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The case for massive primordial melting on the Earth is circumstantial (i.e., based mainly on lunar evidence), but nonetheless compelling. The term magma ocean is probably a hyperbole. Among other things, ocean implies the system is virtually 100% liquid, with a mainly gas/liquid upper surface, and a water like viscosity of the order .01 poise. The preferred term for this phenomenon is magmasphere.
The phenomenological characteristics of the electron component in showers initiated by primary gamma-quanta were analyzed on the basis of the Tien Shan experimental data. It is shown that the lateral distribution of the electrons ion gamma-quanta initiated showers can be described with NKG - function with age parameters bar S equals 0, 76 plus or minus 0, 02, different from the same parameter for normal showers with the same size bar S equals 0, 85 plus or minus 0, 01. The lateral distribution of the correspondent electron energy flux in gamma-quanta initiated showers is steeper as in normal cosmic ray showers.
Measurements of a gamma ray burst at 01:37 UT on December 31, 1981 using the SMM gamma ray spectrometer (GRS) are compared with those made by the Konus instruments on Veneras 11-14. Burst time profiles, photon spectra, and detector energy loss spectra for three time intervals are compared for the GRS and the Konus instruments. It is concluded that the SMM spectra exhibit no evidence for the presence of emission features reported by the Konus group.
During the three years between satellite launch in June 1975 and turn-off in October 1978, the high energy X-ray spectrometer on board OSO-8 observed nearly all of the COS-B gamma-ray source positions given in the 2CG catalog (Swanenburg et al., 1981). An X-ray source was detected at energies above 20 keV at the 6-sigma level of significance in the gamma-ray error box containing 2CG342 - 02 and at the 3-sigma level of significance in the error boxes containing 2CG065 + 00, 2CG195 + 04, and 2CG311 - 01. No definite association between the X-ray and gamma-ray sources can be made from these data alone. Upper limits are given for the 2CG sources from which no X-ray flux was detected above 20 keV.
Observations of the 1(01)-0(00) rotational transitions of A and E state acetaldehyde are reported. The transitions were detected, for the first time in interstellar space, in the cold dust clouds TMC-1 and L134N, and in Sgr B2. This is also the first time acetaldehyde has been found in a dust cloud and is the most complex oxygen-bearing molecule yet known in this environment. A column density of 6 x 10 to the 12th/sq cm in TMC-1, comparable to many other species detected there, and an approximately equal column density in L134N are formed. In the direction of Sgr B2, the CH3CHO profile appears to consist of broad emission features from the hot molecular cloud core, together with absorption features resulting from intervening colder material. The possible detection of HC9N toward IRC + 10 deg 216 through its J = 33-32 transition is also reported. Implications for cold dust cloud chemistry and excitation are discussed.
The utility of LANDSAT Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) data for providing regional coverage has been demonstrated. Information derived from LANDSAT spectral data is varied, but has primarily been used for distinguishing materials in a scene. Because of the limited number and width of the MSS and TM bands, LANDSAT data has only limited utility for actual identification of materials. The new advanced sensors (currently airborne, but eventually shuttle-based) have more limited areal extent than LANDSAT, but greater spatial and spectral resolution. The Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) has spectral resolution of about .01 microns and, typically, has 10m/pixel spatial resolution. This improved spectral resolution means that diagnostic spectral features may now be identified, which in turn means that actual identification of mineral phases present can be addressed (of either monominerallic or composite materials). Another new sensor, the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanners (TMS), obtains data in the 8 to 12 micron range. The information from the various sensors (e.g., LANDSAT, AIS, and TIMS) is complementary, covering different wavelength regions and consequently sensitive to different materials or physical properties of materials. In addition, the new sensors also produce a higher volume of data, which must be cleverly and efficiently handled.
Simultaneous multifrequency observations of the BL Lac object Mkn421 covering radio through X-ray wavelengths were performed. Composite multifrequency spectra of the central nonthermal component were obtained at the two epochs after subtracting the optical and infrared light of the underlying galaxy. Physical parameters of Mkn421 are discussed in terms of the synchrotron self-Compton model. Taking the spectral turnover between infrared and radio for synchrotrom self absorption, the radio emmision originates in a more extended region than the infrared to X-ray emission, the source size of which should be less than .01 milliarcseconds. Relativistic beaming is required if the angular size is smaller than a few times .001 milliarcseconds. A possible explanation of the spectral change during the two epochs is also discussed.
The discovery of a strong microwave (1.6 cm-wavelength) spectral line, the carrier of which is common and widespread throughout the Galaxy is reported. A survey of a large number of sources shows that the line appears in emission in cold dust clouds, in absorption in the direction of the Galactic center, and exhibits complex profiles toward H II regions. Toward Cas A and distant H II regions, intervening 'spiral arm' clouds produce absorption. For almost all cases, the absorption features show a striking 1:1 radial velocity correspondence with those seen, e.g., in H2CO spectra of the same objects. The data indicate that the line arises between low-lying energy states of a rather polar molecule. Recent work by Thaddeus, Vrtilek, and Gottlieb (1985) incorporating the present data, shows that the line in question is the 1(10)-1(01) transition of the small hydrocarbon ring C3H2.
Digitized agricultural field boundary taken in the United States and Canada during the LACIE and AgRISTARS programs, in 1977 through 1980, were used to construct histograms showing the distributions of field area, width, and length for crops for which there were data for 700 or more fields per state. The observed distributions of area and width for fields of 10 crops grown in 13 states of the United States and Canada were compared with best-fit inverse Gaussian distributions and with log-normal distributions. For 28 distributions of area and 16 distributions of width there was found to be a probability of greater than .01 of their being inverse Gaussian. There were 10 distributions of area for which there was probability of greater than .005 of their being log-normal. Distributions of area and width stratified by state and crop type appear to be unique. The inverse Gaussian, which represents a wide range of statistical distributions from skewed to almost symmetrical, can provide a useful model for distributions of field area.
Recent investigations of the organic chemistry of relatively nearby cold, dark interstellar clouds are reported. Specifically, the presence of interstellar tricarbon monoxide (C3O) in Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1) is confirmed. The first detection in such regions of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), the most complex oxygen-containing organic molecule yet found in dark clouds is reported, as well as the first astronomical detection of several molecular rotational transitions, including the J = 18-17 and 14-13 transitions of cyanodiacetylene (HC5N), the 1(01)-0(00) transition of acetaldehyde, and the J = 5-4 transition of C3O. A significant upper limit is set on the abundance of cyanocarbene (HCCN) as a result of the first reported interstellar search for this molecule.
Following the solar proton event (SPE) of July 13, 1982, an increase in the strength of nitric oxide Gamma bands was observed in spectral scans of the atmospheric albedo made by the solar backscattered ultraviolet instrument on Nimbus 7. Analysis of the (10), (01), and (02) Gamma band strengths allow an estimate to be made of the cumulative amount of nitric oxide above an altitude of 50 km. An increase in nitric oxide in southern hemisphere high latitudes following the SPE amounting to about 5 x 10 to the 14th molecules per sq cm above an altitude of approximately 50 km is observed. The observed increase persists until the middle of September. A similar increase is not observed in the northern hemisphere, indicating that under summer conditions the mesospheric/thermospheric NO distribution returns to normal within a few days after the end of an SPE.
During May and June of 1985, the Oklahoma-Kansas Preliminary Regional Experiment of STORM-Central (OK PRE-STORM) was carried out, with the major objectives of learning more about mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and gaining experience in the use of new sensing systems and measurement strategies that will improve the design of STORM-Central. Three 50-MHz wind profilers were employed in a triangular array with sides about 275 km. It is far too soon to report any results of this effort, for it has barely begun. The purpose here is to show some examples of the data, some of the surrounding conventional data, and to discuss some of the issues important to meteorologists in evaluating the contribution of the profiler data. The case of 10 to 11 June 1985, featuring a major squall line system which crossed the dense observing network from northwest to southeast, passing the Liberal site about 2230 GMT/10 June, the McPherson site about 0100 GMT/11 June, and Wichita about 0300 GMT/11 June is discussed. Radar and satellite data show that the system was growing rapidly when it passed Liberal, and was large and mature when it passed through McPherson and Wichita. The radar depiction of the system during this stage is given, with the McPherson site in the intense convective echoes near the leading edge at 01 GMT and in the stratiform precipitation at 03 GMT. The profiler wind data for a 9-hour period encompassing the squall line passage at each site are given.
A hierarchical structure for molecular complexes in their cold phase i.e., preceeding the formation of massive stars, was derived from extensive large scale CO(13)(J=1=0) observations: the mass is found to be distributed into virialized clouds which fill only a very low fraction approx. 01 of the volume of the complex and are supported against gravity by internal supersonic motions. An efficient mechanism was found to transfer kinetic energy from the orbital motions of the clouds to their internal random motions. The large perturbations of the magnetic field induced at the cloud boundaries by their interactions with their neighbors generate systems of hydromagnetic waves trapped inside the clouds. The magnetic field lines being closely coupled to the gas at the densities which prevail in the bulk of the clouds volume, internal velocity dispersion is thus generated. Some conclusions derived from this data are given.
Momentum management is discussed for a Large Space Structure (LSS) with the structure selected configuration being the Initial Orbital Configuration (IOC) of the dual keel space station. The external forces considered were gravity gradient and aerodynamic torques. The goal of the momentum management scheme developed is to remove the bias components of the external torques and center the cyclic components of the stored angular momentum. The scheme investigated is adaptive to uncertainties of the inertia tensor and requires only approximate knowledge of principle moments of inertia. Computational requirements are minimal and should present no implementation problem in a flight type computer and the method proposed is shown to be effective in the presence of attitude control bandwidths as low as .01 radian/sec.
Graphite fluoride fibers can be produced by fluorinating pristine or intercalated graphite fibers. The higher the degree of graphitization of the fibers, the higher the temperature needed to reach the same degree of fluorination. Pitched based fibers were fluorinated to flourine-to-carbon atom rations between 0 and 1. The graphite fluoride fibers with a fluorine-to-carbon atom ration near 1 have extensive visible structural damage. On the other hand, fluorination of fibers pretreated with bromine or fluorine and bromine result in fibers with a fluorine-to-carbon atom ratio nearly equal to 0.5 with no visible structural damage. The electrical resistivity of the fibers is dependent upon the fluorine to carbon atom ratio and ranged from .01 to 10 to the 11th ohm/cm. The thermal conductivity of these fibers ranged from 5 to 73 W/m-k, which is much larger than the thermal conductivity of glass, which is the regular filler in epoxy composites. If graphite fluoride fibers are used as a filler in epoxy or PTFE, the resulting composite may be a high thermal conductivity material with an electrical resistivity in either the insulator or semiconductor range. The electrically insulating product may provide heat transfer with lower temperature gradients than many current electrical insulators. Potential applications are presented.
The first observations of the 2(20)-2(11) transition of cyclopropenylidene (C3H2) at 21.6 GHz are described. The most significant finding is that the 2(20)-2(11) transition line is always seen in absorption, in contrast to the 18.3-GHz 1(10)-1(01) resonance line of the ortho species which always appears in emission in cold dust clouds. Thus the former must have an excitation temperature less than the brightness temperature of the universal microwave background and becomes only the second molecule to exhibit such 'refrigeration' below this temperature in cold, dark dust clouds.
Einstein MPC observations of the 5.2-h binary 4U 2129 + 47 are analyzed, and a type 1 X-ray burst with rise time 6.5 + or 1.5 s, peak 2-10-keV flux about 1 nerg/sq cm s, and peak color temperature 2.8 + 0.9 or - 0.7 keV is detected in data for 22:01:03 UT on December 15, 1978. It is inferred that the compact component of the binary is a neutron star, and anomalies in the burst (e.g., peak luminosity 500 times lower than the Eddington limit) are interpreted in terms of the accretion-disk-corona (ADC) model of McClintock et al. (1982). Assuming that the burst itself is normal, an ADC with temperature about 10 to the 8th K, radius 4 x 10 to the 10th cm, and electron-scattering optical depth about 2.5 is predicted, making this object the first neutron star with a mass (0.6 + or - 0.2 solar mass according to Horne et al., 1986) well below the Chandrasekhar limit.
The Liege thermal vacuum optical bench (FOCAL) was used to control the mechanical stability of the structure of the European Space Agency's HIPPARCOS astrometry payload. The payload is designed to measure angles of .001 arcsec between stars during 2.5 years and this accuracy can only be reached with the extreme stability of the device. The structure of the payload is made of carbon fiber; it is thermally stabilized with an accuracy of .01 degrees C. During the test, the payload is enclosed in a shell made of shrouds having a geometry close to the shading structure of the spacecraft. The shroud temperatures are defined by the conditions in orbit, e.g., the spacecraft is spinning in front of the Sun with a period of two hours and the temperature of the shrouds is cycled around the payload with a 2 hour period. In order to avoid disturbances by vibrations, the payload is put on an adapter interfaced with the optical bench and the seismic block; the shrouds are supported by a carrier with no direct interface with the table. This method avoids perturbances brought about by the cooling fluid of the shrouds.