Nucleus studies of comet Halley

Early results from, and research initiatives warranted by, the Earth-based observations of Halley's near-nucleus and related phenomena are reviewed. Where appropriate, this information is combined with spacecraft data obtained by the various flight projects. The basic objective is to gain a greater insight into the nature of the comet's nucleus and its environment. Among topics are the brightness variations at large heliocentric distances along the inbound leg of the orbit; the bulk and rotational properties of the nucleus, including possible precession; the surface morphology and the formation of dust jets; subfemtogram dust particles and their presence in a sunward spike and relation to CN jets; comparison of the hydrogen coma's “pulsation” pattern with the surface distribution of major dust vents; the events causing Giotto's wobbling near its closest approach to the comet; and the recent developments in theoretical modeling of the icy-conglomerate nucleus.     

Up-to-date observations of space energetic particles made by the Chinese satellite Fengyun-1 (B).

This paper presents the observational results of space energetic particles obtained by the Cosmic Ray Composition Monitor (CRCM) onboard the Chinese satellite, Fengyun-1(B). These results, including those of a few solar proton events, the geomagnetically trapped particles and the anomalous cosmic ray components, were obtained from 3 September 1990 to 15 February 1991. The observed elements include H, He, C, N, O and Fe of energies from 4-23 MeV/u. It was found that the proton fluxes of the inner Radiation Belt (IRB) increased obviously during the period of solar proton event (SPE). A few kinds of heavy ions (Z > or = 6) were also detected in the IRB. As to the anomalous cosmic ray component (ACRC), in addition to C, N and O, anomalous iron particles were also recorded.     

Optimal below Threshold Delay Estimation for Radio Signals

Time delay estimation of a random signal observed at twospatially separated sites is a problem of considerable practicalinterest. Radio-frequency (RF) signals pose a difficulty that does notarise while treating sonar or other low frequency signals: the signalprocessing can be performed only on low frequency versions of theobserved signals. We propose an estimation scheme, based oncomplex envelopes, the mean square error (MSE) of which achievesthe performance predicted by Barankin, Bellini-Tartara, and Weiss-Weinsteinlower bounds. The proposed scheme was tested byextensive computer simulations, and the results are in closeagreement with theory predictions. Moreover, a real-time hardwareimplementation of the algorithm was developed and testedsuccessfully using real RF signals.     

The application of space imagery to geology and mineral exploration in the USSR — A case history

A short history of the application of space images to geology and mineral exploration in the U.S.S.R. is given with special emphasis to circular features observed on small scale and low-resolution pictures within the Precambrian terrain. These features are believed to correspond to the oldest basins of volcano-sedimentary deposition or, in other words, to primary cells of basic proto-crust. Metallogenic significance of circular features is also discussed. Remote sensing in oil-gas field exploration and in the study of recent tectonics are also dealt with.     

Architectures and GPS/INS integration: impact on missionaccomplishment

The GPS (Global Positioning System) signal contains information which, when properly combined with information from INS and other sensors, provides exceptionally high accuracy position, velocity, attitude, and time measurements. These ten elements of information (three each in position, velocity, and attitude, and one in time) are common, in various combinations, to most avionics functions. When viewed from a system perspective, this high-precision information can be thought of as an integration basis, or a reference set, which offers opportunities for reconfiguration of the offensive, defensive, communication, navigation, and other sensors. Various integration architectures for fusion of these sensors can inherently enhance, enable, or severely limit these potential mission capabilities. The choice of integration architecture, can directly and profoundly affect performance, cost of integration, cost of ownership, and exploitation of much greater mission capability. This is illustrated by an example     

Results of ZARNITZA-2, a rocket experiment on artificial electron beam injection in the ionosphere

The rocket experiment ZARNITZA-2 on artificial electron beam injection in the ionosphere was carried out on September 11, 1975. Great attention was paid to the study of phenomena occurring in the near-rocket region. The results of the experiment are discussed in terms of a beam plasma discharge.     

Bistatic Radar Cross Sections of Horizontally Oriented Chaff

Bistatic radar cross sections are determined for scattering from a cloud of randomly positioned resonant dipoles (chaff). Dipoles are assumed to be horizontally oriented with axes randomly oriented in the horizontal plane. The cloud is arbitrarily located relative to an illuminating source having an arbitrary (elliptical) polarization. Cloud cross section is found for an arbitrarily located receiver that views the cloud with an antenna of arbitrary polarization. Cross section applicable to the receiver's orthogonal polarization is also found.     

Multi-spacecraft tracing of turbulent boundary layer

Multi-spacecraft tracing of the high latitude magnetopause (MP) and boundary layers and Interball-1 statistics indicate that:

1. (a) The turbulent boundary layer (TBL) is a persistent feature in the region of the cusp and ‘sash’, a noticeable part of the disturbances weakly depends on the interplanetary magnetic field By component; TBL is a major site for magnetosheath (MSH) plasma penetration inside the magnetosphere through percolation and local reconnection.

2. (b) The TBL disturbances are mainly inherent with the characteristic kinked double-slope spectra and, most probably, 3-wave cascading. The bi-spectral phase coupling indicates self-organization of the TBL as the entire region with features of the non-equilibrium multi-scale and multi-phase system in the near-critical state.

3. (c) We've found the different outer cusp topologies in summer/winter periods: the summer cusp throat is open for the decelerated MSH flows, the winter one is closed by the distant MP with a large-scale (several Re) diamagnetic ‘plasma ball’ inside the MP; the ‘ball’ is filled from MSH through patchy merging rather than large-scale reconnection.

4. (d) A mechanism for the energy release and mass inflow is the local TBL reconnection, which operates at the larger scales for the average anti-parallel fields and at the smaller scales for the nonlinear fluctuating fields; the latter is operative throughout the TBL. The remote from TBL anti-parallel reconnection seems to happen independently.

Effects of prolonged space flight on rat skeletal muscle

The effect of a 20-day space flight on water, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and glycogen contents as well as on activities of glycogen metabolism enzymes--glycogen synthetase and glycogen phosphorylase--of rat skeletal muscles was studied. This data is regarded as an integral test characterizing the state of contractile tissue of the animals at the final stage of flight aboard biosatellites. The measurements indicate that there were no significant changes of cations and glycogen contents nor of the enzymic activities in fast-twitch muscles during the 20-day spaceflight. At the same time dehydration in these muscles was observed, which disappeared on the 25th postflight day. In slow-twitch antigravitational skeletal muscle (m. soleus) there was a decrease of K+ and increase of Na+ in the tissue contents. The changes disappeared at the end of the on-earth readaptation period. From the pattern of these observations, we can conclude that the 20-day space flight leads to some reversible biochemical changes of the rat skeletal muscles. A conclusion can be drawn about necessity of creating, aboard the spaceship, an artificial load on antigravitational skeletal muscles.