Human interactions in space: results from Shuttle/Mir.

Background: Anecdotal reports from space and results from simulation studies on Earth have suggested that space crewmembers may experience decrements in their interpersonal environment over time and may displace tension and dysphoria to mission control personnel. Methods: To evaluate these issues, we studied 5 American astronauts, 8 Russian cosmonauts, and 42 American and 16 Russian mission control personnel who participated in the Shuttle/Mir space program. Subjects completed questions from subscales of the Profile of Mood States, the Group Environment Scale, and the Work Environment Scale on a weekly basis before, during, and after the missions. Results: Among the crewmembers, there was little evidence for significant time effects based on triphasic (U-shaped) or linear models for the 21 subscales tested, although the presence of an initial novelty effect that declined over time was found in three subscales for the astronauts. Compared with work groups on Earth, the crewmembers reported less dysphoria and perceived their crew environment as more constraining, cohesive, and guided by leadership. There was no change in ratings of mood and interpersonal environment before, during, and after the missions. Conclusions: There was little support for the presence of a moderate to strong time effect that influenced the space crews. Crewmembers perceived their work environment differently from people on Earth, and they demonstrated equanimity in mood and group perceptions, both in space and on the ground. Grant numbers: NAS9-19411.     

Precision bone and muscle loss measurements by advanced, multiple projection DEXA (AMPDXA) techniques for spaceflight applications.

An advanced, multiple projection, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (AMPDXA) scanner system is under development. The AMPDXA is designed to make precision bone and muscle loss measurements necessary to determine the deleterious effects of microgravity on astronauts as well as develop countermeasures to stem their bone and muscle loss. To date, a full size test system has been developed to verify principles and the results of computer simulations. Results indicate that accurate predictions of bone mechanical properties can be determined from as few as three projections, while more projections are needed for a complete, three-dimensional reconstruction.     

Optimum Position Estimation Using Multiple-Frequency Omega

The maximum-likelihood estimator of the line of position (LOP) resulting from K frequencies received from each of two Omega stations for high SNR is derived. The estimator takes advantage of interfrequency correlation of phase uncertainties by modeling them as resulting from phase velocity uncertainties which are jointly Gaussian with known covariance. The utilization of Omega for search and rescue systems is examined. For this application, the result of increasing the size of the unambiguous lanes of Omega by addition of a fourth frequency to the present three-frequency format is examined. The results of Monte Carlo simulation, performed for several easily implemented fourth frequencies, are presented. The simulation results illustrate the extent to which lane errors can be expected as a function of various fourth frequencies, phase velocity uncertainties, and SNR.     

An Adaptive-Control Switching Buck Regulator-Implementation, Analysis, and Design

Describing-function techniques and averaging methods have been employed to characterize a multiloop switching buck regulator by three functionsl blocks: power stage, analog signal processor, and pulse modulator. The model is employed. to explore possible forms of pole-zero cancellation and the adaptive nature of the control to filter parameter changes. Analysis-based design guide lines are provided including a suggested additional RC-compensation loop to optimize regulator performances such as stability, audiosusceptibility, output impedance, and load transient response.     

Estimation of plasma density from wave data of cold electron plasma

Based on the dispersion relation of electron plasma, one can expect, that the waves excited in the frequency band (f_p, f_u=sqrt(f_p^*f_p+f_c^*f_c)) should persist in experimental spectra. For wave data from a spacecraft immersed in a cold plasma such an assumption may be misleading. In measurements performed on board the INTERCOSMOS-19, ACTIVE, APEX satellites and VC36.064CE rocket the most prominent spectral structure is centered around frequency f_r fulfilling the relation f_crp and corresponds to resonant detection of Bernstein waves excited in the surrounding plasma by spacecraft systems. Input network mismatch at frequencies around fu significantly depresses natural plasma noise as well as that excited by the spacecraft. Plasma emissions in the band (f_p, f_u) are prominent if the electromagnetic excitation is preferential (topside sounders) or if the excitation introduces nonequilibrium components into the plasma e.g. particle beams or clouds. Experimental examples are presented and parameters of cold plasma spectra useful for electron density estimation are discussed. The application to other spacecraft-cold plasma configurations is suggested.     

Chromospheric line emission in seismically active flares

Some flares are known to drive seismic transients into the solar interior. The effects of these seismic transients are seen in helioseismic observations of the Sun’s surface thousands of km from their sources in the hour succeeding the impulsive phase of the flare. Energetic particles impinging from the corona into the chromosphere are known to drive strong, downward-propagating shocks in active region chromospheres during the impulsive phases of flares. H observations have served as an important diagnostic of these shocks, showing intense emission with characteristic transient redshifts. In most flares no detectable transients penetrate beneath the active region photosphere. In those that do, there is a strong correlation between compact white-light emission and the signature of seismic emission. This study introduces the first known H observations of acoustically active flares, centered in the core of the line. The morphology of line-core emission H in the impulsive phase of the flare is similar to that of co-spatial line-core emission in NaD₁, encompassing the site of seismic emission but more extended. The latter shows a compact red shift in the region of seismic emission, but a similar feature is known to appear in a conjugate magnetic footpoint from which no seismic emission emanates. Radiative MHD modelling based on the profiles of chromospheric line emission during the impulsive phases of flares can contribute significantly to our understanding of the mechanics of flare acoustic emission penetrating into the solar interior and the conditions under which it occurs.     

The SOHO concept and its realisation

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) — a space observatory to be placed, in 1995, 1.5 Gm sunward from the Earth in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point — will investigate:

the solar corona, its heating and expansion into the solar wind, by both studying the radiation emerging from the outer solar atmosphere and in-situ solar wind measurements near 1 AU, and

the structure and dynamics of the solar interior by the method of helioseismology.

The science policy evolution leading to this comprehensive observatory concept is described. SOHO's link to the space-plasma-physics mission CLUSTER — devoted to the three-dimensional study of small structures in the magnetosphere — within the Solar Terrestrial Science Programme (STSP) and the embedding of STSP in the much larger International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) Programme are cited as well. The scientific subjects to be addressed by SOHO are introduced, and their current status assessed. Subsequently, the measurements required to advance these subjects are stated quantitatively and the payload, which will actually perform these measurements, is presented. The mission design, comprising spacecraft, orbit, operations and the data and ground systems are described. The special efforts made to obtain a reliable radiometric calibration of the instruments observing the Sun in the extreme-ultraviolet and to achieve a stable sensitivity through extreme cleanliness of spacecraft and instruments are emphasized and substantiated.     

β Cephei stars from a photometric point of view

This is an observational review, with an emphasis on photometric data and their interpretation. Two lists are presented, one containing Cephei stars, and the other, Cephei suspects. These lists then serve as a basis for discussing such topics as the location of Cephei stars in the observational and theoretical H-R diagrams, the evolutionary state of these stars, the period-luminosity and period-luminosity-color relations, and observational identification of pulsation modes. The paper also includes references to recent work connected with the theoretical discovery that an opacity mechanism is responsible for the excitation of Cephei-star pulsations. Finally, observational programs for verifying the consequences of this discovery are suggested.Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO).     

Experiment "Seeds" on Biokosmos 9. Dosimetric part.

The aim of the experiment "Seeds" on the Sowjetic satellite Biokosmos 9 was the observation of mutagenic effects caused at special loci of seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and assigned to particles of the Cosmic radiation. Two types of exposure units were flown: A low-shielding unit Type I, mounted at the surface of the satellite (1.4 g/cm2 shielding) and, for comparison, an identical item inside (16 g/cm2 shielding), using nuclear emulsion as track detectors. A Type II unit, flown inside (18g/cm2 shielding) was mounted with AgCl track detectors. The layout will be briefly described. A first set of dosimetric data from the physical evaluation of the experiment will be presented. The subdivision into charge- and LET-groups shows a rather high contribution of the intermediate LET-group (350-1000 MeV/cm) due to medium heavy particles (Z = 6-10) and to enders of light (p, alpha) particles.