Engineering topics

Feldman, P. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Feldman, P. D..

At least 73 records · Page 4

NASA NTRS1986

Rocket and laboratory studies in aeronomy and astrophysics

Progress from March 1, 1986 to August 31, 1986 is covered and includes the work performed in response to a proposal entitled A Spartan Payload for Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of Extended Faint Sources in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV). During this period, one rocket was launched, the reflight of the payload to observe Halley's comet on March 13, 1986. Most of the effort during this period was concentrated on detailed mechanical and electronic design of a Spartan payload and on the reduction and analysis of the data from the two Halley rocket flights and from the UVX experiment which flew on STS-61C in January 1986.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

IUE observations of comet Halley during the Vega and Giotto encounters

The observations of comet Halley from International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite from March 9 to 16, 1986 allow a comprehensive study of gas and dust production by comet in the week during which the fleet of six spacecraft from four space agencies encountered the comet. The gaseous output of the nucleus was found to vary over timescales of the order of one or two hours. The Vega 2 probe crossed Halley's coma at the time of, or shortly after, the onset of a strong outburst. The Giotto spacecraft performed its measurements while the cometary nucleus was near a minimum of activity. The ultraviolet spectrum of comet Halley differs from that of other comets observed by the IUE satellite in that the continuum emission is very strong relative to the gaseous emissions, and the CO2(+) violet bands, if present, are weak. The rate of water production was estimated to be 5.6 x 10 to the 29th and 5.2 x 10 to the 29th molecules per second at the time of the Vega 2 and Giotto encounters, respectively, while atomic carbon was a few percent and CO about 10-20 percent of these values.

Festou, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS1986

In-flight analysis of IUE cross-disperser scattered light

The scattered light properties of the IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) cross-disperser gratings are investigated using in-flight data of the emission spectrum of Comet Bradfield (1979X). The scattering function in the vicinity of H I Lyman alpha at 1216 angstroms is found to be significantly lower than that derived from either the laboratory measurements of Mount and Fastie (1978) or the analysis by Basri et al. (1985) of cool star observations.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Carbon monoxide in cometary ice

Carbon monoxide has been positively identified by means of ultraviolet fluorescence in the Fourth Positive System in two comets, West (1976 VI) and Bradfield (1979 X). In both cases, the spatial distribution of the emission is consistent with the CO being a 'parent' molecule, present in the cometary ice, rather than a dissociation product of a polyatomic species such as CO2 or HCOH. However, the abundance of CO relative to that of H2O is more than an order of magnitude smaller for comet Bradfield than for comet West. Further data on CO are expected with the use of more sensitive ultraviolet instruments such as the ASTRO spectrographs which will observe P/Halley in March 1986.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A two-dimensional intensified photodiode array for imaging spectroscopy

The Johns Hopkins University is currently developing an instrument to fly aboard NASA's Space Shuttle as a Spartan payload in the late 1980s. This Spartan free flyer will obtain spatially resolved spectra of faint extended emission line objects in the wavelength range 750-1150 A at about 2-A resolution. The use of two-dimensional photon counting detectors will give simultaneous coverage of the 400 A spectral range and the 9 arc-minute spatial resolution along the spectrometer slit. The progress towards the flight detector is reported here with preliminary results from a laboratory breadboard detector, and a comparison with the one-dimensional detector developed for the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope. A hardware digital centroiding algorithm has been successfully implemented. The system is ultimately capable of 15-micron resolution in two dimensions at the image plane and can handle continuous counting rates of up to 8000 counts/s.

Tennyson, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Comet Encke - Gas production and lightcurve

A comprehensive set of observations, both from the ground and with the IUE, was planned for the 1984 apparition of Comet Encke. The observations were intended to confirm the behavior seen in 1980 and to study the behavior of the comet after perihelion. The results of the observations indicate that all the measured trace species display an asymmetry around the perihelion that is consistent with the visual light curve (VLC). But the total gas production as monitored by OH (the dominant species) displays a behavior that has no relation to the VLC.

Ahearn, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The ultraviolet dayglow at solar maximum. 1 - Far UV spectroscopy at 3.5 A resolution

The earth's far ultraviolet dayglow (1080-1515 A) was observed at about 3.5 A resolution during a period of high solar activity near solar maximum om June 27, 1980. The observations were made at local noon by rocket-borne spectrometers viewing toward the earth's northern limb at 90 deg zenith angle (ZA) at altitudes between 100 and 245 km, and at 98 deg ZA between 245 and 260 km. The zenith angle was 8.9 deg. These spectra are compared with earlier lower-resolution dayglow data obtained during a period of lower solar activity and with auroral spectra. The brightness ratio of O I 1356 to the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) system, an indicator of the O to N2 density ratio, is lower than that previously measured at mid-latitudes and closer to the value found in aurorae. In the LBH system a depletion of the bands originating on the v-prime = 3 vibrational level of the excited state is found. Some weak N2 Birge-Hopfield bands and N I lines only marginally detected previously in the dayglow are confirmed.

Eastes, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The ultraviolet dayglow at solar maximum. III - Photoelectron-excited emissions of N2 and O

Rocket observations of the far ultraviolet dayglow spectrum near solar cycle maximum are analyzed using laboratory cross sections, atmospheric composition models, and photoelectron production models. Photoelectron-excited emissions of N2 and O are used to derive a self-consistent description of the atmosphere at solar maximum. Spectral synthesis of the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield bands shows a departure of a 1Pi(q) state vibrational populations from the direct excitation theory. Observations of the N2 second positive (0, 0) 3371-A band and O I 1356-A emission indicate an exospheric temperature of 1600 K, 200 K higher than predicted by empirical models. The empirical models are also found to overestimate the O and O2 densities required to fit the data by a factor of 2 and 1.4, respectively. These results are compared to the results of an analysis of similar observations made in 1978 near solar minimum.

Meier, R. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Long-term stability of the Io high-temperature plasma torus

The short wavelength camera of the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was used to measure S II 1256, S III 1199, semiforbidden S III 1729, and semiforbidden S IV 1406 emission from the high-temperature region of the Io plasma torus. Observations over a period of five years (1979-1984) indicate that the Io plasma parameters have relatively small variations, particularly in the case of the mixing ratio for the dominant constituent S(++), and electron temperature. A simple three-dimensional model of the plasma torus was used to obtain the ion mixing ratios and the plasma density for each observation. The results are compared with Voyager 1 data for mixing ratio (ion density divided by electron density); ionization balance; and plasma density. The results of the comparison are discussed in detail.

Moos, H. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The absolute flux of six hot stars in the ultraviolet (912-1600 A)

Six hot stars were observed on 1984 March 2 from a Black Brant V sounding rocket (NASA 21.085UG). The absolute fluxes from Gamma 2 Vel, Zeta Pup, Alpha CMa ,Gamma Ori, Beta Tau, and Epsilon Per were measured in the spectral region between 912 and 1600 A at 10 A resolution. Comparisons with revised Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 Ultraviolet Spectrometer data and previous sounding rocket data are evaluated. In general, the two sounding rocket experiments are in good agreement, and the revised Voyager data and the sounding rocket data are in agreement except at wavelengths below 1000 A.

Woods, T. N.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Ultraviolet albedo of cometary grains

Several dusty comets, including two at heliocentric distances greater than 3 AU (Bowell 1982 I and Cernis 1983l), have been observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Ultraviolet albedos have been determined for the wavelength range 2600-3050 A by comparison of the IUE data with both recent solar flux measurements and with IUE observations of solar analog stars. All of the comets show a similar reddening within this spectral range as well as with respect to the visible and infrared. No spectral signatures of possible ices are evident in the data. The ratio of gas to dust production rates, evaluated for 15 comets observed by IUE, shows a well-defined dependence on heliocentric distance.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1985

S2 - A clue to the origin of cometary ice?

S2 was recently discovered in Comet 1983d. It is argued that S2 is a parent molecule, resident in the ices of the cometary nucleus. If so, this requires that cometary ice has accreted directly from interstellar grains with icy mantles which were never appreciably warmed before accretion.

Ahearn, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Rocket observation of the ultraviolet spectrum of Comet Halley

An ultraviolet sounding rocket telescope/spectrograph experiment observed Comet Halley on Feb. 26, 1986, 17 days after perihelion. From the long-slit spectra, the production rates of O, C, and CO are calculated. The derived water production rate is a lower limit of 5.0 x 10 to the 29th/s and the volume mixing ratio of CO to H2O is 21 percent. The predicted brightness distribution from a radial outflow model with H2O and CO as parent molecules are in accordance with the measured spatial profiles of O I and CO emissions. The ratio of the production rates of CO to C is 2.7 which is consistent with the carbon source being the photodissociation of CO. However, the radial outflow model which best fits the CO data predicts significantly weaker C I emissions than was observed. A better fit to the carbon data is found when an inner coma source of C at a rate of 3 percent of the water production rate is included in the model.

Woods, T. N.↗

NASA NTRS1984

EUV airglow during active solar conditions. II - Emission between 530 and 930 A

Instrumentation on the Astrobee F sounding rocket on June 27, 1980 gathered EUV airglow data in the 530-930 A range. The 2-4 A resolution data were examined specifically for O II emission lines below 800 A, which were centered at 537-539 A. The emision was attributed to doublet and quartet components and exhibited a branching ratio of 3. A separate identification was made of O II emissions at 581 A. Inclusion of the 2s2p(4)2P state is therefore recommended in photoinization models of cometry and planetary atmospheres.

Gentieu, E. P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The ultraviolet spectrum of periodic Comet Encke (1980 XI)

A comparison of the ultraviolet spectrum of periodic Comet Encke (1980 XI), recorded by the IUE between October 24, and November 5, 1980 with similar spectra, of short- and long-period comets, shows the gaseous composition of P/Encke to be nearly identical to that of the other comets observed by the IUE. If P/Encke is indeed the remains of a once-giant comet, this similarity implies a homogeneous radial structure for the cometary ice nucleus. The OH brightness distribution shows a spatial variation similar to the visible fan-shaped image of the comet, suggestive of a nonuniform distribution of volatile ices on the surface of the nucleus. The total derived water production rate appears to be a factor of 5 higher than that derived from HI Lyman-alpha observations made during the 1970 apparition, and shows a variation with heliocentric distance (r) as r to the -3.3 power over the range 0.81 to 1.02 AU.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Rocket observations of the ultraviolet airglow during morning twilight

Rocket-borne (Astrobee) UV measurements were made of the terrestrial airglow at morning twilight from 82 and 90 deg zenith angles at altitudes of 90 and 246 km in September 1979. Data were acquired on the NO gamma and delta bands, the 2470 A O II, 1356 A and the 1304 A O I lines, the Lyman-Berge-Hopfield N2 and the Herzberg 02 lines. The zodiacal contribution was substracted to obtain pure airglow data. Spectral analyses supported a larger nighttime decrease of N(4S) than for NO, the latter being in diffusive equilibrium above 190 km altitude. The NO gamma band was directly related to the thermospheric N(4S) contribution, the latter having a density of 2-8 million/cu cm at 200 km. Finally, self-consistent photoionization and photoelectron impact ionization models were derived for the atomic and ionic oxygen emissions.

Cebula, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Temporal and spatial behavior of the ultraviolet emissions of comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock 1983d

The spatial distribution and temporal variation of the ultraviolet emissions from comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock 1983d, observed by IUE near closest approach of the comet to the earth, suggest a model for this comet of a rotating cometary nucleus with a nonuniform distribution of volatile ices. The short lifetime of S2 (about 500 s), a species whose presence was first identified in this comet and is presumed to be present generally in the cometary ice, makes S2 a valuable indicator of short-term nuclear activity. In the case of comet 1983d, the S2 production rate decreased by a factor of 10 over a period of 28 hr.

Feldman, P. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Comet Bowell 1980b

Optical filter photometry, and optical and ultraviolet spectrophotometry data collected between November 1980 and June 1982 of Comet Bowell are presented. It was determined that Comet Bowell began producing significant amounts of OH, though not other species, before perihelion at a heliocentric distance near 4.6 AU. As the comet approached perihelion at 3.4 AU, OH production decreased and CN and C2 species were detected at normal concentrations. An outburst in April 1982 was dominated by OH. The grains in 1982 near perihelion showed increases in albedo between 3150 and 4500 A and 1.2 and 1.6 microns. The presence of two grains populations was suggested, together with the conclusion that Comet Bowell was physically a typical new comet entering the inner solar system from the Oort cloud for the first time.

Feldman, P. D.↗