Tírez lake as a terrestrial analog of Europa

Tírez Lake (La Mancha, central Spain) is proposed as a terrestrial analogue of Europa's ocean. The proposal is based on the comparison of the hydrogeochemistry of Tírez Lake with the geochemical features of the alteration mineralogy of meteoritic precursors and with Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer data on Europa's surface. To validate the astrobiological potential of Tírez Lake as an analog of Europa, different hydrogeochemical, mineral, and microbial analyses were performed. Experimental and theoretical modeling helped to understand the crystallization pathways that may occur in Europa's crust. Calculations about the oxidation state of the hypothetical Europan ocean were estimated to support the sulfate-rich neutral liquid model as the origin of Europa's observed hydrated minerals and to facilitate their comparison with Tírez's hydrogeochemistry. Hydrogeochemical and mineralogical analyses showed that Tírez waters corresponded to Mg-Na-SO(4)-Cl brines with epsomite, hexahydrite, and halite as end members. A preliminary microbial ecology characterization identified two different microbial domains: a photosynthetically sustained community represented by planktonic/benthonic forms and microbial mat communities, and a subsurficial anaerobic realm in which chemolithotrophy predominates. Fluorescence in situ hybridization has been used to characterize the prokaryotic diversity of the system. The subsurficial community seemed to be dominated by sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. Frozen Tírez brines were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared techniques providing spectra similar to those reported previously using pure components and to the Galileo spectral data. Calorimetric measurements of Tírez brines showed pathways and phase metastability for magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride crystallization that may aid in understanding the processes involved in the formation of Europa's icy crust. The use of fluorescence hybridization techniques for microbial detection and characterization in hypersaline environments makes this methodology strongly advisable for future Europa astrobiological missions.     

我国某些球粒陨石及中铁陨石稀有气体的同位素丰度

本文测定了剑阁球粒陨石、岩庄球粒陨石、亳县球粒陨石及渭源中铁陨石和新近降落的东乌珠穆沁中铁陨石的稀有气体同位素丰度，根据He、Ne及Ar的测定结果计算宇宙射线暴露年龄，剑阁、岩庄及亳县球粒陨石的宇宙射线暴露年龄分别为5．8Ma、2．5Ma及38．0Ma，东乌珠穆沁及渭源中铁陨石分别为172Ma及17Ma．     

某涡轴发动机起动不成功分析

对某型发动机外场起动不成功试验数据进行分析,并通过燃油喷嘴低油压雾化试验及整机起动时的温度场测量验证,确认燃油喷嘴喷口积炭后,燃油喷嘴喷雾锥角减少,燃油雾化质量恶化,直接影响到发动机起动时火焰联焰的可靠性,对发动机起动性能产生较大影响.涡流器插入深度对涡流器出口喷雾的部件研究试验结果显示:插入深度对涡流器出口喷雾无影响;整机模拟外场使用结果表明:发动机在不大于30%功率的低状态长期使用,离心式燃油喷嘴容易出现积炭.      

Degraded EEG response of the human brain in function of gravity levels by the method of chaotic attractor

The measurement of the influence of different gravity levels on the brain allows to explain how humans react to microgravity in space and to predict the adaptation capability of astronauts. Human electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded during low and high gravity phases of three consecutive days of parabolic flights on the Caravelle aircraft in 1991. EEG signals were processed, using the method of correlation dimensions d of chaotic strange attractors. Results show clear differences between the three flights, with a general decrease over time in the attractor dimensions, a measure of the brain response to changing g levels. However, the dimension is not a one-to-one relation with g levels, as additional variations are observed. Two hypotheses are introduced, the "fatigue/stress" and the "g stress" hypotheses corresponding, respectively, to long-term fatigue accumulated over the three flights, and to short-term fatigue in response to change in g levels. The former explains the overall decrease of dimensions, the latter yields additional variations on shorter time scales. As the brain response degrades with time, at least six degraded modes were observed, explained by both short- and long-term fatigue.     

The control of posture and movements during REM sleep: neurophysiological and neurochemical mechanisms

Mammalian sleep is characterized by synchronized sleep, in which high-amplitude, low-frequency waves appear in the electroencephalogram, and desynchronized sleep, characterized by small-amplitude, high-frequency waves, absence of tonic muscle activity, and rapid eye movements (REM), which are associated in humans with dreams. The postural atonia typical of desynchronized sleep is due to postsynaptic inhibition of spinal motoneurons resulting from tonic activation of a bulbospinal inhibitory system. Superimposed on this background of postural atonia, a motor pattern appears, characterized by rapid contractions of the limb musculature synchronous with the REM bursts. Simultaneously one observes phasic inhibition of transmission of somatic afferent volleys to motoneurons and ascending spinal pathways. The bursts of REM depend upon rhythmic discharges of vestibulo-oculomotor neurons, due to extralabyrinthine volleys originating from the brainstem. Ascending and descending vestibular volleys are also able to excite corticospinal and other supraspinal descending neurons responsible for the motor events synchronous with the bursts of REM. Activation of cholinergic neurons located in the brainstem reticular formation reproduces the postural atonia typical of desynchronized sleep, as well as the phasic events characterized by the REM bursts and the related changes in spinal cord activities. Even in this instance the bursts of REM and the related spinal effects depend upon rhythmic changes in the discharge of vestibular nuclear neurons. Experimental evidence indicates that the cholinergic reticular neurons fire asynchronously, thus being able to trigger the bulbospinal inhibitory system responsible for postural atonia. Even the vestibulo-oculomotor neurons are activated by these cholinergic reticular neurons; however, the continuous stream of these extralabyrinthine impulses is transformed into rhythmic changes of discharge of the vestibular nuclear neurons due to the presence of inhibitory neurons interposed with the vestibulo-oculomotor system. Waxing and waning in the activity of these cholinergic reticular neurons accounts for the regular occurrence of the cholinergically induced bursts of REM.     

哥达德航天中心的多微处理机系统

目前有一种明显的倾向,即按照规划使用大规模计算机所用的方法(即一台中心处理机加大量辅助设备)来规划基于微处理机的工作系统。可是,微处理机成本很低,这就允许人们考虑采用由几台中心处理机(CPU)构成一个分布式处理网的方案。这种设计方法极为简单,人们由此得到的好处远远超过了采纳这种方案稍微增加的费用。本文介绍了哥达德航天中心所设计的采用多处理机技术的两个系统。