KORTES Mission for Solar Activity Monitoring Onboard International Space Station

peer reviewedWe present a description of the recent advances in the development of the KORTES assembly—the first solar oriented mission designed for the Russian segment of the International Space Station. KORTES consists of several imaging and spectroscopic instruments collectively covering a wide spectral range extending from extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths to X-rays. The EUV telescopes inside KORTES will trace the origin and dynamics of various solar phenomena, e.g., flares, CMEs, eruptions etc. EUV spectra provided by grazing-incidence spectroheliographs will enable precise DEM-diagnostics during these events. The monochromatic X-ray imager will observe the formation of hot plasma in active regions and outside them. The SolpeX module inside KORTES will offer an opportunity to measure fluxes, Doppler shifts and polarization of soft X-ray emission both in lines and continuum. SolpeX observations will contribute to studies of particle beams and chromospheric evaporation. The instrumentation of KORTES will employ a variety of novel multilayer and crystal optics. The deployment of KORTES is planned for 2024

A simple mechanistic model of the invasive species Heracleum sosnowskyi propagule dispersal by wind

Background Invasive species are one of the key elements of human-mediated ecosystem degradation and ecosystem services impairment worldwide. Dispersal of propagules is the first stage of plant species spread and strongly influences the dynamics of biological invasion. Therefore, distance prediction for invasive species spread is critical for invasion management. Heracleum sosnowskyi is one of the most dangerous invasive species with wind-dispersed propagules (seeds) across Eastern Europe. This study developed a simple mechanistic model for H. sosnowskyi propagule dispersal and their distances with an accuracy comparable to that of empirical measurements. Methods We measured and compared the propagule traits (terminal velocity, mass, area, and wing loading) and release height for H. sosnowskyi populations from two geographically distant regions of European Russia. We tested two simple mechanistic models: a ballistic model and a wind gradient model using identical artificial propagules. The artificial propagules were made of colored paper with a mass, area, wing loading, and terminal velocity close to those of natural H. sosnowskyi mericarps. Results The wind gradient model produced the best results. The first calculations of maximum possible propagule transfer distance by wind using the model and data from weather stations showed that the role of wind as a vector of long-distance dispersal for invasive Heracleum species was strongly underestimated. The published dataset with H. sosnowskyi propagule traits and release heights allows for modeling of the propagules’ dispersal distances by wind at any geographical point within their entire invasion range using data from the closest weather stations. The proposed simple model for the prediction of H. sosnowskyi propagule dispersal by wind may be included in planning processes for managing invasion of this species

Distribution of the invasive plant species Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden. in the Komi Republic (Russia)

Volume: 77Start Page: 71End Page: 8

Traits of Heracleum sosnowskyi Plants in Monostand on Invaded Area.

The ability of giant hogweeds to form monodominant communities and even pure monostands in invaded areas has been well documented. Understanding of the mechanisms leading to monostand formation can aid in determining the limitations of existing community ecology models and establishing an effective management plan for invasive species elimination. The aim of this observational study was to investigate traits of Heracleum sosnowskyi plants (demography, canopy structure, morphology and physiology) of the plants in a pure stand in an invaded area useful for understanding potential monostand formation mechanisms. All measurements were performed in one typical Heracleum sosnowskyi monostand located in an abandoned agriculture field located in Syktyvkar city suburb (North-east Russia). This monostand consisted of five main plant growth stages: seed, seedling, juvenile, vegetative adult, and generative adult. Plants of all stages began to grow simultaneously shortly after the snowmelt, at the same time as spring ephemeral plant species grew. The density of generative plants did not change during the vegetation period, but the density of the other plant stages rapidly decreased after the formation of a tall (up to 2-2.5 m) and dense (Leaf area index up to 6.5) canopy. The canopy captured approximately 97% of the light. H. sosnowskyi showed high (several orders of magnitude higher than average taiga zone grasses) photosynthetic water use efficiency (6-7 μM CO2/μM H2O). Formation of H. sosnowskyi monostands occurs primarily in disturbed areas with relatively rich and well-moistened soils. Early commencement of growth, rapid formation of a dense canopy, high efficiency of light and water use during photosynthesis, ability of young plants to survive in low light conditions, rapid recovery of above-ground plant parts after damage, and the high density of the soil seed bank are the most important traits of H. sosnowskyi plants for monostand formation in invaded areas

Nd_2−xSr_xNiO₄ Solid Solutions: Synthesis, Structure and Enhanced Catalytic Properties of Their Reduction Products in the Dry Reforming of Methane

Solid solutions Nd2−xSrxNiO4±δ (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.2, 1.4) with a K2NiF4 structure can be obtained from freeze-dried precursors. The end members of this series can be obtained at T ≥ 1000 °C only, while complex oxides with x = 1; 1.5 are formed at T ≥ 700 °C. Thermal analysis revealed the two stages of Nd2−xSrxNiO4±δ thermal reduction in a 10%H2/Ar gas mixture that was completed at 900 °C. For x 1 revealed the outstanding catalytic activity and selectivity in the dry reforming of the methane (DRM) reaction at 800 °C with CH4 conversion close to the thermodynamic values. The appearance of two different maxima of the catalytic properties of Ni/(Nd2O3,SrCO3) nanocomposites could be affiliated with the domination of the positive contributions of Nd2O3 and SrCO3, respectively

Ni/(R2O3,CaO) Nanocomposites Produced by the Exsolution of R1.5Ca0.5NiO4 Nickelates (R = Nd, Sm, Eu): Rare Earth Effect on the Catalytic Performance in the Dry Reforming and Partial Oxidation of Methane

In order to clarify the role of R2O3 in the metal-oxide catalysts derived from complex oxide precursors, a series of R1.5Ca0.5NiO4 (R = Nd, Sm, Eu) complex oxides was obtained. A significant systematic increase in the orthorhombic distortion of the R1.5Ca0.5NiO4 structure (K2NiF4 type, Cmce) from Nd to Eu correlates with a corresponding decrease in their ionic radii. A reduction of R1.5Ca0.5NiO4 in the Ar/H2 gas mixture at 800 °C causes a formation of dense agglomerates of CaO and R2O3 coated with spherical 25–30 nm particles of Ni metal. The size of metal particles and oxide agglomerates is similar in all Ni/(R2O3,CaO) composites in the study. Their morphology is rather similar to the products of redox exsolution obtained by the partial reduction of complex oxides. All obtained composites demonstrated a significant catalytic activity in the dry reforming (DRM) and partial oxidation (POM) of methane at 700–800 °C. A systematic decrease in the DRM catalytic activity of composites from Nd to Eu could be attributed to the basicity reduction of R2O3 components of the composite catalysts. The maximum CH4 conversion in POM reaction was observed for Ni/(Sm2O3,CaO), while the maximum selectivity was demonstrated by Nd2O3-based composite. The possible reasons for the observed difference are discussed

Light irradiation regime in a <i>H</i>. <i>sosnowskyi</i> monostand (July, 2012).

<p>VS: light of the visible spectrum, PAR: photosynthetically active radiation (400–700 nm waveband); UV: ultraviolet radiation; symbols “a”, “b”, “c” designate the same groups in table columns segregated by Duncan's new multiple range test with a significance level at 0.05.</p