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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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At least 217 records · Page 12

The temperature control bracket

Temperature control bracket energy equation as measure of temperature distribution in pure hydrogen stellar atmosphere, considering electron energy and radiation field

Gebbie, K. B.↗

Theoretical effect of various broadening parameters on ultraviolet line profiles

The relative importance of various damping parameters in ultraviolet lines under conditions of normal stellar atmospheres are studied. It is found that the damping by electron collisions is always much smaller than either the radiative or the classical damping, except for lines that arise from high excitation levels and do not therefore develop strong damping wings. A damping constant equal to 10 times the classical value is always much too large when compared to the more realistic (electron + radiative) damping.

Peytremann, E.↗

The spectrum of steady state turbulent convection.

Based on Heisenberg's statistical theory of turbulence, a model for steady state turbulent convection is herein proposed, and on the basis of this model, equations for the energy spectrum for steady state turbulent convection are derived. The spectrum is obtained from the solution of a nonlinear integral equation. After the integral equation is brought into a universally valid nondimensional form, it is transformed into a nonlinear first order differential equation to be solved numerically, with the Rayleigh number appearing as the only parameter. The energy spectrum has a substantial deviation from the Kolmogoroff law, as a result of the buoyancy force acting on the rising and falling eddies. The presented theory may be applicable to convection in planetary and stellar atmospheres wherein the radiative heat transport is small.

Winterberg, F.↗

Globular-cluster stars - Results of theoretical evolution and pulsation studies compared with the observations.

Survey of recently published studies on globular clusters, and comparison of stellar evolution and pulsation theory with reported observations. The theory of stellar evolution is shown to be capable of describing, in principle, the behavior of a star through all quasi-static stages. Yet, as might be expected, estimates of bulk properties obtained by comparing observations with results of pulsation and stellar atmosphere theory differ somewhat from estimates of these same properties obtained by comparing observations with results of evolution theory. A description is given of how such estimates are obtained, and suggestions are offered as to where the weak points in each theory may lie.

Iben, I., Jr.↗

Rocket spectroscopy of zeta Orionis.

Analysis of a spectrum of zeta Ori extending from 922 to 1453 A with approximately 0.8 A resolution recorded at rocket altitudes. All lines used in existing models of stellar atmospheres appear in the recorded spectrum with the exception of those masked by telluric N2 or strong P Cygni-type profiles and by an O V line at 1371.29 A. Fifteen multiplets of subordinate lines have been reliably identified, indicating an approximate range of excitation from 0 to 50 eV. Transitions in C III (1176 A), N III (991 A), N V (1239, 1243 A), O VI (1032, 1038 A), Si IV (1394, 1403 A), S IV (1063, 1074 A), and S VI (933, 944 A) have been observed as P Cygni-type profiles presumably arising in a circumstellar envelope. The degree of ionization, transitions present, and mean radial velocities are all consistent with viewing the envelope as a hot (about 100,000 K), rarefied plasma in which collisional ionization is important. Interstellar lines in C I (1277, 1280 A), C II (1036, 1334 A), N I (1134-1135 A), N I (1200-1201 A), N II (1084-1086 A), O I (1302, 1305 A), Si II (1190, 1193 A), Si II (1260 A), and Si II (1304 A) have been definitely identified. Other transitions in Ar II, S I, C I, and Fe II are tentatively identified. The equivalent width of the L alpha line is found to be 10.4 plus or minus 1.6 A, corresponding to a columnar density of 2.0 plus or minus 0.7 x 10 to the 20th per cu cm.

Smith, A. M.↗

Theoretical effect of various broadening parameters on ultraviolet line profiles.

The relative importance of various damping parameters in UV lines under conditions of normal stellar atmospheres is studied, giving attention to temperatures in the range from 10,000 to 30,000 K. It is found that the damping by electron collisions is always much smaller than either the radiative or the classical damping, except for lines that arise from high-excitation levels and do not therefore develop strong damping wings. A damping constant equal to 10 times the classical value is always much too large when compared to the more realistic (electron + radiative) damping.

Peytremann, E.↗

New astronomy space experiments with television scanning.

Application of data from the Celescope Catalog of Ultraviolet Observations to various problems of stellar and interstellar astrophysics. These include refinements in the incorporation of line blanketing in theoretical stellar-atmosphere models, variations in the law of interstellar extinction from one region of the sky to another, and selection and identification of various types of peculiar stars for further investigation. In addition, the data were analyzed to determine the photometric and astrometric accuracy of the Celescope equipment.

Davis, R. J.↗

Organic molecules in space.

Examination of the question of chemical evolution. Observational evidence for the occurrence of some organic compounds in space is presented, and the likely existence of more complex molecules which are as yet undetected or unidentified is pointed out. This implies that massive solid objects, i.e., planets and asteroids, were accumulated from material which already contained a variety of organic compounds. The objects or regions of the galaxy studied are comets, interstellar space, prestellar nebulae, and cool stellar atmospheres.

Donn, B.↗

A modification of the Avrett-Krook temperature-correction procedure.

In the course of developing a computer program for blanketed model stellar atmospheres, it was found that near the surface the Avrett-Krook temperature correction procedure (1963) has poor convergence properties. The problem is most apparent when frequencies shortward of the Lyman discontinuity are included. Slightly different assumptions have been made to improve the convergence.

Karp, A. H.↗

Interstellar abundances - Gas and dust

Data on abundances of interstellar atoms, ions and molecules in front of zeta Oph are assembled and analyzed. The gas-phase abundances of at least 11 heavy elements are significantly lower, relative to hydrogen, than in the solar system. The abundance deficiencies of certain elements correlate with the temperatures derived theoretically for particle condensation in stellar atmospheres or nebulae, suggesting that these elements have condensed into dust grains near stars. There is evidence that other elements have accreted onto such grains after their arrival in interstellar space. The extinction spectrum of zeta Oph can be explained qualitatively and, to a degree, quantitatively by dust grains composed of silicates, graphite, silicon carbide, and iron, with mantles composed of complex molecules of H, C, N, and O. This composition is consistent with the observed gas-phase deficiencies.

Field, G. B.↗

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.↗

Ultraviolet television data from the orbiting astronomical observatory. II - Stellar ultraviolet colors and interstellar extinction

The results from the Celescope Catalog of Ultraviolet Stellar Observations (Davis, Deutschman, and Haramundanis 1973) are studied, emphasizing statistical groups and subgroups of stars. In spite of the rather large observational errors, the great number of Celescope observations make it possible to do that kind of study with reasonable accuracy. Some stars have ultraviolet colors that differ significantly from those of the group to which they have been assigned on the basis of ground-based observations. An attempt is made to describe the general properties of the ultraviolet colors of the stars as observed by the Celescope experiment on board NASA's Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO-2). Besides the direct applicability of these results to the general study of stellar atmospheres and of interstellar extinction, they are also considered as a frame of reference for further studies of individual stars and groups of stars.

Peytremann, E.↗

Mass transfer in binary X-ray systems

The influence of X-ray heating on gas flows in binary X-ray systems is examined. A simple estimate is obtained for the evaporative wind flux from a stellar atmosphere due to X-ray heating which agrees with numerical calculations by Alme and Wilson (1974) but disagrees with calculations by Arons (1973) and by Basko and Sunyaev (1974) for the Her X-1/HZ Her system. The wind flux is sensitive to the soft X-ray spectrum. The self-excited wind mechanism does not work. Mass transfer in the Hercules system probably occurs by flow of the atmosphere of HZ Her through the gravitational saddle point of the system. The accretion gas stream is probably opaque with atomic density of not less than 10 to the 15th power per cu cm and is confined to a small fraction of 4(pi) steradians. Other binary X-ray systems are briefly discussed.

Mccray, R.↗

The ultraviolet spectrum of zeta Tauri

This report describes a study of the ultraviolet spectrum of the B-shell star, zeta Tauri. The observational material consists of high-dispersion spectrograms obtained from a rocket experiment launched in November 1972. The spectra cover the wavelength interval from 1100 to 2050 A with a resolution of about 0.1 A. The UV stellar lines indicate that the star has an effective temperature as high as 27,000 K, the stellar atmosphere appears to have serious abundance deficiencies in carbon and silicon, and the velocity field in the atmosphere is complicated but shows evidence for outward acceleration and differential rotation.

Heap, S. R.↗