Cosmological variability of fundamental physical constants

Gamow was one of the pioneers who studied the possible variability of fundamental physical constants. Some versions of modern Grand Unification theories do predict such variability. The paper is concerned with three of the constants: the fine-structure constant , the ratio of the proton massm _p to the electron massm _e, and the ratio of the neutron massm _n tom _e. It is shown on the basis of the quasar spectra analysis, that all the three constants revealed no statistically significant variation over the last 90% of the life time of the Universe. At the 2 significance level, the following upper bounds are obtained for the epoch corresponding to the cosmological redshiftsz2–3: /<1.5×10^–3, m _p/m _p<2×10^–3, and m/m<3×10^–4, where x is a possible deviation of a quantityx from its present value,m=m _p+m _n, and the nucleon masses are in units ofm _e. (According to new observational data which became known most recently, m _p/m _p<2×10^–4) In addition a possible anisotropy of the high-redshift fine splitting over the celestial sphere is checked. Within the relative statistical error 3 < 1% the values of turned out to be the same in various quadrants of the celestial sphere, which corresponds to their equality in causally disconnected areas. However, at the 2 level a tentative anisotropy of estimated / values is found in directions that approximately coincide with the direction of the relic microwave background anisotropy.The revealed constraints serve as criteria for selection of those theoretical models which predict variation of ,m _p orm _n with the cosmological time.     

Attitude Determination from Vector Observations: Quaternion Estimation

Two recursive estimation algorithms, which use pairs of measured vectors to yield minimum variance estimates of the quaternion of rotation, are presented. The nonlinear relations between the direction cosine matrix and the quaternion are linearized, and a variant of the extended Kalman filter is used to estimate the difference between the quaternion and its estimate. With each measurement this estimate is updated and added to the whole quaternion estimate. This operation constitutes a full state reset in the estimation process. Filter tuning is needed to obtain a converging filter. The second algorithm presented uses the normality property of the quaternion of rotation to obtain, in a straightforward design, a filter which converges, with a smaller error, to a normal quaternion. This algorithm changes the state but not the covariance computation of the original algorithm and implies only a partial reset. Results of Monte-Carlo simulation runs are presented which demonstrate the superiority of the normalized quaternion.     

Navigation Computation in Terrestrial Strapdown Inertial Navigation Systems

The problem of computing the translational velocity and position relative to earth, which has to be solved by the processor of a strapdown inertial navigation system is discussed. Several approaches are briefly examined with consideration given to the form in which the sensor data are generated and to the computational burden involved in each approach. A computational scheme is finally selected in which the computation is divided into three rate levels. The differential equations of this scheme are developed and the assumptions on which the development is founded are stated. Three variants of the basic scheme are presented, each based on a different level of simplifying assumptions. The main purpose of this work is to develop the differential equations to be solved at each stage of the computation, rather than the numerical implementation of the solution. This work supplies the theoretical background for some of the numerical methods which are now being used.     

Element exchange in a water- and gas-closed biological Life Support System.

Liquid human wastes and household water used for nutrition of wheat made possible to realize 24% closure for the mineral exchange in an experiment with a 2-component version of "Bios-3" life support system (LSS) Input-output balances of revealed, that elements (primarily trace elements) within the system. The structural materials (steel, titanium), expanded clay aggregate, and catalytic furnace catalysts. By the end of experiment, the permanent nutrient solution, plants, and the human diet gradually built up Ni, Cr, Al, Fe, V, Zn, Cu, and Mo. Thorough selection and pretreatment of materials can substantially reduce this accumulation. To enhance closure of the mineral exchange involves processing of human-metabolic wastes and inedible biomes inside LSS. An efficient method to oxidize wastes by hydrogen peroxide icon a quartz reactor at the temperature of 80 degrees C controlled electromagnetic field is proposed.     

Interaction of physical-chemical and biological regeneration processes in ecological Life Support Systems.

Catalytic combustion of inedible biomass of plants in ecological Life Support Systems (LSS) gives rise to gaseous oxides (CO2, NO2, SO2, etc.). Some of them are toxic for plants suppressing their photosynthesis and productivity. Experiments with "Bios-3" experimental LSS demonstrate that a decrease of photosynthetic productivity in a system with straw incineration can jeopardize its steady operation. Analysis of the situation by a mathematical model taking into account absorption parameters of the system in terms of toxic elements makes it possible to formulate requirements for the structure and operation of LSS to provide for its stability. Avenues for further investigation of the problem of toxic stability of LSS are proposed.     

Fluid-electrolyte changes in physically conditioned subjects after hypokinesia and chronic hyperhydration

The aim of this study was to determine whether fluid-electrolyte changes, which are developed during prolonged hypokinesia (decreased number of km per day), can be prevented or minimized with the use of a daily intake of fluid and salt supplementation (FSS). The experiments on hypokinesia (HK) were performed for 364 days on 18 endurance-trained male volunteers in the age range of 21-23 years, with an average maximum oxygen uptake of 67 ml kg-1. All volunteers were divided into three equal groups: six volunteers were placed on a continuous regime of exercise of 14.0 km day-1 and served as control subjects. Six volunteers were subjected to continuous HK without FSS and were considered as the unsupplemented hypokinetic subjects (UHS). The remaining volunteers were under continuous HK and FSS and were considered as the supplemented hypokinetic subjects (SHS). For the simulation of the hypokinetic effect, the UHS and SHS groups were kept continuously under an average of 2.7 km day-1 for the duration of the experiment. Prior to exposure to HK, all volunteers were on the same exercise regime as the controls. During the pre-experimental period of 60 days and during the post-experimental period, urinary excretion of electrolytes and concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium in serum as well as serum osmolality were determined. An increased renal excretion of fluid and electrolytes and a decreased serum electrolyte concentration were observed in the SHS, while a decreased renal excretion of fluid and electrolytes and an increased serum electrolyte concentration were observed in the UHS, during the initial stages of the post-hypokinetic period. By day 30 of the post-hypokinetic period these changes were reverted back to the control levels. We concluded that chronic hyperhydration may be used to attenuate urinary and serum electrolyte changes in endurance-trained volunteers after exposure to prolonged HK.     

Solar orbiter, a high-resolution mission to the sun and inner heliosphere

The scientific rationale of the Solar Orbiter is to provide, at high spatial (35 km pixel size) and temporal resolution, observations of the solar atmosphere and unexplored inner heliosphere. Novel observations will be made in the almost heliosynchronous segments of the orbits at heliocentric distances near 45 R and out of the ecliptic plane at the highest heliographic latitudes of 30° – 38°. The Solar Orbiter will achieve its wide-ranging aims with a suite of sophisticated instruments through an innovative design of the orbit. The first near-Sun interplanetary measurements together with concurrent remote observations of the Sun will permit us to determine and understand, through correlative studies, the characteristics of the solar wind and energetic particles in close linkage with the plasma and radiation conditions in their source regions on the Sun. Over extended periods the Solar Orbiter will deliver the first images of the polar regions and the side of the Sun invisible from the Earth.     

热斑对涡轮二级静叶热负荷影响的实验和数值研究

采用以氦气比拟热斑的实验方法和三维非定常数值计算研究了两级涡轮入口处的热斑对二级静叶通道的影响。结果发现,热斑对二级静叶通道内的热负荷分布具有明显影响:在径向的分布集中于50%叶高以下,在叶栅进口和出口附近,热量集中于下端壁,并随径向高度增加减少;在周向有明显不均匀性;端壁二次流对热斑分布有很大影响。     

Multiple model PMHT and its application to the benchmark radar tracking problem

The probabilistic multiple hypothesis tracker (PMHT) uses the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to solve the measurement-origin uncertainty problem. Here, we explore some of its variants for maneuvering targets and in particular discuss the multiple model PMHT. We apply this PMHT to the six "typical" tracking scenarios given in the second benchmark problem from W. D. Blair and G. A. Watson (1998). The manner in which the PMHT is used to track the targets and to manage radar allocation is discussed, and the results compared with those of the interacting multiple model probabilistic data association filter (IMM/PDAF) and IMM/MHT (multiple hypothesis tracker). The PMHT works well: its performance lies between those of the IMM/PDAF and IMM/MHT both in terms of tracking performance and computational load.     

Bearings-only tracking of maneuvering targets using abatch-recursive estimator

We present a new batch-recursive estimator for tracking maneuvering targets from bearings-only measurements in clutter (i.e., for low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) targets), Standard recursive estimators like the extended Kalman Iter (EKF) suffer from poor convergence and erratic behavior due to the lack of initial target range information, On the other hand, batch estimators cannot handle target maneuvers. In order to rectify these shortcomings, we combine the batch maximum likelihood-probabilistic data association (ML-PDA) estimator with the recursive interacting multiple model (IMM) estimator with probabilistic data association (PDA) to result in better track initialization as well as track maintenance results in the presence of clutter. It is also demonstrated how the batch-recursive estimator can be used for adaptive decisions for ownship maneuvers based on the target state estimation to enhance the target observability. The tracking algorithm is shown to be effective for targets with 8 dB SNR