The use of a syncytium model of the crystalline lens of the eye as a new tool to study the light flashes phenomenon seen by astronauts

Abstract

A syncytium model to study some electrical properties of the eye is proposed to study the phenomenon of anomalous light flashes (LF) perceived by astronauts in orbit. The crystalline lens is modelled as an ellipsoidal syncytium with a variable relative dielectric constant. The corresponding mathematical model is a boundary value problem for a system of two coupled elliptic partial differential equations in the two unknown syncytial electrical potentials. A numerical method to compute an approximate solution of this mathematical model is used, and some numerical results are shown. The model can be regarded as a new tool to study the LF phenomenon. In particular, the energy lost in the syncytium by a transversing cosmic charged particle is calculated and the results obtained with the syncytium model are compared with those obtained using the previously available Geant 3.21 simulation program. In addition, the interaction of antimatter-syncytium is studied, and the Creme96 computer program is used to evaluate the cosmic ray fluxes encountered by the International Space Station in its standard mission.

Can biophysics tell us something about the weak equivalence principle vis a vis the thought experiment of Einstein involving human subjects?

“…It can be said that when these particles impinge upon the retina, this constitutes a measurement, and it is this objective information which is conveyed to the visual cortex of the human (Thaheld, 2005a(Thaheld, , 2005b(Thaheld, , 2008. It is also of interest to note here that this phenomenon provides the only way to really see an elementary particle, leading one to speculate that a quantum microscopic particle can directly tell us something about a macroscopic gravitational state in an animate setting, and without the need for any instruments (Nurzia et al, 2005).…”

“…It can be said that when these particles impinge upon the retina, this constitutes a measurement, and it is this objective information which is conveyed to the visual cortex of the human (Thaheld, 2005a(Thaheld, , 2005b(Thaheld, , 2008. It is also of interest to note here that this phenomenon provides the only way to really see an elementary particle, leading one to speculate that a quantum microscopic particle can directly tell us something about a macroscopic gravitational state in an animate setting, and without the need for any instruments (Nurzia et al, 2005). This LF effect is never seen by humans on the surface of the earth nor by passengers on airliners or military aircraft, due to the interaction between the earth's atmosphere and the heavy cosmic particles and the protons, which interaction results in much lower particle energy showers, which have no discernible effect on the retina at lower altitudes.…”

“…Ever since the Apollo missions, astronauts have reported seeing LF in space, usually when they are in a darkened cabin or when they close their eyes (Casolino, 2003;Fuglesang et al, 2006Fuglesang et al, , 2007Narici et al, 2006Narici et al, , 2008aNurzia et al, 2005;Pinskey et al, 1974Pinskey et al, , 1975. These LF in space were even predicted before the first space mission and possible radiation hazards were pointed out (Tobias, 1952) .…”

“…These LF in space were even predicted before the first space mission and possible radiation hazards were pointed out (Tobias, 1952) . Scientists now suspect that two separate components of cosmic rays cause these flashes in a complementary fashion, one due to heavy cosmic particles such as He and Li, and one due to lighter H protons (Nurzia et al, 2005). They hypothesize that the direct interaction of the heavy nuclei with the retina, causes ionization or excitation and, in addition, that the proton-induced nuclear interactions in the eye (with a lower interaction probability) produce knock-on particles.…”