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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS2016

Marli: Mars Lidar for Global Wind Profiles and Aerosol Profiles from Orbit

The Mars Exploration Analysis Group's Next Orbiter Science Analysis Group (NEXSAG) has recently identified atmospheric wind measurements as one of 5 top compelling science objectives for a future Mars orbiter. To date, only isolated lander observations of martian winds exist. Winds are the key variable to understand atmospheric transport and answer fundamental questions about the three primary cycles of the martian climate: CO2, H2O, and dust. However, the direct lack of observations and imprecise and indirect inferences from temperature observations leave many basic questions about the atmospheric circulation unanswered. In addition to addressing high priority science questions, direct wind observations from orbit would help validate 3D general circulation models (GCMs) while also providing key input to atmospheric reanalyses. The dust and CO2 cycles on Mars are partially coupled and their influences on the atmospheric circulation modify the global wind field. Dust absorbs solar infrared radiation and its variable spatial distribution forces changes in the atmospheric temperature and wind fields. Thus it is important to simultaneously measure the height-resolved wind and dust profiles. MARLI provides a unique capability to observe these variables continuously, day and night, from orbit.

Orbit↗
NASA NTRS2004

Wind Tunnel to Atmospheric Mapping for Static Aeroelastic Scaling

Wind tunnel to Atmospheric Mapping (WAM) is a methodology for scaling and testing a static aeroelastic wind tunnel model. The WAM procedure employs scaling laws to define a wind tunnel model and wind tunnel test points such that the static aeroelastic flight test data and wind tunnel data will be correlated throughout the test envelopes. This methodology extends the notion that a single test condition - combination of Mach number and dynamic pressure - can be matched by wind tunnel data. The primary requirements for affecting this extension are matching flight Mach numbers, maintaining a constant dynamic pressure scale factor and setting the dynamic pressure scale factor in accordance with the stiffness scale factor. The scaling is enabled by capabilities of the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) and by relaxation of scaling requirements present in the dynamic problem that are not critical to the static aeroelastic problem. The methodology is exercised in two example scaling problems: an arbitrarily scaled wing and a practical application to the scaling of the Active Aeroelastic Wing flight vehicle for testing in the TDT.

Heeg, Jennifer↗
NASA NTRS2011

Quality-Controlled Wind Data from the Kennedy Space Center 915 Megahertz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler Network

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has installed a five-instrument 915-Megahertz (MHz) Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) system that records atmospheric wind profile properties. The purpose of these profilers is to fill data gaps between the top of the KSC wind tower network and the lowest measurement altitude of the KSC 50-MHz DRWP. The 915-MHz DRWP system has the capability to generate three-dimensional wind data outputs from approximately 150 meters (m) to 6,000 m at roughly 15-minute (min) intervals. NASA s long-term objective is to combine the 915-MHz and 50-MHz DRWP systems to create complete vertical wind profiles up to 18,300 m to be used in trajectory and loads analyses of space vehicles and by forecasters on day-of-launch (DOL). This analysis utilizes automated and manual quality control (QC) processes to remove erroneous and unrealistic wind data returned by the 915-MHz DRWP system. The percentage of data affected by each individual QC check in the period of record (POR) (i.e., January to April 2006) was computed, demonstrating the variability in the amount of data affected by the QC processes. The number of complete wind profiles available at given altitude thresholds for each profiler in the POR was calculated and outputted graphically, followed by an assessment of the number of complete wind profiles available for any profiler in the POR. A case study is also provided to demonstrate the QC process on a day of a known weather event.

Dryden, Rachel L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Earth Rotation and Global Change

Global climate change, whether from natural or man-made causes, can be expected to lead to changes in the Earth's rotation. General Circulation Models (GCMs) of the atmosphere that have been used to study the effects of changes in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gasses general predict the globally averaged temperature to increase by 1 degree to 4 degrees C during the next century. This temperature increase is not expected to occur uniformly over the globe, but should exhibit regional variations. This changing atmospheric temperature field will cause changes in the atmospheric wind field and hence in the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM). Since the angular momentum of the atmosphere-solid Earth system is conserved, a thermally-induced change in the AAM will cause consequent changes in the rotation of the solid Earth...

Dickey, J. O.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Double-Edge Molecular Measurement of Lidar Wind Profiles in the VALID Campaign

We have developed a transportable container based direct detection Doppler lidar based on the double-edge molecular technique. The pulsed solid state system was built at the University of Geneva. It was used to make range resolved measurements of the atmospheric wind field as part of the VALID campaign at the Observatoire de Haute Provence in Provence, France in July 1999. Comparison of our lidar wind measurements, which were analyzed without knowledge of the results of rawinsonde measurements made under the supervision of ESA, show good agreement with these rawinsondes. These are the first Doppler lidar field measurements made with an eyesafe direct detection molecular-based system at 355 nm and serve as a demonstrator for future spaceborne direct detection wind systems such as the Atmospheric Dynamics mission. Winds are an important contributor to sea surface temperature measurements made with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and also affect the TRMM rainfall estimates.

Korb, C. Laurence↗
NASA NTRS1983

Observation of winds in cool stars

Sufficient observational material - ultraviolet spectroscopic measures, quantitative optical spectroscopy, and X-ray photometry exists to enable discernment of the presence and character of mass loss in cool stars and to establish meaningful constraints on theoretical models. Two determinants of atmospheric wind structure - temperature and gravity - may suffice in a most superficial way to define the wind and atmospheric structure in a star; however more extensive observations demonstrate the importance of magnetic surface activity and its particular geometrical configuration. Successive observations of an active binary system and a supergiant star reveal that magnetic activity and perhaps mass loss occur on restricted regions of a stellar surface and that long lived structures are present in a wind.

Dupree, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A reference atmosphere for LAWS trade studies - An update

The baseline SNR and LOS velocity errors for two proposed Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) satellite orbits are examined with the aid of a reference atmosphere from the LAWS Simulation Model. It is shown on the basis of a tropical maritime atmosphere that obtaining wind information in the midlevels will be difficult unless better signal processing is possible and/or subvisual cirrus is present. Backscatter probability diagrams for a satellite at 500 and 705 km are presented.

Wood, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Zonal Winds Between 25 and 120 Km Retrieved from Solar Occultation Spectra

Atmospheric winds at heights between 25 and 120 km have been retrieved with precisions of 5/ms from the Doppler shifts of atmospheric absorption lines measured from a satellite-borne instrument. Lines of the upsilon 3 CO2 and upsilon 2 H2O rotation-vibration bands caused by gases in the instrument allowed the instrumental frequency scale to be absolutely calibrated so that accurate relative speeds could be obtained. By comparing the positions of both sets of instrumental lines the calibration of the frequency scale was determined to be stable to a precision of less than 2 x 10(-5) cm during the course of each occultation. It was found that the instrumental resolution of 0.015 cm after apodization, the signal to noise ratio of about 100 and stable calibration allowed relative speeds to be determined to a precision of 5 ms or better by using small numbers of absorption lines between 1600 and 3200 cm. Absolute absorption line positions were simultaneously recovered to precisions of 5 x 10(-5) cm or better. The wind speed profiles determined from four sunset occultations and one sunrise occultation show remarkable similarities in the magnitudes and directions of the zonal wind velocities as functions of height. These wind profiles appear to be manifestations of atmospheric tides.

Vancleef, Garrett Warren↗
NASA NTRS1986

Coherent lidar technology for global wind profiling

Current lidar systems are proven sensors for atmospheric wind measurement. Ground-based and airborne continuous wave and pulsed CO2 systems were developed and applied to several wind measuring applications. Analytical and hardware feasibility studies indicte the feasibility of measuring the global wind field from a space splatform. A Global Backscater Experiment is planned by NASA to develop a global model of aerosol backscatter using a CO2 laser. Ground-based aerosol backscatter profiles will also be obtained using a ruby and a pulsed CO2 lidar.

Huffaker, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Feedback between neutral winds and auroral arc electrodynamics

The feedback between neutral atmospheric winds and the electrodynamics of a stable, discrete auroral arc is analyzed. The ionospheric current continuity equation and the equation for neutral gas acceleration by ion drag are solved simultaneously, as a function of time. The results show that, in general, the electric field in the ionosphere adjusts to neutral wind acceleration so as to keep auroral field-aligned currents and electron acceleration approximately independent of time. It is thus concluded that the neutral winds that develop as a result of the electrodynamical forcing associated with an arc do not significantly affect the intensity of the arc.

Lyons, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Mapping global winds with satellite borne Doppler lidar - A plan

The application of the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder to the EOS and Space Station is proposed. The use of pulsed, CO2 Doppler lidar to measure wind is described. The design requirements for a Doppler lidar operating in space, and the need to study the global distribution of naturally occurring atmospheric aerosols are discussed. The space-based Doppler lidar wind data will be useful for improving the skill of numerical weather predictions, for studying large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics, and for analyzing global biogeochemical and hydrological cycles.

Fitzjarrald, D.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Remote Sensing of Multi-Level Wind Fields with High-Energy Airborne Scanning Coherent Doppler Lidar

The atmospheric lidar remote sensing groups of NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory have developed and flown a scanning, 1 Joule per pulse, CO2 coherent Doppler lidar capable of mapping a three-dimensional volume of atmospheric winds and aerosol backscatter in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Applications include the study of severe and non-severe atmospheric flows, intercomparisons with other sensors, and the simulation of prospective satellite Doppler lidar wind profilers. Examples of wind measurements are given for the marine boundary layer and near the coastline of the western United States.

Rothermel, Jeffry↗
NASA NTRS2000

Atmospheric Boundary Layer Wind Data During the Period January 1, 1998 Through January 31, 1999 at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport: Quality Assessment - Volume 1

The quality of the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) is critically dependent on representative wind profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer. These winds observed from a number of sensor systems around the Dallas-Fort Worth airport were combined into single vertical wind profiles by an algorithm developed and implemented by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This process, called the AVOSS Winds Analysis System (AWAS), is used by AVOSS for wake corridor predictions. During times when AWAS solutions were available, the quality of the resultant wind profiles and variance was judged from a series of plots combining all sensor observations and AWAS profiles during the period 1200 to 0400 UTC daily. First, input data was evaluated for continuity and consistency from criteria established. Next, the degree of agreement among all wind sensor systems was noted and cases of disagreement identified. Finally, the resultant AWAS solution was compared to the quality-assessed input data. When profiles differed by a specified amount from valid sensor consensus winds, times and altitudes were flagged. Volume one documents the process and quality of input sensor data. Volume two documents the data processing/sorting process and provides the resultant flagged files.

Zak, J. Allen↗
NASA NTRS1979

Energy and mass transport in the thermosphere

Examples illustrating the effects of large scale energy and mass transport in the thermosphere discussed include: (1) The seasonal variations reveal temperature, composition, and ionospheric anomalies involving energy exchange between the thermosphere and mesosphere. (2) The midnight temperature maximum in the thermosphere is interpreted as a signature of tidal waves emanating from the mesosphere and momentum coupling associated with ion drag. (3) The ionospheric storm in the F region illustrates the intricate effects of large scale atmospheric winds driven by magnetospheric energization processes. (4) Atmospheric signatures of Joule heating and electric field momentum coupling are markedly different.

Mayr, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Coherent laser radar at 2 microns using solid-state lasers

Coherent laser radar systems using 2-micron Tm- and Tm, Ho-doped solid-state lasers are useful for the remote range-resolved measurement of atmospheric winds, aerosol backscatter, and DIAL measurements of atmospheric water vapor and CO2 concentrations. Recent measurements made with a 2-micron coherent laser radar system, advances in the laser technology, and atmospheric propagation effects on 2-micron coherent lidar performance are described.

Henderson, Sammy W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

SPNDL: A concept for a small satellite Doppler lidar wind sounder

Given current resources and the technical challenges in developing a full coverage space-based Doppler lidar wind measuring system such as LAWS (Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder), it is not likely that the science community will have data streams with which to work before the end of this decade. Currently, a 'fast track' demonstration mission is being seriously considered by several U.S. agencies. Such a mission would have as its primary objectives the demonstration of coherent Doppler lidar technology in space and the delivery of wind observations for science algorithm evaluation and development. However, for such a mission to be achieved at modest costs and within a short time frame, deviations from the full system design are required. Simulation models have been developed over the last decade to aide in the design of Doppler lidar missions and to provide simulated data for use in wind computation algorithm development. SWA has used both models to examine some options that might be cost-effective for a demonstration mission. Over the past few months, Simpson Weather Associates has been studying SPNDL (Spinning Platform with a Non-rotating telescope Doppler Lidar), a new concept for Doppler lidar wind observations from space. Science and Technology Corporation has an interest in participating in an engineering and shuttle accommodation study for SPNDL.

Emmitt, G. D.↗