Maximum Likelihood Elevation Angle Estimates of Radar Targets Using Subapertures

The maximum likelihood estimates of the elevation angles of two closely spaced targets within the beamwidth is considered. For an array divided into three subapertures, a simple, closed form solution is found whose accuracy compares favorably to the maximum likelihood estimate which uses all the individual elements. Simulation results are presented for the case of a radar target located over a smooth reflecting surface.     

Some ecological mechanisms to generate habitability in planetary subsurface areas by chemolithotrophic communities: the Río Tinto subsurface ecosystem as a model system

Chemolithotrophic communities that colonize subsurface habitats have great relevance for the astrobiological exploration of our Solar System. We hypothesize that the chemical and thermal stabilization of an environment through microbial activity could make a given planetary region habitable. The MARTE project ground-truth drilling campaigns that sampled cryptic subsurface microbial communities in the basement of the Río Tinto headwaters have shown that acidic surficial habitats are the result of the microbial oxidation of pyritic ores. The oxidation process is exothermic and releases heat under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. These microbial communities can maintain the subsurface habitat temperature through storage heat if the subsurface temperature does not exceed their maximum growth temperature. In the acidic solutions of the Río Tinto, ferric iron acts as an effective buffer for controlling water pH. Under anaerobic conditions, ferric iron is the oxidant used by microbes to decompose pyrite through the production of sulfate, ferrous iron, and protons. The integration between the physical and chemical processes mediated by microorganisms with those driven by the local geology and hydrology have led us to hypothesize that thermal and chemical regulation mechanisms exist in this environment and that these homeostatic mechanisms could play an essential role in creating habitable areas for other types of microorganisms. Therefore, searching for the physicochemical expression of extinct and extant homeostatic mechanisms through physical and chemical anomalies in the Mars crust (i.e., local thermal gradient or high concentration of unusual products such as ferric sulfates precipitated out from acidic solutions produced by hypothetical microbial communities) could be a first step in the search for biological traces of a putative extant or extinct Mars biosphere.     

Soybean cultivar selection for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) – Hydroponic cultivation

Four soybean cultivars (‘Atlantic’, ‘Cresir’, ‘Pr91m10’ and ‘Regir’), selected through a theoretical procedure as suitable for cultivation in BLSS, were evaluated in terms of growth and production. Germination percentage and Mean Germination Time (MGT) were measured. Plants were cultivated in a growth chamber equipped with a recirculating hydroponic system (Nutrient Film Technique). Cultivation was performed under controlled environmental conditions (12 h photoperiod, light intensity 350 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, temperature regime 26/20 °C light/dark, relative humidity 65–75%). Fertigation was performed with a standard Hoagland solution, modified for soybean specific requirements, and EC and pH were kept at 2.0 dS m⁻¹ and 5.5 respectively.     

On the Optimum Design of PCM Signals with System Constraints

This paper considers the design of PCM signals with system constraints using Pontryagin's maximum principle. The transmitter signal as well as the correlation signal are determined while maximizing the output signal-to-noise ratio. Both the single and three-pole transmitter filters are considered. An upper bound has been obtained on the performance of PCM signals with constraints.     

Blazar nuclei in radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1?

It has been suggested that some radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 contain relativistic jets, on the basis of their flat-spectrum radio nuclei and studies on variability. We present preliminary results of an ongoing investigation of the X-ray and multiwavelength properties of 5 radio-loud NLS1 based on archival data from Swift and XMM-Newton. Some sources present interesting characteristics, very uncharacteristic for a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1, such as very hard X-ray spectra, and correlated optical and ultraviolet variability. However, none of the studied sources show conclusive evidence for relativistic jets. γ-Ray observations with Fermi are strongly recommended to definitely decide on the presence or not of relativistic jets.     

平板边界层转捩的数值模拟

对于自由湍流引起的压力梯度为零的平板边界层转捩过程的数值模拟,本文提出了一个单方程湍流模型 (VL M模型),对湍流粘性系数和湍流长度尺度都进行了修正以正确引入低雷诺数效应。数值计算表明,该模型在自由来流湍流度为 0.03～8%的大范围内能正确模拟边界层转捩全过程,包括转捩区起点位置和转捩区长度、边界层内的平均及脉动参数分布等。本文还提出了上述转捩过程的时均化五阶段模型。