Atomic oxygen beam source for erosion simulation

A device for the production of low energy (3 to 10 eV) neutral atomic beams for surface modification studies is described that reproduces the flux of atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit. The beam is produced by the acceleration of plasma ions onto a negatively biased plate of high-Z metal; the ions are neutralized and reflected by the surface, retaining some fraction of their incident kinetic energy, forming a beam of atoms. The plasma is generated by a coaxial RF exciter which produces a magnetically-confined (4 kG) plasma column. At the end of the column, ions fall through the sheath to the plate, whose bias relative to the plasma can be varied to adjust the beam energy. The source provides a neutral flux approximately equal to 5 x 10(exp 16)/sq cm at a distance of 9 cm and a fluence approximately equal to 10(exp 20)/sq cm in five hours. The composition and energy of inert gas beams was diagnosed using a mass spectometer/energy analyzer. The energy spectra of the beams demonstrate energies in the range 5 to 15 eV, and qualitatively show expected dependences upon incident and reflecting atom species and potential drop. Samples of carbon film, carbon-based paint, Kapton, mylar, and teflon exposed to atomic O beams show erosion quite similar to that observed in orbit on the space shuttle

NASA Langley Research Center National Aero-Space Plane Mission simulation profile sets

To provide information on the potential for long life service of oxidation resistant carbon-carbon (ORCC) materials in the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) airframe environment, NASP ascent, entry, and cruise trajectories were analytically flown. Temperature and pressure profiles were generated for 20 vehicle locations. Orbital (ascent and entry) and cruise profile sets from four locations are presented along with the humidity exposure and testing sequences that are being used to evaluate ORCC materials. The four profiles show peak temperatures during the ascent leg of an orbital mission of 2800, 2500, 2000, and 1700 F. These profiles bracket conditions where carbon-carbon might be used on the NASP vehicle

Characterization of a 5-eV neutral atomic oxygen beam facility

An experimental effort to characterize an existing 5-eV neutral atomic oxygen beam facility being developed at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is described. This characterization effort includes atomic oxygen flux and flux distribution measurements using a catalytic probe, energy determination using a commercially designed quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), and the exposure of oxygen-sensitive materials in this beam facility. Also, comparisons were drawn between the reaction efficiencies of materials exposed in plasma ashers, and the reaction efficiencies previously estimated from space flight experiments. The results of this study show that the beam facility is capable of producing a directional beam of neutral atomic oxygen atoms with the needed flux and energy to simulate low Earth orbit (LEO) conditions for real time accelerated testing. The flux distribution in this facility is uniform to +/- 6 percent of the peak flux over a beam diameter of 6 cm

Lifetime predictions for the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and San Marco spacecraft

Lifetime prediction techniques developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) are described. These techniques were developed to predict the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft orbit, which is decaying due to atmospheric drag, with reentry predicted to occur before the end of 1989. Lifetime predictions were also performed for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), which was deployed on the 1984 SMM repair mission and is scheduled for retrieval on another Space Transportation System (STS) mission later this year. Concepts used in the lifetime predictions were tested on the San Marco spacecraft, which reentered the Earth's atmosphere on December 6, 1988. Ephemerides predicting the orbit evolution of the San Marco spacecraft until reentry were generated over the final 90 days of the mission when the altitude was less than 380 kilometers. The errors in the predicted ephemerides are due to errors in the prediction of atmospheric density variations over the lifetime of the satellite. To model the time dependence of the atmospheric densities, predictions of the solar flux at the 10.7-centimeter wavelength were used in conjunction with Harris-Priester (HP) atmospheric density tables. Orbital state vectors, together with the spacecraft mass and area, are used as input to the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS). Propagations proceed in monthly segments, with the nominal atmospheric drag model scaled for each month according to the predicted monthly average value of F10.7. Calibration propagations are performed over a period of known orbital decay to obtain the effective ballistic coefficient. Progagations using plus or minus 2 sigma solar flux predictions are also generated to estimate the despersion in expected reentry dates. Definitive orbits are compared with these predictions as time expases. As updated vectors are received, these are also propagated to reentryto continually update the lifetime predictions

Variation in DNA methylation patterns is more common among maize inbreds than among tissues

Chromatin modifications, such as DNA methylation, can provide heritable, epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the absence of genetic changes. A role for DNA methylation in meiotically stable marking of repetitive elements and other sequences has been demonstrated in plants. Methylation of DNA is also proposed to play a role in development through providing a mitotic memory of gene expression states established during cellular differentiation. We sought to clarify the relative levels of DNA methylation variation among different genotypes and tissues in maize (Zea mays L.). We have assessed genomewide DNA methylation patterns in leaf, immature tassel, embryo, and endosperm tissues of two inbred maize lines: B73 and Mo17. There are hundreds of regions of differential methylation present between the two genotypes. In general, the same regions exhibit differential methylation between B73 and Mo17 in each of the tissues that were surveyed. In contrast, there are few examples of tissue-specific DNA methylation variation. Only a subset of regions with tissue-specific variation in DNA methylation show similar patterns in both genotypes of maize and even fewer are associated with altered gene expression levels among the tissues. Our data indicates a limited impact of DNA methylation on developmental gene regulation within maize

Relative Sea-Level Change in the Northern Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

Twenty-four new radiocarbon dates from isolation basin cores, excavations and natural exposures, and an archeological site, constrain relative sea-level change since the last glaciation in the northern Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. Relative sea level fell rapidly from about 150 m elevation to 45 m elevation from 11 750 to 11 000 BP (13 750 to 13 000 cal BP), then its rate of fall slowed. The initial rapid emergence began soon after the transition from proximal to distal glaciomarine sedimentation, when the glacial front retreated from the Strait of Georgia and the Earth’s surface was unloaded. A sea-level lowstand a few metres below present-day sea level may have occurred in the early Holocene, but sea level was near its present level by 2000 BP. Sea-level change in the northern Strait of Georgia lagged the mid Strait of Georgia, 80 km to the south, by a few hundred years during initial emergence. The lowstand in the northern strait was later and probably shallower than in the mid strait. Isostatic depression inferred from the sea-level observations can be fit with two decaying exponential terms with characteristic decay times of 500 and 2600 years. The faster decay time corresponds to a shallow mantle viscosity of about 1019 Pa s, consistent with previous glacio-isostatic modelling. The present-day crustal uplift rate from the residual isostatic effects of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet is about 0.25 mm/a. Crustal uplift is not expected to significantly ameliorate projected sea-level rise in the mid and northern Strait of Georgia because present-day vertical crustal movements are inferred to be small.Vingt-quatre nouvelles dates au 14C provenant de carottes sédimentaires de bassins isolés, d’excavations, de coupes naturellement exposées et archéologiques permettent de cerner les changements du niveau marin relatif depuis la dernière glaciation dans la partie nord du détroit de Géorgie, en Colombie-Britannique. Le niveau marin relatif a rapidement passé de 150 m à 45 m d’altitude entre 11 750 et 11 000 ans BP (13 750-13 000 cal. BP), le taux d’abaissement ayant ralenti par la suite. L’émersion initiale rapide correspond à la fin de la sédimentation glaciomarine distale qui accompagnait le retrait du front glaciaire. Un bas niveau de quelques mètres sous le niveau actuel a pu s’instaurer durant l’Holocène inférieur, jusqu’en 2000 ans BP. Au début, le soulèvement isostatique a accusé un retard de quelques siècle sur celui de la zone du détroit à 80 km plus au sud. Le bas niveau de la partie nord du détroit est survenu plus tard et fut moins prononcé. Les données indiquent un enfoncement isostatique de type exponentiel avec des constantes de désintégration de 500 et de 2600 ans 14C. Le taux le plus rapide correspond à une viscosité du manteau terrestre d’environ 1019 Pa s, ce qui concorde avec les résultats de la modélisation glacio-isostatique. Le taux de soulèvement glacio-isostatique actuel résultant de l’inlandsis de la Cordillère s’établit à environ 0,25 mm/a. Ce taux ne peut contrer les effets du rehaussement du niveau marin prévu pour cette région en raison des faibles mouvements de la croûte terrestre qui y sont envisagés

Environmental Marine Geoscience 4. Georgia Basin: Seabed Features and Marine Geohazards

A multibeam bathymetric swath-mapping program of the Strait of Georgia has provided a 5-m resolution map of the seabed. Numerous geological features of the basin, some of which are considered geohazards, are clearly defined. During the Olympia interglacial period most of the basin was filled with sediment and then subsequently excavated during the Fraser Glaciation, except for a group of isolated banks; the southern basin was partially filled by the pro-grading Fraser River Delta during the Holocene. Marine geohazards that exist in this seismically active region include, slope stability features, active faults, gas pockmarks, and large migrating sedimentary bedforms. Other features, such as sponge reefs, have developed because of the glacial history and dynamic oceanography of the basin and provide unique and critical habitats to marine species. SUMMAIRE Un programme de levé par balayage bathymétrique a faisceaux multiples dans le détroit de Georgie a permis la production d'une carte du fond marin d'une résolution de 5 m. De nombreux éléments géologiques du bassin y sont clairement définis, dont certains constituent des géorisques clairement définis. Durant la période interglaciaire d'Olympia, la plus grande partie du bassin a été rempli de sédiments, lesquels ont par la suite été excavés durant la glaciation de Fraser, sauf un groupe de bancs isolés; la partie sud du bassin a été partiellement remplie par progradation du delta de la rivière Fraser à l'Holocène. Les géorisques marins de cette région d'activité sismique comprennent certains éléments de stabilité des talus, des failles actives, des cratères d'échappement de gaz, et de grands éléments topographiques sédimentaires migrants. D'autres éléments, comme des récifs de spongiaires se sont développés à cause de l'histoire glaciaire et de la dynamique océanographique du bassin, constituent un habitat essentiel pour des espèces marines

Status of the Standard Solar Model Prediction of Solar Neutrino Fluxes

The Standard Solar Model (BP04) predicts a total 8B neutrino flux that is 17.2% larger than measured in the salt phase of the SNO detector (and if it were significant it will indicate oscillation to sterile neutrinos). Hence it is important to examine in details uncertainties (and values) of inputs to the SSM. Currently, the largest fractional uncertainty is due to the new evaluation of the surface composition of the sun. We examine the nuclear input on the formation of solar 8B [S17(0)] and demonstrate that it is still quite uncertain due to ill known slope of the measured astrophysical cross section factor and thus ill defined extrapolation to zero energy. This yields an additional reasonably estimated uncertainty due to extrapolation of +0.0 -3.0 eV-b (+0% -14%). Since a large discrepancy exists among measured as well as among predicted slopes, the value of S17(0) is dependent on the choice of data and theory used to extrapolate S17(0). This situation must be alleviated by new measurement(s). The "world average" is driven by the Seattle result due to the very small quoted uncertainty, which we however demonstrate it to be an over-estimated accuracy. We propose more realistic error bars for the Seattle results based on the published Seattle data.Comment: Fifth International Conferenceon Non-Accelerator New Physics, Dubna, June 20-25, 2005. Work Supported by USDOE Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER4087

Kepler Observations of Rapid Optical Variability in the BL Lac Object W2r192+42

We present the first Kepler monitoring of a strongly variable BL Lac, W2R1926+42. The light curve covers 181 days with approx. 0.2% errors, 30 minute sampling and >90% duty cycle, showing numerous delta-I/I > 25% flares over timescales as short as a day. The flux distribution is highly skewed and non-Gaussian. The variability shows a strong rms-flux correlation with the clearest evidence to date for non-linearity in this relation. We introduce a method to measure periodograms from the discrete autocorrelation function, an approach that may be well-suited to a wide range of Kepler data. The periodogram is not consistent with a simple power-law, but shows a flattening at frequencies below 7x10(exp -5) Hz. Simple models of the power spectrum, such as a broken power law, do not produce acceptable fits, indicating that the Kepler blazar light curve requires more sophisticated mathematical and physical descriptions than currently in use

Design, analysis and test verification of advanced encapsulation systems, phase 2 program results

Optical, electrical isolation, thermal structural, structural deflection, and thermal tests are reported. The utility of the optical, series capacitance, and structural deflection models was verified