Engineering topics

Thomas, Peter C.

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas, Peter C..

17 records

NASA NTRS2012

Cometary Volatiles and the Origin of Comets

We describe recent results on the CO/C02/H2O composition of comets and compare these with models of the protoplanetary disk. We argue that the cometary observations require reactions on grain surfaces to convert CO to CO2 and also require formation between the CO and CO2 snow lines. This then requires very early mixing of cometesimals in the protoplanetary disk analogous to the mixing described for the asteroid belt by Walsh and Morbidelli. We suggest that most comets formed in the region of the giant planets. the traditional source of the Oort-cloud comets but not of the Jupiter-family comets

A'Hearn, Michael F.↗

NASA NTRS2011

EPOXI at Comet Hartley 2

Understanding how comets work, i,e., what drives their activity, is crucial to using comets to study the early solar system. EPOXI flew past comet 103P/Hartley 2, one with an unusually small but very active nucleus. taking both images and spectra. Unlike large, relatively inactive nuclei, this nncleus is outgassing primarily due to CO2, which drags chnnks of ice out of the nnclens. It also shows significant differences in the relative abundance of volatiles from various parts of the nucleus.

A'Hearn, Michael F.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Amalthea's density is less than that of water

Radio Doppler data from the Galileo spacecraft's encounter with Amalthea, one of Jupiter's small inner moons, on 5 November 2002 yield a mass of (2.08 +/- 0.15) x 10(18) kilograms. Images of Amalthea from two Voyager spacecraft in 1979 and Galileo imaging between November 1996 and June 1997 yield a volume of (2.43 +/- 0.22) x 10(6) cubic kilometers. The satellite thus has a density of 857 +/- 99 kilograms per cubic meter. We suggest that Amalthea is porous and composed of water ice, as well as rocky material, and thus formed in a cold region of the solar system, possibly not at its present location near Jupiter.

Jupiter↗

NASA NTRS2000

The State and Future of Mars Polar Science and Exploration

As the planet's principal cold traps, the martian polar regions have accumulated extensive mantles of ice and dust that cover individual areas of approx. 10(exp 6)sq km and total as much as 3-4 km thick. From the scarcity of superposed craters on their surface, these layered deposits are thought to he comparatively young-preserving a record of the seasonal and climatic cycling of atmospheric CO2, H2O, and dust over the past approx. 10(exp 5)-10(exp 8) years. For this reason, the martian polar deposits may serve as a Rosetta Stone for understanding the geologic and climatic history of the planet-documenting variations in insolation (due to quasiperiodic oscillations in the planet's obliquity and orbital elements), volatile mass balance, atmospheric composition, dust storm activity, volcanic eruptions, large impacts, catastrophic floods, solar luminosity, supernovae, and perhaps even a record of microbial life. Beyond their scientific value, the polar regions may soon prove important for another reason-providing a valuable and accessible reservoir of water to support the long-term human exploration of Mars. In this paper we assess the current state of Mars polar research, identify the key questions that motivate the exploration of the polar regions, discuss the extent to which current missions will address these questions, and speculate about what additional capabilities and investigations may be required to address the issues that remain outstanding.

Clifford, Stephen M.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Solid surface combustion experiment flame spread in a quiescent, microgravity environment implications of spread rate and flame structure

A unique environment in which flame spreading, a phenomenon of fundamental, scientific interest, has importance to fire safety is that of spacecraft in which the gravitational acceleration is low compared with that of the Earth, i.e., microgravity. Experiments aboard eight Space Shuttle missions between October 1990 and February 1995 were conducted using the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) payload apparatus in an effort to determine the mechanisms of gas-phase flame spread over solid fuel surfaces in the absence of any buoyancy induced or externally imposed oxidizer flow. The overall SSCE effort began in December of 1984. The SSCE apparatus consists of a sealed container, approximately 0.039 cu m, that is filled with a specified O2/N2 mixture at a prescribed pressure. Five of the experiments used a thin cellulosic fuel, ashless filter paper, 3 cm wide x 10 cm long, 0.00825 cm half-thickness, ignited in five different ambient conditions. Three of the experiments, the most recent, used thick polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) samples 0.635 cm wide x 2 cm long, 0.32 cm half-thickness. Three experiments, STS 41, 40 and 43, were designed to evaluate the effect of ambient pressure on flame spread over the thin cellulosic fuel while flights STS 50 and 47 were at the same pressure as two of the earlier flights but at a lower oxygen concentration in order to evaluate the effect of ambient oxygen level on the flame spread process at microgravity. For the PMMA flights, two experiments, STS 54 and 63, were at the same pressure but different oxygen concentrations while STS 64 was at the same oxygen concentration as STS 63 but at a higher pressure. Two orthogonal views of the experiments were recorded on 16 mm cine-cameras operating at 24 frames/s. In addition to filmed images of the side view of the flames and surface view of the burning samples, solid- and gas-phase temperatures were recorded using thermocouples. The experiment is battery powered and follows an automated sequence upon activation by the Shuttle Crew. In this study we separate the SSCE data into two groups according to the fuel type: (1) thin cellulose; and (2) thick PMMA. The experimental spread rates are compared with prediction from a number of models in an effort to uncover the important physics that characterize microgravity flame spread. Both steady and unsteady solutions are employed to explore the flame evolution, especially for thick fuels. Finally, the flame structure in downward spread is compared with the microgravity flame structure and modeling results to delineate the difference between the two configurations and the influence of normal gravity.

Bundy, Matthew↗

NASA NTRS1995

Longitudinal dunes on Mars: Relation to current wind regimes

Longitudinal dunes are extremely rare on Mars, but constitute a substantial fraction of terrestrial desert dunes. We report finding isolated examples of longitudinal dunes on Mars and relate their occurence to expected sand transport regimes. Terrestrial longitudinal dunes form in bimodal and multimodal transport regimes. General circulation models and streak data indicate that bimodal and multimodal transport of sand should be very rare on Mars. Thus the dearth of longitudinal dunes on Mars is consistant with their apparent formation conditions on Earth.

Lee, Pascal↗

NASA NTRS1995

Polar margin dunes and winds on Mars

The approximately concentric arrangement of layered deposits and dune fields at the two Martian poles may reflect a nearly steady state dispersal of material from the polar deposits. Data on effective surface winds from high resolution Viking Images combined with theory of local winds suggest that the northern dunes are in part confined to a latitude band by winds generated by their own low albedo. Dispersal of the dark sand from the southern polar region is not subject to this kind of feedback because the irregular topography prevents areal accumulations sufficiently extensive to produce winds.

Thomas, Peter C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Longitudinal dunes on Mars: Relation to current wind regimes

Longitudinal dunes are extremely rare on Mars, but constitute a substantial fraction of terrestrial desert dunes. We report finding isolated examples of longitudinal dunes on Mars and relate their occurrence to expected sand transport regimes. Terrestrial longitudinal dunes form in bimodal and multimodal transport regimes. General circulation models and streak data indicate that bimodal and multimodal transport of sand should be very rare on Mars. Thus the dearth of longitudinal dunes on Mars is consistent with their apparent formation conditions on Earth.

Lee, Pascal↗

NASA NTRS1995

Polar margin dunes and winds on Mars

Thomas, Peter C.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The determination of the mass and mean density of Enceladus from its observed shape

Application of limb-fitting methods to the 11 best Voyager 2 images of Enceladus has shown that the shape of this satellite is closely represented by a triaxial ellipsoid. The observed ratio of the differences of the principal axes F = (b - c)/(a - c) is 0.23 (sup +0.04 sub - 0.01), consisting with the value F = 0.23 expected for a synchronously rotating satellite in hydrostatic equilibrium. We also deduce from the Voyager observations, after allowing for limb topography, that the mean radius of the satellite is 249.4 +/- 0.2 km. For satellites of known mass, measurement of the size and shape leads to a determination of the satellite's mean density and moment of inertial. We have used this method to determine the moments of inertia of Mimas (1988) and Tethys (1991). Enceladus appears to be hydrostatically relaxed, making it an ideal candidate for this type of analysis. However, none of the Pioneer or Voyager spacecraft had a close encounter with this satellite and thus its mass is effectively unknown. Enceladus is trapped in a 2:1 orbit-orbit resonance with Dione, but the amplitudes of libration are too small to allow a useful mass determination. Using the observed shape alone, without any other assumptions other than that the satellite is in hydrostatic equilibrium at its present orbital radius, we place an upper bound on the mean density of 1.12 +/- 0.05 g/cu cm. Thus, the mean density of Enceladus is probably little more than that of water-ice and we conclude that this satellite is markedly deficient in rock. If the mass of a satellite is unknown, but the satellite is differentiated and has a deep mantle of known composition, then we show that measurement of the shape alone can lead to a determination of the satellite's mass, mean density, and moment of inertia. Application of this method to Enceladus, assuming that the satellite has a deep mantle of water-ice of density 0.93 g/cu cm, gives the result that the mean density of the satellite is 1.00 +/- 0.03 g/cu cm. This result fills the one remaining gap in our knowledge of the structure of the Saturnian satellite system. We now know the mean densities of all the primary Saturnian satellites in the sequence from the coorbital satellites, Janus and Epimetheus, through to the outer satellite Iapetus (the densities of the small, secondary satellites in Trojan-type orbits are still unknown). The Saturnian system possesses two striking features. (1) Because of significant porosity, the mean material densities of the satellites Janus, Epimetheus, and Mimas could be substantially greater than the apparent mean densities of these satellies. (2) The densities of the satellites are not correlated with their distances from the planet; in particular, the satellites Enceladus and Tethys have lower mean densities than their interior and exterior neighbors, Mimas and Dione. This may be the result of gross postformation redistribution of rock and ice, possibly due to satellite disruptions are suggested by Smith et al. (1982).

Dermott, Stanley F.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The generation and use of numerical shape models for irregular Solar System objects

We describe a procedure that allows the efficient generation of numerical shape models for irregular Solar System objects, where a numerical model is simply a table of evenly spaced body-centered latitudes and longitudes and their associated radii. This modeling technique uses a combination of data from limbs, terminators, and control points, and produces shape models that have some important advantages over analytical shape models. Accurate numerical shape models make it feasible to study irregular objects with a wide range of standard scientific analysis techniques. These applications include the determination of moments of inertia and surface gravity, the mapping of surface locations and structural orientations, photometric measurement and analysis, the reprojection and mosaicking of digital images, and the generation of albedo maps. The capabilities of our modeling procedure are illustrated through the development of an accurate numerical shape model for Phobos and the production of a global, high-resolution, high-pass-filtered digital image mosaic of this Martian moon. Other irregular objects that have been modeled, or are being modeled, include the asteroid Gaspra and the satellites Deimos, Amalthea, Epimetheus, Janus, Hyperion, and Proteus.

Simonelli, Damon P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Wind transport near the poles of Mars: Timescales of changes in deposition and erosion

Movement of sediment into and out of polar deposits is closely linked to the polar volatile budget and to changes in wind systems over the course of astronomically induced climate cycles. The present observations of the morphology of polar layered deposits, mantling sediments, dune fields, and variable surface features are the basis of inferences on the efficacy of polar sediment transport mechanisms. The time scales of formation of these features vary from days to perhaps 10(exp 6) yr, and latitudinal banding of dune fields near the poles may have been formed on timescales of 10(exp 7) yr. Orientations of intracrater dunes, dune crests, and wind streaks have been measured for latitudes -45 to -90 to compare features of likely different timescales of formation with models of wind flow from the south polar region. There is a complex variation with latitude of the indicated wind directions and of the efficacy of the resultant winds in orienting dune fields that suggests influence of frost cover on the ability of winds to move sediment in the spring and fall. Because of changes in the relative effectiveness of spring and fall winds expected with progression of the season of perihelion, the latitudinal variation in transport efficiency may mean that sediments at different latitudes dominantly respond to wind erosion and transport at different times during the perihelion cycle.

Thomas, Peter C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Physical properties of the Uranian satellites

Data regarding the Uranian satellites' radii, masses, mean density, and, consequently, their internal structures obtained from the Voyager encounter are analyzed. Topics covered are the sizes, shapes, topography, masses, densities, and models of the internal structures of the five major satellites. The sizes and shapes of the 10 small satellites discovered by Voyager 2 are discussed. The physical properties of the large satellites of Uranus are compared to those other satellites in the outer solar system, particularly those of Jupiter and Saturn, and the implications that these comparisons have for understanding the origin and evolution of the satellites of Uranus are discussed.

Brown, Robert H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The shapes of small satellites

Limb coordinates from spacecraft images have been used to measure the shapes of the small satellites of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, with a view to the quantitative testing of those shapes' physical significance. A comparison of eight small satellites' ellipsoidal models with equilibrium ellipsoids indicates that the shapes of even moderately irregular satellites are poor predictors of mean densities; icy satellites smaller than about 150 km in mean radius are irregularly shaped, and exhibit no trend in roughness. Larger icy satellites are ellipsoidal, and rocky satellites with mean radius in the 6-110 km range are also irregularly shaped.

Thomas, Peter C.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Uranus satellites - Hapke parameters from Voyager disk-integrated photometry

An attempt is presently made to obtain improved determinations of the geometric albedos and phase integrals of Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon, by fitting Hapke's (1981, 1984, 1986) photometric theory to Voyager whole-disk observations of these satellites. It is analytically established that while Umbriel, Titania and Oberon have large-scale roughness comparable to that of the earth's moon, Ariel is significantly rougher. While the particle single scattering albedo is strikingly different among the satellites, the degrees of regolith particle backscattering are very similar.

Helfenstein, Paul↗

NASA NTRS1988

The shape and internal structure of Mimas

The present effort to determine the shape of Mimas proceeds on the basis of limb profiles from six Voyager images; the fitting of ellipses to the limbs indicates that the shape is a triaxial ellipsoid. The satellite mass determined by Kozai (1957), in conjunction with a second-order theory for the ellipsoidal figure of equilibrium, leads to a satellite mean radius determination of 198.8 + or - 0.6 km, and a mean density of 1.137 + or - 0.018 g/cu cm. It is suggested that Mimas is probably differentiated, with a rocky core and a water-ice crust; alternatively, Mimas has a cosmic composition of ice and rock and is undifferentiated.

Dermott, Stanley F.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The control networks of the satellites of Uranus

The present photogrammetric derivation of control networks for the five Uranus satellites Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon, on the basis of Voyager 2 images, covers the illuminated southern hemisphere of each satellite and respectively yields 103, 52, 43, 46, and 34 coordinate points. It is found that Titania is ellipsoidal, with 241-, 235-, and 232-km radii.In addition, mean radii are determined to be 579 km for Ariel, 586 km for Umbriel, 790 km for Titania, and 762 km for Oberon. Some of the control points used have been identified on the U.S. Geological Survey maps of these satellites.

Davies, Merton E.↗