Analysis of data of “Clementine” and “KAGUYA” missions and “ULCN” and “KSC-1162” catalogues

In this paper an analysis of data coordinate systems from selenographic catalogues and space missions was carried out. The lunar macrorelief models were made on basis of the software package ASNI USTU using method of the spherical harmonic expansion. These models accurately describe the global features of the lunar figure. To construct these models the following sources of topographic information were used: “Clementine” and “KАGUYА” (Selena, Japan mission) missions, “KSC-1162” (Kazan selenocentric catalogue), “Kiev” (selenodesic catalogue), “SAI” (Chuikova (1975)), “Bills, Ferrari”, “ULCN” (The Unified Lunar Control Network 2005). Direct comparison hypsometric information “KSС-1162” catalogue data with “Clementine” mission was carried out. These researches confirmed a good agreement of the hypsometric information of compared systems. The normalized coefficients were obtained on basis of the hypsometric information expansion for eight sources. The displacement of the lunar center of mass (LCM) relatively to the lunar center of figure (LCF) was obtained by using topographic data selenodetical catalogues and space missions.     

Current collection through the transport of electrons across magnetic field lines

Collection of electrons by a long conducting cylinder in a flowing plasma is studied by means of numerical simulations. The plasma flow simulates the relative motion between a spacecraft and plasma. The sheath structures and the levels of electron current collections for the cases with and without an ambient magnetic field ( ) are studied. It is found that for the flow perpendicular to the magnetic field, the current is considerably enhanced depending on the relative drift velocity. In the case of a non-zero magnetic field perpendicular to the cylinder axis, the potential structure is a two-dimensional double layer with dimensions L L_|, where L and L_| are the dimensions perpendicular and parallel to , respectively. L is found to be the current limiting radius given by the Parker-Murphy model. For the flow along , the electron current is found to be smaller than that for the flow perpendicular to . This is explained in terms of the potential structures.     

Biosphere 2 Test Module: a ground-based sunlight-driven prototype of a closed ecological life support system.

Constructed in 1986, the Biosphere 2 Test Module has been used since the end of that year for closed ecological systems experiments. It is the largest closed ecological facility ever built, with a sealed variable volume of some 480 cubic meters. It is built with a skin of steel spaceframes with double-laminated glass panels admitting about 65 percent Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). The floor is of welded steel and there is an underground atmospheric connection via an air duct to a variable volume chamber ("lung") permitting expansion and contraction of the Test Module's air volume caused by changes in temperature and barometric pressure, which causes a slight positive pressure from inside the closed system to the outside thereby insuring that the very small leakage rate is outward. Several series of closed ecological system investigations have been carried out in this facility. One series of experiments investigated the dynamics of higher plants and associated soils with the atmosphere under varying light and temperature conditions. Another series of experiments included one human in the closed system for three, five and twenty-one days. During these experiments the Test Module had subsystems which completely recycled its water and atmosphere; all the human dietary needs were produced within the facility, and all wastes were recycled using a marsh plant/microbe system. Other experiments have examined the capability of individual component systems used, such as the soil bed reactors, to eliminate experimentally introduced trace gases. Analytic systems developed for these experiments include continuous monitors of eleven atmospheric gases in addition to the complete gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) examinations of potable, waste system and irrigation water quality.     

Occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles over Kolhapur

This paper reports the nightglow observations of OI 630.0 nm emissions, made by using all sky imager operating at low latitude station Kolhapur (16.8°N, 74.2°E and dip lat. 10.6°N) during high sunspot number years of 24th solar cycle. The images are analyzed to study the nocturnal, seasonal and solar activity dependence occurrence of plasma bubbles. We observed EPBs in images regularly during a limited period 19:30 to 02:30 LT and reach maximum probability of occurrence at 22:30 LT. The observation pattern of EPBs shows nearly no occurrence during the month of May and it maximizes during the period October–April. The equinox and solstice seasonal variations in the occurrence of plasma bubbles show nearly equal and large differences, respectively, between years of 2010–11 and 2011–12.     

FEM code simulation of the magnetospheric proton fluxes

We report a study of the numeric solution to the diffusive transport equation for energetic protons magnetically trapped in the Earth's equatorial magnetosphere. The analysis takes into account the pertinent physical processes in this region, including deceleration of protons by Coulomb collisional interactions with free and bound electrons, the charge exchange process, cosmic ray albedo neutron decay source, and electric and magnetic radial diffusion. These results were obtained using the Finite Element Method with magnetic moment and geomagnetic L-shell as free variables. Steady state boundary conditions were imposed at L=1 as zero distribution function and at L=7 with proton distribution function extracted from ATS 6 satellite observations. The FEM-code yields unidirectional proton flux in the energy range of 0.1–1000 MeV at the equatorial top of the geomagnetic lines, and the results are found to be in satisfactorily agreement with the empirical NASA AP-8 model proton flux within the energy range of 0.5–100 MeV. Below 500 keV, the empirical AP-8 model proton fluxes are several orders of magnitude greater than those computed with the FEM-code at L<3. This discrepancy is difficult to explain by uncertainties of boundary spectrum parameters or transport coefficients.     

Life sciences flight hardware development for the International Space Station.

During the construction phase of the International Space Station (ISS), early flight opportunities have been identified (including designated Utilization Flights, UF) on which early science experiments may be performed. The focus of NASA's and other agencies' biological studies on the early flight opportunities is cell and molecular biology; with UF-1 scheduled to fly in fall 2001, followed by flights 8A and UF-3. Specific hardware is being developed to verify design concepts, e.g., the Avian Development Facility for incubation of small eggs and the Biomass Production System for plant cultivation. Other hardware concepts will utilize those early research opportunities onboard the ISS, e.g., an Incubator for sample cultivation, the European Modular Cultivation System for research with small plant systems, an Insect Habitat for support of insect species. Following the first Utilization Flights, additional equipment will be transported to the ISS to expand research opportunities and capabilities, e.g., a Cell Culture Unit, the Advanced Animal Habitat for rodents, an Aquatic Facility to support small fish and aquatic specimens, a Plant Research Unit for plant cultivation, and a specialized Egg Incubator for developmental biology studies. Host systems (Figure 1A, B: see text), e.g., a 2.5 m Centrifuge Rotor (g-levels from 0.01-g to 2-g) for direct comparisons between g and selectable g levels, the Life Sciences Glovebox for contained manipulations, and Habitat Holding Racks (Figure 1B: see text) will provide electrical power, communication links, and cooling to the habitats. Habitats will provide food, water, light, air and waste management as well as humidity and temperature control for a variety of research organisms. Operators on Earth and the crew on the ISS will be able to send commands to the laboratory equipment to monitor and control the environmental and experimental parameters inside specific habitats. Common laboratory equipment such as microscopes, cryo freezers, radiation dosimeters, and mass measurement devices are also currently in design stages by NASA and the ISS international partners.     

Closed Artificial ecosystems as a means of ecosystem studies for Earth and space needs.

Closed Artificial ecosystems (CAES) have good prospects for wide use as new means for quantitative studies of different types of both natural ecosystems and man-made ones. The paper deals with the discussion of three points of CAES applications. The first one is of importance for theoretical ecology development and is connected with bringing together "holistic" and "merological" approaches in ecosystems studies. Using CAES, we can combine both approaches, taking into account the biotic turnover of limiting substrates which few in number even for complicated natural ecosystems. The second CAES use concerns the development of "ecosystems health" concept and application of a key-factor-approach for the indication and measurement of healthy unhealthy state and functioning of ecosystems or their links. The third use is more of an applied nature, oriented to the intensification of bioremediation or biodepollution processes in different types of ecosystems, including the global biosphere. Grant numbers: N 99-04-96017, N25.     

Spectroscopic data and Stark broadening of Cu I and Ag I spectral lines: Selection and analysis

Optical emission and linear laser absorption spectroscopy techniques were used in investigation of plasma with copper and silver admixture. The method of selection of spectral lines and spectroscopic data with the aim of diagnostics of multicomponent air plasma with two metal vapors admixture was developed. Energy level populations behavior on the Boltzmann plot were used for Cu I and Ag I spectroscopic data selection. In this way the selection of spectroscopic data for some of Cu I and Ag I lines was realized. Stark broadening parameters of Cu I and Ag I were examined. Experimentally obtained temperature and electron density radial distributions were used in the calculation of plasma composition in the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Linear laser absorption spectroscopy was used to examine the state of plasma.     

Stability of the seasonal variations in diurnal and semidiurnal components of mid-latitude F2 layer parameters

We report work utilizing 15-min resolution ionospheric data obtained with DPS-4 digisonde in 2003–2011 to study the seasonal variations in amplitudes and phases of the most powerful spectral components of the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2) and peak height (hmF2) fluctuations over Irkutsk (52.5°N, 104.0°E). We show that fluctuations of both parameters contain quasi-harmonic components with periods of T_n = 24/n h (n = 1–7). The number of distinct spectral peaks varies from 3 in summer to 7 in winter. Amplitude and phase characteristics of the diurnal (n = 1) and semidiurnal (n = 2) components is studied using the data sets extracted from the original data sets with band-pass filter. It has been found that the amplitudes of diurnal/semidiurnal foF2 and diurnal hmF2 components are maximum in winter and minimum in summer. Amplitudes of the diurnal components vary gradually; those of the foF2 semidiurnal one, abruptly, thus forming a narrow winter maximum in November–January. The phase (local time of maximum) of the diurnal foF2 component increases gradually by 4–6 h from winter to summer. The phase of the semidiurnal foF2 component is nearly stable in winter/summer and sharply decreases (increases) by 2–3 h near the spring (autumn) equinox. The phase of the diurnal component of hmF2 (local time of minimum) varies slightly between 1130 and 1300 LT; that of the semidiurnal one decreases (increases) by 4–6 h from January to March (from September to November). The results obtained show that the main features of seasonal variations in the diurnal and semidiurnal components of the mid-latitude F2 layer parameters recur consistently during the solar activity growth and decline phases.     

Spectroscopy peculiarities of thermal plasma of electric arc discharge between electrodes with Zn admixtures

Plasma of the free burning electric arc between Ag–SnO₂–ZnO composite electrodes as well as brass electrodes were investigated. The plasma temperature distributions were obtained by Boltzmann plot method involving Cu I, Ag I or Zn I spectral line emissions. The electron density distributions were obtained from the width and from absolute intensity of spectral lines. The laser absorption spectroscopy was used for measurement of copper atom concentration in plasma. Plasma equilibrium composition was calculated using two independent groups of experimental values (temperature and copper atom concentration, temperature and electron density). It was found that plasma of the free burning electric arc between brass electrodes is in local thermodynamical equilibrium. The experimental verification of the spectroscopic data of Zn I spectral lines was carried out.