Dust grain orbital behavior around ceres

Many asteroids show indications they have undergone impacts with meteoroid particles having radii between 0.01 m and 1 m. During such impacts, small dust grains will be ejected at the impact site. The possibility of these dust grains (with radii greater than 2.2 μm) forming a halo around a spherical asteroid (such as Ceres) is investigated using standard numerical integration techniques. The orbital elements, positions, and velocities are determined for particles with varying radii taking into account both the influence of gravity, radiation pressure, and the interplanetary magnetic field (for charged particles). Under the influence of these forces it is found that dust grains (under the appropriate conditions) can be injected into orbits with lifetimes in excess of one year. The lifetime of the orbits is shown to be highly dependent on the location of the ejection point as well as the angle between the surface normal and the ejection path. It is also shown that only particles ejected within 10° relative to the surface tangential survive more than a few hours and that the longest-lived particles originate along a line perpendicular to the Ceres-Sun line.     

Polarization imaging of dust cloud particles: Improvements and applications of the PROGRA2 instrument

The imaging system of the -PROGRA2 instrument allows to obtain maps of polarization and brightness of levitating dust clouds with a theoretical resolution of 10 μm per pixel. The measurements are conducted in microgravity during parabolic flights and on the ground by air-draught. It is then possible to measure the contribution of individual particles (grains, aggregates and agglomerates.) The size distribution can be retrieved, as well as the variation of polarization for a given phase angle with size for particles larger than 10 microns. Two different kinds of particles are considered: compact grains and (aggregates and agglomerates of) fluffy particles. Opposite results are obtained for these two kinds of particles, concerning the dependence of polarization with size and color in the visible domain for gray materials. These results, coupled with such remote sensing observations in the solar system, can then help to better understand the physical properties of solid particles and their variation in cometary comae, as well as in the Earth's atmosphere.     

Phase resolved study of the CRSF in MX 0656-072

MXB 0656-072 is an accreting X-ray pulsar with a Be star companion, showing notable emission in H. In October 2003 this system exhibited a large and extended X-ray outburst. RXTE observations during this outburst indicated a pulse period of 160.4 s and a cyclotron resonance scattering feature in the spectrum at 32 keV. This paper presents pulse profile analysis and phase-resolved X-ray spectroscopy of RXTE observations during this outburst.     

Advances in space research nonlinear dependence of Dst and AE indices on the electric field of magnetic clouds

Using the Dst and AE geomagnetic index values and parameters of interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind we have examined the geoeffectiveness of transient ejections in the solar wind, namely, magnetic clouds and high-speed streams. It is found that for magnetic clouds the dependences of indices on the solar wind electric field are nonlinear of different kind. In contrast to magnetic clouds, the dependence of Dst and AE geomagnetic index values on the solar wind electric field agrees closely with the linear one for high-speed streams. We suggest approximating formulas to describe dependences obtained taking into account the relation of the electric field transpolar potential to the electric field and dynamic pressure of the solar wind. We suppose that the interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations also contribute to these dependences.     

Experiment "Seeds" on Biokosmos 9. Dosimetric part.

The aim of the experiment "Seeds" on the Sowjetic satellite Biokosmos 9 was the observation of mutagenic effects caused at special loci of seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and assigned to particles of the Cosmic radiation. Two types of exposure units were flown: A low-shielding unit Type I, mounted at the surface of the satellite (1.4 g/cm2 shielding) and, for comparison, an identical item inside (16 g/cm2 shielding), using nuclear emulsion as track detectors. A Type II unit, flown inside (18g/cm2 shielding) was mounted with AgCl track detectors. The layout will be briefly described. A first set of dosimetric data from the physical evaluation of the experiment will be presented. The subdivision into charge- and LET-groups shows a rather high contribution of the intermediate LET-group (350-1000 MeV/cm) due to medium heavy particles (Z = 6-10) and to enders of light (p, alpha) particles.     

"Mir" radiation dosimetry results during the solar proton events in September-October 1989.

Using data from dosimetry-radiometry system "Liulin" on board of "Mir"-space station the particle flux and doserate during September-October, 1989 has been studied. The orbit of the station was 379 km perigee, 410 km apogee and 51.6 degrees inclination. Special attention has been paid to the flux and doserate changes inside the station after intensive solar proton events (SPE) on 29 of September, 1989. The comparison between the doses before and after the solar flares shows increase of the calculated mean dose per day by factor of 10 to 200. During the SPE on the 29 of September the additional dose was 310 mrad. The results of the experiment are compared with the data for the solar proton fluxes obtained on the GOES-7 satellite.     

Polarization Studies of Contribution of Aerosol Scattering to the Glow of Twilight Sky

The paper is devoted to studies and a quantitative estimation of the influence of scattering of direct solar radiation by particles of tropospheric aerosols in the period of light twilight, close to sunrise and sunset. Polarization measurements of the twilight sky in two broad spectral bands lying near the standard bands V and R form the basis of these studies. The measurements were carried out in 2002 and 2003 at the Southern Laboratory (Crimea) of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. The twilight period during which the single aerosol scattering becomes significant is isolated. The character of its influence on the intensity and polarization of the twilight sky is demonstrated. A method is suggested to evaluate polarization of the single aerosol scattering and its contribution to the general brightness of the twilight sky background. The method is based on differential characteristics of the background near the zenith and on their correlations with each other.     

Spatial vibration protection in a turbopump of hydrogen rocket engines

We discuss the use of multilayered annular-plate dampers as rotor supports in turbopumps of the RD-0120 and RD-0146 rocket engines. We present a technique of calculating the elastic and damping characteristics of multilayer corrugated annular supports in the case of the conical precession of the rotor.     

Relationship of flame propagation speed for methane–hydrogen fuel of the internal combustion engine with parameters of ion current and hydrogen concentration

An indirect method of estimating the visible flame propagation speed of the methane–hydrogen–air mixture with account of carbon content in the fuel mixture and the ion current amplitude is proposed by the experimental results. By comparing the calculated and experimental values, it has been shown that an approach using the methane–hydrogen mixture is advisable at the stage of the internal combustion engine design and development.     

Algorithms of Constructing the Regions of Initial States for Unmanned Winged Gliders

The algorithms of controlled descent for unmanned winged gliders are designed taking into account the requirements to the flight trajectory. The calculation results are represented to show the efficiency of the algorithms.