Sharif Digital Repository

We report six stellar occultations by Phoebe (Saturn IX), an irregular satellite of Saturn, obtained between mid-2017 and mid-2019. The 2017 July 6 event was the first stellar occultation by an irregular satellite ever observed. The occultation chords were compared to a 3D shape model of the satellite obtained from Cassini observations. The rotation period available in the literature led to a sub-observer point at themoment of the observed occultations where the chords could not fit the 3D model. A procedure was developed to identify the correct sub-observer longitude. It allowed us to obtain the rotation period with improved precision compared to the currently known value from literature.... 

Elevation angle is one of the most significant parameters of land mobile satellite channels, subject to rapid variations in the case of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems. In this paper a novel trace-based framework is proposed and analyzed which is capable of predicting elevation angle as a function of time during satellite visibility window. Trace-time based modeling makes the framework practical for real-time evaluation of elevation angle and its alteration incurred by communication links in LEO satellite systems. The proposed method is particularly suitable for development of communication channel models and services in mobile LEO satellite networks where path variability is of... 

We report the discovery of a planet - OGLE-2014-BLG-0676Lb- via gravitational microlensing. Observations for the lensing event were made by the following groups: Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics; Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment; Wise Observatory; RoboNET/Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope; Microlensing Network for the Detection of Small Terrestrial Exoplanets; and μ-FUN. All analyses of the light-curve data favour a lens system comprising a planetary mass orbiting a host star. The most-favoured binary lens model has a mass ratio between the two lens masses of (4.78 ± 0.13) × 10-3. Subject to some important assumptions, a Bayesian probability density analysis suggests... 

We investigate the possibility of exoplanet detection orbiting source stars in microlensing events through WFIRST observations. We perform a Monte Carlo simulation on the detection rate of exoplanets via microlensing, assuming that each source star has at least one exoplanet. The exoplanet can reflect part of the light from the parent star or emit internal thermal radiation. In this new detection channel, we use microlensing as an amplifier to magnify the reflection light from the planet. In the literature, this mode of detecting exoplanets has been investigated much less than the usual mode in which the exoplanets are considered as one companion in binary-lens events. Assuming 72 d of... 

In this paper, a new control strategy for optimal attitude tracking control of a multivariable satellite system has been presented. The approach is based on Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) and classical PD Controller for its initial stabilization. It is shown how the network can be employed as a multivariable self- organizing and self learning controller in conjunction with a PD controller for attitude control of a satellite. By using four reaction wheels and quaternion for kinematics representation, the attitude dynamics of the satellite has been presented. In contrast to the previous classical approaches, it is shown how this controller can be carried out in an on-line manner... 

We present an analysis of the anomalous microlensing event, MOA-2010-BLG-073, announced by the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics survey on 2010 March 18. This event was remarkable because the source was previously known to be photometrically variable. Analyzing the pre-event source light curve, we demonstrate that it is an irregular variable over timescales >200 days. Its dereddened color, (V-I)S, 0, is 1.221 ± 0.051 mag, and from our lens model we derive a source radius of 14.7 ± 1.3 R⊙, suggesting that it is a red giant star. We initially explored a number of purely microlensing models for the event but found a residual gradient in the data taken prior to and after the event. This... 

K2ʼs Campaign 9 (K2C9) will conduct a ∼3.7 deg2 survey toward the Galactic bulge from 2016 April 22 through July 2 that will leverage the spatial separation between K2 and the Earth to facilitate measurement of the microlens parallax πE for ≳170 microlensing events. These will include several that are planetary in nature as well as many short-timescale microlensing events, which are potentially indicative of free-floating planets (FFPs). These satellite parallax measurements will in turn allow for the direct measurement of the masses of and distances to the lensing systems. In this article we provide an overview of the K2C9 space- and ground-based microlensing survey. Specifically, we detail... 

In this paper we present a feasibility study on using satellite signal for passive radar application. Our focus is on utilizing GEO (geostationary Earth orbit) satellite signal with suitable properties. The feasibility of using such satellite signal for passive radar application is evaluated. In particular, a space shuttle as the target of interest is considered. In addition to being covert, it will be shown that using such passive radar system, we can benefit the forward scatter enhancement, which enables us to detect such high-altitude target that is totally undetectable to conventional radar systems  

Aims. We present the analysis of the gravitational microlensing event OGLE-2011-BLG-0251. This anomalous event was observed by several survey and follow-up collaborations conducting microlensing observations towards the Galactic bulge. Methods. Based on detailed modelling of the observed light curve, we find that the lens is composed of two masses with a mass ratio q = 1.9 × 10-3. Thanks to our detection of higher-order effects on the light curve due to the Earth's orbital motion and the finite size of source, we are able to measure the mass and distance to the lens unambiguously. Results. We find that the lens is made up of a planet of mass 0.53 ± 0.21 M J orbiting an M dwarf host star with... 

In the recent years, many universities invest on cubesats to prepare an appropriate environment for their students to get their hands on real experiments including design, fabrication, test, launch, operation and analysis of a real satellite project. Now after 5 years of experimentation, it is time for leaders to define more practical goals beside training students. Orienting the budget that is annually being invested on such satellites in every country to a specific goal could be a driving force in opening a new chapter in the utilization of pico-satellites and the advantages they offer. As these tiny satellites are utilized based on low cost COTS and also are light weight enough to reduce... 

Satellite-based navigation has rapidly evolved into an efficient tool extensively used in a wide variety of civilian applications covering numerous modes of transportation, communication, administration, geodesy, agriculture, etc. The current systems globally available are the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and the conceptually very similar Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). The European Union (EU) has also decided to press ahead with plans to develop Galileo system, a European version of the Global Positioning System (GPS) after the system definition during 1999/2000. The development phase of Galileo is expected to run from 2002 to 2005 with a deployment phase,... 

We analyze MOA-2010-BLG-311, a high magnification (A max > 600) microlensing event with complete data coverage over the peak, making it very sensitive to planetary signals. We fit this event with both a point lens and a two-body lens model and find that the two-body lens model is a better fit but with only Δχ2 ∼ 80. The preferred mass ratio between the lens star and its companion is q = 10-3.7 ± 0.1, placing the candidate companion in the planetary regime. Despite the formal significance of the planet, we show that because of systematics in the data the evidence for a planetary companion to the lens is too tenuous to claim a secure detection. When combined with analyses of other... 

We study the wave optics features of gravitational microlensing by a binary lens composed of a planet and a parent star. In this system, the source star near the caustic line produces a pair of images in which they can play the role of secondary sources for the observer. This optical system is similar to the Young double-slit experiment. The coherent wavefronts from a source on the lens plane can form a diffraction pattern on the observer plane. This diffraction pattern has two modes from the close- and wide-pair images. From the observational point of view, we study the possibility of detecting this effect through the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in the resonance and... 

We present microlens parallax measurements for 21 (apparently) isolated lenses observed toward the Galactic bulge that were imaged simultaneously from Earth and Spitzer, which was ∼1 AU west of Earth in projection. We combine these measurements with a kinematic model of the Galaxy to derive distance estimates for each lens, with error bars that are small compared to the Sun's galactocentric distance. The ensemble therefore yields a well-defined cumulative distribution of lens distances. In principle, it is possible to compare this distribution against a set of planets detected in the same experiment in order to measure the Galactic distribution of planets. Since these Spitzer observations... 

In this study a new method is introduced to suppress libration of a tethered satellite system (TSS). It benefits from coupling between satellites and tether libration dynamics. The control concept uses the main satellite attitude maneuvers to suppress librational motion of the tether, and the main satellites actuators for attitude control are used as the only actuation in the system. The study considers planar motion of a two body TSS system in a circular orbit and it is assumed that the tethers motion will not change it. Governing dynamic equations of motion are derived using the extended Lagrange method. Controllability of the system around the equilibrium state is studied and a linear LQG... 

In triangulation (or angle of arrival) target localisation method, the surface of the Earth is approximated by a flat plate. This approximation, while acceptable for low-altitude observers (such as unmanned aerial vehicles), is not a correct model for high-altitude observers (such as low Earth orbit - LEO satellites). In this study, the authors have discussed triangulation method using a LEO satellite observer over a spherical surface and have shown that, using spherical trigonometry and singular value decomposition (SVD), a straight forward solution can be found for target localisation problem. Also, error bound is discussed and analysed using both SVD as well as simulation. © The... 

A fault detection and isolation method for satellite rate gyros is proposed based on using the satellite-to-satellite measurements such as relative position beside orbit parameters of the primary satellite. By finding a constant of motion, it is shown that the dynamic states in a relative motion are restricted in such a way that the angular velocity vector of primary satellite lies on a quadratic surface. This constant of motion is then used to detect the gyroscope faults and estimate the corresponding scale factor or bias values of the rate gyros of the primary satellite. The proposed algorithm works even in time variant fault situations as well, and does not impose any additional... 

In this paper a new control strategy for adaptive attitude control of multivariable satellite system has been presented. The approach is based on radial basis function neural network (RBFNN). By using four reaction wheels and Modified Rodrigues Parameters (MRPs) for attitude representation, the attitude dynamic of satellite has been considered. The Lyapunov stability theory has been used to achieve a stable closed loop system. Also to enhance the robustness of the controller, the RBF neural network has been employed to estimate the model base terms in control law. The control objective is the plant to track a reference model. Simulation results illustrate the performance of the on-line... 

In this study a new nonlinear control approach is introduced to suppress libration of a tethered satellite system (TSS). It benefits from coupling between satellites and tether libration dynamics. The control concept uses the main satellite attitude maneuvers to suppress librational motion of the tether. To achieve this goal, the main satellite attitude control actuators are used as the only actuation in the system. The study considers planar motion of a two body TSS system in a circular orbit. Governing dynamic equations of motion are derived using extended Lagrange method. Controllability of the system about equilibrium state is studied and a nonlinear controller is designed using feedback...