Satelliten-scatterometer zur windmessung

(A spaceborne scatterometer for wind field measurement)—For correct weather forecasting over the continent, the knowledge of the weather conditions across the oceans is of importance. The Skylab S-193 experiment, as well as Seasat, have shown that global wind measurements across the ocean with the aid of a microwave sensor is technically feasible. For this reason, a Wind Scatterometer will be implemented among other instruments on the first European Remote Sensing Satellite, ERS-1.In this presentation, the geophysical background of the measurement principle is briefly explained. A short discussion about the method of extraction of wind speed and wind direction out of Scatterometer measurement data follows. Finally, different sensor concepts are presented and a comparison of real and computed wind fields over the Atlantic closes the presentation about the Wind Scatterometer.Software simulators are necessary for the development and optimization of the Scatterometer system design. Such software simulators are under development at Dornier System, which holds technical responsibility for the Scatterometer. A short overview of this work is also given.     

The European vestibular experiments in Spacelab-1.

A series of experiments were performed in the Spacelab-1 mission on November/December, 1983, pre-, in-, and postflight. These experiments covered various aspects of the functions of the vestibular system, the inflight tests comprising threshold measurements for linear movements in three orthogonal axes, optokinetic stimulation, vestibulo-ocular reflexes under linear and angular accelerations, caloric stimulation with and without linear accelerations; pre- and postflight tests repeated the inflight protocol with the addition of subjective vertical and eye counter-rotation measurements using a tilt table. One of the most surprising and significant results was the caloric test: strong caloric nystagmus on the two subjects tested was recorded inflight; this was contrary to what was expected from Barany's convection hypothesis for caloric nystagmus.     

The origin of cosmic rays

In the following we describe recent progress in our understanding of the origin of cosmic rays. We propose that cosmic rays originate mainly in three sites, a) normal supernova explosions into the interstellar medium, b) supernova explosions into stellar winds, and c) hot spots of powerful radio galaxies. The proposal depends on an assumption about the scaling of the turbulent diffusive transport in cosmic ray mediated shock regions; the proposal also uses a specific model for the interstellar transport of cosmic rays. The model has been investigated in some detail and compared to i) the radio data of OB stars, Wolf Rayet stars, radio supernovae, radio supernova remnants, Gamma-ray line and continuum emission from starforming regions, and the cosmic ray electron spectrum, ii) the Akeno air shower data over the particle energy range from 10 TeV to EeV, and iii) the Akeno and Fly's Eye air shower data from 0.1 EeV to above 100 EeV.     

Future instrumental capabilities in the energy range of nuclear transitions

Gamma-ray lines are the fingerprints of nuclear transitions, carrying the memory of high energy processes in the universe. Setting out from what is presently known about line emission in gamma-ray astronomy, requirements for future telescopes are outlined. The inventory of observed line features shows that sources with a wide range of angular and spectral extent have to be handled: the scientific objectives for gamma-ray spectroscopy are spanning from compact objects as broad class annihilators, over longlived galactic radioisotopes with hotspots in the degree-range to the extremely extended galactic disk and bulge emission of the narrow e^-e⁺ line.The instrumental categories which can be identified in the energy range of nuclear astrophysics have their origins in the different concepts of light itself: geometrical optics is the base of coded aperture systems — these methods will continue to yield adequate performances in the near future. Beyond this, focusing telescopes and Compton telescopes, based on wave- and quantum- optics respectively, may be capable to further push the limits of resolution and sensitivity.     

Solar wind charge states measured by ULYSSES/SWICS in the south polar hole

The Ulysses mission now has an extensive data base covering several passes of the south polar coronal hole as the spacecraft proceeds to higher latitudes. Using composition measurements from the SWICS experiment on the Ulysses spacecraft, we have obtained charge state distributions, and hence inferred coronal ionization temperatures, for several solar wind species. In particular, we present an overview of Oxygen ionization temperature measurements, based on the O⁷⁺/O⁶⁺ ratio, for the period January 1993 until April 1994 (23°S to 61°S heliographic latitude), and detailed Oxygen, Silicon and Iron charge state distributions of the south polar hole during a two month period of nearly continuous hole coverage, Dec 1993–Jan 1994 (45°S to 52°S heliographic latitude).     

Meteors do not break exogenous organic molecules into high yields of diatomics

Meteoroids that dominate the Earth's extraterrestrial mass influx (50-300 microm size range) may have contributed a unique blend of exogenous organic molecules at the time of the origin of life. Such meteoroids are so large that most of their mass is ablated in the Earth's atmosphere. In the process, organic molecules are decomposed and chemically altered to molecules differently from those delivered to the Earth's surface by smaller (<50 microm) micrometeorites and larger (>10 cm) meteorites. The question addressed here is whether the organic matter in these meteoroids is fully decomposed into atoms or diatomic compounds during ablation. If not, then the ablation products made available for prebiotic organic chemistry, and perhaps early biology, might have retained some memory of their astrophysical nature. To test this hypothesis we searched for CN emission in meteor spectra in an airborne experiment during the 2001 Leonid meteor storm. We found that the meteor's light-emitting air plasma, which included products of meteor ablation, contained less than 1 CN molecule for every 30 meteoric iron atoms. This contrasts sharply with the nitrogen/iron ratio of 1:1.2 in the solid matter of comet 1P/Halley. Unless the nitrogen content or the abundance of complex organic matter in the Leonid parent body, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, differs from that in comet 1P/Halley, it appears that very little of that organic nitrogen decomposes into CN molecules during meteor ablation in the rarefied flow conditions that characterize the atmospheric entry of meteoroids approximately 50 microm-10 cm in size. We propose that the organics of such meteoroids survive instead as larger compounds.     

Proton Events and X-ray Flares in the Last Three Solar Cycles

A database joining the available information about proton enhancements near the Earth and their possible solar sources is organized on the basis of proton measurements of the GOES and IMP-8 satellites, the data of neutron monitors, and GOES X-ray measurements. One thousand one hundred and forty-four proton events with energy > 10 MeV have been selected in the period from 1975 to 2003. More than a half of these events can be reliably related to X-ray solar flares. A statistical analysis shows the probability of observing solar protons near the Earth and their maximum flux value to be strongly dependent on the importance of a flare and its heliolongitude. Proton events are recorded after all suitably located (western) flares with X-ray importance > X5. The heliolongitude of a flare predetermines the character of the time profile of proton events in many respects. The relationship of proton events with the other characteristics of flares is established. The flares associated with proton enhancements are characterized by longer duration, slower rise to the X-ray maximum, smaller temperature, and larger length of the X-ray loops.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2005, pp. 171–185.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Belov, Garcia, Kurt, Mavromichalaki.     

Space motion sickness preflight adaptation training: preliminary studies with prototype trainers

Preflight training frequently has been proposed as a potential solution to the problem of space motion sickness. The paper considers successively the otolith reinterpretation, the concept for a preflight adaptation trainer and the research with the Miami University Seesaw, the Wright Patterson Air-Force Base Dynamic Environment Simulator and the Visually Coupled Airborne Systems Simulator prototype adaptation trainers.     

Committee on the peaceful uses of outer space

The first artificial earth satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched on 14 October 1957 and proceeded to orbit the Earth blithely unconcerned with the political boundaries below. It was apparent that space activities had international implications. In the United Nations, the question of space activities was first raised in 1957 in the context of the debate on disarmament. In 1958, the ‘Question on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space’ was placed on the agenda of the General Assembly, which adopted a resolution establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).     

Measuring performance: Moving NASA Earth science products into the mainstream user community

Demonstrating performance of the applications of Earth observation satellite-based science data products and services is increasingly a requirement of government research agencies. We present efforts from the NASA-funded Earth Observing System Data and Information System's Synergy Project to measure performance in the development of applications from NASA research and development projects. We summarize challenges in monitoring performance and share our experience in evolving metrics over a 5-year project life. We demonstrate how to adapt project management processes and metrics from the information technology (IT) industry to Earth observation applications research and development. A roadmap for adapting IT processes and developing metrics and examples of quantitative and qualitative metrics are provided. Our findings suggest that designing and implementing these IT metrics will enhance project success, as defined by the degree of penetration of NASA products into the user community and level of non-NASA funding secured.