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At least 253 records · Page 14

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NASA NTRS1988

Collisional stripping of Mercury's mantle

A three-dimensional smoothed-particle hydrocode is the basis of the present numerical simulations of conditions under which a giant collision between a proto-Mercury and a planet one-sixth its size would lead to the loss of most of the silicate mantle of Mercury and thereby account for its anomalously high density. A head-on collision at 20 km/sec, and an off-axis impact parameter of half the radius of the proto-Mercury at 35 km/sec, are approximately equal in damage yielded; both will yield a remnant whose characteristics are those of the present Mercury.

Benz, Willy↗

NASA NTRS1988

Quasar microlensing and dark matter

The amplification of quasar brightness due to gravitational lensing by foreground objects is discussed. It is shown that a recently published sample of X-ray-selected quasars behind foreground galaxies shows a statistically significant brightening compared to a control sample. Correlations with galaxy redshift and impact parameter predicted by microlensing are also demonstrated. A technique is described to measure the mean density of the lenses from a small number of identified cases of microlensing. It is shown that, in this sample, amplification bias is important in determining the mean intensity enhancement and must be included in the density estimate. Assuming that at least two of the four intrinsically brightest quasars behind galaxies are indeed microlensed, the present data yield a formal lower limit on the mean density parameter of lenses Omega(l) greater than 0.25 at 95 percent confidence. These data also imply that a considerable quantity of dark matter exists in macroscopic objects outside the visible parts of galaxies but is still highly correlated with them.

Rix, Hans-Walter↗

NASA NTRS1989

Nuclear fragmentation energy and momentum transfer distributions in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

An optical model description of energy and momentum transfer in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, based upon composite particle multiple scattering theory, is presented. Transverse and longitudinal momentum transfers to the projectile are shown to arise from the real and absorptive part of the optical potential, respectively. Comparisons of fragment momentum distribution observables with experiments are made and trends outlined based on our knowledge of the underlying nucleon-nucleon interaction. Corrections to the above calculations are discussed. Finally, use of the model as a tool for estimating collision impact parameters is indicated.

Khandelwal, Govind S.↗

NASA NTRS1989

An optical model description of momentum transfer in heavy ion collisions

An optical model description of momentum transfer in relativistic heavy ion collisions, based upon composite particle multiple scattering theory, is presented. The imaginary component of the complex momentum transfer, which comes from the absorptive part of the optical potential, is identified as the longitudinal momentum downshift of the projectile. Predictions of fragment momentum distribution observables are made and compared with experimental data. Use of the model as a tool for estimating collision impact parameters is discussed.

Khan, F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Nucleon emission via electromagnetic excitation in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions: Re-analysis of the Weizsacker-Williams method

Previous analyses of the comparison of Weizsacker-Williams (WW) theory to experiment for nucleon emission via electromagnetic (EM) excitations in nucleus-nucleus collisions were not definitive because of different assumptions concerning the value of the minimum impact parameter. This situation is corrected by providing criteria that allows definitive statements to be made concerning agreement or disagreement between WW theory and experiment.

Norbury, John W.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A collisional model for the formation of ripples in early-type disk galaxies

Restricted three-body calculations of high-inclination low-impact-parameter encounters between a disk galaxy and its companion are used to demonstrate that the shell-like ripples noted in a number of disk galaxies are also collisional artifacts. It is suggested that some of the ripples may be the results of internal oscillations following such encounters. It is assumed that the target is an early-type disk with a sufficiently low gas fraction that recent star formation does not dominate the appearance of the disturbed disk.

Wallin, John F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Charge exchange cross sections for the Io plasma torus

An impact parameter method for calculating cross sections as a function of incident ion energy is used in conjunction with an improved exchange energy formulation to update several of the charge exchange cross sections currently used in Io plasma torus modeling. New cross sections for S(+) + S(2+) yielding S(2+) + S(+) and Na(+) on neutral targets, useful in analyzing the fast Na jets observed at Io, are also calculated.

Mcgrath, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Comparison of currents predicted by NASCAP/LEO model simulations with elementary Langmuir-type bare probe models for an insulated cable containing a single pinhole

The behavior of a defect in the insulation of a short biased section of cable in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space environment was examined. Such studies are of the utmost importance for large space power systems where great quantities of cabling will be deployed. An insulated probe containing a pinhole was placed into a hypothetical high speed LEO plasma. The NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP/LEO) was used to explore sheath growth about the probe as a function of applied voltage and to predict I-V behavior. A set of independent current calculations using Langmuir's formulations for concentric spheres and coaxial cylinders were also performed. The case of concentric spheres was here extended to include the case of concentric hemispheres. Several simple Langmuir-type models were then constructed to bracket the current collected by the cable. The space-charge sheath radius and impact parameters were used to determine the proper current regime. I-V curves were plotted for the models and comparisons were made with NASCAP/LEO results. Finally, NASCAP/LEO potential contours and surface cell potential plots were examined to explain interesting features in the NASCAP/LEO I-V curve.

Galofaro, Joel T.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Collisional pumping of water masers by species of particles at different temperatures

It has been reported that the extreme power of astrophysical water masers can be obtained from purely collisional pumping in environments with two kinetic temepratures. It is found that this pumping vanishes when the latest rates are utilized for the collisional excitation of H2O molecules by neutrals. Energetic ions must also be present under the conditions that have been proposed for such 'two-temperature' pumping, but they have been ignored in the past due to lack of information about the relevant cross sections. Quantal, multichannel calculations in the impact parameter approximation are performed to provide a basis for estimating these rates for the collisional excitation of H2O molecules by ions. Including the effects of these ions does not restore the inversion, but rather reduces the pumping for H2O masers in the proposed 'two-temperature' environments.

Anderson, Nels↗

NASA NTRS1990

The collisional evolution of the spin of a nonspherical body

The nonspherical shapes of asteroids are considered through a generalization of the Harris (1979) model of asteroid spin rates' collisional evolution. Since a body in spin equilibrium rotates about its axis of maximum moment of inertia, the computation of the mean-squared impact parameter through averaging over all directions of flux is not strictly valid; nevertheless, these complications have been found not to alter the conclusions reachable by means of the simpler model.

Harris, A. W.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Observations of CH in comets P/Brorsen-Metcalf and P/Halley

A common feature in the visual spectra of comets is the A squared delta - chi squared pi transition of CH at 4314 A (delta v = 0). This feature is very weak and is easily lost in the continuum or noise. However, the oscillator strength is very small, so even a weak feature indicates a large amount of CH. Understanding the parent of the CH in the comae of comets is very important for understanding the chemistry of comets and, thus, the early solar nebula. Potential parents for the CH are CH4 or more complex hydrocarbons, including polyoxy methanes (POMs). The ratio of CH4 to H2O is indicative of possible sites of formation of the comets. Past observations of comets have shown that the CH is present in the coma. However, because of the intrinsic weakness of the feature and the ease of photodissociating CH, the distribution of the CH in the coma has only been traced in the inner coma, where the fall-off is still 1/p, where p is the impact parameter. The first data sets tracing the distribution of CH to large distances from the nucleus in two comets is presented. Some preliminary models are presented pertaining to the parent of the CH.

Cochran, Anita L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Response of spacecraft window materials to hypervelocity projectile impact

This paper presents the results of an investigation of the response of window materials to hypervelocity projectile impact. Window impact damage is characterized according to the nature and extent of surface and internal damage. Analysis of the test data indicates that, for single-pane specimens, the extent of the damage to the test specimens can be written as functions of the impact parameters of the original projectile and the geometric and material properties of the projectile/ window system. These functions can be used to perform parameter-sensitivity studies and to evaluate hypothetical design applications and configurations.

Schonberg, William P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Optical model description of momentum transfer in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Khan, F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Tidal disruption of inviscid planetesimals

In view of previous efforts' demonstration that strongly dissipative planetesimals are immune to tidal disruption, an examination is presently conducted of the complementary case of inviscid planetesimals arising from collisions that are sufficiently energetic to entirely melt the resulting planetesimal and debris. The tidal disruption is numerically simulated by means of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code of Cameron and Benz (1991), concentrating on the tidal disruption of 0.01 earth-mass planetesimals passing by the earth with variations in the impact parameter at perigee and velocity at infinity. The SPH models show that tidal forces during a close encounter can efficiently convert orbital angular momentum into spin angular momentum, thereby initiating equatorial mass-shedding to inviscid planetesimals that have been spun up beyond the limit of rotational stability.

Boss, A. P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Continuum modeling of catastrophic collisions

A two dimensional hydrocode based on 2-D SALE was modified to include strength effects and fragmentation equations for fracture resulting from tensile stress in one dimension. Output from this code includes a complete fragmentation summary for each cell of the modeled object: fragment size (mass) distribution, vector velocities of particles, peak values of pressure and tensile stress, and peak strain rates associated with fragmentation. Contour plots showing pressure and temperature at given times within the object are also produced. By invoking axial symmetry, three dimensional events can be modeled such as zero impact parameter collisions between asteroids. The code was tested against the one dimensional model and the analytical solution for a linearly increasing tensile stress under constant strain rate.

Ryan, Eileen V.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Tidal disruption of inviscid protoplanets

Roche showed that equilibrium is impossible for a small fluid body synchronously orbiting a primary within a critical radius now termed the Roche limit. Tidal disruption of orbitally unbound bodies is a potentially important process for planetary formation through collisional accumulation, because the area of the Roche limit is considerably larger then the physical cross section of a protoplanet. Several previous studies were made of dynamical tidal disruption and different models of disruption were proposed. Because of the limitation of these analytical models, we have used a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to model the tidal disruption process. The code is basically the same as the one used to model giant impacts; we simply choose impact parameters large enough to avoid collisions. The primary and secondary both have iron cores and silicate mantles, and are initially isothermal at a molten temperature. The conclusions based on the analytical and numerical models are summarized.

Boss, Alan P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Charge Dependence and Electric Quadrupole Effects on Single-Nucleon Removal in Relativistic and Intermediate Energy Nuclear Collisions

Single nucleon removal in relativistic and intermediate energy nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied using a generalization of Weizsacker-Williams theory that treats each electromagnetic multipole separately. Calculations are presented for electric dipole and quadrupole excitations and incorporate a realistic minimum impact parameter, Coulomb recoil corrections, and the uncertainties in the input photonuclear data. Discrepancies are discussed. The maximum quadrupole effect to be observed in future experiments is estimated and also an analysis of the charge dependence of the electromagnetic cross sections down to energies as low as 100 MeV/nucleon is made.

Norbury, John W.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Single nucleon emission in relativistic nucleus-nucleus reactions

Significant discrepancies between theory and experiment have previously been noted for nucleon emission via electromagnetic processes in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. The present work investigates the hypothesis that these discrepancies have arisen due to uncertainties about how to deduce the experimental electromagnetic cross section from the total measured cross section. An optical-model calculation of single neutron removal is added to electromagnetic cross sections and compared to the total experimental cross sections. Good agreement is found thereby resolving some of the earlier noted discrepancies. A detailed comparison to the recent work of Benesh, Cook, and Vary is made for both the impact parameter and the nuclear cross section. Good agreement is obtained giving an independent confirmation of the parameterized formulas developed by those authors.

Norbury, John W.↗