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Horai, K.-I.

Publications and source records attributed to Horai, K.-I..

12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Adjustment, interpolation, and smoothing of GEOS 3 altimeter data

A computational scheme that provides a rapid method for constructing a local or regional geoid from GEOS 3 altimeter data is presented. It is shown that for an oceanic area not larger than 30 deg longitude by 30 deg latitude, an adjustment of GEOS 3 track data for the erroneous bias and tilt can reduce the data inconsistencies at track intersections to smaller than 50 cm. This makes it possible to construct a map of the geoid with the contour interval of 1 m in any local or regional areas where the altimeter data exist with reasonable density and uniformity. In addition, a formula is developed for computing an expected value of geoid height by taking a weighted average of the adjusted altimeter data. Using the data's autocovariance as a weight, the formula can give a profile of geoid height along a given traverse. The geoid data can thus be compared with other marine geophysical data that are recorded continually along a ship's track.

Horai, K.-I.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The effect of interstitial gaseous pressure on the thermal conductivity of a simulated Apollo 12 lunar soil sample

The thermal conductivity of a simulated Apollo 12 soil sample is measured as a function of interstitial gas density, and implications for the thermal properties of lunar and Martian regolith are discussed. Measurements were performed for samples consisting of a mixture of Knippa and Berkely basalt powders with a grain size distribution identical to that of Apollo 12 lunar soil samples by the needle probe technique at interstitial pressures of He, N2, Ar and CO2 from 133,000 to 0.0133 Pa. It is shown that sample thermal conductivity decreases with decreasing interstitial gas pressure down to 1.0 Pa, due to the decreasing effective thermal conductivity of interstitial gas with decreasing gas pressure. Constant thermal conductivity values of 8.8 mW/m per K and 10.9 mW/m per K are obtained for sample densities of 1.70 and 1.85 g/cu cm, respectively, in agreement with in situ lunar regolith measurements. The results, which are greater than those obtained in previous soil studies, are explained by the dense packing of soil particles and enhanced intergranular thermal contact in the present experimental configuration, rather than the influence of interstitial gas pressure. The differences in conductivity between loose soils and packed regolith may also be used to account for the two peaks observed in Martian surface thermal inertia data.

Horai, K.-I.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A remark on the theory of measuring thermal diffusivity by the modified Angstrom's method

A theory of the measurement of the thermal diffusivity of a sample by the modified Angstrom method is developed for the case in which radiative heat loss from the end surface of the sample is not negligible, and applied to measurements performed on lunar samples. Formulas allowing sample thermal diffusivity to be determined from the amplitude decay and phase lag of a temperature wave traveling through the sample are derived for a flat disk sample for which only heat loss from the end surface is important, and a sample of finite diameter and length for which heat loss through the end and side surfaces must be considered. It is noted that in the case of a flat disk, measurements at a single angular frequency of the temperature wave are sufficient, while the sample of finite diameter and length requires measurements at two discrete angular frequencies. Comparison of the values of the thermal diffusivities of two lunar samples of dimensions approximately 1 x 1 x 2 cm derived by the present methods and by the Angstrom theory for a finite bar reveals them to differ by not more than 5%, and indicates that more refined data are required as the measurement theory becomes more complicated.

Horai, K.-I.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Heat flow anomaly associated with dike intrusion. II

An investigation reported by Horai (1974) is continued. A special case of the steady state temperature field associated with dike intrusion is studied, taking into account an infinite vertical downward extension of the isotherm of rectangular shape approximating the dike. The considered case represents a problem of two-dimensional steady state thermal conduction. The technique of conformal mapping used is identical to the method employed by Horai (1974). The characteristics of surface heat flow associated with an infinitesimal thin dike of certain temperature with the considered extension are shown in a graph.

Horai, K.-I.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Thermal diffusivity of four Apollo 17 rock samples

The modified Angstrom technique was used to measure the thermal diffusivity of four Apollo 17 rock samples in air at pressures of 1 atm and one-millionth torr in the temperature range 80-460 K, and in CO2 at different pressures for various temperature ranges and at different temperatures for the range of interstitial CO2 gas pressure 1 atm to 0.0001 torr. The experiments with CO2 were intended to simulate Martian conditions, and it was found that the thermal diffusivity of lunar crystalline basalt and breccia varies very little with temperature in a simulated Martian environment, which indicates that the thermal processes in the Martian regolith could be more straightforward than in the lunar regolith.

Horai, K.-I.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Thermal property measurements on lunar material returned by Apollo 11 and 12 missions.

Measurement of thermal diffusivity on Apollo 11 type A and type C samples in the temperature range between 150 and 440 K under atmospheric pressure. Thermal diffusivity of type C material is lower and less temperature-dependent than type A material. Both types of samples exhibit lower thermal diffusivities than nonporous terrestrial basalt. The rate of heat generation of Apollo 11 and 12 samples was calculated from the concentrations of radioactive elements: potassium, thorium, and uranium. Apollo 11 crystalline rocks show an average rate of heat generation which is not significantly different from terrestrial basalt. The Th/U ratio does not differ greatly from chondritic and terrestrial averages.

Horai, K.-I.↗