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Niemann, H. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Niemann, H. B..

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Modulation of dayside on and neutral distributions at Venus Evidence of direct and indirect solar energy inputs

The details of solar variability and its coupled effects on the Venusian dayside are examined for evidence of short-term perturbations and associated energy inputs. Ion and neutral measurements obtained from the Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer and Orbital Neutral mass Spectrometer are used to show that the dayside concentrations of CO2(+) and the neutral gas temperature are smoothly modulated with a 28-day cycle reasonably matching that of the solar F(10.7) and EUV fluxes. Earlier measurements show less pronounced and more irregular modulations and more conspicuous short-term day-to-day fluctuations in the ions and neutrals, as well as relatively large enhancements in the solar wind, which appear consistent with differences in solar coronal behavior during the two periods. It is suggested that the solar wind variations cause fluctuations in joule heating, producing the observed short-term ion and neutral variations.

Taylor, H. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Comparative neutral composition instrumentation and new results

The atmospheres associated with a number of planets and moons have been studied by remote sensing. Direct in-situ measurements have been possible for the earth, moon, Mars, and Venus. Both remote sensing and in-situ instruments are under development for missions to Halley's Comet and Jupiter. Brief descriptions are provided of the more recently employed mass spectrometer systems used in missions to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. Upper atmosphere instruments are discussed, taking into account the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer, Dynamics Explorer-B Wind and Temperature Spectrometer, and the Pioneer Venus Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer. Lower atmospshere instruments are also considered, giving attention to a double focusing mass spectrometer of the Nier-Johnson design used in the Viking Lander, Venera instruments, the Pioneer Venus Large Probe Mass spectrometer, and the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer.

Niemann, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

High resolution measurements of nightside ion troughs at Venus - Evidence of electrodynamic perturbations

The Bennett rf ion mass spectrometer of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter was expressly designed to provide variable temporal resolution for measurements of thermal ion composition and density. The Explore-Adapt mode is used to obtain priority for measuring the most prominent ion species; in the 2/16 configuration, the two dominant ions within the available range of 16 species are selectively sampled at the highest rate of 0.2 sec/sample. The high-resolution measurements are combined with independent observations from the magnetic field, neutral mass spectrometer, and electron temperature experiments in investigating sharply structured troughs in the low-altitude nightside ion concentrations. The results suggest a close correlation between the structure in the ion distributions and the structured configuration of the magnetic field that is draped about the planet. In the regions of the ion depletions, sharp fluctuations in electron temperature and anomalous increases in the density of neutral gases suggest that the ion depletion may be associated with dynamic perturbation in the ion and neutral flows and/or local joule heating.

Taylor, H. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Mass spectrometric measurements of the neutral gas composition of the thermosphere and exosphere of Venus

The neutral gas composition and density in the thermosphere of Venus is being measured with a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter. Data are obtained near periapsis once per day approximately 150-250 km above the surface. The principal gases in the thermosphere are CO2, CO, N2, O, N, and He. Atomic oxygen is the major constituent above 155 km on the dayside and also on the nightside up to 180 km when helium becomes the major constituent. The average values of CO2, CO, N2, O, and N remain nearly constant during day and night, but an abrupt change occurs across the terminator from a high dayside value to a low nightside value. The helium density varies in the opposite way, and a distinct bulge was observed at night near the morning terminator. The data have been used as the basis of an empirical model. Large orbit to orbit variations in densities were also observed on the nightside, suggesting perhaps strong turbulent motion in the atmosphere below. Kinetic temperatures inferred from scale heights are approximately 285 K on the dayside and 110 K at night. The average global temperature obtained from the model is 199 K.

Niemann, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Dynamic properties of the thermosphere inferred from Pioneer Venus mass spectrometer measurements

The data obtained by the Pioneer Venus spectrometer experiments indicate that the day-night temperature contrast on Venus is associated with wind velocities of about 200 m/s which transport oxygen, helium, and hydrogen toward the night side. A mass exchange with the mesosphere commensurate with an eddy diffusion coefficient of 3 x 10 to the 7th is required to buffer the horizontal advection so as to reproduce the observed day time bulge in oxygen and the small diurnal variations in helium. The observed time response and magnitude of the day-night density variations require transport processes to be effective over time periods between five and ten days, implying a superrotation rate or prevailing winds in excess of 50 m/s at the equator. Nonlinear mass transport results in wave steepening and contributes to the amplification of the density extrema in hydrogen and helium.

Mayr, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Venus nighttime hydrogen bulge

The concentration of atomic hydrogen in the Venus thermosphere near 165 km altitude and approximately 18 deg north latitude has been derived from Pioneer Venus in situ measurements of H(+), O(+), O and CO2 concentrations, under the assumption of chemical equilibrium. Altitude profiles of derived H concentration suggest that chemical equilibrium prevails to an altitude of at least 200 km on the dayside and to 165 km on the nightside. Measurements below these limits were made by the ion and neutral mass spectrometers on the orbiter spacecraft between December 1978 and July 1979, while periapsis traversed a complete diurnal cycle. The hydrogen concentration is found to rise sharply at both terminators from a dayside value of approximately 50,000/cu cm, and to exhibit an asymmetric nightside distribution with a peak density in the predawn sector approximately 400 times greater than the dayside value. Analysis suggests that wind-induced diffusion, combined with exospheric return flow, can account for the observed hydrogen behavior. The large day-night temperature contrast enhances advective transport, which produces the large H concentration diurnal variation; the shift of the H concentration nighttime maximum toward dawn is caused by atmospheric superrotation.

Brinton, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Atomic nitrogen in the upper atmosphere of Venus

Atomic nitrogen has been detected in the upper atmosphere of Venus by the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS). Surface recombination of atomic nitrogen with atomic oxygen to form nitric oxide in the ion source allows it to be detected at mass 30. The scale height temperature of the mass 30 peak agrees with the scale height temperatures of the other species if it is assumed to be derived from atomic nitrogen. The diurnal variation of atomic nitrogen is approximately proportional to that of atomic oxygen with an estimated N/O ratio of 1.5% at 150 km.

Kasprzak, W. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Pioneer Venus Orbiter neutral gas mass spectrometer experiment

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS) is designed to measure the vertical and horizontal density variations of the major neutral constituents in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The mass spectrometer sensor includes a retarding potential ion source, hyperbolic quadrupole rod analyzer, and electron multiplier detector. The supporting electronic system consists of hybrid integrated circuits to reduce weight and power. The ONMS instrument was launched aboard the Pioneer Venus Orbiter on May 20, 1978, and turned on in orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It has operated flawlessly for over a Venus year (243 earth days) and has returned data of the composition of the major constituents in the Venus atmosphere between the altitudes of 150 and 350 km.

Niemann, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Venus upper atmosphere neutral gas composition - First observations of the diurnal variations

Measurements of the composition, temperature, and diurnal variations of the major neutral constituents in the thermosphere of Venus are being made with a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, molecular nitrogen, atomic oxygen, and helium are presented, in addition to an empirical model of the data. The concentrations of the heavy gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and molecular nitrogen, rapidly decrease from the evening terminator toward the nightside; the concentration of atomic oxygen remains nearly constant and the helium concentration increases, an indication of a nightside bulge. The kinetic temperature inferred from scale heights drops rapidly from 230 K at the terminator to 130 K at a solar zenith angle of 120 deg, and to 112 K at the antisolar point.

Niemann, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Empirical models of the electron temperature and density in the nightside Venus ionosphere

Empirical models of the electron temperature and density of the late afternoon and nightside Venus ionosphere based on the Pioneer Venus measurements are presented. They describe the ionosphere conditions near 18 deg latitude between 150 and 700 km altitude for solar zenith angles of 80 to 180 deg, with a 10-fold decrease beyond 90 deg and a gradual decrease between 120 and 180 deg. The nightside electron density profile, the ion transport process, and electron precipitation are discussed. The high nocturnal temperatures and the well defined nightside ionopause suggest that energetic processes occur across the top of the entire nightside ionosphere, maintaining elevated temperatures.

Brace, L. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The midnight temperature maximum in the earth's equatorial thermosphere

The paper reports in situ direct measurements of regularly observed thermosphere neutral particle (i.e., N2) temperature maxima that occur predominantly after midnight. The measurements were made using the Neutral Atmosphere Temperature Instrument aboard Atmosphere Explorer-E in circular orbit (inclination 19 deg) at about 275 km. Hundreds of midnight temperature maxima were observed, some having values exceeding the well-known afternoon maximum. Simultaneous in situ direct measurements of the wind component normal to the orbit plane have also been obtained and observed to correlate in a systematic way with the temperature maxima.

Spencer, N. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Venus upper atmosphere neutral composition - Preliminary results from the Pioneer Venus orbiter

Measurements in situ of the neutral composition and temperature of the thermosphere of Venus are being made with a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter. The presence of many gases, including the major constituents CO2, CO, N2, O, and He has been confirmed. Carbon dioxide is the most abundant constituent at altitudes below about 155 kilometers in the terminator region. Above this altitude atomic oxygen is the major constituent, with O/CO2 ratios in the upper atmosphere being greater than was commonly expected. Isotope ratios of O and C are close to terrestrial values. The temperature inferred from scale heights above 180 kilometers is about 400 K on the dayside near the evening terminator at a solar zenith angle of about 69 deg. It decreases to about 230 K when the solar zenith angle is about 90 deg.

Niemann, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The neutral atmosphere temperature experiment

The AEROS Neutral Atmosphere Temperature Experiment (NATE) is designed to measure the kinetic temperature of molecular nitrogen in the thermosphere. A quadrupole mass spectrometer tuned to N2 measures the N2 density variation in a small spherical antechamber having a knife-edged orifice which is exposed to the atmosphere at the outer surface of the spacecraft. The changing density of N2 due to the spinning motion of the spacecraft permits determination of the velocity distribution of the N2 from which the temperature is calculated. An alternate mode of operation of the instrument allows measurement of the other gases in the atmosphere as well as N2 permitting determination of the neutral particle composition of the atmosphere.

Spencer, N. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The neutral-atmosphere temperature instrument.

The determination of the temperature of the neutral gas at the location of the satellite is based on measurement of the velocity distribution of the molecular nitrogen. Measurement of the thermal-velocity component in the presence of the free-stream velocity will be obtained through application of the velocity-scan technique and, independently, through use of a baffle technique. A 3-cm diameter spherical sampling chamber with a 0.5-cm diameter precisely knife-edged orifice is located at the satellite equator to permit free diffusion of atmosphere gases between the chamber interior and the atmosphere. The spherical chamber is connected through a high-conductance tube to a quadrupole mass-spectrometer sensor to permit accurate quantitative evaluation of the density of the gas.

Spencer, N. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

PAET, an entry probe experiment in the earth's atmosphere.

Description of the instrumentation of a probe designed for atmospheric studies on other planets and designated PAET. The probe was launched on June 20, 1971, near Bermuda in a trial experiment for measurements of the structure and composition of the terrestrial atmosphere. The instrumentation included accelerometers, pressure and temperature sensors, a mass spectrometer, and a radiometer. The measurements, carried out during the descent of the probe from an altitude of 90 km into the sea, were a success.

Seiff, A.↗
NASA NTRS1971

A thermosphere composition measurement using a quadrupole mass spectrometer with a side energy focussing quasi-open ion source

The atomic oxygen concentration in the altitude range 130 to 240 km was determined through the use of a quadrupole spectrometer with a strongly focussing ion source. The instrument is used in the Thermosphere Probe in a manner that greatly increases the proportion of measured oxygen ions that have not experienced a surface collision and permits quantitative evaluation of surface recombination and thermalization effects which inevitably enter all spectrometer determinations. The data obtained strengthen the concept that consideration of surface effects is significant in quantifying spectrometer measurements of reactive gases, and tend to be in agreement with von Zahn's recent results.

Niemann, H. B.↗