Abstract
Various spectroscopic experiments performed on the AIRBUS ZERO G—located in Bordeaux, France—in the years 2002 to 2012 exhibit minute optical reflection/absorption changes (GIACs) as a result of gravitational changes between 0 and 1.8 g in various biological species such as maize, oats, Arabidopsis and particularly Phycomyces sporangiophores. During a flight day, the AIRBUS ZERO G conducts 31 parabolas, each of which lasts about three minutes including a period of 22 s of weightlessness. So far, we participated in 11 parabolic flight campaigns including more than 1000 parabolas performing various kinds of experiments. During our campaigns, we observed an unexplainable variability of the measuring signals (GIACs). Using GPS-positioning systems and three dimensional magnetic field sensors, these finally were traced back to the changing earth’s magnetic field associated with the various flight directions. This is the first time that the interaction of gravity and the Earth’ magnetic field in the primary induction process in living system has been observed.
Highlights
Working several years on the measurement and analysis of Light Induced Absorption Changes in plants and fungi (LIACs), we expanded this idea to gravisensing, searching for Gravity Induced Absorption Changes (GIACs)
Time Course of the Three Magnetic Components The Bx component during any group of 5 parabolas flown in one direction is virtually a flat line with only little variations (Figures 3 and 6)
The Bx component essentially represents the azimuth angle of the flight path
Summary
Working several years on the measurement and analysis of Light Induced Absorption Changes in plants and fungi (LIACs), we expanded this idea to gravisensing, searching for (minute) Gravity Induced Absorption Changes (GIACs). The basic idea is that any stimulus such as light or gravity which is discerned by an organism, causes some kinds of molecular change which could be spectroscopically detectable For this purpose, we designed a novel, highly sensitive micro dual wavelength spectrophotometer [1,2] and we detected the first GIACs in laboratory bound experiments by tilting gravisensitive specimen (Phycomyces, coleoptiles of maize, oat and Arabidopsis [2]) into the horizontal position (a crude test for GIAC-activity). During our recent PFCs, we observed a till unexplainable small but significant variability of the measuring signals (GIACs) As discussed here, these discrepancies could be traced back to the various flight directions, because these, in turn, are inevitably associated with changes of the earth’s magnetic field. Even if ferritin has been found in Phycomyces [8], it only has been
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