Realistic computerized human phantoms.

To estimate the risk resulting from exposures to ionizing radiation, the organ and tissue doses should be assessed. A convenient method is the calculation of these doses using representations of the human body, called models or phantoms, together with computer codes simulating the transport of radiation in the body. Most commonly used are mathematical phantoms whose external and internal volumes are defined by simple geometric bodies. More recently, phantoms constructed from computed tomographic data of real persons were introduced as an improvement. These phantoms present advantages concerning the location and shape of the organs, in particular the hard bone and bone marrow, whose distribution can be assessed with high resolution. So far, three of these phantoms were constructed at the GSF, a fourth is under process. The construction technique is described, and some calculational results of organ doses due to external photon irradiation are presented.     

Changes of cell-vascular complex in zones of adaptive remodeling of the bone tissue under microgravity conditions.

We examined the peculiarities of the structure of the blood-vascular bed and perivascular cells in zones of osteogenesis in the epiphyses and metaphises of femoral bones of rats, flown aboard the US laboratory SLS-2 for two weeks by electron microscopy and histochemistry. In zones of bone remodeling, there was a tendency for a reduction of sinusoid capillary specific volume. Endotheliocytes preserve the typical structure. In the population of perivascular cells, we discovered differentiating osteogenic cells that contained alkaline phosphomonoesterase as well as cells that don't contain this enzyme and differentiate into fibroblasts. The fibroblasts genesis in zones of adaptive remodeling of spongy bones leads to a further development of fibrous tissue that is not subject to mineralization.     

Systems of Gyrodynes with an Additional Degree of Freedom

The systems of gyrodynes installed on a spacecraft body on the one-axis controlled platform are considered. An algorithm to determine the special states and the special surfaces corresponding to them in the region of variation of the total angular momentum is obtained, as well as an algorithm to study the permeability of special surfaces. The results of calculation of the special surfaces for two types of gyro systems are presented.     

Qualitative Properties of Orbits for Minimum-Fuel Impulsive Transfers between Circular Coplanar Orbits with a Given Launch Time

The coplanar problem of minimizing propellant consumption in impulsive transfer between circular boundary orbits is investigated. The launch time and the initial configuration of objects on the boundary orbits are specified arbitrarily. The qualitative properties of optimal two-impulse trajectories and their optimality in the class of multi-impulse transfers are studied.     

Resolution and synthetic aperture characterization of sparse radar arrays

The concept of radar satellite constellations, or clusters, for synthetic aperture radar (SAR), moving target indicator (MTI), and other radar modes has been proposed and is currently under research. These constellations form an array that is sparsely populated and irregularly spaced; therefore, traditional matched filtering is inadequate for dealing with the constellation's radiation pattern. To aid in the design, analysis, and signal processing of radar satellite constellations and sparse arrays in general, the characterization of the resolution and ambiguity functions of such systems is investigated. We project the radar's received phase history versus five sensor parameters: time, frequency, and three-dimensional position, into a phase history in terms of two eigensensors that can be interpreted as the dimensions of a two-dimensional synthetic aperture. Then, the synthetic aperture expression is used to derive resolution and the ambiguity function. Simulations are presented to verify the theory.     

Protons with energy of E P ≥ MeV under the earth’s radiation belts

Variations in fluxes of quasi-trapped energetic protons were studied on the basis of the data of the CORONAS-I satellite. These variations are characterized by an increase in the proton fluxes with E _P ≥ 1 MeV both in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator and in the high-latitude region of the magnetosphere. The analysis of structural features of the proton distributions in the regions at L ～ 1–1.1; 3 < L < 4; and L > 4, was performed and made it possible to detect reliably the type of the proton flux increase in this region. The mechanisms of particle scattering leading to the precipitation of energetic protons under conditions of various types of geomagnetic disturbances are considered.     

CFE-SS approach for salient-pole synchronous generators under unbalances

A time-stepping coupled finite element-state space approach was developed for synchronous machine unbalanced impedance load and balanced/unbalanced rectifier load operation, in the natural time-domain ABC frame of reference. Synergism between the space and time harmonics was inherently included in the simulated results by use of this approach. It offers an effective and powerful tool for synchronous machine design before prototype construction.     

Construction of theories of motion, ephemerides, and databases for natural satellites of planets

A knowledge base for natural satellites of planets is created. On the basis of observations, new numerical models of motion are constructed for all 96 outer satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A special database is compiled from all available observational data for natural satellites of planets, as well as a bibliographical database and information system of physical and orbital parameters of planets and satellites. The tools for calculations of ephemerides of all natural satellites (except for the Moon) of planets are developed. They represent the final result of studies and actually incorporate the entire knowledge about dynamics of the satellites of planets. Also developed are special ephemerides in order to observe singular phenomena in the apparent motion of the satellites of planets. A computer environment and the Internet allowed us to concentrate all above-listed options in a single toolkit easily available to any user in the world.     

Optimisation of X-ray proportional counters for Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) on ASTROSAT

The Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) on ASTROSAT is a position-sensitive gas-filled proportional counter with a wide field of view. The scientific objective of SSM is to scan the sky within few hours to detect and locate transient X-ray sources in the outburst phase. Once detected, this information will be provided for studies in all energy bands. The energy range of operation of SSM is 2–10 keV. The optimisation of the parameters of the proportional counter such as the cell size, the gas mixture and the gas pressure for the SSM are discussed here.