Survival of Deinococcus radiodurans against laboratory-simulated solar wind charged particles

In this experimental study, cells of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans were exposed to several different sources of radiation chosen to replicate the charged particles found in the solar wind. Naked cells or cells mixed with dust grains (basalt or sandstone) differing in elemental composition were exposed to electrons, protons, and ions to determine the probability of cell survival after irradiation. Doses necessary to reduce the viability of cell population to 10% (LD(10)) were determined under different experimental conditions. The results of this study indicate that low-energy particle radiation (2-4?keV), typically present in the slow component of the solar wind, had no effect on dehydrated cells, even if exposed at fluences only reached in more than 1000 years at Sun-Earth distance (1 AU). Higher-energy ions (200?keV) found in solar flares would inactivate 90% of exposed cells after several events in less than 1 year at 1 AU. When mixed with dust grains, LD(10) increases about 10-fold. These results show that, compared to the highly deleterious effects of UV radiation, solar wind charged particles are relatively benign, and organisms protected under grains from UV radiation would also be protected from the charged particles considered in this study.     

Low-temperature ionizing radiation resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans and Antarctic Dry Valley bacteria

The high flux of cosmic rays onto the unshielded surface of Mars poses a significant hazard to the survival of martian microbial life. Here, we determined the survival responses of several bacterial strains to ionizing radiation exposure while frozen at a low temperature characteristic of the martian near-subsurface. Novel psychrotolerant bacterial strains were isolated from the Antarctic Dry Valleys, an environmental analogue of the martian surface, and identified by 16S rRNA gene phylogeny as representatives of Brevundimonas, Rhodococcus, and Pseudomonas genera. These isolates, in addition to the known radioresistant extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans, were exposed to gamma rays while frozen on dry ice (-79°C). We found D. radiodurans to exhibit far greater radiation resistance when irradiated at -79°C than was observed in similar studies performed at higher temperatures. This greater radiation resistance has important implications for the estimation of potential survival times of microorganisms near the martian surface. Furthermore, the most radiation resistant of these Dry Valley isolates, Brevundimonas sp. MV.7, was found to show 99% 16S rRNA gene similarity to contaminant bacteria discovered in clean rooms at both Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers and so is of prime concern to efforts in the planetary protection of Mars from our lander probes. Results from this experimental irradiation, combined with previous radiation modeling, indicate that Brevundimonas sp. MV.7 emplaced only 30?cm deep in martian dust could survive the cosmic radiation for up to 100,000 years before suffering 10? population reduction.     

环氧树脂648和TDE-85的质子辐照损伤效应研究

通过地面模拟空间环境质子辐照条件(质子能量Ep=150keV,束流密度A=2.0×1012cm-2·s-1,辐照剂量范围Φ=(0～5.0)×1016cm-2;真空度10-6Pa,环境温度120 K),研究了不同辐照剂量下环氧树脂浇注体648和TDE-85的质量损失、弯曲强度和表面相糙度的变化.试验结果表明,随着辐照剂量的增加,质量损失呈现先加速递增后趋于平缓的趋势;648的弯曲强度呈单边下降趋势,TDE-85的弯曲强度呈现先上升后下降的趋势,树脂表面产生了碳化效应,表面粗糙度发生了不同程度的变化.     

Responses of haloarchaea to simulated microgravity

Various effects of microgravity on prokaryotes have been recognized in recent years, with the focus on studies of pathogenic bacteria. No archaea have been investigated yet with respect to their responses to microgravity. For exposure experiments on spacecrafts or on the International Space Station, halophilic archaea (haloarchaea) are usually embedded in halite, where they accumulate in fluid inclusions. In a liquid environment, these cells will experience microgravity in space, which might influence their viability and survival. Two haloarchaeal strains, Haloferax mediterranei and Halococcus dombrowskii, were grown in simulated microgravity (SMG) with the rotary cell culture system (RCCS, Synthecon). Initially, salt precipitation and detachment of the porous aeration membranes in the RCCS were observed, but they were avoided in the remainder of the experiment by using disposable instead of reusable vessels. Several effects were detected, which were ascribed to growth in SMG: Hfx. mediterranei's resistance to the antibiotics bacitracin, erythromycin, and rifampicin increased markedly; differences in pigmentation and whole cell protein composition (proteome) of both strains were noted; cell aggregation of Hcc. dombrowskii was notably reduced. The results suggest profound effects of SMG on haloarchaeal physiology and cellular processes, some of which were easily observable and measurable. This is the first report of archaeal responses to SMG. The molecular mechanisms of the effects induced by SMG on prokaryotes are largely unknown; haloarchaea could be used as nonpathogenic model systems for their elucidation and in addition could provide information about survival during lithopanspermia (interplanetary transport of microbes inside meteorites).     

Microbial survival rates of Escherichia coli and Deinococcus radiodurans under low temperature, low pressure, and UV-Irradiation conditions, and their relevance to possible Martian life

Viability rates were determined for microbial populations of Escherichia coli and Deinococcus radiodurans under the environmental stresses of low temperature (-35 degrees C), low-pressure conditions (83.3 kPa), and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (37 W/m(2)). During the stress tests the organisms were suspended in saltwater soil and freshwater soil media, at variable burial depths, and in seawater. Microbial populations of both organisms were most susceptible to dehydration stress associated with low-pressure conditions, and to UV irradiation. However, suspension in a liquid water medium and burial at larger depths (5 cm) improved survival rates markedly. Our results indicate that planetary surfaces that possess little to no atmosphere and have low water availability do not constitute a favorable environment for terrestrial microorganisms.     

真空紫外辐照对聚酰亚胺结构与性能的影响

聚合物材料在真空紫外环境下出气逸出可造成分子污染。对聚酰亚胺薄膜进行真空紫外辐照试验,利用污染凝结效应试验设备测试辐照前后薄膜的质量损失,并通过SEM及XPS观察分析辐照前后薄膜的表面形貌、表面化学结构与成分变化。结果表明:真空紫外辐照可引起聚酰亚胺质量损失增加,且随辐照时间增加,质量损失逐渐趋于饱和;辐照后,样品表面形貌未发生明显变化;材料表面的C–O含量增加,且随辐照时间增加继续略微增长;C=O含量降低,且随辐照时间增加而继续降低。     

环氧基纳米复合材料抗真空紫外辐照性能研究

文章模拟真空紫外辐照条件,研究波长5~200 nm的真空紫外线(VUV)对环氧树脂648以及环氧基纳米复合材料的辐照损伤效应.质量损失、扫描电子显微镜、质谱仪和X射线光电子谱仪分析结果表明:纳米TiO2起到明显抗真空紫外辐照的作用.辐照后,与环氧树脂相比,环氧基纳米复合材料的质量损失大幅度降低,弯曲强度变化较小,出气量和出气成分减少,表面没有新的C峰出现,表面O 1s峰的主要成分没有发生变化.     

The PROCESS experiment: exposure of amino acids in the EXPOSE-E experiment on the international space station and in laboratory simulations

To understand the chemical behavior of organic molecules in the space environment, amino acids and a dipeptide in pure form and embedded in meteorite powder were exposed in the PROCESS experiment in the EXPOSE-E facility mounted on the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) platform on board the International Space Station (ISS). After exposure to space conditions for 18 months, the samples were returned to Earth and analyzed in the laboratory for reactions caused by solar UV and cosmic radiation. Chemical degradation and possible racemization and oligomerization, the main reactions caused by photochemistry in the vacuum ultraviolet domain (VUV, wavelength range 100-200?nm for photon energy from 6.2 to 12.4?eV) were examined in particular. The molecules were extracted and derivatized by silylation and analyzed by gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to quantify the rate of the degradation of the compounds. Laboratory exposure in several wavelength ranges from UV to VUV was carried out in parallel in the Cologne Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) Center and Centre de biophysique moléculaire (CBM) laboratories. The results show that resistance to irradiation is a function of the chemical nature of the exposed molecules and the wavelengths of the UV light. The most altered compounds were the dipeptide, aspartic acid, and aminobutyric acid. The most resistant were alanine, valine, glycine, and aminoisobutyric acid. Our results also demonstrate the protective effect of meteorite powder, which reemphasizes the importance of exogenic contribution to the inventory of prebiotic organics on early Earth.     

真空紫外辐射对碳/环氧复合材料性能影响

文章介绍了真空紫外线(VUV)的模拟和射流式真空紫外辐射模拟设备的工作原理、技术参数及特点,并利用该设备及其它分析手段对环氧树脂浇铸体(EP648)和碳/环氧复合材料(C/E648)在VUV辐照作用下的出气、质量损失率(SAML)、层间剪切强度(ILSS)和表面状态的变化进行了研究。试验结果表明：VUV辐照导致材料产生明显的出气效应,质量损失率呈现先递增后趋于平缓的趋势;17 280esh辐照剂量下,EP648的质量损失是C/E648的3．4倍,C/E648的ILSS与辐照前相比下降了13．3％;环氧树脂破损较重,而碳纤维表面状态基本完好,并对内部的环氧树脂起到一定的保护作用。     

对俄出口GVU-600空间环境模拟器研制

GVU-600空间环境模拟器是我国首次为俄罗斯研制的一台航天专用设备,它可以模拟真空、冷黑和太阳辐射3项空间基本参数,主要用于进行卫星热平衡、热真空试验。该设备为卧式圆柱结构,容器内径8 m,总长13.5 m,容积600 m3,极限真空1.4×10-5 Pa,热沉温度-190 ℃。文章主要对该设备的技术指标、系统组成及功能进行了介绍,并给出了研制结果。     

宽范围热流密度丝状加热装置的设计仿真与试验研究

为满足航天器热试验对宽范围外热流模拟的需求，设计研发了一种“随形式”丝状加热装置。该套装置基于铠装加热丝设计，可根据产品不同的形状和表面状态加工，该套丝状加热装置理论上可实现20～1500 W/m2的宽范围热流密度的模拟；在真空低温条件下实际测试其稳态温度控制精度在±0.35 ℃以内，温度稳定性在±0.7 ℃以内，热流不均匀度优于2.5%。     

陶瓷基分子吸附器的航天器污染控制性能试验研究

为验证陶瓷基分子吸附器利用多孔材料的吸附性能降低航天器一定区域内污染水平的能力,试验研究真空环境中13X分子筛材料的分子污染物吸/脱附特性,以及以13X分子筛为吸附剂的陶瓷基分子吸附器对航天器用电缆放气产物的吸附性能。试验结果表明:13X分子筛可以有效捕获污染物分子,陶瓷基分子吸附器的吸附能力在3.1×10-2～3.4×10-2 g/cm2之间。陶瓷基分子吸附器可以应用于航天器热真空试验和在轨运行时的污染控制,有利于延长航天器寿命、提高航天器可靠性。     

Tolerance of anhydrobiotic eggs of the Tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus to extreme environments

Tardigrades are tiny (less than 1?mm in length) invertebrate animals that have the potential to survive travel to other planets because of their tolerance to extreme environmental conditions by means of a dry ametabolic state called anhydrobiosis. While the tolerance of adult tardigrades to extreme environments has been reported, there are few reports on the tolerance of their eggs. We examined the ability of hydrated and anhydrobiotic eggs of the tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus to hatch after exposure to ionizing irradiation (helium ions), extremely low and high temperatures, and high vacuum. We previously reported that there was a similar pattern of tolerance against ionizing radiation between hydrated and anhydrobiotic adults. In contrast, anhydrobiotic eggs (50% lethal dose; 1690 Gy) were substantially more radioresistant than hydrated ones (50% lethal dose; 509 Gy). Anhydrobiotic eggs also have a broader temperature resistance compared with hydrated ones. Over 70% of the anhydrobiotic eggs treated at either -196°C or +50°C hatched successfully, but all the hydrated eggs failed to hatch. After exposure to high-vacuum conditions (5.3×10(-4) Pa to 6.2×10(-5) Pa), the hatchability of the anhydrobiotic eggs was comparable to that of untreated control eggs.     

A study on the resistance performance of epoxy nano-composites under the vacuum ultraviolet irradiation

Irradiation damage effects of the epoxy resin 648 and epoxy nano-composites are studied by means of simulating the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation whose wavelength ranges from 5 to 200 nm. Experimental results of the mass loss, SEM and XPS show that nano-TiO₂ particles exhibit better resistance performance under VUV. Comparing with epoxy resin, the epoxy nano-composite brings significantly less mass loss, slighter flexural strength variation and decreasing gas extraction with less gas component varieties after irradiation. What is more, no new carbon peak-value has been found and principle components of O_ls peak-value remain unchanged on the surface.     

真空紫外辐照引起的聚合物材料质量损失模型及实验验证

基于扩散理论及辐射化学反应理论,建立真空紫外(VUV)辐照引起的聚合物材料质量损失数学模型。采用分离变量法与特征函数展开法,获得材料中挥发物质量随辐照剂量变化的函数关系式。通过实验得到聚酰亚胺(PI)薄膜和聚酯(PET)薄膜的质量损失数据,拟合求解模型中的参数,验证模型的适用性。实验结果表明,该质量损失模型适用于PI薄膜及PET薄膜,借助该模型可预估VUV辐照引起的材料的质量损失。     

Implications of subzero metabolic activity on long-term microbial survival in terrestrial and extraterrestrial permafrost

The survival of microorganisms over extended time frames in frozen subsurface environments may be limited by chemical (i.e., via hydrolysis and oxidation) and ionizing radiation-induced damage to chromosomal DNA. In an effort to improve estimates for the survival of bacteria in icy terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments, we determined rates of macromolecular synthesis at temperatures down to -15°C in bacteria isolated from Siberian permafrost (Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5 and P. arcticus 273-4) and the sensitivity of P. cryohalolentis to ionizing radiation. Based on experiments conducted over ≈400 days at -15°C, the rates of protein and DNA synthesis in P. cryohalolentis were <1 to 16 proteins cell(-1) d(-1) and 83 to 150 base pairs (bp) cell(-1) d(-1), respectively; P. arcticus synthesized DNA at rates of 20 to 1625?bp cell(-1) d(-1) at -15°C under the conditions tested. The dose of ionizing radiation at which 37% of the cells survive (D(37)) of frozen suspensions of P. cryohalolentis was 136?Gy, which was ～2-fold higher (71?Gy) than identical samples exposed as liquid suspensions. Laboratory measurements of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation demonstrate the physiological potential for DNA metabolism at -15°C and suggest a sufficient activity is possible to offset chromosomal damage incurred in near-subsurface terrestrial and martian permafrost. Thus, our data imply that the longevity of microorganisms actively metabolizing within permafrost environments is not constrained by chromosomal DNA damage resulting from ionizing radiation or entropic degradation over geological time.     

样品温度对原子氧环境下ITO/Kapton/Al涂层性能变化的影响

文章利用原子氧环境地面模拟设备对航天器用材料ITO/Kapton/Al开展了原子氧环境试验研究。研究中选择的原子氧积分通量为9.1×1019 atoms/cm2,试验真空度为10-2 Pa量级,样品温度分别选取为25℃、70℃、100℃、120℃和150℃,研究样品温度对原子氧环境模拟试验可能造成的影响。试验后利用高精度微量电子天平对样品进行了质量损失测试并计算了材料的反应率,利用TEMP 2000A便携热发射率测试仪和LPSR 300便携光谱太阳吸收率测试仪分别对样品的发射率和太阳吸收比进行了测试。通过试验及分析发现:ITO膜对基底材料的保护较好,材料在试验后质量损失较少,原子氧反应率较低;样品温度的变化对ITO/Kapton/Al材料的质量损失影响较小,但对材料的热物理性质影响较大。     

The Mawrth Vallis region of Mars: A potential landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission

The primary objective of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, which will launch in 2011, is to characterize the habitability of a site on Mars through detailed analyses of the composition and geological context of surface materials. Within the framework of established mission goals, we have evaluated the value of a possible landing site in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars that is targeted directly on some of the most geologically and astrobiologically enticing materials in the Solar System. The area around Mawrth Vallis contains a vast (>1?×?10? km2) deposit of phyllosilicate-rich, ancient, layered rocks. A thick (>150?m) stratigraphic section that exhibits spectral evidence for nontronite, montmorillonite, amorphous silica, kaolinite, saponite, other smectite clay minerals, ferrous mica, and sulfate minerals indicates a rich geological history that may have included multiple aqueous environments. Because phyllosilicates are strong indicators of ancient aqueous activity, and the preservation potential of biosignatures within sedimentary clay deposits is high, martian phyllosilicate deposits are desirable astrobiological targets. The proposed MSL landing site at Mawrth Vallis is located directly on the largest and most phyllosilicate-rich deposit on Mars and is therefore an excellent place to explore for evidence of life or habitability.     

行星际空间质子引起介质深层充电的GEANT4模拟研究

高通量的空间质子是导致行星际航天器深层充电的主要原因,基于辐射诱导电导率模 型（RIC）和粒子输运模拟工具GEANT4对介质材料在质子辐照条件下的深层充电问题进行了 预估。利用GEANT4-RIC充电计算方法,首先计算出10MeV质子在Kapton和Teflon中的注量和 剂量沉积曲线,进而根据电流连续性方程、泊松方程和电荷俘获方程组成的辐射诱导电导率 模型（RIC）求解出介质内电荷和电场分布,与介质击穿电场阈值对比作为其是否发生放电 的依据。模拟结果证实了对10MeV质子,在质子注量为3×10 12 ／cm 2时Kapton会发 生放电,而Teflon则不会发生放电的一般性试验结论。验证了GEANT4-RIC方法用于行星际航 天器介质材料质子充放电评价的可行性,为此类问题的解决奠定了基础。
     

UV photochemistry of DNA in vitro and in Bacillus subtilis spores at earth-ambient and low atmospheric pressure: implications for spore survival on other planets or moons in the solar system

Two major parameters influencing the survival of Bacillus subtilis spores in space and on bodies within the Solar System are UV radiation and vacuum, both of which induce inactivating damage to DNA. To date, however, spore survival and DNA photochemistry have been explored only at the extremes of Earth-normal atmospheric pressure (101.3 kPa) and at simulated space vacuum (10(-3)-10(-6) Pa). In this study, wild-type spores, mutant spores lacking alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP), naked DNA, and complexes between SASP SspC and DNA were exposed simultaneously to UV (254 nm) at intermediate pressure (1-2 Pa), and the UV photoproducts cis,syn-thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimer (c,sTT), trans,syn-thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimer (t,sTT), and "spore photoproduct" (SP) were quantified. At 101.3 kPa, UV-treated wild-type spores accumulated only SP, but spores treated with UV radiation at 1-2 Pa exhibited a spectrum of DNA damage similar to that of spores treated at 10(-6) Pa, with accumulation of SP, c,sTT, and t,sTT. The presence or absence of alpha/beta-type SASP in spores was partly responsible for the shift observed between levels of SP and c,sTT, but not t,sTT. The changes observed in spore DNA photochemistry at 1-2 Pa in vivo were not reproduced by irradiation of naked DNA or SspC:DNA complexes in vitro, suggesting that factors other than SASP are involved in spore DNA photochemistry at low pressure.