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NASA NTRS2006

Modification of Eccentric Gaze-Holding

Clear vision and accurate localization of objects in the environment are prerequisites for reliable performance of motor tasks. Space flight confronts the crewmember with a stimulus rearrangement that requires adaptation to function effectively with the new requirements of altered spatial orientation and motor coordination. Adaptation and motor learning driven by the effects of cerebellar disorders may share some of the same demands that face our astronauts. One measure of spatial localization shared by the astronauts and those suffering from cerebellar disorders that is easily quantified, and for which a neurobiological substrate has been identified, is the control of the angle of gaze (the "line of sight"). The disturbances of gaze control that have been documented to occur in astronauts and cosmonauts, both in-flight and postflight, can be directly related to changes in the extrinsic gravitational environment and intrinsic proprioceptive mechanisms thus, lending themselves to description by simple non-linear statistical models. Because of the necessity of developing robust normal response populations and normative populations against which abnormal responses can be evaluated, the basic models can be formulated using normal, non-astronaut test subjects and subsequently extended using centrifugation techniques to alter the gravitational and proprioceptive environment of these subjects. Further tests and extensions of the models can be made by studying abnormalities of gaze control in patients with cerebellar disease. A series of investigations were conducted in which a total of 62 subjects were tested to: (1) Define eccentric gaze-holding parameters in a normative population, and (2) explore the effects of linear acceleration on gaze-holding parameters. For these studies gaze-holding was evaluated with the subjects seated upright (the normative values), rolled 45 degrees to both the left and right, or pitched back 30 and 90 degrees. In a separate study the further effects of acceleration on gaze stability was examined during centrifugation (+2 G (sub x) and +2 G (sub z) using a total of 23 subjects. In all of our investigations eccentric gaze-holding was established by having the subjects acquire an eccentric target (+/-30 degrees horizontal, +/- 15 degrees vertical) that was flashed for 750 msec in an otherwise dark room. Subjects were instructed to hold gaze on the remembered position of the flashed target for 20 sec. Immediately following the 20 sec period, subjects were cued to return to the remembered center position and to hold gaze there for an additional 20 sec. Following this 20 sec period the center target was briefly flashed and the subject made any corrective eye movement back to the true center position. Conventionally, the ability to hold eccentric gaze is estimated by fitting the natural log of centripetal eye drifts by linear regression and calculating the time constant (G) of these slow phases of "gaze-evoked nystagmus". However, because our normative subjects sometimes showed essentially no drift (tau (sub c) = m), statistical estimation and inference on the effect of target direction was performed on values of the decay constant theta = 1/(tau (sub c)) which we found was well modeled by a gamma distribution. Subjects showed substantial variance of their eye drifts, which were centrifugal in approximately 20 % of cases, and > 40% for down gaze. Using the ensuing estimated gamma distributions, we were able to conclude that rightward and leftward gaze holding were not significantly different, but that upward gaze holding was significantly worse than downward (p<0.05). We also concluded that vertical gaze holding was significantly worse than horizontal (p<0.05). In the case of left and right roll, we found that both had a similar improvement to horizontal gaze holding (p<0.05), but didn't have a significant effect on vertical gaze holding. For pitch tilts, both tilt angles significantly decreased gaze-holding ility in all directions (p<0.05). Finally, we found that hyper-g centrifugation significantly decreased gaze holding ability in the vertical plane. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) vertical gaze-holding is less stable than horizontal, (2) gaze-holding to upward targets is less stable than to downward targets, (3) tilt affects gaze holding, and (4) hyper-g affects gaze holding. This difference between horizontal and vertical gaze-holding may be ascribed to separate components of the velocity-to-position neural integrator for eye movements, and to differences in orbital mechanics. The differences between upward and downward gaze-holding may be ascribed to an inherent vertical imbalance in the vestibular system. Because whole body tilt and hyper-g affects gaze-holding, it is implied that the otolith organs have direct connections to the neural integrator and further studies of astronaut gaze-holding are warranted. Our statistical method for representing the range of normal eccentric gaze stability can be readily applied to normals who maybe exposed to environments which may modify the central integrator and require monitoring, and to evaluate patients with gaze-evoked nystagmus by comparing to the above established normative criteria.

Reschke, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Transit Timing Variations for Planets Near Eccentricity-Type Mean Motion Resonances

We derive the transit timing variations (TTVs) of two planets near a second-order mean motion resonance (MMR) on nearly circular orbits. We show that the TTVs of each planet are given by sinusoids with a frequency of jn(sub 2) - ( j - 2)n(sub 1), where j ≽ 3 is an integer characterizing the resonance and n(sub 2) and n(sub 1) are the mean motions of the outer and inner planets, respectively. The amplitude of the TTV depends on the mass of the perturbing planet, relative to the mass of the star, and on both the eccentricities and longitudes of pericenter of each planet. The TTVs of the two planets are approximated anti-correlated, with phases of ϕ and ≈ϕ + π, where the phase ϕ also depends on the eccentricities and longitudes of pericenter. Therefore, the TTVs caused by proximity to a second-order MMR do not in general uniquely determine both planet masses, eccentricities, and pericenters. This is completely analogous to the case of TTVs induced by two planets near a first-order MMR. We explore how other TTV signals, such as the short-period synodic TTV or a first-order resonant TTV, in combination with the second-order resonant TTV, can break degeneracies. Finally, we derive approximate formulae for the TTVs of planets near any order eccentricity-type MMR; this shows that the same basic sinusoidal TTV structure holds for all eccentricity-type resonances. Our general formula reduces to previously derived results near first-order MMRs.

Celestial mechanics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Oblique Eccentric Gaze Holding Evokes Larger Horizontal than Vertical Rebound Nystagmus

Rebound nystagmus (RN) has been used to probe the adaptation mechanisms of the gaze holding system. This type of nystagmus is invoked upon returning to central gaze after prolonged fixation at an eccentric point and it is thought to reflect a set-point adaptation of the neural integrator circuit. Previous studies have only observed horizontal RN after horizontal eccentric gaze holding, reflecting adaptation of the horizontal neural integrator. The current study seeks to elucidate how eccentric gaze at oblique target locations, where there are equal horizontal and vertical components, affects the characteristics of the resulting RN. For a given trial, subjects were instructed to fixate a central flashing target for 5 seconds, then fixate an eccentric continuous target for 30 seconds at one of six possible locations (4 oblique and 2 horizontal targets), and finally fixate centrally at a flashing target for 15 seconds where RN is assessed. Binocular eye-tracking data were collected at 250 Hz. Slow-phase velocity (SPV) or the slow drift part of the nystagmus was used to quantify the magnitude of RN. Subjects showed elevated SPV in the horizontal component (2.3 deg/s), but less in the vertical component (1.4 deg/s) after oblique eccentric gaze holding, reflecting an oblique RN. The smaller vertical RN may reflect a different behavior of the horizontal and vertical neural integrators which are anatomically separated. Under the current paradigm, oblique gaze holding would appear to have a smaller effect on adaptation of the vertical integrator than in the horizontal integrator. Further investigation is needed to establish the reference frame of this distinction between the horizontal and vertical integrator circuits.

gaze holding↗

DOE OSTI2026

C‐Cracking of Brittle‐Material Spheres From Eccentric Hertzian Contact

Contact of brittle-material spheres can occur while they are manufactured, handled, or used in operation as roller elements or in deformably processed composite material. Statistically, the directional contact between two spheres will nearly always be oblique or eccentric in an unconfined and mobile sphere population. Although analyses of oblique contact exist, the portrayal of its maximum (tensile) first principal stress ( S 1 ) field is lacking. This information is needed for improved judgment of the prospect of crack initiation. Given these, the S 1 due to eccentric contact and subsequent crack initiation was analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) and corroborative demonstration of c-crack creation. The FEA shows that an asymmetric S 1 field is created about the contact patch and is caused by superimposed shear intrinsic to eccentric contact. A crack will initiate if the maximum S 1 exceeds the material's tensile strength, and its field will cause the crack to propagate and arrest to form a C-shaped crack, or c-crack. C-crack initiation trends with lower applied forces, with greater amount of contact eccentricity, higher coefficient of friction, and smaller spherical radius. Finally, these metrics deserve recognition, especially when c-cracked brittle-material spheres are used in a system whose functionality or reliability is potentially compromised by the c-cracks.

Hertzian contact↗

NASA NTRS2016

Orbital Eccentricity and the Stability of Planets in the Alpha Centauri System

Planets on initially circular orbits are typically more dynamically stable than planets initially having nonzero eccentricities. However, the presence of a major perturber that forces periodic oscillations of planetary eccentricity can alter this situation. We investigate the dependance of system lifetime on initial eccentricity for planets orbiting one star within the alpha Centauri system. Our results show that initial conditions chosen to minimize free eccentricity can substantially increase stability compared to planets on circular orbits.

Alpha Centauri System↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Distortion of Perceived Visual Space after Eccentric Gaze Holding

Previous studies have shown that rebound nystagmus can be a behavioral probe into the adaptive properties of the gaze-holding mechanism, showing that after prolonged eccentric gaze holding and upon return to central gaze the eye tends to drift towards the previously held position. It is not known whether perception of visual space is also affected by similar adaptation mechanisms. The current study seeks to elucidate if eccentric gaze holding changes the perception of space in a relative spatial judgment task. To measure their spatial bias, twelve subjects were asked to report which among two short vertical lines flashed to the left or to the right of the display was closer to a third central line. Perception was assessed after holding eccentric gaze at 40 degrees towards the left or right and compared with control trials without eccentric gaze holding. Subjects showed a significant difference in spatial bias between the leftward and rightward gaze holding conditions (p = 0.04), suggesting that the visual space changes differently with respect to the side where gaze was held. While we did not observe an overall bias (p = 0.327) under no gaze holding we did observe a significant correlation between handedness and spatial bias (r2 = 0.4, p = 0.04). We conclude that gaze holding temporarily distorts the perception of space in a mechanism that may be related to the adaptation of the gaze holding mechanism.

perception↗

NASA NTRS1972

Effects of eccentricities and lateral pressure on the design of stiffened compression panels

An analysis for determining the effects of eccentricities and lateral pressure on the design of stiffened compression panels is presented. The four types of panel stiffeners considered are integral, zee, integral zee, and integral tee. Mass-strength curves, which give the mass of the panel necessary to carry a specified load, are given along with related design equations needed to calculate the cross-sectional dimensions of the minimum-mass-stiffened panel. The results of the study indicate that the proportions of the panels are geometrically similar to the proportions of panels designed for no eccentricity or lateral pressure, but no cross-sectional dimensions are greater, resulting in significantly increased mass. The analytical minimum-mass designs of zee-stiffened panels are compared with designs from experimentally derived charts. An assumed eccentricity of 0.001 times the length of the panel is used to correlate the analytical and experimental data. Good correlation between the experimentally derived and the analytical curves is obtained for the range of loading where materials yield governs the design. At lower loads the mass given by the analytical curve using this assumed eccentricity is greater than that given by the experimental results.

Giles, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The enigma of the Uranian satellites' orbital eccentricities

The eccentricity decay times for the Uranian satellites are calculated using recent observations (Brown et al., 1982) of the diameters and orbital elements of the satellites and assuming reasonable dissipation functions and rigidities for icy satellites. For the outer two satellites, Titania and Oberon, the decay times are found to be very long, whereas the inner three satellites, Miranda, Ariel, and Umbriel, have decay times on the order of 10 to the 7th to 10 to the 8th years and have a near-commensurability in their mean motions that cannot force their eccentricities. There are several possible solutions for the lack of resonant forcing: (1) the reported eccentricities are incorrect, and are very nearly zero, (2) the reported mean motions are incorrect, and an exact commensurability exists, (3) the physical properties assumed for the satellites are grossly in error, and (4) the system is evolving rapidly, perhaps from a previous state of higher eccentricity. A new lower bound of about 17,000 on the dissipation function of Uranus is calculated from the mass of Ariel and its proximity to Uranus.

Squyres, S. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A generalized theory for eccentric and misalignment effects in high-pressure annular seals

High-pressure annular seal leakage and dynamic coefficients vary with eccentricity and misalignment. Recent seal leakage data with both concentric and fully eccentric alignments support the seal leakage model with surface roughness and eccentricity effects included. In this paper, the seal dynamic coefficient calculation has been generalized and allows direct calculation of the seal dynamic coefficients at any circumferential location. The generalized solution agrees with the results obtained by using the calculated values of an earlier paper and performing a coordinate transformation. The analysis results coincide with the measured data in showing that the stiffness and damping matrices of seal coefficients are not skew symmetric, and the main diagonal seal coefficients are not equal. The measured direct stiffnesses were found higher than predicted by the concentric seal theory, but this may be explained by the presence of eccentricity in the test operating mode.

Chen, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Eccentricity effects on leakage of a brush seal at low speeds

The effects of eccentricity on brush seal leakage at low rotational speeds were investigated. Included are the leakage results for ambient temperature air and nearly saturated streams at three different rotor eccentricities at both 0 and 400 rpm. A brush seal with a nominal bore diameter of 13.647 cm. (5.3730 in.) was used. It had a radial concentric interference of 0.071 cm (0.0028 in.) and a fence height of 0.0927 cm (0.0365 in.). There were 1060 bristles per centimeter of circumference (2690 bristles per inch of circumference). Rotor eccentricities of 0.003, 0.010, 0.038, and 0.043 cm (0.001, 0.004, 0.015, and 0.017 in.) were achieved by using bushings with different offsets. The results were compared with an annular seal model (FLOWCAL) for air and to a standard labyrinth seal model for steam. The annular seal model was also compared with a bulk flow model of a concentric brush seal in air. Large eccentricities did not damage the brush seals or their Haynes 25 bristles. However, the 304 stainless steel rotor did not show wear, indicating a harder surface is needed. Only the stream data showed hysteresis and were affected by shaft rotation. The brush seal had lower leakage rates than those predicted for comparable annular and labyrinth seals (conventional) because of the large clearances those seals require to accommodate large shaft excursions.

Schlumberger, Julie A.↗

NASA NTRS1952

An Impulse-Momentum Method for Calculating Landing-Gear Contact Conditions in Eccentric Landings

An impulse-momentum method for determining impact conditions for landing gears in eccentric landings is presented. The analysis is primarily concerned with the determination of contact velocities for impacts subsequent to initial touchdown in eccentric landings and with the determination of the effective mass acting on each landing gear. These parameters determine the energy-absorption requirements for the landing gear and, in conjunction with the particular characteristics of the landing gear, govern the magnitude of the ground loads. Changes in airplane angular and linear velocities and the magnitude of landing-gear vertical, drag, and side impulses resulting from a landing impact are determined by means of impulse-momentum relationships without the necessity for considering detailed force-time variations. The effective mass acting on each gear is also determined from the calculated landing-gear impulses. General equations applicable to any type of eccentric landing are written and solutions are obtained for the particular cases of an impact on one gear, a simultaneous impact on any two gears, and a symmetrical impact. In addition a solution is presented for a simplified two-degree-of-freedom system which allows rapid qualitative evaluation of the effects of certain principal parameters. The general analysis permits evaluation of the importance of such initial conditions at ground contact as vertical, horizontal, and side drift velocities, wing lift, roll and pitch angles, and rolling and pitching velocities, as well as the effects of such factors as landing gear location, airplane inertia, landing-gear length, energy-absorption efficiency, and wheel angular inertia on the severity of landing impacts. -A brief supplementary study which permits a limited evaluation of variable aerodynamic effects neglected in the analysis is presented in the appendix. Application of the analysis indicates that landing-gear impacts in eccentric landings can be appreciably more severe than impacts in symmetrical landings with the same sinking speed. The results also indicate the effects of landing-gear location, airplane inertia, initial wing lift, side drift velocity, attitude, and initial rolling velocity on the severity of both initial and subsequent landing-gear impacts. A comparison of the severity of impacts on auxiliary gears for tricycle and quadricycle configurations is also presented.

Yntema, Robert T↗

NASA NTRS1995

The orbital eccentricities of binary millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

Low-mass binary millisecond pulsars (LMBPs) are born with very small orbital eccentricities, typically of order e(sub i) approximately 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -3). In globular clusters, however, higher eccentricities e(sub f) much greater than e(sub i) can be induced by dynamical interactions with passing stars. Here we show that the cross section for this process is much larger than previously estimated. This is becuse, even for initially circular binaries, the induced eccentricity e(sub f) for an encounter with pericenter separation r(sub p) beyond a few times the binary semimajor axis a declines only as a power law (e(sub f) varies as (r(sub p)/a)(exp -5/2), and not as an exponential. We find that all currently known LMBPs in clusters were probably affected by interactions, with their current eccentricities typically greater than at birth by an order of magnitude or more.

Rasio, Frederic A.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Non-Contact EDDY Current Hole Eccentricity and Diameter Measurement

Precision holes are among the most critical features of a mechanical component. Deviations from permissible tolerances can impede operation and result in unexpected failure. We have developed an automated non-contact eddy current hole diameter and eccentricity measuring system. The operating principle is based on the eddy current lift-off effect, which is the coil impedance as a function of the distance between the coil and the test object. An absolute eddy current probe rotates in the hole. The impedance of each angular position is acquired and input to the computer for integration and analysis. The eccentricity of the hole is the profile of the impedance as a function of angular position as compared to a straight line, an ideal hole. The diameter of the hole is the sum of the diameter of the probe and twice the distance-calibrated impedance. An eddy current image is generated by integrating angular scans for a plurality of depths between the top and bottom to display the eccentricity profile. This system can also detect and image defects in the hole. The method for non-contact eddy current hole diameter and eccentricity measurement has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Chern, E. James↗

NASA NTRS1995

Intramuscular pressure and torque during isometric, concentric and eccentric muscular activity

Intramuscular pressures, electromyography (EMG) and torque generation during isometric, concentric and eccentric maximal isokinetic muscle activity were recorded in 10 healthy volunteers. Pressure and EMG activity were continuously and simultaneously measured side by side in the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles. Ankle joint torque and position were monitored continuously by an isokinetic dynamometer during plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the foot. The increased force generation during eccentric muscular activity, compared with other muscular activity, was not accompanied by higher intramuscular pressure. Thus, this study demonstrated that eccentric muscular activity generated higher torque values for each increment of intramuscular pressure. Intramuscular pressures during antagonistic co-activation were significantly higher in the tibilis anterior muscle (42-46% of maximal agonistic activity) compared with the soleus muscle (12-29% of maximal agonistic activity) and was largely due to active recruitment of muscle fibers. In summary, eccentric muscular activity creates higher torque values with no additional increase of the intramuscular pressure compared with concentric and isometric muscular activity.

NASA Program Space Physiology and Countermeasures↗

NASA NTRS2006

Studies of the Ability to Hold the Eye in Eccentric Gaze: Measurements in Normal Subjects with the Head Erect

We studied the ability to hold the eyes in eccentric horizontal or vertical gaze angles in 68 normal humans, age range 19-56. Subjects attempted to sustain visual fixation of a briefly flashed target located 30 in the horizontal plane and 15 in the vertical plane in a dark environment. Conventionally, the ability to hold eccentric gaze is estimated by fitting centripetal eye drifts by exponential curves and calculating the time constant (t(sub c)) of these slow phases of gazeevoked nystagmus. Although the distribution of time-constant measurements (t(sub c)) in our normal subjects was extremely skewed due to occasional test runs that exhibited near-perfect stability (large t(sub c) values), we found that log10(tc) was approximately normally distributed within classes of target direction. Therefore, statistical estimation and inference on the effect of target direction was performed on values of z identical with log10t(sub c). Subjects showed considerable variation in their eyedrift performance over repeated trials; nonetheless, statistically significant differences emerged: values of tc were significantly higher for gaze elicited to targets in the horizontal plane than for the vertical plane (P less than 10(exp -5), suggesting eccentric gazeholding is more stable in the horizontal than in the vertical plane. Furthermore, centrifugal eye drifts were observed in 13.3, 16.0 and 55.6% of cases for horizontal, upgaze and downgaze tests, respectively. Fifth percentile values of the time constant were estimated to be 10.2 sec, 3.3 sec and 3.8 sec for horizontal, upward and downward gaze, respectively. The difference between horizontal and vertical gazeholding may be ascribed to separate components of the velocity position neural integrator for eye movements, and to differences in orbital mechanics. Our statistical method for representing the range of normal eccentric gaze stability can be readily applied in a clinical setting to patients who were exposed to environments that may have modified their central integrators and thus require monitoring. Patients with gaze-evoked nystagmus can be flagged by comparing to the above established normative criteria.

Reschke, Millard F.↗

NASA NTRS2023

A High-Eccentricity Warm Jupiter Orbiting TOI-4127

We report the discovery of TOI-4127 b, which is a transiting, Jupiter-sized exoplanet on a long period (P=56.39879 +0.00010 -0.00010 days) and a high-eccentricity orbit around a late F-type dwarf star. This warm Jupiter was first detected and identified as a promising candidate from a search for single-transit signals in TESS Sector 20 data and was later characterized as a planet following two subsequent transits (TESS Sectors 26 and 53) and follow-up ground-based RV observations with the NEID and SOPHIE spectrographs. We jointly fit the transit and RV data to constrain the physical (R p =1.096 +0.039 -0.032 R J , M p =2.30 +0.11 -0.11 M J ) and orbital parameters of the exoplanet. Given its high orbital eccentricity (𝓮=0.7471 +0.0078 -0.0086 ), TOI-4127 b is a compelling candidate for studies of warm Jupiter populations and of hot Jupiter formation pathways. We show that the present periastron separation of TOI-4127 b is too large for high-eccentricity tidal migration to circularize its orbit, and that TOI-4127 b is unlikely to be a hot Jupiter progenitor unless it is undergoing angular momentum exchange with an undetected outer companion. Although we find no evidence for an external companion, the available observational data are insufficient to rule out the presence of a perturber that can excite eccentricity oscillations and facilitate tidal migration.

Exoplanet astronomy↗

NASA NTRS2024

Origins of Super Jupiters: TOI-2145b has a Moderately Eccentric and Nearly Aligned Orbit

Super Jupiters are giant planets with several Jupiter masses. It remains an open question whether these planets originate with such high masses or grow through collisions. Previous work demonstrates that warm super Jupiters tend to have more eccentric orbits compared to regular-mass warm Jupiters. This correlation between mass and eccentricity may indicate that planet–planet interactions significantly influence the warm giant planet demographics. Here, we conducted a detailed characterization of a warm super Jupiter, TOI-2145b. This analysis utilized previous observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer, enhanced by new Rossiter–McLaughlin effect data from the NEID spectrometer on the 3.5 m WIYN Telescope. TOI-2145b is a 5.68 +0.37 −0.34 M Jup MJup planet on a moderate eccentricity (e = 0.214 +0.014 −0.014 ), 10.26 day orbit, orbiting an evolved A-star. We constrain the projected stellar obliquity to be λ = 6.8 +2.9 −3.8 ° from two NEID observations. Our N-body simulations suggest that the formation of super Jupiter TOI-2145b could involve either of two scenarios: a high initial mass or growth via collisions. On a population level, however, the collision scenario can better describe the mass–eccentricity distribution of observed warm Jupiters.

Jiayin Dong↗

NASA NTRS2012

Low Lunar Orbit Design via Graphical Manipulation of Eccentricity Vector Evolution

Low lunar orbits, such as those used by GRAIL and LRO, experience predictable variations in the evolution of their eccentricity vectors. These variations are nearly invariant with respect to the initial eccentricity and argument of periapse and change only in the details with respect to the initial semi-major axis. These properties suggest that manipulating the eccentricity vector evolution directly can give insight into orbit maintenance designs and can reduce the number of propagations required. A trio of techniques for determining the desired maneuvers is presented in the context of the GRAIL extended mission.

techniques↗