Study of cosmic rays and light flashes on board Space Station MIR: the SilEye experiment.

The SilEye experiment aims to study the cause and processes related to the anomalous Light Flashes (LF) perceived by astronauts in orbit and their relation with Cosmic Rays. These observations will be also useful in the study of the long duration manned space flight environment. Two PC-driven silicon detector telescopes have been built and placed aboard Space Station MIR. SilEye-1 was launched in 1995 and provided particles track and LF information; the data gathered indicate a linear dependence of FLF(Hz) ( 4 2) 10(3) 5.3 1.7 10(4) Fpart(Hz) if South Atlantic Anomaly fluxes are not included. Even though higher statistic is required, this is an indication that heavy ion interactions with the eye are the main LF cause. To improve quality and quantity of measurements, a second apparatus, SilEye-2, was placed on MIR in 1997, and started work from August 1998. This instrument provides energetic information, which allows nuclear identification in selected energy ranges; we present preliminary measurements of the radiation field inside MIR performed with SilEye-2 detector in June 1998.

[Design characteristics of thermographs with electrochemical data registration]. / Konstruktivnye osobennosti teplovizorov s élektrokhimicheskoi registratsiei.

In thermovisors of the "Rubin" series the thermograms are recorded on electrochemical paper ckhb-4 having low cost and providing higher documentation speed. Elements with nonlinear transfer function, used in the videochannel give linear dependence between the thermogram's optical density and the object temperature. Piece-linear approximators provide for linearization. In a new thermovisor model "Rubin-3" the infrared flow is interrupted during idle pass along the line, what is different from previously used modulation during operating pass. Digital data on the level and range of temperature count, and the frame number are put on the thermogram during operating pass.