Magnetic Lasso: A New Kinematic Solar Wind Propagation Method

Solar wind propagation from the point of measurement to an arbitrary target in the heliosphere is an important input for heliospheric, planetary and cometary studies. In this paper a new kinematic propagation method, the magnetic lasso method is presented. Compared to the simple ballistic approach our method is based on reconstructing the ideal Parker spiral connecting the target with the Sun by testing a previously defined range of heliographic longitudes. The model takes into account the eventual evolution of stream–stream interactions and handles these with a simple model based on the dynamic pressure difference between the two streams. Special emphasis is given to input data cleaning by handling interplanetary coronal mass ejection events as data gaps due to their different propagation characteristics. The solar wind bulk velocity is considered radial and constant. Density and radial magnetic field are propagated by correcting with the inverse square of the radial distance. The model has the advantage that it can be coded easily and fitted to the problem; it is flexible in selecting and handling input data and requires little running time.     

Charged isotropic model with conformal symmetry

We investigate the behaviour of a charged isotropic model with conformal symmetry. The relationship between the gravitational potentials arising from the conformal condition is used to generate a new class of exact solutions to the Einstein-Maxwell equations. A specific form of the electric field intensity and the metric potential is required to avoid a singularity at the centre. We can find simple elementary functions for the matter variables and the potentials with realistic profiles. The causality conditions, stability conditions and energy conditions are satisfied. Masses, radii, central densities and surface redshifts are generated, and the values are consistent with the compact stars 4U 1538-52 and PSR J1614-2230.     

Comets,Enceladus and panspermia

A growing body of evidence suggests the operation of life and life processes in comets as well in larger icy bodies in the solar system including Enceladus. Attempts to interpret such data without invoking active biology are beginning to look weak and flawed. The emerging new paradigm is that life is a cosmic phenomenon as proposed by Hoyle and Wickramasinghe (Lifecloud: the Origin of Life in the Galaxy, 1978) and first supported by astronomical spectroscopy (Wickramasinghe and Allen, Nature 287:518, 1980; Allen and Wickramasinghe, Nature 294:239, 1981; Wickramasinghe and Allen, Nature 323:44, 1986). Comets are the transporters and amplifiers of microbial life throughout the Universe and are also, according to this point of view, the carriers of viruses that contribute to the continued evolution of life. Comets brought life to Earth 4.2 billion years ago and they continue to do so. Space extrapolations of comets, Enceladus and possibly Pluto supports this point of view. Impacts of asteroids and comets on the Earth as well as on other planetary bodies leads to the ejection of life-bearing dust and rocks and a mixing of microbiota on a planetary scale and on an even wider galactic scale. It appears inevitable that the entire galaxy will be a single connected biosphere.     

Solar Microflares Observed by SphinX and RHESSI

In 2009, the Russian Complex Orbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of the Sun (CORONAS-Photon) spacecraft was launched, carrying the Polish Solar PHotometer In X-rays (SphinX). The SphinX was most sensitive in the spectral range 1.2?–?15 keV, thus an excellent opportunity appeared for comparison with the low-energy end of Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spectra. Common spectral measurements with these instruments cover the range where most of the flare energy is accumulated. We have chosen four consecutive small solar events observed on 4 July 2009 at 13:43 UT, 13:48 UT, 13:52 UT, and 13:55 UT (RHESSI flare peak times) and used them to compare the data and results from the two instruments. Moreover, we included Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) records in our analysis. In practice, the range of comparison performed for SphinX and RHESSI is limited roughly to 3?–?6 keV. RHESSI fluxes measured with a use of one, four, and nine detectors in the 3?–?4 keV energy band agree with SphinX measurements. However, we observed that SphinX spectral irradiances are three times higher than those of RHESSI in the 4?–?6 keV energy band. This effect contributes to the difference in obtained emission measures, but the derived temperatures of plasma components are similar. RHESSI spectra were fitted using a model with two thermal components. We have found that the RHESSI hot component is in agreement with GOES, and the RHESSI hotter component fits the SphinX flaring component well. Moreover, we calculated the so-called thermodynamic measure and the total thermal energy content in the four microflares that we studied. The results obtained show that SphinX is a very sensitive complementary observatory for RHESSI and GOES.     

Analysis of Design Characteristics of Snake-Type Atmospheric Probes (Vetrolets) for Studying the Atmosphere of Venus

In Russia, work aimed at designing a spacecraft for the long-term exploration of Venus is currently underway as part of the VENUS-D project. The R&D work proposes the concept of a snake-type atmospheric probe intended for exploring the atmosphere of Venus. This article describes the principles of flight, considers the main design features and engineering characteristics of the probes, and provides recommendations for engineering solutions.     

Creating an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum from a giant impact

The giant impact hypothesis is the dominant theory explaining the formation of our Moon. However, the inability to produce an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum has cast a shadow on its validity. Computer-generated impacts have been successful in producing virtual systems that possess many of the observed physical properties. However, addressing the isotopic similarities between the Earth and Moon coupled with correct angular momentum has proven to be challenging. Equilibration and evection resonance have been proposed as means of reconciling the models. In the summer of 2013, the Royal Society called a meeting solely to discuss the formation of the Moon. In this meeting, evection resonance and equilibration were both questioned as viable means of removing the deficiencies from giant impact models. The main concerns were that models were multi-staged and too complex. We present here initial impact conditions that produce an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum. This is done in a single-staged simulation. The initial parameters are straightforward and the results evolve solely from the impact. This was accomplished by colliding two roughly half-Earth-sized impactors, rotating in approximately the same plane in a high-energy, off-centered impact, where both impactors spin into the collision.     

Sunspot Positions and Areas from Observations by Pierre Gassendi

Solar activity behaviour on the eve of the Maunder minimum may provide important information on the period of further suppression of sunspot population. We analyse sunspot positions and areas in the 1630s extracted from rare drawings published by Pierre Gassendi in Opera Omnia. This work was published in two different editions, the first in Lyon and the second almost 70 years later in Florence. The drawings published in Lyon are found to be slightly different from those published in Florence, which produces a discrepancy in the position of spots of a few degrees, while sunspot group areas may differ by a factor of two. We reveal that the orientation of the drawings in the book is not always the same as might be seen in the telescope. We conjecture that the time of Gassendi’s observations covers the beginning of a new Schwabe cycle in the southern hemisphere. The differential rotation rate in the 1630s is also assessed and discussed.     

Behaviour of physical parameters in extended gravity with hyperbolic function

In this paper, we have constructed the cosmological model of the universe in f(R, T) theory of gravity in a Bianchi type \(\mathrm{VI}_h\) universe for the functional f(R, T) in the form \(f(R,T)=\mu R+\mu T\), where R and T are respectively Ricci scalar and trace of energy momentum tensor and \(\mu \) is a constant. We have made use of the hyperbolic scale factor to find the physical parameters and metric potentials defined in the space-time. The physical parameters are constrained from different representative values to build up a realistic cosmological model aligned with the observational behaviour. The state finder diagnostic pair is found to be in the acceptable range. The energy conditions of the model are also studied.     

Transition between general relativity and quantum gravity using quark and strange quark matter with some kinematical test

Contemporary piece of writing devotes to the investigation of plane symmetric cosmological model with quark and strange quark matter in the deformations of the Einstein’s theory of General Relativity (GR). At small or large scales (ultraviolet or infrared gravity), deformations of the Einstein’s theory could provide a better handling of cosmic acceleration without magnetism (along with singularities). In particular, a proper deformation of GR in the ultraviolet regime could play the role of describing the transition between GR and quantum gravity. As a matter of fact, although with a different purpose in mind, it was Einstein himself who proposed in the 30’s the reformulation of GR by taking the field of orthonormal frames or tetrads as the dynamical variable instead of the metric tensor (Einstein, Phys. Math. Kl 217, 401, 1928). As per the observation, pressure and energy density of the model approaches the bag constant in negative and positive ways at \(t\rightarrow \infty \), i.e. \(p\rightarrow -B_c \) and \(\rho \rightarrow B_c \), the negative pressure due to the Dark Energy (DE) in the context of accelerated expansion of the universe. So the strange quark matter gives an idea of existence of dark energy in the universe and supports the observations of the SNe-I (Riess et al., Astron. J. 116,1009, 1998; Perlmutter et al., Astrophys. J. 517, 565, 1999). Also these results agree with the study of Aktas and Aygun (Chinese J. Phys. 55, 71, 2017) and Sahoo et al. (New. Astron. 60, 80, 2018).     

A new technique for understanding magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling using directional derivatives of SuperDARN convection flow

The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate a new technique to better understand ionospheric convection and it’s magnetospheric drivers using convection maps derived from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN). We postulate that the directional derivative of the SuperDARN ionospheric convection flow can be used as a technique for understanding solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling by identifying regions of strong acceleration/deceleration of plasma flow associated with drivers of magnetospheric convection such as magnetic reconnection. Thus, the technique may be used to identify the open–closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) in certain circumstances. In this study, directional derivatives of the SuperDARN ionospheric convection flow over a four and a half hour interval on Nov. 04, 2001, is presented during which the interplanetary magnetic field was predominantly southward. At each one-minute time point in the interval the positive peak in the directional derivative of flow is identified and evaluated via comparison with known indicators of the OCB including the poleward boundary of ultraviolet emissions from three FUV detectors onboard the IMAGE spacecraft as well as the SuperDARN spectral widths. Good comparison is found between the location of the peak in the directional derivative of SuperDARN flow and the poleward boundary of ultraviolet emissions confirming that acceleration of ionospheric plasma flow is associated with magnetic reconnection and the open–closed boundary.