Analytical Calculations of Some Effects of Tidal Forces on Plants on the International Space Station

Abstract

Among the phenomena attributable to the Moon’s actions on living organisms, one of them seems to be related to analytical fluid mechanics: along the route of the International Space Station around the Earth, experiments on plants have revealed leaf oscillations. A parametric resonance due to a short period of microgravitational forces could explain these oscillations. Indeed, Rayleigh-Taylor’s instabilities occurring at the interfaces between liquid-water and its vapor verify a second-order Mathieu differential equation. This is the case of interfaces existing in the xylem channels of plant stems filled with sap and air-vapor. The magnitude of the instabilities depends on the distances between the Moon, the Sun, and the Earth. They are analogous, but less spectacular, to those that occur during ocean tides.

Tidal bore impact pressures on a trestle pier in the Qiantang River Estuary, China

“…40 The tide is a periodic fluctuation phenomenon caused by the gravitational pull of the moon, the sun, and other celestial bodies on the ocean surface, and the tidal bore is at the front of the tidal wave. 41,42 Therefore, the occurrence of tidal bores is predictable to a certain extent. 43 The interaction between the tidal bore and the structures can be observed by installing well-spaced sensing equipment.…”

On the surface gravitational acceleration of mars

“…The surface gravitational acceleration of Mars is much less than that of Earth (see, for example, [20] and [33]). With that small gravitational force you get much smaller tidal forces (see, for example, [9] and [10]). It takes much less energy to keep Mars in place than Earth (see, for example, [31] and [1]).…”