A boundary value problem of aerohydrodynamics in designing an axisymmetric body with jet blowout

A numerical and analytical method for constructing a shape of the axisymmetric body streamlined with jet blowout by the specified velocity distribution along its meridian section is proposed. The foundation of the method is the iteration process based on the solutions of an inverse problem in the plane case and a primal problem for the axisymmetric body. A program realizing the iteration process is set up and examples of numerical calculations are given.     

Calculation of decoupling zeroes in the multiconnected dynamic system

A recursive method for calculating decoupling zeroes in the linear multiconnected dynamic system based on the application of matrix canonization techniques is proposed. Its essence is that the problem dimension is successively decreased and reduced to finding eigenvalues of some matrix. The results obtained can be used to check controllability and observability as well as to calculate uncontrollable and unobservable modes of the dynamic system.     

Mathematical modeling and experimental investigations of oxygen-methane fuel combustion at coaxial-jet supply into the combustion chamber of liquid-propellant rocket engine

The numerical results are presented for the case of coaxial-jet supply at the different ratio of mass component velocities at the combustion chamber inlet with the constant and variable relationship of oxygen-methane components. The experimental investigations of coaxial-jet mixing elements as part of the model setup chamber operating on corrosive producer gas and gaseous methane were carried out. A qualitative pattern of the $ \overline {\rho u} $ \overline {\rho u} parameter influence on the chamber economic feasibility was obtained: as $ \overline {\rho u} $ \overline {\rho u} decreases, the combustion efficiency coefficient grows.     

Viability of barley seeds after long-term exposure to outer side of international space station

Barley seeds were exposed to outer space for 13 months in a vented metal container without a climate control system to assess the risk of physiological and genetic mutation during long-term storage in space. The space-stored seeds (S0 generation), with an 82% germination rate in 50 seeds, lost about 20% of their weight after the exposure. The germinated seeds showed normal growth, heading, and ripening. The harvested seeds (S1 generation) also germinated and reproduced (S2 generation) as did the ground-stored seeds. The culm length, ear length, number of seed, grain weight, and fertility of the plants from the space-stored seeds were not significantly different from those of the ground-stored seeds in each of the S0 and S1 generation. Furthermore, the S1 and S2 space-stored seeds respectively showed similar β-glucan content to those of the ground-stored seeds. Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis with 16 primer combinations showed no specific fragment that appears or disappears significantly in the DNA isolated from the barley grown from the space-stored seeds. Though these data are derived from nine S0 space-stored seeds in a single exposure experiment, the results demonstrate the preservation of barley seeds in outer space for 13 months without phenotypic or genotypic changes and with healthy and vigorous growth in space.     

Influence of gravity on the photomorphism of secondary moss protonemata

In dark-grown plantlets of the moss, Pottia intermedia, negatively gravitropic secondary protonemata differentiate from the superficial cells of leafy shoots. When transferred to the light, distal parts of the protonemata nearest to the apical cells begin to ramify and the apical cells of the side branches as well as of the main protonemal filaments often differentiate as buds. Dark-grown protonemata were oriented horizontally and illuminated from below with white light of different intensities. Only light with an intensity of 4.5 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ was sufficient to induce: (a) phototropism in the apical cells, (b) light-directed initiation of branch primordia, and (c) directed growth of side branches and bud differentiation. Apical cells illuminated with light of lower (0.03–0.37 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹) intensity grew upwards (i.e., away from the light). It was shown that this upward growth was determined by the action of gravity. Although initiation of branch primordia was only slightly affected, their growth was strongly stimulated on the upper side of the protonemata.     

Potentialities of theoretical and experimental prediction of Life Support Systems reliability.

To develop and design Life Support Systems it is necessary to evaluate their reliability. However direct experiments take much time, are very expensive, and therefore are practically impossible. Promising way is to use approximate estimates of reliability, which need essentially fewer amounts of experimental data. Two types of estimates of Life Support System reliability--additive and multiplicative ones are considered in the paper. Additive estimate is based on the assumption that total system failure probability is low and therefore it can be considered as the sum of failure probability of separate units. Additive approach allows obtaining near lower-bounded estimate of failure probability. Multiplicative estimate allows evaluating the possibility of system catastrophe due to simultaneous effect of several factors when each of them separately is not dangerous. Evaluation shows that the possible error of reliability forecast increases with the increasing of number of external factors faster than exponential function. An illustration of the ecological similarity approach as promising tool for providing estimation of full-scale system reliability by means the set of small similar experimental models.     

Some aspects of psychophysiological support of crewmember's performance reliability in space flight

Crewmembers play an important role in ensuring the efficiency of "crew-spacecraft" system. However, despite of the fact that crewmembers are well trained and highly motivated persons, extreme flight factors may influence negatively on their reliability, and lead to human error occurrence. Therefore, working out methods of human error prevention is very significant to increase crewmember's performance reliability. Human error can occur in the operation of systems for a number of reasons. Within the framework of the present investigation, with use the data collected during "Mir" station missions, the significant (p<0.05) positive correlation of crewmembers errors (CE) frequency with their psychophysiological state (PPS), and work and rest schedule (WRS) intensity has been revealed. Differently, the higher WRS intensity, the crewmember's PPS is worse, and CE frequency is higher. This finding has been based on substantiations of the approach to human reliability management. Its essence will consist of the following: reducing WRS intensity, we thus can improve a crewmember's PPS and, accordingly, reduce CE frequency. This approach is discussed in the paper.     

Fractal analysis of short and intermediate GRB and the fireball model

In the present work the possibility of the fractal analysis application for GRB temporal profiles was studied. We have analysed the 4B revised BATSE catalog: temporal profiles of GRB with t₉₀ < 3 s (287 short and 100 intermediate) were studied on TTE data, a sample of 278 intermediate GRB with t₉₀  3 s were studied on DISCSC data. An analysis of the background fractal dimension distributions obtained using TTE and DISCSC data (143 and 110 background regions, respectively), indicates that for both datasets background fractal dimensions D_bgr = 1.5 that the fractal dimension distributions obtained by using these data can be processed simultaneously. The change of the fractal index D_bgr for Poisson statistics – dominated sets with different coefficients of error in counting (up to 10) was studied and D_bgr = 1.5. The ranges of fractal dimension (0.80  D  2.25 for short and 0.85  D  2.01 for intermediate GRB) are shifted over range for theoretical fractal curve (1 < D < 2) due to the finite detector time resolution. There are four subgroups in fractal dimension distribution for short GRB (D = 1.05 ± 0.03, D = 1.31 ± 0.05, D = 1.51 ± 0.04, D = 1.90 ± 0.03) and six subgroups for intermediate one (D = 1.05 ± 0.09, D = 1.24 ± 0.08, D = 1.44 ± 0.07, D = 1.51 ± 0.08, D = 1.64 ± 0.07, D = 1.91 ± 0.1). Time profiles with fractal dimension smaller then background can be obtained by using models with many short chaotic processes in sources, for example, fireball model with shock waves. The range of fractal dimensions for the modelled temporal profiles is 1.213  D  1.400, which can correspond to subgroups of short and intermediate GRB with D = 1.31 and D = 1.24; moreover, the fractal dimension of a simulated indented event and GRB990208 are equal within the error limits for some model parameters and it is possible to obtain smooth temporal profiles with D = D_bgr.     

ALTEA: anomalous long term effects in astronauts. A probe on the influence of cosmic radiation and microgravity on the central nervous system during long flights.

The ALTEA project participates to the quest for increasing the safety of manned space flights. It addresses the problems related to possible functional damage to neural cells and circuits due to particle radiation in space environment. Specifically it aims at studying the functionality of the astronauts' Central Nervous Systems (CNS) during long space flights and relating it to the peculiar environments in space, with a particular focus on the particle flux impinging in the head. The project is a large international and multidisciplinary collaboration. Competences in particle physics, neurophysiology, psychophysiology, electronics, space environment, data analyses will work together to construct the fully integrated vision electrophysiology and particle analyser system which is the core device of the project: an helmet-shaped multi-sensor device that will measure concurrently the dynamics of the functional status of the visual system and passage of each particle through the brain within a pre-determined energy window. ALTEA is scheduled to fly in the International Space Station in late 2002. One part of the multi-sensor device, one of the advanced silicon telescopes, will be launched in the ISS in early 2002 and serve as test for the final device and as discriminating dosimeter for the particle fluences within the ISS.