Engineering topics

Sofia, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Sofia, S..

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS1994

The solar diameter and oblateness measured by the solar disk sextant on the 1992 September 30 balloon flight

This paper reports the results of a balloon flight of the Solar Disk Sextant (SDS) on 1992 September 30. This was the first flight in which the SDS used a wedge assembly fabricated by molecular contact in order to eliminate the wedge angle variations observed in previous flights. The instrument performed as designed. The main results obtained are values of the solar diameter for a number of discrete heliocentric latitudes, and the solar oblateness. The accuracy of the diameter values is better than 0.2 sec whereas the precision is approximately 1-2 mas. The equatorial solar diameter, at 1 AU, was 1919.06 sec +/- 0.12 sec, and the oblateness epsilon = 8.63 +/- 0.88 x 10(exp -6).

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Preliminary results of a balloon flight of the solar disk sextant

Preliminary results of a balloon flight on October 11, 1991, of the solar disk sextant (SDS) experiment are reported. The SDS is an instrument which measures the solar diameter at different orientations with respect to the solar polar axis. Fitting straight lines through two fixed-angle data sets with time as the independent variable yields slopes of (7.1 +/ - 1.5) x 10 exp -3 and (6.7 +/- 1.6) x 10 exp -3/mas s, consistent with the value of 6.47 x 10 exp -3/mas s expected from the earth's approach to the sun due to the orbital motion toward perihelion. Upon the instrument's rotation on its axis a sinusoidal component of the diameter measurement was observed in each rotation cycle, with a variable amplitude of about 150 mas. The present result is epsilon of (5.6 +/- 6.3) x 10 exp -6, about 30 deg offset from the polar-equator position. The absolute diameter obtained by means of the FFT definition is found to be 1919.269 +/- 0.240 arcsec or 1919.131 +/- 0.240 arcsec, depending on the orientation mode of the measurement.

Maier, E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Pre-main-sequence evolution

The primary uncertainty that remains concerning the premain sequence (PMS) stage of stellar evolution is the possible role of accretion in the hydrodynamic stage. Possible PMS evolution scenarios are presented with a view to extant or potentially obtainable observational data that may unravel the details of PMS evolution. Attention is given to recent evolution calculations which encompass the role of rotation; it is concluded that the rotational feature of PMS can be tested within the framework of the chemical abundance of trace elements in the solar system, on the sun, and on solar analogs of various ages.

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Evolutionary models of the rotating sun

A new rotating stellar evolution code is developed and applied to the sun. A hydrostatic fully convective premain-sequence model is evolved to the age of the sun. As the model evolves, it accounts for angular-momentum loss via a magnetic wind and angular-momentum redistribution by rotationally induced instabilities. The resulting models have an oblateness in agreement with observed upper limits. The rotation curves show two main features: the outer layers exhibit minimal radial differential rotation, and a rapidly rotating central core is preserved. These basic features persist through a wide range of model parameters.

Pinsonneault, M. H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Turbulent compressible convection in a deep atmosphere. IV - Results of three-dimensional computations

The behavior of turbulent convection in deep atmospheres is studied by numerically solving the three-dimensional Navier Stokes equations. It is found that the mean vertical velocity is an important link between the buoyancy work and the heat flux. In regions with efficient convection, the total flux is composed of the enthalpy flux and the flux of kinetic energy. The characteristics of these components of the total flux are examined. It is shown that the production of kinetic energy depends on the local variables and the flux. However, the dissipation of kinetic energy is nonlocal. A substantial amount of kinetic energy is carried away from the location of production to be dissipated in lower regions.

Chan, Kwing L.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Mixing-length, shears, and differential rotation

Three aspects of convection in the solar envelope, the mixing length, the shears, and the differential rotation, are considered. Numerical experiments show that the mixing length is scaled by the pressure scale height rather than by the density scale height. Results indicate that the effective viscosity of convective turbulence on large scale shears may be approximated as 1/3 the product of the rms vertical velocity and the pressure scale height. It is suggested that the differential rotation of the solar convection zone may be viewed as an unstable axisymmetric mode which produces slower rotation at the surface.

Chan, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Turbulent compressible convection in a deep atmosphere. III - Tests on the validity and limitation of the numerical approach

The effects of various approximations on the results of three-dimensional computation of turbulent compressible convection are examined and related to the phenomenon of bubble breaking in stellar convection. The problem of viscosity and the numerical issue of efficiency versus accuracy in such computations are discussed, and a model is formulated and tested with regard to turbulent viscosity and accuracy. Results on the convergence to a statistically stationary state, the effects of time accuracy on the statistics, the effects of the adjustable constant parameter c(mu), and the effects of aspect ratio, horizontal grid size, and vertical grid distribution are discussed. A preliminary look at the three-dimensional flow structure is given.

Chan, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The importance of improved facular observations in understanding solar constant variations

A new study of solar irradiance modeling has been undertaken to improve the previous modeling efforts and perhaps to resolve the energy-balance question. In the present study, the daily sunspot and facular areas (using plages as a proxy measure of faculae) have been utilized, as well as a plage intensity index to examine brightness variations. It is noted that the reported plage areas changed by a factor of 2 near the end of 1979. Although this can be partially modeled because a commensurate change in plage brightness occurs, it leads to the conclusion that facular areas and brightness uncertainties prevent a definitive answer to the energy-balance question with this technique.

Schatten, K. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Changes of solar luminosity and radius following secular perturbations in the convective envelope

The effect on solar models of several types of slow, spherically symmetric perturbations, acting at various depths within the convective envelope, are calculated. Results are presented on perturbations of the efficiency of convective energy transport (alpha perturbations) and on changes in the nongas component of pressure (beta perturbations). The effects of magnetic fields concentrated near the interface between the radiative core and the convective envelope are explored. It is found that the response and relaxation diagnostics depend both on the type of perturbation and on the depth at which the perturbation is applied. In addition to the general depth dependence, model behavior is sensitive to the presence of major ionization zones near the perturbed layer. The time dependence of the solar model behavior is characterized by an initial hydrostatic reaction followed by a thermal readjustment on a time scale of about 100 years, and finally relaxation to a new thermal equilibrium on a Kelvin time scale.

Endal, A. S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Turbulent compressible convection in a deep atmosphere. II - Two-dimensional results for main-sequence A5 and F0 type envelopes

In the present two-dimensional numerical study of turbulent compressible convection in the A5 and F0 main-sequence envelope types, ionization effects are included in the equation of state of the gas, and radiative transfer is modeled in a diffusive process with tabulated gas opacities. It is noted that the thermal effects of ionization significantly affect the dynamics of the flows and that an inversion of the mean density can be created and sustained in a dynamical situation. The substantial differences in the flows of A5 and F0 indicate development trends in the transition from the radiative to the convective mode of energy transport. As convection becomes more effective, the flow becomes more turbulent and the scaling effects of local scale heights become more significant.

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Solar disk sextant optical configuration

In this paper the performance of a plausible configuration for the solar disk sextant, an instrument to be used to monitor the solar diameter, is evaluated. Overall system requirements are evaluated, and tolerable uncertainties are obtained. It is concluded that by using a beam splitting wedge, a folded optics design can be used to measure the solar diameter to an accuracy of 10 to the -6th, despite the greater aberrations present in such optical systems.

Chiu, H.-Y.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Solar disk sextant

This paper presents the conceptual design of an instrument, called the solar disk sextant, to be used in space to measure the shape and the size of the sun and their variations. The instrumental parameters required to produce sufficient sensitivity to address the problems of solar oblateness, solar pulsations, and global size changes of climatic importance are given.

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Solar radius change between 1925 and 1979

From an analysis of numerous reports from different locations on the duration of totality of the solar eclipses on January 24, 1925, and February 26, 1979, it is found that the solar radius at the earlier date was 0.5 arcsec (or 375 km) larger than at the later date. The correction to the standard solar radius found for each eclipse is different when different subsets of the observations are used (for example, edge of path of totality timings compared with central timings). This is seen as suggesting the existence of systematic inaccuracies in our knowledge of the lunar figure. The differences between the corrections for both eclipses, however, are very similar for all subsets considered, indicating that changes of the solar size may be reliably inferred despite the existence of the lunar figure errors so long as there is proper consideration of the distribution of the observations. These results are regarded as strong evidence in support of the occurrence of solar radius changes on shorter than evolutionary time scales.

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Facular influences on the apparent solar shape

The problem of the influence of faculae on apparent solar shape is examined in light of general facular contrast models. The diagonal components of the oblateness signal from the faculae observed are calculated, and it is found that the faculae can contribute a signal whose time dependence is similar to that of the Dicke and Goldenberg (1967) oblateness signal, allowing an acceptable fit to the oblateness measurements for a facular contrast within the range of acceptable values.

Schatten, K. H.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Turbulent compressible convection in a deep atmosphere. I - Preliminary two-dimensional results

The turbulent convection of a compressible fluid in a deep atmosphere is simulated by two-dimensional numerical computations, displaying coexisting 'cells' whose sizes range from the total depth of the convection zone to the smallest scale height at the top. While the largest cells traverse the entire zone, smaller ones are clustered near the top. The vertical correlation length of the vertical velocity is proportional to the local pressure or density scale height, in a way reminiscent of the concept of mixing length.

Chan, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Solar irradiance modulation by active regions during 1980

The solar irradiance modulation due to active regions during 1980 has been investigated in detail. Specifically, the uncertainties caused by ground-based data used as input in the modeling effort, and by currently incomplete knowledge of the proper parameters that describe the angular variation of sunspot and facular contrasts are estimated. It is concluded that the most significant uncertainties are due to errors in area measurements and, possibly, varying spot and facular brightness. A 'standard model' for later use is derived to a best-fit technique of the currently available ACRIM irradiance data and the predictions of models with appropriately varied parameters. Finally, the expected irradiance for the entire year of 1980 is computed.

Sofia, S.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Solar irradiance variations due to active regions

Questions regarding changes in solar irradiance due to activity are important, since such changes may have a significant effect on the earth's climate. Solar irradiance measurements conducted outside the earth's atmosphere and, therefore, not affected by it have become possible by utilizing for such measurements satellites, such as the Nimbus 7 and the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (ACRIM experiment). The present investigation has the objective to show that a combination of sunspots and faculae is capable of representing the observed variations in the values of ACRIM data to a satisfactory degree, given the current level of uncertainties in the ground-based data.

Oster, L.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Quick matching technique to study the relationship between solar radius and luminosity variations

A simple matching technique is developed which makes it possible to compute the response of the solar envelope to perturbations which occur within the solar convective region in timescales of importance to climate. The technique is applied to perturbation of the convective efficiency (alpha-mechanism) and of the nongas component of the pressure in different regions of the convection zone (beta-mechanism). The results indicate that whereas either perturbation affects the solar luminosity, the alpha-mechanism has almost no effect on the solar outer radius, regardless of the affected region. The beta-mechanism, however, produces radius changes which may be large if the location of perturbation is deep enough.

Sofia, S.↗