Soft X-ray Focusing Telescope Aboard AstroSat: Design,Characteristics and Performance

The Soft X-ray focusing Telescope (SXT), India’s first X-ray telescope based on the principle of grazing incidence, was launched aboard the AstroSat and made operational on October 26, 2015. X-rays in the energy band of 0.3–8.0 keV are focussed on to a cooled charge coupled device thus providing medium resolution X-ray spectroscopy of cosmic X-ray sources of various types. It is the most sensitive X-ray instrument aboard the AstroSat. In its first year of operation, SXT has been used to observe objects ranging from active stars, compact binaries, supernova remnants, active galactic nuclei and clusters of galaxies in order to study its performance and quantify its characteriztics. Here, we present an overview of its design, mechanical hardware, electronics, data modes, observational constraints, pipeline processing and its in-orbit performance based on preliminary results from its characterization during the performance verification phase.     

The dust trail of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko between 2004 and 2006

We report on observations of the dust trail of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG) in visible light with the Wide Field Imager at the ESO/MPG 2.2 m telescope at 4.7 AU before aphelion, and at with the MIPS instrument on board the Spitzer Space Telescope at 5.7 AU both before and after aphelion. The comet did not appear to be active during our observations. Our images probe large dust grains emitted from the comet that have a radiation pressure parameter β<0.01. We compare our observations with simulated images generated with a dynamical model of the cometary dust environment and constrain the emission speeds, size distribution, production rate and geometric albedo of the dust. We achieve the best fit to our data with a differential size distribution exponent of −4.1, and emission speeds for a β=0.01 particle of 25 m/s at perihelion and 2 m/s at 3 AU. The dust production rate in our model is on the order of 1000 kg/s at perihelion and 1 kg/s at 3 AU, and we require a dust geometric albedo between 0.022 and 0.044. The production rates of large (>) particles required to reproduce the brightness of the trail are sufficient to also account for the coma brightness observed while the comet was inside 3 AU, and we infer that the cross-section in the coma of CG may be dominated by grains of the order of .     

Rainfall Estimation from Combined Observations Using KALPANA-IR and TRMM- Precipitation Radar Measurements over Indian Region

In the present study an attempt has been made to improve the rainfall estimation technique developed recently by Mishra et al. (2009a, 2009b) based on KALPANA and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)-Precipitation Radar (PR) data over the Indian land and oceanic region. The algorithm for rainfall estimation was basically based on synergistically analyzing the thermal infra-red radiances from Kalpana/INSAT data along with the high resolution, horizontal and vertical rainfall estimates from PR. Presently the augmentation is based on the data base of precipitable water and relative humidity from National Centre for Environmental Prediction-Global forecast System (NCEP-GFS) data as a background field to correct for the biases in earlier algorithm. The algorithm is tested for many case studies of monsoon rainfall over India and adjoining oceanic regions. The rainfall from the present scheme is compared with the standard TRMM-3B42 rain product. The validation with the Automatic Weather Station (AWS) rain gauge and the Global Precipitation and Climatology Project (GPCP) version 2 rain products shows that the present scheme is able to retrieve the rainfall with a very good accuracy. These studies are aimed at the rainfall retrievals in near future from both INSAT-3D and Megha-Tropiques, IR and MW imagers respectively.     

Distribution of butyltins in the waters and sediments along the coast of India

Water and surface sediment samples were analyzed for butyltins (TBT, DBT, MBT) from various ports along the east and west coast of India. The total butyltin (TB) in water samples varied between ∼1.7 and 342 ng Sn l⁻¹, whereas for sediments it varied between below detection limit to 14861 ng Sn g⁻¹ dry weight of sediment. On an average Chennai port recorded the highest level of butyltins in the sediments while Paradip recorded the highest level of butylins in the waters. A fairly good relationship between the TB in the sediment and overlying water samples, as well as between organic carbon and TB, implicates the importance of adsorption/desorption process in controlling the levels of TBT in these port areas. In India the data on organotin pollution is very sparse; most of the port areas have been surveyed for butyltins for the first time during this study.     

Heavy metals accumulation and ecophysiological effect on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Typha angustifolia</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyperus esculentus</Emphasis> L. growing in distillery and tannery effluent polluted natural wetland site,Unnao, India

Distillery and tanneries are major source of heavy metals pollution in natural wetland sites in India. Present study deals with the heavy metals accumulation potential of Typha angustifolia and Cyperus esculentus growing in distillery and tannery effluent polluted wetland sites. The metal accumulation pattern in both macrophytes showed direct correlation with the metal content in sediments. Both macrophytes were observed root accumulator for Fe, Cr, Pb, Cu, and Cd. The metal accumulation in T. angustifolia was found higher than C. esculentus, and accumulation pattern was Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. Simultaneously, chlorophyll, protein, cysteine, and ascorbic acid were also induced in T. angustifolia than C. esculentus. In addition, formation of multinucleolus in shoot of T. angustifolia was found an evidence of extra protein synthesis for tolerance under stress conditions. Hence, C. esculentus was observed potential but less tolerance for metals than T. angustifolia. Therefore, these wetland plants could be used for phytoremediation of heavy metals from wastewater.     

EM induction in the Vancouver Island region: 3D numerical,analogue model,and field site results

Electromagnetic induction in the Vancouver Island region for a uniform inducing source field for 300 s period is investigated with the aid of three-dimensional (3-D) numerical and analogue model results and field site measurements. The thin sheet numerical model, based on the subducting Juan de Fuca plate analogue model ofDosso et al., consists of a 5km thick non-uniform thin sheet (comprising the lateral conductivity contrasts arising from the land, the varying depth ocean, and the sediment) underlain by a four-layer conductive structure. The four-layer conductive structure beneath the non-uniform thin sheet simulates the effect of the Juan de Fuca plate subducting Vancouver Island. To examine the effects of the ocean channel depth between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia (Canada) mainland, numerical results were obtained for two channel depths (0 and 600 m). The results indicate that the channel plays an important role in the geomagnetic response in the central and inner coastal regions of Vancouver Island. The general agreement of the 3-D numerical model induction arrows with the analogue model and field site induction arrows for 300 s supports the premise of a layered conductive substructure dipping at a small angle, at most, beneath Vancouver Island.Lithoprobe Publication No. 311.     

Molluscicidal Activity of Euphorbiales against the Snail Indoplanorbis exustus

Mortality caused to the snail Indoplanorbis exustus by the latices of four species of plants belonging to the family euphorbiaceae has been reported. This snail is the vector of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. It was found that very low concentrations of the latex were effective in killing the snails. The order of toxicity of the four plants was E. royleana > E. antisyphilitica > E. lactea cristata > J. gossypiifolia. The toxic activity of these plants was marginally lost after extraction by organic solvents. The toxic effect of all the plants was both dose and time dependent. It has been suggested that the latex of these plants may eventually find use as molluscicides in the field.     

Harmful gastropods and their control

In warm climates the control of aquatic snails as intermediate hosts of trematodes is very important for health. A biological control has been successful by a predatory snail (Marisa) as well as by reducing the aquatic vegetation. Of a greater importance, however, still is the chemical control by various molluscicides, especially by cholinesterase inhibitors (carbamates and organophosphorus compounds), which are active also in sublethal concentrations via the carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Of a special importance is also the application of synergistically active compounds, by which the biocidal activity is considerably increased, the required biocide concentration in the water is decisively reduced. Molluscicides of plant origin may be very important in future, especially the later of Euphorbiaceae and the natural products obtained from them which are active at high dilutions. Also the field of chemosterilants need to be explored.     

Retrieval of cloud classification parameters using two-dimensional fast Fourier transform

A method is presented for the retrieval of classification parameters of clouds observed by satellite-borne imaging systems. It is based on a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform of cloud images and an analysis of their power spectra. The parameters retrieved provide quantitative information on mean brightness, size, shape and directional properties of clouds. The efficacy of the subdivision of the original cloud image into smaller regions and the determination of individual parameters is demonstrated by applying this procedure to some NOAA and INSAT cloud images.