A Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector Array for the 21st Century

Over the past 40 years, the Lunar Laser Ranging Program (LLRP) to the Apollo Cube Corner (CCR) Retroreflector Arrays (ALLRRA) [1] has supplied almost all of the significant tests of General Relativity. The LLRP has evaluated the PPN parameters, addressed the possible changes in the gravitational constant and the properties of the self-energy of the gravitational field. In addition, the LLRP has provided significant information on the composition and origin of the moon. This is the only Apollo experiment that is still in operation. Initially the ALLRRAs contributed a negligible fraction of the ranging error budget. Over the decades, the ranging capabilities of the ground stations have improved by more than two orders of magnitude. Now, because of the lunar librations, the existing Apollo retroreflector arrays contribute a significant fraction of the limiting errors in the range measurements.The University of Maryland, as the Principal Investigator for the original Apollo arrays, is now proposing a new approach to the Lunar Laser Array technology [2]. The investigation of this new technology, with Professor Currie as Principal Investigator, is currently being supported by two NASA programs and by the INFN-LNF in Frascati, Italy. Thus after the proposed installation during the next lunar landing, the new arrays will support ranging observations that are a factor 100 more accurate than the current ALLRRAs.The new fundamental cosmological physics and the lunar physics [3] that this new Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector Array for the 21st Century (LLRRA-21) can provide will be described. In the design of the new array, there are three major challenges: (1) validate the ability to fabricate a CCR of the required specifications, which is significantly beyond the properties of current CCRs, (2) address the thermal and optical effects of the absorption of solar radiation within the CCR, reduce the transfer of heat from the CCR housing and (3) validate an accurate emplacement technique to install the CCR package on the lunar surface. The latter requires a long-term stable relation between the optical center of the array and the deep regolith, that is, below the thermally driven expansion and contraction of the regolith during the lunar day/night cycle.     

Study of the radiation environment on MIR space station with SILEYE-2 experiment.

In this work we present preliminary results of nuclear composition measurements on board space station MIR obtained with SILEYE-2 particle telescope. SILEYE-2 was placed on MIR in 1997 and has been working since then. It consists of an array of 6 active silicon strip detectors which allow nuclear and energetic identification of cosmic rays in the energy range between approximately 30 and 200 MeV/n. The device is attached to an helmet and connected to an eye mask which shields the cosmonaut eyes from light and allow studies of the Light Flashes (LF) phenomenon. In addition to the study of the causes of LF, the device is used to perform real time long term radiation environment monitoring inside the MIR, performing measurements in solar quiet and active days.     

Detrend effect on the scalograms of GPS power scintillation

The study of amplitude scintillation on GPS radio links is usually done after detrending the time series of the transmitted power so to define scintillations as the chaotic fluctuation around a unitary value. In a sense, the choice of how to detrend the time series is part of the definition of scintillation.     

DNA double strand break production and rejoining in V79 cells irradiated with light ions.

Low energy protons and other densely ionizing light ions are known to have RBE>1 for cellular end points relevant for stochastic and deterministic effects. The occurrence of a close relationship between them and induction of DNA dsb is still a matter of debate. We studied the production of DNA dsb in V79 cells irradiated with low energy protons having LET values ranging from 11 to 31 keV/micrometer, i.e. in the energy range characteristic of the Bragg peak, using the sedimentation technique. We found that the initial yield of dsb is quite insensitive to proton LET and not significantly higher than that observed with X-rays, in agreement with recent data on V79 cells irradiated with alpha particles of various LET up to 120 keV/micrometer. By contrast, RBE for cell inactivation and for mutation induction rises with the proton LET. In experiments aimed at evaluating the rejoining of dsb after proton irradiation we found that the amount of dsb left unrepaired after 120 min incubation is higher for protons than for sparsely ionizing radiation. These results indicate that dsb are not homogeneous with respect to repair and give support to the hypothesis that increasing LET leads to an increase in the complexity of DNA lesions with a consequent decrease in their repairability.     

A Thermodynamic Approach to the Magnetospheric Complexity: The Role of Fluctuations

Recent studies evidenced that the magnetotail dynamics looks like the one of an avalanching system. This fact has been related with a near criticality dynamics and modelled by singular diffusion and transport equations. Here, we discuss some features of the Earth’s magnetotail dynamics using a thermodynamic approach. In detail we discuss the role played by fluctuations in singular diffusion and relaxation processes from a non-equilibrium thermodynamics point of view. Moreover, the emergence of non-Gaussian statistics is discussed in the framework of the thermodynamics of composite systems.     

小展弦比飞机非线性气动特性风洞与飞行相关性研究

在较大迎角范围，如何由风洞试验数据预计全尺寸小展弦比飞机的非线性气动特性，并与飞行值相关，始终是国际航空界致力解决的重大问题，本项研究采用风洞试验与工程计算相结合的方法，对支架，洞壁、进气，喷流，雷诺数及静弹性等影响相关性的诸因素予以修正，并计及配平影响，从而比较准确地预计出全尺寸收音机的非线性气动特性，预计值与试飞值相比较结果验证了本项研究的可靠性和实用性。     

Who is who in Algol-land ? - Part II -

In part I (De Greve and Packet) we have investigated the occurrence of reversed phases of mass-transfer during Case A evolution in close binaries. If the initial period of a system is shorter than 1–2 days (Early Case A) the reversed phase starts before core hydrogen exhaustion of the gainer (part I). This type of evolution is characterized by at least two phases of slow mass-transfer.We have computed the evolution of four Early Case A systems with initial masses of the loser equal to 3 Mo and 5 Mo. These four systems start mass-exchange when Xc of the primary has decreased to 0.525 (75% of its initial value). They all experience two phases of slow mass-transfer.We find that both phases have about the same duration for all systems. The mass ratios are clearly distinct, being closer to unity during the first phase. In the Hertzsprung-Russell, mass-radius and mass-luminosity diagrams both components remain close to the main-sequence band during slow mass-transfer. Evolution as an Algol is ended when both components overflow their outer critical surface after a second reversal of the mass-transfer.Observed Algol systems evolving in Early Case A are scarce. A search thruogh the catalogue by Giuricin et al. gives us the following candidates: X Tri, SX Aur and V Pup. Based on their mass ratios, SX Aur can tentatively be assigned to the first phase of slow mass transfer and X Tri to the second phase. For V Pup (which is more massive) this choice can not be made with certainty.     

The transient highly excited solar flare plasma

Recent observations of the energetic particles produced in solar flares indicate that the production of electrons, with energies up to about 100 keV, is a fairly common feature of small flares. In those flares the acceleration of protons and other nuclei does not extend beyond about 1 MeV.The X-ray emission often exhibits two distinct components of which the first one is produced by non-thermal, the second by thermal electrons through bremsstrahlung collisions with the ambient ions. Along with these X rays, radio emission, in the microwave region, is observed. This radio emission is usually interpreted as due to gyrosynchrotron radiation from the same electrons.In this review a discussion is presented of the processes occurring in solar flares with special reference to the acceleration and radiation processes.     

The X-ray background 2–50 kev: A superposition of known sources,or evidence of a new component?

The contribution of the canonical Quasars to the XRB 2–50 keV is not likely to exceed 50%. Nay, consideration of X-ray selection effects results in a further reduction of the value of sensible estimators for the intensity ratio L_X/L_O; in addition, recent counts of radioloud and radio-quiet Quasars definitely limit the number of faint sources. A missing component with definite spectral properties should comprise a sizeable fraction of the XRB.