Page 2 December 7, 2017
Seniors Looking Up
Based on a Press Release from UC
Santa Cruz, Provided by Bob Eklund
New analysis of Pluto’s atmosphere explains
why New Horizons spacecraft measured
temperatures much colder than predicted.
The gas composition of a planet’s
atmosphere generally determines how much
heat gets trapped in the atmosphere. For the
dwarf planet Pluto, however, the predicted
temperature based on the composition of
its atmosphere was much higher than actual
measurements taken by NASA’s New Horizons
spacecraft in 2015.
A new study published November 16 in
Nature proposes a novel cooling mechanism
controlled by haze particles to account for
Pluto’s frigid atmosphere.
“It’s been a mystery since we first got the
temperature data from New Horizons,” said
first author Xi Zhang, assistant professor of
Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa
Cruz. “Pluto is the first planetary body we
know of where the atmospheric energy budget
is dominated by solid-phase haze particles
instead of by gases.”
The cooling mechanism involves the
absorption of heat by the haze particles,
which then emit infrared radiation, cooling
the atmosphere by radiating energy into space.
The result is an atmospheric temperature of
about 70 Kelvin (minus 203 degrees Celsius,
or minus 333 degrees Fahrenheit), instead of
the predicted 100 Kelvin (minus 173 Celsius,
or minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit).
According to Zhang, the excess infrared
radiation from haze particles in Pluto’s
atmosphere should be detectable by the James
Webb Space Telescope, allowing confirmation
of his team’s hypothesis after the telescope’s
planned launch in 2019.
Extensive layers of atmospheric haze can
be seen in images of Pluto taken by New
Horizons. The haze results from chemical
Busting Myths and Misconceptions
About Osteoporosis
(BPT) - One in two women over the age
of 50 will suffer a fracture caused by osteoporosis
in her remaining lifetime. Despite its
prevalence, there are many myths and misconceptions
about this “silent” disease. These
myths may be a reason why osteoporosis is
underdiagnosed and undertreated.
A fragility fracture (breaking a bone by
falling from a standing height or lower) can
impact day-to-day life, but it can also be an
indicator for osteoporosis in postmenopausal
women. When you have osteoporosis, even
daily tasks such as taking your dog for a walk
can put you at risk for a fragility fracture of
the wrist, leg or even hip. But, a startling
82 percent of postmenopausal women did
not identify such fractures as a possible risk
factor for osteoporosis, according to results
from a recent online survey of over 1,000
postmenopausal women conducted by Harris
Poll on behalf of Radius Health, in partnership
with HealthyWomen and the National
Osteoporosis Foundation.
“It is critical that postmenopausal women
do not dismiss seemingly insignificant fragility
fractures as ‘clumsiness,’ but instead
see them as an important indicator for bone
fragility, disease progression and the need for
intervention,” says Dr. Andrea Singer, MD,
FACP, CCD, clinical director and trustee of
the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
This is just one myth about osteoporosis.
There are many others, including:
Myth: Osteoporosis only affects the elderly.
Truth: Osteoporosis often affects women
after menopause. Natural menopause can
occur as early as age 50. The rate of bone
loss after menopause is increased with the
accompanying loss of estrogen. Osteoporosis
is a progressive disease that lowers the density
of bones over time, making them weaker and
more likely to fracture.
Myth: Osteoporosis isn’t very common.
Truth: Ten million Americans are estimated
to have osteoporosis, and more than 8 million
of those are women.
Myth: Osteoporosis isn’t that serious.
Truth: More women over the age of 55
were hospitalized in the United States for
osteoporosis-related fractures than for stroke,
heart attack or breast cancer. Yet, according
to the survey, postmenopausal women were
more likely to be concerned with a diagnosis
of stroke, heart attack and breast cancer than
osteoporosis.
Myth: Health care providers will tell you
when it’s time to test for osteoporosis.
Truth: Research suggests only 2 in 10
older women in the United States who suffer
a fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis.
Furthermore, according to the survey,
96 percent of postmenopausal women who
have not yet been diagnosed with osteoporosis
and who suffered a fragility fracture were not
told by their health care provider it could be
linked to osteoporosis.
Myth: Getting enough calcium and vitamin
D is enough to treat osteoporosis.
Truth: About 3 in 10 postmenopausal
women incorrectly believe that drinking milk
or taking calcium supplements alone will prevent
osteoporotic fractures/breaks, the survey
found. While getting enough calcium and
vitamin D is critical to keep bones strong, it
may not be enough when it comes to treating
osteoporosis in postmenopausal women,
especially after a fracture.
Myth: There is no way to build new bone
after menopause.
Truth: About one-quarter of postmenopausal
women incorrectly believe there is no way to
build new bone at their age, the survey found.
The truth is that certain types of treatment for
postmenopausal osteoporosis can help build
new bone, while others help slow bone loss.
Separating the truths from the myths is
an important step in pursuing appropriate
care for bone health after menopause. To
get more information about osteoporosis,
visit the Fractured Truth website at www.
fracturedtruths.com. To learn more and find
a community of supportive women, visit
the Fractured Truth Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/FracturedTruth. •
Hydrocarbon Haze Keeps Dwarf
Planet Colder than Expected
Pluto’s haze layer is blue in this image taken by the New Horizons Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera and computer generated
to replicate true color. Haze is produced by sunlight-initiated chemical reactions of nitrogen and methane, leading to small particles
that grow and settle toward the surface. (Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI).
reactions in the upper atmosphere, where
ultraviolet radiation from the Sun ionizes
nitrogen and methane, which react to form
tiny hydrocarbon particles tens of nanometers
in diameter. As these tiny particles sink down
through the atmosphere, they stick together
to form aggregates that grow larger as they
descend, eventually settling onto the surface.
“We believe these hydrocarbon particles are
related to the reddish and brownish stuff seen
in images of Pluto’s surface,” Zhang said.
The researchers are interested in studying
the effects of haze particles on the atmospheric
energy balance of other planetary bodies, such
as Neptune’s moon Triton and Saturn’s moon
Titan. Their findings may also be relevant
to investigations of exoplanets with hazy
atmospheres.
New Horizons passed within 7,800 miles of
Pluto, with this closest approach on July 14,
2015. New Horizons had a relative velocity
of 30,800 mph at its closest approach, and
came as close as 17,900 miles to Charon.
Starting 3.2 days before the closest approach,
long-range imaging included the mapping
of Pluto and Charon to 25 miles resolution.
Because of Pluto’s tilt, portions of the northern
hemisphere were in shadow at all times.
Meanwhile, instruments on board New
Horizons studied the atmosphere, both by
emissions of atmospheric molecules (airglow),
and by dimming of background stars as they
pass behind Pluto (occultation). During and
after closest approach, other instruments
sampled the planet’s high atmosphere and its
effects on the solar wind. They also searched
for dust. A communications dish on Earth
measured the disappearance and reappearance
of the radio signal as the probe flew by behind
Pluto. The results resolved Pluto’s diameter
(by their timing) and atmospheric density
and composition (by their weakening and
strengthening pattern). •
Burkley Brandlin
Swatik & Keesey LLP Herald Publications
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