Modelling Leaf Temperatures during Parabolic Flights

A code was generated in MATLAB to model the temperature of plant (Arabidopsis) leaves (T) during 25 s periods of hypo- (μg) and hyper- (2g) gravity (g) produced by parabolic flights. Temporal data T(t) vary inversely with g(t) and are reproduced by a model that accounts for heat transfer across the boundary layer (BL) between the leaf and air, conduction through the stem into the growth media, and heat from the plant metabolism. While the BL and stem conduction terms are analytically known, the metabolic power is approximated as a function of T to simulate the T(t) data. Extending the metabolic power term to include time dependent dose-response mechanisms requires comparison of model predictions to T(t) data from longer periods of low-g. Thus, analysis of T(t) data from parabolic flights simulating lunar gravity over longer times will check the fully adaptive T(t) at low-g. Sub-orbital flights with 5 min periods of μg will test further extensions of the model.

Supported by UF CCMS Undergraduate Fellowship (JJK-P), NSF DMR-1708410 (MWM) and DMR-1156737 (UF REU), and NASA NNX15AB12G (RJF and ALP).