Formation of oligopeptides on the surface of small bodies in solar system by cosmic radiation.

The present experiment indicates that oligopeptides are easily produced in solid state from mixtures of simple amino acids by irradiating with high energy charged particles. We investigated such amino acids and their mixtures as tryptophan, tyrosine and glycine. The thin films was irradiated with protons (6.6 MeV). Such dipeptides as Trp-Trp, Gly-Tyr, Tyr-Gly, and Tyr-Tyr have been detected as products of irradiation. Cosmic rays might be an effective energy source for abiotic formation of bioorganic compounds on the surface of small bodies in the solar system on early stage of formation of planets as well as at present day.     

Phase Control in Multibeam Arrays

The phases of the radiation fields in a multibeam antenna are analyzed and their relations to the feed network are established. A method of phase control is proposed and applied to the case of cophasal beams radiated from an array for which the feed network is a lossless Butler matrix.     

Gravity as an obligatory factor in normal higher plant growth and development

Gravity may influence different aspects of plant activity. The present report deals with two questions: gravity as an ecological factor determining spatial orientation of plant growth; and second, a possible requirement for gravity in the process of normal growth, morphogenesis and generative development of plants.     

Correction to: Mission to Planet Earth: The First Two Billion Years

Space Science Reviews - The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission makes measurements in near-Earth space that provide knowledge of the state of the ionosphere. From the vantage of...     

Main problems of the Russian Orlan-M space suit utilization for EVAs on the ISS

In the recent years the Russian Orlan-M space suits have been improved as applied to their operational requirements for the ISS. A special attention is paid to enhancement of EVA crew efficiency and safety. The paper considers the main problems regarding specific features of the Russian space suit operation in the ISS, and analyses measures on their solution. In particular, the problems associated with the following are considered: enhancement of the anthropometric range for the EVA crewmembers; use of some US EMU elements and unified NASA equipment elements; Orlan-M operation support in the wide range of the ISS thermal conditions; use of Simplified Aid For Extravehicular activity Rescue (SAFER) designed as a self-rescue device, which will be used for an EVA crewmember return in the event that he (she) breaks away inadvertently from the ISS surface. The paper states the main space suit differences with reference to solution of the above problems. The paper presents briefly the design of space suit arms developed for crewmembers with small anthropometric parameters, as well as peculiarities and test results for the gloves with enhanced thermal protection. Measures on further space suit development with the purpose to improve its performances are considered.     

Index: piggy-back satellite for aurora observation and technology demonstration

This paper describes outline of the piggy-back satellite “INDEX” for demonstration of advanced satellite technologies as well as for observation of fine structure of aurora. Aurora observation will be carried out by three cameras(MAC) with a monochromatic UV filter. Electron and ion spectrum analyzer (ESA/ISA) will measure the particle phenomena together with the aurora imaging. INDEX satellite will be launched in 2002 by Japanese H2-A. The satellite is mainly controlled by the high-speed, fault-tolerant on-board RICS processor (three-voting system of SH-3). The attitude control is a compact system of three-axis stabilization. Although the size of INDEX is small (50Kg class), several newly-developed technologies are applied to the satellite system, including silicon-on-insulator devices, variable emittance radiator, solar-concentrated paddles, lithium-ion battery, and GPS receiver with all-sky antenna-coverage.     

Ionospheric anomalies of local earthquakes detected by GPS TEC measurements using data from Tashkent and Kitab stations

This paper reports the ionospheric anomalies observed during strong local earthquakes (M?5.0) which occurred mostly in and around Uzbekistan in seismically active zones, during years 2006 to 2009 within approximately 1000 km distance from the observing GPS stations located in Tashkent and Kitab, Uzbekistan. The solar and geomagnetic conditions were quiet during occurrence of the selected strong earthquakes. We produce Total Electron Content (TEC) time series over both sites and apply them to detect anomalous TEC signals preceding or accompanying the local earthquakes. The results show anomalous increase or decrease of TEC before or during the earthquakes. In general the anomalies occurred 1–7 days before the earthquakes as ionospheric electromagnetic precursors. To identify the anomalous values of TEC we calculated differential TEC (dTEC). dTEC is obtained by subtracting monthly averaged diurnal vTEC from the values of observed vTEC at each epoch. This procedure removes normal diurnal variations of vTEC. The present results are in good agreement with the previous observations on ionospheric earthquake precursors reported by various researchers.     

Using a mini-Raman spectrometer to monitor the adaptive strategies of extremophile colonizers in arid deserts: relationships between signal strength, adaptive strategies, solar radiation, and humidity

Abstract The survival strategies of one cyanobacteria colony and three terricolous lichen species from the hot subdesert of Tabernas, Spain, were studied along with topographical attributes of the area to investigate whether the protective strategies adopted by these pioneer soil colonizers are related to the environmental stressors under which they survive. A handheld Raman spectrometer was used for biomolecular characterization, while the microclimatic and topographic parameters were estimated with a Geographic Information System (GIS). We found that the survival strategies adopted by those organisms are based on different combinations of protective biomolecules, each with diverse ecophysiological functions, such as UV-radiation screening, free-energy quenching, antioxidants, and the production of different types and amounts of calcium oxalates. Our results show that the cyanobacteria community and each lichen species preferentially colonized a particular microhabitat with specific moisture and incident solar radiation levels and exhibited different adaptive mechanisms. In recent years, a number of studies have provided consistent results that suggest a link between the strategies adopted by those extremophile organisms and the microclimatic environmental parameters. To date, however, far too little attention has been paid to results from Raman analyses on dry specimens. Therefore, the results of the present study, produced with the use of our miniaturized instrument, will be of interest to future studies in astrobiology, especially due to the likely use of Raman spectroscopy at the surface of Mars. Key Words: Hot desert-Raman spectroscopy-Topography-Terricolous lichens-Cyanobacteria-Planetary exploration. Astrobiology 12, 743-753.     

Strategy to search fragments from breakups in GEO

This paper proposes a strategy to search fragments from breakups in the Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) region based upon population prediction and motion prediction by means of ground-based optical observations. Breakup fragments have uncertainties in the states such as their position and motion, or even in their existence. Population prediction and motion prediction resolve those uncertainties. Population prediction evaluates the time-averaged distribution of fragments, whose position at a given time is unknown, in the celestial sphere. Motion prediction evaluates the expected motion of fragments appeared in image series acquired by a telescope’s CCD camera. This paper logically describes procedures of the search strategy, and provides mathematical expressions of population prediction and motion prediction. This paper also validates the search strategy via actual observations, in which a confirmed breakup in the GEO region is selected as a target. It is concluded that the proposed strategy is valid even for searching uncataloged fragments from breakups in the GEO region.     

Solar Fine-Scale Structures. I. Spicules and Other Small-Scale, Jet-Like Events at the Chromospheric Level: Observations and Physical Parameters

Over the last two decades the uninterrupted, high resolution observations of the Sun, from the excellent range of telescopes aboard many spacecraft complemented with observations from sophisticated ground-based telescopes have opened up a new world producing significantly more complete information on the physical conditions of the solar atmosphere than before. The interface between the lower solar atmosphere where energy is generated by subsurface convection and the corona comprises the chromosphere, which is dominated by jet-like, dynamic structures, called mottles when found in quiet regions, fibrils when found in active regions and spicules when observed at the solar limb. Recently, space observations with Hinode have led to the suggestion that there should exist two different types of spicules called Type?I and Type?II which have different properties. Ground-based observations in the Ca?ii H and K filtergrams reveal the existence of long, thin emission features called straws in observations close to the limb, and a class of short-lived events called rapid blue-shifted excursions characterized by large Doppler shifts that appear only in the blue wing of the Ca?ii infrared line. It has been suggested that the key to understanding how the solar plasma is accelerated and heated may well be found in the studies of these jet-like, dynamic events. However, while these structures are observed and studied for more than 130 years in the visible, but also in the UV and EUV emission lines and continua, there are still many questions to be answered. Thus, despite their importance and a multitude of observations performed and theoretical models proposed, questions regarding their origin, how they are formed, their physical parameters, their association with the underlying photospheric magnetic field, how they appear in the different spectral lines, and the interrelationship between structures observed in quiet and active regions on the disk and at the limb, as well as their role in global processes has not yet received definitive answers. In addition, how they affect the coronal heating and solar wind need to be further explored. In this review we present observations and physical properties of small-scale jet-like chromospheric events observed in active and quiet regions, on the disk and at the limb and discuss their interrelationship.