Soybean cultivar selection for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) – Hydroponic cultivation

Four soybean cultivars (‘Atlantic’, ‘Cresir’, ‘Pr91m10’ and ‘Regir’), selected through a theoretical procedure as suitable for cultivation in BLSS, were evaluated in terms of growth and production. Germination percentage and Mean Germination Time (MGT) were measured. Plants were cultivated in a growth chamber equipped with a recirculating hydroponic system (Nutrient Film Technique). Cultivation was performed under controlled environmental conditions (12 h photoperiod, light intensity 350 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, temperature regime 26/20 °C light/dark, relative humidity 65–75%). Fertigation was performed with a standard Hoagland solution, modified for soybean specific requirements, and EC and pH were kept at 2.0 dS m⁻¹ and 5.5 respectively.     

Thermal protection system development,testing, and qualification for atmospheric probes and sample return missions: Examples for Saturn,Titan and Stardust-type sample return

The science community has continued to be interested in planetary entry probes, aerocapture, and sample return missions to improve our understanding of the Solar System. As in the case of the Galileo entry probe, such missions are critical to the understanding not only of the individual planets, but also to further knowledge regarding the formation of the Solar System. It is believed that Saturn probes to depths corresponding to 10 bars will be sufficient to provide the desired data on its atmospheric composition. An aerocapture mission would enable delivery of a satellite to provide insight into how gravitational forces cause dynamic changes in Saturn’s ring structure that are akin to the evolution of protoplanetary accretion disks. Heating rates for the “shallow” Saturn probes, Saturn aerocapture, and sample Earth return missions with higher re-entry speeds (13–15 km/s) from Mars, Venus, comets, and asteroids are in the range of 1–6 KW/cm². New, mid-density thermal protection system (TPS) materials for such probes can be mission enabling for mass efficiency and also for use on smaller vehicles enabled by advancements in scientific instrumentation. Past consideration of new Jovian multiprobe missions has been considered problematic without the Giant Planet arcjet facility that was used to qualify carbon phenolic for the Galileo probe. This paper describes emerging TPS technologies and the proposed use of an affordable, small 5 MW arcjet that can be used for TPS development, in test gases appropriate for future planetary probe and aerocapture applications. Emerging TPS technologies of interest include new versions of the Apollo Avcoat material and a densified variant of Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA). Application of these and other TPS materials and the use of other facilities for development and qualification of TPS for Saturn, Titan, and Sample Return missions of the Stardust class with entry speeds from 6.0 to 28.6 km/s are discussed.     

Influence of solar-geomagnetic disturbances on SABER measurements of 4.3 μm emission and the retrieval of kinetic temperature and carbon dioxide

Thermospheric infrared radiance at 4.3 μm is susceptible to the influence of solar-geomagnetic disturbances. Ionization processes followed by ion-neutral chemical reactions lead to vibrationally excited NO⁺ (i.e., NO⁺(v)) and subsequent 4.3 μm emission in the ionospheric E-region. Large enhancements of nighttime 4.3 μm emission were observed by the TIMED/SABER instrument during the April 2002 and October–November 2003 solar storms. Global measurements of infrared 4.3 μm emission provide an excellent proxy to observe the nighttime E-region response to auroral dosing and to conduct a detailed study of E-region ion-neutral chemistry and energy transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, we find that photoionization processes followed by ion-neutral reactions during quiescent, daytime conditions increase the NO⁺ concentration enough to introduce biases in the TIMED/SABER operational processing of kinetic temperature and CO₂ data, with the largest effect at summer solstice. In this paper, we discuss solar storm enhancements of 4.3 μm emission observed from SABER and assess the impact of NO⁺(v) 4.3 μm emission on quiescent, daytime retrievals of Tk/CO₂ from the SABER instrument.     

The first results from the Herschel-HIFI mission

This paper contains a summary of the results from the first years of observations with the HIFI instrument onboard ESA’s Herschel space observatory. The paper starts by outlining the goals and possibilities of far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy, the limitations of the Earth’s atmosphere, and the scientific scope of the Herschel-HIFI mission. The presentation of science results from the mission follows the life cycle of gas in galaxies as grouped into five themes: Structure of the interstellar medium, First steps in interstellar chemistry, Formation of stars and planets, Solar system results and Evolved stellar envelopes. The HIFI observations paint a picture where the interstellar medium in galaxies has a mixed, rather than a layered structure; the same conclusion may hold for protoplanetary disks. In addition, the HIFI data show that exchange of matter between comets and asteroids with planets and moons plays a large role. The paper concludes with an outlook to future instrumentation in the far-infrared and submillimeter wavelength ranges.     

Growth of sweetpotato cultured in the newly designed hydroponic system for space farming

Life support of crews in long-duration space missions for other planets will be highly dependent on amounts of food, atmospheric O₂ and clean water produced by plants. Therefore, the space farming system with scheduling of crop production, obtaining high yields with a rapid turnover rate, converting atmospheric CO₂ to O₂ and purifying water should be established with employing suitable plant species and cultivars and precisely controlling environmental variables around plants grown at a high density in a limited space. In this study, we developed a new hydroponic method for producing tuberous roots and fresh edible leaves and stems of sweetpotato. In the first experiment, we examined the effects of water contents in the rooting substrate on growth and tuberous root development of sweetpotato. The rooting substrates made with rockwool slabs were inclined in a culture container and absorbed nutrient solution from the lower end of the slabs by capillary action. Tuberous roots developed on the lower surface of the rockwool slabs. The tuberous roots showed better growth and development at locations farther from the water surface on the rockwool slabs, which had lower water content. In the second experiment, three sweetpotato cultivars were cultured in a hydroponic system for five months from June to November under the sun light in Osaka, Japan as a fundamental study for establishing the space farming system. The cultivars employed were ‘Elegant summer’, ‘Kokei-14’ and ‘Beniazuma’. The hydroponic system mainly consisted of culture containers and rockwool slabs. Dry weights of tuberous roots developed in the aerial space between the rockwool slab and the nutrient solution filled at the bottom of the culture container were 0.34, 0.45 and 0.23 kg/plant and dry weights of the top portion (leaves, petioles and stems) were 0.42, 0.29 and 0.61 kg/plant for ‘Elegant summer’, ‘Kokei-14’ and ‘Beniazuma’, respectively. Young stems and leaves as well as tuberous roots of ‘Elegant summer’ are edible and palatable. Therefore ‘Elegant summer’ would be a promising crop to produce large amounts of food with high nutritional values in the present hydroponic system in space farming.     

Cluster observations of earthward propagating plasmoid and flux ropes in the near-tail during the course of a substorm event

We analyze the magnetic structures in the near-tail at Xgsm = −17.5 Re on September 19, 2003 by Cluster. During the course of a substorm event, the earthward propagating plasmoid and flux ropes in the near-tail are observed. The earthward propagating plasmoid is associated with the bipolar Bz and By signatures. The two flux ropes are embedded within the earthward plasma flows, which might be referred to the population as ‘‘BBF-type’’ flux ropes. The first flux rope diameter is about 0.7 Re and duration based upon the Bz signature is ∼20 s, while the second one diameter is about 1.4 Re and duration is ∼30 s. The earthward propagating plasmoid and flux ropes could have influence upon the dipolarization and injection in inner magnetosphere. The Cluster observations of earthward propagating plasmoid and flux ropes can be interpreted as strong evidence for multiple X-lines. Our observations are consistent with that multiple plasmoids or flux ropes are formed repeatedly and ejected tailward in the course of geomagnetically active time.     

Minimizing energy utilization for growing strawberries during long-duration space habitation

Strawberry is a candidate crop for space that is rich in protective antioxidants and could also have psychological benefits as a component of crew diets during long-duration space habitation. Energy for electric lighting is a major input to a controlled-environment crop-production system for space habitation. Day-neutral strawberry cultivars were evaluated at several different photoperiods to determine minimum lighting requirements without limiting yield or negatively impacting fruit quality. The cultivars ‘Tribute’, ‘Seascape’, and ‘Fern’ were grown at 14, 17, or 20 h of light per day, and fruit yield was evaluated over a 31-week production period. This amounted to a difference of 2418 kWh m⁻² in energy usage between the longest and shortest photoperiods. All cultivars produced similar total fresh weight of fruit regardless of photoperiod. Volunteer tasters rated organoleptic characteristics including sweetness, tartness, texture, and overall appeal as measures of fruit quality. Generally, organoleptic attributes were not affected by photoperiod, but these attributes were somewhat dependent upon cultivar and harvest time. Cultivars under different photoperiods varied in their production of fruit over time. ‘Seascape’ was the most consistent producer, typically with the largest, most palatable fruit. ‘Seascape’ plants subsequently were grown at 10-, 12-, or 14-h photoperiods over a treatment period of 33 weeks. Photoperiod again had no significant effect on total fruit weight, although there were periodic flushes of productivity. Fruit under all photoperiods had acceptable approval ratings. A large-fruited, day-neutral strawberry cultivar such as ‘Seascape’ remains productive under shortened photoperiods, allowing reductions in energy and crew labor while maintaining flexibility for mixed-cropping scenarios in space.     

The role of radial perpendicular diffusion and latitude dependent acceleration along the solar wind termination shock

A numerical model, based on Parker’s transport equation, describing the modulation of anomalous cosmic rays and containing diffusive shock acceleration is applied. The role of radial perpendicular diffusion at the solar wind termination shock, and as the dominant diffusion coefficient in the outer heliosphere, is studied, in particular the role it plays in the effectiveness of the acceleration of anomalous protons and helium when its latitude dependence is changed. It is found that the latitudinal enhancement of radial perpendicular diffusion towards the heliospheric poles and along the termination shock has a prominent effect on the acceleration of these particles. It results in a ‘break’ in the energy spectrum for anomalous protons at ∼6.0 MeV, causing the spectral index to change from E^−1.38 to E^−2.23, but for anomalous helium at ∼3.0 MeV, changing the spectral index from E^−1.38 to E^−2.30. When approaching the simulated TS, the changes in the modulated spectra as they unfold to a ‘steady’ power law shape at energies below 50 MeV are much less prominent as a function of radial distances when radial perpendicular diffusion is increased with heliolatitude.     

‘Spectro-temporal’ characteristics and disk-jet connection of the outbursting black hole source XTE J1859+226

We re-investigated the ‘spectro-temporal’ behavior of the source XTE J1859+226 in X-rays during its outburst phase in 1999, by analysing the RXTE PCA/HEXTE data in 2–150 keV spectral band. Detailed analysis shows that the source evolves through different spectral states during its entire outburst as indicated by the variation in the spectral and temporal characteristics. Although the evolution pattern of the outburst followed the typical q-shaped profile, we observed an absence of ‘canonical’ soft state and a weak presence of ‘secondary’ emission during the decay phase of the outburst. The broad-band spectra, modeled with high energy cutoff, shows that the fold-energy increases monotonically in the hard and hard-intermediate states followed by a random variation in the soft-intermediate state. We attempted to estimate the mass of the source based on the evolution of Quasi-Periodic Oscillation (QPO) frequencies during rising phase modeled with the propagating oscillatory shock solution, and from the correlation of photon index and QPO frequency. It is also observed that during multiple ejections (observed as radio flares) the QPO frequencies are not present in the power spectra and there is an absence of lag in the soft to hard photons. The disk flux increases along with a decrease in the high energy flux, implying the soft nature of the spectrum. These results are the ‘possible’ indication that the inner part of the disk (i.e., Comptonized corona), which could be responsible for the generation of QPO and for the non-thermal Comptonized component of the spectrum, is disrupted and the matter gets evacuated in the form of jet. We attempted to explain the complex behavior of ‘spectro-temporal’ properties of the source during the entire outburst and the nature of the disk-jet connection before, during and after the ejection events in the context of two different types of accreting flow material, in presence of magnetic field.     

Stochastic particle acceleration by the forced interaction of relativistic current sheets

We address the problem of interacting relativistic current sheets in self-consistent kinetic plasma simulations within the framework of the Particle-In-Cell model. The interaction is enforced in head-on collisions of up to 10 current sheets at relativistic bulk speeds. The simulations are motivated by the general problem of Poynting flux dissipation in ‘striped wind’ configurations presumably governing the relativistic outflows pervasive in pulsar winds and gamma-ray bursts. We identify the generation of non-thermal particles and formation of a stable power-law shape in the particle energy distributions f(γ) dγ ∝ γ^−s dγ. In 1D, a spectral index s ∼ 2 is observed and attributed to a stochastic Fermi-type acceleration mechanism. In 2D, the generic index of s ∼ 3–4 is retained as in previous simulations of individual current sheets. Whereas in 2D the high energy cut-off is constrained by the limited dissipation of magnetic energy, in 1D the process converts the bulk motion of current sheets towards directed particle momentum of an exclusive class of non-thermal particles.     

Carbon dioxide dynamics of combined crops of wheat,cowpea, pinto beans in the Laboratory Biosphere closed ecological system

A mixed crop consisting of cowpeas, pinto beans and Apogee ultra-dwarf wheat was grown in the Laboratory Biosphere, a 40 m³ closed life system equipped with 12,000 W of high pressure sodium lamps over planting beds with 5.37 m² of soil. Similar to earlier reported experiments, the concentration of carbon dioxide initially increased to 7860 ppm at 10 days after planting due to soil respiration plus CO₂ contributed from researchers breathing while in the chamber for brief periods before plant growth became substantial. Carbon dioxide concentrations then fell rapidly as plant growth increased up to 29 days after planting and subsequently was maintained mostly in the range of about 200–3000 ppm (with a few excursions) by CO₂ injections to feed plant growth. Numerous analyses of rate of change of CO₂ concentration at many different concentrations and at many different days after planting reveal a strong dependence of fixation rates on CO₂ concentration. In the middle period of growth (days 31–61), fixation rates doubled for CO₂ at 450 ppm compared to 270 ppm, doubled again at 1000 ppm and increased a further 50% at 2000 ppm. High productivity from these crops and the increase of fixation rates with elevated CO₂ concentration supports the concept that enhanced CO₂ can be a useful strategy for remote life support systems. The data suggests avenues of investigation to understand the response of plant communities to increasing CO₂ concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon balance accounting and evapotranspiration rates are included.     

Synoptic magnetic field in cycle 23 and in the beginning of the cycle 24

The SOHO/MDI data provide the uniform time series of the synoptic magnetic maps which cover the period of the cycle 23 and the beginning of the cycle 24. It is very interesting period because of the long and deep solar minimum between the cycles 23 and 24. Synoptic structure of the solar magnetic field shows variability during solar cycles. It is known that the magnetic activity contributes to the solar irradiance. The axisymmetrical distribution of the magnetic flux (Fig. 3c) is closely associated with the ‘butterfly’ diagram in the EUV emission (Benevolenskaya et al., 2001). And, also, the magnetic field (B_∥) shows the non-uniform distributions of the solar activity with longitude, so-called ‘active zones’, and ‘coronal holes’ in the mid-latitude. Polar coronal holes are forming after the solar maxima and they persist during the solar minima. SOHO/EIT data in the emission of Fe XII (195 Å) could be a proxy for the coronal holes tracking. The active longitudinal zones or active longitude exist due to the reappearance of the activity and it is clearly seen in the synoptic structure of the solar cycle. On the descending branch of the solar cycle 23 active zones are less pronounced comparing with previous cycles 20, 21 and 22. Moreover, the weak polar magnetic field precedes the long and deep solar minimum. In this paper we have discussed the development of solar cycles 23 and 24 in details.     

On the electrodynamics of counter stream in pulsar’s inner annular cap region

The electric properties of pulsar’s inner annular gap are explored in this paper. Under two main assumptions, (1) the pulsar is alive, (2) the total charge of pulsar should not vary with time, the condition for the acceleration of negative particle in the annular region is derived. The acceleration condition is j₋ ? 0.5j₊, i.e., the current carried by negative particles is greater than or equal to 0.5 times of the current carried by positive particles. This condition holds even when the backward flow of positive particles exists in the annular region. It is noted that the outflow of negative particles offers good opportunities to understand the current closure problem of pulsar as well as wide radiation beam of pulsar observed at high energy band.     

Mesospheric doppler wind measurements from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)

This paper describes a microwave limb technique for measuring Doppler wind in the Earth’s mesosphere. The research algorithm has been applied to Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) 118.75 GHz measurements where the O₂ Zeeman lines are resolved by a digital autocorrelation spectrometer. A precision of ∼17 m/s for the line-of-sight (LOS) wind is achieved at 80–92 km, which corresponds to radiometric noise during 1/6 s integration time. The LOS winds from Aura MLS are mostly in the meridional direction at low- and mid-latitudes with vertical resolution of ∼8 km. This microwave Doppler technique has potential to obtain useful winds down to ∼40 km of the Earth’s atmosphere if measurements from other MLS frequencies (near H₂O, O₃, and CO lines) are used. Initial analyses show that the MLS winds from the 118.75 GHz measurements agree well with the TIDI (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Doppler Interferometer) winds for the perturbations induced by a strong quasi 2-day wave (QTDW) in January 2005. Time series of MLS winds reveal many interesting climatological and planetary wave features, including the diurnal, semidiurnal tides, and the QTDW. Interactions between the tides and the QTDW are clearly evident, indicating possible large tidal structural changes after the QTDW events dissipate.     

An icy mineralogy package (IMP) for in-situ studies of Titan’s surface

We describe the scientific case for and preliminary design of an instrument whose primary goal is to determine the chemistry (element abundance) and mineralogy (compound identity and abundance) of Titan’s surface using a combination of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD is capable of identifying any crystalline substance present on Titan’s surface at relative abundances greater than ∼1 wt%, allowing unambiguous identification of, for example, structure I and II clathrates (even in the presence of ice), and various organic solids, which may include C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₄H₂, HCN, CH₃CN, HC₃N, and C₄N₂). The XRF component of the instrument will obtain elemental abundances for 16 < Z < 60 with minimum detection limits better than 10 ppm (including detection of atmospheric noble gas isotopes), and may achieve detection limits of 0.01–1% for lighter elements down to Z = 6 (carbon). The instrument is well suited to integration with other analytical tools as part of a light-weight surface chemistry and mineralogy package. Although considerably less sensitive to elemental abundance than GC–MS (10⁻² vs. 10⁻⁸) it is likely to be significantly lighter (<0.5 kg vs. 10 kg).     

Use of principal component analysis in the identification of the spatial pattern of an ionospheric total electron content anomalies after China’s May 12, 2008, M = 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake

This paper uses principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the spatial pattern of total electron content (TEC) anomalies in the ionosphere post the China’s Wenchuan Earthquake of 12 May, 2008 (UTC) (M_w = 7.9). PCA and image processing are applied to the global ionospheric map (GIM) with transforms conducted for the time period 08:00–10:00 UT on 12 May 2008. Results show that at a height of approximately 200 km the anomaly is widespread and less intense; however, it becomes more localized with height reaching maximum intensity and localization at an altitude of 300 km. The spatial distribution is remarkably similar to that reported for a TEC anomaly previously identified as a precursor anomaly on May 9, 2008 for the same time period. Potential causes of the results are discussed with emphasis given to vertical acoustic gravity waves based on the spatial pattern identified.     

Irradiated ignition of solid materials in reduced pressure atmosphere with various oxygen concentrations – for fire safety in space habitats

Effects of sub-atmospheric ambient pressure and oxygen content on irradiated ignition characteristics of solid combustibles were examined experimentally in order to elucidate the flammability and chance of fire in depressurized systems and give ideas for the fire safety and fire fighting strategies for such environments. Thin cellulosic paper was used as the solid combustible since cellulose is one of major organic compounds and flammables in the nature. Applied atmospheres consisted of inert gases (either CO₂ or N₂) and oxygen at various mixture ratios. Total ambient pressure (P) was varied from 101 kPa (standard atmospheric pressure, P₀) to 20 kPa. Ignition was initiated by external thermal radiation with CO₂ laser (10 W total; 21.3 W/cm² of the corresponding peak flux) onto the solid surface. Thermal degradation of the solid produced combustible gaseous products (e.g. CO, H₂, or other low weight of HCs) and these products mixed with ambient oxygen to form the combustible mixture over the solid. Heat transfer from the irradiated surface into the mixture accelerated the exothermic reaction in the gas phase and finally thermal runaway (ignition) was achieved. A digital video camera was used to analyze the ignition characteristics. Flammability maps in partial pressure of oxygen (ppO₂) and normalized ambient pressure (P/P₀) plane were made to reveal the fire hazard in depressurized environments. Results showed that a wider flammable range was obtained in sub-atmospherics conditions. In middle pressure range (101–40 kPa), the required ppO₂ for ignition decreased almost linearly as the total pressure decreased, indicating that higher fire risk is expected. In lower pressure range (<40 kPa), the required partial pressure of oxygen increased dramatically, then ignition was eventually not achieved at pressures less than 20 kPa under the conditions studied here. The findings suggest that it might be difficult to satisfy safety in space agriculture since it has been reported that higher oxygen concentrations are preferable for plant growth in depressurized environments. Our results imply that there is an optimum pressure level to achieve less fire chance with acceptable plant growth. An increase of the flammable range in middle pressure level might be explained by following two effects: one is a physical effect, such as a weak convective thermal removal from ignitable domain (near the hot surface) to the ambient of atmosphere, and the other is chemical effect which causes so-called “explosion peninsula” as a result of depleting radical consumption due to third-body recombination reaction. Further studies are necessary to determine the controlling factor on the observed flammable trend in depressurized conditions.     

On the large-scale structure of the tail current as measured by THEMIS

The magnetic field structure and the spatial characteristics of the large-scale currents in the magnetospheric tail were studied during quiet and moderately disturbed geomagnetic conditions in 2009. The magnetic field of the currents other than the tail current was calculated in terms of a paraboloid model of the Earth’s magnetosphere, A2000, and was subtracted from measurements. It was found on the base of obtained tail current magnetic field radial distribution that the inner edge of the tail current sheet is located in the night side magnetosphere, at distances of about 10 R_E and of about 7 R_E during quiet and disturbed periods respectively. During the disturbance of February 14, 2009 (Dst_min ∼ −35 nT), the B_x and the B_z component of the tail current magnetic field near its inner edge were about 60 nT, and −60 nT that means that strong cross-tail current have been developed. The tail current parameters at different time moments during February 14, 2009 have been estimated. Solar wind conditions during this event were consistent with those during moderate magnetic storms with minimum Dst of about −100 nT. However, the magnetospheric current systems (magnetopause and cross-tail currents) were located at larger geocentric distances than typical during the 2009 extremely quiet epoch and did not provide the expected Dst magnitude. Very small disturbance on the Earth’s surface was detected consistent with an “inflated” magnetosphere.     

Meteoroid bombardment as a source of the lunar exosphere

The column densities of impact-produced metal atoms in the exosphere during the peaks of activity of the main meteor showers – Geminids, Quadrantids and Perseids – and during quiet periods are estimated. The Na supply rate is estimated to be 2 × 10⁴, 3 × 10³, 10⁴, and 2 × 10⁴ atoms cm⁻² s⁻¹ for sporadic meteoroids, Perseid, Geminid, and Quadrantid meteor showers, respectively. A low upper limit on Ca in the lunar exosphere is explained by the condensation of Ca into dust grains during expansion of the cooling impact-produced vapor cloud. The chemical composition of gas-phase species released to the lunar exosphere during meteoroid impacts has been estimated. Most impact-produced molecules that contain metals are destroyed by solar photons while on ballistic trajectories. Energies of Na, K, Ca, and Mg atoms produced via photolysis of the respective monoxides are estimated to be 0.4, 0.35, 0.6, and 0.45 eV, respectively. The relative content of impact-produced Na and K atoms is maximal at altitudes of about 1000–2000 km and during the main meteor showers, lunar eclipses, and passages of the Moon through the Earth’s magnetosphere.     

Study of atmospheric air pollutants during the partial solar eclipse on 15 January 2010 over Udaipur: A semi-arid location in Western India

The paper describes behavior of surface ozone, its precursor gases, BC along with TOCC, TWVC, AOT1020 nm as well as UV and IR radiation intensities observed during the partial solar eclipse of 15th January, 2010 over Udaipur, where 52% solar disc is obscured due to the moon’s shadow. During the beginning to main eclipse phase, the deviation values of several air pollutants concentrations from eclipse to control day values vary in a small range from −9 to −2 ppb in case of surface ozone and −180 to −80 ppb for CO. The corresponding change in the values of BC observed from −3.3 to −.5 μg/m³. No significant change is found in NO₂, NO or in ratio of NO₂/NO values during the partial eclipse time. TOCC values decrease from 3 to 5 DU along with a reduction in UV radiation intensity from 20 to 35% from starting to the main eclipse phase. The AOT1020 nm values are found to increase from .2 to 1.0 along with a reduction in IR radiation intensity order of 50%. However, TWVC values decrease from .22 to .1 cm during the eclipse hours. The low level of dilution in surface ozone in eclipse period may be attributed with change in local atmospheric boundary layer dynamic conditions or limited air pollutants dispersion, in term of decreases in planetary boundary layer height, wind speed and hence ventilation coefficient in the same eclipse hours. Thus, present studies support the argument for the leading roles of photochemical reactions with its precursor gases under presence of solar radiation in surface ozone variability. Other possible controlling factors are advection of air pollutants from the polluted region as evident from backward wind trajectories and altering the local meteorological conditions.