Hydrogen emission in meteors as a potential marker for the exogenous delivery of organics and water

We detected hydrogen Balmer-alpha (H(alpha)) emission in the spectra of bright meteors and investigated its potential use as a tracer for exogenous delivery of organic matter. We found that it is critical to observe the meteors with high enough spatial resolution to distinguish the 656.46 nm H(alpha) emission from the 657.46 nm intercombination line of neutral calcium, which was bright in the meteor afterglow. The H(alpha) line peak stayed in constant ratio to the atmospheric emissions of nitrogen during descent of the meteoroid. If all of the hydrogen originates in the Earth's atmosphere, the hydrogen atoms are expected to have been excited at T = 4400 K. In that case, we measured an H(2)O abundance in excess of 150 +/- 20 ppm at 80-90 km altitude (assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium in the air plasma). This compares with an expected <20 ppm from H(2)O in the gas phase. Alternatively, meteoric refractory organic matter (and water bound in meteoroid minerals) could have caused the observed H(alpha) emission, but only if the line is excited in a hot T approximately 10000 K plasma component that is unique to meteoric ablation vapor emissions such as Si(+). Assuming that the Si(+) lines of the Leonid spectrum would need the same hot excitation conditions, and a typical [H]/[C] = 1 in cometary refractory organics, we calculated an abundance ratio [C]/[Si] = 3.9 +/- 1.4 for the dust of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. This range agreed with the value of [C]/[Si] = 4.4 measured for comet 1P/Halley dust. Unless there is 10 times more water vapor in the upper atmosphere than expected, we conclude that a significant fraction of the hydrogen atoms in the observed meteor plasma originated in the meteoroid.     

Shock compression of liquid hydrogen in various experimental geometries

In connection with the use of cryogenic liquids in high-speed gas dynamics and high-pressure physics, shock-wave processes in liquid hydrogen were investigated under plane, cylindrical and hemispherical loading.The plane loading of liquid hydrogen consisted of a multicyclic, nearly isentropic compression. A transducer employing a contact electrical effect was used to record this multicyclic compression process between a rigid wall and a flyer, resulting in a sequence of shock steps of decreasing amplitude, whose integrated action is equivalent to the isentropic compression of liquid hydrogen up to 500 kbar.The cylindrical loading was generated by detonating a high-explosive charge enclosing a cylindrical cavity along its axis that was filled with liquid hydrogen. Under these conditions shock velocities up to 13.7 km/sec were recorded, and pressure in the shock-compressed hydrogen reached 90 kbar. The formation of a boundary layer and expansion of the cylindrical cavity limited further pressure increases in the column of compressed liquid and lead to a decrease in the flow velocity. The observed increase in detonation velocity is associated with the influence of the channel wave on the detonation regime in the neighboring explosive layers.Under hemispherical loading, an increase in the converging shock velocity from 6 to 20 km/sec was recorded. The final pressure reached 210 kbar, and the total specific energy exceeded 200 kJ/g. During the release of the shock-compressed hydrogen into air at 0.1 torr, shock waves with velocities exceeding 50 km/sec were obtained.     

过氧化氢双组元发动机推力室研究

在过氧化氢发动机预先研究项目中,开展了过氧化氢／烃燃料（煤油）推进剂的自燃点火研究,包括自燃燃料开发、推力室设计及冷、热试考核。设计了25N、30N、50N和50kN推力量级的推力室。经热试车考核,点火平稳可靠,燃烧稳定,室压粗糙度小于±5％,燃烧效率高于92％,设计方案合理。     

某试验台LH2贮箱气体置换过程数值模拟

首先应用C#软件编制贮箱气体置换计算程序,用该程序对不同N2、H2充气压力和放气终压对贮箱置换的影响进行分析,通过对比分析得出最优置换方案;其次利用FLU—ENT软件对某运载火箭发动机动力系统试验LH2贮箱气体置换过程进行数值计算,包括N2充气置换、H2充气置换和LH2贮箱缩比尺寸和全尺寸数值计算。对H2置换过程中不同...     

我国大推力补燃氢氧发动机研究进展

氢氧火箭发动机因具有很高的性能,在国内外运载火箭中得到了广泛应用。为了更好地开展深空探测,必须研制大推力氢氧火箭发动机。本文综合分析了国内外氢氧发动机的发展历史和现状,简要介绍了我国220 t补燃循环氢氧发动机方案和关键技术研制进展,该技术方案先进。通过开展试验件冷态试验和缩尺组件热试验等,研究了核心部组件的关键技术和方案选型。开展全尺寸预燃室热试验等分系统热试验,研究组件级技术,初步突破了部分关键技术。建议加快开展大推力氢氧发动机工程研制,促进我国航天推进技术发展。     

溶剂对石英/酚醛复合材料浸润过程的影响

通过研究不同溶荆对于石英／酚醛复合材料溶液浸润过程的影响,得出酚醛树脂及溶荆在石英表面的竞争性吸附机理。漫反射红外光谱研究表明,强极性溶剂由于能够与石英表面Si-OH形成氢键,从而与酚醛树脂在石英表面形成竞争性吸附;粘度和表面张力测量证实强极性溶剂被优先吸附;热失重分析表明,不同溶剂与酚醛树脂的竞争性吸附导致树脂在石英表面平衡吸附量存在差异。     

对数零相位谱在雷达目标识别中的应用研究

高分辨距离像的频谱相位包含了大部分目标信息,对数零相位谱特征能够保留这些信息,且具有平移不变性。提出一种对数零相位谱最小距离雷达目标识别方法,并利用外场实测数据计算仿真,比较了最小欧氏距离与最小马氏距离准则下对数零相位谱的识别性能,同时与功率谱、幅度谱做对比,验证了该方法的可行性与有效性。     

发动机试验液氢流量测量不确定度评定

针对某型号液体火箭发动机试验,介绍了液氢低温流量测量系统组成及原理。根据液氢质量流量测量数学模型,分析影响液氢流量测量不确定度的主要压力对贮箱容积的影响因素,依据不确定度评定相关标准和方法,对各种影响因素进行分析,最终得出液氢质量流量扩展不确定度为±0.88%,满足发动机设计部门对液氢低温质量流量测量不确定度±1%的要求。     

过氧化氢推力室技术研究

简述了过氧化氢作为火箭推进剂的优点,重点介绍了近几年陕西动力机械设计研究所在过氧化氢单组元推力室和双组元发动机推力室研制中取得的进展。设计了几种过氧化氢单组元推力室并进行了试验;进行了过氧化氢／煤油双组元火药点火试验;进行了催化点火技术的研究,27次点火试验全部取得成功;设计并生产了几种双组元推力室,对过氧化氢／煤油自燃点火技术进行了研究,累计进行了500余次点火试验;采用37kN推力室分别进行了90％过氧化氢／煤油的火药点火试验和自燃点火试验,试验获得了成功。     

改进的绳系卫星系统距离速率控制律

为扩大绳系卫星系统(TSS)控制的稳定域,提出了一种改进距离速率控制算法。根据TSS动力学方程及构造的二阶稳定系统,给出了修正的控制模型。讨论了稳定释放角度和释放/回收速度的影响,并研究了固定绳索长度系留控制方案。算例表明该方法可显著扩大稳定域,提高释放速度。     

The influence of effects of the heliospheric interface on parameters of backscattered solar <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>α radiation measured at the Earth’s orbit

A new kinetic model of distribution of interstellar hydrogen atoms in the heliosphere is suggested in this paper. It takes into account global effects associated with charge exchange of interstellar atoms near the heliospheric boundary. The constructed model allows one to find efficiently the detailed distribution of hydrogen atoms over space and velocities. For the axisymmetric steady-state case a comparison is made of the parameters of interstellar hydrogen atoms that were obtained using the classical hot model, two modifications of the improved hot model, and a global self-consistent kinetic gas-dynamic model of the heliospheric interface. The results of calculations of the spectral moments of scattered solar Lα radiation are presented. They were derived on the basis of different models of distribution of hydrogen atoms in the heliosphere.     

Carotenoid analysis of halophilic archaea by resonance Raman spectroscopy

Recently, halite and sulfate evaporate rocks have been discovered on Mars by the NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. It is reasonable to propose that halophilic microorganisms could have potentially flourished in these settings. If so, biomolecules found in microorganisms adapted to high salinity and basic pH environments on Earth may be reliable biomarkers for detecting life on Mars. Therefore, we investigated the potential of Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy to detect biomarkers derived from microorganisms adapted to hypersaline environments. RR spectra were acquired using 488.0 and 514.5 nm excitation from a variety of halophilic archaea, including Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1, Halococcus morrhuae, and Natrinema pallidum. It was clearly demonstrated that RR spectra enhance the chromophore carotenoid molecules in the cell membrane with respect to the various protein and lipid cellular components. RR spectra acquired from all halophilic archaea investigated contained major features at approximately 1000, 1152, and 1505 cm(-1). The bands at 1505 cm(-1) and 1152 cm(-1) are due to in-phase C=C (nu(1) ) and C-C stretching ( nu(2) ) vibrations of the polyene chain in carotenoids. Additionally, in-plane rocking modes of CH(3) groups attached to the polyene chain coupled with C-C bonds occur in the 1000 cm(-1) region. We also investigated the RR spectral differences between bacterioruberin and bacteriorhodopsin as another potential biomarker for hypersaline environments. By comparison, the RR spectrum acquired from bacteriorhodopsin is much more complex and contains modes that can be divided into four groups: the C=C stretches (1600-1500 cm(-1)), the CCH in-plane rocks (1400-1250 cm(-1)), the C-C stretches (1250-1100 cm(-1)), and the hydrogen out-of-plane wags (1000-700 cm(-1)). RR spectroscopy was shown to be a useful tool for the analysis and remote in situ detection of carotenoids from halophilic archaea without the need for large sample sizes and complicated extractions, which are required by analytical techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.     

Disk-averaged synthetic spectra of Mars

The principal goal of the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and European Space Agency's Darwin mission concepts is to directly detect and characterize extrasolar terrestrial (Earthsized) planets. This first generation of instruments is expected to provide disk-averaged spectra with modest spectral resolution and signal-to-noise. Here we use a spatially and spectrally resolved model of a Mars-like planet to study the detectability of a planet's surface and atmospheric properties from disk-averaged spectra. We explore the detectability as a function of spectral resolution and wavelength range, for both the proposed visible coronograph (TPFC) and mid-infrared interferometer (TPF-I/Darwin) architectures. At the core of our model is a spectrum-resolving (line-by-line) atmospheric/surface radiative transfer model. This model uses observational data as input to generate a database of spatially resolved synthetic spectra for a range of illumination conditions and viewing geometries. The model was validated against spectra recorded by the Mars Global Surveyor-Thermal Emission Spectrometer and the Mariner 9-Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer. Results presented here include disk-averaged synthetic spectra, light curves, and the spectral variability at visible and mid-infrared wavelengths for Mars as a function of viewing angle, illumination, and season. We also considered the differences in the spectral appearance of an increasingly ice-covered Mars, as a function of spectral resolution, signal-to-noise and integration time for both TPF-C and TPFI/ Darwin.     

氢仲-正转化释冷方案及冷量空间利用潜能分析

调研了氢仲-正转化释冷能力及研究现状,介绍了绝热、连续、等温三种转化方式的释冷潜能与工作特征。针对氢空间长期安全贮存,按照转化器布置位置与转化方式,提出四种冷量空间利用方案。研究发现：氢绝热转化在150 K时释冷量最大,为391 kJ/kg;等温转化在110 K时释冷量最大,为394 kJ/kg;连续转化在出口温度大于200 K后,释冷量稳定在491 kJ/kg。所提四种方案中,由于空间排气温度偏低,造成氢仲-正转化潜能无法充分释放,对贮箱绝热性能提升有限。相较于一次绝热转化,在蒸气冷却盘管内连续转化可较充分利用转化冷能,在氢的空间贮存应优先考虑。     

Adsorption of amino acids (ALA, CYS, HIS, MET) on zeolites: fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy investigations

Minerals adsorb more amino acids with charged R-groups than amino acids with uncharged R-groups. Thus, the peptides that form from the condensation of amino acids on the surface of minerals should be composed of amino acid residues that are more charged than uncharged. However, most of the amino acids (74%) in today's proteins have an uncharged R-group. One mechanism with which to solve this paradox is the use of organophilic minerals such as zeolites. Over the range of pH (pH 2.66-4.50) used in these experiments, the R-group of histidine (His) is positively charged and neutral for alanine (Ala), cysteine (Cys), and methionine (Met). In acidic hydrothermal environments, the pH could be even lower than those used in this study. For the pH range studied, the zeolites were negatively charged, and the overall charge of all amino acids was positive. The conditions used here approximate those of prebiotic Earth. The most important finding of this work is that the relative concentrations of each amino acid (X=His, Met, Cys) to alanine (X/Ala) are close to 1.00. This is an important result with regard to prebiotic chemistry because it could be a solution for the paradox stated above. Pore size did not affect the adsorption of Cys and Met on zeolites, and the Si/Al ratio did not affect the adsorption of Cys, His, and Met. ZSM-5 could be used for the purification of Cys from other amino acids (Student-Newman-Keuls test, p<0.05), and mordenite could be used for separation of amino acids from each other (Student-Newman-Keuls test, p<0.05). As shown by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, Ala interacts with zeolites through the [Formula: see text] group, and methionine-zeolite interactions involve the COO, [Formula: see text], and CH(3) groups. FT-IR spectra show that the interaction between the zeolites and His is weak. Cys showed higher adsorption on all zeolites; however, the hydrophobic Van der Waals interaction between zeolites and Cys is too weak to produce any structural changes in the Cys groups (amine, carboxylic, sulfhydryl, etc.); thus, the FT-IR and Raman spectra are the same as those of solid Cys.     

Simulation of hydrogen adsorption in carbon nanotube arrays

The hydrogen adsorption in carbon nanotubes arrays was studied through molecular dynamics simulation. The interactions are described by the Lennard–Jones potential. The relative mass content and density of hydrogen are obtained as functions of the pressure, temperature and the distance between the tubes in the array. The formation of a second adsorption layer at low temperatures is detected. The cluster geometry optimal for adsorption is found.     

Supercomputer modeling of hydrogen combustion in rocket engines

Hydrogen being an ecological fuel is very attractive now for rocket engines designers. However, peculiarities of hydrogen combustion kinetics, the presence of zones of inverse dependence of reaction rate on pressure, etc. prevents from using hydrogen engines in all stages not being supported by other types of engines, which often brings the ecological gains back to zero from using hydrogen. Computer aided design of new effective and clean hydrogen engines needs mathematical tools for supercomputer modeling of hydrogen–oxygen components mixing and combustion in rocket engines.The paper presents the results of developing verification and validation of mathematical model making it possible to simulate unsteady processes of ignition and combustion in rocket engines.     

Adsorption water-related potential chemical and biological processes in the upper martian surface

Mars Odyssey has given strong evidence for the existence of water in the upper martian surface at equatorial latitudes. The water content, which corresponds to the hydrogen in the soil, can regionally reach values up to about 15%. This water is mainly in the form of structurally and partially irreversibly bound "crystal" water, and of reversibly bound and partially unfrozen adsorption water. This adsorption water, which has "liquid-like" properties as a two dimensional fluid or film, can trigger-in the presence of ultraviolet light and in concentrations similar to what has been measured on Mars-photocatalytic processes that are important for martian surface chemistry. The consequences of the diurnally variable presence of adsorption water on the chemistry and hypothetical biological processes at and in the upper martian surface at equatorial and mid-latitudes are discussed in terms of water-related environmental aspects for chemical and hypothetical life processes on Mars.     

Physical-chemical treatment of wastes: a way to close turnover of elements in LSS.

"Man-plants-physical-chemical unit" system designed for space stations or terrestrial ecohabitats to close steady-state mineral, water and gas exchange is proposed. The physical-chemical unit is to mineralize all inedible plant wastes and physiological human wastes (feces, urine, gray water) by electromagnetically activated hydrogen peroxide in an oxidation reactor. The final product is a mineralized solution containing all elements balanced for plants' requirements. The solution has been successfully used in experiments to grow wheat, beans and radish. The solution was reusable: the evaporated moisture was replenished by the phytotron condensate. Sodium salination of plants was precluded by evaporating reactor-mineralized urine to sodium saturation concentration to crystallize out NaCl which can be used as food for the crew. The remaining mineralized product was brought back for nutrition of plants. The gas composition of the reactor comprises O2, N2, CO2, NH3, H2. At the reactor's output hydrogen and oxygen were catalyzed into water, NH3 was converted in a water trap into NH4 and used for nutrition of plants. A special accessory at the reactor's output may produce hydrogen peroxide from intrasystem water and gas which makes possible to close gas loops between LSS components.     

On the existence and stability of liquid water on the surface of mars today

The recent discovery of high concentrations of hydrogen just below the surface of Mars' polar regions by Mars Odyssey has enlivened the debate about past or present life on Mars. The prevailing assumption prior to the discovery was that the liquid water essential for its existence is absent. That assumption was based largely on the calculation of heat and mass transfer coefficients or theoretical climate models. This research uses an experimental approach to determine the feasibility of liquid water under martian conditions, setting the stage for a more empirical approach to the question of life on Mars. Experiments were conducted in three parts: Liquid water's existence was confirmed by droplets observed under martian conditions in part 1; the evolution of frost melting on the surface of various rocks under martian conditions was observed in part 2; and the evaporation rate of water in Petri dishes under Mars-like conditions was determined and compared with the theoretical predictions of various investigators in part 3. The results led to the conclusion that liquid water can be stable for extended periods of time on the martian surface under present-day conditions.