New results on the time histories of gamma-ray bursts

A study of the morphology of 14 short ( 1 s) gamma ray bursts observed by the Franco Soviet SIGNE detectors onboard the VENERA spacecraft between 1978 and 1982 is presented. We find two major groups of short bursts characterised not only by their different durations ( 1 s and 100 ms respectively), but also by different e-folding rise and decay times. A study of the time history of the impulsive portion of the 1979 March 5 event at 2 ms resolution shows evidence for a previously undiscovered 23ms quasi periodicity. These results are discussed in the context of neutron star models for gamma ray bursters.     

COMPTEL observations of gamma-ray bursts

The COMPTEL experiment on GRO images 0.7 – 30 MeV celestial gamma-radiation that falls within its 1 steradian field of view. During the first fifteen months in orbit, preliminary localizations from BATSE triggers indicated that about 1 in 6 cosmic events could have fallen within COMPTEL's field of view. We summarize work on the brightest of these gamma-ray bursts and present new position constraints for GRB 911118 and GRB 920622.     

Thermonuclear flashes on magnetized neutron stars as a model for gamma-ray bursts

We propose, as a model for gamma ray bursts, that the energy released by a thermonuclear runaway at the surface of a slowly accreting, magnetized neutron star, is converted into gamma ray photons by small scale magnetic field reconnection. Most of the energy flux is transported up to the atmosphere by Alfvén waves, driven by oscillatory magnetoconvection. The electric field created by reconnection accelerates electrons to very high energies. The excitation of Landau levels by collisions is followed by gamma ray synchrotron emission. The time scales, energies, and luminosities involved agree with the observations.     

A possible redshift evolution of the time-lag and variability luminosity relations for long gamma-ray bursts

Several luminosity relations currently exist for long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Some were derived from the light curves; others were obtained from the spectra. In this study, we consider two of these luminosity relations: the time-lag, _τlag${\tau }_{\mathit{lag}}$, relation and the variability, V, relation and investigate their possible dependence on (or “evolution” with) the redshift, z.     

A review on recent development of space solar power

Space solar power(SSP) system, a major type of space-based power-generating equipment, is an important infrastructure providing massive, continuous, and stable green electricity by utilizing solar energy in space. Many countries and organizations consider SSP to be one of the most promising clean energy sources. The historical activities of SSP in the world are summarized. This review focuses on the significant development of SSP during the last 10 years, which is the most important period for SSP. The latest international SSP development programmes in the United States, ESA, Japan, China, UK and Korea are presented. Some significant solar power satellite(SPS) concepts proposed in the decade, including typical SPS-ALPHA, MR-SPS, CASSIOPeiA SPS, et al., are introduced. The technical and non-technical challenges are also listed and several important in-space demonstration missions in recent years and in the near future are introduced. The conclusion is that the next 5 to 10 years will be an important period for rapidly developing the key technologies and conducting on-orbit demonstration and application. Controlling the mutual position relationship between the solar array and the transmitting antenna becomes a core issue to be considered in the innovative design of the SPS. Wireless power transmission technologies would be the demonstration focus for the first step. It is expected that the first commercial SPS would be constructed as early as 2040.     

Solar and cosmic X- and gamma-ray studies with long duration balloon flights

The scientific goals of balloon-borne X and gamma ray transient studies are reviewed. Several scientific objectives are common to both solar and cosmic investigations, specifically: high time and energy resolution measurements of line and continuum emission, and log N-log S studies. A brief survey of six instruments is presented. It is shown that current proven detector and gondola technologies are sufficient to advance significantly our understanding of transient phenomena via these investigations within the decade and within the current and future constraints of proposed long duration (10–30 days) balloon facilities.     

Modeling the spectral evolution in the decaying tail of gamma-ray bursts observed by Swift

The detailed study of the spectral evolution during the steep decay phase of early X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is a very important task that can give us information on different emission components contributing to the prompt-to-afterglow transition and help to understand the link between these two stages. Time resolved spectral analysis of bright GRBs detected by Swift has shown that a good modeling of the early X-ray light curves can be obtained with Band or cut-off power-law broad band spectra with evolving parameters (e.g., decaying peak energy). We developed a procedure to simultaneously fit the temporal evolution of all the spectral parameters of a GRB during the prompt-to-afterglow transition based on the analysis of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) count rate and hardness ratio light curves. The procedure has been tested on GRB 060614 and GRB 090618, two very peculiar bright GRB detected by Swift that show a long exponentially decaying tail with strong softening and peak energy crossing the XRT energy band.     

Measurements of trapped protons and cosmic rays from recent Shuttle flights.

We have flown two new charged particle detectors in five recent Shuttle flights. In this paper we report on the dose rate, equivalent dose rate, and radiation quality factor for trapped protons and cosmic radiation separately. A comparison of the integral linear energy transfer (LET) spectra with recent transport code calculations show significant disagreement. Using the calculated dose rate from the omni-directional AP8MAX model with IGRF reference magnetic field epoch 1970, and observed dose rate as a function of (averaged over all geographic latitude) and longitude, we have determined the westward drift of the South Atlantic anomaly. We have also studied the east-west effect, and observed a 'second' radiation belt. A comparison of the galactic cosmic radiation lineal energy transfer spectra with model calculations shows disagreement comparable to those of the trapped protons.     

Status of MAGIC and recent results

Ground-based γ-ray astronomy is part of a new field of fundamental research of Astroparticle Physics, that recently made spectacular discoveries mostly thanks to Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT). The MAGIC telescope is a IACT located at La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. Composed of two telescopes with 17 m diameter each, MAGIC is equipped with the largest optical reflectors in the world, and it has the lowest threshold energy (25 GeV). MAGIC started operations in 2004 in the single-detector configuration, and in 2009 as a stereo detector. Since then, it has discovered many new sources and classes of sources, both galactic and extragalactic. Here some highlights from the most recent results are presented.     

Neuroplastic reactivity of fish induced by altered gravity conditions: a review of recent results.

A review is being presented concerning behavioural, biochemical, histochemical and electronmicroscopical data on the influence of altered gravitational forces on the swimming performance and on the neuronal differentiation of the brain of cichlid fish larvae and adult swordtail fish that had been exposed to hyper-gravity (3g in laboratory centrifuges), hypo-gravity (>10(-2) g in a fast-rotating clinostat) and to near weightlessness (10(-4) g aboard the Spacelab D-2 mission). After long-term alterations of gravity (and parallel light deprivation), initial disturbances in the swimming behaviour followed by a stepwise regain of normal swimming modes are induced. Parallel, neuroplastic reactivities on different levels of investigation were found, such as adaptive alterations of activities of various enzymes in whole brain as well as in specific neuronal integration centers and an intraneuronal reactivity on ultrastructural level in individual brain parts and in the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. Taken together, these data reveal distinct adaptive neuroplastic reactions of fish to altered gravity conditions.     

The HEAO-3 French-Danish cosmic ray spectrometer: Preliminary results on the elemental abundances of cosmic ray nuclei in the iron peak

The French-Danish cosmic ray spectrometer was launched on HEAO-3 on September 20, 1979. This instrument was optimized to measure the charge composition and isotopic abundances of galactic cosmic rays with energies of about 0.5 to 7 GeV/nucleon, using the multi-Cerenkov detector technique and a flash tube hodoscope.The geomagnetic method used for isotope analysis required the accurate measurement of the momentum of each observed particle. The technique used and the problems involved are illustrated using observed data.The high charge resolution of the instrument permits complete separation of all chemical elements between Be and Ni, even at energies larger than 5 GeV/nucleon. Preliminary results are presented for relative abundances of individual elements 21 Z 28.     

Radiation environment induced by cosmic ray particle fluxes in the international space station orbit according to recent galactic and solar cosmic ray models

Radiation characteristics (particle fluxes, doses, and LET spectra) are calculated for spacecraft in the International Space Station orbit. The calculations are made in terms of the dynamic model for galactic cosmic rays and the probabilistic model for solar cosmic rays developed at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University.     

Some recent results on extragalactic X-ray sources from the Einstein observatory

Extragalactic research studies by the Harvard/Smithsonian group with the Einstein Observatory have emphasized quasars and clusters of galaxies. More than 100 QSO's have been detected, including 20 serendipitous discoveries. The ratio of L_x/L_o for radio loud quasars is on the average 3 times that of radio quiet ones. QSO's with a large intrinsic optical luminosity have a smaller ratio of L_x/L_o. X-ray images of clusters of galaxies reveal a variety of morphological types which may correspond to different stages in their evolution. Several examples of bi-modal clusters have been discovered. An X-ray plume associated with M86 is apparently gas being stripped. From X-ray studies, a mass between 1.7 × 10¹³M_θ and 4.0 × 10¹³ M_θ has been derived for M87.     

The thermosphere as a sink of magnetospheric energy: A review of recent observations of dynamics

The study of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the earth's upper atmosphere has made significant progress over the past few years owing to the availability of new global-scale data sets from the Dynamics Explorer satellites. The thermospheric wind and temperature fields at high latitude have been observed to depend strongly on forcing processes of magnetospheric origin. A key momentum source is due to the drag effect of ions convecting in response to electric fields mapped down on the ionosphere from magnetospheric boundary regions. Likewise, an important heat source derives from Joule or frictional dissipation due to ion/neutral difference velocities governed, in turn, by magnetospheric forcing. In this paper we discuss the progress made over the last 2–3 years initiated by the new satellite measurements and we review published data on ion and neutral motions in the context of the energy and momentum coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere/neutral upper atmosphere. The observations indicate the existence of a “flywheel effect” which implies direct feedback from the neutral thermosphere to the magnetosphere via the release of energy and momentum previously “stored” in the neutral thermosphere.     

A directional gamma-ray telescope using coded aperture techniques

A directional detector for γ-ray astronomy has been developed to image sources in the energy range 0.1 to 5 MeV. An array of 35 gain stabilized bismuth germanate detectors, together with a coded aperture mask based on a Uniformly Redundant Array (URA), allows imaging in 4° square sky bins over a 16° X 24° field-of-view. The position of a strong point source, such as the Crab Nebula, can be determined to within ?1°. A complementary “anti-mask” greatly reduces systematic effects arising from non-uniform background rates amongst the detectors. The telescope has an effective area of 190 cm² and an energy resolution of 19.5% FWHM at 662 keV. Results of laboratory tests of the imaging system, including the ability to image multiple sources, uniformity of response over the field-of-view, and the effect of the “anti-mask”, are in good agreement with computer simulations. Features of the flight detector system are described and results of laboratory tests and computer simulations are reviewed. A balloon flight of the telescope is planned for the fall of 1982.     

Evaluation of solar proton spectra using balloon cosmic ray observations and Monte Carlo simulation results

We have developed a method to evaluate the spectrum of solar energetic protons at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere from the measurements of our balloon cosmic ray experiment. By using the Monte Carlo PLANETOCOSMICS code based on Geant4 we compute the interaction of solar protons [10 MeV–10 GeV] with the Earth’s atmosphere. We obtain the angular and energy distributions of secondary particles (p, e⁻, e⁺, photons, muons) at different atmospheric levels as a function of primary proton spectra. By comparing the calculated depth dependence of the particle flux with the data obtained by our balloon experiment we can deduce the parameters of the solar proton spectrum that best fit the observations. In this paper we discuss our solar proton spectrum estimation method, and present results of its application to selected solar proton events from 2001 to 2005.     

Organics produced by ion irradiation of ices: some recent results.

Some results, recently obtained from laboratory experiments of ion irradiation of ice mixtures containing H, C, N, and O, are here summarized. They are relevant to the formation and evolution of complex organics on interstellar dust, comets and other small bodies in the external Solar System. In particular the formation of CN-bearing species is discussed. Interstellar dust incorporated into primitive Solar System bodies and subsequently delivered to the early Earth, may have contributed to the origin of life. The delivery of CN-bearing species seems to have been necessary because molecules containing the cyanogen bond are difficult to be produced in an environment that is not strongly reducing as that of the early Earth probably was. Moreover we report on an ongoing research program concerning the interaction between refractory materials produced by ion irradiation of simple ices and biological materials (amino acids, proteins, cells).     

Effects of altered gravity on plant cell processes: results of recent space and clinostatic experiments.

Space and clinostatic experiments revealed that plant cell structure and metabolism rearrangements depend on taxonomical position and physiological state of objects, growth phase and real or simulated microgravity influence duration. It was shown that clinostat conditions reproduce only a part of microgravity biological effects. It is established that various responses occur in microgravity: 1) rearrangements of cytoplasmic organelles ultrastructure and calcium balance; 2) physical-chemical properties of the plasmalemma are changed; 3) enzymes activity is often enhanced. These events provoke the acceleration of growth and differentiation of cells and their aging as a result; at the same time some responses can be considered as cell adaptation to microgravity.     

Nature of gamma-ray burst sources

Observational evidence suggests that gamma ray bursts have a local galactic origin involving neutron stars. In this light we make a critical review of physics of the thermonuclear runaway model placing emphasis on self-consistency. We further show that some of the proposed models can be observationally excluded in the light of existing data from the Einstein Observatory. The possibility of gamma bursts arising in low mass binaries is finally discussed in the light of evolutionary scenarios leading to low luminosity systems.     

Some additional results in the regular balloon monitoring of cosmic rays in the Earth’s atmosphere

The different types of the data recorded in the experiment of the regular balloon monitoring of cosmic rays (carried out since 1957 by Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, Russia, in several locations) are described. So called detailed information (the form of each pulse detected by the ground-based receiver) recorded during the last 12 years is discussed in more details. The use of these data both for getting and correcting the standard results of the experiment and for obtaining some additional information on the cosmic rays in the Earth’s atmosphere is considered.