Analyse du fonctionnement d'un propulseur a éjection modulée

ONERA developed, for studying the response of a propellant to a pressure or velocity fluctuation, an experimental rocket engine whose nozzle throat area can be modulated by a toothed disk.The paper presents a linearized theory of the functioning of this engine in the low frequency domain, i.e. when there is no wave propagation within the combuster.To describe the functioning of this motor, the Ryazantsev-Novozhilov method, which assumes that the gas response is instantaneous, is used. This analysis takes into account the erosion and radiation effects, the combustion efficiency and the thermal losses through the walls.Two particular cases are described, for two values of the Damköhler parameter $\text{D}{}_1\text{=}\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{th}}$, where t_c is the residence time in the combuster and t_th the characteristic thermal time of the heat penetration into the solid propellant. These two cases correspond, one to a classical propellant D₁ > 1, the other to a particular propellant of low burning rate ($\text{J}{}_{\mathrm{b}}\text{? 0.2}\text{to}\text{0.4}\text{mm s}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$) D₁ < 1. The stability conditions are analysed as well as the pressure amplitute and phase as a function of the nozzle throat modulation frequency.Still in linearized theory, the complete solutions of the problem are presented, using a method of numerical resolution.     

Role of calcium in gravity perception of plant roots

Calcium ions may play a key role in linking graviperception by the root cap to the asymmetric growth which occurs in the elongation zone of gravistimulated roots. Application of calcium-chelating agents to the root cap inhibits gravitropic curvature without affecting growth. Asymmetric application of calcium to one side of the root cap induces curvature toward the calcium source, and gravistimulation induces polar movement of applied ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ across the root cap toward the lower side. The action of calcium may be linked to auxin movement in roots since 1) auxin transport inhibitors interfere both with gravitropic curvature and gravi-induced polar calcium movement and 2) asymmetric application of calcium enhances auxin movement across the elongation zone of gravistimulated roots. Indirect evidence indicates that the calcium-modulated regulator protein, calmodulin, may be involved in either the transport or action of calcium in the gravitropic response mechanism of roots.     

Distribution of calmodulin in corn seedlings: Immunocytochemical localization in coleoptiles and root apices

Immunofluorescence techniques have been used to study the distribution of calmodulin in several tissues in etiolated corn ( , var. Bear Hybrid) seedlings. Uniform staining was seen in the background cytoplasm of most cell types. Cell walls and vacuoles were not stained. In coleoptile mesophyll cells the nucleoplasm of most nuclei was stained as was the stroma of most amyloplasts. The lumen border of mature tracheary elements in coleoptiles also stained. In the rootcap the most intensely stained regions were the cytoplasms of columella cells and of the outermost cells enmeshed in the layer of secreted slime. Nuclei in the rootcap cells did not stain distinctly, but those in all cell types of the root meristem did. Also in the root meristem, the cytoplasm of metaxylem elements stained brightly. These results are compared and contrasted with previous data on the localization of calmodulin in pea root apices and epicotyls and discussed in relation to current hypotheses on mechanisms of gravitropism.     

Theoretical consideration of the chemical pathways for radiation-induced strand breaks.

A theoretical approach to the understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of indirect action of ionizing radiation on SV40 DNA in aqueous solution is presented. The extent of OH attack on the sugar moiety and bases has been calculated. A realistic model for the DNA (in B form) based on available X-ray diffraction data is used and specific reaction sites for the OH radicals are obtained. A Monte Carlo scheme is used to follow the diffusion and reaction of the OH radicals. Effects of track structure have been considered and the single strand break D37 values for 14 MeV electrons (low-LET) and 670 MeV/u and 40 MeV/u neon particles are presented. Calculated results are in agreement with available experimental data. It has been found that regardless of the qualities of radiation, 80% of the OH attack on DNA is on the bases and 20% is on the deoxyribose. From probability considerations only, it appears that the number of double strand breaks varies linearly with dose.     

Neutral buoyancy and sleep-deprived serum factors alter expression of cytokines regulating osteogenesis

We examined expression of genes associated with cytokine production, and genes implicated in regulating bone metabolism, in bone stromal and osteoblast cells incubated under standard ground conditions and under conditions of neutral buoyancy, and in the presence/absence of serum from normal or sleep-deprived mice. We observed a clear interaction between these two conditions (exposure to neutral buoyancy and serum stimulation) in promoting enhanced osteoclastogenesis. Both conditions independently altered expression of a number of cytokines implicated in the regulation of bone metabolism. However, using stromal cells from IL-1 and TNFx cytokine(r) KO mice, we concluded that the increased bone loss under microgravity conditions was not primarily cytokine mediated.     

Detection of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos by radio method using artificial lunar satellites

An estimate of the feasibility of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray and neutrino detection using a lunar satellite-borne radio receiver is presented. The data obtained in the proposed experiment will make resolving the current contradictions in the ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray spectra measured with the major ground-based instruments possible. Moreover, they will enable us to considerably extend the accessible energy range and to check predictions of various models of the origin of the highest-energy particles in the Universe. At the same time the lunar radio detector provides a means of searching for ultrahigh-energy neutrinos with a high sensitivity combined with a very large target effective mass.     

Bacterial community in ancient Siberian permafrost as characterized by culture and culture-independent methods

The microbial composition of ancient permafrost sediments from the Kolyma lowland of Northeast Eurasia was examined through culture and culture-independent approaches. These sediments have been continuously frozen for 5,000 to 2-3 million years. A total of 265 Bacteria 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified from the permafrost total-community genomic DNA and screened by amplified ribosomal 16S rRNA restriction analysis. Members of three major lineages were found: gamma-Proteobacteria (mostly Xanthomonadaceae), Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. We also determined partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of 49 isolates from a collection of 462 aerobes isolated from these sediments. The bacteria included Actinomycetales (Arthrobacter and Microbacteriaceae); followed by the Firmicutes (Exiguobacterium and Planomicrobium); the Bacteroidetes (Flavobacterium); the gamma-Proteobacteria (Psychrobacter); and the alpha-Proteobacteria (Sphingomonas). Both culture and culture-independent approaches showed the presence of high and low G+C Gram-positive bacteria and gamma-Proteobacteria. Some of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of environmental clones matched those of Arthrobacter isolates. Two-thirds of the isolates grew at -2.5 degrees C, indicating that they are psychroactive, and all are closely related to phylogenetic groups with strains from other cold environments, mostly commonly from Antarctica. The culturable and non-culturable microorganisms found in the terrestrial permafrost provide a prototype for possible life on the cryogenic planets of the Solar System.     

Spectral properties of Lake Superior banded iron formation: application to Martian hematite deposits

Several locations have been identified on Mars that expose bulk, coarsely crystalline gray hematite. These deposits have been interpreted as being sedimentary and formed in aqueous environments. Lake Superior Type (LST) banded iron formation (BIF) was investigated as a spectral and possible process analog to these deposits. In northern Michigan, LST BIF formed in a sedimentary, continental shelf or shallow basin environment under stable tectonic conditions, and the oxide facies contains gray, crystalline hematite. These deposits are Proterozoic in age and contain microfossils associated with the early diversification of life on Earth. Samples of the hematite-bearing oxide facies, as well as the carbonate facies, were collected and analyzed for their spectral and geochemical characteristics. Sample spectra were measured in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal infrared for comparison with remote and in situ spectra obtained at Mars. Thin section analysis, as well as X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy measurements, were performed to determine detailed geochemistry. There is no evidence for BIF at Opportunity's Meridiani landing site, and the results of this work will provide useful data for determining whether BIFs exist elsewhere on Mars and are, thus, relevant to current and future Mars exploration missions.     

With a grain of salt: what halite has to offer to discussions on the origin of life

This experimental study investigated how the dynamics of the crystallization of the evaporite mineral halite could affect the accumulation and preservation of organic macromolecules present in the crystallizing solution. Halite was grown under controlled conditions in the presence of polymer nanoparticles that acted as an analog to protocellular material. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy were used to trace the localization of the nanoparticles during and after growth of halite crystals. The present study revealed that the organic nanoparticles were not regularly incorporated within the halite, but were very concentrated on its surfaces. Their distribution was controlled dominantly by the morphologic surface features of the mineral rather than by specific molecular interactions with an atomic plane of the mineral. This means that the distribution of organic molecules was controlled by surfaces like those of halite's evaporitic growth forms. The experiments with halite also demonstrated that a mineral need not continuously incorporate organic molecules during its crystallization to preserve those molecules: After rejection by (non-incorporation into) the crystallizing halite, the organic nanoparticles increased in concentration in the evaporating brine. They ultimately either adsorbed in rectilinear patterns onto the hopper-enhanced surfaces and along discontinuities within the crystals, or they were encapsulated within fluid inclusions. Of additional importance in origin-of-life considerations is the fact that halite in the natural environment rapidly can change its role from that of a protective repository (in the absence of water) to that of a source of organic particles (as soon as water is present) when the mineral dissolves.