Hypervelocity acceleration techniques: A review of exisiting capabilities and prospects for future developments

During the last few decades various techniques have made it possible to accelerate microparticles (10⁻⁶ – 10⁻¹⁵ gr) up to tens of km/sec and macroparticles (1 gr or so) up to 10 km/sec, thus furthering our understanding of many impact related phenomena occurring on the surfaces of celestial bodies.

This review will deal with existing techniques for the acceleration of hypervelocity projectiles. The performance of electrostatic accelerators, electromagnetic rail guns and related systems, plasma drag accelerators, light gas guns and explosive accelerating techniques is reviewed, and the capabilities and limitations of each type are briefly discussed. An attempt is made to assess the future promise of existing techniques and the realism of some current suggestions.     

On the levels of enzymatic substrate specificity: implications for the early evolution of metabolic pathways.

The most frequently invoked explanation for the origin of metabolic pathways is the retrograde evolution hypothesis. In contrast, according to the so-called "patchwork" theory, metabolism evolved by the recruitment of relatively inefficient small enzymes of broad specificity that could react with a wide range of chemically related substrates. In this paper it is argued that both sequence comparisons and experimental results on enzyme substrate specificity support the patchwork assembly theory. The available evidence supports previous suggestions that gene duplication events followed by a gradual neoDarwinian accumulation of mutations and other minute genetic changes lead to the narrowing and modification of enzyme function in at least some primordial metabolic pathways.     

The chemical profiles of polar ice on Earth and Mars: What we read from the first; what we could read from the second

An analogy is drawn between the current knowledge on terrestrial snow and ice-cap chemistry and the possible composition of snowfall and ice caps of Mars. Terrestrial snowfall reflects the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. Snow cover further interacts with the atmosphere and is the recipient of aerosol and particulate fall-out. The snow is transformed to firn and ice and the chemical signatures become locked into the perennial ice sheets. The chemical profiles of ice thus constitute environmental records of the Earth's past. By considering the present knowledge on the hydrologie cycle of Mars and the chemistry of the atmosphere, a simple analogous model for the chemical profile of the North polar ice cap is proposed. Three major constituents of the ice are discussed: water ice, dust, and occluded air bubbles. The seasonal fluctuations and interannual variability of these components are examined as possible chemical signatures for the dating of ice, elucidating hydrologie processes, and recording long-term climatic change. The model of the north polar cap in summer consists of water-ice fine-dust layers (30–200 m thick) sandwiched between annual dust layers of variable size distribution and thickness (< 1m– > 66 m). The water ice is subjected to metamorphism and grain growth. The interpretation of the physico-chemical profile could lead to increased knowledge on the recent climatic past (1,000–2,000 years), hydrologic reservoirs, and seasonal cycles in the atmospheric dynamics of the planet.     

Study of the variability of blazars gamma-ray emission

The γ-ray emission of blazar jets shows a pronounced variability and this feature provides limits to the size and to the speed of the emitting region. We study the γ-ray variability of bright blazars using data from the first 18 months of activity of the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. From the daily light-curves of the blazars characterized by a remarkable activity, we firstly determine the minimum variability time-scale, giving an upper limit for the size of the emitting region of the sources, assumed to be spheroidal blobs in relativistic motion. These regions must be smaller than ∼10⁻³ parsec. Another interesting time-scale is the duration of the outbursts. We conclude that they cannot correspond to radiation produced by a single blob moving relativistically along the jet, but they are either the signature of emission from a standing shock extracting energy from a modulated jet, or the superposition of a number of flares occurring on a shorter time-scale. We also derive lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor needed to make the emitting region transparent for gamma-rays interacting through photon–photon collisions.     

A technique of shaping the barrel-type parts

In this paper, a new technique for shaping the thin-walled barrel-type parts is presented.     

Precise line-of-sight modelling for angles-only relative navigation

This work presents a precise analytical model to reconstruct the line-of-sight vector to a target satellite over time, as required by angles-only relative navigation systems for application to rendezvous missions. The model includes the effects of the geopotential, featuring: the analytical propagation in the mean relative orbital elements (up to second-order expansion), the analytical two-way osculating/mean orbital elements’ conversion (second-order in $J_2$ and up to a given degree and order of the geopotential), and a second-order mapping from the perturbed osculating elements’ set to the local orbital frame. Performances are assessed against the line-of-sight reconstructed out of the precise GPS-based positioning products of the PRISMA mission. The line-of-sight modelled over a far-range one day long scenario can be fitted against the true one presenting residuals of the order of ten arc-seconds, which is below the typical sensor noise at far-range.     

Two magnetars: SGR 1627–41 and 1E 1547–5408

We describe the results obtained with Target of Opportunity observations of the galactic sources SGR 1627–41 and 1E 1547–5408. These two transients show several similarities supporting the interpretation of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters as a single class of strongly magnetized neutron stars.     

Using gamma-ray burst prompt emission to probe relativistic shock acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV–10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broad-band spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).     

Study of GNSS-measured ionospheric total electron content variations generated by powerful HF-heating

The purpose of this work is to report the experimental evidences for the influence of perturbations in the electron density in the dayside mid-latitude ionosphere, that are caused by high-frequency heating of the F2 layer, on the GNSS signals. The experiments were carried out at the Sura heater (Radio Physical Research Institute, N. Novgorod). During the sessions of ionospheric heating with different time modulations of the radiated power the rays linking the navigational satellites with the ground receiver intersected the heated region. Variations in the total electron content (TEC) were studied; these variations are proportional to the reduced phases of navigational signals. It is shown that with the square-wave modulation of the radiated power (with periods of 1, 6, 10 and 15 min), perturbations with periods of the main modulation of heating and its harmonics appear in the spectrum of TEC variations. Examples are presented of identification of the heating-induced variations in TEC, including determination of the amplitudes and time characteristics of these variations.     

An approach to forming the design performance of the attitude control system for small spacecraft

The elements for various types of attitude control systems used in a number of small spacecraft are considered. An approach for assessment of such system effectiveness based on design requirements for spacecraft purpose and restriction in accuracy, mass and energy is proposed.