Three decades of Space Activities at the Instituto Universitario de Microgravedad "Ignacio Da Riva" / Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (IDR/UPM) en History of Rocketry and Astronautics

Strictly speaking, space related activities at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Aeronáuticos (ETSIA) begun in 1973, when Prof. Ignacio Da Riva got a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to compile a handbook on spacecraft thermal control. By the same time, ESA issued an announcement of opportunities offering to the European scientific community the possibility of perform microgravity relevant experiments on board space platform like the European orbital laboratory Spacelab. Prof. Da Riva proposed one of the few selected experiments dealing with fluid physics under microgravity conditions, later flown on Spacelab-1 mission in 1983. These two events were the starting point where Prof. Da Riva, full professor of Aerodynamics at ETSIA, nucleated a small group of young professors and students located at the Laboratorio de Aerodinámica y Mecánica de Fluidos (LAMF) of ETSIA. Such group was leaded by Prof. Da Riva since its creation till 1991, when Prof. Da Riva died, and it was the seed of the more recently created research institute for aerospace science and technology named "Ignacio Da Riva" (IDR) in his honour. In this communication space related activities performed either at LAMF or IDR during the last three decades are briefly described.

(Table 1) Thermal conductivities of lithified core samples from ODP Leg 166 sites

The geothermal regime of the western margin of the Great Bahama Bank was examined using the bottom hole temperature and thermal conductivity measurements obtained during and after Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 166. This study focuses on the data from the drilling transect of Sites 1003 through 1007. These data reveal two important observational characteristics. First, temperature vs. cumulative thermal resistance profiles from all the drill sites show significant curvature in the depth range of 40 to 100 mbsf. They tend to be of concave-upward shape. Second, the conductive background heat-flow values for these five drill sites, determined from deep, linear parts of the geothermal profiles, show a systematic variation along the drilling transect. Heat flow is 43-45 mW/m**2 on the seafloor away from the bank and decreases upslope to ~35 mW/m**2. We examine three mechanisms as potential causes for the curved geothermal profiles. They are: (1) a recent increase in sedimentation rate, (2) influx of seawater into shallow sediments, and (3) temporal fluctuation of the bottom water temperature (BWT). Our analysis shows that the first mechanism is negligible. The second mechanism may explain the data from Sites 1004 and 1005. The temperature profile of Site 1006 is most easily explained by the third mechanism. We reconstruct the history of BWT at this site by solving the inverse heat conduction problem. The inversion result indicates gradual warming throughout this century by ~1°C and is agreeable to other hydrographic and climatic data from the western subtropic Atlantic. However, data from Sites 1003 and 1007 do not seem to show such trends. Therefore, none of the three mechanisms tested here explain the observations from all the drill sites. As for the lateral variation of the background heat flow along the drill transect, we believe that much of it is caused by the thermal effect of the topographic variation. We model this effect by obtaining a two-dimensional analytical solution. The model suggests that the background heat flow of this area is ~43 mW/m**2, a value similar to the background heat flow determined for the Gulf of Mexico in the opposite side of the Florida carbonate platform.

Liquid thermal diffusion /

"Other copies of this report may bear the number NRL-O-2982"--Page 2 of cover.

The production and evaluation of different genetic stocks of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, for different thermal environments : final report /

Federal aid project F-35-R, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Palaeoclimatic implications of the growth history and stable isotope (delta O-18 and delta C-13) geochemistry of a Middle to Late Pleistocene stalagmite from central-western Italy

The age structure and, stable isotope composition of a stalagmite (CC I) from an upland cave in central-western Italy were studied to investigate regional response to global climatic changes. Four growth phases are constrained by 28 thermal ionization and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry Th-U ages and reveal intermittent deposition through the period between Marine isotope Stage (MIS) 11 and 3 (similar to380 and similar to43 kyr). Most of the growth took place between similar to380 and similar to280 kyr, a period punctuated briefly by a hiatus in deposition through the glacial maximum of MIS 10. Growth was terminated abruptly at 280 kyr just prior to the MIS 8 glacial maximum. With a present-day chamber temperature of 7.5 degreesC, the timing of hiatuses close to these glacial maxima point to freezing conditions at the time. No deposition was recorded through the entirety of MIS 7 and most of MIS 6, whilst two minor growth phases occurred at similar to141-125 and similar to43 kyr. Growth at 141 kyr indicates temperatures >0 degreesC at a time when MIS 6 ice volumes were close to their maximum. High stable carbon isotope (delta(13)C) values (similar to2.8parts per thousand to +3.1parts per thousand) throughout the stalagmite's growth reflect a persistently low input of biogenic CO2, indicating that the steep, barren and alpine-like recharge area of today ha's been in existence for at least the last similar to380 kyr. During MIS 9, the lowest delta(13)C values occur well after maximum interglacial conditions, suggesting a lag in the development of post-glacial soils in this high-altitude karst. The stable oxygen isotope (delta(18)O) trends match the main structural features of the major climate proxy records (SPECMAP, Vostok and Devils Hole), suggesting that the delta(18)O of CC1 has responded to global-scale climate changes, whilst remarkable similarity exists between CC1 delta(18)O and regional sea-surface temperature reconstructions from North Atlantic core ODP980 and southwest Pacific marine core MD97-2120 through the most detailed part of the CC1 record, MIS 9-8. The results suggest that CC1 and other stalagmites from the cave have the potential to capture a long record of regional temperature trends, particularly in regards to the relative severity of Pleistocene glacial stages. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consequences of metamorphosis for the locomotor performance and thermal physiology of the newt Triturus critatus

During metamorphosis, most amphibians undergo rapid shifts in their morphology that allow them to move from an aquatic to a more terrestrial existence. Two important challenges associated with this shift in habitat are the necessity to switch from an aquatic to terrestrial mode of locomotion and changes in the thermal environment. In this study, I investigated the consequences of metamorphosis to the burst swimming and running performance of the European newt Triturus cristatus to determine the nature and magnitude of any locomotor trade-offs that occur across life-history stages. In addition, I investigated whether there were any shifts in the thermal dependence of performance between life-history stages of T. cristatus to compensate for changes in their thermal environment during metamorphosis. A trade-off between swimming and running performance was detected across life-history stages, with metamorphosis resulting in a simultaneous decrease in swimming and increase in running performance. Although the terrestrial habitat of postmetamorphic stages of the newt T. cristatus experienced greater daily fluctuations in temperature than the aquatic habitat of the larval stage, no differences in thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance were detected between the larval aquatic and postmetamorphic stages. The absence of variation across life-history stages of T. cristatus may indicate that thermal sensitivity may be a conservative trait across ontogenetic stages in amphibians, but further studies are required to investigate this assertion.

Short- and long-term consequences of thermal variation in the larval environment of anurans

To survive adverse or unpredictable conditions in the ontogenetic environment, many organisms retain a level of phenotypic plasticity that allows them to meet the challenges of rapidly changing conditions. Larval anurans are widely known for their ability to modify behaviour, morphology and physiological processes during development, making them an ideal model system for studies of environmental effects on phenotypic traits. Although temperature is one of the most important factors influencing the growth, development and metamorphic condition of larval anurans, many studies have failed to include ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations among their treatments. We compared the growth and age at metamorphosis of striped marsh frogs Limnodynastes peronii raised in a diurnally fluctuating thermal regime and a stable regime of the same mean temperature. We then assessed the long-term effects of the larval environment on the morphology and performance of post-metamorphic frogs. Larval L. peronii from the fluctuating treatment were significantly longer throughout development and metamorphosed about 5 days earlier. Frogs from the fluctuating group metamorphosed at a smaller mass and in poorer condition compared with the stable group, and had proportionally shorter legs. Frogs from the fluctuating group showed greater jumping performance at metamorphosis and less degradation in performance during a 10-week dormancy. Treatment differences in performance could not be explained by whole-animal morphological variation, suggesting improved contractile properties of the muscles in the fluctuating group.

Bioactive glass sol-gel foam scaffolds:evolution of nanoporosity during processing and in situ monitoring of apatite layer formation using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering

Recent work has highlighted the potential of sol-gel-derived calcium silicate glasses for the regeneration or replacement of damaged bone tissue. The work presented herein provides new insight into the processing of bioactive calcia-silica sol-gel foams, and the reaction mechanisms associated with them when immersed in vitro in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray scattering (diffraction) have been used to study the stabilization of these foams via heat treatment, with analogous in situ time-resolved data being gathered for a foam immersed in SBF. During thermal processing, pore sizes have been identified in the range of 16.5-62.0 nm and are only present once foams have been heated to 400 degrees C and above. Calcium nitrate crystallites were present until foams were heated to 600 degrees C; the crystallite size varied from 75 to 145 nm and increased in size with heat treatment up to 300 degrees C, then decreased in size down to 95 rim at 400 degrees C. The in situ time-resolved data show that the average pore diameter decreases as a function of immersion time in SBF, as calcium phosphates grow on the glass surfaces. Over the same time, Bragg peaks indicative of tricalcium phosphate were evident after only 1-h immersion time, and later, hydroxycarbonate apatite was also seen. The hydroxycarbonate apatite appears to have preferred orientation in the (h,k,0) direction.

Effects of climate variability on transparency and thermal structure in subtropical, monomictic Lake Annie, Florida

Lake Annie is a small (37 ha), relatively deep (21 m) sinkhole lake on the Lake Wales Ridge (LWR) of central Florida with a long history of study, including monthly limnological monitoring since June, 1983. The record shows high variability in Secchi disc transparency, which ranged from < 1 to 15 m with a trend toward decreasing values over the latter decade of record. We examined available regional meteorological, groundwater and limnological data to determine the drivers and thermal consequences of variability in water transparency. While total nutrient concentrations and chlorophyll-a were highest during years of low transparency, stepwise regression showed that none of these had a signifi cant effect on transparency after water color was taken into account. Repeated years of high precipitation between 1993–2005 caused an increase in water table height, increasing the transport of dissolved substances from the vegetated watershed into the lake. Groundwater stage explained 73 % of the interannual variability in water transparency. Transparency, in turn, explained 85 % of the interannual variability in the heat budget for the lake, which ranged from 1.8 × 108 to 4.1 × 108 Joules m–2 yr–1, encompassing the range reported across Florida lakes. While surface water temperature was not affected by transparency, depths below 5 m warmed faster during the stratifi ed period during years having a lower rate of light extinction. We show that an increase in precipitation of 20 cm per year reduces the depth of the summer euphotic zone and thermocline by 1.9 and 1.6 m, respectively, and causes a 1-month reduction in the duration of winter mixing in this monomictic lake. Because biota have been shown to respond to shifts in light and heat distribution of much smaller magnitude than exhibited here, our work suggests that subtle changes in precipitation linked to climate fl uctuations may have signifi cant physical as well as biotic consequences.

Latitudinal shift in thermal niche breadth results from thermal release during a climate-mediated range expansion

Funded by Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate Wenner-Gren Foundation Swedish Research Council The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Stiftelsen Anna-Greta Holger Crafoords Fund The Crafoord Foundation

Latitudinal shift in thermal niche breadth results from thermal release during a climate-mediated range expansion

Funded by Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate Wenner-Gren Foundation Swedish Research Council The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Stiftelsen Anna-Greta Holger Crafoords Fund The Crafoord Foundation

Latitudinal shift in thermal niche breadth results from thermal release during a climate-mediated range expansion

Funded by Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate Wenner-Gren Foundation Swedish Research Council The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Stiftelsen Anna-Greta Holger Crafoords Fund The Crafoord Foundation

Appendix A: LA-ICP-MS results (Laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) from monazite Moacir standard

Three samples of garnet-kyanite paragneiss from the Variscan Ulten Zone (Northern Italy) were studied in detail for U-Th-Pb monazite dating. Monazite in these gneisses is abundant, shows highly variable grain size and occupies different textural positions: within the matrix, as inclusion in garnet and kyanite, within apatite aggregates. Monazite shows different deformation features as a function of the textural position: enclosed (shielded) monazite is generally more fractured than matrix (unshielded) monazite. The integration of textural information with deformation features and in situ U-Th-Pb analyses by LA-ICP-MS indicates that there is no direct correlation between textural site and monazite ages. Old ages of 351-343 Ma, determined on portions of large matrix (unshielded) monazite and on rare domains of monazite shielded by garnet, have been related to a prograde stage of the Variscan metamorphic evolution of the Ulten Zone. Ages of 330-326 Ma, which are related to the thermal peak, are recorded by small matrix monazite, external domains of large matrix monazite, and by (domains of) fractured monazite enclosed in garnet and kyanite. Large, old unshielded grains formed as blasts during the prograde metamorphic history and survived the peak metamorphism during which crystallisation/re-crystallisation partially occurred.