Microbial life in a liquid asphalt desert

Pitch Lake in Trinidad and Tobago is a natural asphalt reservoir nourished by pitch seepage, a form of petroleum that consists of mostly asphaltines, from the surrounding oil-rich region. During upward seepage, pitch mixes with mud and gases under high pressure, and the lighter portion evaporates or is volatilized, which produces a liquid asphalt residue characterized by low water activity, recalcitrant carbon substrates, and noxious chemical compounds. An active microbial community of archaea and bacteria, many of them novel strains (particularly from the new Tar ARC groups), totaling a biomass of up to 10(7) cells per gram, was found to inhabit the liquid hydrocarbon matrix of Pitch Lake. Geochemical and molecular taxonomic approaches revealed diverse, novel, and deeply branching microbial lineages with the potential to mediate anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation processes in different parts of the asphalt column. In addition, we found markers for archaeal methane metabolism and specific gene sequences affiliated with facultative and obligate anaerobic sulfur- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. The microbial diversity at Pitch Lake was found to be unique when compared to microbial communities analyzed at other hydrocarbon-rich environments, which included Rancho Le Brea, a natural asphalt environment in California, USA, and an oil well and a mud volcano in Trinidad and Tobago, among other sites. These results open a window into the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of recalcitrant hydrocarbon matrices and establish the site as a terrestrial analogue for modeling the biotic potential of hydrocarbon lakes such as those found on Saturn's largest moon Titan.     

Survival of Deinococcus radiodurans against laboratory-simulated solar wind charged particles

In this experimental study, cells of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans were exposed to several different sources of radiation chosen to replicate the charged particles found in the solar wind. Naked cells or cells mixed with dust grains (basalt or sandstone) differing in elemental composition were exposed to electrons, protons, and ions to determine the probability of cell survival after irradiation. Doses necessary to reduce the viability of cell population to 10% (LD(10)) were determined under different experimental conditions. The results of this study indicate that low-energy particle radiation (2-4?keV), typically present in the slow component of the solar wind, had no effect on dehydrated cells, even if exposed at fluences only reached in more than 1000 years at Sun-Earth distance (1 AU). Higher-energy ions (200?keV) found in solar flares would inactivate 90% of exposed cells after several events in less than 1 year at 1 AU. When mixed with dust grains, LD(10) increases about 10-fold. These results show that, compared to the highly deleterious effects of UV radiation, solar wind charged particles are relatively benign, and organisms protected under grains from UV radiation would also be protected from the charged particles considered in this study.     

低成本GPS／INS综合姿态测位系统

廉价固态惯性传感器技术取得很大进展，使得惯性测量设备的价格下降１０７，０００美元左右。测地和导航研究所购买了这种ＩＭＵ，即ＳｙｓｔｒｏｎＤｏｎｎｅｒｓ公司的ＭｏｔｉｏｎＰａｋ＾ＴＭ，用来开发ＧＰＳ／ＩＮＳ综合姿态确定系统。     

任务操作中心——航天器地面数据系统关键部件的一体化

在以减少预算、限定系统开发时间和用户要求增加能力为特征的环境中，国家航空航天局哥达德航天中心的任务操作处（ＭＯＤ）在开发其航天地面数据系统方面提出了一个新的、高经济效益的新概念：任务操作中心（ＭＯＣ）。按这种称为ＭＯＣ的方法，使用一种现代化的图形用户接口把关键部件集成为一个集航天器规划、监视、遥制为一体的综合系统。ＭＯＤ目前正在构造多个ＭＯＣ，其特点是采用通用的、可重复使用的和可扩展的系统结构，可     

欧空局批准四个重点项目的经费

欧空局批准四个重点项目的经费□□欧洲空间局（ＥＳＡ）１４国的代表所组成的ＥＳＡ管理委员会，于６月２３日～２４日在比利时首都布鲁塞尔举行会议。在此次会议上，委员会除了批准一些政策上的变化和ＥＳＡ的机构精简措施外，还批准了议程中的４项重点计划的起动经费，...     

小型科学卫星的地面站

为使小型科学卫星计划的总费用保持低水平，必须尽量降低地面站操作和支持费用。不仅要求操作和支持本身低费用，还要求地面站硬件以及与卫星任务有关的软件的开发也如此。Ｒｕｔｈｅｒｆｏｒｄ Ａｐｐｌｅｔｏｎ实验室（ＲＡＬ）最近在ＩＲＡＳ和ＡＭＰＴＥ国际卫星工程的经验已证明利用国家小型设施可以实现低费用目标。本文介绍了ＲＡＬ的设施以及研究软／硬系统模块化、可靠性和少量高水平专业操作人员的不同关系而降低成本的各     

NASA任务操作与控制结构项目

航天任务复杂性的增加与航天任务预算的急剧削减之间的矛盾造成了要求迅速降低卫星的设计与操作费用的巨大压力。为实现这些费用的降低,一种主要的方法是降低支持任务操作系统的开发和操作费用。 NASA总部通信与数据系统部用以解决该难题的一个策略是其任务操作控制结构(MOCA)项目。该项目的技术方面授权哥达德航天中心(GSFC)的任务操作部(MOD)负责。MOCA将开发出一种任务控制与数据获取结构及可支持标准,以引导未来卫星和GSFC的任务控制设施的开发。该结构将降低对全天24小时操作的需求,实现飞行与地面软件组件在不同任务间的高级别重复应用,并通过实现相应功能从地面到卫星的转移来增强整个系统的适应能力。 最终的结果是为GSFC自己开发的卫星的星地系统接口设计形成一种确定的方式,以及包括数据结构、接口和协议等在内的端一端卫星控制过程的规范。这些方式和规范都适宜于包含在对未来的空间卫星的征购文件中。如在征购文件中飞行软件核作为政府提供设备供给的话,将可得到开发和维护。 本文介绍了MOCA项目,包括其当前状态和未来结果。     

虚拟机械零件库的研制及应用

通过虚拟机械零件库的作用以及它在教学改革中的应用,阐述了虚拟机械零件库的特点及制作过程,说明了该零件库在培养学生设计能力、提高教学质量起到的积极促进作用.     

广域差分GPS(WADGPS):未来的导航系统

一般差分GPS(DGPS)在距基准站100公里的范围内,定位精度通常为1—3m,广域差分GPS(WADGGPS)在更广阔的区域内可以获得和DGPS一样的精度,但是可以减少基准站的数量并且大大提高系统的稳妥性。利用WADGPS的试验结果表明,使用6个监视站,最短基线长1632公里的情况下,龄期为10—20s的双频用户,定位精度可达到1.5—4m。     

大气环境电子束材料表面强化机理数值模拟

建立了大气环境电子束材料表面强化过程的多阶段数值模型,用于对电子束与材料表面层的相互作用过程和结构与相变过程进行研究。通过应用这一模型,使得对材料表面强化中电子束传输、温度演化和相变动力学等多参数研究成为可能,由此建立了电子束输入参数与结构相变结果之间的关系。