The role of horizontal components of the neutral wind velocity in anthropogenic impacts on the earth’s ionosphere

The influence of zonal and meridional components of the neutral wind under anthropogenic impacts of water molecules on the ionospheres electron concentration distributed along a magnetic field tube is considered. Computer simulation method based on a mathematical model of the F2 region along a field tube is used.Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2005, pp. 76–80.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Medvedev, Ishanov, Zenkin.     

On a distorted flame front as a hydrodynamic discontinuity

The radius of curvature of a steady distorted flame often turns out to be considerably larger than the width of the thermal structure of the flame. Thus, even under finite deformations of the flame, its structure remains quasi-one-dimensional. This property enables the propagation velocity of a distorted flame front (relative to the gas) to be determined explicitly as a function of the hydrodynamic field and the physico-chemical parameters of the gaseous mixture. With the aid of this relationship one can try to determine the shape of the front in a model which is external with respect to the flame structure and treats the flame as a density jump in an ideal incompressible fluid. As applications, we consider (1) the structure of a Bunsen cone, (2) the extinction of a flame in a divergent flow and (3) the propagation velocity of a corrugated flame.     

Space radiation dosimetry with active detections for the scientific program of the second Bulgarian cosmonaut on board the Mir space station.

A dosimetry-radiometry system has been developed at the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Science to measure the fluxes and dose rates on the flight of the second Bulgarian cosmonaut. The dosimetry system is designed for monitoring the different space radiations, such as solar cosmic rays, galactic cosmic rays and trapped particles in the earth radiation belts. The system consists of a battery operated small size detector unit and a "read-write" and telemetry microcomputer unit. The sensitivity of the instrument (3.67 x 10(-8) rad/pulse) permits high resolution measurements of the flux and dose rate along the track of the Mir space station. We report our initial results for the period of the flight between the 7th and 17th June 1988.     

EXOSAT observations of the BL Lac object Mkn 421

The BL Lac object Mkn 421 was observed by EXOSAT four times over a period of six days in February 1984. Significant X-ray variability was apparent on a timescale of less than a day, but with no accompanying spectral change. The source exhibited a very soft power law X-ray spectrum with an extremely low intrinsic column density (N_H10²⁰ cm^–2). There was no evidence for an additional hard component attributable to synchrotron self-Compton emission. The observations when combined with other published data imply that significant changes occur in the form of the broad-band UV/X-ray continuum of this source.     

Dynamic imaging and RCS measurements of aircraft

Results on radar cross section (RCS) measurements and inverse synthetic aperture radar images of a Mooney 231 aircraft using a ground-to-air measurement system (GTAMS) and a KC-135 airplane using an airborne radar are presented. The Mooney 231 flew in a controlled path in both clockwise and counterclockwise orbits, and successively with the gear down, flaps in the take-off position and with the speed brakes up. The data indicates that RCS pattern measurements from both ground-based and airborne radar of flying aircraft are useful and that the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) images obtained are valuable for signature diagnostics     

M-ary sequential hypothesis tests for automatic targetrecognition

Several forms of sequential hypothesis testing algorithms are described and their performance as classification algorithms for automatic target recognition is evaluated and compared. Several forms of parameteric algorithms, as well as a sequential form of a useful nonparametric algorithm are considered. The primary focus is the design of algorithms for automatic target recognition that produce maximally reliable decisions while requiring, on the average, a minimum number of backscatter measurements. The tradeoffs between the average number of required measurements and the error performance of the resulting algorithms are compared by means of Monte-Carlo simulation studies     

Some aspects of the early evolution of photosynthesis.

The early evolution of a photocatalytic system of the porphyrin type, able to efficiently collect and utilize solar energy for primary electron transfer is discussed. Experimental results concerning some spectral and photochemical properties of the porphyrins, biosynthetic precursors of chlorophyll and their complexes with polymeric templates are reviewed. Protoporphyrin IX associated with pigmented proteinoid is demonstrated to be a favourable candidate for a role of a photosensitizer of the first photosynthetic reaction centers. The origin and early evolution of the photosynthetic electron transfer chain and of the phosphorylating mechanism are discussed with emphasis on the energetic mechanisms of archaebacteria.     

Cellular parameters for track structure modeling of radiation hazard in space.

Based on irradiation with 45 MeV/u N and B ions and with Co-60 gamma rays, cellular parameters of Katz's track structure model have been fitted for the survival of V79-379A Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts. Cellular parameters representing neoplastic transformations in C3H10T/1/2 cells after their irradiation with heavy ion beams, taken from earlier work, were also used to model the radiation hazard in deep space, following the system for evaluating, summing and reporting occupational exposures proposed in 1967 by a subcommittee of NCRP. We have performed model calculations of the number of transformations in surviving cells, after a given fluence of heavy charged particles of initial energy 500 MeV/u, penetrating thick layers of cells. We take the product of cell transformation and survival probabilities, calculated along the path lengths of charged particles using cellular survival and transformation parameters, to represent a quantity proportional to the "radiation risk factor" discussed in the NCRP document. The "synergistic" effect of simultaneous charged particle transfers is accounted for by the "track overlap" mode inherent in the model of Katz.     

Microbial utilisation of natural organic wastes

The waste management strategy for the future should meet the benefits of humanity safety, respect principals of planet ecology, and compatibility with other habitability systems. For these purpose the waste management technologies, relevant to application of the biodegradation properties of bacteria are of great value. The biological treatment method is based upon the biodegradation of organic substances by various microorganisms. The advantage of the biodegradation waste management in general: it allows to diminish the volume of organic wastes, the biological hazard of the wastes is controlled, and this system may be compatible with the other systems. The objectives of our study were: to evaluate effectiveness of microbial biodegradation of non-pretreated substrate, to construct phneumoautomatic digester for organic wastes biodegradation, and to study microbial characteristics of active sludge samples used as inoculi in biodegradation experiment. The technology of vegetable wastes treatment was elaborated in IBMP and BMSTU. For this purpose the special unit was created where the degradation process is activated by enforced reinvention of portions of elaborated biogas into digester. This technology allows to save energy normally used for electromechanical agitation and to create optimal environment for anaerobic bacteria growth. The investigations were performed on waste simulator, which imitates physical and chemical content of food wastes calculated basing on the data on food wastes of moderate Russian city. The volume of created experimental sample of digester is 40 l. The basic system elements of device are digesters, gas receiver, remover of drops and valve monitoring and thermal control system. In our testing we used natural food wastes to measure basic parameters and time of biodegradation process. The diminution rate of organic gained 76% from initial mass taking part within 9 days of fermentation. The biogas production achieved 46 l per 1 kg of substrate. The microbial studies of biodegradation process revealed following peculiarities: (i) gradual quantitative increasing of Lactobacillus sp. (from 10(3) to 10(5) colony forming units (CFU) per ml), (ii) activation of Clostridia sp. (from 10(2) to 10(4)CFU/ml), (iii) elimination of aerobic conventional pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae sp., Protea sp., staphylococci). The obtained results allow to evaluate effectiveness of proposed technology and to determine the leading role of lactobacilli and clostridia in process of natural wastes biodegradation. Our further investigations shall further be concentrated on creation of artificial inoculi for launching of food wastes biodegradation. These inoculi will include active and adapted strains of clostridia and lactobacilli.