Summary of ionizing radiation analysis on the Long Duration Exposure Facility

The ionizing radiation measurements flown on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) were contained in 15 experiments which utilized passive detectors to pursue objectives in astrophysics and to measure the radiation environment and dosimetric quantities. The spacecraft structure became sufficiently radioactive to permit additional important studies. The induced activity allows extensive radiation mapping in the structure, and independent comparison with experiment dosimetric techniques, and significant studies of secondary effects. The long exposure time, attitude stability, and number and types of measurements produced a unique and critical set of data for low Earth orbit that will not be duplicated for more than a decade. The data allow an unprecedented test, and improvement if required, of models of the radiation environment and the radiation transport methods that are used to calculate the internal radiation and its effects in spacecraft. Results of measurements in the experiments, as well as from radioactivity in the structure, have clearly shown effects from the directional properties of the radiation environment, and progress was made in the dosimetric mapping of LDEF. These measurements have already influenced some Space Station Freedom design requirements. Preliminary results from experiments, reported at this symposium and in earlier papers, show that the 5.8 years exposure considerably enhanced the scientific return of the radiation measurements. The early results give confidence that the experiments will make significant advances in the knowledge of ultra heavy cosmic rays, anomalous cosmic rays, and heavy ions trapped in the radiation belts. Unexpected phenomena were observed, which require explanation. These include stopping iron group ions between the energy ranges anticipated for anomalous and galactic cosmic rays in the LDEF orbit. A surprising concentration of the Be-7 nuclide was discovered on the 'front' surface of LDEF, apparently transported up from the stratosphere with exceptional efficiency

HEAO-A Observatory Description

The High Energy Astronomy Observatory Program is briefly described to introduce guest observers to the HEAO-A mission. Topics discussed include spacecraft subsystems, scientific instrumentation, and the mission operations concept. Scientific participants such as principal investigators and co-investigators are listed

An X-ray shadowgraph to locate transient high-energy celestial sources

A new technique has been developed to locate strong, transient X-ray sources such as the recently discovered gamma ray bursts. The instrument, termed a shadowgraph, locates sources by detecting the X-ray shadow cast by a large occulting mask pattern on an imaging detector. Angular resolutions of from 2 to 10 arc minutes are obtainable while essentially full sky coverage is maintained. The optimum energy range of operation is between 20 keV and 100 keV. The high efficiency X-ray imaging detectors, which make it possible to locate bursts with intensities down to approximately 10 photons/sq cm sec, are capable of detecting single 20 keV photons with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.2 mm. The detectors consist of an X-ray to optical conversion phosphor, a multistage image intensifier, and a CCD image readout

Induced radioactivity in LDEF components

A systematic study of the induced radioactivity of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is being carried out in order to gather information about the low earth orbit radiation environment and its effects on materials. The large mass of the LDEF spacecraft, its stabilized configuration, and long mission duration have presented an opportunity to determine space radiation-induced radioactivities with a precision not possible before. Data presented include preliminary activities for steel and aluminum structural samples, and activation subexperiment foils. Effects seen in the data show a clear indication of the trapped proton anisotropy in the South Atlantic Anomaly and suggest contributions from different sources of external radiation fluxes

Intersexual conflict influences female reproductive success in a female-dispersing primate

In group-living mammals, individual efforts to maximize reproductive success result in conflicts and compromises between the sexes. Females utilize counterstrategies to minimize the costs of sexual coercion by males, but few studies have examined the effect of such behaviors on female reproductive success. Secondary dispersal by females is rare among group-living mammals, but in western gorillas, it is believed to be a mate choice strategy to minimize infanticide risk and infant mortality. Previous research suggested that females choose males that are good protectors. However, how much female reproductive success varies depending on male competitive ability and whether female secondary dispersal leads to reproductive costs or benefits has not been examined. We used data on 100 females and 229 infants in 36 breeding groups from a 20-year long-term study of wild western lowland gorillas to investigate whether male tenure duration and female transfer rate had an effect on interbirth interval, female birth rates, and offspring mortality. We found that offspring mortality was higher near the end of males’ tenures, even after excluding potential infanticide when those males died, suggesting that females suffer a reproductive cost by being with males nearing the end of their tenures. Females experience a delay in breeding when they dispersed, having a notable effect on birth rates of surviving offspring per female if females transfer multiple times in their lives. This study exemplifies that female counterstrategies to mitigate the effects of male-male competition and sexual coercion may not be sufficient to overcome the negative consequences of male behavior

The interactions of atmospheric cosmogenic radionuclides with spacecraft surfaces

The discovery of the cosmogenic radionuclide Be-7 on the front surface of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft has opened opportunities to investigate new phenomena in several disciplines of space science. The experiments performed for this work show that the Be-7 results only if the source of the isotope is the atmosphere through which the spacecraft passed. We should expect that the uptake of beryllium in such circumstances will depend on the chemical form of the Be and the chemical nature of the substrate. It was found that the observed concentration of Be-7 does, in fact, differ between metal surfaces and organic surfaces such as PTFE (teflon). It is noted, however, that: (1) organic surfaces, even PTFE, are etched by the atomic oxygen found under these orbital conditions, and (2) the relative velocity of the species is 8 km(exp -1)s relative to the surface and the interaction chemistry and physics may differ from the norm. The Be-7 is formed by spallation of O and N nuclei under cosmic ray proton bombardment. The principal source region is at altitudes of 12-15 km. While very small quantities are produced above 300 km, the amount measured on the LDEF was 3 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than expected from production at orbital altitude. The most reasonable explanation is that Be-7 is rapidly transported from low altitudes by some unknown mechanism. The process must take place on a time scale similar to the half-life of the isotope (53 days). Many other isotopes are produced by cosmic ray reactions, and some of these are suited to measurement by the extremely sensitive methods of accelerator mass spectrometry. A program was initiated to search for these isotopes and it is hoped that such studies will provide new methods for studying mixing in the upper atmosphere

Induced activation study of LDEF

Analysis of the induced radioactivity of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is continuing with extraction of specific activities for various spacecraft materials. Data and results of activation measurements from eight facilities are being collected for interpretation at Eastern Kentucky University and NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center. The major activation mechanism in LDEF components is the proton flux in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). This flux is highly anisotropic, and could be sampled by taking advantage of the gravity-gradient stabilization of the LDEF. The directionally-dependent activation due to these protons was clearly observed in the data from aluminum experiment tray clamps (reaction product Na-22), steel trunnions (reaction product Mn-54 and others) and is also indicated by the presence of a variety of nuclides in other materials. A secondary production mechanism, thermal neutron capture, was observed in cobalt, indium, and tantalum, which are known to have large capture cross sections. Experiments containing samples of these metals and significant amounts of thermalizing low atomic number (Z) material showed clear evidence of enhanced activation of Co-60, In-114m, and Ta-182. Other mechanisms which activate spacecraft material that are not as easily separable from SAA proton activation, such as galactic proton bombardment and secondary production by fast neutrons, are being investigated by comparison to radiation environmental calculations. Deviations from one-dimensional radiation models indicate that these mechanisms are more important at greater shielding depths. The current status of the induced radioactivity measurements as of mid-year 1992 are reviewed. Specific activities for a number of materials which show SAA effects and thermal neutron capture are presented. The results for consistency by combining data from the participating institutions is also examined

Collection, analysis, and archival of LDEF activation data

The study of the induced radioactivity of samples intentionally placed aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and samples obtained from the LDEF structure is reviewed. The eight laboratories involved in the gamma-ray counting are listed and the scientists and the associated counting facilities are described. Presently, most of the gamma-ray counting has been completed and the spectra are being analyzed and corrected for efficiency and self absorption. The acquired spectra are being collected at Eastern Kentucky University for future reference. The results of these analyses are being compiled and reviewed for possible inconsistencies as well as for comparison with model calculations. These model calculations are being revised to include the changes in trapped-proton flux caused by the onset of the period of maximum solar activity and the rapidly decreasing spacecraft orbit. Tentative plans are given for the storage of the approximately 1000 gamma-ray spectra acquired in this study and the related experimental data

Solar Magnetic Tracking. IV. The Death of Magnetic Features

The removal of magnetic flux from the quiet-sun photosphere is important for maintaining the statistical steady-state of the magnetic field there, for determining the magnetic flux budget of the Sun, and for estimating the rate of energy injected into the upper solar atmosphere. Magnetic feature death is a measurable proxy for the removal of detectable flux. We used the SWAMIS feature tracking code to understand how nearly 20000 detected magnetic features die in an hour-long sequence of Hinode/SOT/NFI magnetograms of a region of quiet Sun. Of the feature deaths that remove visible magnetic flux from the photosphere, the vast majority do so by a process that merely disperses the previously-detected flux so that it is too small and too weak to be detected. The behavior of the ensemble average of these dispersals is not consistent with a model of simple planar diffusion, suggesting that the dispersal is constrained by the evolving photospheric velocity field. We introduce the concept of the partial lifetime of magnetic features, and show that the partial lifetime due to Cancellation of magnetic flux, 22 h, is 3 times slower than previous measurements of the flux turnover time. This indicates that prior feature-based estimates of the flux replacement time may be too short, in contrast with the tendency for this quantity to decrease as resolution and instrumentation have improved. This suggests that dispersal of flux to smaller scales is more important for the replacement of magnetic fields in the quiet Sun than observed bipolar cancellation. We conclude that processes on spatial scales smaller than those visible to Hinode dominate the processes of flux emergence and cancellation, and therefore also the quantity of magnetic flux that threads the photosphere.Comment: Accepted by Ap

A measurement of the cosmic ray elements C to Fe in the two energy intervals 0.5-2.0 GeV/n and 20-60 GeV/n

The study of the cosmic ray abundances beyond 20 GeV/n provides additional information on the propagation and containment of the cosmic rays in the galaxy. Since the average amount of interstellar material traversed by cosmic rays decreases as its energy increases, the source composition undergoes less distortion in this higher energy region. However, data over a wide energy range is necessary to study propagation parameters. Some measurements of some of the primary cosmic ray abundance ratios at both low (near 2 GeV/n) and high (above 20 GeV/n) energy are given and compared to the predictions of the leaky box mode. In particular, the integrated values (above 23.7 GeV/n) for the more abundant cosmic ray elements in the interval C through Fe and the differential flux for carbon, oxygen, and the Ne, Mg, Si group are presented. Limited statistics prevented the inclusion of the odd Z elements