Wavelet image of a heliospheric storm in cosmic rays

During the sign reversal of the global solar magnetic field, the variations in the ratio of the quadrupole component of the field to its dipole part manifest themselves in a change of the two-sector structure of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) into the four-sector and, then, multisector structures. At that time, a soliton-like wave packet (soliton of the envelope), precisely which is responsible for a wavelet image of heliospheric storm in cosmic rays, is formed in HCS.     

Microscope spectrometer for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phobos-Grunt</Emphasis> mission

Microscopy and spectroscopy are important methods of studies. The use of a microscope onboard a spacecraft is connected with the fact that the closer approach to the objects and the switch to the in situ measurement methods have become possible. The combination of taking an image and performing a spectral analysis forms a new type of instrument, so-called videospectrometers. The scientific payload of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft includes the microscope spectrometer designed to analyze the composition of the surface regolith of Phobos in detail.     

Manipulator system of the sampling complex of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phobos-Grunt</Emphasis> spacecraft

This paper is devoted to the problem of sampling with the use of a manipulator during the mission of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft. The principle of operation accepted for the chosen engineering solution, as well as the construction of the manipulator scoop, mechanical gears, and the manipulator as a whole, are considered; brief technical specifications are given. The issue of the selection of the soil as an analog of the soil of Phobos to conduct ground-based tests is discussed; the test results and principles of the manipulator operation and control are presented.     

Dense 3D residual moveout analysis as a tool for HTI parameter estimation

Three‐dimensional residual moveout analysis is the basic step in velocity model refinement. The analysis is generally carried out using horizontal and/or vertical semblances defined on a sparse set of in‐lines or cross‐lines with densely sampled source–receiver offsets. An alternative approach, which we call dense residual moveout analysis (DRMA), is to use all the bins of a three‐dimensional survey but sparsely sampled offsets. The proposed technique is very fast and provides unbiased and statistically efficient estimates of the residual moveout. Indeed, for the sparsest possible offset distribution, when only near‐ and far‐angle stacks are used, the variance of the residual moveout estimate is only 1.4 times larger than the variance of the least‐squares estimate obtained using all offsets. The high performance of DRMA makes it a useful tool for many applications, of which azimuthal velocity analysis is considered here. For a horizontal transverse isotropy (HTI) model, a deterministic procedure is proposed to define, at every point of residual moveout estimation, the azimuthal angle of the HTI axis of symmetry, the Thomsen anisotropy coefficients, and the interval (or root‐mean‐square) velocities in both the HTI isotropy and symmetry planes. The procedure is not restricted by DRMA assumptions; for example, it is also applicable to semblance‐based residual moveout estimates. The high resolution of the technique is illustrated by azimuthal velocity analysis over an oilfield in West Siberia.     

Multidimensional Data Analysis in the Assessment of Ice-Jam Formation in River Basins

Water Resources - The analysis and evaluation of the factors that have an effect on the frequency of ice jams and the characteristics of the accompanying floods have been shown to remain an...     

Critical analysis of active methods of ozone layer recovery

A critical analysis is given for various methods for recovery of the ozone layer of the Earth: the emission of alkane gases, the destruction of freons by laser IR radiation and with microwave discharge, exposure to laser UV radiation and electric discharge in the atmosphere, the use of solar radiation, laser infrared radiation, and gamma rays, and the creation of an artificial formation at high altitudes that shields the solar radiation dissociating ozone. The optimal methods are discussed in terms of their effectiveness, economic costs, and environmental consequences. These include the use of gamma rays sources, electric discharge in the atmosphere, and microwave breakdown.     

Optical Phenomena Observed upon Some Launches of Russian Rockets

In this paper, unusual optical phenomena observed in our country and abroad upon launches of Russian rockets are discussed and interpreted: they are regarded as the aftereffects of sunlight scattering by gas-dust clouds created by rocket fuel combustion products in different modes of engine operation. The results of instrumental observations of the clouds can be used to study physical processes in the upper atmosphere.     

Wavelet image of the fine structure of the 11-year cycle based on studying cosmic ray fluctuations during cycles 20–23

A non-stationary transient oscillating process of the solar magnetic field polarity reversal of ≈3 years in duration has been established: a U-shaped dynamics in the wavelet representation of variations in the scintillation index of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) (≈7, 13–14, and ≈7 solar rotations). The transient oscillating process of the field reversal is concluded with a sharp and deep decrease in the GCR intensity at the branch of 11-year cycle decline (1972, 1982, 1991, and 2003). The duration of the transient process inversely depends on the 11-year cycle amplitude. Retardation of relaxation oscillations during “weak” cycles (20 and 23) explains “anomalous” solar activity in 1972 and 2003. A decrease in the amplitude of the current cycle 23 is accompanied by an increase in its duration, which can mean that the 11-year cyclicity has become anomalous. The constancy of the energy released in a single cycle indicates that the 11-year cycle is the mechanism of energy regulation preventing the Sun from “overheating” at the critical temperature.