Vestibular function in the space environment

Adaptation to the weightless state and readaptation after space flight to the 1-G environment on the ground are accompanied by various transitory symptoms of vestibular instability, kinetosis, and illusory sensations. Aside from the problem of how to treat and if possible prevent such symptoms, they offer a clue to a better understanding of normal vestibular functions. Weightlessness is a powerful new "tool" of vestibular research. Graybiel reported as early as 1952 that human subjects observed the illusion that a real target and the visual afterimage seemed to raise in the visual field during centrifugation when the subjects were looking toward the axis of rotation (oculogravic illusion). In aircraft parabolic-flight weightlessness, human subjects observed that fixed real targets appeared to have moved downward while visual afterimages appeared to have moved upward (oculoagravic illusion). It can be shown by electronystagmography as well as by a method employing double afterimages that part of this illusion is caused by eye movements that are triggered by the changing input from the otolith system. Another part of the illusion is based on a change of the subjective horizontal and must be caused by convergence of vestibular and visual impulses "behind" the eyes. This part was measured independently of the first one by using a new method. Eye movements could be prevented during these experiments by optical fixation with the right eye on a target at the end of a 24-in. long tube which was rigidly attached parallel to the longitudinal axis of an aircraft. At the same time the subject tried to line up a shorter tube, which was pivoting around his left eye, with the subjective horizon.     

Evaluation of Multipoint Interaction in the Design of a Thin Diffraction-Limited Active Mirror

Active control of a thin, deformable mirror is one approach to obtaining diffraction-limited performance from large orbiting telescopes. The control system design requires knowledge of the mirror reaction to the multiple forces used to maintain the desired mirror figure. A structural analysis program is used to obtain estimates of the static deflections of a point-loaded, thin, shallow, spherical primary mirror. The calculated deflections are compared to experimentally measured deflections for a specific configuration.     

Auroral electrons

Satellite and rocket measurements of auroral electrons (which have been made since Brown's (1966) and Pfister's (1967) papers have appeared) are reviewed, and the salient characteristics of auroral electrons which emerge from all types of measurements are summarized. Effects of the atmosphere on the energy distribution of electron fluxes are discussed. Ionization rates associated with typical fluxes are derived. Observable effects produced in the atmosphere and the fate of auroral electrons are briefly described.This paper does not discuss the role of auroral protons (or particles). A recent review on the subject has been given by Eather (1967).     

The Design of Huffman Sequences

The paper presents a method by which the zeros of the polynomial representing a Huffman (impulse-equivalent) pulse sequence can be chosen so as to exert a degree of control on the form of the energy distribution of the signal in the time-frequency plane. This makes it possible to design Huffman pulse sequences which are suitable for use as radar or sonar signals in situations where significant target velocity occurs.     

Have deoxyribonucleotides and DNA been among the earliest biomolecules?

Unlike ribose chemistry, the chemistry of 2-deoxyribose precludes its formation or at least its incorporation into nucleotides under accepted "primordial soup" conditions; therefore RNA and DNA could not develop in parallel during the evolution of protocells. However, deoxyribonucleotides might have been formed abiotically by direct reduction of ribonucleotides in a primitive version of the biochemical pathway. This sequence of events, in which DNA lagged behind RNA in the assembly of genetic information for an unknown--probably short--period of time is suggested by the primitive traits (i.e., nucleotide binding, thiol redox chemistry, and metal ion catalysis) of present-day enzyme systems of deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis. The reaction should be amenable to experimental study.     

Fluxes of Quasi-trapped Electrons with Energies >0.08 MeV in the Near-Earth Space on Drift Shells <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis> < 2

We study the characteristics of fluxes of electrons with energy >80 keV in the near-Earth space regions corresponding to the drift shells L = 1.7, 1.4, and 1.1 observed during the entire period of the GRIF experiment onboard the Spectr module of the Mir orbital station from October 1995 to June 1997. The obtained geographic maps of the distribution of electron fluxes at the height of the station flight (400 km) and, also, the estimates of the spectra indicate that the South-Atlantic Anomaly provides for a mechanism of stable replenishment for shells with L < 1.5. The mechanism of stable replenishment of shells with L < 1.5 may be due to the scattering, in the residual atmosphere, of electrons from the inner radiation belt precipitating into the region of the South-Atlantic Anomaly.     

Gravity and perceptual stability during translational head movement on earth and in microgravity

We measured the amount of visual movement judged consistent with translational head movement under normal and microgravity conditions. Subjects wore a virtual reality helmet in which the ratio of the movement of the world to the movement of the head (visual gain) was variable. Using the method of adjustment under normal gravity 10 subjects adjusted the visual gain until the visual world appeared stable during head movements that were either parallel or orthogonal to gravity. Using the method of constant stimuli under normal gravity, seven subjects moved their heads and judged whether the virtual world appeared to move “with” or “against” their movement for several visual gains. One subject repeated the constant stimuli judgements in microgravity during parabolic flight. The accuracy of judgements appeared unaffected by the direction or absence of gravity. Only the variability appeared affected by the absence of gravity. These results are discussed in relation to discomfort during head movements in microgravity.     

A search for chiral signatures on Mars

It is thought that the chiral molecules of living material can induce circular polarization in light at levels much higher than expected from abiotic processes. We therefore obtained high quality imaging circular polarimetry of the martian surface during the favorable opposition of 2003 to seek evidence of anomalous optical activity. We used two narrow-band filters covering 43% of the martian surface, 15% of it in-depth. With polarization noise levels <0.1% (4.3 upper limits 0.2-0.3%) and spatial resolution 210 km, we did not find any regions of circular polarization. When data were averaged over the observed face of the planet, we did see a small non-zero circular polarization 0.02%, which may be due to effects associated with the opposition configuration though it is at the limit of the instrumental capability. Our observations covered only a small fraction of parameter space, so although we obtained a null result, we cannot exclude the presence of optical activity at other wavelengths, in other locations, or at higher spatial resolution.     

Electric Field Detection and Ranging of Aircraft

The electric field transported by charged aircraft during free flight can be observed quantitatively in distances of up to some 100 m. A system of three plane sensors arranged in the corners of a triangle or the Earth surface is described, by which the flight path of aircraft is detected in the range of 40 to 500 m with velocities of approximately 50 m/s. The theory and typical experimental results are discussed.