Engineering topics

Hickey, John R.

Publications and source records attributed to Hickey, John R..

21 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1988

Total solar irradiance measurements by ERB/Nimbus-7 - A review of nine years

The total solar irradiance measurements made by the cavity sensor of the Earth Radiation Budget experiment on the Nimbus-7 spacecraft have detected the sunspot-blocking effect, established the downward trend of the declining solar cycle, and appear to be confirming an upturn in irradiance at the outset of the new cycle. Studies of the measurements' frequency spectra have advanced the interest in helioseismology or mode analysis, and studies of photospheric activity have advanced through the modeling of the sunspot blocking and photospheric brightening vs measured irradiance.

Hickey, John R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Solar irradiance change and special longitudes due to r-modes

Sluggish global oscillations, having a periodicity of months and trapped in the sun's convection zone, modulate the amount of energy reaching earth and seem to impose some large-scale order on the distribution of solar surface features. These recently recognized oscillations (r-modes) increase the predictability of solar changes and may improve understanding of rotation and variability in other stars. Most of the 13 periodicities ranging from 13 to 85 days that are caused by r-modes can be detected in Nimbus 7 observations of solar irradiance during 3 years at solar maximum. These modes may also bear on the classical question of persistent longitudes of high solar activity.

Wolff, Charles L.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Multiperiodic irradiance changes caused by r-modes and g-modes

More than 20 real periodicities ranging from 20 days to 2 years modulate the solar irradiance data accumulated since November 1978 by Nimbus 7. Many are quite strong during the first three years (solar maximum) and weak after that. There is a high correspondence between periods in irradiance and 28 periods predicted from the rotation and beating of global solar oscillations (r-modes and g-modes). Angular states l = 1, 2, and 3 are detected as well as some unresolved r-mode power at higher l. The prominence of beat periods implies a nonlinear system whose effective nonlinear power was measured to be about 2. This analysis constitutes a detection of r-modes in the sun, and determines from them a mean sidereal rotation rate for the convective envelope of 459 + or - 4 nHz which converts to a period of 25.2 days (27.1d, synodic).

Wolff, Charles L.↗