The carbonate-silicate cycle and CO2/climate feedbacks on tidally locked terrestrial planets

Atmospheric gaseous constituents play an important role in determining the surface temperatures and habitability of a planet. Using a global climate model and a parameterization of the carbonate-silicate cycle, we explored the effect of the location of the substellar point on the atmospheric CO(2) concentration and temperatures of a tidally locked terrestrial planet, using the present Earth continental distribution as an example. We found that the substellar point's location relative to the continents is an important factor in determining weathering and the equilibrium atmospheric CO(2) level. Placing the substellar point over the Atlantic Ocean results in an atmospheric CO(2) concentration of 7 ppmv and a global mean surface air temperature of 247 K, making ～30% of the planet's surface habitable, whereas placing it over the Pacific Ocean results in a CO(2) concentration of 60,311 ppmv and a global temperature of 282 K, making ～55% of the surface habitable.     

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.     

Study of microaccelerations onboard the <Emphasis Type="Italic">International Space Station</Emphasis> with the DAKON-M convection sensor

The results of experiments with the DAKON-M convection sensor onboard the Russian orbital segment of the International Space Station are described. A comparison of the sensor measurements with the results of calculation of the quasistatic microacceleration component at the point of installation is made. For this comparison we have used three measurement intervals of the experiments in 2009, during which spacecraft were docked with the station, undocked from it, and actuation of jet engines of the attitude control system took place. When calculating microacceleration, we use the measurement data of the low-frequency MAMS accelerometer, installed on the American segment, and the telemetry data on the ISS rotational motion. This information allowed one to convert the MAMS measurements to the point of installation of the DAKON-M convection sensor. A comparison of sensor measurements with calculated microaccelerations showed sufficiently accurate coincidence between the calculated and measured data.     

Correction of B2bot for NeQuick during low solar activity at Hainan station

This work is a continuation of the previous article and it focuses on low solar activity and modeling effort. NeQuick model uses Epstein layer formalism to model each part of the profile. We study the diurnal and seasonal variations of B2_bot, ΔB2 (B2_best − B2_NeQuick2) and R (B2_best/B2_{NeQuick 2}) at Hainan station during low solar activity. The results show it is possible to improve the B2_bot parameter of the NeQuick model at that region during low solar activity. Then, we use a function ?(t) with LT in different seasons to correct the B2_bot formula of NeQuick 2. The correction shows that (1) By the correction formula, the B2_bot of NeQuick is improved. The maximum standard deviation is improved for 9 km. (2) The correction formula is more effective in summer than in equinox and winter and performs better during early morning hours than during the rest of the day.     

Nonlinear electromagnetic perturbations in a degenerate electron–positron plasma

Nonlinear propagation of fast and slow magnetosonic perturbation modes in an ultra-cold, degenerate (extremely dense) electron–positron (EP) plasma (containing non-relativistic, ultra-cold, degenerate electron and positron fluids) has been investigated by the reductive perturbation method. It is shown that due to the property of being equal mass of the plasma species (_me=_mp$m_e=m_p$, where _me$m_e$ and _mp$m_p$ are electron and positron mass, respectively), the degenerate EP plasma system supports the K-dV solitons which are associated with either fast or slow magnetosonic perturbation modes. It is also found that the basic features of the electromagnetic solitary structures, which are found to exist in such a degenerate EP plasma, are significantly modified by the effects of degenerate electron and positron pressures. The applications of the results in an EP plasma medium, which occurs in compact astrophysical objects, particularly in white dwarfs, have been briefly discussed.     

Sсheme of rendezvous mission to lunar orbital station by spacecraft launched from Earth

In recent years, great experience has been accumulated in manned flight astronautics for rendezvous in near-Earth orbit. During flights of Apollo spacecraft with crews that landed on the surface of the Moon, the problem of docking a landing module launched from the Moon’s surface with the Apollo spacecraft’s command module in a circumlunar orbit was successfully solved. A return to the Moon declared by leading space agencies requires a scheme for rendezvous of a spacecraft launched from an earth-based cosmodromee with a lunar orbital station. This paper considers some ballistic schemes making it possible to solve this problem with minimum fuel expenditures.     

Experiment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite: Transient energetic processes in the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere. Part I: Description of the experiment

The program of physical studies on the Vernov satellite launched on July 8, 2014 into a polar (640 × 830 km) solar-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98.4° is presented. We described the complex of scientific equipment on this satellite in detail, including multidirectional gamma-ray detectors, electron spectrometers, red and ultra-violet detectors, and wave probes. The experiment on the Vernov satellite is mainly aimed at a comprehensive study of the processes of generation of transient phenomena in the optical and gamma-ray ranges in the Earth’s atmosphere (such as high-altitude breakdown on runaway relativistic electrons), the study of the action on the atmosphere of electrons precipitated from the radiation belts, and low- and high-frequency electromagnetic waves of both space and atmospheric origin.     

Energetic neutral atom (ENA) and charged particle periodicities in Saturn’s magnetosphere

The Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) on the Cassini spacecraft has observed energetic neutral atoms (ENA) and charged particles at Saturn from mid-2004 to the present. The particles often but not always reveal striking periodic behavior that seems to depend on the type of particle and spacecraft location. When subjected to a Lomb periodogram analysis, energetic electrons (>150 keV) exhibited strong frequency peaks near 10.80 h (the nominal or “base” period of Saturn kilometric radiation) during 2006–2008, but essentially no periodicity during 2005. The electron periodograms also show pronounced “double” frequency peaks in 2007 and 2008. Energetic protons (3–26 keV) show strong peaks near the same period for 2005–2007, but none for 2008. Oxygen ions at the same energies display strong peaks for 2005 and 2006, but not for 2007 and 2008. By projecting the ENA images onto Saturn’s equatorial plane or onto a plane perpendicular to the equatorial plane and then summing the data in the appropriate dimension, “strip” images can be constructed from which a time history can be derived. These time histories of ENA emissions are also subjected to a Lomb periodogram analyses. The energetic hydrogen neutrals (20–50 keV) exhibited periodic behavior only during 2007, while energetic oxygen neutrals (64–144 keV) displayed a strong SKR-like period in 2005 and 2006 but not for 2007 or 2008. Some of this behavior may be due to changing spacecraft aspect relative to the ENA emissions, and some of it may be real. This periodic behavior may be consistent with a rotating anomaly that “flashes” brightly in the midnight-to-dawn sector once per 10.8 h, with the flash parameters depending on particle species and energy.     

Statistical analysis of the total electron content observed at 23°S in the Brazilian sector

The vertical total electron content (VTEC) time series obtained at São José dos Campos (23.2°S, 45.9°W), Brazil, were statistically analyzed to study the low latitude ionosphere in the Brazilian sector during the year of 2006 (a period of low solar activity). Statistical analysis showed that Probability Density Functions (PDFs) and kurtosis have an intermittent behavior on small-scales (periods from minutes to one day) and presence of two functions on large-scales (periods from 3 to 30 days). The skewness result suggests the presence of some kind of waves due to the action of tropospheric sources (lower atmospheric origin). Results obtained by wavelet transform show strong oscillations with scale-sizes between 3 and 30 days, possibly associated with the planetary oscillations. According to these statistical and wavelet analyses we conjecture that there exist two important factors regarding the ionospheric effects: one factor is due to turbulent states found in small scales and the other factor consists in a more or less deterministic state provided by planetary waves (3–16 days or full solar rotation (27–28 days)). Further, these strong oscillations were also noted in multifractal analysis. We found a decrease of multifractality degree of the same scale-sizes.     

22 Years of AJISAI spin period determination from standard SLR and kHz SLR data

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is a powerful and efficient technique to measure spin parameters of satellites equipped with corner cube reflectors. We obtained spin period determination of the satellite AJISAI from SLR data only: 17246 pass-by-pass estimates from standard 1–15 Hz SLR data (14/Aug/1986–30/Dec/2008) and 1444 pass-by-pass estimates (9/Oct/2003–30/Dec/2008) from data of the first 2 kHz SLR system from Graz, Austria. A continuous history of the slowing down of AJISAI spin is derived from frequency analysis, and corrected for the apparent effects. The apparent corrections, elaborated here, allowed very accurate determination of AJISAI initial spin period: 1.4855 ± 0.0007 [s]. The paper identifies also non-gravitational effects as a source of the periodical changes in the rate of slowing down of the satellite.