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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

Tidal disruption of solid bodies

The problem of stress, strain, and breakup in solid satellites and stray bodies subject to tidal perturbations is presently addressed in view of three novel considerations. After presenting a new analytic solution for the stress tensor in a homogeneous and compressible elastic sphere, where the inclusion of compressibility alters stresses by several percent, realistic failure criteria are noted to demonstrate the general failure of such ductile bodies as iron meteoroids by plastic shear, while brittle ice bodies fail by either tensile or shear fracture. A reexamination of crack propagation after initial failure allows the diverse breakup criteria to be reconciled.

Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.↗

Tertiary structure and thermal history of the Harquahala and Buckskin Mountains, west central Arizona - Implications for denudation by a major detachment fault system

A regional geometrical model for the Whipple-Buckskin-Bullard detachment system (referred to as the Whipple detachment system) is developed. Mineral separates from samples collected in the Harquahala and Buckskin mountains, which lie in the footwall of the Whipple detachment system, are analyzed by the Ar-40/Ar-39 age spectrum technique to determine the cooling history of the mountain range and the age of the metamorphism. Based on the cooling history of the mountains and the bedrock geology of the Harquahala Mountains, the initial geometry of the Whipple detachment system is reconstructed. Next, estimates of slip on the detachment fault and extension within the upper plate terrane are used to determine the regional pattern of extension. The data on the cooling history, structural geometry, and extension pattern are combined into a geometrical model which reconciles the geological data, according to which the breakaway zones represented by the Harquahala Mountains were unroofed by movement on the gently to moderately dipping segment of a great normal fault system as it cut through the upper crust.

Richard, Stephen M.↗

Theoretical study of the homonuclear tetramers and pentamers of the group IB metals (Cu, Ag, and Au)

The optimal structures of the homonuclear tetramers and pentamers of Cu, Ag, and Au are found to be planar trapezoidal. However, on the basis of spin densities deduced from electron spin resonance experiments, it has been suggested that these pentamers have distorted trigonal bipyramidal structures. This apparent discrepancy is reconciled by the fact that Mulliken populational analyses indicate that the open-shell spin density distribution on the planar structures are also consistent with experiment. Since the vertical electron attachment energies for both the tetramers and pentamers are in good agreement with experiment, the negative ions probably also have planar trapezoidal structures. The trends in ionization potentials, atomization energies, and electron affinities with cluster size are discussed.

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.↗

Atomic and molecular hydrogen from Titan in the Kronian magnetosphere

The question of the neutral gas and plasma population in the region of the Kronian magnetosphere, outside the plasma mantle and inside the magnetopause, dominated by the efflux of Titan's atmosphere is considered. A model that has been used successfully to describe the inner magnetosphere is applied to this region under constraints derived from the plasma science and ultraviolet spectrometer experiments on Voyager. It is shown that it is not possible to reconcile the results of these two experiments simultaneously with the values of the atomic and molecular source strengths of the atmosphere of Titan extant in the literature. The possible sources of the discrepancy are delineated.

Eviatar, Aharon↗

Consistency of rocket and radar electron density observations - Implications about the anisotropy of mesospheric turbulence

Quantitative comparisons are made between rocketborne measurements of electron density fluctuations and simultaneous 53.5 MHz radar measurements obtained during the Summer in Northern Europe campaign. Rocketborne radar reflectivity results are of the order of 10 dB greater than would be expected in the case of isotropic electron density fluctuations. There results can be reconciled by assuming isotropic turbulence. A relation is derived between rocket and radar observations which covers the entire range from isotropic turbulent scatter to Fresnel scatter at horizontal density stratifications. The anisotropy is greatest at heights where the electron density displays deep 'bite-outs'.

Inhester, B.↗

On the reconciliation of simultaneous microwave imaging and hard X-ray observations of a solar flare

Microwave imaging data for a small flare with simultaneous hard X-ray spectral observations are compared. The X-ray data suggest that the power-law index delta of the energy distribution of the radiating electrons is 5.3 (thick-target) which differs significantly from the estimate (delta = 1.4) from a homogeneous optically-thin gyrosynchrotron model which fits the radio observations well. In order to reconcile these results, a double power-law energy spectrum is investigated for the energetic electrons in the flare, as assumed by other authors: the power law is steep at low energies and much flatter at the higher energies which produce the bulk of the microwaves. The emission of soft photons by the flat tail strongly contributes to the observed hard X-ray range and would flatten the spectrum there. A thin-target model for the X-ray emission is also inconsistent with radio data. An inhomogenous gyrosychrotron model with a number of free parameters and containing an electron distribution given by the thick-target X-ray model could be made to fit the radio data.

Nitta, N.↗

Sensitivity-based scaling for correlating structural response from different analytical models

This paper presents a sensitivity-based linearly varying scale factor used to reconcile results from simple and refined models for analysis of the same structure. The improved accuracy of the linear scale factor compared to a constant scale factor as well as the commonly used tangent approximation is demonstrated. A wing box structure is used as an example, with displacements, stresses and frequencies correlated. The linear scale factor could permit the use of a simplified model in an optimization procedure during preliminary design to approximate the response given by a refined model over a considerable range of design changes.

Chang, Kwan J.↗

Altered spherules of impact melt and associated relic glass from the K/T boundary sediments in Haiti

Partially to wholly altered glass spherules produced by impact-induced shock melting have been found in the K/T boundary sediments of Haiti which also contain grains of shocked quartz. The relic glass has an approximately dacitic composition, and although grossly similar in composition to most previously described tektite glasses, it is slightly enriched in Ca and slightly depleted in Si, suggesting the Haitian glass was produced either from a target with a greater fraction of carbonate and anhydrite lithologies and fewer silicate units than the targets from which most other tektites were produced, and/or from one with a significant mafic component. The composition of the glass can best be reconciled with a continental margin terrane, consistent with studies of shocked mineral phases reported elsewhere. The thickness of the deposit in which the impact spherules occur indicates the source of the ejecta was in the proto-Caribbean region.

Kring, David A.↗

Water on Mars: Clue to accretional history

Geological evidence for large amounts of water at the Martian surface appears to be in conflict with geochemical evidence from SNC meteorites that suggests that the Mars mantle is dry and should have lost almost all of its initially large inventory of water during accretion. Here, several possibilities are suggested as to how the apparently conflicting data from two sources may be reconciled. The considerations examined indicate that several plausible explanations for the apparent conflict between geochemical evidence of little water on Mars and geologic evidence of abundant water. One possible conclusion is that Mars has a primitive volatile-rich crust that has been partly overplated with young, dry, mantle-derived volcanoes of which we have samples in the SNC meteorites.

Carr, M. H.↗

Are the Equatorial Highlands on Venus formed by mantle plume diapirs?

Several origins have been proposed for the Equatorial Highlands on Venus, including spreading centers and plume-related uplift. Recently, the spreading center hypothesis has been shown to be incompatible with the measured geoid and topography variations over the highlands. It is also difficult to reconcile the range of geoid anomalies over the highlands with a steady-state plum model. There is a large variation in admittance values (geoid/topography ratios) among highland regions. This variation suggests that different uplifted regions represent distinct stages in a time dependent process. It has been proposed that the Beta Regio, Thetis Regio, Ovda Regio, and Artemis Plateau Equatorial Highland Regions are formed by large mantel diapirs. According to this model, topography and geoid height decrease with increasing age of the highland, as the diapir spreads out beneath the lithosphere. In order to determine if the diapir model is compatible with the sequence of tectonic and volcanic events recorded in the surface geology of the highlands, a series of finite difference calculations were made of the ascent and partial melting of a spherical thermal diapir in an incompressible, infinite Prandtl number, isoviscous fluid.

Olson, Peter↗

Non scale-invariant density perturbations from chaotic extended inflation

Chaotic inflation is analyzed in the frame of scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Fluctuations in the energy density arise from quantum fluctuations of the Brans-Dicke field and of the inflation field. The spectrum of perturbations is studied for a class of models: it is non scale-invarient and, for certain values of the parameters, it has a peak. If the peak appears at astrophysically interesting scales, it may help to reconcile the Cold Dark Matter scenario for structure formation with large scale observations.

Mollerach, Silvia↗

Physical studies of small asteroids and cometary nuclei

Photoelectric and CCD photometry of small asteroids in the 0.5-25 km diameter range and cometary cores are discussed. It is to reconcile the observed physical properties of those bodies with models and laboratory experiments. As there is an inevitable spread between the laboratory scale and the real asteroid scale, the observations of smaller bodies offer us a natural laboratory to serve as an intermediate link between experimental sizes and real ones. Whenever possible, UBVWX color are obtained to define taxonomic classes.

Wisniewski, Wieslaw Z.↗

Sensitivity to edge and flow rate in the control of speed and altitude

A number of studies have examined the potential efficacy of global flow rate and edge rate for specifying changes in self-motion. These have ranged from passive judgements of simulated accelerating self-motion to the active control of altitude in the presence of changes in flow and edge rates. A number of these studies are summarized and an attempt is made to reconcile their respective findings.

Wolpert, Lawrence↗

Flow downstream of the heliospheric terminal shock - Magnetic field kinematics

A kinematic model of the interplanetary magnetic field in the heliosheath beyond the solar wind terminal shock is presented in order to evaluate the possible importance of MHD effects in that region of space. The need for this evaluation arises because the interplanetary magnetic field is compressed across the terminal shock and further amplified by the decreasing flow speed beyond the shock. Streamlines which approach the stagnation point before turning in the downstream direction lead to the strongest effects due to the extreme slowing of the solar wind and consequent compression of the embedded magnetic field. The magnetic volume force therefore cannot be neglected on streamlines that approach the heliopause in the upstream direction, where the volume containing them is a large fraction of the overall of the heliosheath in the upstream direction. The increase in the magnetic pressure may act to bring the upstream terminal shock significantly closer to the sun, potentially reconciling a conflict between models and observations.

Nerney, S.↗

Reduction of chemical reaction models

An attempt is made to reconcile the different terminologies pertaining to reduction of chemical reaction models. The approaches considered include global modeling, response modeling, detailed reduction, chemical lumping, and statistical lumping. The advantages and drawbacks of each of these methods are pointed out.

Frenklach, Michael↗

Atomic oxygen in the Martian thermosphere

Modern models of thermospheric composition and temperature and of excitation and radiative transfer processes are used to simulate the O I 130-nm emission from Mars measured by the Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer. This paper uses the Mars thermospheric general circulation model calculations (MTGCM) of Bougher et al. (1988) and the Monte Carlo partial frequency redistribution multiple scattering code of Meier and Lee (1982). It is found that the decline in atomic oxygen through the daylight hours predicted by the MTGCM cannot be reconciled with the excess afternoon brightness seen in the data. Oxygen concentrations inferred from the data show a positive gradient through the day, in agreement with the original analysis by Strickland et al. (1973). In addition, the data suggest that the oxygen abundance increases toward high southerly latitudes, in contrast with the MTGCM prediction of high values in the Northern Hemisphere. It appears that solar forcing alone cannot account for the observed characteristics of the Martian thermosphere and that wave and tidal effects may profoundly affect the structure, winds, and composition.

Stewart, A. I. F.↗

Physical processes in the plasma mantle of Venus

The results are presented of a study, which analyzed data from 10 Pioneer Venus orbits in order to see whether similar wave particle interaction processes also exist in the corresponding region around Venus. The first conclusion is that the apparent physical processes in the mantle are indeed similar around Venus and Mars. The planetary thermal O(+) ions outside the ionopause interact with the shocked solar wind and excite electrostatic waves close to the lower hybrid frequency. These waves propagate inwards, heating first the electron and deeper down in the ionosphere the thermal ion population. The observed superthermal ions are believed to be the product of this wave particle interaction process. It is also concluded that the wave energy transferred to the thermal electrons is of the right magnitude (about 4 x 10 exp 9 eV/sq cm s) to provide the supplemental heat source necessary to reconcile observed and calculated electron temperatures in the ionosphere.

Szego, K.↗