努力支持其在现有资助项目之外的优化，并开发可使用该设施进行验证的新技术。虽然许多材料科学已经进行了原子氧腐蚀，几乎没有存在的材料的光束散射特性，因此他们的空气动力学特性。这对阻力最小化和气动控制的气动优化以及大气传感器的开发具有意义。此外，新型材料以及太阳能电池阵列互连等系统的腐蚀特性也需要加以表征。学生仍在他们的第一年，但该项目正在缩小可能的方向：学生将帮助回答一些研究问题：1。ROAR在多大程度上再现了真实的甚低地球轨道环境的空气动力学和侵蚀效应，可以做哪些改进来创建更好的对准？2.如何提高ROAR的流动密度以允许更快速的侵蚀实验？3.我们如何确定VLEO中的气流方向，以支持气动控制方法和其他应用？4.更深入地了解气体表面与超高温原子氧的相互作用是否会影响系统和传感器的设计？根据实验结果，学生将致力于发展大气与表面的气体-表面相互作用的基础科学，并致力于提高ROAR的性能，以及它如何更好地代表真实的VLEO环境。根据博士期间的研究，具体活动可能包括：开发ROAR的改进，以增加原子氧通量，使材料和卫星系统的侵蚀研究成为可能。开发VLEO传感器，如流量传感器，用于空气动力学姿态控制概念和其他应用。将卫星飞行数据的材料性能与注重成果的年度报告的材料性能进行比较，以确定为更接近地模拟甚低地球轨道环境可能需要对系统进行哪些改动，以及如何进行这些改动。使用气体表面相互作用数据为传感器和系统的设计提供信息

The University of Manchester is developing a unique experimental facility that replicates hyperthermal atomic oxygen flux in very low Earth orbits (VLEO), essentially a rarefied flow wind tunnel, called the Rarefied Orbital Aerodynamics Research Facility (ROAR). It will be a unique facility able to characterise the reemitted flow from surfaces and thereby determine their aerodynamic properties. The student will be one of the few PhD students with access to the ROAR facility, being able to participate in its set up, working to support its optimization beyond existing funded projects, and developing new technologies which can be validated using the facility. Whilst much materials science has been carried out on atomic oxygen erosion, almost none exists in relation to the beam scattering characteristics of materials and therefore their aerodynamic properties. This has implications for aerodynamic optimisation for drag minimization and aerodynamic control, and for atmospheric sensor development. In addition, the erosion characteristics of novel materials, as well as systems such as solar array interconnects, need to be characterized.The student is still in their first year, but the project is narrowing down on possible directions:The student will help to answer a number of research questions:1. How closely does ROAR reproduce the aerodynamic and erosion effects of the real VLEO environment, and what improvements can be made to create better alignment?2. How can the flow density of ROAR be improved to allow more rapid erosion experiments?3. How can we determine the flow direction in VLEO to support aerodynamic control methods and other applications?4. Does a greater understanding of gas surface interactions with hyperthermal atomic oxygen affect the design of systems and sensors?Based on experimental results the student will work to develop the fundamental science of gas-surface interactions of the atmosphere with surfaces, and work to improve the performance of ROAR and how well it represents the real VLEO environment.Depending on the studies during the PhD, specific activities could include: Developing improvements to ROAR to increase the atomic oxygen flux enabling erosion studies of materials and satellite systems. Developing VLEO sensors, such as a flow sensor, for use with aerodynamic attitude control concepts and other applications. Comparing materials performance from satellite flight data with that from ROAR to determine what changes to the system may be required to more closely replicate the VLEO environment, and how these could be implemented. Use gas surface interaction data to inform the design of sensors and systems