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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 325 records · Page 18
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NASA NTRS2000

The Fall 2000 and Fall 2001 SOHO-Ulysses Quadratures

SOHO-Ulysses quadrature occurs when the SOHO-Sun-Ulysses included angle is 90 degrees. It is only at such times that the same plasma leaving the Sun in the direction of Ulysses can first be remotely analyzed with SOHO instruments and then later be sampled in situ by Ulysses instruments. The quadratures in December 2000 and 2001 are of special significance because Ulysses will be near the south and north heliographic poles, respectively, and the solar cycle will be near sunspot maximum. Quadrature geometry is sometimes confusing and observations are influenced by solar rotation. The Fall 2000 and 2001 quadratures are more complex than usual because Ulysses is not in a true polar orbit and the orbital speed of Ulysses about the Sun is becoming comparable to the speed of SOHO about the Sun. In 2000 Ulysses will always be slightly behind the pole but will appear to hang over the pole for over two months because it is moving around the Sun in the same direction as SOHO. In 20001, Ulysses will be slightly in front of the pole so that its footpoint will be directly observable. Detailed plots will be shown of the relative positions of SOHO and Ulysses will their relative positions. In neither case is true quadrature actually achieved, but this works to the observers advantage in 2001.

Suess, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Fall 2000 and Fall 2001 SOHO-Ulysses Quadratures

SOHO-Ulysses quadrature occurs when the SOHO-Sun-Ulysses included angle is 90 degrees. It is only at such times that the same plasma leaving the Sun in the direction of Ulysses can first be remotely analyzed with SOHO instruments and then later be sampled in situ by Ulysses instruments. The quadratures in December 2000 and 2001 are of special significance because Ulysses will be near the south and north heliographic poles, respectively, and the solar cycle will be near sunspot maximum. Quadrature geometry is sometimes confusing and observations are influenced by solar rotation. The Fall 2000 and 2001 quadratures are more complex than usual because Ulysses is not in a true polar orbit and the orbital speed of Ulysses about the Sun is becoming comparable to the speed of SOHO about the Sun. In 2000 Ulysses will always be slightly behind the pole but will appear to hang over the pole for over two months because it is moving around the Sun in the same direction as SOHO. In 2001 Ulysses will be slightly in front of the pole so that its footpoint will be directly observable. Detailed plots will be shown of the relative positions of SOHO and Ulysses will their relative positions. In neither case is true quadrature actually achieved, but this works to the observers advantage in 2001.

Suess, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Seismic Study of The Solar Interior: Inferences from SOI/MDI Observations during Solar Activity

The principal investigator describes several types of solar research conducted during the reporting period and gives a statement of work to be performed in the following year. Research conducted during the reporting period includes: exhaustive analysis of observational and instrumental effects that might cause systematic errors in the characterization of high-degree p-modes; study of the structure, asphericity and dynamics of the solar interior from p-mode frequencies and frequency splittings; characterizing the solar rotation; Time-Distance inversion; and developing and using a new peak-fitting method for very long MDI time series at low degrees.

Korzennik, Sylvain G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Supergranule Diffusion and Active Region Decay

Models of the Sun's magnetic dynamo include turbulent diffusion to parameterize the effects of convective motions on the evolution of the Sun's magnetic field. Supergranules are known to dominate the evolution of the surface magnetic field structure as evidenced by the structure of both the active and quiet magnetic network. However, estimates for the dif hivity attributed to su perymules differ by an order of magnitude from about 100 km sup2/s to more than 1000 km sup2/s. We examine this question of the e i v i t y using three merent approaches. 1) We study the decay of more than 30,000 active regions by determining the rate of change in the sunspot area of each active region from day-to-day. 2) We study the decay of a single isolated active region near the time of solar minimum by examining the magnetic field evolution over five solar rotations fiom SOHOMDI magnetograms obtained at 96-minute intervals. 3) We study the characteristics of supergranules that influence the estimates of their diffusive properties - flow speeds and lifetimes as functions of size - fiom SOHO/MDI Dopplergrams.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Report of the Seasat Failure Review Board

The Seasat spacecraft failed on October 9, 1978, after satisfactory operation in orbit for 105 days, as a result of a loss of electrical power in the Agena bus that was used as a part of the spacecraft. This loss of power was caused by a massive and progressive short in one of the slip ring assemblies that was used to connect the rotating solar arrays into the power subsystem. The most likely cause of this short was the initiation of an arc between adjacent slip ring brush assemblies. The triggering mechanism of this arc could have been either a wire-to-brush assembly contact, a brush-to-brush contact, or a momentary short caused by a contaminant that bridged internal components of opposite electrical polarity. The slip ring assembly, as used in the Seasat spacecraft, was connected into the power subsystem in such a way that most of the adjacent brush assemblies were of opposite electrical polarity. This wiring arrangement, together with the congested nature of the design itself, made the Seasat slip ring assembly a unique, first-of-a-kind component that was particularly prone to shorting. The possibility of slip ring failures resulting from placing opposite electrical polarities on adjacent brush assemblies was known at least as early-as the summer of 1977 to other projects within the contractor's organization. Furthermore, failures of slip ring assemblies due to shorting between brushes had been experienced by the prime contractor on slip ring assemblies used by other programs. That the Seasat organization was not fully aware of these potential failure modes was due to a breakdown in communication within the contractor's organization.

Lundin, Bruce T.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Thermospheric Studies with Mars Global Surveyor

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has been located in a near-circular, polar, and low-altitude mapping orbit about Mars for six years, since February 1999. The spacecraft is tracked routinely by the antennae of the Deep Space Network (DSN), using the X Band radio system of the spacecraft. These tracking data have been used for routine spacecraft navigation, and for radio science studies, such as the estimation of the static and time-varying gravity field of Mars. In this paper we describe the methodology for reduction of these data in order to estimate the Mars atmospheric density (normalized to an altitude 380 km) over half a solar cycle, where we discern the correlation of the density with the incident solar flux, and the 27-day solar rotation. The results show that the density at the MGS altitude varies from a mean of 0.7 x 10(exp -17) grams/cu cm near aphelion to a mean of 3.0 x 10(exp -17)grams/cu cm near perihelion.

Lemoine, F. G.↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Standard Law for the Equatorward Drift of the Sunspot Zones

The latitudinal location of the sunspot zones in each hemisphere is determined by calculating the centroid position of sunspot areas for each solar rotation from May 1874 to June 2012. When these centroid positions are plotted and analyzed as functions of time from each sunspot cycle maximum there appears to be systematic differences in the positions and equatorward drift rates as a function of sunspot cycle amplitude. If, instead, these centroid positions are plotted and analyzed as functions of time from each sunspot cycle minimum then most of the differences in the positions and equatorward drift rates disappear. The differences that remain disappear entirely if curve fitting is used to determine the starting times (which vary by as much as 8 months from the times of minima). The sunspot zone latitudes and equatorward drift measured relative to this starting time follow a standard path for all cycles with no dependence upon cycle strength or hemispheric dominance. Although Cycle 23 was peculiar in its length and the strength of the polar fields it produced, it too shows no significant variation from this standard. This standard law, and the lack of variation with sunspot cycle characteristics, is consistent with Dynamo Wave mechanisms but not consistent with current Flux Transport Dynamo models for the equatorward drift of the sunspot zones.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Spherical Occulter Coronagraph Cubesat

The present invention relates to a space-based instrument which provides continuous coronal electron temperature and velocity images, for a predetermined period of time, thereby improving the understanding of coronal evolution and how the solar wind and Coronal Mass Ejection transients evolve from the low solar atmosphere through the heliosphere for an entire solar rotation. Specifically, the present invention relates to using a 6U spherical occulter coronagraph CubeSat, and a relative navigational system (RNS) that controls the position of the spacecraft relative to the occulting sphere. The present invention innovatively deploys a free-flying spherical occulter, and after deployment, the actively controlled CubeSat will provide an inertial formation flying with the spherical occulter and Sun.

Davila, Joseph M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Disappearance of the Heliospheric Sector Structure at ULYSSES

In may, 1993, the heliopheric current sheet (HCS) ceased to be seen by the Ulysses spacecraft at a heliocentric latitude of ~30degrees S and distance of 4.7 AU. The disapearance of the HCS coincided with the solar wind speed remaining >560km/s and with the disappearance of one of four interaction regions previously seen on each solar rotation.

Heliosphere↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Towers: Critical Initial Infrastructure for the Moon, Such as a Power Module Support

Towers are an efficient structure commonly used to elevate systems against a gravity field, such as above the surface of a planet or the Moon. Towers can be used to elevate antennas, transmitters and sensors for communication, navigation, and observation infrastructure in support of surface operations. Near the Lunar poles, elevation of rotating solar panels enables nearly continuous panel illumination for solar power production despite the Sun remaining near the horizon year-round. Further, once technology is developed for tower assembly, this same technology can be extended to the assembly of a variety of structures including rocket blast containment shields, bridges, shelters, and habitats from either Earth-sourced or Lunar-sourced structural members. Environmental factors on the Lunar surface are vastly different than those found on Earth and have significant impact on the design of towers. Towers designed for the Lunar surface have no heritage nor Earth analog. The designs discussed herein are therefore breaking new ground creating a fundamentally new class of structures outside of current experience and intuition. The purpose of this paper is to: a) describe the unique environmental factors affecting tower design on the Lunar surface compared to Earth-based systems, b) evaluate two structural forms for the tower; telescoping tubes and an assembled truss, as well as c)provide recommendations on when each structural form is most suitable. A major contribution presented in the current paper is to provide parametric plots and supporting equations of mass and volume versus module power level and blanket height above the Lunar surface for the solar array application, to enable system level studies of optimum power module distribution and size. A secondary contribution are plots of the mass and volume of aluminum or structural glass required for assembled truss towers formed from Lunar derived structural members. An objective of achieving 1 MW of total power has been used to enable comparison of structural forms, because the total mass of solar arrays is consistent. It will be shown that for moderate module sizes, up to ~50 kW power modules, based on a telescoping tube tower have advantages, but for power modules from 50 kW to 200 kW an assembled truss tower can be created with half to one third of the tube tower mass. More significantly, when shipped from Earth, an assembled truss tower can be packed into 1/14th to 1/25th of the tube tower volume. Truss designs in the 100 kW to 200 kW range will be shown to be a favorable when assembled from either graphite-epoxy angles shipped from Earth or aluminum angles fabricated from Lunar materials. 50 kW towers are an attractive choice for both a telescoping or assembled tower with the solar arrays elevated 10 m above the Lunar surface, while increased solar array elevation favors 100 kW to 200 kW power modules.

assembly↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Spacecraft Potential of Wind Over Time

In a space plasma, exposed to ionizing radiation, a conducting object like a spacecraft will generate a net charge as the relevant currents from the plasma and photoelectrons attempt to reach equilibrium over time. This net charging is measured (or inferred from particle measurements) as an electrostatic potential, called the spacecraft potential. The Wind spacecraft will be 30 years old on November 1, 2023 and as such, has one of the longest baselines of continuous spacecraft potential measurements of any space mission. We determine the spacecraft potential from observations of photoelectrons in the thermal particle data. We examine the variations over time finding oscillations that correlate with solar rotation. This preliminary study examines for other effects but is ultimately for the purpose of generating a properly calibrated velocity moment dataset for the entire Wind mission.

Lynn B. Wilson III↗
NASA NTRS1994

Rotation among solar-type stars

The net result is that FRESIP will produce high quality rotational data for a large (and essentially volume-limited) sample of solar-type stars. Moreover, the observed slight changes in rotation period will indicate the nature and degree of differential rotation on those stars. Both parameters are central to our understanding of the evolution of the Sun.

Soderblom, D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Magnetic rotation of the solar photosphere

Magnetograms made at Mt. Wilson Observatory from January 1967 to May 1982 are crosscorrelated in 34 latitude strips at 1-4-day increments to determine the rotation of magnetic features in the solar photosphere. The data are smoothed by averaging corresponding correlations and calculating rotation from the displacement of the averaged-correlation maximum; the usefulness and validity of this procedure are discussed. No significant time variation or field dependence is found for the period of the observations, at least to the accuracy of the calculated means (variance of from about 2 m/sec at low latitudes to about 10 m/sec near the poles). The rotation function omega at solar latitude phi is shown to be 2.902 0.464 sin sq phi - 0.328 sin to the 4th phi microrad/sec, in agreement with the Mt. Wilson Doppler profile near the poles and with the sunspot determination of Newton and Nunn (1951) at sunspot latitudes, where the Doppler estimate is about 30 m/sec slower.

Snodgrass, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A tracking polarimeter for measuring solar and ionospheric Faraday rotation of signals from deep space probes

A tracking polarimeter implemented on the 64-m NASA/JPL paraboloid antenna at Goldstone, Calif., is described. Its performance is analyzed and compared with measurements. The system was developed to measure Faraday rotation in the solar corona of the telemetry carrier from the Pioneer VI spacecraft as it was occulted by the sun. It also measures rotation in the earth's ionosphere and is an accurate method of determining spacecraft orientation. The new feature of this system is its use of a pair of quarter-wave plates to allow the synthesis of a rotating feed system, while requiring the rotation of only a single section of waveguide. Since the polarization sensing is done at RF and the receiver operates essentially as a null detector, the system's accuracy is superior to other polarization tracking schemes. In addition, the antenna size and maser preamplifier provide unsurpassed sensitivity. The associated instrumentation used in the Pioneer VI experiment is also described.

Ohlson, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A general circulation model study of the effects of faster rotation rate, enhanced CO2 concentration, and reduced solar forcing: Implications for the faint young sun paradox

Solar energy at the top of the atmosphere (solar constant), rotation rate, and carbon dioxide (CO2) may have varied significantly over Earth's history, especially during the earliest times. The sensitivity of a general circulation model to faster rotation, enhanced CO2 concentration, and reduced solar constant is presented. The control simulation of this study has a solar constant reduced by 10% the present amount, zero land fraction using a swamp ocean surface, CO2 concentrations of 330 ppmv, present-day rotation rate, and is integrated under mean diurnal and seasonal solar forcing. Four sensitivity test are performed under zero land fraction and reduced solar constant conditions by varying the earth's rotation rate atmospheric CO2 concentration and solar constant. The global mean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) compared to the control simulation: were 6.6 K to 12 K higher than the control's global mean temperature of 264.7 K. Sea ice is confined to higher latitudes in each experiment compared to the control, with ice-free areas equatorward of the subtropics. The warm SSTs are associated with a 20% reduction in clouds for the rotation rate experiments and higher CO2 concentrations in the other experiments. These results are in contrast to previous studies that have used energy balance and radiative convective models. Previous studies required a much larger atmospheric CO2 increase to prevent an ice-covered Earth. The results of the study, suggest that because of its possible feedback with clouds, the general circulation of the atmosphere should be taken into account in understanding the climate of early Earth. While higher CO2 concentrations are likely in view of the results, very large atmospheric CO2 concentrations may not be necessary to counterbalance the lower solar constant that existed early in Earth's history.

Jenkins, Gregory S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

On the Rotation Rate in the Solar Convection Zone

Recently is has been argued that the rotation rate in parts of the solar convection zone may be constant on cylinders as predicted by models of the convection zone, contrary to the inferences generally made from helioseismology. Here we consider models similar to those suggested by Gough et al. and show that they are either inconsistent with observations made by the Fourier Tachometer or require unphysical rotation rates in other parts of the Sun. These observations use a more detailed model of the effects of the solar rotation on the observed frequencies than that used in reducing previous observations. We also show the result of an inversion of the Fourier Tachometer observations and compare it with an inversion of data similar to that used previously. The result of this inversion generally confirms the conclusions from previous inversions.

Schou, Jesper↗