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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 289 records · Page 16

Combining micro dry column chromatography and mass spectrometry

Dry column chromatography principles applied in microscale produce technique to minimize time in preparing and analyzing colorless constituents of soluble mixtures. Glass pipette microcolumns filled with finely sieved adsorbents permit capillary attraction and separation in 3 to 15 minutes. Technique is adaptable to gas chromatography.

Bauman, A. J.↗

Monitoring forest land from high altitude and from space

Forest inventory, forest stress, and standardization and calibration studies are presented. These include microscale photointerpretation of forest and nonforest land classes, multiseasonal film densities for automated forest and nonforest land classification, trend and spread of bark beetle infestations from 1968 through 1971, aerial photography for determining optimum levels of stand density to reduce such infestations, use of airborne spectrometers and multispectral scanners for previsual detection of Ponderosa pine trees under stress from insects and diseases, establishment of an earth resources technology satellite test site in the Black Hills and the identification of natural resolution targets, detection of root disease impact on forest stands by sequential orbital and suborbital multispectral photography, and calibration of color aerial photography.

Source record↗

Alfven waves in spiral interplanetary field

A theoretical study is presented of the Alfven waves in the spiral interplanetary magnetic field. The Alfven waves under consideration are arbitrary, large amplitude, non-monochromatic, microscale waves of any polarization. They superpose on a mesoscale background flow of thermally anisotropic plasma. Using WKB approximation, an analytical solution for the amplitude vectors is obtained as a function of the background flow properties: density, velocity, Alfven speed, thermal anisotropy, and the spiral angel. The necessary condition for the validity of the WKB solution is discussed. The intensity of fluctuations is calculated as a function of heliocentric distance. Relative intensity of fluctuations as compared with the magnitude of the background field has its maximum in the region near l au. Thus outside of this region, the solar wind is less turbulent.

Whang, Y. C.↗

Variation of the low level winds during the passage of a thunderstorm gust front

Three time histories of wind profiles in thunderstorm gust fronts at Cape Kennedy and three at Oklahoma City are analyzed. Wind profiles at maximum wind strength below 100 m follow logarithmic laws, so that winds above the surface layer can be estimated from surface winds once the roughness length is known. A statistical analysis of 81 cases of surface winds during thunderstorms at Tampa revealed no predictor with skill to predict the time of maximum gust. Some 34% of the variance of the strength of the gust is accounted for by a stability index and surface wind prior to the gust; the regression equations for these variables are given. The coherence between microscale wind speed variations at the different levels has the same proportions as in non-thunderstorm cases.

Sinclair, R. W.↗

Computational fracture mechanics

Numerical procedures for accurate determination of elastic stress intensity factors for the general two-dimensional crack problem are reviewed. The elastic perfectly plastic state of crack tip deformation is studied by a finite element procedure. Elastic-plastic fields in the immediate vicinity of a crack tip are determined numerically by finite element procedures based on asymptotic studies of crack tip singularities in plastic materials. The small-scale yielding problem is modeled, and expressions for crack tip opening displacement, shear singularity amplitude, and plastic zone extent are derived. A finite element solution to the large-scale yielding of a circumferentially cracked round tension bar is obtained. The three-dimensional aspects of flawed structures and numerical methods of treating them are studied. Ductile fracture mechanisms, in particular crack tip fracture on the microscale, are discussed.

Rice, J. R.↗

Polarizations of asteroids and satellites

Polarization data for Mercury, the moon, asteroids, and satellites of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are compiled along with the relevant laboratory results. It is shown that the slope of the ascending branch of the polarization-phase curve is a discriminant of the bulk albedo only, while the maximum polarization and the depth of the negative branch are sensitive also to the microscale roughness and opacity. Recently published data are used for new calibrations of the laws relating these polarimetric parameters to geometric albedo. It is demonstrated that the albedos of asteroids and small satellites derived from their polarization properties are in good agreement with infrared diameters, and that a microscopically intricate surface is characteristic of atmosphereless solar-system bodies.

Bowell, E.↗

Energy densities of Alfven waves between 0.7 and 1.6 AU

Plasma and field data from Mariner 4 and 5 between 0.7 and 1.6 AU are used to study the radial dependence of the levels of microscale fluctuation associated with interplanetary Alfven waves. The observed decrease of these levels with increasing distance from the sun is consistent with little or no local generation or damping of the ambient Alfven waves over this range of radial distance.

Belcher, J. W.↗

Alfven waves and directional discontinuities in the interplanetary medium

The properties of directional discontinuities occurring in selected periods of interplanetary magnetic field data are investigated. Microscale fluctuations in these selected periods have previously been identified as being predominantly Alfvenic on time scales ranging from 5 min to a few hours. We argue that the majority of directional discontinuities in such periods are rotational and outwardly propagating.

Belcher, J. W.↗

Interface markings in crystals experiment MA-060

Doped germanium single crystals with interface demarcation were successfully grown during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission. Interface demarcation permitted the determination of the microscopic growth behavior from the onset to the termination of solidification. Preliminary segregation analysis shows striking differences in segregation in the presence of gravity. The correlation between microscopic growth rate behavior and the composition of the solid on the microscale is being evaluated.

Gatos, H. C.↗

Comparison of theory and experiment for homogeneous turbulence with shear

Solutions for uniformly-sheared turbulence, in which the interaction of the turbulence with the mean shear dominates the turbulent self-interaction, are compared with experiment. An anisotropic spectral tensor, which appears general enough to represent the initial experimental turbulence, is used for the initial condition in the calculations. The evolution of one-point turbulence components and microscales, as well as two-point velocity correlations, are considered. In most cases the agreement with experiment is good. The theory correctly predicts the presence of a negative region for two-point longitudinal-velocity correlations only for point separations in the direction normal to the flow and the mean gradient.

Deissler, R. G.↗

On the minimum variance direction of magnetic field fluctuations in the azimuthal velocity structure of the solar wind

The paper examines the properties of microscale magnetic field fluctuations for diverse classes of large-scale azimuthal velocity structures in the solar wind, with particular reference to the orientation of the wave normal vector for MHD waves in the interplanetary medium. It is shown that the direction of minimum variance does not exhibit any characteristic refraction pattern with respect to large-scale velocity structures in the solar wind. It is suggested that the direction of minimum variance is not indicative of the wave normal vector directions. The determination of the wave normal vector directions for the predominantly transverse MHD waves in the interplanetary medium is presently beyond the capability of single spacecraft observations.

Solodyna, C. V.↗

Magnetic field experiment for Voyagers 1 and 2

The magnetic field experiment to be carried on the Voyager 1 and 2 missions consists of dual low field (LFM) and high field magnetometer (HFM) systems. The dual systems provide greater reliability and, in the case of the LFM's, permit the separation of spacecraft magnetic fields from the ambient fields. Additional reliability is achieved through electronics redundancy. The wide dynamic ranges of plus or minus 0.5G for the LFM's and plus or minus 20G for the HFM's, low quantization uncertainty of plus or minus 0.002 gamma in the most sensitive (plus or minus 8 gamma) LFM range, low sensor RMS noise level of 0.006 gamma, and use of data compaction schemes to optimize the experiment information rate all combine to permit the study of a broad spectrum of phenomena during the mission. Planetary fields at Jupiter, Saturn, and possibly Uranus; satellites of these planets; solar wind and satellite interactions with the planetary fields; and the large-scale structure and microscale characteristics of the interplanetary magnetic field are studied. The interstellar field may also be measured.

Behannon, K. W.↗

Mesoscale cloud phenomena observed by LANDSAT

Examples of certain mesoscale cloud features - jet cirrus, eddies/vortices, cloud banding, and wave clouds - were collected from LANDSAT imagery and placed into Mason's four groups of causes of cloud formation based on the mechanism of vertical motion which produces condensation. These groups are as follows: (1) layer clouds formed by widespread regular ascent; (2) layer clouds caused by irregular stirring motions; (3) convective clouds; and (4) clouds formed by orographic disturbances. These mechanisms explain general cloud formation. Once formed, other forces may play a role in the deformation of a cloud or cloud mass into unusual and unique meso- and microscale patterns. Each example presented is followed by a brief discussion describing the synoptic situation, and some inference into the formation and occurrence of the more salient features. No major attempt was made to discuss in detail the meteorological and topographic interplay producing these mesoscale features.

Ormsby, J. P.↗

An experimental investigation of a three dimensional wall jet

One and two point statistical properties are measured in the flow fields of a coflowing turbulent jet. Two different confining surfaces (one flat, one with large curvature) are placed adjacent to the lip of the circular nozzle; and the resultant effects on the flow field are determined. The one point quantities measured include mean velocities, turbulent intensities, velocity and concentration autocorrelations and power spectral densities, and intermittencies. From the autocorrelation curves, the Taylor microscale and the integral length scale are calculated. Two point quantities measured include velocity and concentration space-time correlations and pressure velocity correlations. From the velocity space-time correlations, iso-correlation contours are constructed along with the lines of maximum maximorum. These lines allow a picture of the flow pattern to be determined. The pressures monitored in the pressure velocity correlations are measured both in the flow field and at the surface of the confining wall(s).

Catalano, G. D.↗

Convection of viscous fluids: Energetics, self-similarity, experiments, geophysical applications and analogies

The main results were the formulas for the mean convection velocities, of a viscous fluid and for the mean temperature difference in the bulk of the convecting fluid. These were obtained: by scaling analysis of the Boussinesq equations, by analysis of the energetics of the process, and by using similarity and dimensional arguments. The last approach defines the criteria of similarity and allows the proposition of some self-similarity hypotheses. By several simple new ways, an expression for the efficiency coefficient gamma of the thermal convection was also obtained. An analogy is pointed out between non-turbulent convection of a viscous fluid and the structure of turbulence for scales less than Kolmogorov's internal viscous microscale of turbulence.

Golitsyn, G. S.↗

Thorium-uranium fission radiography

Results are described for studies designed to develop routine methods for in-situ measurement of the abundance of Th and U on a microscale in heterogeneous samples, especially rocks, using the secondary high-energy neutron flux developed when the 650 MeV proton beam of an accelerator is stopped in a 42 x 42 cm diam Cu cylinder. Irradiations were performed at three different locations in a rabbit tube in the beam stop area, and thick metal foils of Bi, Th, and natural U as well as polished silicate glasses of known U and Th contents were used as targets and were placed in contact with mica which served as a fission track detector. In many cases both bare and Cd-covered detectors were exposed. The exposed mica samples were etched in 48% HF and the fission tracks counted by conventional transmitted light microscopy. Relative fission cross sections are examined, along with absolute Th track production rates, interaction tracks, and a comparison of measured and calculated fission rates. The practicality of fast neutron radiography revealed by experiments to data is discussed primarily for Th/U measurements, and mixtures of other fissionable nuclei are briefly considered.

Haines, E. L.↗