M. Papailiou

Space weather hazards and their impact on human cardio-health state parameters on Earth

Recent multi-disciplinary heliobiological and biometeorological researches reveal that the human organism is sensitive to environmental physical activity changes and reacts to them through variations of the physiological parameters of the human body. In this study, electrocardiograms of functionally healthy persons, who were digitally registered at the Laboratory of Heliobiology located in the Medical Centre INAM (Baku, Azerbaijan), were studied in relation to different levels of cosmic ray activity and geomagnetic field disturbances. In total, 1,673 daily digital data of heart rate values and time series of beat-to-beat heart rate intervals (RR intervals) were registered for the time period July 15, 2006–March 31, 2008, which includes the period of December 2006, when intense cosmic ray events and strong geomagnetic disturbances occurred. The statistical significance of the influence of geomagnetic activity levels and cosmic ray intensity variations on heart rate and RR intervals was estimated. Results revealed that heart rate increase and RR intervals variations were more pronounced for high levels of geomagnetic activity and large cosmic ray intensity decreases, whereas very small or even minimum cosmic ray intensity variations did not affect heart rate dynamics. Moreover, heart rate increased on the days before, during and after geomagnetic storms with high intensities and on the days preceding, and following cosmic ray intensity decreases.

Cosmic radiation influence on the physiological state of aviators

Aviation personnel exposure to cosmic radiation and its biological effects has been an interesting subject for research over the last decade. In this study, scientific groups from Greece, Slovakia, and Bulgaria collaborated in order to examine the potential effects of cosmic radiation on the cardiovascular functionality of a group of Slovak aviators. Specifically, daily data concerning mean values of arterial diastolic and systolic blood pressure, which were registered during the medical examinations of the group of aviators, were related to daily variations of cosmic ray intensity, as measured by the Neutron Monitor Station on Lomnicky Stit. Statistical methods (analysis of variance—ANOVA and method of superimposed epochs) were applied in order to establish a statistical significance (p-values) of the effect of cosmic ray intensity variations on the aforementioned physiological parameters not only on the days of the events but also on the days preceding and following these events. Results reveal that diastolic and systolic blood pressure can be influenced by changes in cosmic ray activity.

Analysis of Changes of Cardiological Parameters at Middle Latitude Region in Relation to Geomagnetic Disturbances and Cosmic Ray Variations

Collaborating scientific groups from Athens (Greece), Baku (Azerbaijan) and Sofia (Bulgaria) have conducted a research work on the possible effects of geomagnetic field disturbances (GMF) and cosmic ray intensity (CRI) variations on human homeostasis, particularly, the cardio‐health state. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) of seven functionally healthy persons were digitally registered at the joint Laboratory of Heliobiology located in the Medical Centre INAM, Baku, on working days and Saturdays. Heart rate values, estimated from ECGs, were analysed in relation to daily values of CRI, as measured by the Neutron Monitor of the University of Athens and daily variations of Dst and Ap geomagnetic indices and some significant results had been revealed in previous studies. Researches were continued by study of additional cardiologic parameters estimated from the same ECG data. In this study digital data of RR interval (the time elapsing between two consecutive R waves in the ECG), namely RRminimum, RRmaximum and RRaver...

Recent Research applications at the Athens Neutron Monitor Station

The ground based neutron monitor measurements play a key role in the field of space physics, solar-terrestrial relations, and space weather applications. The Athens cosmic ray group has developed several research applications such as an optimized automated Ground Level Enhancement Alert (GLE Alert Plus) and a web interface, providing data from multiple Neutron Monitor stations (Multi-Station tool). These services are actually available via the Space Weather Portal operated by the European Space Agency (http://swe.ssa.esa.int). In addition, two simulation tools, based on Geant4, have also been implemented. The first one is for the simulation of the cosmic ray showers in the atmosphere (DYASTIMA) and the second one is for the simulation of the 6NM-64 neutron monitor. The contribution of the simulation tools to the calculations of the radiation dose received by air crews and passengers within the Earths atmosphere and to the neutron monitor study is presented as well. Furthermore, the accurate calculation of the barometric coefficient and the primary data processing by filtering algorithms, such as the well known Median Editor and the developed by the Athens group ANN Algorithm and Edge Editor which contribute to the provision of high quality neutron monitor data are also discussed. Finally, a Space Weather Forecasting Center which provides a three day geomagnetic activity report on a daily basis has been set up and has been operating for the last two years at the Athens Neutron Monitor Station.

Variations of CMEs Properties during the Different Phases of the Solar Cycle 23

As coronal mass ejections introduce large‐scale changes in the corona, which have fundamental implication for the evolution of the magnetic flux of the Sun, the long‐term behavior of CMEs is of great interest to be investigated. In this work the main properties of 13985 coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) from January 1996 until December 2008 covering the last solar cycle 23 are studied. Specifically, the detected CMEs taking into account the gaps of SOHO during this solar cycle, seem to present fluctuations from the expected behavior of the sunspot number during the declining phase of this solar cycle. Separating the CMEs according to their linear speed, their width and their kinetic energy a detailed study during the rising and the declining phase of the solar cycle 23 has been performed. Moreover, a correlative analysis of all these properties of CMEs and all registered solar proton enhanceme...

Cosmic ray events in the beginning of 2012

The beginning of 2012 is characterized by a burst in solar activity, which is especially obvious, in the first half of March. During these days a series of considerable solar flares was observed – among which six of great significance – together with several powerful emissions of solar substance (coronal mass ejections – CMEs) which resulted in large solar wind disturbances. As a result, several magnetic storms ranging from minor to severe were registered at the Earth. The splash in solar activity was also revealed in cosmic rays. Specifically, on January 27th and on March 7th, 13 significant proton increases (solar energetic particle – SEP) at several spacecrafts and instruments which probably were accompanied by very small ground level enhancements (GLEs) were observed. Furthermore, a series of Forbush decreases is recorded in the same time (i.e. March 2012). It is worth noting that the Forbush decrease on March, 7th became the greatest (up to now) event of its kind in the new cycle of solar activity. All of the aforementioned cosmic rays phenomena are investigated in the given work on the basis of the data from the worldwide network of neutron monitors.

Possible influence of the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field on the various types of arrhythmias

Over the last few years various researches have reached the conclusion that cosmic ray variations and geomagnetic disturbances are related to the condition of the human physiological state. In this study medical data concerning the number of incidents of different types of cardiac arrhythmias for the time period 1983 – 1992 which refer to 1902 patients in Tbilisi, Georgia were used. The smoothing method and the Pearson r-coefficients were used to examine the possible effect of different solar and geomagnetic activity parameters and cosmic ray intensity variations on the different types of arrhythmias. The time interval under examination was separated into two different time periods which coincided with the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field that occurred in the years 1989-1990 and as a result a different behavior of all the above mentioned parameters as well as of the different types of arrhythmias was noticed during the two time intervals. In addition, changing of polarity sign of the solar magnetic field was found to affect the sign of correlation between the incidence of arrhythmias and the aforementioned parameters. The primary and secondary maxima observed in the solar parameters during the solar cycle 22, also appeared in several types of arrhythmias with a time lag of about five months.