Aspartic acid racemization and age-depth relationships for organic carbon in Siberian permafrost

We have analyzed the degree of racemization of aspartic acid in permafrost samples from Northern Siberia, an area from which microorganisms of apparent ages up to a few million years have previously been isolated and cultured. We find that the extent of aspartic acid racemization in permafrost cores increases very slowly up to an age of approximately 25,000 years (around 5 m in depth). The apparent temperature of racemization over the age range of 0-25,000 years, determined using measured aspartic acid racemization rate constants, is -19 degrees C. This apparent racemization temperature is significantly lower than the measured environmental temperature (-11 to -13 degrees C) and suggests active recycling of D-aspartic acid in Siberian permafrost up to an age of around 25,000 years. This indicates that permafrost organisms are capable of repairing some molecular damage incurred while in a "dormant" state over geologic time.     

Raman imagery: a new approach to assess the geochemical maturity and biogenicity of permineralized precambrian fossils

Laser-Raman imagery is a non-intrusive, non-destructive analytical technique, recently introduced to Precambrian paleobiology, that can be used to demonstrate a one-to-one spatial correlation between the optically discernible morphology and kerogenous composition of permineralized fossil microorganisms. Made possible by the submicron-scale resolution of the technique and its high sensitivity to the Raman signal of carbonaceous matter, such analyses can be used to determine the chemical-structural characteristics of organic-walled microfossils and associated sapropelic carbonaceous matter in acid-resistant residues and petrographic thin sections. Here we use this technique to analyze kerogenous microscopic fossils and associated carbonaceous sapropel permineralized in 22 unmetamorphosed or little-metamorphosed fine-grained chert units ranging from approximately 400 to approximately 2,100 Ma old. The lineshapes of the Raman spectra acquired vary systematically with five indices of organic geochemical maturation: (1) the mineral-based metamorphic grade of the fossil-bearing units; (2) the fidelity of preservation of the fossils studied; (3) the color of the organic matter analyzed; and both the (4) H/C and (5) N/C ratios measured in particulate kerogens isolated from bulk samples of the fossil-bearing cherts. Deconvolution of relevant spectra shows that those of relatively well-preserved permineralized kerogens analyzed in situ exhibit a distinctive set of Raman bands that are identifiable also in hydrated organic-walled microfossils and particulate carbonaceous matter freed from the cherts by acid maceration. These distinctive Raman bands, however, become indeterminate upon dehydration of such specimens. To compare quantitatively the variations observed among the spectra measured, we introduce the Raman Index of Preservation, an approximate measure of the geochemical maturity of the kerogens studied that is consistent both with the five indices of organic geochemical alteration and with spectra acquired from fossils experimentally heated under controlled laboratory conditions. The results reported provide new insight into the chemical-structural characteristics of ancient carbonaceous matter, the physicochemical changes that accompany organic geochemical maturation, and a new criterion to be added to the suite of evidence by which to evaluate the origin of minute fossil-like objects of possible but uncertain biogenicity.     

The Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Mission

The Radarsat Earth-observation satellite was launched on November 4, 1995 aboard a Delta 2 rocket. Equipped with a sophisticated synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Radarsat can produce images of extraordinary clarity even through clouds, smog, haze, smoke, and darkness. The SAR has a variety of operating modes. It can be adjusted to produce swathes between 35 and 500 km in width, with ground resolutions from 100 m to as low as eight. In addition, the beam can be steered at angles up to 49° from the satellite's nadir vector, giving it the unique ability to image areas it is not directly overflying. In exchange for the launch, CSA agreed to provide NASA with access to the SAR data, and to execute a 180° yaw-around of Radarsat twice during its lifetime to map the Antarctic continent. Preliminary results from the first of these Antarctic Mapping Missions, dubbed AMM-1, are presented     

Carrier-wave interference to Loran-C: a statistical evaluation

Loran-C is a pulsed, hyperbolic radio aid for long-range marine, air, and land navigation. The worldwide expansion of Loran-C, especially in Europe, has focused attention on carrier-wave interference to the system. The effects of a multiplicity of carrier-wave interferers (CWIs) on receiver timing measurement accuracy are considered. Both the phase tracking and the cycle-selection performance of receivers are quantified in terms of the probabilities that they will operate correctly within the arbitrarily set error limits. Characteristic functions (CFs) are used to compute these probabilities. Analyses and results are presented for typical situations. The relative sensitivity of the phase tracking and cycle-selection functions to interfering signals are discussed     

Observations of diffuse galactic positron annihilation radiation

The Galactic plane was scanned nearly three times by the UCSD/MIT Hard X-Ray and Low Energy Gamma-Ray Experiment on HEAO-1 from August 1977 through September 1978. Its Medium Energy Detectors were of the NaI/CsI phoswich type and operated over the 100 keV to 2 MeV range, with a 17° FWHM field of view and a 9% energy resolution at 511 keV. Sky maps for each epoch of observation were constructed in several energy bands. After subtraction of known point sources, a component associated with the galactic plane remains, whose spectrum is consistent with a power law and a positron annihilation spectrum. In the 333 to 583 keV energy band the flux is concentrated within ±35° of the galactic center, and the ratio of flux/radian (anticenter) is high, with a 2σ lower limit of 13. The parameters of the galactic center region's annihilation spectrum are positronium fraction of 0.9±0.1 and 511 keV flux of (2.0±0.7)×10⁻³ photons/cm²-sec-rad.     

MMS星座对磁层顶磁通量绳内离子惯性尺度结构的观测

利用MMS观测数据,对磁层顶通量绳内离子惯性尺度（d_i）的结构进行分析研究.结果发现,许多不同尺度（约1d_i至数十d_i）的通量绳内都存在具有d_i尺度的电流 j _m,其方向在磁层顶局地坐标系的-M方向,即与磁层顶查普曼-费拉罗电流同向,由电子在+M方向的运动（ v _em）携带.这些电流结构具有以下特征：磁鞘与磁层成分混合,磁场为开放形态;离子去磁化,电子与磁场冻结;N方向（即垂直于磁层顶电流片方向）的电场 E _n显著增大,幅度达到约20mV·m^-1,并伴有明显的尖峰状起伏,该增强和尖峰状起伏的电场对应于霍尔电场.分析表明,电流、电子与离子运动的偏离以及霍尔电场之间遵从广义欧姆定律,三者密切关联.进一步对磁层顶磁重联的探测数据进行分析发现,在很多重联区内也存在与通量绳内相似的结构,其尺度约为d_i量级,其中霍尔电场 E _N、电流 j _M和电子速度 v _eM均与通量绳内对应物理量的方向相同且幅度相近.基于上述观测事实,采用经典FTE通量绳模型,对通量绳内电流、电子运动和霍尔电场的起源进行了初步探讨,认为其来源于磁层顶无碰撞磁重联区内的相应结构,并且后者在离子尺度通量绳的形成过程中起到重要作用.     

Solid nanomembrane manufacture using ion-plasma action

A process of manufacture of porous membranes made of aluminum foil (Al 99.99%) by the method of electrochemical anodic oxidation followed by a continuous barrier layer removal with ion-plasma irradiation is described. The membranes having a 8 mm diameter made from AL2O3 with a thickness from 2 to 5 microns thick with a regular channel arrangement are obtained. A possibility to change the channel diameter in the range of 20?C100 nm by adjusting voltage and temperature during the oxidation is shown. We present the experimental dependencies of aluminum and aluminum oxide sputtering coefficients on the energy and incidence angle of xenon ions within the energy range of 100??400 eV.     

Calculation of flight vehicle main support wheel vibrations taking into account brake forces

A model of the main support of the aircraft landing gear is presented and its dynamics is studied using the equations for the distributed motion of a wheel equipped with a brake. Stability of the support wheel rolling motion is analyzed and the brake parameter values which may cause stability loss are found. The results of numerical experiments are presented.     

A starting system of warning the critical conditions for a single-rotor helicopter

We consider the function, the problems being solved and the construction principles for a starting system of warning the critical regimes for a single-rotor helicopter at parking, taxiing and maneuvering on the ground, takeoff and landing as well as at descending and hovering regimes. The structural-functional scheme and the algorithms of system channel warning are presented.     

Comparative analysis of mixing chambers for two multiphase flows of oppositely charged particles

In this paper, we formulated the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of mixing chambers, needed in obtaining polymeric materials with reproducible properties. The results of comparative analysis of organizing the methods for mixing two multiphase flows of oppositely charged particles are presented. This analysis, carried out using CFD programs, shows that the mixing chamber construction in which the flows being mixed are directed at an angle to each other, and additional gas flow inlets are provided in the lateral wall, is the most efficient.