Monte Carlo transport model comparison with 1A GeV accelerated iron experiment: heavy-ion shielding evaluation of NASA space flight-crew foodstuff.

Deep-space manned flight as a reality depends on a viable solution to the radiation problem. Both acute and chronic radiation health threats are known to exist, with solar particle events as an example of the former and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) of the latter. In this experiment Iron ions of 1A GeV are used to simulate GCR and to determine the secondary radiation field created as the GCR-like particles interact with a thick target. A NASA prepared food pantry locker was subjected to the iron beam and the secondary fluence recorded. A modified version of the Monte Carlo heavy ion transport code developed by Zeitlin at LBNL is compared with experimental fluence. The foodstuff is modeled as mixed nuts as defined by the 71st edition of the Chemical Rubber Company (CRC) Handbook of Physics and Chemistry. The results indicate a good agreement between the experimental data and the model. The agreement between model and experiment is determined using a linear fit to ordered pairs of data. The intercept is forced to zero. The slope fit is 0.825 and the R2 value is 0.429 over the resolved fluence region. The removal of an outlier, Z=14, gives values of 0.888 and 0.705 for slope and R2 respectively.     

The role of antiprotons in cosmic-ray physics

Though success eluded experimentalists from detecting cosmic-ray antiprotons over a long period of time, the study of cosmic-ray antiprotons has now become a fascinating field of research. In this review, we have attempted to elucidate the excitement in this area of research since the discovery of antiprotons in the laboratory. We have described the experiments carried out so far to measure the energy spectrum of antiprotons, from about 200 MeV to about 15 GeV, and summarised the results. The observed spectrum, with the limited data, appears to be very hard and is different from other components of cosmic radiation. Upper limits to the fraction of antiprotons in cosmic-rays have also been derived at higher energies, using the observed spectra of cosmic-ray primary and secondary particles at different depths in the atmosphere. We have described various physical processes by which antiprotons could be produced, such as high-energy interactions, neutron oscillations, evaporation of Mini Black Holes, decay of super symmetric particles, etc. The energy spectrum of antiprotons, which are produced through the above processes, undergoes modifications during propagation in the Galaxy. We have examined in detail the propagation models which have been employed to explain the observed data. It is shown that no single model could predict correctly the observed energy spectrum of antiprotons over the entire energy region. However, many models are able to explain the data at relativistic energies. It is difficult at this stage to make a choice among these models. The implications of these models for other components of cosmic-rays, such as positrons, deuterium, and He, have been discussed. We have examined the production of gamma rays in the Galaxy from sources, which produce the observed antiprotons through high-energy interactions. We have also briefly indicated the effect of possible re-acceleration during their confinement in the Galaxy. We finally emphasized the need for more detailed measurements of the spectral shape of cosmic-ray antiprotons to further refine speculations of their origin. Similarly, we have shown that detailed observation of the energy spectra of positrons, deuterium, and He at relativistic energies are crucial to test various propagation models.     

Advances in signal processing technology for electronic warfare

The denial of effective communications by enemy forces during hostile military operations has been a primary concern for military commanders since the inception of radio communications on the battlefield before World War II. Since then, the electromagnetic environment has been in a constant state of evolution toward more sophisticated jam-resistant and convert forms of modulation. For example, exotic modulation techniques employing spread spectrum (SS) signaling are routinely used by our adversaries to provide their communication links an advantage over US and Allied jammers. These same spread spectrum modulation techniques are being refined to provide convert, low probability-of-intercept (LPI) features to the unintended interceptor. The thrust of this paper focuses on developments in the theory and algorithms for detection, characterization, and exploitation of advanced waveforms using new mathematical signal processing tools. Specifically, quadratic time-frequency signal representations, wavelet transforms, and cyclostationary signal processing are introduced. This overview demonstrates the importance of these advanced techniques in a clear and concise manner. Applications and future research activities are described     

Controlled-root formulation for digital phase-locked loops

In a new formulation for digital phase-locked loops, loop-filter constants are determined from loop roots that can each be selectively placed in the s-plane on the basis of a new set of parameters, each with single and direct physical meaning in terms of loop noise band, width root-specific decay rate, or root-specific damping. Loops of first to fourth order are treated in the continuous-update approximation (B_L T→0) and in a discrete-update formulation with arbitrary B _LT. Deficiencies of the continuous-update approximation in large-B_LT applications are avoided in the new discrete-update formulation. A new method for direct, transient-free acquisition with third- and fourth-order loops can improve the versatility and reliability of acquisition with such loops     

Storage stability of screwpress-extracted oils and residual meals from CELSS candidate oilseed crops.

The efficacy of using screwpress extraction for oil was studied with three Controlled Ecological Life-Support System (CELSS) candidate oilseed crops (soybean, peanut, and canola), since use of volatile organic solvents for oil extraction likely would be impractical in a closed system. Low oil yields from initial work indicated that a modification of the process is necessary to increase extraction efficiency. The extracted oil from each crop was tested for stability and sensory characteristics. When stored at 23 degrees C, canola oil and meal were least stable to oxidative rancidity, whereas peanut oil and meal were least stable to hydrolytic rancidity. When stored at 65 degrees C, soybean oil and canola meal were least stable to oxidative rancidity, whereas peanut oil and meal were least stable to hydrolytic rancidity. Sensory evaluation of the extracted oils used in bread and salad dressing indicated that flavor, odor intensity, acceptability, and overall preference may be of concern for screwpress-extracted canola oil when it is used in an unrefined form. Overall results with screwpress-extracted crude oils indicated that soybean oil may be more stable and acceptable than canola or peanut under typical storage conditions.     

Experimental limit on low energy antiprotons in the cosmic radiation

We report results from the Low Energy Antiproton Experiment (LEAP), a balloon-borne instrument which was flown in August, 1987. We find no evidence of antiproton fluxes in the kinetic energy range 120 MeV to 360 MeV, top of the atmosphere. The 90 percent confidence upper limit on the antiproton/proton ratio in this energy range is 3.5 × 10⁻⁵. In particular, this new experiment places an upper limit on the flux almost an order of magnitude below the reported flux of Buffington et al.     

Evaluation of GPS Ionospheric Time-Delay Model

For single-frequency global positioning system (GPS) users,uncompensated ionospheric GPS-signal time delay is the largestsource of range-measurement error, contributing as much as 100 m.To improve performance for these users, a numeric model of theionospheric range error was incorporated into the GPS system. Thispaper presents an assessment of that model in which actualionospheric time-delay values as measured by GPS dual-frequencyreceivers were compared with model values computed at the sametime points. Comparison was made over a broad range of conditionswith dependency of model accuracy on several of the modelparameters. It appears that the model leads to an overall reductionin rms range measurement error of 60 percent.     

Cosmic dust analog simulation in a microgravity environment: the STARDUST program.

We have undertaken a project called STARDUST which is a collaboration with Italian and American investigators. The goals of this program are to study the condensation and coagulation of refractory materials from the vapor and to study the properties of the resulting grains as analogs to cosmic dust particles. To reduce thermal convective currents and to develop valuable experience in designing an experiment for the Gas-Grain Simulation Facility aboard Space Station Freedom we have built and flown a new chamber to study these processes under periods of microgravity available on NASA's KC-135 Research Aircraft. Preliminary results from flights with magnesium and zinc are discussed.     

Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI)

The Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) is a five telescope package, which has been developed for the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory (STEREO) mission by the Naval Research Laboratory (USA), the Lockheed Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (USA), the Goddard Space Flight Center (USA), the University of Birmingham (UK), the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK), the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Germany), the Centre Spatiale de Leige (Belgium), the Institut d’Optique (France) and the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (France). SECCHI comprises five telescopes, which together image the solar corona from the solar disk to beyond 1 AU. These telescopes are: an extreme ultraviolet imager (EUVI: 1–1.7 R_⊙), two traditional Lyot coronagraphs (COR1: 1.5–4 R_⊙ and COR2: 2.5–15 R_⊙) and two new designs of heliospheric imagers (HI-1: 15–84 R_⊙ and HI-2: 66–318 R_⊙). All the instruments use 2048×2048 pixel CCD arrays in a backside-in mode. The EUVI backside surface has been specially processed for EUV sensitivity, while the others have an anti-reflection coating applied. A multi-tasking operating system, running on a PowerPC CPU, receives commands from the spacecraft, controls the instrument operations, acquires the images and compresses them for downlink through the main science channel (at compression factors typically up to 20×) and also through a low bandwidth channel to be used for space weather forecasting (at compression factors up to 200×). An image compression factor of about 10× enable the collection of images at the rate of about one every 2–3 minutes. Identical instruments, except for different sizes of occulters, are included on the STEREO-A and STEREO-B spacecraft.