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At least 271 records · Page 15

Imaging of four planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds using the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Camera

Using the Faint Object Camera on-board the Hubble Space Telescope, we have obtained images of four planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Magellanic Clouds, namely N2 and N5 in the SMC and N66 and N201 in the LMC. Each nebula was imaged through two narrow-band filters isolating forbidden O III 5007 and H-beta, for a nominal exposure time of 1000 s in each filter. In forbidden O III, SMC N5 shows a circular ring structure, with a peak-to-peak diameter of 0.26 arcsec and a FWHM of 0.35 arcsec while SMC N2 shows an elliptical ring structure with a peak-to-peak diameter of 0.26 x 0.21. The expansion ages corresponding to the observed structures in SMC N2 and N5 are of the order of 3000 yr. LMC N201 is very compact, with a FWHM of 0.2 arcsec in H-beta. The Type I PN LMC N66 is a multipolar nebula, with the brightest part having an extent of about 2 arcsec and with fainter structures extending over 4 arcsec.

Blades, J. C.↗

Using calibrated SAR data

A number of approaches for calibrating SAR imaging data including data from multipolarization and multifrequency systems developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are discussed. It is shown how calibrated SAR data can be used to improve the understanding of the physical properties of the earth's surface layer and how calibration uncertainties and system noise should be handled by the SAR data user. Examples of calibrated SAR data from the NASA/JPL DC-8 SAR are used to demonstrate use of calibrated data to monitor temporal change and to improve the classification of land cover type.

Freeman, Anthony↗

Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C instrument

The Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C is the next radar in the series of spaceborne radar experiments, which began with Seasat and continued with SIR-A and SIR-B. The SIR-C instrument has been designed to obtain simultaneous multifrequency and simultaneous multipolarization radar images from a low earth orbit. It is a multiparameter imaging radar that will be flown during at least two different seasons. The instrument operates in the squint alignment mode, the extended aperture mode, the scansar mode, and the interferometry mode. The instrument uses engineering techniques such as beam nulling for echo tracking, pulse repetition frequency hopping for Doppler centroid tracking, generating the frequency step chirp for radar parameter flexibility, block floating-point quantizing for data rate compression, and elevation beamwidth broadening for increasing the swath illumination.

Huneycutt, Bryan L.↗

Remote sensing of forest ecosystem dynamics: Measurements and modeling

The development of an integrated approach to the modeling of forest dynamics encompassing submodels of forest growth and succession, soil processes and radiation interactions, is reported. Remote sensing technology is a key element of this study in that it provides data for developing, initializing, updating, and validating the models. The objectives are reviewed, the data collected and models in use are discussed, and a framework for studying interactions between the forest growth, soil process and energy interaction components, is described. Remote sensing technology used in the study includes optical and microwave field, aircraft and satellite borne instruments. The types of data collected during intensive field and aircraft campaigns included bidirectional reflectance, thermal emittance and multifrequency, multipolarization synthetic aperture radar backscatter. Synthetic imagery of derived products such as forest biomass and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index), and collections of ground data are being assembled in a georeferenced data base. These data are used to drive or test multidiscipline simulations of forested ecosystems. Enhancements to the modeling environment permit considerable flexibility in configuring simulations and selecting results for reporting and graphical display.

Williams, Darrel L.↗

Forest investigations by polarimetric AIRSAR data in the Harz mountains

The Harz Mountains in the North of Germany have been a study site for several remote sensing investigations since 1985, as the mountainous area is one of the forest regions in Germany heavily affected by forest decline, especially in the high altitudes above 800 m. In a research program at the University of Berlin, methods are developed for improving remote sensing assessment of forest structure and forest state by additional GIS information, using several datasets for establishing a forest information system. The Harz has been defined as a test site for the SIR-C/X-SAR mission which is going to deliver multifrequency and multipolarizational SAR data from orbit. In a pilot project let by DLR-DFD, these data are to be investigated for forestry and ecology purposes. In preparing a flight campaign to the SIR-C / X-SAR mission, 'MAC EUROPE 1991', performed by NASA/JPL, an area of about 12 km in the Northern Harz was covered with multipolarizational AIRSAR data in the C-, L- and P-band, including the Brocken, the highest mountain of the Harz, with an altitude of 1142 m. The multiparameter AIRSAR data are investigated for their information content on the forest state, regarding the following questions: (1) information on forest stand parameters like forest types, age classes and crown density, especially for the separation of deciduous and coniferous forest; (2) information on the storm damages (since 1972) and the status of regeneration; (3) information on the status of forest destruction because of forest decline; and (4) influence of topography, local incidence angle and soil moisture on the SAR data. Within the project various methods and tools have been developed for the investigation of multipolarimetric radar backscatter responses and for discrimination purposes, in order to use the multipolarization information of the compressed Stokes matrix delivered by JPL.

Keil, M.↗

Use of AIRSAR to identify woody shrub invasion and other indicators of desertification in the Jornada LTER

The replacement of semidesert grassland by woody shrubland is a widespread form of desertification. This change in physiognomy and species composition tends to sharply reduce the productivity of the land for grazing by domestic livestock, increase soil erosion and reduce soil fertility, and greatly alter many other aspects of ecosystem structure and functioning. Remote sensing methods are needed to assess and monitor shrubland encroachment. Detection of woody shrubs at low density would provide a particularly useful baseline on which to access changes, because an initially low shrub density often tends to increase even after cessation of the disturbance (e.g., overgrazing, drought, or fire suppression) responsible for triggering the initial stages of the invasion (Grover and Musick, 1990). Limited success has been achieved using optical remote sensing. In contrast to other forms of desertification, biomass does not consistently decrease with a shift from grassland to shrubland. Estimation of green vegetation amount (e.g., by NDVI) is thus of limited utility, unless the shrubs and herbaceous plants differ consistently in phenology and the area can be viewed during a season when only one of these is green. The objective of this study was to determine if the potential sensitivity of active microwave remote sensing to vegetation structure could be used to assess the degree of shrub invasion of grassland. Polarimetric Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) data were acquired for a semiarid site containing varied mixtures of shrubs and herbaceous vegetation and compared with ground observations of vegetation type and other landsurface characteristics. In this preliminary report we examine the response of radar backscatter intensity to shrub density. The response of other multipolarization parameters will be examined in future work.

Musick, H. Brad↗

Multiwavelength study of the magnetically active T Tauri star HD 283447

We observed the luminous T Tauri star HD 283447 = V773 Tauri simultaneously at X-ray, ultraviolet, optical photometric and spectroscopic, and radio wavelengths for several hours on UT 1992 September 11. ROSAT, IUE, Very Large Array (VLA) and an intercontinental Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) network, and three optical observatories participated in the campaign. The star is known for its unusually high and variable nonthermal radio continuum emission. High levels of soft X-ray and Mg II line emission are discovered, with luminosity L(sub x) = 5.5 x 10(exp 30) ergs/s (0.2 - 2 keV) and L(sub Mg II) = 1 x 10(exp 29) ergs/s, respectively. Optically, the spectrum exhibits rather weak characteristics of `classical' T Tauri stars. A faint, broad emission line component, probably due to a collimated wind or infall, is present. During the campaign, the radio luminosity decreased by a factor of 4, while optical/UV lines and X-ray emission remained strong but constant. The large gyrosynchrotron-emitting regions are therefore decoupled from the chromospheric and coronal emission. Five models for the magnetic geometry around the star are discussed; solar-type activity, dipole magnetosphere, star-disk magnetic coupling, disk magnetic fields, and close binary interaction. The data suggest that two magnetic geometries are simultaneously present: complex multipolar fields like those on the Sun, and a large-scale field possibly associated with the circumstellar disk.

Feigelson, Eric D.↗

Neptune radio emission in dipole and multipole magnetic fields

We study Neptune's smooth radio emission in two ways: we simulate the observations and we then consider the radio effects of Neptune's magnetic multipoles. A procedure to deduce the characteristics of radio sources observed by the Planetary Radio Astronomy experiment minimizes limiting assumptions and maximizes use of the data, including quantitative measurement of circular polarization. Study of specific sources simulates time variation of intensity and apparent polarization of their integrated emission over an extended time period. The method is applied to Neptune smooth recurrent emission (SRE). Time series are modeled with both broad and beamed emission patterns, and at two frequencies which exhibit different time variation of polarization. These dipole-based results are overturned by consideration of more complex models of Neptune's magnetic field. Any smooth emission from the anticipated auroral radio source is weak and briefly observed. Dominant SRE originates complex fields at midlatitude. Possible SRE source locations overlap that of 'high-latitude' emission (HLE) between +(out) and -(in) quadrupoles. This is the first identification of multipolar magnetic structure with a major source of planetary radio emission.

Sawyer, C. B.↗

Ab Initio Potential Energy Surface for H-H2

Ab initio calculations employing large basis sets are performed to determine an accurate potential energy surface for H-H2 interactions for a broad range of separation distances. At large distances, the spherically averaged potential determined from the calculated energies agrees well with the corresponding results determined from dispersion coefficients; the van der Waals well depth is predicted to be 75 +/- 3 micro E(h). Large basis sets have also been applied to reexamine the accuracy of theoretical repulsive potential energy surfaces (25-70 kcal/mol above the H-H2 asymptote) at small interatomic separations; the Boothroyd, Keogh, Martin, and Peterson (BKMP) potential energy surface is found to agree with results of the present calculations within the expected uncertainty (+/- 1 kcal/mol) of the fit. Multipolar expansions of the computed H-H2 potential energy surface are reported for four internuclear separation distances (1.2, 1.401, 1.449, and 1.7a(0)) of the hydrogen molecule. The differential elastic scattering cross section calculated from the present results is compared with the measurements from a crossed beam experiment.

Patridge, Harry↗

Ab initio Potential Energy Surface for H-H2

Ab initio calculations employing large basis sets are performed to determine an accurate potential energy surface for H-H2 interactions for a broad range of separation distances. At large distances, the spherically averaged potential determined from the calculated energies agrees well with the corresponding results determined from dispersion coefficients; the van der Waals well depth is predicted to be 75 +/- (mu)E(sub h). Large basis sets have also been applied to reexamine the accuracy of theoretical repulsive potential energy surfaces. Multipolar expansions of the computed H-H2 potential energy surface are reported for four internuclear separation distances (1.2, 1.401, 1.449, and 1.7a(sub 0) of the hydrogen molecule. The differential elastic scattering cross section calculated from the present results is compared with the measurements from a crossed beam experiment.

Partridge, Harry↗

Spectral Moments of Collision-Induced Absorption of CO2 Pairs: The Role of the Intermolecular Potential

In this paper we examine the role of the anisotropy of the intermolecular potential in the rototranslational collision-induced absorption of the CO2 pairs. Using newly developed formulas that include the effects of anisotropy of the potential to all orders, we calculate the two lowest spectral moments gamma(prime), and alpha(prime), for four different classes of C02 pair potentials and compare the results with the experimental values. We assumed only multipolar induction in the process of forming the induced dipole, with the second-order contributions included. Using a site-site LJ and a site-site semi-ab initio intermolecular potentials we were able to reproduce the experimental values of gamma(prime), and alpha(prime) moments over entire temperature range from 230 to 330 K. Also, the role of an electrostatic interaction between two C02 molecules and its impact on the spectral moments is thoroughly investigated. An isotropic core with a point quadrupole centered at each molecule is shown to be an inadequate representation of the C02-CO2 potential. Additionally, we show the results obtained with the first- and second-order perturbation theory to be more than twice too small.

Gruszka, Marcin↗

Computer Simulation of the far Infrared Collision Induced Absorption Spectra of Gaseous CO2

Far infrared collision induced absorption spectra of gaseous CO2 were computed using molecular dynamics simulations. The quadrupole and hexadecapole multipolar induction, through the trace, and the anisotropy of the molecular polarizability were found to be insufficient to represent properly the dipole induction mechanism. For a detailed analysis of the induction process the spectra obtained were decomposed into components resulting from different terms of the induced dipole. Based on this decomposition, all additional overlap contribution for each term was proposed. When spectra were recomputed including such overlap, good agreement between experiment and simulation was achieved over the temperature range at which measurements exist (233-400 K). The use of an anisotropic intermolecular potential was found to be of critical importance for obtaining the right shape of the far wings of the spectra.

Gruszka, Marcin↗

Monoclonal L-citrulline immunostaining reveals nitric oxide-producing vestibular neurons

Nitric oxide is an unstable free radical that serves as a novel messenger molecule in the central nervous system (CNS). In order to understand the interplay between classic and novel chemical communication systems in vestibular pathways, the staining obtained using a monoclonal antibody directed against L-citrulline was compared with the labeling observed using more traditional markers for the presence of nitric oxide. Brainstem tissue from adult rats was processed for immunocytochemistry employing a monoclonal antibody directed against L-citrulline, a polyclonal antiserum against neuronal nitric oxide synthase, and/or NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry. Our findings demonstrate that L-citrulline can be fixed in situ by vascular perfusion, and can be visualized in fixed CNS tissue sections by immunocytochemistry. Further, the same vestibular regions and cell types are labeled by NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry, by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase antiserum, and by our anti-L-citrulline antibody. Clusters of L-citrulline-immunoreactive neurons are present in subregions of the vestibular nuclei, including the caudal portion of the inferior vestibular nucleus, the magnocellular portion of the medial vestibular nucleus, and the large cells in the ventral tier of the lateral vestibular nucleus. NADPH-diaphorase histochemical staining of these neurons clearly demonstrated their multipolar, fusiform and globular somata and long varicose dendritic processes. These results provide support for the suggestion that nitric oxide serves key roles in both vestibulo-autonomic and vestibulo-spinal pathways.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

Data volume reduction for imaging radar polarimetry

Two alternative methods are disclosed for digital reduction of synthetic aperture multipolarized radar data using scattering matrices, or using Stokes matrices, of four consecutive along-track pixels to produce averaged data for generating a synthetic polarization image.

Zebker, Howard A.↗

Diurnal Variability of Vertical Structure from a TRMM Passive Microwave "Virtual Radar" Retrieval

Robust description of the diurnal cycle from TRMM observations is complicated by the limitations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) sampling; from a 'climatological' perspective, sufficient sampling must exist to control for both spatial and seasonal variability, before tackling an additional diurnal component (e.g., with 8 additional 3-hourly or 24 1-hourly bins). For documentation of vertical structure, the narrow sample swath of the TRMM Precipitation Radar limits the resolution of any of these components. A neural-network based 'virtual radar" retrieval has been trained and internally validated, using multifrequency / multipolarization passive microwave(TM1) brightness temperatures and textures parameters and lightning (LIS) observations, as inputs, and PR volumetric reflectivity as targets (outputs). By training the algorithms (essentially highly multivariate, nonlinear regressions) on a very large sample of high-quality co-located data from the center of the TRMM swath, 3D radar reflectivity and derived parameters (VIL, IWC, Echo Tops, etc.) can be retrieved across the entire TMI swath, good to 8-9% over the dynamic range of parameters. As a step in the retrieval (and as an output of the process), each TMI multifrequency pixel (at 85 GHz resolution) is classified into one of the 25 archetypal radar profile vertical structure "types", previously identified using cluster analysis. The dynamic range of retrieved vertical structure appears to have higher fidelity than the current (Version 6) experimental GPROF hydrometeor vertical structure retrievals. This is attributable to correct representation of the prior probabilities of vertical structure variability in the neural network training data, unlike the GPROF cloud-resolving model training dataset used in the V6 algorithms. The LIS lightning inputs are supplementary inputs, and a separate offline neural network has been trained to impute (predict) LIS lightning from passive-microwave-only data. The virtual radar retrieval is thus, in principle, extensible to Aqua/AMSR-E and NPOESS/CMIS passive microwave instruments. The virtual radar approach yields a threefold increase in effective sampling from the mission, albeit of lower-quality "retrieved" data, reducing the variance of local estimates by one third (or the standard deviation by-0.57). In this talk, the variance reduction is leveraged to more finely resolve global diurnal variability in both space and time (local hour).

Boccippio, Dennis J.↗

A Starfish Preplanetary Nebula: IRAS 19024+0044

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, we have imaged the OH/IR star IRAS 19024+0044 (I19024) at 0.6, 0.8, 1.1, and 1.6 micrometers, as part of our surveys of candidate preplanetary nebulae. The images show a multipolar nebula of size approximately equal to 3.'7 2.'3, with at least six elongated lobes emanating from the center of the nebula. Two of the lobes show limb-brightened tips having point-symmetric structure with respect to the expected location of the central star. The central region shows two dark bands southwest and northeast of a central shallow maximum that may be either two inclined dusty toroidal structures or the dense parts of a single wide, inhomogeneous, toroid. Avery faint, surface brightness-limited, diffuse halo surrounds the lobes. Long-slit/echelle optical spectroscopy obtained at the Mount Palomar and Keck observatories shows a spatially compact source of H(alpha) emission; the H(alpha) line shows a strong, narrow, central core with very broad (+/-1000 km/sec), weak wings, and a narrower blueshifted absorption feature signifying the presence of an approximately 100 km/sec(exp -1) outflow. The spectrum is characterized by a strong, relatively featureless, continuum and lacks the strong forbidden emission lines characteristic of planetary nebulae, confirming that IRAS 19024 is a preplanetary nebula; the spectral type for the central star, although uncertain, is most likely early G. Interferometric observations of the CO J = 1 -0 line emission with the Owens Valley Radio Interferometer show a marginally resolved molecular envelope (size 5.'5 x 4.'4) with an expansion velocity of 13 km/sec (exp -1), resulting from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitor's dense, slow wind. We derive a kinematic distance of 3.5 kpc to I19024, based on its radial velocity. The bolometric flux is 7:3 x 10(exp -9) erg s(exp -1) cm(exp -2), and the luminosity 2850 L. The relatively low luminosity of I19024, in comparison with stellar evolutionary models, indicates that the initial mass of its central star was approximately 1-1.5 solar mass. The lobes, which appear to be hollow structures with dense walls, have a total mass greater than or equal to about 0.02 solar mass. The lobes, which appear to be hollow structures with dense walls, have a total mass greater than or equal to about 0.02 solar mass. The dusty tori in the center have masses of a few times 10(exp -3) solar mass. The faint halo has a power-law radial surface brightness profile with an exponent of about -3 and most likely represents the remnant spherical circumstellar envelope formed as a result of constant mass loss during the AGB expansion age of less than or approximately equal to 2870 yr, giving a mass-loss rate of greater than or approximately equal to 10(exp -5) solar mass yr (exp -1), The far-infrared fluxes of I19024 indicate the presence of a large mass of cool dust in the nebula, from a simple model we infer the presence of 'cool' (109 K) and 'warm' (280 K) components of dust mass 5.7 x 10(exp -4) and 1.5 x 10(exp -7) solar mass. We discuss our results for I19024 in the light of past and current ideas for the dramatic transformation of the morphology and kinematics of mass-ejecta as AGB stars evolve into planetary nebulae.

circumstellar matter↗