This paper contains an overview and summary on the achievements of the United Nations basic space science initiative in terms of donated and provided planetariums, astronomical telescopes, and space weather instruments, particularly operating in deve
loping nations. This scientific equipment has been made available to respective host countries, particularly developing nations, through the series of twenty basic space science workshops, organized through the United Nations Programme on Space Applications since 1991. Organized by the United Nations, the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the basic space science workshops were organized as a series of workshops that focused on basic space science (1991-2004), the International Heliophysical Year 2007 (2005-2009), and the International Space Weather Initiative (2010-2012) proposed by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on the basis of discussions of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, as reflected in the reports of the Subcommittee.
In 2010, the Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI) was launched by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) within the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. The Initiative aims at promoting international cooperation in
human spaceflight and space exploration-related activities, creating awareness among countries on the benefits of utilizing human space technology and its applications, and building capacity in microgravity education and research. HSTI has conducted a series of outreach activities and expert meetings bringing together participants from around the world. HSTI will also be implementing science and educational activities in relevant areas to raise the capacities, particularly in developing countries, in pursuit of the development goals of the United Nations, thus contributing to promoting the peaceful uses of outer space.
This paper deals with the investigation of the computational solutions of an unified fractional reaction-diffusion equation, which is obtained from the standard diffusion equation by replacing the time derivative of first order by the generalized fra
ctional time-derivative defined by Hilfer (2000), the space derivative of second order by the Riesz-Feller fractional derivative and adding the function phi(x,t) which is a nonlinear function overning reaction. The solution is derived by the application of the Laplace and Fourier transforms in a compact and closed form in terms of the H-function. The main result obtained in this paper provides an elegant extension of the fundamental solution for the space-time fractional diffusion equation obtained earlier by Mainardi et al. (2001, 2005) and a result very recently given by Tomovski et al. (2011). Computational representation of the fundamental solution is also obtained explicitly. Fractional order moments of the distribution are deduced. At the end, mild extensions of the derived results associated with a finite number of Riesz-Feller space fractional derivatives are also discussed.
We are going back to the roots of the original solar neutrino problem: analysis of data from solar neutrino experiments. The application of standard deviation analysis (SDA) and diffusion entropy analysis (DEA) to the SuperKamiokande I and II data re
veals that they represent a non-Gaussian signal. The Hurst exponent is different from the scaling exponent of the probability density function and both Hurst exponent and scaling exponent of the probability density function of the SuperKamiokande data deviate considerably from the value of 0.5 which indicates that the statistics of the underlying phenomenon is anomalous. To develop a road to the possible interpretation of this finding we utilize Mathais pathway model and consider fractional reaction and fractional diffusion as possible explanations of the non-Gaussian content of the SuperKamiokande data.
This article discusses the possible variation of the solar neutrino flux over time in the records of Super-Kamiokande-I and the relation to non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and the entropic pathway model. The scaling behavior of the Super-Kamiok
ande-I time series is investigated utilizing Standard Deviation Analysis and Diffusion Entropy Analysis. The data set exhibit scaling behavior and may follow Levy-type probability distribution function.
The United Nations Programme on Space Applications, implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, promotes the benefits of space-based solutions for sustainable economic and social development. The Programme assists Member States
of the United Nations to establish indigenous capacities for the use of space technology and its applications. In the past the Programme has primarily been focusing on the use of space applications and on basic space science activities. However, in recent years there has been a strong interest in a growing number of space-using countries to build space technology capacities, for example, the ability to develop and operate small satellites. In reaction to this development, the United Nations in cooperation with the International Academy of Astronautics has been organizing annual workshops on small satellites in the service of developing countries. Space technology related issues have also been addressed as part of various other activities of the Programme on Space Applications. Building on these experiences, the Office for Outer Space Affairs is now considering the launch of a new initiative, preliminarily titled the United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative (UNBSTI), to promote basic space technology development. The initiative would be implemented in the framework of the Programme on Space Applications and its aim would be to help building sustainable capacities for basic space technology education and development, thereby advancing the operational use of space technology and its applications.
Using the records of the fluxes of solar neutrinos from the Homestake, GALLEX (GNO), and Super-Kamiokande experiments, their statistical analyses were performed to search for whether there existed a time variation of these fluxes. The results of the
analysis for the three experiments indicate that these fluxes are varying quasi-biennially. This means that both efficiencies of the initial p-p and the pp-III reactions of the proton-proton chain are varying quasi-biennially together with a period of about 26 months. Since this time variation prospectively generated by these two reactions strongly suggests that the efficiency of the proton-proton chain as the main energy source of the Sun has a tendency to vary quasi-biennially due to some chaotic or non-linear process taking place inside the gravitationally stabilized solar fusion reactor. It should be, however, remarked that, at the present moment, we have no theoretical reasoning to resolve this mysterious result generally referred to as the quasi-biennial periodicity in the time variation of the fluxes of solar neutrinos. There is an urgent need to search for the reason why such a quasi-biennial periodicity is caused through some physical process as related to nuclear fusion deep inside the Sun.
This paper deals with the solution of unified fractional reaction-diffusion systems. The results are obtained in compact and elegant forms in terms of Mittag-Leffler functions and generalized Mittag-Leffler functions, which are suitable for numerical
computation. On account of the most general character of the derived results, numerous results on fractional reaction, fractional diffusion, and fractional reaction-diffusion problems scattered in the literature, including the recently derived results by the authors for reaction-diffusion models, follow as special cases.
The Maxwell-Boltzmannian approach to nuclear reaction rate theory is extended to cover Tsallis statistics (Tsallis, 1988) and more general cases of distribution functions. An analytical study of respective thermonuclear functions is being conducted w
ith the help of statistical techniques. The pathway model, recently introduced by Mathai (2005), is utilized for thermonuclear functions and closed-form representations are obtained in terms of H-functions and G-functions. Maxwell-Boltzmannian thermonuclear functions become particular cases of the extended thermonuclear functions. A brief review on the development of the theory of analytic representations of nuclear reaction rates is given.
