Cosmic ray H/H ratio measured from BESS in 2000 during solar maximum

The Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) was flown from Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada in August, 2000, during the maximum solar modulation period, with an average residual atmospheric overburden of 4.3 g/cm². Precise spectral measurements of cosmic ray hydrogen isotopes from 0.178 GeV/n to 1.334 GeV/n were made during the 28.7 h of flight. This paper presents the measured energy spectra and their ratio, ²H/¹H. The results are also compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions.     

Search for primordial antiparticles with BESS

The Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) has been carried out to search for primordial antiparticles in cosmic rays. In ten flights from 1993 to 2004, it measured the cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum in the energy range 0.1–4.2 GeV at various solar activity conditions. It also searched for antideuterons and antihelium nuclei, and it made precise measurement of cosmic-ray particle spectra. The BESS program has been extended to long duration balloon (LDB) flights in Antarctica (BESS-Polar) with the goal of achieving unprecedented sensitivity in the search for primordial antiparticles. This report describes recent results from BESS and progress of the BESS-Polar program.     

First measurements of cosmic-ray nuclei at high energy with CREAM

The balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment CREAM-I (Cosmic-Ray Energetics And Mass) recently completed a successful 42-day flight during the 2004–2005 NASA/NSF/NSBF Antarctic expedition. CREAM-I combines an imaging calorimeter with charge detectors and a precision transition radiation detector (TRD). The TRD component of CREAM-I is targeted at measuring the energy of cosmic-ray particles with charges greater than Z ∼ 3. A central science goal of this effort is the determination of the ratio of secondary to primary nuclei at high energy. This measurement is crucial for the reconstruction of the propagation history of cosmic rays, and consequently for the determination of their source spectra. First scientific results from this instrument are presented.     

Early evaluation of thematic mapper data for coastal process studies

Two sets of TM data taken over the ocean off the coast of the Southeastern U.S. Bight were studied for the applicability of TM data to marine environments. First, the results of applying TM and TMS data to determine chlorophyll concentration in the ocean are presented. Chlorophyll quantification in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 mg/M³ was achieved by taking the ratio of TM band-1/band-2. Second, the results of applying TM band-6 data to monitor sea surface temperature are described. A comparison of TM data with AVHRR data shows TM readings coincide with AVHRR data within a scatter of 0.5°C in most of areas studied. Lastly, the results of a technique to map the water depths of coral reefs in the Great Bahama Bank are demonstrated. Depths from 0 to 20 meters, were delineated using TM band-1. The classification accuracy and origins of anomalous depth points are discussed.     

Changes in mood status and neurotic levels during a 20-day bed rest

This study evaluated changes of mood status and depressive and neurotic levels in nine young male subjects during a 20-day 6 degrees head-down tilting bed rest and examined whether exercise training modified these changes. Participants were asked to complete psychometrical inventories on before, during, and after the bed rest experiment. Depressive and neurotic levels were enhanced during bed rest period according to the Japanese version of Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale and the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire. Mood state "vigor" was impaired and "confusion" was increased during bed rest and recumbent control periods compared to pre-bed rest and ambulatory control periods according to the Japanese version of Profiles of Mood State, whereas the mood "tension-anxiety", "depression-dejection", "anger-hostility" and "fatigue" were relatively stable during experiment. Isometric exercise training did not modify these results. Microgravity, along with confinement to bed and isolation from familiar environments, induced impairment of mental status.     

The MESSENGER Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer

A Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) instrument has been developed as part of the science payload for NASA’s Discovery Program mission to the planet Mercury. Mercury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) launched successfully in 2004 and will journey more than six years before entering Mercury orbit to begin a one-year investigation. The GRNS instrument forms part of the geochemistry investigation and will yield maps of the elemental composition of the planet surface. Major elements include H, O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, K, and Th. The Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) portion detects gamma-ray emissions in the 0.1- to 10-MeV energy range and achieves an energy resolution of 3.5 keV full-width at half-maximum for ⁶⁰Co (1332 keV). It is the first interplanetary use of a mechanically cooled Ge detector. Special construction techniques provide the necessary thermal isolation to maintain the sensor’s encapsulated detector at cryogenic temperatures (90 K) despite the intense thermal environment. Given the mission constraints, the GRS sensor is necessarily body-mounted to the spacecraft, but the outer housing is equipped with an anticoincidence shield to reduce the background from charged particles. The Neutron Spectrometer (NS) sensor consists of a sandwich of three scintillation detectors working in concert to measure the flux of ejected neutrons in three energy ranges from thermal to ∼7 MeV. The NS is particularly sensitive to H content and will help resolve the composition of Mercury’s polar deposits. This paper provides an overview of the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer and describes its science and measurement objectives, the design and operation of the instrument, the ground calibration effort, and a look at some early in-flight data.     

An introduction to the lunar and planetary science activities in Korea

Korea is planning a series of lunar space programs in 2020 starting with a lunar orbiter and a lander with a rover. Compared to other countries, Korea has a relatively brief history in space and planetary sciences. With the expected Korean missions on the near-term horizon and the relatively few Korean planetary scientists, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has established a new planetary research group focusing on development of prospective lunar instruments, analysis of the publicly available planetary data of the Moon, organizing nationwide planetary workshops, and initiating planetary educational programs with academic institutions. Korea has also initiated its own rocket development program, which could acquire a rocket-launch capability toward the Korean lunar mission. For the prospective Korea’s lunar science program, feasibility studies for some candidate science payloads have been started since 2010 for an orbiter and a lander. The concept design of each candidate instrument has been accomplished in 2012. It is expected that the development of science payloads may start by 2014 as Phase A. Not only developing hardware required for the lunar mission but also educational activities for young students are high priorities for Korea. The new plan of the Korean lunar mission can be successfully accomplished with international cooperative outreach programs in conjunction with internationally accessible planetary data system (PDS). This paper introduces the KIGAM’s international cooperative planetary research and educational programs and also summarizes other nationwide new developments for Korean lunar research projects at Kyung Hee University and Hanyang University.     

Precise orbit determination using the batch filter based on particle filtering with genetic resampling approach

In this study, genetic resampling (GRS) approach is utilized for precise orbit determination (POD) using the batch filter based on particle filtering (PF). Two genetic operations, which are arithmetic crossover and residual mutation, are used for GRS of the batch filter based on PF (PF batch filter). For POD, Laser-ranging Precise Orbit Determination System (LPODS) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations of the CHAMP satellite are used. Monte Carlo trials for POD are performed by one hundred times. The characteristics of the POD results by PF batch filter with GRS are compared with those of a PF batch filter with minimum residual resampling (MRRS). The post-fit residual, 3D error by external orbit comparison, and POD repeatability are analyzed for orbit quality assessments. The POD results are externally checked by NASA JPL’s orbits using totally different software, measurements, and techniques. For post-fit residuals and 3D errors, both MRRS and GRS give accurate estimation results whose mean root mean square (RMS) values are at a level of 5 cm and 10–13 cm, respectively. The mean radial orbit errors of both methods are at a level of 5 cm. For POD repeatability represented as the standard deviations of post-fit residuals and 3D errors by repetitive PODs, however, GRS yields 25% and 13% more robust estimation results than MRRS for post-fit residual and 3D error, respectively. This study shows that PF batch filter with GRS approach using genetic operations is superior to PF batch filter with MRRS in terms of robustness in POD with SLR observations.     

Korean space food development: Ready-to-eat Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable,sterilized with high-dose gamma irradiation

Addition of calcium lactate and vitamin C, a mild heating, deep-freezing, and gamma irradiation at 25 kGy were conducted to prepare Kimchi as a ready-to-eat space food. It was confirmed that the space food was sterilized by an irradiation at 25 kGy through incubation at 37 °C for 30 days. The hardness of the Space Kimchi (SK) was lower than the untreated Kimchi (CON), but higher than the irradiated Kimchi (IR). Also, this result was supported by the scanning electron microscopic observation. Sensory attributes of the SK were similar to CON, and maintained during preservation at 35 °C for 30 days. According to the Ames test, Kimchi sterilized with a high-dose irradiation exerted no mutagenic activity in the bacterial strains of Salmonella typhimurium. And, the SK was certificated for use in space flight conditions during 30 days by the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems.