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At least 181 records · Page 10

Treatment of atomic and molecular line blanketing by opacity sampling

An opacity sampling (OS) technique for treating the radiative opacity of large numbers of atomic and molecular lines in cool stellar atmospheres is presented. Tests were conducted and results show that the structure of atmospheric models is accurately fixed by the use of 1000 frequency points, and 500 frequency points is often adequate. The effects of atomic and molecular lines are separately studied. A test model computed by using the OS method agrees very well with a model having identical atmospheric parameters computed by the giant line (opacity distribution function) method.

Johnson, H. R.↗

Treatment of atomic and molecular line blanketing by opacity sampling

A sampling technique for treating the radiative opacity of large numbers of atomic and molecular lines in cool stellar atmospheres is subjected to several tests. In this opacity sampling (OS) technique, the global opacity is sampled at only a selected set of frequencies, and at each of these frequencies the total monochromatic opacity is obtained by summing the contribution of every relevant atomic and molecular line. In accord with previous results, we find that the structure of atmospheric models is accurately fixed by the use of 1000 frequency points, and 100 frequency points are adequate for many purposes. The effects of atomic and molecular lines are separately studied. A test model computed using the OS method agrees very well with a model having identical atmospheric parameters, but computed with the giant line (opacity distribution function) method.

Johnson, H. R.↗

Line Blanketing in Vega and Sirus

A theoretical model and spectrum calculation for Vega is discussed. The abundance of carbon is approximately -3.8, which is 0.3 lower than the old solar value and supports Mount and Linsky's newer value. The oxygen abundance is approximately -3.5. Assuming that Vega has solar abundances, the solar oxygen abundance appears to have been overestimated by 0.3 in the log. Other abundances appear to be solar. For Sirius the calculations do not agree with the observed spectrum. Line opacity is considerably underestimated, notably in third-spectrum iron group lines. Carbon is underabundant relative to Vega by 0.2 in the log. Nitrogen is unchanged. Oxygen is enhanced by 0.3. Heavier elements are enhanced by 1.0 in the log. Calibration yields 1.3E-10 ergs/sq cm/s/nm for each U1 Copernicus count at 130 nm.

Kurucz, R. L.↗

The line blanketing and structure of the atmosphere of Arcturus

Model atmospheres for the K2 III star Arcturus (alpha Boo), calculated with various representations of the atomic and molecular opacity, are compared with the observed flux distribution and a published semiempirical temperature structure. A model computed with the opacity-sampling method and with an effective temperature of 4250 K and a surface gravity of 50 cm/sec per sec matches well, while models with other representations of the opacity produce distinctly worse fits. The effective temperature is well determined at 4250 + or - 100 K.

Johnson, H. R.↗

Water vapor - The wet blanket of microwave interferometry

The various techniques that utilize microwave interferometry could be employed to determine distances of several thousand kilometers with an accuracy of 1 cm or 2 cm. Such measurements would be useful to obtain new knowledge of earth dynamics, greater insight into fundamental astronomical constants, and the ability to accurately navigate a spacecraft in interplanetary flight. There is, however, a basic problem, related to the presence of tropospheric water vapor, which has to be overcome before such measurements can be realized. Differing amounts of water vapor over the interferometer stations cause errors in the differential time of arrival which is the principal observable quantity. Approaches for overcoming this problem are considered, taking into account requirements for water vapor calibration to support interferometric techniques.

Resch, G. M.↗

Double layered tailorable advanced blanket insulation

An advanced flexible reusable surface insulation material for future space shuttle flights was investigated. A conventional fly shuttle loom with special modifications to weave an integral double layer triangular core fabric from quartz yarn was used. Two types of insulating material were inserted into the cells of the fabric, and a procedure to accomplish this was developed. The program is follow up of a program in which single layer rectangular cell core fabrics are woven and a single type of insulating material was inserted into the cells.

Falstrup, D.↗

Progress in developing ultrathin solar cell blanket technology

A program was conducted to develop technologies for welding interconnects to three types of 50-micron-thick, 2 by 2-cm solar cells. Parallel-gap resistance welding was used for interconnect attachment. Weld schedules were independently developed for each of the three cell types and were coincidentally identical. Six 48-cell modules were assembled with 50-micron (nominal) thick cells, frosted fused-silica covers, silver-plated Invar interconnectors, and four different substrate designs. Three modules (one for each cell type) have single-layer Kapton (50-micron-thick) substrates. The other three modules each have a different substrate (Kapton-Kevlar-Kapton, Kapton-graphite-Kapton, and Kapton-graphite-aluminum honeycomb-graphite). All six modules were subjected to 4112 thermal cycles from -175 to 65 C (corresponding to over 40 years of simulated geosynchronous orbit thermal cycling) and experienced only negligible electrical degradation (1.1 percent average of six 48-cell modules).

Patterson, R. E.↗

Thermal blanket insulation for advanced space transportation systems

The feasibility of weaving Nextel ceramic and Nicalon silicon carbide yarns into integrally woven, three dimensional fluted core fabrics was demonstrated. Parallel face fabrics joined with woven fabric ribs to form triangular cross section flutes between the faces were woven into three single and one double layer configuration. High warp yarn density in the double layer configuration caused considerable yarn breakage during weaving. The flutes of all four fabrics were filled with mandrels made from Q-Fiber Felt and FRCI-20-12 to form candidate insulation panels for advanced Space Transportation Systems. Procedures for preparing and inserting the mandrels were developed. Recommendations are made on investigating alternate methods for filling the flutes with insulation, and for improving the weaving of these types of fabrics.

Pusch, Richard H.↗

Blanket Gate Would Address Blocks Of Memory

Circuit-chip area used more efficiently. Proposed gate structure selectively allows and restricts access to blocks of memory in electronic neural-type network. By breaking memory into independent blocks, gate greatly simplifies problem of reading from and writing to memory. Since blocks not used simultaneously, share operational amplifiers that prompt and read information stored in memory cells. Fewer operational amplifiers needed, and chip area occupied reduced correspondingly. Cost per bit drops as result.

Lambe, John↗

Durability evaluation of photovoltaic blanket materials exposed on LDEF tray S1003

Several candidate protective coatings on Kapton and uncoated Kapton were exposed to the LEO environment on the LDEF in order to determine whether the coatings could be used to protect polymeric substrates from degradation in the LEO environment. These materials are used for flexible solar array panels in which the polymer is the structural member that supports the solar cell and current carriers. Arrays such as these are used on the Hubble Space Telescope and will be used on Space Station Freedom. The results of the experiments are presented.

Rutledge, Sharon K.↗

Composite Flexible Blanket Insulation

Composite flexible multilayer insulation systems (MLI) were evaluated for thermal performance and compared with the currently used fibrous silica (baseline) insulation system. The systems described are multilayer insulations consisting of alternating layers of metal foil and scrim ceramic cloth or vacuum metallized polymeric films quilted together using ceramic thread. A silicon carbide thread for use in the quilting and the method of making it are also described. These systems are useful in providing lightweight insulation for a variety of uses, particularly on the surface of aerospace vehicles subject to very high temperatures during flight.

Kourtides, Demetrius A.↗

Durability evaluation of photovoltaic blanket materials exposed on LDEF tray S1003

Several candidate protective coatings on Kapton and uncoated Kapton were exposed to the low Earth orbital (LEO) environment on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) to determine if the coatings could be used to protect polymeric substrates from degradation in the LEO environment. The coatings that were evaluated were 700 A of aluminum oxide, 650 A of silicon dioxide, and 650 A of a 4 percent polytetrafluoroethylene-96 percent silicon dioxide mixed coating. All of the coatings evaluated were ion beam sputter deposited. These materials were exposed to a very low atomic oxygen fluence (4.8 x 10 exp 19 atoms/sq. cm) as a result of the experiment tray being located 98 degrees from the ram direction. As a result of the low atomic oxygen fluence, determination of a change in mass was not possible for any of the samples including the uncoated Kapton. There was no evidence of spalling of any of the coatings after the approximately 33,600 thermal cycles recorded for LDEF. The surface of the uncoated Kapton, however, did show evidence of grazing incidence texturing. There was a 7-8 percent increase in solar absorptance for the silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide coated Kapton and only a 4 percent increase for the mixed coating. It appears that the addition of a small amount of fluoropolymer may reduce the magnitude of absorptance increase due to environmental exposure. Thermal emittance did not change significantly for any of the exposed samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed few micrometeoroid or debris impacts, but the impact sites found indicated that the extent of damage or cracking of the coating around the defect site did not extend beyond a factor of three of the impact crater diameter. This limiting of impact damage is of great significance for the durability of thin film coatings used for protection against the LEO environment.

Sharon K Rutledge↗

The influence of H2O line blanketing on the spectra of cool dwarf stars

We present our initial results of model atmosphere calculations for cool M dwarfs using an opacity sampling method and a new list of H2O lines. We obtain significantly improved fits to the infrared spectrum of the M dwarf VB10 when compared to earlier models. H2O is by far the dominant opacity source in cool stars. To illustrate this, we show the Rosseland mean of the total extinction under various assumptions. Our calculations demonstrate the importance of a good treatment of the water opacities in cool stars and the improvements possible by using up-to-date data for the water line absorption.

Allard, F.↗

NLTE model stellar atmospheres with line blanketing near the series limits

In this paper we study the influence of line-merging regions at the intermediate long-wavelength side of a continuum threshold on the computed model atmosphere structure and predicted spectrum. In order to model these regions sufficiently accurately, we have developed two concepts. First, we have extended the occupation probability formalism of Hummer and Mihalas to non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) plasmas. Second, in order to treat the very complicated opacity in the line merging region, we have generalized the concept of opacity distribution functions to treat non-LTE situations. All Rydberg states are consistently included within this framework, so that no arbitrary cutoff of high (LTE) levels is made. We have calculated several pure hydrogen models atmospheres for two effective temperatures, T(sub eff) = 20000 and 35000 K, and discussed the differences between models calculated with various treatments of the line merging. In particular, we have shown that the error in the predicted profiles of Balmer lines resulting from the neglect of line merging is typically of the order of 3-4%, while the errors in the far-UV portion of the Balmer continuum reaches 15-35%. The errors generally decrease with increasing effective temperature. At the same time, the internal accuracy of the models is shown to be about or below 0.5% for all predicted spectral features. We conclude that for interpreting current high-accuracy spectrophotometric observations models including the line merging are necessary, and that the formalism developed in this paper is capable of providing a sufficiently accurate and robust modeling technique.

Hubeny, I.↗