High-gradient magnetic fields as a tool of simulating gravity effects on plants

1Kondrachuk, AV, 2Belyavskaya, NA
1Institute of Physics, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Kosm. nauka tehnol. 2001, 7 ;(5-6):100-111
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2001.05.100
Publication Language: Russian
Abstract: 
It is known that the high-gradient magnetic field (HGMF) exerts a directional ponderomotive force on diamagnetic substances. This effect can be used to modify the gravity force acting on statoliths by manipulating the statolith locations within the gravisensing cells. This allows us to consider the HGMF as a potentially very promising and useful tool of the directional and selective stimulation of the gravisensing cells of plants. Besides, the possibility to use the HGMF to modify or even compensate the gravity effects on these cells could give us a new approach to control plant gravireaction in weightlessness and to imitate microgravity effects in laboratory experiments. The main goals of the present work are: 1) to review the mechanisms of the HGMF effects on the processes which may go in the gravitropic reaction of the roots; 2) to discuss the development of the optimal HGMF configuration; 3) to indicate the peculiarities of mechanisms of the gravitropic reaction (perception and response) which might be the result of the HGMF effects; 4) to propose the procedures of the application of the HGMF for stimulation of gravisensing cells in microgravity conditions and for imitation of the microgravity effects in these cells in ground-based experiments.
Keywords: gravisensing cells, high-gradient magnetic fields, microgravity
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