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Photo of NASA
NASA will launch the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) probe this summer on a journey to the Sun, deeper into the atmosphere of the Sun than any previous mission. If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is imagined as a meter stick, the PSP would be eleven centimeters from the surface of the sun
In this part of the atmosphere called the crown, the PSP will make observations without previous energy of heat and particles. orbit.
Inside the crown, of course, incredibly hot. The probe flies through a material with a temperature above 500,000 ° C and a high intensity light source.
The Parker Solar Probe probe is designed to withstand extreme mission conditions and temperature fluctuations. The most important protection is provided by a specially designed heat shield and an autonomous system that protects the mission from intense sunlight but allows the material to "touch the probe".
Why the probe does not dissolve
It does not disappear instantly, you must understand the concepts of heat and temperature and their differences. High temperatures do not necessarily mean the warming of another object.
The temperature of the cosmos can reach thousands of degrees, though the objects there can not, at least, become more intense. How can this be? Temperature is the measure of particle velocity, while heat indicates the amount of energy that they transmit. The particles can work very quickly (high temperature), but if the particles are very small, they do not transmit much energy (low heat). As the space is essentially empty, the probe transfers very few particles to the probe
For example, the temperature of the corona through which the PSP pbades is extremely high, but the density of the substance that is there contained is extremely weak. Compare inserting the hand into the oven and inserting into a pot of boiling water (do not try it at home!) – you'll keep your hand baked a lot longer and at a much higher temperature than in water. The sun's crown is therefore much rarer, so the probe works with fewer hot particles and less heat.
Therefore, although the PSP will fly in the space where the temperature reaches millions of degrees, the heat shield ~ 1400 ° C)
Of course, a temperature of one thousand and a half degrees would also be difficult to name the summer time. (By way of comparison, the volcano triggers a lava of 700-1200 ° C. The PSP is protected by a heat shield – a thermal protection system (TPS) of 2.4 m in diameter and 115 mm dia. thickness supporting a comfortable temperature of 30 ° C on the other side of the panel).
TPS was developed at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and was developed by Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, using carbon composite foam between two carbon panels. This light insulation on the side facing the sun is covered with white ceramic paints, to reflect more warmth. Solar Probe Instruments hides behind the TPS
Solar Probe Cup will be one of two instruments for the SPS heat shield, which will be available at a temperature of 1650 ° C, TPS will increase the heat sent by the sun and will protect virtually all instruments.
whose shield is not secure. This instrument is what is called a Faraday ship, a sensor to determine the strength and direction of ions and electrons in a solar wind. Because the intensity of the solar atmosphere was extremely high, it was necessary to create unique technologies to ensure the survival of electronics, not only the instrument, but also the exact data.
The vessel is made of titanium, zirconium and molybdenum alloy (melting temperature: 2349 ° C). The electric field of the Solar Probe Cup is tungsten, the metal having the highest melting point (3422 ° C). Typically, in such chips, the gate lines are burned in the lasers – but because of the high melting temperatures, they had to acidify them in this case.
Another challenge was electrical wiring – most of the heat dissipated. The team solved this problem by producing wire holders with sapphire crystal tubes, while the wire itself was made of niobium.
In order to test the resistance of the instrument, researchers had to replicate the heat of the sun in the laboratory. To do this, they used a particle accelerator and specially designed for high temperature IMAX projectors. The projectors repeated the heat of the sun, and the particle accelerator pulled the radiation from the ship to make sure the device captures the particles precisely even under such conditions. Solar Probe Cup, which is able to withstand such a hostile environment, has used Odeillo Solar Furnace, where 10,000 custom mirrors are concentrated at one point
The Solar Probe Cup failed and more she was in the environment of test, the more she was clear. results provided. "We believe that the radiation has eliminated all potential pollutants," said the SWEAP instrument at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Researcher Justin Casper. "Essentially, he's purified."
The heat of safety of the PSP and some more technologies. Energy-efficient photovoltaic panels can overheat without protection. At the approach of each Sun, the elements slide in the shadow of the heat shield, so that the intense sunlight only lights up a small segment.
However, if near the Sun, more protection is needed. The cooling system of the elements is incredibly simple: a heated capacity to protect the freezer against freezing during the flight, two radiators, aluminum panels for a larger cooling surface and a circulation pump. The power of the cooling system would be sufficient for a medium sized salon, and it will maintain the operating temperature of the device and instruments in the solar heat.
The freezing system will be 3.7 liters of deionized water. Although full of chemical refrigeration can be very low compared to water and operate at a temperature between 10 ° C and 125 ° C. To prevent the warming of water, there will be pressure in the system that will dissipate a boiling point greater than 125 ° C.
Another problem with the probe is communication. Much of the trip will have to be thought by PSP himself – the probe's signal will last more than 15 minutes, so if something goes wrong, it may be too late to fix a bug
. Sun Path Several sides of the smartphone's size sensors are attached to the probe along the shadow of the heat shield. Anyone who has recorded sunlight notifies the central computer and the sensor can adjust its position so that the sensors and other instruments remain safe. All this must be done without human intervention, so the central software has been programmed and verified that all necessary adjustments can be made in flight.
After launch, the PSP will detect the sun's position, move the heat shield, and continue the trip for three months. protect the heat of the sun and the emptiness of space.
During the seven years of the mission, the probe on our star will turn 24 times. Every time he approaches, he takes samples of the solar wind, studies the sun's crown and presents the close-ups of the images of our star – and, in the meantime, he can support his cold mind with various innovative technologies.
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