Middle-ear stiffness of the bottlenose dolphin tursiops truncatus

Previous research on the cetacean auditory system has consisted mostly of behavioral studies on a limited number of species. Little quantitative physiologic data exists on cetacean hearing. The frequency range of hearing varies greatly across different mammalian species. Differences among species correlate with differences in the middle-ear transfer function. Middle-ear transfer functions depend on the mechanical stiffness of the middle ear and the cochlear input impedance. The purpose of this study was to measure the middle-ear stiffness for the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), a species specialized for underwater high-frequency hearing and echolocation. Middle-ear stiffness was measured with a force probe that applied a known displacement to the stapes and measured the restoring force. The average middle-ear stiffness in ten dolphin ears was 1.37 N//spl mu/m, which is considerably higher than that reported for most terrestrial mammals. The relationship between middle-ear stiffness and low-frequency hearing cutoff in Tursiops was shown to be comparable to that of terrestrial mammals.     

A major sulphur isotope event at c. 510 Ma: a possible anoxia–extinction–volcanism connection during the Early–Middle Cambrian transition?

A new approach to constraining seawater δ³⁴S and sulphate concentration using francolite‐bound sulphate reveals an abrupt increase in δ³⁴S to +50‰ around the Early–Middle Cambrian boundary. Such high δ³⁴S values are best explained by increased rates of pyrite burial due to ocean anoxia coupled with an increased sensitivity of the ocean sulphate reservoir to perturbations due to low sulphate concentrations of 500–700 μgL^?1. We argue that the spread of anoxic waters at this time was partly the result of greenhouse warming related to the eruption of the Kalkarindji Large Igneous Province of northern Australia and that it triggered the collapse of early metazoan reef ecosystems during the latest Early Cambrian. Mass extinctions of the last 260 Myr have all coincided with enhanced volcanic activity, while several are also associated with positive shifts in seawater δ³⁴S. Extending this correlation back in time further implicates volcanically induced climate change as a major determining factor in biosphere evolution. Terra Nova, 18, 257–263, 2006     

Amino acid analyses of Antarctic CM2 meteorites using liquid chromatography‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry

Abstract— Amino acid analyses of the Antarctic CM2 chondrites Allan Hills (ALH) 83100 and Lewis Cliff (LEW) 90500 using liquid chromatography‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry (LC‐ToF‐MS) coupled with UV fluorescence detection revealed that these carbonaceous meteorites contain a suite of indigenous amino acids not present in Antarctic ice. Several amino acids were detected in ALH 83100, including glycine, alanine, β‐alanine, γ‐amino‐n‐butyric acid (γ‐ABA), and α‐aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) with concentrations ranging from 250 to 340 parts per billion (ppb). In contrast to ALH 83100, the CM2 meteorites LEW 90500 and Murchison had a much higher total abundance of these amino acids (440–3200 ppb). In addition, ALH 83100 was found to have lower abundances of the α‐dialkyl amino acids AIB and isovaline than LEW 90500 and Murchison. There are three possible explanations for the depleted amino acid content in ALH 83100: 1) amino acid leaching from ALH 83100 during exposure to Antarctic ice meltwater, 2) a higher degree of aqueous alteration on the ALH 83100 parent body, or 3) ALH 83100 originated on a chemically distinct parent body from the other two CM2 meteorites. The high relative abundance of ?‐amino‐n‐caproic acid (EACA) in the ALH 83100 meteorite as well as the Antarctic ice indicates that Nylon‐6 contamination from the Antarctic sample storage bags may have occurred during collection.     

Opening angles, Lorentz factors and confinement of X-ray binary jets

We present a collation of the available data on the opening angles of jets in X-ray binaries, which in most cases are small (≲10°). Under the assumption of no confinement, we calculate the Lorentz factors required to produce such small opening angles via the transverse relativistic Doppler effect. The derived Lorentz factors, which are in most cases lower limits, are found to be large, with a mean >10, comparable to those estimated for active galactic nuclei (AGN) and much higher than the commonly assumed values for X-ray binaries of 2–5. Jet power constraints do not, in most cases, rule out such high Lorentz factors. The upper limits on the opening angles show no evidence for smaller Lorentz factors in the steady jets of Cygnus X-1 and GRS 1915+105. In those sources in which deceleration has been observed (notably  XTE J1550−564  and Cygnus X-3), some confinement of the jets must be occurring, and we briefly discuss possible confinement mechanisms. It is however possible that all the jets could be confined, in which case the requirement for high bulk Lorentz factors can be relaxed.     

The HNCO ring in the Sgr B2 region

The large-scale structure associated with the 2′N HNCO peak in Sgr B2 [Minh, Y.C., Haikala, L., Hjalmarson, Å., Irvine, W.M., 1998. ApJ 498, 261 (Paper I)] has been investigated. A ring-like morphology of the HNCO emission has been found; this structure may be colliding with the Principal Cloud of Sgr B2. This “HNCO Ring” appears to be centered at (l,b) = (0.7°,−0.07°), with a radius of 5 pc and a total mass of 1.0 × 10⁵ to 1.6 × 10⁶ M. The expansion velocity of the Ring is estimated to be 30–40 km s⁻¹, which gives an expansion time scale of 1.5 × 10⁵ year. The morphology suggests that collision between the Ring and the Principal Cloud may be triggering the massive star formation in the Sgr B2 cloud sequentially, with the latest star formation taking place at the 2′N position. The chemistry related to HNCO is not certain yet, but if it forms mainly via reaction with the evaporated OCN⁻ from icy grain mantles, the observed enhancement of the HNCO abundance can be understood as resulting from shocks associated with the collision between the Principal Cloud and the expanding HNCO Ring.     

Radiation exposure and Mission Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Missions (REMSIM)

Cosmic radiation is an important problem for human interplanetary missions. The “Radiation Exposure and Mission Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Missions–REMSIM” study is summarised here. They are related to current strategies and countermeasures to ensure the protection of astronauts from radiation during interplanetary missions, with specific reference to: radiation environment and its variability; radiation effects on the crew; transfer trajectories and associated fluences; vehicle and surface habitat concepts; passive and active shielding concepts; space weather monitoring and warning systems.     

Parameters of the intense X-ray and gamma-ray radiation from the solar flare of May 20, 2002, as observed from the Coronas-F spacecraft

We consider temporal, spectral, and polarization parameters of the hard X-ray and gamma-ray radiation observed during the solar flare of May 20, 2002, in the course of experiments with the SONG and SPR-N instruments onboard the Coronas-F spacecraft. This flare is one of the most intense gamma-ray events among all of the bursts of solar hard electromagnetic radiation detected since the beginning of the Coronas-F operation (since July 31, 2001) and one of the few gamma-ray events observed during solar cycle 23. A simultaneous analysis of the Coronas-F and GOES data on solar thermal X-ray radiation suggests that, apart from heating due to currents of matter in the the flare region, impulsive heating due to the injection of energetic electrons took place during the near-limb flare S21E65 of May 20, 2002. These electrons produced intense hard X-ray and gamma-ray radiation. The spectrum of this radiation extends up to energies ≥7 MeV. Intense gamma-ray lines are virtually unobservable against the background of the nonthermal continuum. The polarization of the hard X-ray (20–100 keV) radiation was estimated to be ≤15–20%. No significant increase in the flux of energetic protons from the flare under consideration was found. At the same time, according to ACE data, the fluxes of energetic electrons in interplanetary space increased shortly (～25 min) after the flare.     

The D-CIXS X-ray mapping spectrometer on SMART-1

The D-CIXS Compact X-ray Spectrometer will provide high quality spectroscopic mapping of the Moon, the primary science target of the ESA SMART-1 mission. D-CIXS consists of a high throughput spectrometer, which will perform spatially localised X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. It will also carry a solar monitor, to provide the direct calibration needed to produce a global map of absolute lunar elemental abundances, the first time this has been done. Thus it will achieve ground breaking science within a resource envelope far smaller than previously thought possible for this type of instrument, by exploiting two new technologies, swept charge devices and micro-structure collimators. The new technology does not require cold running, with its associated overheads to the spacecraft. At the same time it will demonstrate a radically novel approach to building a type of instrument essential for the BepiColombo mission and potential future planetary science targets.