Active region properties and irradiance variations

Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) has been measured for more than three decades. These observations demonstrate that total irradiance changes on time scales ranging from minutes to years and decades. Considerable efforts have been made to understand the physical origin of irradiance variations and to model the observed changes using measures of sunspots and faculae. In this paper, we study the short-term variations in TSI during the declining portion and minimum of solar cycle 22 and the rising portion of cycle 23 (1993–1998). This time interval of low solar activity allows us to study the effect of individual sunspot groups on TSI in detail. In this paper, we indicate that the effect of sunspot groups on total irradiance may depend on their type in the Zürich classification system and/or their evolution, and on their magnetic configuration. Some uncertainties in the data and other effects are also discussed.     

Comparison of the observed and modeled low- to mid-latitude thermosphere response to magnetic activity: Effects of solar cycle and disturbance time delay

The performance of JB2008 and NRLMSISE-00 models, in describing the response of the thermosphere to magnetic activity are evaluated against total mass density retrieved from accelerometer measurements made onboard CHAMP satellite during 5 years. We show that the global low- to mid-latitude disturbance amplitude is correctly described by the JB2008 model for low solar activity conditions and by both the JB2008 and the NRLMSISE-00 models for high solar activity conditions. For low solar activity conditions, statistics based on almost 3 years of data confirm the large underestimation by the NRLMSISE-00 model quantified by Lathuillère et al. (2008) for the year 2004. We also found that the time delay between low- to mid-latitude global thermosphere disturbance and magnetic activity is statistically well estimated by the NRLMSISE-00 and JB2008 models for disturbed conditions. For moderately disturbed conditions however, the time delay estimated by the JB2008 model is too large by about 3 h. For very disturbed conditions, we found different time delays during day-time and night-time, using new geomagnetic proxies with a 30-min time resolution.     

Heliogeophysical factors at time of death determine lifespan for people who die of cardiovascular diseases

The aim of the study is to explore whether age at death from cardiovascular diseases depends on solar and geomagnetic activities. The data were collected for 1970–1978 in Novosibirsk, West Siberia, for industrial workers of Siberian origin. The Spearman correlations are computed between linearly detrended lifespan and daily or monthly physical variables to establish immediate (lag, L = 0), delayed (L = 1–3 days) and cumulative (L = ±30 days) influences. Significant correlations ranging from r = −0.26 to r = −0.30 for L from 0 to 3, respectively, are found for men between solar radio flux at wavelength 10.7 cm and age at death from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but not from acute heart failure, ischemic heart disease and stroke. For AMI, women’s longevity displays an opposite (direct) association with the average solar character occurred at the calendar month of death. The index of geomagnetic activity, Ap, exhibits inverse association with longevity for the AMI stratum for both sexes. GLM univariate procedure revealed higher contribution of Ap to the variance of lifespan compared to season of death. The individual age at death susceptibility to cosmic influences is found to depend upon solar activity at year of birth. It is concluded that associations between the lifespan for cardiovascular decedents and the indices of solar and geomagnetic activities at time of death and of birth are cause-of-death- and sex-specific.     

飞机性能样机技术及体系研究

为了应对飞机复杂度大幅提升所带来的性能仿真瓶颈问题,从飞机系统综合和协同仿真的需求出发,结合数字样机技术和分析仿真技术的发展趋势,系统阐述了飞机性能样机的基本概念、特征和分类方法,研究和分析了性能样机技术的主要特征、关键技术和应用前景,并在此基础上给出了飞机性能样机技术体系建设的总体框架。     

Spin-stabilized satellite magnetic attitude control scheme without initial detumbling

The angular motion of an axisymmetrical satellite equipped with an active magnetic attitude control system is considered. The dynamics of the satellite are analytically studied on the whole control loop. The control loop is as follows: preliminary reorientation along with nutation damping, spinning about the axis of symmetry, then precise reorientation of the axis of symmetry in inertial space. Reorientation starts right after separation from the launch vehicle. Active magnetic attitude control system time-response with respect to its parameters is analyzed. It is proven that low-inclined orbit forces low control system time-response. Comparison with the common control scheme shows the time-response gain. Numerical analysis of the disturbances effect is carried out and good pointing accuracy is proved.     

迭代MoM—PO混合方法分析电大载体上多天线系统的辐射特性

各类金属载体上线天线的特性分析具有很重要的实用价值。文章取线天线为矩量法区，电大载体为物理光学法区，将载体对线天线的影响用物理光学法电流合并到矩量法区，使矩量法解决天线．载体系统成为可能。结果表明，混合方法能够快速有效地分析电大尺寸载体上多天线系统的辐射特性。     

Response of Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants to low-let ionizing radiation: Growth and oxidative stress

The scenarios for the long-term habitation of space platforms and planetary stations involve plants as fundamental part of Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) to support the crew needs. Several constraints may limit plant growth in space: among them ionizing radiation is recognized to severely affect plant cell at morphological, physiological and biochemical level. In this work, plants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. were subjected to four different doses of X-rays (0.3, 10, 50 and 100 Gy) in order to assess the effects of ionizing radiation on this species and to analyze possible mechanisms carried out to overcome the radiation injuries. The effects of X-rays on plant growth were assessed by measuring stem elongation, number of internodes and leaf dry weight. The integrity of photosynthetic apparatus was evaluated by photosynthetic pigment composition and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) activity, whereas changes in total antioxidant pool and glutathione S transferase activity (GST) were utilized as markers of oxidative stress. The distribution of phenolic compounds in leaf tissues as natural shielding against radiation was also determined.Irradiation of plants at 0.3 and 10 Gy did not determine differences in all considered parameters as compared to control. On the contrary, at 50 and 100 Gy a reduction of plant growth and a decrease in photosynthetic pigment content, as well as an increase in phenolic compounds and a decrease in total antioxidant content and GST activity were found. Only a slight reduction of Rubisco activity in leaves irradiated at 50 and 100 Gy was found. The overall results indicate P. vulgaris as a species with a good potential to face ionizing radiation and suggest its suitability for utilization in BLSSs.     

Scientific requirements for future spatially resolved white-light and broad-band high-cadence observations of the Sun

Several important issues are open in the field of solar variability and they wait their solution which up to now was attempted using critical ground-based instrumentations. However, accurate photometric data are attainable only from space. New observational material should be collected with high enough spatial and spectral resolution, covering the whole visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum as well infrared and ultraviolet to reconstruct the total solar irradiance: (1) the absolute contributions of different small-scale structural entities of the solar atmosphere from the white light flares and from micro-flares are still poorly known; (2) we do not know the absolute contributions of different structural elements of the solar atmosphere to the long-term and to the cyclic variations of the solar irradiance, including features of the polar regions of the Sun; (3) the variations of the chromospheric magnetic network are still poorly evaluated; (4) only scarce information is available about the spectral variations of different small-scale features in the high photosphere. Variability of the Sun in white light can be studied with higher spectral, spatial and time resolution using space-born telescopes, which are more appropriate for this purpose than ground based observatories because of better seeing conditions, no interference of the terrestrial atmosphere and a more precise calibration procedure. Scientific requirements for such observations and the possible experimental tools proposed for their solution. Suggested solar studies have broader astrophysical importance.     

Even–odd cycle parity in complexity of hemispheric sunspot activity

We have used the Lempel–Ziv measure to describe the complexity in sunspot activity during the solar cycles 18–23. In particular, we examined the time series of daily sunspot numbers in the northern and southern hemispheres in each of the six cycles and calculated the Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC) value for each time series. Our results indicate that in the even cycles, the LZC values of the sunspot numbers in the two hemispheres are very close to each other, whereas in the odd cycles they differ significantly between the two hemispheres. We also find that within each hemisphere the LZC varies from cycle to cycle. This even–odd cycle parity reflects the variations in inter-hemispheric strengths of the solar magnetic field leading to different temporal distributions of sunspots in the two hemispheres. The degree of complexity may influence the predictability of sunspot activity in the two hemispheres during the various cycles. Although the physical implication of the results is not clear, these results may stimulate new ideas into modeling the complex dynamics of the solar dynamo.     

Intermediate-term periodicities in relativistic solar electron fluences during solar cycles 22 and 23

In this paper, we have investigated the intermediate-term periodicities of the relativistic (E > 10 MeV) solar electron flares measured by IMP-8 satellite of NASA for the time period of 1986–2001. This period of investigation includes the entire solar cycle 22; ascending, maximum and a part of descending phase of the current solar cycle 23. To determine accurately the occurrence rate of electron flux, we have employed three different spectral decomposition techniques, viz. fast Fourier transformation (FFT); maximum entropy method (MEM) and Lomb–Scargle periodogram analysis method. For solar cycle 22, in the low frequency range, power spectrum analysis exhibits statistically significant periodicities at ∼706, ∼504 and ∼392 days. In the intermediate frequency range, we have found a series of significant periodicities ∼294, ∼221, ∼153, ∼86, ∼73 and ∼66 days. For short term, periodicities of ∼21–23, ∼31 and ∼37 days were found in power spectrum. When solar cycle 23 is considered the significant periodicities are ∼20, ∼23, ∼29, ∼39, ∼54, ∼63, ∼118, ∼133 and ∼154 days. These results provide evidence that the best known Rieger period (∼153 days), appeared in the high energetic electron flux data for cycle 22 and also likely during maxima of cycle 23. The existence of these periodicities has been discussed in the light of earlier results.