Influence of clinorotation and fettering stress on tail regeneration of Triturus vulgaris (Urodela).

Tail-amputated adult Triturus vulgaris, fettered in cuvettes of a fast-rotating clinostat were exposed to simulated weightlessness (60 rpm; equiv. to 10(-3)-10(-4) g), during a 14-day period. To feed and clean the animals rotation was stopped once a day for approx. 10 min. To test the influence of the fettering stress, a second series of animals was kept separately under normal earth conditions without rotation. A further control series was kept in a dark container without any handicap. While tail regeneration of the rotated animals was markedly accelerated, the fettered-only animals showed a considerably less marked acceleration effect. At the end of the 14-day period, all regenerates were reamputated together with an additional 5 mm of the tail stump. Although this second level of amputation was distant from the first, the regenerative growth rate of the rotated series was accelerated 123% in contrast to both the control and the fettered-only series. Our results demonstrate that the growth acceleration is induced by clinorotation. Fettering stress has no comparable influence. The growth promoting effect is not limited to the regenerating area.     

Special features of a digital speckle interferometer for determining vibration characteristics of heavy-loaded elements of an aircraft fuel pump

The results of vibration tests for heavy-loaded elements in the auger-centrifugal stage of an aircraft fuel pump performed with the use of an interference-free digital speckle-interferometer created at the Samara State Aerospace University are presented. The speckle-interferograms of an auger and a centrifugal wheel of the auger-centrifugal pump stage in different conditions of attachment and dynamic loading are given. The data obtained may be of sufficient importance in the development of aircraft fuel pumps for a specified service life.     

Optimization of efficient order service by information unmanned aerial vehicles

We propose a mathematical model and the numerical method for an optimal choice of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from those being in flight to fulfill a newly received order for monitoring (reconnaissance) of a new region. Examples of using the approach being proposed and main lines of its realization in promising information unmanned aircraft complexes (UAC) are presented.     

Comparative ISS accelerometric analyses

Two accelerometric records coming from the SAMSes es08 sensor in the Columbus module, the so-called Runs 14 and 33 in terms of the IVIDIL experiment, has been studied here using standard digital signal analysis techniques. The principal difference between both records is the vibrational state of the IVIDIL experiment, that is to say, during Run 14 the shaking motor of the experiment is active while that in Run 33 this motor is stopped. Identical procedures have been applied to a third record coming from the SAMSII 121f03 sensor located in the Destiny module during an IVIDIL quiescent period. All records have been downloaded from the corresponding public binary accelerometric files from the NASA Principal Investigator Microgravity Services, PIMS website and, in order to be properly compared, have the same number of data. Results detect clear differences in the accelerometric behavior, with or without shaking, despite the care of the designers to ensure the achievement of the ISS μg-vibrational requirements all along the experiments.     

An algorithm for solving three-dimensional problem of elasticity theory for transversally isotropic medium

An algorithm for solving a boundary-value problem of deforming structures made of composite materials is considered. The polynomial solutions of the equation system for the linear theory of elasticity for the anisotropic medium in displacements are used in this algorithm.     

Bursts of geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency range 0.2-5 Hz excited by large changes of the solar wind pressure

We present the results of studying the magnetospheres’s response to sharp changes of the solar wind flow (pressure) based on observations of variations of the ions flux of the solar wind onboard the Inreball-1 satellite and of geomagnetic pulsations (the data of two mid-latitude observatories and one auroral observatory are used). It is demonstrated that, when changes of flow runs into the magnetosphere, in some cases short (duration ~ < 5 min) bursts of geomagnetic pulsations are excited in the frequency range Δf~ 0.2–5 Hz. The bursts of two types are observed: noise bursts without frequency changes and wide-band ones with changing frequency during the burst. A comparison is made of various properties of these bursts generated by pressure changes at constant velocity of the solar wind and by pressure changes on the fronts of interplanetary shock waves at different directions of the vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field.     

Relative occurrence rate and geoeffectiveness of large-scale types of the solar wind

We investigate the relative occurrence rate for various types of the solar wind and their geoeffectiveness for magnetic storms with Dst < —50 nT. Both integrated effect for the entire time 1976–2000 and variations during this period of 2.5 cycles of solar activity are studied As raw data for the analysis we have used the catalog of large-scale types of the solar wind for the period 1976-2000 (see ftp://ftp.iki.rssi.ru/omni/) created by us with the use of the OMNI database (http://omni.web.gsgc.nasa.gov) [1] and described in detail in [2]. The average annual numbers of different type of events are as follows: 124 ±81 for the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), 8 ±6 for magnetic clouds (MC), 99 ±38 for Ejecta, 46 ±19 for Sheath before Ejecta, 6 ±5 for Sheath before MC, and 63 ±15 for CIR. The measurements that allowed one to determine a source in the solar wind were available only for 58% of moderate and strong magnetic storms (with index Dst < —50 nT) during the period 1976–2000. Magnetic clouds (MC) are shown to be the most geoeffective (~61%). The CIR events and Ejecta with Sheath region are three times less geoeffective (~20–21 %). Variations of occurrence rate and geoeffectiveness of various types of the solar wind in the solar cycle are discussed.     

Solar Magnetism: The State of Our Knowledge and Ignorance

We review some longstanding scientific mysteries related to solar magnetism, with final attention to the mystery of the “turbulent diffusion” essential for the theoretical α ω-dynamo that is believed to be the source of the magnetic fields of the Sun. Fundamental difficulties with the concept of turbulent diffusion of magnetic fields suggest that the solar dynamo problem needs to be reformulated. An alternative dynamo model is proposed, but it remains to be shown that the model can provide the quantitative aspects of the cyclic magnetic fields of the Sun.