Global telecommunications needs for the long duration balloon environment

The $\text{Long Duration}$ (LD) balloon environment significantly complicates the means of providing effective telecommunications support when compared to support possible within the conventional $\text{zero-pressure}$ (ZP) environment. This paper will discuss general aspects of supporting two-way telecommunications between ground based facilities and multiple LD balloon payloads.A summary of the LD environment (general operational and NSBF support) is presented as a basis for discussing generic network characteristics. General LD telecommunication needs are highlighted and a preliminary systems model of an “ideal” LD telecommunication network is introduced.     

Evidence for mass-loading of the Venus magnetosheath

The observed magnetic field configuration in the Venus magnetosheath contains information about the solar wind mass-loading processes occurring as a result of the extension of the neutral atmosphere into the magnetosheath. In this paper, magnetic field signatures of various mass-loading processes are discussed and experimental results from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter magnetometer experiment are examined for evidence of these signatures. The data suggest that the ?$\text{V}$X$\text{B}$ acceleration process, stochastic pickup of ionospheric ions, and $\text{J}$X$\text{B}$ force “scavenging” at the ionopause all occur at various times.     

Girl — the German infrared laboratory for spacelab

GIRL is a liquid helium cooled 50 cm telescope equipped with four focal plane instruments dedicated to astronomical and aeronomical observations. These instruments, a detector array, a photopolarimeter, an Ebert-Fastie-spectrometer and a Michelson-interferometer make up an “infrared observatory” having high sensitivity and high spectral and spatial resolution. Si:Ga-, Si:Sb-, Si:As-, Si:P-, Ge:Be-, Ge:Cu- and Ge:Ga-detectors with NEP-values as low as $\text{3 10}{}^{\mathrm{?17}}\text{W Hz}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ have been tested and will be used to cover the wavelength range 3…120 μm. A full size “thermal model” of the GIRL cryostat containing 300 1 of superfluid helium at 1.6 K has been tested at the industrial prime contractor MBB; results of these tests will be presented in a following paper by F. Dahl et al. Several new techniques for cold telescopes are used in GIRL, for instance a glass ceramics primary mirror, a low power chopping secondary and an active helium phase separator. The scientific objectives include studies of star formation regions and active galaxies as well as measurements of spurious gases in the earth atmosphere. GIRL will be pointed by the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and is scheduled to fly on Spacelab in 1986/87.     

Optical and electron-microscopic studies of the Funaria hygrometrica protonema after cultivation for 96 days in space

$\text{Funaria hygrometrica}$ protonema cells grown in the “IFS-2” (Inoculating fixing system) for 96 days on board the Salyut 6 — Soyuz 32 orbital scientific station were examined by light and electron-microscopy. Investigation of experimental and control cells of the moss protonema showed common features as well as distinctions in their structure. Protonema cells of $\text{Funaria hygrometrica}$ both differentiate and undergo photosynthesis during space flight. Changes in cell shape, decreased cell size, a reduction in the volume of starch granules, and altered chloroplast structure were observed.     

Ultraviolet spectroscopy of cometary comae: An update

Since its launch in 1978 the $\text{International Ultraviolet Explorer}$ ($\text{IUE}$) satellite observatory has been used to record ultraviolet spectra of nearly two dozen comets. These observations have been applied principally to studies of the composition, chemistry and evolution of the gaseous coma and more recently, with the substantially increased data base, to comparative analyses. The observations of Comets Bowell (1982 I) and Cernis (1983?) at a heliocentric distance of ≈ 3.4 AU show these two comets to be virtually identical and pose problems for water ice vaporization models. The most significant recent result from $\text{IUE}$ was the discovery of S₂ in the Earth-approaching comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock (1983d) and the use of the S₂ emission as a monitor of short-term variations in cometary activity. In early 1984, periodic comet Encke was observed for the second time by $\text{IUE}$, this time post-perihelion.     

The homologous flare sites and the general solar activity

The homologous flares observed in the same region of a spotgroup testify the existence and the duration of a permanent instability. However, they also attest that the general magnetic configuration is not destroyed by these flares and that it changes $\text{slowly}$ up to the death of the site.The study of every flaring sites where more than ten flares occur has been performed in Meudon for the 1974–1980 period.One hundred and sixty-six sites have been analysed from the rotation where the A.R. is observed up to five rotations ahead. The basis of the study are the “Synoptic Maps”. A relation is found between the presence of crossing of “filament-phantom” corridors and the location of the homologous flare sites.¹     

Solar flare proton release from coronal magnetic traps and strong Alfvén turbulence in the corona

Drift instabilities arising when accelerated protons are trapped by coronal magnetic fields of active regions are investigated theoretically. If β, the ratio of total (plasma + energetic particles) pressure and magnetic field pressure is larger than some value, $\text{β?0.1}\text{to}\text{0.3}$, the magnetic trap is destructed and protons are released into interplanetary space. If $\text{β < β}{}^1$, the trapped protons excite gradient instability due to magnetic drift resonance. This “universal” instability results in rapid development of strong Alfvén wave turbulence with small wavelengths transverse to the magnetic field. Particle diffusion due to the waves has a rather complicated character and appears to be weak as compared to quasilinear diffusion. The role of Alfvén waves may consist in additional heating of the corona in the regions of closed magnetic field lines.     

Photometric calibration and first results obtained with the UFT experiment on board the astron satellite

The UV telescope of 30 cm diameter equipped with a three channel scanner spectrometer aboard the highly eccentric orbit space station “ASTRON” is describedAbsolute calibration of the whole device is performed using spectra of standard stars, of which absolute values were obtained by TDI or IUE experiments. Several photometric controls have been made on the stability of the equipment after one year of operation which demonstrate reliability of some first results obtained by the UFT.The sensitivity curve of the spectrophotometric system has been observed with a reproducibility of 2σ = 10% or better.The repeated observation of one star (139 Tau) indicates that the overall performance exhibits the same quality after one year in orbit. The low resolution mode ($\text{Δ λ = 28}\text{A}\text{?}$) leads to a powerful new investigation of faint extended sources.     

Space telescope observations of the earth's upper atmosphere by stellar occultations

Stellar occultations provide a useful means of measuring the trace gas composition of the Earth's mesosphere with a sensitivity of order one part per billion. The operational details will differ from those of other astronomical observations by ST, because of the difficulties in guiding near the Earth's limb. Two specific trace gases of interest to atmospheric studies, C$\text{l}$ and C$\text{l}$O, are discussed in this paper.     

Problems in the analysis of gamma-ray burst spectra

Spectral measurements by the Solar Maximum Mission have been used to confirm the cyclotron lines in gamma-ray bursts reported from the Konus experiment. We present ISEE-3 data for the same burst (GB800419) during the same period of time which show no line. We discuss various problems in the analysis of scintillator spectra and point out that unfolded spectra are not necessarily unique and that the position of a data point in a deconvolved spectrum may vary depending on the assumed overall shape of the spectrum. As a result, if the analysis assumes a soft spectrum (such as optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung) an absorption feature might appear, whereas a harder spectrum (such as a Comptonized blackbody) would not require the feature. Since the continuum shape probably changes during the duration of a typical burst, the nonuniqueness of the spectral unfolding, combined with the assumption that the continuum is optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung, could give rise to spurious “absorption” features which vary on a time scale of seconds. Despite these problems, there is still some evidence for $\text{narrow}$ spectral lines in the range 45 to 65 keV but not for the broad lines reported from the Konus experiment. Unfortunately, the range 45 to 65 keV is the most difficult spectral region to unfold.     

Biological investigations aboard the biosatellite Cosmos-1129

Experiments on insects, higher plants and lower fungi were carried out aboard the biological satellite Cosmos-1129, in Earth orbit, from 25 September to 14 October 1979. The main objective of these experiments was to gain more profound knowledge of the effect of weightlessness on living organisms and to study the mechanisms by which these various organisms with different life cycles can adjust and develop in weightlessness. Experiments on insects ($\text{Drosophila melanogaster}$) were made with a view towards understanding gravitational preference in flies, the life cycle of which took place on board the biosatellite under conditions of artificial gravity. Experiments on higher plants ($\text{Zea mays, Arabidopsis taliana, Lycopersicum esculentum}$) and lower fungi ($\text{Physarum polycephalum}$) were performed.     

Cometary dust observations by optical in-situ methods

Remote optical observations of comets provide information only along the whole line of sight and require some assumptions to be interpreted. Due to the advent of cometary space missions, a two-step strategy has been defined to derive without any assumption spatial distribution and physical properties of dust by in-situ optical observations. First, an $\text{Optical Probe Experiment}$, suitable for a fast fly-by, should provide passive in-situ measurements in the direction of the approaching (or receding) comet near encounter; by suitably differencing such observations, the brightness and polarization per $\text{unit volume}$ can be recovered along the trajectory of the spacecraft. Secondly, a $\text{Light Scattering Dust Analyzer}$, suitable for a rendez-vous mission, should permit the determination of the scattering properties of $\text{individual particles}$. Both experiments also provide a connecting link between non-optical in-situ measurements (from mass spectrometers or impact detectors) and remote optical observations.     

An application of the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient to solar compact and eruptive events

We propose to apply the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient (${\mathit{WG}}_M$), introduced in Korsós et al., 2015, for analysing the pre-flare and pre-CME behaviour and evolution of Active Regions (ARs) using the SDO/HMI-Debrecen Data catalogue. To demonstrate the power of investigative capabilities of the ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ method, in terms of flare and CME eruptions, we studied two typical ARs, namely, AR 12158 and AR 12192. The choice of ARs represent canonical cases. AR 12158 produced an X1.6 flare with fast “halo” CME ($v_{\mathit{linear}}$ = 1267 $\text{km}{\text{s}}^{-1}$) while in AR 12192 there occurred a range of powerful X-class eruptions, i.e. X1.1, X1.6, X3.1, X1.0, X2.0 and X2.0-class energetic flares, interestingly, none with an accompanying CME. The value itself and temporal variation of ${\mathit{WG}}_M$ is found to possess potentially important diagnostic information about the intensity of the expected flare class. Furthermore, we have also estimated the flare onset time from the relationship of duration of converging and diverging motions of the area-weighted barycenters of two subgroups of opposite magnetic polarities. This test turns out not only to provide information about the intensity of the expected flare-class and the flare onset time but may also indicate whether a flare will occur with/without fast CME. We have also found that, in the case when the negative polarity barycenter has moved around and the positive one “remained” at the same coordinates preceding eruption, the flare occurred with fast “halo” CME. Otherwise, when both the negative and the positive polarity barycenters have moved around, the AR produced flares without CME. If these properties found for the movement of the barycenters are generic pre-cursors of CME eruption (or lack of it), identifying them may serve as an excellent pre-condition for refining the forecast of the lift-off of CMEs.     

Magnetic flux ropes in the Venus ionosphere: In situ observations of force-free structures?

Force-free magnetic structures with cylindrical geometry appear under a variety of conditions in nature. Filamentary helical magnetic structures are observed to be associated with prominences and flares in the solar atmosphere, and can arise in superconductors and laboratory plasmas. Another example of cylindrical quasi-force-free configurations appears to exist in the Venus ionosphere. Magnetic flux ropes with diameters of ～20 – 30 km have been observed by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter to be a nearly ubiquitous feature of the dayside Venus ionosphere. Models of flux ropes suggest that many of these structures tend to be quasi-force-free, i.e., $\text{J}$×$\text{B}$～0, while others are correlated with pressure variations in the ambient thermal plasma, $\text{J}$×$\text{B}$=-?(nkT).     

Representations of solar EUV fluxes for aeronomical applications

The development of significantly improved representations of solar EUV inputs for computer-aided investigations of the terrestrial thermosphere and ionosphere has become attractive particularly for the present solar cycle which has been covered by reasonably complete and continuous EUV observations from the AE-E Satellite. These representations try to satisfy some rather incongruous $\text{requirements of spectral detail}$, regarding (a) the strong wavelength-dependence in the $\text{terrestrial}$ atmospheric cross sections of the various types of EUV photon interactions, (b) the great differences in the relative amplitudes of the various types of variations in the full-disk fluxes of $\text{solar}$ emissions at different wavelengths, and (c) the persisting desire to use only a $\text{small number of daily indices}$ as actual input variables for computational models supposed to cover the entire EUV wavelength range (remembering the great success of empirical thermospheric models using only two indices). These general physical and specific aeronomical demands indeed outline a very difficult task. The present study, based mainly on AE-E satellite observations during 1976–1979, represents an exploratory step, only clarifying some important developmental aspects, without recommending any specific formulations for immediately practicable adoption in aeronomical modelling at this time.     

Ralicon anodes fabricated by electron beam lithography for image photon counting detectors

The Anger wedge and strip anode event location system developed for microchannel plate image photon detectors at the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley, has been extended in the present work by the use of electron beam lithography (EBL). Computer-aided design methods have been used to develop several types of RALICON ($\text{R}$eadout $\text{A}$nodes of $\text{Lit}$hographic $\text{Con}$struction) for use in photon counting microchannel plate imaging detectors. These anodes are suitable for linear, two dimensional or radial position measurements and they incorporate novel design features made possible by the EBL fabrication technique which significantly extend their application relative to published wedge-strip anode designs.     

The use of stereoscopic satellite observation in the determination of the emissivity of cirrus

The feasibility of determining cirrus “emissivity” from combined stereoscopic and infrared satellite observations in conjunction with radiosounding data is investigated for a particular case study. Simultaneous visible images obtained during SESAME-1979 from two geosynchronous GOES meteorological satellites were processed on the NASA/Goddard interactive system (AOIPS) and were used to determine the stereo cloud top height Z_C as described by Hasler [1]. Iso-contours of radiances were outlined on the corresponding infrared image. Total brightness temperature T_B and ground surface brightness temperature T_S were inferred from the radiances. The special SESAME network of radiosoundings was used to determine the cloud top temperature T_CLD at the level defined by Z_C. The “effective cirrus emissivity” NE where N is the fractional cirrus cloudiness and E is the emissivity in a GOES infrared picture element of about 10 km × 10 km is then computed from T_B, T_S and T_CLD.