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At least 307 records · Page 17

In situ observations of BrO over Antarctica - ER-2 aircraft results from 54 deg S to 72 deg S latitude

Bromine monoxide was observed in situ during nine flights of the NASA ER-2 aircraft from Punta Arenas, Chile (54 deg S latitude), to 72 deg S latitude over the Palmer Peninsula, Antarctica. The first flight for the BrO detection system was on August 28. The distribution of BrO inside the chemically perturbed region defined by greatly elevated ClO abundances was different from that found just outside. Inside, the BrO mixing ratio was 6.1 + or - 1.1 pptv above the 440 K potential temperature surface, 4.7 + or - 2.0 pptv between the 400 and 440 K surfaces, and less than 4 pptv below the 400 K surface. At high latitudes outside the chemically perturbed region, the BrO mixing ratio was 5.4 + or - 1.4 pptv near the 450 K surface, but decreased to 2.9 + or - 1.2 pptv at the 420 K surface. The abundance of BrO showed no discernible temporal trend during the course of the nine flights. Away from the south polar region, at latitudes between 47 deg S and 37 deg N and potential temperatures between 435 and 500 K (18.5- to 20.7-km altitude), the BrO mixing ratio was 0.5-3.0 pptv.

Brune, W. H.↗

Potentially active volcanoes of Peru - Observations using Landsat Thematic Mapper and Space Shuttle imagery

A synoptic study of the volcanoes of southern Peru (14-17 deg S), the northernmost part of the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ 14-28 deg S) of the Andes, was conducted on the basis of Landsat TM images and color photography. The volcanoes were classified and their relative ages determined using subtle glacial-morphological features. Eight of them were postulated as potentially active. These are located in a narrow volcanic zone which probably reflects a steep dip of the Nazca plate through the zone of magma generation. The break in the trend of the volcanic arc possibly reflects the complexity of the crustal stress field above a major segment boundary in the subducting plate. There are also fields of mafic monogenetic centers in this region. In comparison with the southern part of the CVZ, the general paucity of older volcanic edifices north of 17 deg S suggested a more recent onset of volcanism, a possible result of the oblique subduction of the Nazca ridge and the consequent northward migration of its intersection with the Peru-Chile trench. This, together with the lack of any large silicic caldera systems and youthful dacite domes, suggested that there are real differences in the volcanic evolution of the two parts of the CVZ.

De Silva, S. L.↗

WRA 751, a candidate for a new luminous blue variable

Results are presened on spectroscopic observations (carried out with the ESO 1.52-m telescope at La Silla, Chile) and measurements made by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite on the star WRA 751. It is estimated that the T(eff) of this star is 30,000 K and its E(B-V) is 1.8 mag. Comparison with evolutionary tracks of Maeder and Meynet (1980) indicates that WRA 751 is located in the region of luminous blue variables at a lower limit of the initial mass of about 50 solar masses. Its other physical characteristics, such as the light variability, strong Fe II lines, and the extinction-free spectral energy distribution, suggest that WRA 751 is a candidate for a new luminous blue variable.

Hu, J. Y.↗

Three-micron spectroscopy of highly reddened field stars

Broad absorption features centered at 3.45 microns and at 3.0-3.0 microns towards a number of late-type supergiants in the vicinity of the galactic center were repeatedly reported. Here, 2.0 to 2.5 and 3.0 to 4.0 micron spectra are presented for field late-type highly reddened (A sub V is approximately 17-27) stars located in different regions of the galactic plane more than 20 deg away from the galactic center direction. The observations, made with the 3.6, 2.2, and 1.0 m ESO telescopes at La Silla, Chile, consists of CVF spectra with resolution lambda/delta lambda is approximately or equal to 100 and IRSPEC spectra with resolution lambda/delta lambda is approximately or equal to 700. In the direction of the most highly reddened stars, definitive detections of the 3.45 and the 3.0 to 3.1 micron absorption features are reported. The 3.45 micron feature was attributed to absorption arising in a vibrational transition resulting from the C-H stretching in organic compounds, while the 3.0 to 3.1 micron broader feature are tentatively attributed to O-H bonds. The observations strongly support that the agent producing the 3.45 micron feature, presumably organic molecules, is an important component of the diffuse interstellar medium and is not characteristic only of the galactic center environment.

Tapia, Mauricio↗

NSI customer service representatives and user support office: NASA Science Internet

The NASA Science Internet, (NSI) was established in 1987 to provide NASA's Offices of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) missions with transparent wide-area data connectivity to NASA's researchers, computational resources, and databases. The NSI Office at NASA/Ames Research Center has the lead responsibility for implementing a total, open networking program to serve the OSSA community. NSI is a full-service communications provider whose services include science network planning, network engineering, applications development, network operations, and network information center/user support services. NSI's mission is to provide reliable high-speed communications to the NASA science community. To this end, the NSI Office manages and operates the NASA Science Internet, a multiprotocol network currently supporting both DECnet and TCP/IP protocols. NSI utilizes state-of-the-art network technology to meet its customers' requirements. THe NASA Science Internet interconnects with other national networks including the National Science Foundation's NSFNET, the Department of Energy's ESnet, and the Department of Defense's MILNET. NSI also has international connections to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and several European countries. NSI cooperates with other government agencies as well as academic and commercial organizations to implement networking technologies which foster interoperability, improve reliability and performance, increase security and control, and expedite migration to the OSI protocols.

Source record↗

Small-scale disequilibrium in a magmatic inclusion and its more silicic host

An investigation of small-scale isotopic, compositional, and mineralogical variation across the interface of a basaltic-andesite inclusion and its dacitic host from Cerro-Chascon, a Holocene dome in northern Chile, is discussed. Serial sectioning across the interface of the inclusion and its host dacite, complemented by microdrill sampling and detailed microprobe work, has enabled an examination of the scale of mixing and chemical disequilibrium. The composition of the inclusion is found to be relatively homogeneous; the dacite host is heterogeneous on a small scale; the isotopic composition in the marginal zone shows the highest Sr-87/Sr-86 and lowest Nd-143/Nd-144; the large plagioclase crystals in the inclusions and host are xenocrystic. These differences are reconciled with a model of magma evolution in a crustal magma chamber.

Davidson, Jon P.↗

The optical very large array and its moon-based version

An Optical Very Large Array (OVLA) is currently in early prototyping stages for ground-based sites, such as Mauna Kea and perhaps the VLT site in Chile. Its concept is also suited for a moon-based interferometer. With a ring of bi-dimensionally mobile telescopes, there is maximal flexibility in the aperture pattern, and no need for delay lines. A circular configuration of many free-flying telescopes, TRIO, is also considered for space interferometers. Finally, the principle of gaseous mirrors may become applicable for moon-based optical arrays. Fifteen years after the first coherent linkage of two optical telescopes, the design of an ambitious imaging array, the OVLA, is now well advanced. Two 1.5 m telescopes have been built and now provide astronomical results. Elements of the OVLA are under construction. Although primarily conceived for ground-based sites, the OVLA structure appears to meet the essential requirements for operation on the Moon.

Labeyrie, Antoine↗

Ground-based observations of 951 Gaspra: CCD lightcurves and spectrophotometry with the Galileo filters

This paper reports the observations of 951 Gaspra carried out at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile) during the 1991 apparition, using the DLR CCD Camera equipped with a spare set of the Galileo SSI filters. Time-resolved spectrophotometric measurements are presented. The occurrence of spectral variations with rotation suggests the presence of surface variegation.

Mottola, Stefano↗

Standardization work for the calibration of intensities of celestial objects

Observations of celestial phenomena need to be calibrated, to be related, to some measurable quantity. There continues to be a long-term need for accurate photometric standard stars, those with known intensities and colors, so that brightness and color measurements made of various celestial phenomena by different observers can be integrated and compared with one another. Toward this end, the author has been emphasizing data collection in recent years for stars of 'intermediate' brightness, those approximately in the magnitude range 11.5 is less than V is less than 16.0. Photoelectric data were obtained at the Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory's (CTIO) telescopes for stars in certain selected areas near the celestial equator. Stars of extreme color outside the selected areas, but near the equator, also were selected to provide a more broad and complete range in color index. It was proposed to complete the photoelectric phase of the program. The author proposed developing extremely faint sequences of photometric standard stars useful for both large space-based detectors and for land-based detectors. These data were to be collected via charge-coupled devices (CCD's) at telescopes located at CTIO and at the Las Campanas Observatory (LCO), both observatories being located in Chile. It was hoped that accurate data could be collected down to the 21st or 22nd magnitude.

Landolt, Arlo U.↗

Metal abundances at z = 3.4

Echelle spectroscopy data were taken of the quasar 0000-263 on the 4m telescope at CTIO in Chile. Three nights of red and three nights of blue data were obtained (about four hours data per night). The resolution is typically 0.4 A at 5000 A (lamda/d(lamda) = 12500) and has good signal-to-noise over the wavelength range 4600 A to 8000 A. To keep the statistics manageable the data were not rebinned, although the instrument was stable enough for each night's data on the object to be co-added. Arc spectra taken between each exposure were also co-added within the nights. During profile fitting the model was convolved with a Gaussian whose width was equal to nearby arc lines, so any broadening generated by the co-adding of data will not affect the final results. Since OI and HI have the same ionization potential (13.6 eV), (O/H) is approximately (OI/HI). Unfortunately, in this data only the 1302 A OI transition is visible, and it is blended with HI in the Lyman Alpha forest. However, OI and NI coexist (the ionization potential for NI is 14.5 eV) and so the NI triplet can constrain the redshift and turbulent width of the OI. When a fit was made to the regions containing OI and NI absorption three systems were apparent with similar redshifts and velocity widths. These three systems were fitted with tied redshifts and turbulent widths, while the other lines in the region were fitted as Lyman-Alpha. The saturated Lyman-Alpha profile was then fitted with three components at the same redshifts as these observed lines, with the line widths tied. Finally, metallicity ratios for the individual lines and their totals were calculated and compared to solar values. The results for the separate clouds from low to high redshift and for the total are presented.

Cooke, Andrew↗

An RR Lyrae period shift in terms of the Fourier parameter Phi sub 31

The Fourier phase parameter Phi sub 31 has been determined for RRc stars in five globular clusters, NGC 6171, M5, M3, M53, and M15. The results indicate that the RRc stars in a given cluster show a sequence of Phi sub 31 increasing with period, and that the higher the cluster metallicity, the higher the sequence lies in a plot of Phi sub 31 with period. The Phi sub 31 values for the stars in NGC 6171 and M5 presented here are based on observations made with the University of Toronto 0.61 m telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, while those for M3, M53, and M15 are based on published data. A bootstrap procedure has been used to establish the uncertainties in the Fourier parameters. The physical significance of the relationship among Phi sub 31, period, and metallicity is not yet understood. It will need to be tested with hydrodynamic pulsation models computed with new opacities.

Clement, Christine M.↗

Thermal emissivity analysis of a GEMINI 8-meter telescopes design

The GEMINI 8-meter Telescopes Project is designing twin 8-meter telescopes to be located in Hawaii and Chile. The GEMINI telescopes will have interchangeable secondary mirrors for use in the visible and IR. The APART/PADE program is being used to evaluate the effective IR emissivity of the IR configuration plus enclosure as a function of mirror contamination at three IR wavelengths. The goal is to design a telescope whose effective IR emissivity is no more than 2 percent when the mirrors are clean.

St. Clair Dinger, Ann↗

Theoretical support for the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

This investigation was to provide theoretical support during and after the deployment of NASA research aircraft to Punta Arenas, Chile during August and September of 1987 to conduct the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment. The experiment was very successful in demonstrating the role of anthropogenic chlorine in producing the ozone hole over Antarctica during September and October of 1987. The PI worked primarily on using tracer data from the ER-2 aircraft to show that transport could not have caused the ozone hole in 1987, and that transport of chemical species into the polar vortex was very weak during the period of the experiment. The presence of gravity waves was also very apparent in the ER-2 data, and papers were published on this analysis and on the use of meteorological analyses to position the aircraft within the vortex.

Hartmann, Dennis L.↗

Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition Preparation: Ozone

This video shows the rollout of the ER-2 and DC-8 at Ames, takeoffs and landings, and operations aboard the DC-8 and ER-2 in Puntas Arenas, Chile. Animation of the north polar regions showing the ozone hole is also included.

Source record↗

Total solar eclipse of 3 November 1994

A total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from the southern half of the Western Hemisphere on 3 November 1994. The path of the Moon's shadow passes through Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. Detailed predictions for this event are presented and include tables of geographic coordinates of the path of totality, local circumstances for hundreds of cities, maps of the path of total and partial eclipse, weather prospects, and the lunar limb profile.

Espenak, Fred↗

The interpretation of crustal dynamics data in terms of plate motions and regional deformation near plate boundaries

During our participation in the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project under NASA contract NAS-27339 and grant NAG5-814 for the period 1982-1991, we published or submitted for publication 30 research papers and 52 abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings. In addition, five M.I.T. Ph.D. students (Eric Bergman, Steven Bratt, Dan Davis, Jeanne Sauber, Anne Sheehan) were supported wholly or in part by this project during their thesis research. Highlights of our research progress during this period include the following: application of geodetic data to determine rates of strain in the Mojave block and in central California and to clarify the relation of such strain to the San Andreas fault and Pacific-North American plate motions; application of geodetic data to infer post seismic deformation associated with large earthquakes in the Imperial Valley, Hebgen Lake, Argentina, and Chile; determination of the state of stress in oceanic lithosphere from a systematic study of the centroid depths and source mechanisms of oceanic intraplate earthquakes; development of models for the state of stress in young oceanic regions arising from the differential cooling of the lithosphere; determination of the depth extent and rupture characteristics of oceanic transform earthquakes; improved determination of earthquake slip vectors in the Gulf of California, an important data set for the estimation of Pacific-North American plate motions; development of models for the state of stress and mechanics of fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges; development of procedures to invert geoid height, residual bathymetry, and differential body wave travel time residuals for lateral variations in the characteristic temperature and bulk composition of the oceanic upper mantle; and initial GPS measurements of crustal deformation associated with the Imperial-Cerro Prieto fault system in southern California and northern Mexico. Full descriptions of the research conducted on these topics may be found in the Semi-Annual status Reports submitted regularly to NASA over the course of this project and in the publications listed.

Solomon, Sean C.↗

Deep near-infrared survey of the Southern Sky (DENIS)

DENIS (Deep Near-Infrared Survey of the Southern Sky) will be the first complete census of astronomical sources in the near-infrared spectral range. The challenges of this novel survey are both scientific and technical. Phenomena radiating in the near-infrared range from brown dwarfs to galaxies in the early stages of cosmological evolution, the scientific exploitation of data relevant over such a wide range requires pooling expertise from several of the leading European astronomical centers. The technical challenges of a project which will provide an order of magnitude more sources than given by the IRAS space mission, and which will involve advanced data-handling and image-processing techniques, likewise require pooling of hardware and software resources, as well as of human expertise. The DENIS project team is composed of some 40 scientists, computer specialists, and engineers located in 5 European Community countries (France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Spain), with important contributions from specialists in Australia, Brazil, Chile, and Hungary. DENIS will survey the entire southern sky in 3 colors, namely in the I band at a wavelength of 0.8 micron, in the 1.25 micron J band, and in the 2.15 micron K' band. The sensitivity limits will be 18th magnitude in the I band, 16th in the J band, and 14.5th in the K' band. The angular resolution achieved will be 1 arcsecond in the I band, and 3.0 arcseconds in the J and K' bands. The European Southern Observatory 1 m telescope on La Silla will be dedicated to survey use during operations expected to last four years, commencing in late 1993. DENIS aims to provide the astronomical community with complete digitized infrared images of the full southern sky and a catalogue of extracted objects, both of the best quality and in readily accessible form. This will be achieved through dedicated software packages and specialized catalogues, and with assistance from the Leiden and Paris Data Analysis Centers. The data will be mailed on DAT tapes from La Silla to the two Data Analysis Centers for further processing. Two centers are necessary because of the shear quantity of data and because of the complementary roles the Centers will develop, each exploiting its own particular expertise. The Leiden Data Analysis Center (LDAC) will extract objects, establish their parameters, and archive them into a source catalogue. The LDAC will collaborate with the Groningen Space Research group that has gained experience in infrared image handling from the IRAS satellite. The Paris Data Analysis Center (PDAC) will be responsible for archiving and preprocessing the raw data to provide a homogeneous set of data suitable for further reduction in both the Leiden and Paris data analysis streams. The PDAC will also extract and archive images for the sources flagged by the LDAC as extended, and create a catalogue of galaxies. In exploiting the DENIS data we foresee the collaboration with other data analysis centers, such as the Observatoire de Lyon where the relevant DENIS catalogue of galaxies can be incorporated into their extragalactic database. The Point Sources and the Small Extended Sources catalogues could be incorporated in the Late Type Star database at Montpellier, and in the SIMBAD database as CDS. At Groningen the IRAS Point Source catalogue and/or image data can be merged with the DENIS catalogues. At Meudon algorithms and software will be developed with main goal assessing the limits reachable for the homogeneity and intrinsic consistency between the ensemble of the images in the data base (flat-fielding, relative positioning of the fields, bootstrapped flux calibration) but also for the data analysis.

Deul, E.↗

Ground data system for Space Flyer Unit (SFU)

The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) is an unmanned, multi-purpose, retrievable and reusable space platform. The first mission of SFU (SFU-1) will be launched by NASDA's H-2 launch vehicle in early 1995 and retrieved by NASA's Space Shuttle after several months in orbit. Two Japanese ground stations, several ground stations belonging to NASA, and a ground station in Chile will be used for tracking of SFU-1. The control center of SFU-1 is the Sagamihara Operations Center (SOC) of ISAS located in Sagamihara, Japan. This paper describes the tracking and data acquisition network for SFU-1, the configuration and design policy of the SFU operations control system, and data processing schemes used for mission operations of SFU.

Yamada, Takahiro↗