Laser ranging retro-reflector: continuing measurements and expected results

After successful acquisition in August of reflected ruby laser pulses from the Apollo 11 laser ranging retro-reflector (LRRR) with the telescopes at the Lick and McDonald observatories, repeated measurements of the round-trip travel time of light have been made from the McDonald Observatory in September with an equivalent range precision of +/-2.5 meters. These acquisition period observations demonstrated the performance of the LRRR through lunar night and during sunlit conditions on the moon. Instrumentation activated at the McDonald Observatory in October has yielded a precision of +/-0.3 meter, and improvement to +/-0.15 meter is expected shortly. Continued monitoring of the changes in the earth-moon distance as measured by the round-trip travel time of light from suitably distributed earth stations is expected to contribute to our knowledge of the earth-moon system.     

International sun-Earth explorer: a three-spacecraft program

The International Sun-Earth Explorer is a three-spacecraft program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency aimed at securing a more quantitative knowledge of the structure and stability of the magnetosphere. One spacecraft (ISEE-C) makes observations in the solar wind upstream of the earth, while the other two (ISEE-A and ISEE-B), in the same highly eccentric orbit but separated by a relatively small variable distance, observe inside the magnetosphere. This international program is concurrent with the International Magnetospheric Study, to which ISEE-A and ISEE-C form a large U.S. contribution. The scientific aims and technological methods are discussed.     

The galileo venus encounter

The Galileo spacecraft passed Venus on its way to Jupiter on 10 February 1990, less than 4 months after launch from Earth aboard the shuttle Atlantis. Because Galileo's instruments were selected for broad-based planetary exploration, the spacecraft was able to obtain a wide range of measurements during the Venus encounter. Together with ground-based observations conducted during the encounter, these observations have yielded more accurate information about the planet's plasma environment, cloud patterns, and the possible existence of lightning.     

Polar motion from laser tracking of artificial satellites

Measurements of the range to the Beacon Explorer C spacecraft from a single laser tracking system at Goddard Space Flight Center have been used to determine the change in latitude of the station arising from polar motion. A precision of 0.03 arc second was obtained for the latitude during a 5-month period in 1970.     

Ulysses radio and plasma wave observations at high southern heliographic latitudes

Ulysses spacecraft radio and plasma wave observations indicate that some variations in the intensity and occurrence rate of electric and magnetic wave events are functions of heliographic latitude, distance from the sun, and phase of the solar cycle. At high heliographic latitudes, solartype Ill radio emissions did not descend to the local plasma frequency, in contrast to the emission frequencies of some bursts observed in the ecliptic. Short-duration bursts of electrostatic and electromagnetic waves were often found in association with depressions in magnetic field amplitude, known as magnetic holes. Extensive wave activity observed in magnetic clouds may exist because of unusually large electron-ion temperature ratios. The lower number of intense in situ wave events at high latitudes was likely due to the decreased variability of the high- latitude solar wind.     

Long-term downward trend in total solar irradiance

The first 5 years (from 1980 to 1985) of total solar irradiance observations by the first Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM I) experiment on board the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft show a clearly defined downward trend of -0.019% per year. The existence of this trend has been confirmed by the internal self-calibrations of ACRIM I, by independent measurements from sounding rockets and balloons, and by observations from the Nimbus-7 spacecraft. The trend appears to be due to unpredicted variations of solar luminosity on time scales of years, and it may be related to solar cycle magnetic activity.     

Electron plasma oscillations upstream of the solar wind termination shock

Electron plasma oscillations have been detected upstream of the solar wind termination shock by the plasma wave instrument on the Voyager 1 spacecraft. These waves were first observed on 11 February 2004, at a heliocentric radial distance of 91.0 astronomical units, and continued sporadically with a gradually increasing occurrence rate for nearly a year. The last event occurred on 15 December 2004, at 94.1 astronomical units, just before the spacecraft crossed the termination shock. Since then, no further electron plasma oscillations have been observed, consistent with the spacecraft having crossed the termination shock into the heliosheath.     

Very long baseline interferometric observations made with an orbiting radio telescope

An orbiting spacecraft and ground observatories have been used to obtain interferometric observations of cosmic radio sources. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) was used as the orbiting observatory in conjunction with two 64- meter radio telescopes at ground observatories, one in Australia and one in Japan. The quasars 1730-130 (NRAO 530), 1510-089, and 1741-038 were observed at a frequency of 2.3 gigahertz, and a maximum projected baseline of 1.4 earth diameters was achieved. All quasar observations for which valid data were acquired resulted in detected fringes. Many of the techniques proposed for a dedicated very long baseline interferometry observatory in space were used successfully in this experiment.     

A Magnetic Signature at Io: Initial Report from the Galileo Magnetometer

During the inbound pass of the Galileo spacecraft, the magnetometer acquired 1 minute averaged measurements of the magnetic field along the trajectory as the spacecraft flew by Io. A field decrease, of nearly 40 percent of the background jovian field at closest approach to Io, was recorded. Plasma sources alone appear incapable of generating perturbations as large as those observed and an induced source for the observed moment implies an amount of free iron in the mantle much greater than expected. On the other hand, an intrinsic magnetic field of amplitude consistent with dynamo action at Io would explain the observations. It seems plausible that Io, like Earth and Mercury, is a magnetized solid planet.     

几种丛生竹叶性状随冠层高度的垂直变化规律

[目的]了解几种丛生竹叶的平均叶面积(MLA)、比叶面积(SLA)和叶干物质含量(LDMC)沿冠层高度的垂直变化规律。[方法]对福建农林大学百竹园内12种丛生竹不同冠层高度叶片MLA、SLA和LDMC进行调查,分析丛生竹不同冠层MLA、SLA和LDMC的垂直空间结构与差异。[结果]不同丛生竹的上、中、下冠层MLA与LDMC变化较小,SLA变化较大,MLA与LDMC均以唐竹最高(上、中、下冠层MLA均值分别为26.0、33.7、27.4 cm~2;LDMC分别为766.0、814.8、792.4 m~2/kg),LDMC以大黄苦竹最低(上、中、下冠层分别为528.4、548.5、479.0 mg/g);SLA均以高节竹最高(上、中、下冠层分别为629.0、284.9、440.7 m~2/kg);同竹种不同冠层间MLA差异不显著(P0.05);除白哺鸡竹外,其他11种竹种3个冠层间的SLA差异不显著(P0.05)。[结论]光照、水分资源及养分在冠层不同高度的分配,共同导致MLA、SLA和LDMC沿冠层垂直方向发生变化。     

Mariner 10 venus encounter

The Mariner 10 spacecraft encountered Venus at 1701 G.M.T. on 5 February 1974. The preplanned encounter science sequence was executed satisfactorily, accomplishing all objectives despite a number of spacecraft problems that had occurred in the early phases of the flight. Seven experiments were conducted, including observations of the solar wind interaction region, extreme ultraviolet and infrared emissions, radio occultation, and imaging.     

Plasma observations at venus with galileo

Plasma measurements were obtained with the Galileo spacecraft during an approximately 3.5-hour interval in the vicinity of Venus on 10 February 1990. Several crossings of the bow shock in the local dawn sector were recorded before the spacecraft passed into the solar wind upstream from this planet. Although observations of ions of the solar wind and the postshock magnetosheath plasmas were not possible owing to the presence of a sunshade for thermal protection of the instrument, solar wind densities and bulk speeds were determined from the electron velocity distributions. A magnetic field-aligned distribution of hotter electrons or ;;strahl' was also found in the solar wind. Ions streaming into the solar wind from the bow shock were detected. Electron heating at the bow shock, 相似文献   

Optical environment in gemini space flights

The optical environment of spacecraft is discussed in terms of sky luminance, spacecraft corona, spacecraft scattered light, and glare sources. Rocket data show that sky luminance is not normally a significant factor; that spacecraft corona may be important at times; and that scattering from spacecraft protrusions and glare sources may be very significant. The range of effects for the scattered light sources is very broad and will depend on spacecraft geometry. An alternative approach in terms of primary sources is used to emphasize the overriding importance of sunlight scattered directly or indirectly.     

Evidence of a global magma ocean in Io's interior

Extensive volcanism and high-temperature lavas hint at a global magma reservoir in Io, but no direct evidence has been available. We exploited Jupiter's rotating magnetic field as a sounding signal and show that the magnetometer data collected by the Galileo spacecraft near Io provide evidence of electromagnetic induction from a global conducting layer. We demonstrate that a completely solid mantle provides insufficient response to explain the magnetometer observations, but a global subsurface magma layer with a thickness of over 50 kilometers and a rock melt fraction of 20% or more is fully consistent with the observations. We also place a stronger upper limit of about 110 nanoteslas (surface equatorial field) on the dynamo dipolar field generated inside Io.     

萘乙酸处理桉树插条后多酚氧化酶活性及同工酶变化与插条生根的关系

尾叶桉MLA无性系（简称MLA）为难生根植物，尾叶桉U6无性系（简称U6）和刚果12号桉W5无性系（简称W5）为相对易生根植物。MLA插条内的PPO活性比U6、W5的低。用萘乙酸（NAA）处理桉树的插条后，在扦插生根的不同阶段，插条内的PPO活性呈现规律性的变化。蛋白质含量呈上升趋势。文章讨论了多酚氧化酶与桉树插条生根的关系。     

A sporadic third layer in the ionosphere of Mars

The daytime martian ionosphere has been observed as a two-layer structure with electron densities that peak at altitudes between about 110 and 130 kilometers. The Mars Express Orbiter Radio Science Experiment on the European Mars Express spacecraft observed, in 10 out of 120 electron density profiles, a third ionospheric layer at altitude ranges of 65 to 110 kilometers, where electron densities, on average, peaked at 0.8 x 10(10) per cubic meter. Such a layer has been predicted to be permanent and continuous. Its origin has been attributed to ablation of meteors and charge exchange of magnesium and iron. Our observations imply that this layer is present sporadically and locally.     

Atmosphere of venus: implications of venera 8 sunlight measurements

Venera 8 measurements of solar illumination within the atmnosphere of Venus are quantitatively analyzed by using a multilayer model atmosphere. The analysis shows that there are at least three different scattering layers it the atmosphere of Venus and the total cloud optical thickness is [unknown] 10. However, because of the nature of the observations it is not possible to determine the vertical distributiont of absorbed solar energy, which would reveal the drive for the atmospheric dynamics and the strength of the greenhouse effect. Future spacecraft observations should be designed to (i) measure both upward and downward solar fluxes, (ii) include measurements of the highest clold lavers. and (iii) employ narrow-band and broad-banzd sensors.     

Galileo ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: initial venus and interplanetary cruise results

The Galileo Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer obtained a spectrum of Venus atmospheric emissions in the 55.0- to 125.0-nanometer (nm) wavelength region. Emissions of helium (58.4 nm), ionized atomic oxygen (83.4 nm), and atomic hydrogen (121.6 nm), as well as a blended spectral feature of atomic hydrogen (Lyman-beta) and atomic oxygen (102.5 nm), were observed at 3.5-nm resolution. During the Galileo spacecraft cruise from Venus to Earth, Lyman-alpha emission from solar system atomic hydrogen (121.6 nm) was measured. The dominant source of the Lyman-alpha emission is atomic hydrogen from the interstellar medium. A model of Galileo observations at solar maximum indicates a decrease in the solar Lyman-alpha flux near the solar poles. A strong day-to-day variation also occurs with the 27-day periodicity of the rotation of the sun.     

Lunar tidal acceleration determined from laser range measures

Lunar laser range measures covering the period 1969 to 1976 have been used to determine the anomalous secular acceleration in the mean longitude of the moon, commonly attributed to the effect of tidal friction in the earth. The acceleration determined is -24.6 +/- 1.6 arc seconds per century squared, against an atomic time scale, where the uncertainty is the formal standard deviation of the solution. The realistic uncertainty is surely larger, as evidenced by the ensemble of solutions performed with various models and observation sets. The determined value is in good agreement with the conventional value and with several recent determinations by other methods. An attempt to determine the rate of change of the mean distance, essential for separating the tidal effect from a time variation of the gravitational constant, yielded no significant result, because the observations still span too short a time.