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At least 181 records · Page 10

Velocity lag of solid particles in oscillating gases and in gases passing through normal shock waves

The velocity lag of micrometer size spherical particles is theoretically determined for gas particle mixtures passing through a stationary normal shock wave and also for particles embedded in an oscillating gas flow. The particle sizes and densities chosen are those considered important for laser Doppler velocimeter applications. The governing equations for each flow system are formulated. The deviation from Stokes flow caused by inertial, compressibility, and rarefaction effects is accounted for in both flow systems by use of an empirical drag coefficient. Graphical results are presented which characterize particle tracking as a function of system parameters.

Maxwell, B. R.↗

Lunar sample contracts

The major scientific accomplishments through 1971 are reported for the particle track studies of lunar samples. Results are discussed of nuclear track measurements by optical and electron microscopy, thermoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, and differential thermal analysis.

Walker, R. M.↗

Lunar Science Conference, 4th, Houston, Tex., March 5-8, 1973, Proceedings. Volume 1 - Mineralogy and petrology. Volume 2 - Chemical and isotope analyses. Organic chemistry. Volume 3 - Physical properties

The mineralogy, petrology, chemistry, isotopic composition, and physical properties of lunar materials are described in papers detailing methods, results, and implications of research on samples returned from eight lunar landing sites: Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, and Luna 16 and 20. The results of experiments conducted or set up on the lunar surface by the astronauts are also described along with observations taken from Command Modules and subsatellites. Major topics include general geology, soil and breccia studies, petrologic studies, mineralogic analyses, elemental compositions, radiometric age determinations, rare gas chemistry, radionuclides, organogenic compounds, particle track records, thermal properties, seismic studies, resonance studies, orbital mapping, lunar atmosphere, magnetic studies, electrical studies, optical properties, and microcratering. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Gose, W. A.↗

The South Ray Crater age paradox

Relative exposure ages based on agglutinate content are calculated for 26 Apollo 16 surface and core samples. These ages increase from the northern part of the traverse to the southern part and are in general agreement with cosmogenic gas ages and particle track ages. An apparent paradox exists in which presumed ray soil from South Ray Crater is much older than the age of South Ray Crater itself as determined by a variety of methods. The most likely explanation for the paradox is that the presumed South Ray Crater soil is not ejecta from South Ray Crater but is pre-existing regolith upon which blocks and fragments from South Ray Crater are scattered.

Mckay, D. S.↗

Irradiation history and accretionary processes in lunar and meteoritic breccias

Particle track studies reveal an abundant record of fossil solar flare tracks in breccia components. Metamorphic events govern the degree to which this record is preserved, and studies of phases with different track retentivities allow limits to be placed on temperatures reached during a rock's history. The least affected breccias have never experienced temperatures as great as 300 C. Two breccias which contain xenon from spontaneous fission of Pu-244 (14301 and 14318) and Xe-129 (14301 only) have never been heated above about 700 C. This and evidence for a surface irradiation of some of the breccia components support a surface implantation model for the origin of the xenon in these breccias. Green glass spheres in 15086 have not been heated above about 300 C during or after breccia formation yet have retained fission tracks for less than 0.7 G.y. Argon ages of about 3.5 G.y. for similar green glass are at least five times as great and may indicate that the glass was not completely outgassed at is formation.

Macdougall, D.↗

Installation for the search of heavy nonrelativistic particles at sea level

A detector of heavy nonrelativistic sea level particles is described. Selection of events is based on the dependence of the particle path on particle mass at a given speed. Cerenkov counters with beta sub tr = 0.59 are used as speed selectors. Mounted above the detector is a scintillation counter for measuring the ionization caused by a particle. The particle track is recorded by spark chambers.

Galper, A. M.↗

Measurement of the lunar neutron density profile

An in situ measurement of the lunar neutron density from 20 to 400 g/sq cm depth between the lunar surface was made by the Apollo 17 Lunar Neutron Probe Experiment using particle tracks produced by the B10(n, alpha)Li7 reaction. Both the absolute magnitude and depth profile of the neutron density are in good agreement with past theoretical calculations. The effect of cadmium absorption on the neutron density and in the relative Sm149 to Gd157 capture rates obtained experimentally implies that the true lunar Gd157 capture rate is about one half of that calculated theoretically.

Woolum, D. S.↗

Mafic silicates in the Orgueil carbonaceous meteorite

Iron-bearing olivines and pyroxenes occurring in Orgueil may represent a separate population distinct from the magnesian varieties previously reported. Compositions of these iron-bearing silicates are inconsistent with an origin by direct equilibrium condensation in the nebula. Such an origin is more plausible for the magnesian silicates, but lacks conclusive evidence. An extra-solar system origin for either mafic population is possible, though similarly lacking in evidence. About 15% of the olivines, randomly distributed with respect to iron content, retain particle track evidence of a precompaction irradiation.

Kerridge, J. F.↗

Automated electrophoresis apparatus

Computer-controlled electro-optical system tracks particles in essentially real-time, analyzes data, and presents video and hard copy results. System presents significant increase in sampling rate and improved analysis of particle motion.

Baker, L. R.↗

NASCAP, a three-dimensional Charging Analyzer Program for complex spacecraft

A computer code, NASCAP (NASA Charging Analyzer Program), has been developed by Systems, Science and Software under contract to NASA-LeRC to simulate the charging of a complex spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. The capabilities of the NASCAP code include a fully three-dimensional solution of Poisson's equation about an object having considerable geometrical and material complexity, particle tracking, shadowing in sunlight, calculation of secondary emission, backscatter and photoemission, and graphical output. A model calculation shows how the NASCAP code may be used to improve our understanding of the spacecraft-plasma interaction.

Katz, I.↗

Exposure ages and erosion rates for lunar rocks

The available data on the effects of particle bombardment of lunar rocks are examined, taking into account rare gas data, neutron capture products, radioactive nuclei, and particle tracks. Attention is given to exposure ages, questions concerning the validity of exposure ages, the location of rocks during irradiation, the criteria for valid crater ages, special problems regarding lunar breccias, surface residence times from long lived radioactive nuclei, surface residence times from galactic cosmic ray track data, rocks with simple surface exposure, rocks with complex surface exposure, limits on surface residence times, suntan and subdecimeter ages, erosion rates, and a number of case histories related to exposure age measurements as applied to the problem of the dating of impact events.

Burnett, D. S.↗

68815 revisited

Remeasurement of the particle track density as a function of depth in lunar breccia 68815 has yielded galactic cosmic-ray track densities consistent with a 2 m.y. surface exposure, in good agreement with results by other authors. The empirical track-production spectrum of Walker and Yuhas (1973) is confirmed. The solar-flare track profile is typical and shows no evidence of large-scale chipping. Radionuclide profiles (Mn-53) investigated by the Arnold group should thus be undisturbed and should provide a test of the Reedy-Arnold model and of the constancy of solar and galactic cosmic rays.

Dust, S.↗

The Apollo 16 deep drill core

Numerous investigations have been undertaken on samples from the Apollo 16 deep drill core. These studies are diverse in character and range from grain size analyses, through chemical and mineralogical studies to investigations of nuclear particle tracks, rare gases, and isotopic abundances. In order to comprehend the significance of the studies of the mineral chemistry of the clasts below 1 mm in size in several samples with respect to other studies, it became obvious that a review of all previous works was desireable. After reviewing the available literature it can be concluded that only four major stratigraphic divisions exist in the core section. Whether these represent four single events or multi-stage events within one unit is uncertain; however, it appears that accumulation of the material in the core has taken place during a period of 1 billion years, and that the material is predominantly of locally derived Highlands origin.

Meyer, H. O. A.↗

Remanent magnetization stratigraphy of lunar cores

Depth dependent fluctuations have been observed in the natural remanent magnetizations (NRM) of drive cores and drill strings from Apollo 16 and 17 missions. Partial demagnetization of unstable secondary magnetizations and identification of characteristic error signals from a core which is known to have been recently disturbed allow us to identify and isolate the stable NRM stratigraphy in double drive core 60010/60009 and drill strings 60002-60004. The observed magnetization fluctuations persist after normalization to take into account depth dependent variations in the carriers of stable NRM. We tentatively ascribe the stable NRM stratigraphy to instantaneous records of past magnetic fields at the lunar surface and suggest that the stable NRM stratigraphy technique could develop as a new relative time-stratigraphic tool, to be used with other physical measurements such as relative intensity of ferromagnetic resonance and charged particle track density to study the evolution of the lunar regolith.

Banerjee, S. K.↗

Irradiation history of lunar cores and the development of the regolith

Detailed studies by the nuclear particle track method of lunar core sections 70009, 70008, 60007, 60010, and 60009 indicate that the irradiation and depositional histories of individual lunar cores vary greatly. The presence of layers a few cm thick which have remained largely undisturbed for periods ranging from 1 to 100 m.y. is a common feature although the development of the regolith usually proceeds through the accumulation of smaller increments of heavily irradiated material that do not result in distinct layers. Typical accumulation rates are on the order of 1 cm/m.y.

Crozaz, G.↗

Evidence for the siderophilic behavior of meteoritic bismuth

The microdistributions of Bi and Pb-208 in the Khohar L3 chondrite were determined in situ using radiography techniques based on particle track detectors. Strong (enrichment factors 10 to 100) localizations of Bi were found in association with kamacite; no enhancement of Bi or Pb was found in sulfides. High-magnification microprobe and reflected light observations strongly indicate that Bi actually resides in the kamacite, providing evidence for the siderophilic nature. The minor and major element chemistry of the metals in the sample was typical of chondrites of its type. The unusual Bi distribution in the Khohar chondrite suggests that it may have been exposed to high Bi partial pressures during slow cooling at kamacite-taenite phase separation in a volatile-rich region of a parent body, or that Bi may have been incorporated into previously cooled grains by mild reheating.

Woolum, D. S.↗

Laboratory studies of actinide partitioning relevant to 244Pu chronometry

Actinide partitioning and light lanthanide fractionation have been studied to gain an understanding of Pu chemistry under meteoritic and lunar conditions. The goal of the study was to identify conditions and samples from which chronological information can be retrieved. The laboratory investigations involved particle track radiography of the crystal/liquid partitioning of Th, U and Pu among diopsidic clinopyroxene, whitlockite and liquid. It is found that trivalent Pu plays an important role in partitioning for lunar and most meteoritic conditions. The use of Pu/Nd for relative age assessments is supported to some extent by the investigations; samples with unfractionated U, Th and Nd abundances (relative to average solar system values) may be suitable for Pu chronometry.

Benjamin, T.↗

Irradiation stratigraphy in the Apollo 16 deep drill section 60002

Particle track density frequency distributions, abundance of track rich grains and minimum track densities are reported for the upper 20 cm of the 60002 section of the Apollo 16 deep drill core. The principal stratigraphic feature is a boundary approximately 7 cm from the top of the section. Experimental evidence does not conclusively determine whether this contact is an ancient regolith surface or is simply a depositional boundary. If it is an ancient surface, it has a model exposure age of 3 to 7 million years and a reworking depth of about 0.5 cm. However, because track density frequency distributions indicate the mixing of soils of different maturities, we favor interpreting this contact as a depositional boundary. There may be a second depositional boundary approximately 19 cm below the top of 60002.

Blanford, G. E.↗