Engineering topics

Morrison, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Morrison, D..

At least 37 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1983

The evolution of the infrared emission from the Type II supernova 1980k in NGC 6946 - The dust formation model

The paper presents 1-4 micron photometry of supernova 1980 k in NGC 6946 obtained over a period of 1 year following the outburst. During the period between 1980 November 1 and December 19, the infrared emission probably originated from the extended atmosphere of the expanding star. The JHKL colors and a 1.3-2.6-micron spectrum observed during this period correspond to those of a blackbody with an average temperature of about 5000 K. Observations around 1981 May 31 showed that the supernova developed an infrared excess after 1980 December. This infrared excess persisted through 1981 October and is consistent with the appearance of thermal emission from about 700 to 900 K dust in addition to a hotter photosphere. The similarity of this behavior to that of the infrared evolution of some novae suggests that dust formation may be occurring in the supernova ejecta. The hypothesis, that the emission arises from preexisting grains in a circumstellar shell which are heated by the supernova outburst, is also consistent with the data.

Dwek, E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A program for planetary exploration

A series of recommendations constituting a core program for planetary exploration, to last from the present to the year 2000, is the outcome of a two-year study undertaken by the NASA Solar System Exploration Committee. The missions envisioned by the core program must be insulated from costly changes and delays once they are approved. The present Committee has therefore restricted its recommendations to missions which do not require novel technologies, but rather continue the techniques of the flybys, orbiters and atmospheric entry probes that have been successful in the past. Recommendations are made for exploration of the inner planets, cometary and asteroid bodies, and the outer planets. Attention is given to the identification of key elements driving mission costs. It is noted that the Space Shuttle/Centaur upper stage combination brings within reach comet and asteroid rendezvous missions that were once thought to require costly new technology.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Outer planets satellites

The present investigation takes into account the published literature on outer planet satellites for 1979-1982. It is pointed out that all but three (the moon and the two Martian satellites) of the known planetary satellites are found in the outer solar system. Most of these are associated with the three regular satellite systems of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. The largest satellites are Titan in the Saturn system and Ganymede and Callisto in the Jupiter system. Intermediate in size between Mercury and Mars, each has a diameter of about 5000 km. Presumably each has an internal composition about 60 percent rock and 40 ice, and each is differentiated with a dense core extending out about 75 percent of the distance to the surface, with a mantle of high-pressure ice and a crust of ordinary ice perhaps 100 km thick. Attention is also given to Io, Europa, the icy satellites of Saturn, the satellites of Uranus, the small satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, Triton and the Pluto system, and plans for future studies.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Diameters and albedos of satellites of Uranus

Products of the masses of the five known satellites of Uranus, and estimates of their bulk densities and surface albedos, are used to infer their probable dimensions. Spectrophotometry has established the presence of water ice on the surfaces of all save Rhea, and the brightnesses of the satellites have been measured photoelectrically. The diameter measurements presented were made using a photometric/radiometric technique, whose recent recalibration, using independent solar system object measurements, has yielded absolute accuracies better than 5 per cent. The new albedo measurements show that Umbriel, Titania and Oberon are similar to the Jupiter moon Callisto, while Ariel resembles the Saturn moon Hyperion. The diameters of all four are similar to those of the large, icy Saturn satellites Rhea and Iapetus.

Brown, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Diameters of Triton and Pluto

The Neptune satellite Triton and the planet Pluto, whose diameter and albedo must be estimated by indirect methods, invite comparative study because of their similar brightness and current distance of 30 AU from the sun. IR spectroscopy has detected methane on both objects. Upper limits are given for the thermal IR emission from these objects which allow the determination of significant upper diameter limits. It is also demonstrated that both are high albedo objects, excluding the possibility that Triton is the largest planetary satellite and consistent with the small Pluto dimensions deduced from other data

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Calibration of the radiometric asteroid scale using occultation diameters

The paper describes a new approach to the calibration of the radiometric asteroid scale, which relies on recent accurate occultation measurements of the diameters of 2 Pallas (Wasserman et al., 1979) and 3 Juno (Millis et al., 1981), and the Voyager diameter of J4 Callisto, as well as IR photometry of these objects obtained with the NASA 3-m Infrared Telescope Facility. It is shown that this calibration is internally consistent to better than 5%, and probably has an absolute accuracy of + or - 5%. It is noted that a revision of the TRIAD radiometric diameters downward is required to bring them into agreement with the new calibration.

Telesco, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A new look at the Saturn system - The Voyager 2 images

Images of the Saturn system acquired by Voyager 2 in its encounter in August 1981 are presented and information gained from the imagery on the atmosphere, satellites, and rings of Saturn is discussed. The images have shown the Saturn atmosphere to contain persistent oval clouds similar to those of Jupiter, and small irregular features indicative of a pattern of zonal winds that is symmetric about the equator and appears to extend to great depths. The atmosphere of Titan is found to possess an upper haze layer above the main haze, a hemispherical brightness asymmetry, and a dark band in the north polar region. Other satellite observations included relatively high resolution coverage of Enceladus and Tethys, moderate resolution views of Hyperion and Iapetus, and the first observations of Phoebe, as well as views of the eight minor satellites associated with the orbits of Dione, Tethys and Mimas, and the F and A rings. Images of various ring structures were obtained, most notably the birth of a spoke and variable ringlet structures in the outer B ring. The observations may be used to deduce the collisional and thermal history of the rings and satellites.

Smith, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Voyages to Saturn

The Voyager mission to Saturn is explained in detail. A history of Saturn observations from ancient times to the present is given. The Voyager spacecraft and their instruments are described. An overview of planetary astronomy is presented. The text is supplemented by numerous black and white and color photographs. The Saturn satellites are discussed in detail, and preliminary pictorial maps of the satellites are given.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

The satellites of Jupiter and Saturn

The nature of the Jovian and Saturnian satellites as places, and their probable history, are discussed. Orbital data on the satellites are presented, including the radius, period, eccentricity, inclination, mass, density, albedo, and surface composition. The relationship between cratering and geologic time scales is reviewed. The major and intermediate satellites are categorized as giant, rocky, or icy, and their surface topography, internal heat sources, geologic activity, and impact crater density are discussed. The characteristics of Titan's atmosphere are covered. What is known of the small satellites of Saturn, the inner satellites of Jupiter, and the irregular outer satellites of Jupiter is assessed.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Amalthea - Voyager imaging results

Voyager images of Amalthea are presented, which reveal an irregular satellite in synchronous rotation relative to Jupiter with dimensions of 270 x 165 x 150 km. The surface appears scarred by large craters and sharp ridges to indicate a history of cosmic battering. Amalthea'a normal surface reflectance is 5-6% with a very red color and a mean opposition angle magnitude of +14. The phase coefficient between phase angles of 0.8 and 42 deg of 0.042 + or - 0.004 mag/deg indicates that the phase integral does not exceed 0.3 and the Bond Albedo is less than 0.02. Several prominent bright spots of 10-50 km across occur on local slopes and ridges, have albedos several times higher than the background, and have a greenish color where the spectrum bends down beyond 0.56 microns.

Veverka, J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Voyager search for posteclipse brightening on Io

Results of Voyager observations intended to settle the question of the transient brightening of the Io disk after its emergence from the Jovian shadow are presented. Two observation sequences were obtained on each Voyager flight through the violet filters of the Narrow Angle Cameras at frame intervals of 96 sec. No posteclipse was detected in the disk-integrated brightnesses in any of the sequences to within a few percent accuracy for a time span of up to 30 min following eclipse reappearance. Analysis of several representative individual areas on the disks of Io and Europa confirms the full-disk observations and is in contrast to telescopic observations showing a brightening of 10% just after eclipse which disappears on a time scale of 20 to 15 min. A small amount of brightening lasting about 3 min is found in the south polar region, along with some posteclipse darkening in neighboring regions. Observations imply that yellow sulfur (S8), the reflectance of which changes significantly over the eclipse temperature range, can not be a major constituent of the Io surface, and that the atmospheric column density of SO2 must be significantly less than 0.2 cm-atm at local noon.

Veverka, J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Measured branching ratios for O II2D and 2P transitions in the wavelength range 530 to 800 A

Branching ratios for four sets of extreme ultraviolet transitions terminating on the 2D0 and 2P0 metastable levels of ionized oxygen have been measured. The emissions were excited in both an open window hollow cathode and a capillary discharge lamp, and the branching ratios were derived from the observed intensity ratios of the multiplet pairs. The results are in good agreement with theoretical values and compare favorably, within experimental uncertainties, with line ratios obtained by EUV spectroscopy of the airglow.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Encounter with Saturn - Voyager 1 imaging science results

As Voyager 1 flew through the Saturn system it returned photographs revealing many new and surprising characteristics of this complicated community of bodies. Saturn's atmosphere has numerous, low-contrast, discrete cloud features and a pattern of circulation significantly different from that of Jupiter. Titan is shrouded in a haze layer that varies in thickness and appearance. Among the icy satellites there is considerable variety in density, albedo, and surface morphology and substantial evidence for endogenic surface modification. Trends in density and crater characteristics are quite unlike those of the Galilean satellites. Small inner satellites, three of which were discovered in Voyager images, interact gravitationally with one another and with the ring particles in ways not observed elsewhere in the solar system. Saturn's broad A, B, and C rings contain hundreds of 'ringlets', and in the densest portion of the B ring there are numerous nonaxisymmetric features. The narrow F ring has three components which, in at least one instance, are kinked and crisscrossed. Two rings are observed beyond the F ring, and material is seen between the C ring and the planet.

Smith, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

The diameter of Juno from its occultation of AG + 0 deg 1022

The occultation on Dec. 11, 1979, of AG + 0 deg 1022 by Juno was observed photoelectrically from 15 sites distributed across the occultation track. The observations are well represented by a mean elliptical limb profile having semimajor and semiminor axes of 145.2 + or 0.8 and 122.8 + or - 1.9 km, respectively. The corresponding effective diameter of Juno is 267 + or - 5 km, where the uncertainty has been conservatively increased to reflect the presence of limb irregularities clearly seen in the observations. Published radiometric and polarimetric diameters for Juno are 6% to 7% smaller than the occultation result. No secondary occultations attributable to possible satellites of Juno were recorded at any of 23 photoelectrically equipped observing sites.

Millis, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Thermal studies of planetary surfaces

Ground-based and spacecraft observations of planets, satellites, and asteroids in the thermal infrared have provided a wealth of information on planetary temperatures, dimensions, and surface properties. Internal heat sources have been revealed for Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and active volcanism on Io has been discovered and monitored. The thermophysical properties of Mars have been mapped for nearly all the surface by spacecraft, and ground-based observations have given similar information for the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. Infrared radiometry thus sheds important light on significant problems of dynamics, interiors, and surfaces of solar system bodies.

Morrison, D.↗

NASA NTRS1980

First Voyager view of the rings of Saturn

Voyager 1 imaging data of the Saturn rings, taken at a resolution of 1000 km/line pair between September 3 and October 13, 1980 are discussed. It is pointed out that as the spacecraft approached Saturn, finer radial structure in the rings between and within the major divisions became apparent, together with extensive azimuthal structure in the B ring. It is shown that the fine structure observed in the rings cannot, for the most part, be attributed to classical resonances with the known inner satellites. Preliminary model calculations of ring brightness based on photometry data indicate that the particles of the A and B rings are characterized by a greater degree of diffuse backscattering ability than previously suspected, behaving like Lambert spheres, while those of the C ring are either darker or more highly forward scattering than the A or B ring particles.

Collins, S.A.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Spectrophotometry of Io - Preliminary Voyager 1 results

Multispectral images of Io acquired with the Voyager 1 narrow-angle camera agree with earth-based spectrophotometry to better than 10%. Although the surface materials have general spectral properties similar to various allotropes of sulfur, their ultraviolet (UV) reflectances are much higher. It is likely that varying amounts of SO2 frost mixed with or absorbed on sulfur-rich materials raises the UV reflectance. The possible association with large amounts of SO2 with low temperature forms of sulfur in the white patches on Io is consistent with Io surface models in which SO2 and S exist in thermally stable stratified zones.

Soderblom, L.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Io - Observational constraints on internal energy and thermophysics of the surface

Infrared observations of the Io eclipse of April 12, 1980, in five broad bands from 3 to 30 microns define the thermal emission spectrum both during and after eclipse. A substantial fraction of the emitted radiation during eclipse arises from hot spots; the equivalent global average heat flow is 1.5 + or - 0.3 W/sq m, corresponding to an internal source of (6 + or - 1) x 10 to the 13th W. The hot spot spectra can be matched by components with color temperatures of 200-600 K covering 1-2% of the surface. Comparison with observations over the past eight years suggests that, while the flux at the hottest temperatures may be highly variable, there is no evidence for major changes in the total heat flow, which is emitted primarily in the spectral region 10-20 microns. The heating curves of the surface were observed at 10 and 20 microns; when corrected for the hot spot contribution they indicate a typical global thermal inertia for Io of 0.0002 + or - 0.0001 cal/sq cm sec(exp 1/2) K, similar to that of the other Galilean satellites.

Morrison, D.↗