Raman spectroscopic detection of key biomarkers of cyanobacteria and lichen symbiosis in extreme Antarctic habitats: Evaluation for Mars Lander missions

With proposals that micro-miniaturised Raman spectrometers could soon be part of a suite of analytical instrumentation on the surface of Mars, it is critically important to examine the spectral information that could be forthcoming from attempts to determine key molecular biosignatures under the hostile conditions of extra-terrestrial planetary exploration. Current approaches include the analysis of genuine martian geological material in the form of the SNC class meteorites, the formulation of simulated martian regoliths and the examination of putative martian terrestrial analogues; the latter provide the basis of this paper in the form of Antarctic extremophile habitats. In particular, specimens of epilithic, chasmolithic and endolithic lichen and cyanobacterial colonies sampled along a progressively worsening transect towards a “limits of life” situation, beyond which survival of organisms becomes impossible, provide what is arguably the best terrestrial proving-ground for prototype Raman spectrometers for martian exploration. Here, we report the results of experiments on these extant Antarctic extremophile colonies using a range of Raman excitation wavelengths and experimental conditions and also include a compilation of molecular spectral biosignatures, which may be considered as a suitable database for recognition of bioorganic modification of geological strata.     

Dependence of the geometry of the region of open field lines on the interplanetary magnetic field

The geometry of the open flux area in the polar region is computed by superposing a uniform interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with various orientation angles to a model of the magnetosphere. It is confirmed that the IMF B_y component is as important as the B_z component in “opening” the magnetosphere. It is also shown that the computed area of open field lines is remarkably similar to the observed ones which were determined by using the entry of solar electrons. In particular, when the IMF vector is confined in the X-Z-plane and the B_z component has a large positive value, the open area becomes crescent-shaped, coinciding approximately with the cusp region.     

Dynamics of Bianchi I universe with magnetized anisotropic Dark Energy

We study Bianchi type I cosmological model in the presence of magnetized anisotropic dark energy. The energy-momentum tensor consists of anisotropic fluid with anisotropic EoS p=ω ρ and a uniform magnetic field of energy density ρ _B . We obtain exact solutions to the field equations using the condition that expansion is proportional to the shear scalar. The physical behavior of the model is discussed with and without magnetic field. We conclude that universe model as well as anisotropic fluid do not approach isotropy through the evolution of the universe.     

Effect of oblateness and radiation pressure on angular frequencies at collinear points

In the three-dimensional restricted three-body problem, by considering the more massive primary as an oblate spheroid with its equatorial plane coincident with the plane of motion as well as source of radiation, it is found that the collinear point L ₁ comes nearer to the primaries with the increase in oblateness and radiation pressure, while L ₂ and L ₃ move away from the more massive primary with the increase in oblateness and come nearer to it with the increase in radiation pressure. It is noted that the angular frequency s ₁ at L ₁ increases with oblateness as well as with radiation pressure. s ₂ increases with oblateness and decreases with radiation pressure and s ₃ decreases with oblateness and increases with radiation pressure. A study on the norms of the characteristic roots λ and s at L ₁, L ₂ and L ₃ is carried out. It is established that for certain oblateness and radiation pressure parameters there is a one-to-one commensurability at the collinear points L ₂, L ₃ between the planar angular frequencies (s _2,3) and the corresponding angular frequency (s _z ) in the z-direction, and that at L ₁ no such commensurability exists. At L ₂ and L ₃, the value of oblateness parameter providing the commensurability decreases with the increase in the radiation pressure. However, the commensurable angular frequencies and eccentricity of the periodic orbits decrease at L ₂ and increase at L ₃, with the increase in the radiation pressure.     

Cosmological evolution of pilgrim dark energy

We study pilgrim dark energy model by taking IR cut-offs as particle and event horizons as well as conformal age of the universe. We derive evolution equations for fractional energy density and equation of state parameters for pilgrim dark energy. The phantom cosmic evolution is established in these scenarios which is well supported by the cosmological parameters such as deceleration parameter, statefinder parameters and phase space of ω _? and \(\omega'_{\vartheta}\) . We conclude that the consistent value of parameter μ is μ<0 in accordance with the current Planck and WMAP9 results.     

A study of non-collinear libration points under the combined effects of radiation pressure and Stokes drag

We study the non-collinear libration points in the frame work of photo-gravitational circular restricted three-body problem with Stokes drag acting as a dissipative force and considering the more massive primary as a radiating body and the less massive primary as a triaxial rigid body. The combined effects of radiation pressure and Stokes drag on the existence and stability of non-collinear libration points is analyzed. It is found that there exist two non-collinear libration points and are asymptotically stable in the interval 0.6149 ≤ q ≤ 1 for μ = 0.01, where q and μ are the radiation factor and mass ratio, respectively.     

The structure of the polar ionosphere during exceptionally quiet periods

Knowledge of the structure of the polar ionosphere during exceptionally quiet periods is basic for studying complicated ionospheric behaviors during disturbances. On the basis of data from an airborne ionosonde as well as a meridian chain of ground-basedionosondes, the circumpolar structure of the E,-and F-regions is elucidated. There are two circumpolar zones of E-region ionization with differing characteristics. The first is an auroral E,-layer and/or retarded type sporadic E-band that has previously (Whalen et al., 1971) been found to be identical with the continuous aurora. The second is a zone of non-retarded type spora die E located poleward of the former band. In general, discrete auroras are co-located with the latter. The main trough, a prominent feature of the night sector F-region, is most pronounced in the early morning. The main trough is bounded on the poleward side by a well defined ‘wall’ of F-region ionization. The night sector poleward trough wall is located approximately three degrees of latitude equatorward of the auroral oval. A ‘plateau’ of F-region ionization extends from the poleward trough wall to the auroral oval.     

Simulation of f-Mode Propagation Through a Cluster of Small Identical Magnetic Flux Tubes

Motivated by the question of how to distinguish seismically between monolithic and cluster models of sunspots, we have simulated the propagation of an f-mode wave packet through two identical small magnetic flux tubes (R=200 km), embedded in a stratified atmosphere. We want to study the effect of separation d and incidence angle χ on the scattered wave. We have demonstrated that the horizontal compact pair of tubes (d/R=2, χ=0) oscillate as a single tube when the incident wave is propagating, which gives a scattered wave amplitude of about twice that from a single tube. The scattered amplitude decreases with increasing d when d is about λ/2π where λ is the wavelength of the incident wave packet. In this case the individual tubes start to oscillate separately in the manner of near-field scattering. When d is about twice λ/2π, scattering from individual tubes reaches the far-field regime, giving rise to coherent scattering with an amplitude similar to the case of the compact pair of tubes. For perpendicular incidence (χ=π/2), the tubes oscillate simultaneously with the incident wave packet. Moreover, simulations show that a compact cluster oscillates almost as a single individual small tube and acts more like a scattering object, while a loose cluster shows multiple-scattering in the near field and the absorption is largest when d within the cluster is about λ/2π. This is the first step to understand the seismic response of a bundle of magnetic flux tubes in the context of sunspot and plage helioseismology.     

The stability of the pristine magnetopause

A MHD theory of combined Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) and Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities for a transition layer with two different scale lengths (Δ and δ for the variation of velocity/magnetic fields and density, respectively) is presented. The study is motivated by reports of magnetopauses with no low latitude boundary layer, in which a sharp density drop over a distance δ?Δ is observed (“pristine” magnetopauses (J. Geophys. Res. 101 (1996) 49). The theory ignores compressibility effects and applies to subsonic regions of the dayside magnetopause. The RT effect is included to account for temporary periods of acceleration of the magnetopause, caused by sudden changes of the solar wind dynamic pressure. For small wavelengths λ, such that δ?λ?Δ, a WKB solution shows that the velocity gradient operates, together with magnetic tensions, to attenuate or even stabilize the Rayleigh-Taylor instability within a certain wavelength range. An exact dispersion relation for flute modes, valid for all λ, in the form of a fourth order polynomial for the complex frequency ω, is obtained from a model with a constant velocity gradient, dV/dy within Δ, and with δ→0. Flute modes are possible because of the existence of bands of very small magnetic shear on the dayside magnetopause (J. Geophys. Res. 103 (1998) 6703). The exact solution allows for a study of the change of the action of the velocity gradient with λ from the long-λ range where dV/dy is KH destabilizing to the short-λ range where dV/dy produces a stabilizing effect. Both, the WKB approximation and the well known tangential discontinuity model (Δ→0) are recovered as limiting cases of the exact solution. Properties of the KH and RT instabilities, for different density ratios on either side of the magnetopause, are described. For flute modes, at very small λ the RT instability grows faster and becomes the dominant effect. However, it is shown that the growth rate remains bounded at a finite value as λ→0, when a theory with a finite δ model is considered. To study configurations with finite, arbitrary, δ/Δ ratios, the MHD perturbation equations are solved numerically, using hyperbolic tangent functions for both the density and velocity transitions across the magnetopause. To examine the influence of different δ/Δ ratios on the growth rates of KH and RT, calculations are performed for different δ/Δ, with and without acceleration, and for two different density ratios. It is found that the general features exhibited by the constant dV/dy model, are confirmed by these numerical solutions. The stability of pristine magnetopauses, and the possibility of observing some theoretical predictions during magnetopause crossings in ongoing missions, are discussed.     

Cooling of neutron stars: Two types of triplet neutron superfluidity

We consider the cooling of neutron stars with superfluid cores composed of neutrons, protons, and electrons (for singlet proton pairing and triplet neutron pairing). The emphasis is on triplet neutron pairing with the component of the total moment of neutron pairs along the quantization axis |m _J | = 2. This case stands out in that it leads to power-law rather than exponential suppression of the main neutrino processes by neutron superfluidity. For the chosen critical neutron temperatures T _cn, the cooling with |m _J | = 2 proceeds either almost in the same way as the commonly considered cooling with m _J =0 or appreciably faster. The cooling with variable (over the core) critical temperatures T _cn(ρ) and T _cp(ρ) can generally be described by the cooling with some effective constant temperatures T _cn and T _cp. The hypothesis of strong neutron superfluidity with |m _J | = 2 is in conflict with the observational data on the thermal radiation from isolated neutron stars; the hypothesis of weak neutron superfluidity of any type is consistent with the observations.     

The electron-ion streaming instabilities driven by drift velocities of the order of electron thermal velocity in a nonmagnetized plasma

The kinetic Alfven waves are investigated using Maxwell-Boltzmann-Vlasov equation to evaluate the kinetic dispersion relation and growth/damping rate with magnetic field gradient, density gradient, temperature gradient and velocity gradient with inhomogeneous plasma. The effect of gradient terms is included in the analysis for both the regions k _⊥ ρ _i <1 and k _⊥ ρ _i >1, where k _⊥ is the perpendicular wave number and ρ _i is the ion gyroradius. This study elucidates a possible scenario to account for the particle acceleration and the wave dissipation in inhomogeneous plasmas. This model is able to explain many features observed in plasma sheet boundary layer as well as to evaluate the dispersion relation, growth rate, growth length and damping rate of kinetic Alfven wave. The applicability of this model is assumed for auroral acceleration region, plasma sheet boundary layer and cusp region.     

Solar radio bursts and acceleration of solar energy particles

The correlation between the proton flux intensity I _p with the energies E _p > 1?100 MeV and radio burst parameters for 107 solar energetic events is considered using the observation data for 1989?C2005 obtained with GOES and Wind satellites, as well as the Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN). It has been revealed that 73 and 77% of the events were accompanied by type-II radio bursts in the meter (m II, 25?C299 MHz) and the decameter-hectometer (DH II, 20 kHz?C14 MHz) wavelength ranges, respectively. The correlation coefficient between I _p and the frequency drift velocity of the type-II bursts V _II did not exceed 0.40. As V _II increased, the intensity of I _p increased for the m-II bursts and decreased for the DH-II bursts. Coronal shock waves accelerate protons more efficiently than interplanetary waves, and their contribution to acceleration increases with an increase in the particle energy E _p . The acceleration of solar energetic particles in the region of the flare energy release is predominant.     

Electron content modelling: The significance of protonospheric contents

The principal advance of the ATS-6 satellite beacon experiment was the ability to deduce continuously the electron content along the entire slant path from ground-based measurements of the signal group delay. This feature has been exploited in conjunction with the more usual Faraday rotation technique to separate the total electron content into ionospheric and protonospheric components. The physical validity of the deduced quantities is investigated using a mathematical model of the plasmasphere in which integration of the time-dependent continuity and momentum equations for oxygen and hydrogen ions along selected L shells yields the ion concentrations and field-aligned fluxes. The ion concentrations are then integrated along the propagation path to various ground stations from ATS-6 to give computed values for comparison with observations. The mathematical model is used with different sets of atmospheric parameters to investigate the significance of ionospheric and protonospheric contents as derived from beacon data.The calculated electron concentrations are able to reproduce mid-latitude equinoctial electron content observations. The shape parameters τ and F can also be simulated by day, but night-time values do not match the observations well, a greater protonospheric content being required. The calculations show that the quantity N_p, which is readily derived from ATS-6 observations, may be interpreted as the slant H⁺ content above some fixed height in the case of some stations (but not others) if the plasmasphere is reasonably full. The total slant content of H⁺ is approx. twice the value of N_p, though it appears that for the Lancaster raypath a closer relationship exists between N_p and the H⁺ tube content at L = 1.8. In general,N_p is most closely related to the tube content for an L value slightly greater than the minimum L intersected along the raypath.     

Numerical Investigation of the Galactic Problem by Computing Families of Periodic Solutions

The galactic dynamical system expressed by a third-order axisymmetric polynomial potential is investigated numerically by computing periodic solutions. We define as Sthe compact set of initial conditions generating bounded motions, and as S ^p , with S ^p ? S, the countable set of all initial conditions generating periodic solutions. Then, we consider the subsets S _s ^p and S _a ^p of S ^p , where S _s ^p ∪ S _a ^p = S ^p , S _s ^p S _a ^p = Ø, the first of which corresponds to symmetric periodic solutions, and the second to asymmetric solutions. Then, we approximate the set S _s ^p , leaving treatment of the set S _a ^p of asymmetric solutions for a future publication. The set S _s ^p is known to be dense in S (‘Last Geometric Theorem of Poincar;’, Birkhoff, 1913). Using a computer programme capable to locate all elements of the set S _s ^p that generate symmetric periodic solutions that re-enter after intersecting the axis of symmetry from 1 to ntimes. The results of the approximation of S _s ^p in the total domain and in the sample sub-domains of zooming, we present in graphical form as family curves in the (x, C) plane. The solutions located with the largest periods re-enter after 440 galaxy revolutions while the families calculated fully (initial conditions, period, energy, stability co-efficient) include solutions that re-enter after 340 galaxy revolutions. To advance further the approximation of the set S _s ^p thus obtained, we applied the same procedure inside eight sub-domains of the domain Sinto which we ‘zoomed’ through selection of finer search steps and double maximum periods. The family curves thus calculated presented in the (x, C) plane do not intersect anywhere in some sub-domains and their pattern resembles that of laminar flow. In other sub-domains, however, we found family curves from which branching families emanate. The concepts of completeand non-completeapproximation of S _s ^p in sub-domains of laminar and sub-domains with branching family curves, respectively, is introduced. Also, the concept of basic family of order1, 2, ..., n, are defined. The morphology of individual periodic solutions of all families is investigated, and the types of envelopes found are described. The approximate set S _s ^p was also checked by computing Poincar; sections for energy values corresponding to the mean energy range of the eight sub-domains of zooming mentioned above. These sections show that most parts of the compact domain in Sgenerating non-periodic but bounded solutions correspond to with well-shaped tori that intersect the x-axis, a fact that implies that dominant to exclusive type of periodic solutions are the symmetric ones with two normal crossings of this axis. The presence of non-symmetric periodic solutions as well as of chaotic regions is encountered. All calculations reported here were performed using the variable step R-K 8th-order direct integration and setting the allowable energy variation Δ C= |C _start? C _end| < 10^?13. The output, consisting of many thousands of families and their properties (initial conditions, morphology, stability, etc.), is stored in a directory entitled ‘Atlas of the Symmetric Periodic Solution of the Galactic Motion Problem’.     

A fast method for finding bound systems in numerical simulations: Results from the formation of asteroid binaries

We present a new code (companion) that identifies bound systems of particles in O(NlogN) time. Simple binaries consisting of pairs of mutually bound particles and complex hierarchies consisting of collections of mutually bound particles are identifiable with this code. In comparison, brute force binary search methods scale as O(N²) while full hierarchy searches can be as expensive as O(N³), making analysis highly inefficient for multiple data sets with N?¹⁰³. A simple test case is provided to illustrate the method. Timing tests demonstrating O(NlogN) scaling with the new code on real data are presented. We apply our method to data from asteroid satellite simulations [Durda et al., 2004. Icarus 167, 382-396; Erratum: Icarus 170, 242; reprinted article: Icarus 170, 243-257] and note interesting multi-particle configurations. The code is available at http://www.astro.umd.edu/zoe/companion/ and is distributed under the terms and conditions of the GNU Public License.     

Infrared observations of the star R Cas

We present our JHKLM photometry for R Cas performed during 1988–2000. The pulsation period of R Cas is $P \approx 429\mathop .\limits^d 6$ , with the maximum IR brightness lagging behind the maximum visual brightness by ～0.2 P. The amplitude of light variations appreciably decreases with increasing wavelength at λ≤3 μm. At λ>3 μm, this decrease virtually ceases. There is a step on the ascending branch of IR JHK brightness. The K-L color index increases linearly with K magnitude: $K - L = 0.304K + 1\mathop .\limits^m 20$ . The color temperature dependence, T _K-L =f(K), is also linear: T _K?L = ?622K + 1100 K. In going from minimum to maximum, the K flux (as well as the bolometric flux) from the star and its color temperature T _K-L increase by a factor of ～2.2 and ～1.3, respectively.     

Collision frequency and transport properties of electrons in the ionosphere

A unified ionospheric electron collision frequency model profile 〈ν_g〉 has been calculated in the height range 50–500 km. The computed profile accounts for the electron collisions with the neutral particles as well as the ions. Experimental values of momentum transfer cross-sections have been used for electron collisions with N₂, O₂ and Ar and theoretical values for N, O, He and H. It is observed that the electron-ion collisions 〈ν_ei〉 dominate over the electron-neutral collisions 〈ν_en〉 above 170 km. However, 〈ν_e?N〉 is of the same order of magnitude as 〈ν_e?O〉 in the height range 170–210 km. Above 360 km 〈ν_e?O〉 becomes more important among the neutrals. The temporal, seasonal and solar epoch variations of 〈ν_ei〉 are also shown. A typical electron collision frequency profile 〈ν_g〉 corresponding to the exospheric temperature of 1100 K has been compared with the available experimental results for D, E and F-regions obtained from different experimental techniques. This profile has been used to determine the electrical, thermal, heat flow and current flow conductivities, the mobility and the diffusivity of electrons. The results so obtained are found to be in good agreement with the earlier results.     

On the origin of the auroral inverted-V electron spectra

On the basis of quasi-linear theory of ion-acoustic turbulence it is shown that the angular and energy distribution of the electron spectra observed in quasi-static inverted-V structures are natural products of electron heating and runaway processes occuring in a region of current-driven turbulence located at h ≈ 1 Re. The power law population J ∞ E^?γ, with γ ≈ 1 observed in the energy range ~ 25–1000 eV, is interpreted as a quasi-stationary distribution of suprathermal electrons interacting resonantly with the ion sound waves. This spectrum is generated in the turbulent region and convectively transported earthward along the magnetic field lines. Field-aligned intense electron fluxes with collimation angle < 10° are explained as due to particles escaping from the turbulent region through the runaway cone—a characteristic feature of velocity-space in ion-acoustic turbulence. A complete, new interpretation of the observed electron spectra is given on the basis of the proposed physical acceleration mechanism along with many other implications of this theory.     

Study of inertial kinetic Alfven waves around cusp region

The effect of electron inertia on kinetic Alfven wave has been studied. The expressions for the dispersion relation, growth/damping rate and growth/damping length of the inertial kinetic Alfven wave (IKAW) are derived using the kinetic approach in cusp region. The Vlasov-kinetic theory has been adopted to evaluate the dispersion relation, growth/damping rate and growth/damping length with respect to the perpendicular wave number k_⊥ρ_i (ρ_i is the ion gyroradius) at different plasma densities. The growth/damping rate and growth/damping length are evaluated for different m_e/βm_i, where β is the ratio of electron pressure to the magnetic field pressure, m_{i, e} are the mass of ion and electron, respectively, as I=m_e/βm_i represent boundary between the kinetic and inertial regimes. It is observed that frequency of inertial kinetic Alfven wave (IKAW) ω is decreasing with k_⊥ρ_i and plasma density. The polar cusp is an ideal laboratory for studies of nonlinear plasma processes important for understanding the basic plasma physics, as well as the magnetospheric and astrophysical applications of these processes.     

On the nature of polar cap magnetic activity during undisturbed periods

The correlation between the polar cap geomagnetic variations (H-traces) and the changes of the azimuthal (Y_SE) and vertical (Z_SE) components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during undisturbed periods is examined. It is shown that peak-to-peak correlation between Y_SE and geomagnetic horizontal component variations may be generally observed in the daytime cusp region, independently of the magnitude and polarity of the Z_SE. The existence of the DP₃ disturbances associated with the northward component Z_SE > 0 is confirmed. It is shown that the disturbances due to the vertical component of the IMF dominate in the region near the pole. In so far as the southward component of the IMF generates both polar cap disturbances and geomagnetic substorms, the disturbances in the region near the pole, associated with Z_SE < 0, may be regarded as a precursor of a substorm. On this basis a new index of the polar cap magnetic activity PC_L, characterizing the changeability of the magnetic field is proposed. It is shown that the increase of the PC_L index is followed in 1–2 hr by a substorm in 70% of events considered.