Imaging the solar corona in the EUV

The SOHO (SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite was launched on December 2nd 1995. After arriving at the Earth-Sun (L1) Lagrangian point on February 14th 1996, it began to continuously observe the Sun. As one of the instruments onboard SOHO, the EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) images the Sun's corona in 4 EUV wavelengths. The He II filter at 304 Å images the chromosphere and the base of the transition region at a temperature of 5 − 8 × 10⁴ K; the Fe IX–X filter at 171 Å images the corona at a temperature of 1.3 × 10⁶ K; the Fe XII filter at 195 Å images the quiet corona outside coronal holes at a temperature of 1.6 × 10⁶ K; and the Fe XV filter at 284 Å images active regions with a temperature of 2.0 × 10⁶ K. About 5000 images have been obtained up to the present. In this paper, we describe also some aspects of the telescope and the detector performance for application in the observations. Images and movies of all the wavelengths allow a look at different phenomena present in the Sun's corona, and in particular, magnetic field reconnection.     

Evaluation of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 as a candidate for inclusion in a CELSS.

Controlled ecological life support systems (CELSS) have been proposed to make long-duration manned space flights more cost-effective. Higher plants will presumably provide food and a breathable atmosphere for the crew. It has been suggested that imbalances between the CO2/O2 gas exchange ratios of the heterotrophic and autotrophic components of the system will inevitably lead to an unstable system, and the loss of O2 from the atmosphere. Ratio imbalances may be corrected by including a second autotroph with an appropriate CO2/O2 gas exchange ratio. Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 is a large unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacterium, exhibiting high growth rates under diverse physiological conditions. A rat-feeding study showed the biomass to be edible. Furthermore, it may have a CO2/O2 gas exchange ratio that theoretically can compensate for ratio imbalances. It is suggested that Cyanothece spp. could fulfill several roles in a CELSS: supplementing atmosphere recycling, generating fixed N from the air, providing a balanced protein supplement, and protecting a CELSS in case of catastrophic crop failure.     

INTERBALL statistical study of ion flow fluctuations in the plasma sheet

We use ion distribution measurements with CORALL instrument on-board the INTERBALL/Tail spacecraft to study plasma flows in the mid-tail (−9> X> −27 R_E) plasma sheet. Three velocity components computed every 2 minutes exhibit two types of velocity variations: Earthward bursty bulk flows (BBFs) and random flow fluctuations. Their properties are in a good agreement with the observations of the ISEE-2 spacecraft (Borovsky et al., 1997). The INTERBALL/Tail spacecraft configuration favors measurements of V_z component, in contrast to previous experiments in which only V_x and V_y were measured reliably. In the outer part of the plasma sheet V_y and V_z fluctuations were close to each other (variances σ(V_y) and σ(V_z) were about 160 and 110 km/s, respectively), but in the inner part at the dusk flank amplitude of V_y fluctuations increased and was 2 times higher than that of V_z component. This asymmetry of fluctuations should be taken into account during modern theoretical analysis and simulations.     

New multifrequency measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation

New measurements of the Cosmic Background Radiation temperature at 12 cm, 6.3 cm, 3 cm, 0.9 cm and 0.3 cm have made in July 1982 from the White Mountain High Altitude Research Station. The results are presented and the existence of spectral distortions discussed.     

Plasma effects of active ion beam injections in the ionosphere at rocket altitudes

Data from ARCS rocket ion beam injection experiments will be primarily discussed in this paper. There are three results from this series of active experiments that are of particular interest in space plasma physics. These are the transverse acceleration of ambient ions in the large beam volume, the scattering of beam ions near the release payload, and the possible acceleration of electrons very close to the plasma generator which produce intense high frequency waves. The ability of 100 ma ion beam injections into the upper E and F regions of the ionosphere to produce these phenomena appear to be related solely to the process by which the plasma release payload and the ion beam are neutralized. Since the electrons in the plasma release do not convect with the plasma ions, the neutralization of both the payload and beam must be accomplished by large field-aligned currents (milliamperes/square meter) which are very unstable to wave growth of various modes. Future work will concentrate on the wave production and wave-particle interactions that produce the plasma/energetic particle effects discussed in this paper and which have direct application to natural phenomena in the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere.     

Psychosocial effects of adjustment in Antarctica: lessons for long-duration spaceflight

This paper examines the utility of remote, isolated Antarctic research stations as analogs for long-duration spaceflights from the perspective of psychosocial processes of adaptation and adjustment. Certain features of the physical and man-made environments found in Antarctica are similar to those that will be encountered in outer space. In both settings, men and women are likely to experience a number of physiological and psychological changes in response to the extreme environmental conditions and the prolonged isolation and confinement. Biomedical research in Antarctica provides an opportunity to study the causes of these changes and to develop strategies for reducing the risks to health and well-being before they pose a serious threat to crew safety and mission success. A number of lessons for long-duration spaceflight are examined, including screening and selection of personnel; training programs designed to facilitate individual adjustment and group adaptation and minimize group conflict; identification of optimal leadership characteristics for small, isolated groups; an understanding of social dynamics and group "microcultures" necessary for the organization and management of small but heterogeneous groups; organization of work activities; facility design; and support infrastructure.     

Lunar habitat concept employing the space shuttle external tank

The space shuttle external tank, which consists of a liquid oxygen tank, an intertank structure, and a liquid hydrogen tank, is an expendable structure used for approximately 8.5 min during each launch. A concept for outfitting the liquid oxygen tank-intertank unit for a 12-person lunar habitat is described. The concept utilizes existing structures and openings for both man and equipment access without compromising the structural integrity of the tank. Living quarters, instrumentation, environmental control and life support, thermal control, and propulsion systems are installed at Space Station Freedom. The unmanned habitat is then transported to low lunar orbit and autonomously soft landed on the lunar surface. Design studies indicate that this concept is feasible by the year 2000 with concurrent development of a space transfer vehicle and manned cargo lander for crew changeover and resupply.     

Radar Cross Section of Ships

A laboratory method to determine the magnitude and position of radar reflection sources on complex targets is described. In addition the method provides a way to measure the modification of the radar cross section (RCS) due to multipath. The method has application in modeling RCS for radar and electronic countermeasure (ECM) system performance analysis and in the study of the extent to which the signature of the target could be altered. The equipment described, termed MACROSCOPE, was developed for RCS studies by the U.S. Army and is described in limited distribution bution literature. The application to marine targets is new with this paper, as is the technique of measuring the RCS of parts of the target and analytically combining them to represent the whole. An illustration of the need for this type of laboratory equipment was illustrated by the extensive search for full scale data which could be compared to scale model data to validate the technique.     

微量气味成分的自由基簇射技术脱除

研究了密闭体系中微量气味污染物的脱除作用与机理。采用电晕放电自由基簇射技术，实现了人工环境下氧化性自由基的产生；以电子自旋共振技术（ESR）对气态羟基自由基实施了捕集和检测，验证了在羟基自由基的存在下NH3被氧化为N2。通过U—I获得反应能耗和污染物去除效率为：NH3脱除效率为90．6％时，能耗1．0W。研究表明：自由基簇射技术产生的氧化性自由基可有效去除密闭生存环境中产生的NH3等微量有害气味成分，将在空间站等密闭生存系统内空气净化中有很好的应用前景。