Tracing the magnetic topology of coronal mass ejection events by Ulysses/HI-SCALE energetic particle observations in and out of the ecliptic

In January 2000, the Ulysses spacecraft observed an ICME event at 43° S heliographic latitude and ∼ 4.1 AU. We use electron (E _e>38 keV) observations to trace the topology of the IMF embedded within the ICME. The still controversial issue of whether ICMEs have been detached from the solar corona or are still magnetically anchored to it when they arrive at the spacecraft is tackled. An in ecliptic ICME event is also presented. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Energetic Ions Observed at Low to High Latitudes in the Southern Heliosphere During Declining and Rising Solar Activity

We present and compare observations of energetic protons during the two first transits of the Ulysses spacecraft from low to high latitudes in the southern heliosphere. Protons in the energy range 1.8–3.8 MeV from the COSPIN experiment are studied for global trends and in relation to some ambient structures in the solar wind (corotating interaction region, forward/reverse shock). The global trends show the large dependence on the heliospheric condition and solar activity, including indications of a larger ambient particle population during the rising phase of solar activity and more efficient solar wind particle accelerators during the declining phase. More enhancements in the proton flux intensity are time associated with forward shocks than reverse contrary to first pass. Recurrent structures are found even during the second transit. Some latitude dependent periodicities are observed that could relate to the differential solar rotation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

International scientific optical network for space debris research

A joint team of researchers under the auspices of the Center for Space Debris Information Collection, Processing and Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences collaborates with 15 observatories around the world to perform observations of space debris. For this purpose, 14 telescopes were equipped with charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, CCD frame processing and ephemeris computation software, with the support of the European and Russian grants. Many of the observation campaigns were carried out in collaboration with the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) team operating at the Zimmerwald observatory and conducting research for the European Space Agency (ESA), using the Tenerife/Teide telescope for searching and tracking of unknown objects in the geostationary region (GEO). More than 130,000 measurements of space objects along a GEO arc of 340.9°, collected and processed at Space Debris Data Base in the Ballistic Center of the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM) in 2005–2006, allowed us to find 288 GEO objects that are absent in the public orbital databases and to determine their orbital elements. Methods of discovering and tracking small space debris fragments at high orbits were developed and tested. About 40 of 150 detected unknown objects of magnitudes 15–20.5 were tracked during many months. A series of dedicated 22-cm telescopes with large field of view for GEO survey tasks is in process of construction. 7 60-cm telescopes will be modernized in 2007.     

Constraints on injection parameters of cosmic rays in the Galactic center from resolved HESS observations

In this study, we investigate how restrictive the γ-ray emission from the Galactic center region, as seen by HESS and other Cherenkov air shower arrays, is against various models for cosmic ray injection. We derive diffusion coefficients which fit the observed spatial scales of diffuse γ-ray emission from the extended emission associated with the molecular clouds SgrA, B and C. Using these diffusion coefficients, we then obtain a limit for time scale of assumed recent proton acceleration near the SMBH, as the spatial size of SgrA^∗ in VHE γ-rays has to be consistent with the observed unresolved HESS point source size at this position. The signal from this hadronic component may be mixed with the expected VHE inverse Compton emission from the nearby unresolved pulsar wind nebula.     

Attempt to identify a source mechanism of Mercury’s sodium exosphere by a spectrometer using Fabry–Perot etalon

The Mercury’s Sodium Atmosphere Spectral Imager (MSASI) on BepiColombo (BC) will address a range of fundamental scientific questions pertaining to Mercury’s exosphere. The measurements will provide new information on regolith–exosphere–magnetosphere coupling as well as new understanding of the dynamics governing the exosphere bounded by the planetary surface, the solar wind and interplanetary space. MSASI is a high-dispersion visible spectrometer working in the spectral range around sodium D2 emission (589 nm). A tandem Fabry–Perot etalon is used to achieve a compact design. We presents a design of the spectral analyzer using Fabry–Perot interferometer. We conclude that: (1) The MSASI optical design is practical and can be implemented without new or critical technology developments; (2) The thermally-tuned etalon design is based on concepts, designs and materials that have good space heritage.     

Intermittency of solar wind density fluctuations and its relation to sharp density changes

The paper presents the study of turbulent properties of the solar wind plasma, namely, the intermittency of fluctuations of the solar wind ion flux in the earlier unexplored region of comparatively high frequencies (0.01–1 Hz). Special attention is given to a comparison of intermittency for solar wind observation intervals containing sharp (shorter than 10 min) and high-amplitude (greater than 20%) changes of the ion flux to intervals without such changes. The solar wind observation intervals containing sharp changes of the flux are found to be essentially more intermittent than the intervals of quiet solar wind. Such a comparison allows one to reveal the fundamental difference in turbulent properties of the solar wind depending on the presence or absence of sharp boundaries in plasma structures.     

High energy radiation from the direction of the galactic black hole Sgr A

X-ray observations indicate that the Galactic black hole Sgr A^∗ is inactive now, however, we suggest that Sgr A^∗ can become active when a captured star is tidally disrupted and matter is accreted into the black hole. Consequently the Galactic black hole could be a powerful source of relativistic protons with a characteristic energy ∼10⁵² erg per capture. The diffuse GeV and TeV γ-rays emitted in the direction of the Galactic Center (GC) are the direct consequences of p–p collisions of such relativistic protons ejected by very recent capture events occurred ?10⁵ yr ago. On the other hand, the extended electron-positron annihilation line emission observed from GC is a phenomenon related to a large population of thermalized positrons, which are produced, cooled down and accumulated through hundreds of past capture events during a period of ∼10⁷ yr. In addition to explaining GeV, TeV and 511 keV annihilation emissions we also estimate the photon flux of several MeV resulting from in-flight annihilation process.     

Control of complex nonlinear vibrations of sandwich beams

Complex vibrations of the Bernoulli-Euler sandwich beams are considered. The solution is performed by the numerical methods of finite elements in the Bubnov-Galerkin form and finite differences of the second order of accuracy. The approaches for control of chaotic vibrations in the Bernoulli-Euler sandwich beams are proposed.     

Optimised radiative cooling of infrared space telescopes and applications to possible missions

General principles are outlined for the design of space infrared telescopes intended to cool by radiation to the lowest temperatures attainable without the use of on-board cryogens, and assuming on-orbit cooling after a warm launch. Maximum protection from solar and earth heating, maximum radiating area and efficiency and minimum absorbing area and absorptivity are the obvious basic criteria. The optimised design is a short, fat telescope surrounded by a series of radiation shields, each cooled by its own radiator. Maximising the longitudinal conductivity of the radiation shields and of the telescope tube itself is important both to the on-orbit cooling time and the final achieveable temperature. Realistic designs take between 80 and 200 days to cool to within a few degrees of equilibrium temperatures, depending on the materials used. Great advantages accrue from the use of an orbit distant from earth. Both simple models and detailed simulations suggest that temperatures of 30 to 40 K are attainable in high earth orbits. Placing a radiatively cooled telescope in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L2 is a particularly attractive option and significantly lower temperatures can be achieved there than in Earth orbit. Optimised radiative cooling is an important element of the small Japanese mission SMIRT. We suggest that a combination of an ESA Medium-sized Mission with a NASA Explorer to send a 2m+ telescope to an L2 halo orbit would provide a cost-effective and powerful long-duration facility for the early 21st century.     

Evaluation of experiments involving the study of plant orientation and growth under different gravitational conditions.

The manifestation of gravitropic reaction in plants has been considered from the phylogenetic point of view. A chart has been suggested according to which it is supposed that the first indications of the ability to identify the direction of the gravitational vector were inherent in the most ancient eukaryotes, which gave rise to green, brown, yellow-green, golden and diatomaceous algae as well as fungi. The experiments on the role of gravity in plant ontogenesis are being continued. The sum total of the data obtained in a number of experiments in space shows that under these conditions a structurally modified but normally functioning gravireceptive apparatus is formed. The data confirming the modification, under changed gravity, of the processes of integral and cellullar growth of the axial organs of seedlings as well as of the anatomo-morphological structure and developmental rates of plants during their prolonged growth in space are presented. It is assumed that this fact testifies to the presence of systems interacting with gravity during plant ontogenesis. At the same time the necessity for further experiments in order to differentiate an immediate biological effect of gravity from the ones conditioned by it indirectly due to the changes in the behavior of liquids and gases is pointed out. The methodological aspects of biological experiments in space as the main source of reliable information on the biological role of gravity are discussed.