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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Characteristics of luminous structures in the stratosphere above thunderstorms as imaged by low-light video

An experiment was conducted in which an image-intensified, low-light video camera systematically monitored the stratosphere above distant (100-800 km) mesoscale convective systems over the high plains of the central U.S. for 21 nights between 6 July and 27 August 1993. Complex, luminous structures were observed above large thunderstorm clusters on eleven nights, with one storm system (7 July 1993) yielding 248 events in 410 minutes. Their duration ranged from 33 to 283 ms, with an average of 98 ms. The luminous structures, generally not visible to the naked, dark-adapted eye, exhibited on video a wide variety of brightness levels and shapes including streaks, aurora-like curtains, smudges, fountains and jets. The structures were often more than 10 km wide and their upper portions extended to above 50 km msl.

Lyons, Walter A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Meteorological Aspects of Two Modes of Lightning Triggered Upward Lightning (LTUL) Events in Sprite-Producing MCSs

During the 2013 convective storm season, a high resolution 3-D Lightning Mapping Array was deployed to north central Kansas (Cummins et al, this conference.) In conjunction with fixed and mobile camera systems and electric field mills, this allowed for detailed investigations of lightning induced upward lighting (LTUL) discharges from tall objects in the region, including wind turbines. Also, concurrent observations using a network of low-light cameras deployed over the central U.S. as part of the PhOCAL program detected transient luminous events (TLEs) above the Kansas LMA (KSLMA). During the night of 29-30 May 2013, waves of precipitation associated with several large MCSs traversing Kansas moved through the KSLMA domain. We focus on two LTUL events that exemplify two modes of upward lightning production from tall structures. At 0859Z, 30 May 2013, a nearby + 92 kA CG, with extensive in-cloud branching passing overhead a wind farm, was followed by complex LTUL discharges from four turbines. In addition, a sprite was confirmed by the Bennett, CO SpriteNet camera. The parent flash covered a very large area. It initiated near the MCS convective leading line ~150 km to the south, and traveled into a stratiform precipitation maximum over the KSLMA. Typically when a +CG precedes an LTUL, the triggering component is either 1) the return stroke that traverses the leader network which initially forms near the towers or 2) new negative leader activity that develops once the return stroke reaches the end of the initial leader network that may not have initially been near the tower. In the latter case, the new leader development passes near the towers and triggers upward positive leaders similar to those associated with only an intracloud flash. The +CG return stroke may hit >10 km from the towers and the new leader development may travel extensive distances before getting close enough to the towers to trigger upward lightning. In this case, there was the typical long delay between the +CG return stroke and LTUL initiation (10s to 100s of ms). The parent lightning discharges for both sprites and LTULs have many common aspects and tend to occur in similar meteorological regimes, with the two phenomena often occurring together. An earlier LUTL, at 2320Z, 29 May 2013 was captured at 9900 fps by a Phantom camera in the PhOCAL mobile Lightning Investigation Vehicle (LIV). This discharge, exhibiting numerous recoil leaders, also occurred in a stratiform region some ~50-100 km north of an MCS convective core. While there was no preceding +CG, there was an extensive network of IC channels, one of which passed overhead close to the turbine. These observations are consistent with the ongoing UPLIGHTS studies of LTULs from tall towers in Rapid City. While a +CG is usually involved (~85% of the time), the LTUL occurs because of the associated extensive in cloud components passing over towers. The earlier case without a +CG typifies this second mode where the triggering component is a negative leader associated with the IC activity passing near the towers initiates the upward positive leaders. We will discuss the parent discharges, shown in their meteorological (radar and satellite) context, and attempt to better understand the charge structures present in both the convective and stratiform regions of the MCS. The sprite and its relationship to the parent discharge will similarly be discussed

Lyons, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The NASA Fireball Network

In the summer of 2008, the NASA Meteoroid Environments Office (MEO) began to establish a video fireball network, based on the following objectives: (1) determine the speed distribution of cm size meteoroids, (2) determine the major sources of cm size meteoroids (showers/sporadic sources), (3) characterize meteor showers (numbers, magnitudes, trajectories, orbits), (4) determine the size at which showers dominate the meteor flux, (5) discriminate between re-entering space debris and meteors, and 6) locate meteorite falls. In order to achieve the above with the limited resources available to the MEO, it was necessary that the network function almost fully autonomously, with very little required from humans in the areas of upkeep or analysis. With this in mind, the camera design and, most importantly, the ASGARD meteor detection software were adopted from the University of Western Ontario's Southern Ontario Meteor Network (SOMN), as NASA has a cooperative agreement with Western's Meteor Physics Group. 15 cameras have been built, and the network now consists of 8 operational cameras, with at least 4 more slated for deployment in calendar year 2013. The goal is to have 15 systems, distributed in two or more groups east of automatic analysis; every morning, this server also automatically generates an email and a web page (http://fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov) containing an automated analysis of the previous night's events. This analysis provides the following for each meteor: UTC date and time, speed, start and end locations (longitude, latitude, altitude), radiant, shower identification, light curve (meteor absolute magnitude as a function of time), photometric mass, orbital elements, and Tisserand parameter. Radiant/orbital plots and various histograms (number versus speed, time, etc) are also produced. After more than four years of operation, over 5,000 multi-station fireballs have been observed, 3 of which potentially dropped meteorites. A database containing data on all these events, including the videos and calibration information, has been developed and is being modified to include data from the SOMN and other camera networks.

Cooke, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

JPSS-1 VIIRS Pre-Launch Response Versus Scan Angle Testing and Performance

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments on-board both the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft, with launch dates of October 2011 and December 2016 respectively, are cross-track scanners with an angular swath of +/-56.06 deg. A four-mirror Rotating Telescope Assembly (RTA) is used for scanning combined with a Half Angle Mirror (HAM) that directs light exiting from the RTA into the aft-optics. It has 14 Reflective Solar Bands (RSBs), seven Thermal Emissive Bands (TEBs) and a panchromatic Day Night Band (DNB). There are three internal calibration targets, the Solar Diffuser, the BlackBody and the Space View, that have fixed scan angles within the internal cavity of VIIRS. VIIRS has calibration requirements of 2% on RSB reflectance and as tight as 0.4% on TEB radiance that requires the sensor's gain change across the scan or Response Versus Scan angle (RVS) to be well quantified. A flow down of the top level calibration requirements put constraints on the characterization of the RVS to 0.2%-0.3% but there are no specified limitations on the magnitude of response change across scan. The RVS change across scan angle can vary significantly between bands with the RSBs having smaller changes of approximately 2% and some TEBs having approximately 10% variation. Within aband, the RVS has both detector and HAM side dependencies that vary across scan. Errors in the RVS characterization will contribute to image banding and striping artifacts if their magnitudes are above the noise level of the detectors. The RVS was characterized pre-launch for both S-NPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS and a comparison of the RVS curves between these two sensors will be discussed.

Moyer, David↗
NASA NTRS1973

Nighttime ion composition measurements at the geomagnetic equator

Two ion composition profiles, representative of the nighttime equatorial ionosphere between 90 km and 300 km, are presented. These profiles were obtained by two rocket-borne ion mass spectrometers on a single night for solar zenith angles of 112 deg and 165 deg. For both flights, the principal ion above 200 km is O(+). The downward drift of the atomic ions O(+) and N(+), coinciding with the postsunset lowering of the F2 peak, is observed through an enhancement of the density of O(+) at altitudes above 200 km and N(+) above 240 km. Below the drift region, O(+) and N(+) are observed in concentrations larger than expected. The NO(+) altitude distribution retains its shape throughout the night, and below 210 km, is the principal ion. The behavior of O2(+) can be explained by the O(+), electron density and theoretical neutral nitric oxide concentrations. Light metallic ions, including Mg(+), Na(+), and possibly Si(+), are observed to altitudes approaching 300 km and are affected by vertical drift.

Goldberg, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Atmospheric occultation of a solar flare in hard x rays

The objective of this study is two-fold: to investigate the absorption of hard x rays along a tangential path through the terrestrial atmosphere, and to locate, other than the use of imaging devices, the flare source of x ray emission in the sun. Observational data were taken with the Hard X Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) on board the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SMM). The occultation event chosen for investigation is the flare on 14 October 1981. Night fell on SMM during the decaying phase of the flare. In about fifteen seconds, the x ray flux decreased to zero. The model for computing synthetic light curve, which is directly comparable to the observed curve, consists of two computing programs. One is a modified version of an existing code, which compute the coordinates of the tangent points of the SMM-sun lines. The other program computed the atmospheric densities along the angles (N to S and E to W) measured from the center of the sun. The various model also depends on the destination of the terrestrial atmosphere at geocentric positions of SMM and the sun, the mean atmospheric densities at different heights and latitudes, and the x ray absorption cross of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. The optical length, at a given time and for a x ray energy, is computed with the two angular parameters. The fit of a particular synthetic light, curve, i.e., the exponentials of the optical lengths, to the observed eclipse curve, yields the desired angular parameters.

Chen, Kwan-Yu↗
NASA NTRS1996

Machine-Vision Aids for Improved Flight Operations

The development of machine vision based pilot aids to help reduce night approach and landing accidents is explored. The techniques developed are motivated by the desire to use the available information sources for navigation such as the airport lighting layout, attitude sensors and Global Positioning System to derive more precise aircraft position and orientation information. The fact that airport lighting geometry is known and that images of airport lighting can be acquired by the camera, has lead to the synthesis of machine vision based algorithms for runway relative aircraft position and orientation estimation. The main contribution of this research is the synthesis of seven navigation algorithms based on two broad families of solutions. The first family of solution methods consists of techniques that reconstruct the airport lighting layout from the camera image and then estimate the aircraft position components by comparing the reconstructed lighting layout geometry with the known model of the airport lighting layout geometry. The second family of methods comprises techniques that synthesize the image of the airport lighting layout using a camera model and estimate the aircraft position and orientation by comparing this image with the actual image of the airport lighting acquired by the camera. Algorithms 1 through 4 belong to the first family of solutions while Algorithms 5 through 7 belong to the second family of solutions. Algorithms 1 and 2 are parameter optimization methods, Algorithms 3 and 4 are feature correspondence methods and Algorithms 5 through 7 are Kalman filter centered algorithms. Results of computer simulation are presented to demonstrate the performance of all the seven algorithms developed.

Menon, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS2018

A search for variability in exoplanet analogues and low-gravity brown dwarfs

We report the results of a J-band survey for photometric variability in a sample of young, low-gravity objects using the New Technology Telescope (NTT) and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). Surface gravity is a key parameter in the atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs and this is the first large survey that aims to test the gravity dependence of variability properties. We do a full analysis of the spectral signatures of youth and assess the group membership probability of each target using membership tools from the literature. This results in a 30 object sample of young low-gravity brown dwarfs. Since we are lacking in objects with spectral types later than L9, we focus our statistical analysis on the L0–L8.5 objects. We find that the variability occurrence rate of L0–L8.5 low-gravity brown dwarfs in this survey is 30(+16,−8) per cent⁠. We reanalyse the results of Radigan (2014) and find that the field dwarfs with spectral types L0–L8.5 have a variability occurrence rate of 11(+13,−4) per cent⁠. We determine a probability of 98 per cent that the samples are drawn from different distributions. This is the first quantitative indication that the low-gravity objects are more likely to be variable than the field dwarf population. Furthermore, we present follow-up J(S) and K(S) observations of the young, planetary-mass variable object PSO 318.5–22 over three consecutive nights. We find no evidence of phase shifts between the J(S) and K(S) bands and find higher J(S) amplitudes. We use the J(S) light curves to measure a rotational period of 8.45 ± 0.05 h for PSO 318.5–22.

Johanna M. Vos↗
NASA NTRS1972

Airglow fluctuations at 2.2 microns.

The OH airglow has been observed in the infrared, from high altitude sites, with a bandpass filter from 2.0 to 2.5 microns. An average spatial fluctuation of plus or minus 4% and an average time fluctuation of plus or minus 3% are found about the mean nightly level. The evening fluctuations are more pronounced than the morning ones. The brightness and fluctuations are such as to preclude ground-based observation of the zodiacal light with wide-band photometry at this wavelength.

Peterson, A. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

C2 in Comet Halley - Evidence for its being third generation and resolution of the vibrational population discrepancy

Long-split spectrophotometric observations of Comet Halley on five nights at heliocentric distances of 0.90-2.21 AU are used to determine the surface brightness distribution of the coma in the strongest C2 Swan bands and the scattered light continuum. It is found that the C2 must be the product of the decay of two precursors. A clear-cut determination of the variation of the C2 band sequence flux ratios with heliocentric distance is obtained.

O'Dell, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Stimulation of lettuce productivity by manipulation of diurnal temperature and light

Salad Bowl and Waldmann's Green leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were exposed to photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs) of 444 or 889 micromol/s per sq m for 20 hrs/day under a diurnal temperature regime of 25-C days/15-C nights or 20-C days/15-C nights. Leaf dry weight of both cultivars was highest under the high PPFD/warm temperature regime and lowest under the low PPFD/cool temperature regime. Waldmann's Green yielded more than did Salad Bowl at 889 micromol/s per sq m and 25-C days/20-C nights. Under high PPFD, both cultivars yielded better with 25-C days/25-C nights than with 25-C days/20-C nights, although relative growth rates were the same under both temperature regimes.

Knight, Sharon L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Control mechanisms of circadian rhythms in body composition: Implications for manned spaceflight

The mechanisms that underlie the circadian variations in electrolyte content in body fluid compartments were investigated, and the mechanisms that control the oscillations were studied in order to investigate what effects internal desynchronization in such a system would have during manned space flight. The studies were performed using volunteer human subjects and squirrel monkeys. The intercompartmental distribution of potassium was examined when dietary intake, activity, and posture are held constant throughout each 24-hour day. A net flux of potassium was observed out of the body cell mass during the day and a reverse flux from the extracellular fluid into the body cell mass during the night, counterbalanced by changes in urinary potassium excretion. Experiments with monkeys provided evidence for the synchronization of renal potassium excretion by the rhythm of cortisol secretion with the light-dark cycle. Three models of the circadian timing system were formalized.

Ede, M. C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The dissociative recombination of O2/+/ in the ionosphere

Aeronomical determinations of the dissociative recombination reaction rate coefficient for O2(+) and alpha depend directly on a knowledge of the rate coefficient for the charge exchange of O(+) with O2 and k. The aeronomical determination of alpha is reevaluated using Atmosphere Explorer satellite data in light of a subsequent laboratory measurement of k (Chen et al., 1978). The results are found to be in good agreement with laboratory determinations of the coefficient for night-time conditions. For data obtained under sunlit conditions, however, the results differed significantly with those of the laboratory measurements. These results imply that the state of the O2(+) molecule major thermospheric processes needs to be examined in greater detail.

Torr, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Atmospheres of the Moon and Mercury

Mercury and the Moon have long been considered to be similar objects, but this view was based on limited information at visible wavelengths. It is now known that real differences exist in the atmospheres and in the rock types as deduced from mid-infrared observations. Lunar Ar and perhaps Ne were observed from Apollo landed experiments in spite of a large local background. An ultraviolet spectrometer (UVS) in orbit placed upper limits on a number of gases including H and O. At Mercury, the UVS on Mariner 10 measured H, He, and perhaps O and again a number of upper limits for other gases. Less than a decade ago, emissions of Na and K were observed from the ground, with abundances 2 orders of magnitude smaller on the Moon than on Mercury. It is likely that impacting meteoroids bring a significant amount of water to Mercury, whose atmosphere should therefore contain water vapor. This notion is supported by the recent discovery of radar-bright polar deposits almost certainly composed of ice. A variety of origins is likely for the different components. Impact of meteoroids could supply water, Na, and K, and could also vaporize surface material; Na, K, and Ar could be degassed from the crust. H is probably from the solar wind, and He could reasonably come from degassing or the solar wind. A substantial loss process for all components is photoionization (or dissociation); ions on one side are swept away into the solar wind and on the other are swept back to the surface. This process is complicated at Mercury by its permanent magnetic field, but there is little doubt that both loss and recycling still occur. Some of the recycling probably occurs by way of the magnetotail through night side auroral precipitation; atoms implanted in the surface will diffuse back into the atmosphere shortly after dawn, an effect that seems to be present for K. Finally the light atoms H and He have high enough velocities to escape directly, an effect that may be enhanced by the suprathermal velocity distributions that are likely to be present.

Hunten, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Optical and X-Ray Observations of GRB 060526: A Complex Afterglow Consistent with an Achromatic Jet Break

We obtained 98 R-band and 18 B, r', i' images of the optical afterglow of GRB 060526 (z = 3.21) with the MDM 1.3 m, 2.4 m, and the PROMPT telescopes at CTIO over the five nights following the burst trigger. Combining these data with other optical observations reported in GCN and the Swift XRT observations, we compare the optical and X-ray afterglow light curves of GRB 060526. Both the optical and X-ray afterglow light curves show rich features, such as flares and breaks. The densely sampled optical observations provide very good coverage at T > 10(exp 4) s. We observed a break at 2.4 x 10(exp 5) sin the optical afterglow light curve. Compared with the X-ray afterglow light curve, the break is consistent with an achromatic break supporting the beaming models of GRBs. However, the prebreak and postbreak temporal decay slopes are difficult to explain in simple afterglow models. We estimated a jet angle of theta(sub j) approx. 7deg and a prompt emission size of R(sub prompt) approx. 2 x 10(exp 14) cm. In addition, we detected several optical flares with amplitudes of (Delta)m approx. 0.2,0.6, and 0.2 mag. The X-ray afterglows detected by Swift have shown complicated decay patterns. Recently, many well-sampled optical afterglows also show decays with flares and multiple breaks. GRB 060526 provides an additional case of such a complex, well-observed optical afterglow. The accumulated well-sampled afterglows indicate that most of the optical afterglows are complex.

Dai, X.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Flight Testing ALHAT Precision Landing Technologies Integrated Onboard the Morpheus Rocket Vehicle

A suite of prototype sensors, software, and avionics developed within the NASA Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project were terrestrially demonstrated onboard the NASA Morpheus rocket-propelled Vertical Testbed (VTB) in 2014. The sensors included a LIDAR-based Hazard Detection System (HDS), a Navigation Doppler LIDAR (NDL) velocimeter, and a long-range Laser Altimeter (LAlt) that enable autonomous and safe precision landing of robotic or human vehicles on solid solar system bodies under varying terrain lighting conditions. The flight test campaign with the Morpheus vehicle involved a detailed integration and functional verification process, followed by tether testing and six successful free flights, including one night flight. The ALHAT sensor measurements were integrated into a common navigation solution through a specialized ALHAT Navigation filter that was employed in closed-loop flight testing within the Morpheus Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) subsystem. Flight testing on Morpheus utilized ALHAT for safe landing site identification and ranking, followed by precise surface-relative navigation to the selected landing site. The successful autonomous, closed-loop flight demonstrations of the prototype ALHAT system have laid the foundation for the infusion of safe, precision landing capabilities into future planetary exploration missions.

Carson, John M. III↗
NASA NTRS1973

Polar cap on Europa.

Photoelectric observations are reported of two occultations of Jupiter's satellite Europa by the satellite Io. The reductions in the intensity during these events exceeds predicted values by 80% and 55% for the nights of June 17, 1973, and June 24, 1973, respectively. It is concluded that Europa has a bright polar cap extending from the north pole to latitude 30 deg. The light curves for the Europa occultations are presented.

Murphy, R. E.↗