The global response of relativistic radiation belt electrons to the January 1997 magnetic cloud

In January 1997 a large fleet of NASA and US military satellites provided the most complete observations to date of the changes in \u3e2 MeV electrons during a geomagnetic storm. Observations at geosynchronous orbit revealed a somewhat unusual two-peaked enhancement in relativistic electron fluxes [ Reeves et al., 1998]. In the heart of the radiation belts at L ≈ 4, however, there was a single enhancement followed by a gradual decay. Radial profiles from the POLAR and GPS satellites revealed three distinct phases. (1) In the acceleration phase electron fluxes increased simultaneously at L ≈ 4–6. (2) During the passage of the cloud the radiation belts were shifted radially outward and then relaxed earthward. (3) For several days after the passage of the cloud the radial gradient of the fluxes flattened, increasing the fluxes at higher L-shells. These observations provide evidence that the acceleration of relativistic electrons takes place within the radiation belts and is rapid. Both magnetospheric compression and radial diffusion can cause a redistribution of electron fluxes within the magnetosphere that make the event profiles appear quite different when viewed at different L-shells

Recurrent geomagnetic storms and relativistic electron enhancements in the outer magnetosphere: ISTP coordinated measurements

New, coordinated measurements from the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) constellation of spacecraft are presented to show the causes and effects of recurrent geomagnetic activity during recent solar minimum conditions. It is found using WIND and POLAR data that even for modest geomagnetic storms, relativistic electron fluxes are strongly and rapidly enhanced within the outer radiation zone of the Earth\u27s magnetosphere. Solar wind data are utilized to identify the drivers of magnetospheric acceleration processes. Yohkoh solar soft X-ray data are also used to identify the solar coronal holes that produce the high-speed solar wind streams which, in turn, cause the recurrent geomagnetic activity. It is concluded that even during extremely quiet solar conditions (sunspot minimum) there are discernible coronal holes and resultant solar wind streams which can produce intense magnetospheric particle acceleration. As a practical consequence of this Sun-Earth connection, it is noted that a long-lasting E\u3e1MeV electron event in late March 1996 appears to have contributed significantly to a major spacecraft (Anik E1) operational failure

Results of X-ray and optical monitoring of SCO X-1

Sco X-1 was monitored at optical and X-ray wavelengths from 1970 April 26 to 1970 May 21. The optical observations were made at six observatories around the world and the X-ray observations were made by the Vela satellites. There was a tendency for the object to show greater variability in X-ray when the object is optically bright. A discussion of the intensity histograms is presented for both the optical and X-ray observations. No evidence for optical or X-ray periodicity was detected

Relativistic electrons in the outer-zone: An 11 year cycle, their relation to the solar wind

We examine Los Alamos energetic electron data from 1979 through the present to show long term trends in the trapped relativistic electron populations at geosynchronous-earth-orbit (GEO). Data is examined from several CPA and SOPA instruments to cover the interval from 1979 through June 1994. It is shown that the higher energy electrons fluxes (E > 300 keV) displayed a cycle of {approx}11 years. In agreement with other investigators, we also show that the relativistic electron cycle is out of phase with the sunspot cycle. We compare the occurrences of relativistic electrons and solar wind high speed streams and determine that on the time scale of 15 years the two do not correlate well. The long-term data set we provide here shows a systematic change of the electron energy spectrum during the course of the solar cycle. This information should be useful to magnetospheric scientists, model designers and space flight planners

Recurrent Geomagnetic Storms and Relativistic Electron Enhancements in the Outer Magnetosphere: ISTP Coordinated Measurements

New, coordinated measurements from the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) constellation of spacecraft are presented to show the causes and effects of recurrent geomagnetic activity during recent solar minimum conditions. It is found using WIND and POLAR data that even for modest geomagnetic storms, relativistic electron fluxes are strongly and rapidly enhanced within the outer radiation zone of the Earth\u27s magnetosphere. Solar wind data are utilized to identify the drivers of magnetospheric acceleration processes. Yohkoh solar soft X-ray data are also used to identify the solar coronal holes that produce the high-speed solar wind streams which, in turn, cause the recurrent geomagnetic activity. It is concluded that even during extremely quiet solar conditions (sunspot minimum) there are discernible coronal holes and resultant solar wind streams which can produce intense magnetospheric particle acceleration. As a practical consequence of this Sun-Earth connection, it is noted that a long-lasting E\u3e1MeV electron event in late March 1996 appears to have contributed significantly to a major spacecraft (Anik E1) operational failure

Observations of magnetospheric substorms occurring with no apparent solar wind/IMF trigger

An outstanding topic in magnetospheric physics is whether substorms are always externally triggered by disturbances in either the interplanetary magnetic field or solar wind, or whether they can also occur solely as the result of an internal magnetospheric instability. Over the past decade, arguments have been made on both sides of this issue. Horwitz and McPherron have shown examples of substorm onsets which they claimed were not externally triggered. However, as pointed out by Lyons, there are several problems associated with these studies that make their results somewhat inconclusive. In particular, in the McPherron et al. study, fluctuations in the B{sub y} component were not considered as possible triggers. Furthermore, Lyons suggests that the sharp decreases in the AL index during intervals of steady IMF/solar wind, are not substorms at all but rather that they are just enhancements of the convection driven DP2 current system that are often observed to occur during steady magnetospheric convection events. In the present study, we utilize a much more comprehensive dataset (consisting of particle data from the Los Alamos energetic particle detectors at geosynchronous orbit, IMP 8 magnetometer and plasma data, Viking UV auroral imager data, mid-latitude Pi2 pulsation data, ground magnetometer data and ISEE1 magnetic field and energetic particle data) to show as unambiguously as possible that typical substorms can indeed occur in the absence of an identifiable trigger in the solar wind/IMF

Lunar surface outgassing and alpha particle measurements

The Lunar Prospector Alpha Particle Spectrometer (LP APS) searched for lunar surface gas release events and mapped their distribution by detecting alpha particle?; produced by the decay of gaseous radon-222 (5.5 MeV, 3.8 day half-life), solid polonium-2 18 (6.0 MeV, 3 minute half-life), and solid polonium-210 (5.3 MeV, 138 day half-life, but held up in production by the 21 year half-life of lead-210). These three nuclides are radioactive daughters from the decay of uranium-238

Hard X-ray Bursts Detected by the IBIS Telescope Onboard the INTEGRAL Observatory in 2003-2004

All of the observations performed with the IBIS telescope onboard the INTEGRAL observatory during the first one and a half years of its in-orbit operation (from February 10, 2003, through July 2, 2004) have been analyzed to find X-ray bursts. IBIS/ISGRI detector lightcurves total count rate in the energy range 15-25 keV revealed 1077 bursts of durations from ~5 to ~500 s detected with a high statistical significance (only one event over the entire period of observations could be detected by a chance with a probability of 20%). Apart from the events associated with cosmic gamma-ray bursts (detected in the field of view or passed through the IBIS shield), solar flares, and activity of the soft gamma repeater SGR1806-20, we were able to localize 105 bursts and, with one exception, to identify them with previously known persistent or transient X-ray sources (96 were identified with known X-ray bursters). In one case, the burst source was a new burster in a low state. We named it IGR J17364-2711. Basic parameters of the localized bursts and their identifications are presented in the catalog of bursts. Curiously enough, 61 bursts were detected from one X-ray burster - GX 354-0. The statistical distributions of bursts in duration, maximum flux, and recurrence time have been analyzed for this source. Some of the bursts observed with the IBIS/ISGRI telescope were also detected by the JEM-X telescope onboard the INTEGRAL observatory in the standard X-ray energy range 3-20 keV.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figure

MicroRNAs Up-Regulated by CagA of Helicobacter pylori Induce Intestinal Metaplasia of Gastric Epithelial Cells

CagA of Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium-derived oncogenic protein closely associated with the development of gastric cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of widespread non-coding RNAs, many of which are involved in cell growth, cell differentiation and tumorigenesis. The relationship between CagA protein and miRNAs is unclear. Using mammalian miRNA profile microarrays, we found that miRNA-584 and miRNA-1290 expression was up-regulated in CagA-transformed cells, miRNA-1290 was up-regulated in an Erk1/2-dependent manner, and miRNA-584 was activated by NF-κB. miRNA-584 sustained Erk1/2 activities through inhibition of PPP2a activities, and miRNA-1290 activated NF-κB by knockdown of NKRF. Foxa1 was revealed to be an important target of miRNA-584 and miRNA-1290. Knockdown of Foxa1 promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition significantly. Overexpression of miRNA-584 and miRNA-1290 induced intestinal metaplasia of gastric epithelial cells in knock-in mice. These results indicate that miRNA-584 and miRNA-1290 interfere with cell differentiation and remodel the tissues. Thus, the miRNA pathway is a new pathogenic mechanism of CagA