Materials of the final reports on the joint Soviet-American experiment on the Kosmos-936 biosatellite

Biological experiments onboard the Kosmos-936 investigated the effect of weightlessness on the basic components of cells, the genetic structure and energy apparatus. Genetic studies were made on the Drosophila melanogaster. Experiments were made on higher vegetation and fungi as well. The results indicate that weightlessness cannot be the principal barrier for normal development. An experiment with ectopic osteogenesis in weightlessness was carried out. Measurements were made of cosmic radiation inside and outside the biosatellite

Generation of neutrons in a nanosecond low-pressure discharge in deuterium

The neutron yield is measured in a high-voltage Townsend discharge in deuterium with a hollow cylinder made of tungsten or steel used as a polarizing anode of electrons. A flat metallic plate covered by a layer of deuterated zirconium is applied as a grounded cathode. The highest yield of neutrons in the reaction 2H(d,n)3He, ∼1.2 × 104 neutrons per pulse, is observed in the case of the tungsten anode at a deuterium pressure on the order of 100 Pa. The pulsed neutron flux duration estimated with data obtained from a scintillation detector is roughly equal to 1.5 ns

The formation and the study of a collection of the Miscanthus resource species gene pool in the conditions of the West Siberian forest steppe

Several species of the genus Miscanthus Anderss. (elephant grass) characterized by a high rate of growth of the aboveground vegetative mass are currently in the focus of attention due to their high practical application as a source of bioethanol and cellulose. The main goals of this study were: (1) molecular genetic identification and (2) histochemical analysis of the genus Miscanthus Anderss. species in the collection of Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS in order to identify the most perspective and technically valuable individuals. To study the collection of Miscanthus samples, a multi-disciplinary approach was applied. To collect the samples of different species from native habitats, traditional systematic and geobotanical methods (comparative morphological and phytocenological) were used. According to the results of the ISSR-analysis, 16 samples of three Miscanthus species were divided into two clades: Sinensis and Sacchariflorus, the former including two subclades. For the samples of M. purpurascens_I and II, a hybrid origin of this species was confirmed by ISSR data. The molecular data obtained from the study allowed us to hypothesize that the samples involved in the subclade I of the Sinensis clade could be used as donors of resistance to adverse environments, and the samples of the subclade II, as donors of high biomass productivity. Based on histochemical analysis, sclerenchyma cells were characterized by the most lignin-rich thickened membranes, so the most appropriate direction in Miscanthus selection should be based on identification and using less lignin-containing samples

Atmospheric electrification in dusty, reactive gases in the solar system and beyond

Detailed observations of the solar system planets reveal a wide variety of local atmospheric conditions. Astronomical observations have revealed a variety of extrasolar planets none of which resembles any of the solar system planets in full. Instead, the most massive amongst the extrasolar planets, the gas giants, appear very similar to the class of (young) Brown Dwarfs which are amongst the oldest objects in the universe. Despite of this diversity, solar system planets, extrasolar planets and Brown Dwarfs have broadly similar global temperatures between 300K and 2500K. In consequence, clouds of different chemical species form in their atmospheres. While the details of these clouds differ, the fundamental physical processes are the same. Further to this, all these objects were observed to produce radio and X-ray emission. While both kinds of radiation are well studied on Earth and to a lesser extent on the solar system planets, the occurrence of emission that potentially originate from accelerated electrons on Brown Dwarfs, extrasolar planets and protoplanetary disks is not well understood yet. This paper offers an interdisciplinary view on electrification processes and their feedback on their hosting environment in meteorology, volcanology, planetology and research on extrasolar planets and planet formation

Oxidation of Reduced Sulfur Species: Carbon Disulfide

Article on the oxidation of reduced sulfur species and carbon disulfide