Earth has its own minimoons. Free Technical Library News

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Earth has its own mini-moons

11.04.2012

According to the calculations of a group of astronomers from the University of Helsinki, the Paris Observatory and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Earth has more than one natural satellite at any given time.

Our Moon, with a diameter of 3476 km, so beloved by poets and artists, has been in its orbit for more than 4 billion years. However, the Earth has other satellites, much smaller "cousins" of the Moon, which are called "mini-moons". They are usually only a few meters in diameter and often orbit our planet for less than a year before re-entering their orbits around the Sun.

Scientists have used a supercomputer for the first time to simulate the passage of 10 million asteroids past Earth. They then tracked the trajectories of 18000 objects that were captured by our planet's gravity. As a result, the researchers concluded that at any given time, the Earth has at least one other satellite with a diameter of at least one meter. According to simulations, most asteroids that are captured by the Earth's gravity do not rotate in a circular orbit, but follow complex serpentine orbits. This is due to the interaction of the gravity of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun, which causes the mini-moons to run along winding "paths".

The minimoons remain satellites of the Earth until one of the gravitational forces rips them off and directs them along a new trajectory. Ordinary minimoons spend about nine months in orbit around the Earth, but some of them can orbit our planet for decades. According to the astronomers, calculating the motion of the minimoons was one of the most complex and ambitious tasks in their career. If similar calculations had to be done on a home computer, it would take 6 years.

Minimoons are scientifically very interesting because they can be an accessible source of rock samples that have not changed much since the formation of our solar system over 4,6 billion years ago. Earth's satellites are not necessarily very small. So, in 2006, astronomers from the University of Arizona discovered the car-sized minimoon 2006 RH120. It circled the Earth in less than a year, after which it again resumed movement around the Sun.

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Electronic nose for clothes 24.05.2012

The British company Peratech proposes to sew a miniature electronic volatile compound sensor into clothing. A highly sensitive "electronic nose" will be able to warn a person about dangerous air pollution or an emergency in a timely manner.

The Peratech sensor quickly detects a variety of VOCs in the environment, from household paints to specific odors produced by a person's own skin. Many compounds do not smell, but an electronic sensor can alert you to the presence of harmful chemicals in a timely manner and prevent poisoning.

Many scientists have been trying for decades to create a simple and compact "electronic nose". However, according to Peratech representatives, they are the only ones who have managed to produce a sensor with a large change in electric charge and a size of several microns.

The sensor is assembled from quantum tunneling composites (QTCs), which have previously been used to make touch screens. In this material, electrons "jump" between conductors located on a non-conductive substrate. Any deformation, twisting or bending leads to the convergence of the conductors and the "jump" of the electrons.

Peratech's "electronic nose" is made from a polymer that absorbs volatile organic compounds. In the process, the polymer swells and causes the metal particles-conductors to approach each other. As a result, electrons begin to pass between the conductors and the sensor is triggered.

A feature of Peratech sensors is the ability to print them on a thin film. This allows them to be integrated into almost any devices, clothing and even food packaging. The scope of the new sensors is the widest: from protective workwear and trucks transporting products, to everyday clothes and smartphones.

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