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At least 181 records · Page 10

The Relationship Between Solar Radio and Hard X-Ray Emission

This review discusses the complementary relationship between radio and hard Xray observations of the Sun using primarily results from the era of the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager satellite. A primary focus of joint radio and hard X-ray studies of solar flares uses observations of nonthermal gyrosynchrotron emission at radio wavelengths and bremsstrahlung hard X-rays to study the properties of electrons accelerated in the main flare site, since it is well established that these two emissions show very similar temporal behavior. A quantitative prescription is given for comparing the electron energy distributions derived separately from the two wavelength ranges: this is an important application with the potential for measuring the magnetic field strength in the flaring region, and reveals significant differences between the electrons in different energy ranges. Examples of the use of simultaneous data from the two wavelength ranges to derive physical conditions are then discussed, including the case of microflares, and the comparison of images at radio and hard X-ray wavelengths is presented. There have been puzzling results obtained from observations of solar flares at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, and the comparison of these results with corresponding hard X-ray data is presented. Finally, the review discusses the association of hard X-ray releases with radio emission at decimeter and meter wavelengths, which is dominated by plasma emission (at lower frequencies) and electron cyclotron maser emission (at higher frequencies), both coherent emission mechanisms that require small numbers of energetic electrons. These comparisons show broad general associations but detailed correspondence remains more elusive.

White, S. M.↗

Measurements of highly collimated short-duration bursts of auroral electrons and comparison with existing auroral models.

Preliminary results are presented of a rocket experiment explicitly planned to distinguish decisively between spatial and temporal effects in auroral-electron fluxes. It is shown that, up to altitudes of about 800 km and separation distances of up to about 1 km, enhanced fluxes of approximately 5-keV electrons with small pitch angles were observed simultaneously, on occasion for a time as short as less than or equal to 0.1 sec. A summary of the experimental facts is given, and the implications are analyzed in detail. The effect is believed to be of a temporal origin, rather than of a spatial one.

O'Brien, B. J.↗

Use of Landsat-derived profile features for spring small-grains classification

The present model for the temporal behavior of agricultural greenness is applied to the extraction of Landsat-derived profile features, distinguishing small from large grain crops. An additional feature derivable from the temporal behavior of the ratio of greenness to brightness is noted which aids in the separation of crops from other vegetation. A limited training set of 20 pure pixels/class, obtained from ground data, is subjected to the Ho-Kashyap (1965) linear classifier. The initial correct classification value for pure pixels of about 85 percent drops to 75 percent for all Landsat pixels.

Badhwar, G. D.↗

Crop Characteristics Research: Growth and Reflectance Analysis

Much of the early research in remote sensing follows along developing spectral signatures of cover types. It was found, however, that a signature from an unknown cover class could not always be matched to a catalog value of known cover class. This approach was abandoned and supervised classification schemes followed. These were not efficient and required extensive training. It was obvious that data acquired at a single time could not separate cover types. A large portion of the proposed research has concentrated on modeling the temporal behavior of agricultural crops and on removing the need for any training data in remote sensing surveys; the key to which is the solution of the so-called 'signature extension' problem. A clear need to develop spectral estimaters of crop ontogenic stages and yield has existed even though various correlations have been developed. Considerable effort in developing techniques to estimate these variables was devoted to this work. The need to accurately evaluate existing canopy reflectance model(s), improve these models, use them to understand the crop signatures, and estimate leaf area index was the third objective of the proposed work. A synopsis of this research effort is discussed.

Badhwar, G. D.↗

Radiative Energy Budget Studies Using Observations from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE)

Our research activities under this NASA grant have focused on two broad topics associated with the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE): (1) the role of clouds and the surface in modifying the radiative balance; and (2) the spatial and temporal variability of the earth's radiation budget. Each of these broad topics is discussed separately in the text that follows. The major points of the thesis are summarized in section 3 of this report. Other dissertation focuses on deriving the radiation budget over the TOGA COARE region.

Ackerman, Steven A.↗

Observations of Ion Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection for Northward IMF

Magnetic merging at Earth's magnetopause produces distinct mixtures of ions and electrons as well as signatures in their distribution functions. High resolution measurements allow for the separation of the different distributions and quantification of their characteristics. This provides details on the temporal and spatial nature of the merging site and the resulting history of the merged fields. The event of May 29, 1996 resulted in remote observations of the effects of reconnection on both magnetosheath and magnetosphere populations for a period of approximately three hours. Three-dimensional ion distributions obtained by the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment on the Polar spacecraft show that field lines threading the spacecraft's location in the northern cusp region contained a mix of D-shaped ions from the magnetosheath and accelerated magnetospheric ions both moving parallel to the local magnetic field. This mix of ions resulted from transmission of magnetosheath ions across the magnetopause at speeds greater than the de-Hoffman-Teller speed and the reflection of cold, slow-moving plasmasphere-like ions at the magnetopause. These observations are used to conclude that these field lines were connected to the ionosphere in the northern hemisphere and, southward of the spacecraft, the interplanetary magnetic field and crossed the magnetopause in the equatorial region southward of the spacecraft.

Chandler, Michael O.↗

The SOHO-Stellar Connection

I discusses practical aspects of the so-called "solar-stellar" connection; namely, the fundamental principles, the tools at the disposal of the stellar astronomer, and a few recent examples of the connection in action. I provide an overall evolutionary context for coronal activity, calling attention to the very different circumstances of low mass main sequence stars like the Sun, which are active mainly early in their lives; compared with more massive stars, whose coronally active phase occurs near the end of their lives, during their brief incursion into the cool half of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram as yellow and then red giants. On the instrumental slide, I concentrate primarily on spectroscopy, in the ultraviolet and X-ray bands where coronae leave their most obvious signatures. I present an early glimpse of the type of moderate resolution spectra we can expect from the recently launched Chandra observatory, and contemporaneous HST STIS high-resolution UV measurements of the CXO calibration star Capella (alpha Aur; G8 III + G1 III). I compare STIS spectra of solar-type dwarfs-zeta Dor (F7 V), an active coronal source; and alpha Cen A (G2 V), a near twin of the Sun-to a trace obtained with the SOHO SUMER imaging UV spectrometer. I also compare STIS line profiles of the active coronal dwarf to the corresponding features in the mixed-activity "hybrid-chromosphere" bright giant alpha TrA (K2 II) and the archetype "noncoronal" red giant Arcturus (alpha Boo; K2 III). The latter shows dramatic evidence for a "cool absorber" in its outer atmosphere that is extinguishing the "hot lines" (like Si IV lambda1393 and N V lambda1238) below about 1500 A, probably through absorption in the Si I lambda1525 and C I lambda1240 photoionization continua. The disappearance of coronae across the "Linsky-Haisch" dividing line near K1 III thus apparently is promoted by a dramatic overturning in the outer atmospheric structure, namely the coronae of the red giants seem to lie beneath their extended chromospheres, rather than outside as in the Sun. I then discuss an intriguing long-slit STIS low-resolution observation of an X-ray active late-A dwarf in the nearby Hyades cluster: the spatially resolved UV spectroscopy clearly shows that a previously unseen close companion (a dKe or dMe) likely is responsible for the coronal activity, rather than some unexplained departure of the A dwarf from its expected state of X-ray dormancy. Finally, I describe early results from a joint observing campaign involving SOHO SUMER, TRACE, and the Kitt Peak Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, conducted May 1999, to explore the dynamics of the quiet solar atmosphere through the key "magnetic transition zone" that separates the kinetically dominated deep photosphere from the magnetically dominated coronal regime. Linking spatially and temporally resolved solar properties to aspects of the averaged lineshapes (for example: widths, asymmetries, intensity ratios, and Doppler shifts) is a crucial step in carrying any physical wisdom we develop in the solar setting to the distant stars.

Ayres, Thomas R.↗

As the World Turns: Everything You Wanted to Know about Earth's Rotation

Earth's rotation vector is not a constant in space. Rather, it varies slightly with time on all temporal scales in a very complex, but interesting way. Phenomenologically, the variation can be considered separately in terms of (1) variations in the rotational speed (which translates into the length of day); and (2) variations in the orientation of the rotation axis (called the polar motion relative to the Earth reference frame, and the nutations relative to the inertial space). From the dynamics point of view, these changes can be separated into two types: astronomical (due to external torques mostly exerted by Moon and Sun), and geophysical (due to mass transport in the geophysical fluids of the Earth system under the conservation of angular momentum). Interesting and significant phenomena result. Decades of advancing measurements and active research have yielded fascinating stories.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

Temporal evolution of velocity structures in the solar wind

Generally poor correlations were obtained of solar wind flow speed measurements at one point in the ecliptic plane with measurements at the same point 28 days (one solar rotation) earlier or with measurements at other points in the ecliptic plane separated by 50 deg or more in solar longitude. This is evidence that either the flow speed is a very sensitive function of solar latitude or that temporal processes typically alter the speed of the wind emanating from particular solar regions on a time scale of about 4 days. From a measure of the persistence of the flow speed at the orbit of the earth, it appears that the temporal explanation is more likely to be the correct one.

Gosling, J. T.↗

Apparent superluminal motion in the quasar NRAO 140

Very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) measurements of the compact radio structure in the quasar NRAO 140 (z = 1.258) have been obtained at three epochs at a wavelength of 2.8 cm. These observations indicate that the two most compact radio components are separating at an angular rate of 0.10-0.14 milli-arcsec per year. For cosmological distances H sub 0 = 50 and q sub 0 = 0, this corresponds to a velocity of separation (in the quasar's rest frame) of 10 + or - 2 times the speed of light, c; for H sub 0 = 100 and q sub 0 = 1, the value is (3.1 + or - 0.6) c. Other interpretations of the temporal changes in correlated flux density and closure phase are discussed and are considered unlikely. The derived velocities are consistent with an earlier prediction that the separation velocity should be greater than about 4 c. Extrapolation back to the epoch of zero separation indicates that the expansion originated between late 1963 and late 1968 (under the assumption of constant velocity). This range includes the beginning of an isolated outburst in flux density at 2.8 cm. These results cannot be used to make any statements concerning the validity of cosmological interpretations of QSO redshifts.

Marscher, A. P.↗

The effect of spatial and temporal wet-troposphere fluctuations on connected element interferometry

Numerical integrations of the structure function of tropospheric inhomogeneities have been performed to assess the impact of water vapor fluctuations on connected element interferometry (CEI). The expectation value of the RMS troposphere error for a differential spacecraft-quasar observation is derived by integrating the spatial refractivity structure function along raypaths to both the spacecraft and quasar from two spatially separated sites. Correlations between the tropospheric conditions at the two sites, which can become significant for short baseline observations, are fully accounted for in this calculation. Temporal effects are treated by assuming a frozen-flow model in which a fixed spatial distribution blows over both sites. Two nominal observation scenarios are considered, along with variations to study the dependence of the resultant differential troposphere errors on baseline length, observation time, source separation angle, and elevation. Consecutive differential observations are found to be almost completely uncorrelated, implying that averaging many repeated differential observations can quickly reduce the troposphere error.

Edwards, C. D.↗

Viscoelastic responses of a hard transition zone - Effects on postglacial uplifts and rotational signatures

A five-layer viscoelastic spherical model is used to calculate the transient displacements of postglacial rebound, the induced polar motions, and the temporal variations of the geopotential up to degree 8 of the zonal coefficients. Two models - one with two viscoelastic layers separated at 670 km, and the other with three layers in which a hard garnet layer lies between the upper and lower mantle - are compared. Forward modeling shows that it may be possible to discern the presence of a hard garnet layer with a viscosity of at least ten times greater than the upper mantle, on the basis of uplift data near the center of the former Laurentide ice-sheet and from polar wander and j2 data. Temporal variations of higher gravity harmonics, such as j6 and j8, can potentially place even tighter constraints on the rheological properties of the hard transition zone. A lower mantle viscosity between 2 and 4 x 10 to the 22nd Pa is generally preferred in models with a garnet layer which may be as large as 50 times more viscous than the upper mantle.

Spada, Giorgio↗

Submillisecond measurements of the low state of Cygnus X-1

Cygnus X-1 was observed on two occasions separated by a year by the same Goddard X-ray rocket payload. High-resolution temporal and spectral data reveal that Cyg X-1 was essentially unchanged in these two observations a year apart; the bursts of millisecond duration observed in the earlier flight were observed in the second as well. Analysis of these bursts has failed to reveal any internal temporal structure, either luminous or spectral. The shot-noise character of temporal fluctuations on time scales of at least 1 s can be explained by the presence of exponential pulses with a time constant of a fraction of a second and a rate near 8 per sec. The possible connection of these pulses with the bursts is examined.

Rothschild, R. E.↗

Recent insights into instability and transition to turbulence in open-flow systems

Roads to turbulence in open-flow shear layers are interpreted as sequences of often competing instabilities. These correspond to primary and higher order restructurings of vorticity distributions which culminate in convected spatial disorder (with some spatial coherence on the scale of the shear layer) traditionally called turbulence. Attempts are made to interpret these phenomena in terms of concepts of convective and global instabilities on one hand, and of chaos and strange attractors on the other. The first is fruitful, and together with a review of mechanisms of receptivity provides a unifying approach to understanding and estimating transition to turbulence. In contrast, current evidence indicates that concepts of chaos are unlikely to help in predicting transition in open-flow systems. Furthermore, a distinction should apparently be made between temporal chaos and the convected spatial disorder of turbulence past Reynolds numbers where boundary layers and separated shear layers are formed.

Morkovin, Mark V.↗

Precipitation Characteristics of ISCCP Cloud Regimes for Improving Model Hydrological Budgets

The key in unraveling relationships between precipitation and atmospheric circulations is their common linkage to clouds. Clouds can be described in a variety of ways and several approaches can be adopted to examine their connections to precipitation. We claim that when cloud regimes (aka weather states) from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) are used to conditionally sample/sort and average precipitation data, useful insight and GCM-appropriate diagnostics on the origins and distribution of precipitation can be obtained. The ISCCP cloud regimes are mesoscale (2.5 ) cloud mixtures determined by cluster analysis on joint histograms of cloud optical thickness and cloud top pressure inferred from geostationary and polar orbiter satellite passive retrievals. The ISCCP cloud regime data are combined with GPCP IDD merged surface precipitation data and/or higher temporal and spatial resolution TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) data. The analysis is performed separately for three geographical zones, tropics, and northern/southern midlatitudes (for GPCP; only the tropics can be examined with TMPA data). Our presentation aspires to provide answers to the following questions: (l) What is the mean and variability of surface precipitation produced by each cloud regime at the time of regime occurrence? (2) What is the relative contribution of each cloud regime to the total precipitation within its geographical zone? (3) What is the geographical distribution of precipitation corresponding to particular cloud regime? (4) To what extent are the cloud regimes distinct in terms of their precipitation characteristics and is the regime ordering in terms of convective strength consistent with the observed precipitation intensity?

Lee, D.↗

TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF SUB-NANOMETER COMPOSITIONAL PROFILES ACROSS THE GAMMA/GAMMA' INTERFACE IN A MODEL Ni-Al-Cr SUPERALLOY

Early-stage phase separation in a Ni-5.2 Al-14.2 Cr at.% superalloy, isothermally decomposing at 873 K, is investigated with atom-probe tomography. Sub-nanometer scale compositional profiles across the gamma/gamma'(L12) interfaces demonstrate that both the gamma-matrix and the gamma'-precipitate compositions evolve with time. Observed chemical gradients of Al depletion and Cr enrichment adjacent to the gamma'-precipitates are transient, consistent with well-established model predictions for diffusion-limited growth, and mark the first detailed observation of this phenomenon. Furthermore, it is shown that Cr atoms are kinetically trapped in the growing precipitates.

Sudbrack, Chantal K.↗

315mJ, 2-micrometers Double-Pulsed Coherent Differential Absorption Lidar Transmitter for Atmospheric CO2 Sensing

The design of a double pulsed, injection seeded, 2-micrometer compact coherent Differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) transmitter for CO2 sensing is presented. This system is hardened for ground and airborne applications. The design architecture includes three continuous wave lasers which provide controlled on and off line seeding, injection seeded power oscillator and a single amplifier operating in double pass configuration. As the derivative a coherent Doppler wind lidar, this instrument has the added benefit of providing wind information. The active laser material used for this application is a Ho: Tm:YLF crystal operates at the eye-safe wavelength. The 3-meter long folded ring resonator produces energy of 130-mJ (90/40) with a temporal pulse length around 220 nanoseconds and 530 nanosecond pulses for on and off lines respectively. The separation between the two pulses is on the order of 200 microseconds. The line width is in the order of 2.5MHz and the beam quality has an M(sup 2) of 1.1 times diffraction limited beam. A final output energy for a pair of both on and off pulses as high as 315 mJ (190/125) at a repetition rate of 10 Hz is achieved. The operating temperature is set around 20 C for the pump diode lasers and 10 C for the rod. Since the laser design has to meet high-energy as well as high beam quality requirements, close attention is paid to the laser head design to avoid thermal distortion in the rod. A side-pumped configuration is used and heat is removed uniformly by passing coolant through a tube slightly larger than the rod to reduce thermal gradient. This paper also discusses the advantage of using a long upper laser level life time laser crystal for DIAL application. In addition issues related to injection seeding with two different frequencies to achieve a transform limited line width will be presented.

Yu, Jirong↗

Working Fluid Trade Study for a Two-Phase Mechanically Pumped Loop Thermal Control System

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is investigating a two-phase mechanically pumped fluid loop (MPFL) technology for spacecraft thermal control for future planetary space science mission concepts. The two-phase technology combines the potential of single-phase MPFL and the passive two-phase heat pipe systems. Previous two-phase MPFL studies at JPL have identified an evaporator system with a separated flow architecture as providing a robust light mass thermal control system with very high spatial and temporal thermal stability required by the science instruments on these missions. These studies have further identified the thermophysical properties of the working fluid to be key to the performance of a two-phase fluid loop. This paper describes the methodology used in the selection of the working fluids for optimizing the performance of the two-phase MPFL. A high level model was developed that includes the constraints and boundaries driven by the system components. The performance of fluids from the REFPROP database are investigated and rated for this system. The working fluid attributes such as cost, hazardous properties, and heritage were taken into account in this selection. A typical spacecraft dissipating 1000 W and a fluid loop consisting of an evaporator, accumulator, radiator, and associated tubing components is used as an example in this study.

Daimaru, Takuro↗