Bacterial communities and the nitrogen cycle in the gypsum soils of cuatro ciénegas basin, coahuila: a Mars analogue

Abstract The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified gypsum at several sites on Mars in 2005. These minerals constitute a direct record of past aqueous activity and are important with regard to the search of extraterrestrial life. Gale Crater was chosen as Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity's landing site because it is rich in gypsum, as are some desert soils of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico). The gypsum of the CCB, which is overlain by minimal carbonate deposits, was the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. To examine this Mars analogue, we retrieved gypsum-rich soil samples from two contrasting sites with different humidity in the CCB. To characterize the site, we obtained nutrient data and analyzed the genes related to the N cycle (nifH, nirS, and nirK) and the bacterial community composition by using 16S rRNA clone libraries. As expected, the soil content for almost all measured forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were higher at the more humid site than at the drier site. What was unexpected is the presence of a rich and divergent community at both sites, with higher taxonomic diversity at the humid site and almost no taxonomic overlap. Our results suggest that the gypsum-rich soils of the CCB host a unique microbial ecosystem that includes novel microbial assemblies. Key Words: Cuatro Ciénegas Basin-Gale Crater-Gypsum soil microbial diversity-Molecular ecology-Nitrogen cycle. Astrobiology 12, 699-709.     

Gypsum-permineralized microfossils and their relevance to the search for life on Mars

Abstract Orbital and in situ analyses establish that aerially extensive deposits of evaporitic sulfates, including gypsum, are present on the surface of Mars. Although comparable gypsiferous sediments on Earth have been largely ignored by paleontologists, we here report the finding of diverse fossil microscopic organisms permineralized in bottom-nucleated gypsums of seven deposits: two from the Permian (～260?Ma) of New Mexico, USA; one from the Miocene (～6?Ma) of Italy; and four from Recent lacustrine and saltern deposits of Australia, Mexico, and Peru. In addition to presenting the first report of the widespread occurrence of microscopic fossils in bottom-nucleated primary gypsum, we show the striking morphological similarity of the majority of the benthic filamentous fossils of these units to the microorganisms of a modern sulfuretum biocoenose. Based on such similarity, in morphology as well as habitat, these findings suggest that anaerobic sulfur-metabolizing microbial assemblages have changed relatively little over hundreds of millions of years. Their discovery as fossilized components of the seven gypsiferous units reported suggests that primary bottom-nucleated gypsum represents a promising target in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. Key Words: Confocal laser scanning microscopy-Gypsum fossils-Mars sample return missions-Raman spectroscopy-Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument-Sulfuretum. Astrobiology 12, 619-633.     

Resistance of bacterial endospores to outer space for planetary protection purposes--experiment PROTECT of the EXPOSE-E mission

Spore-forming bacteria are of particular concern in the context of planetary protection because their tough endospores may withstand certain sterilization procedures as well as the harsh environments of outer space or planetary surfaces. To test their hardiness on a hypothetical mission to Mars, spores of Bacillus subtilis 168 and Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 were exposed for 1.5 years to selected parameters of space in the experiment PROTECT during the EXPOSE-E mission on board the International Space Station. Mounted as dry layers on spacecraft-qualified aluminum coupons, the "trip to Mars" spores experienced space vacuum, cosmic and extraterrestrial solar radiation, and temperature fluctuations, whereas the "stay on Mars" spores were subjected to a simulated martian environment that included atmospheric pressure and composition, and UV and cosmic radiation. The survival of spores from both assays was determined after retrieval. It was clearly shown that solar extraterrestrial UV radiation (λ≥110?nm) as well as the martian UV spectrum (λ≥200?nm) was the most deleterious factor applied; in some samples only a few survivors were recovered from spores exposed in monolayers. Spores in multilayers survived better by several orders of magnitude. All other environmental parameters encountered by the "trip to Mars" or "stay on Mars" spores did little harm to the spores, which showed about 50% survival or more. The data demonstrate the high chance of survival of spores on a Mars mission, if protected against solar irradiation. These results will have implications for planetary protection considerations.     

带前后缘控制面机翼的颤振分析

针对同时带有前缘和后缘襟翼的二维翼段,研究了考虑不确定性因素的多输入/多输出系统的颤振问题。利用线性分式变换形式,分析了模型中非定常气动力、非线性结构刚度和变结构阻尼等不确定性因素,建立了考虑不确定性的机翼闭环系统状态空间模型。利用鲁棒控制中的μ控制方法,分析了系统的鲁棒性。结果表明,同时带前后缘控制面的机翼可以有效拟制颤振的发生,提高颤振速度达34.96%。     

基于C-W制导的瞄准点修正技术

在分析C-W冲量制导误差源的基础上,指出主要摄动为C-W方程的线性化误差,相对J2项摄动误差和发动机的冲量假设误差.在求解得到主要摄动作用下相对运动方程解析解的基础上,提出了瞄准点修正技术,在计算量增加不大的前提下,不仅提高了C-W制导精度,而且实际制导曲线趋近于最优交会轨迹,燃料消耗接近最优解.     

电磁铆接技术在航天产品上的应用

针对航天产品对电磁铆接的应用需求,介绍了国外电磁铆接技术的应用情况和国内科研院所对电磁铆接技术的研究实践工作,在此基础上对电磁铆接技术在航天产品上应用可行性进行探讨,并提出了适合应用电磁铆接技术的航天产品及其应用实施策略。     

Microbial rock inhabitants survive hypervelocity impacts on Mars-like host planets: first phase of lithopanspermia experimentally tested

The scenario of lithopanspermia describes the viable transport of microorganisms via meteorites. To test the first step of lithopanspermia, i.e., the impact ejection from a planet, systematic shock recovery experiments within a pressure range observed in martian meteorites (5-50 GPa) were performed with dry layers of microorganisms (spores of Bacillus subtilis, cells of the endolithic cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, and thalli and ascocarps of the lichen Xanthoria elegans) sandwiched between gabbro discs (martian analogue rock). Actual shock pressures were determined by refractive index measurements and Raman spectroscopy, and shock temperature profiles were calculated. Pressure-effect curves were constructed for survival of B. subtilis spores and Chroococcidiopsis cells from the number of colony-forming units, and for vitality of the photobiont and mycobiont of Xanthoria elegans from confocal laser scanning microscopy after live/dead staining (FUN-I). A vital launch window for the transport of rock-colonizing microorganisms from a Mars-like planet was inferred, which encompasses shock pressures in the range of 5 to about 40 GPa for the bacterial endospores and the lichens, and a more limited shock pressure range for the cyanobacterium (from 5-10 GPa). The results support concepts of viable impact ejections from Mars-like planets and the possibility of reseeding early Earth after asteroid cataclysms.     

大型双反射紧缩场幅相特性校准技术研究

紧缩场是天线、目标RCS测试的关键设备,它能在近距离内把馈源发出的球面波校准为准平面波。为评定紧缩场静区产生的电磁波分布是否符合准平面波特性,需要现场搭建高性能微波幅相收发系统和大型多自由度高精度扫描系统。本文以大型双反射面紧缩场静区性能校准需求为例,从现场计量幅相系统构建、大型复杂扫描系统设计、现场计量实施等方面详细分析了紧缩场静区性能现场校准相关技术。实测结果表明现场搭建的校准系统满足远距离大型双反射面紧缩场静区性能计量需求,各项检测参数量值均满足该紧缩场设计指标要求。