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At least 37 records · Page 2

User's guide for the Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) CELL-ALL tape

The SMMR instrument onboard the Nimbus-7 satellite has been in operation since October 1978. It provided global coverage of passive microwave observations at 6.6, 10.7, 18, 21, and 37 GHz. The oberved brightness temperature can be used to retrieve geophysical parameters, principally sea surface temperature, atmospheric water vapor and liquid water content over oceans, sea ice concentration, and snow cover over land. The SMME CELL-ALL Tape contains earth-located calibrated brightness temperature data which have been appropriately binned into cells of various grid sizes, allowing intercomparisons of observations made at different frequencies (with corresponding different footprint sizes). This user's guide describes the operation of the instrument, the flow of the data processing the calibration procedure, and the characteristics of the calibrated brightness temperatures and how they are binned. Detailed tape specifications and lists of available data are also provided.

Cu, C. C.↗

Redshift data and statistical inference

Frequency histograms and the 'power spectrum analysis' (PSA) method, the latter developed by Yu & Peebles (1969), have been widely employed as techniques for establishing the existence of periodicities. We provide a formal analysis of these two classes of methods, including controlled numerical experiments, to better understand their proper use and application. In particular, we note that typical published applications of frequency histograms commonly employ far greater numbers of class intervals or bins than is advisable by statistical theory sometimes giving rise to the appearance of spurious patterns. The PSA method generates a sequence of random numbers from observational data which, it is claimed, is exponentially distributed with unit mean and variance, essentially independent of the distribution of the original data. We show that the derived random processes is nonstationary and produces a small but systematic bias in the usual estimate of the mean and variance. Although the derived variable may be reasonably described by an exponential distribution, the tail of the distribution is far removed from that of an exponential, thereby rendering statistical inference and confidence testing based on the tail of the distribution completely unreliable. Finally, we examine a number of astronomical examples wherein these methods have been used giving rise to widespread acceptance of statistically unconfirmed conclusions.

Newman, William I.↗

Longitudinal variations of very-low-frequency chorus activity in the magnetosphere - Evidence of excitation by electrical power transmission lines

The distribution of VLF chorus in the high-altitude magnetosphere as detected by the Ogo 3 satellite was investigated. Chorus occurrence frequency over 4,668 samples of 5 min of broadband data was computed for Northern Hemisphere bins of 10 deg by 10 deg in dipole invariant latitude and longitude. Peaks in activity were noted over Alaska, the eastern U.S. and Canada, western Europe, and western Siberia, and were shown not to be the result of biased sampling. It is suggested that power line radiation of only about 1 W or less at a given harmonic frequency may be sufficient to stimulate the observed chorus activity and that such power levels can be expected in industrial areas or from large distribution networks. Preliminary results show that chorus starting frequencies are highly correlated with 60 Hz harmonics in the American sector and with 50 Hz harmonics in the European sector.

Luette, J. P.↗

Description and availability of airborne Doppler radar data

An airborne, forward-looking, pulse, Doppler radar has been developed in conjunction with the joint FAA/NASA Wind Shear Program. This radar represents a first in an emerging technology. The radar was developed to assess the applicability of an airborne radar to detect low altitude hazardous wind shears for civil aviation applications. Such a radar must be capable of looking down into the ground clutter environment and extracting wind estimates from relatively low reflectivity weather targets. These weather targets often have reflectivities several orders of magnitude lower than the surrounding ground clutter. The NASA radar design incorporates numerous technological and engineering achievements in order to accomplish this task. The basic R/T unit evolved from a standard Collins 708 weather radar, which supports specific pulse widths of 1-7 microns and Pulse Repetition Frequencies (PRF) of less than 1-10 kHz. It was modified to allow for the output of the first IF signal, which fed a NASA developed receiver/detector subsystem. The NASA receiver incorporated a distributed, high-speed digital attenuator, producing a range bin to range bin automatic gain control system with 65 dB of dynamic range. Using group speed information supplied by the aircraft's navigation system, the radar signal is frequency demodulated back to base band (zero Doppler relative to stationary ground). The In-phase & Quadrature-phase (I/Q) components of the measured voltage signal are then digitized by a 12-bit A-D converter (producing an additional 36 dB of dynamic range). The raw I/Q signal for each range bin is then recorded (along with the current radar & aircraft state parameters) by a high-speed Kodak tape recorder.

Harrah, S. D.↗

Large-Scale Air Mass Characteristics Observed Over the Remote Tropical Pacific Ocean During March-April 1999: Results from PEM-Tropics B Field Experiment

Eighteen long-range flights over the Pacific Ocean between 38 S to 20 N and 166 E to 90 W were made by the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the NASA Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics B conducted from March 6 to April 18, 1999. Two lidar systems were flown on the DC-8 to remotely measure vertical profiles of ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O), aerosols, and clouds from near the surface to the upper troposphere along their flight track. In situ measurements of a wide range of gases and aerosols were made on the DC-8 for comprehensive characterization of the air and for correlation with the lidar remote measurements. The transition from northeasterly flow of Northern Hemispheric (NH) air on the northern side of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to generally easterly flow of Southern Hemispheric (SH) air south of the ITCZ was accompanied by a significant decrease in O3, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and aerosols and an increase in H2O. Trajectory analyses indicate that air north of the ITCZ came from Asia and/or the United States, while the air south of the ITCZ had a long residence time over the Pacific, perhaps originating over South America several weeks earlier. Air south of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) came rapidly from the west originating over Australia or Africa. This air had enhanced O3 and aerosols and an associated decrease in H2O. Average latitudinal and longitudinal distributions of O3 and H2O were constructed from the remote and in situ O3 and H2O data, and these distributions are compared with results from PEM-Tropics A conducted in August-October 1996. During PEM-Tropics B, low O3 air was found in the SH across the entire Pacific Basin at low latitudes. This was in strong contrast to the photochemically enhanced O3 levels found across the central and eastern Pacific low latitudes during PEM-Tropics A. Nine air mass types were identified for PEM-Tropics B based on their O3, aerosols, clouds, and potential vorticity characteristics. The data from each flight were binned by altitude according to air mass type, and these results showed the relative observational frequency of the different air masses as a function of altitude in seven regions over the Pacific. The average chemical composition of the major air mass types was determined from in situ measurements in the NH and SH, and these results provided insight into the origin, lifetime, and chemistry of the air in these regions.

Browell, Edward V.↗

Correlation analysis of X-ray emission from Cygnus X-1

Normalized autocorrelation and cross-correlation coefficients have been calculated for the X-ray emission of Cygnus X-1 in two energy bins, 2.1-5.1 keV and 5.1-12 keV. The analysis shows a strong correlation between the pulsations in the two energy bins, with the low-energy pulsations lagging behind the high-energy ones, or alternatively a shorter duration of the pulse trains in the high-energy bin. The power spectral density derived from the autocorrelation functions indicates a larger contribution of the high-frequency components for the higher-energy X-rays.

Brinkman, A. C.↗

BIN Diode For Submillimeter Wavelengths

Diode formed by selective doping during epitaxial growth, starting with semi-insulating substrate. Use of high-mobility semiconductors like GaAs extends cutoff frequency. Either molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) or organometallic chemical-vapor deposition used to form layers of diode. Planar growth process permits subsequent fabrication of arrays of diodes by standard photolithographic techniques, to achieve quasi-optical coupling of submillimeter radiation. Useful for generation of harmonics or heterodyne mixing in receivers for atmospheric and space spectroscopy operating at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Used as frequency doublers or triplers, diodes of new type extend frequency range of present solid-state oscillators.

Maserjian, J.↗

Exploring Environmental and Aerosol Impacts on Maritime Tropical Convection using Airborne Radiometer, Radar, Lidar, and Dropsondes

The field deployment phase of NASA’s Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) took place around the Philippines during August–October 2019, with the primary goal of jointly investigating aerosols and tropical meteorology at the micro-β to meso-β scales. A suite of instruments was deployed on NASA’s P-3B Orion aircraft to accomplish this mission, including: the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR), Airborne Precipitation and cloud Radar 3rd Generation (APR-3), High Spectral Resolution Lidar 2 (HSRL2), and Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) dropsondes. To examine potential aerosol influences on maritime tropical convection, P-3 flight segments throughout CAMP2Ex were binned into similar environmental groups using “low,” “medium,” and “high” values of nine AVAPS-derived parameters with known physical connections to convective frequency and/or intensity. Aerosol concentrations in each flight segment were evaluated using three HSRL2 variables at 355 and 532 nm: aerosol backscatter, aerosol extinction, and aerosol optical thickness. A set of radiometer- and radar-derived variables directly related to convective frequency and/or intensity was used to characterize convection, which included: AMPR-derived integrated cloud liquid water; polarization-corrected temperatures at 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHz; peak equivalent radar reflectivity factor (ZH); peak height of 30-dBZ ZH; and the number of radar data columns with composite ZH > 30 dBZ. The ZH analyses were performed using both Ku- and Ka-band APR-3 data. For each flight segment, correlation coefficients were calculated between each convective parameter and aerosol concentrations within the “low,” “medium,” and “high” groups for each environmental variable. The environmental stratification thresholds were then varied in a series of sensitivity tests. Several noteworthy correlations were observed between the convective and aerosol parameters within the environmental groups, especially when stratifying the environments based on their 850–500-hPa temperature lapse rate, 700–500-hPa temperature lapse rate, and K-Index. The convective parameters were often correlated most strongly with 355-nm extinction, 532-nm extinction, and 532-nm backscatter, while the presence of precipitation-sized liquid and ice hydrometeors contributed to some unexpected negative correlations. In general, as environmental conditions became more favorable for convection, a stronger correlation was observed between the convective parameters and aerosol concentrations. However, a “Goldilocks” zone of medium aerosol concentration was correlated most strongly with the convective parameters in many cases. These results stress the importance of considering environmental and aerosol conditions together when evaluating their impacts on convection. This presentation will provide a detailed discussion of these results and their implications, a summary of the limitations associated with such an analysis, and suggestions for future work.

Corey G. Amiot↗

Modeling of planar varactor frequency multiplier devices with blocking barriers

Models for optimization of planar frequency triplers with symmetrical C-V curves are presented. Role and limitation of various blocking barriers (oxide, Mott, heterojunction) are discussed. Devices with undoped drift regions (BIN) have moderate efficiency but a broad range of power operation, whereas devices with doped drift regions (BNN) have high efficiency in a narrow power window. In particular, an upper power limit of the BNN is caused by electron velocity saturation. Implementations in SiO2/Si and AlAs/GaAs and means for increasing the power of BNN structures are considered.

Lieneweg, Udo↗

A note on the statistics of early-type close binaries

A degree of contact index (I sub c) is defined, and its frequency diagram is given for 16 early-type close binaries. The objective is to determine whether the numbers of such systems are continuous or discontinuous across marginal contact. Data for four of the systems (TU Mus, V499 Sco, Delta Pic, and SZ Cam) derive from new photometric analyses, the results of which are also given. Present results indicate that there is continuity in frequency across marginal contact, although it would be desirable to include more binaries as further observations become available. It is noted that the only two systems in the bin of largest I sub c are known to be in the rapid phase of mass transfer.

Wilson, R. E.↗

Doppler lidar signal and turbulence study

Wind fields were measured with the ground-based NASA/MSFC lidar are compared with the in situ NASA RB-57 aircraft measurements. The mean wind fields, the turbulence intensities, and the turbulence spectra determined from measurements by both systems are in very good agreement. Turbulence intensities and spectra were calculated from the fluctuations with time in the radial wind speed component. The second moment or Doppler frequency spectral width of the lidar measurements was also compared with turbulence intensities measured by the aircraft. These second moments could only be resolved at the very low altitudes (in three range bins). Turbulence intensities estimated from the spectral width data were an order of magnitude higher than those measured by the aircraft. An interesting boundary layer evolved during the progress of the experiment. The breakup of a stable boundary layer resulted in winds blowing in one direction above 600 m msl and in the opposite direction below that level. Both the aircraft and the lidar systems clearly identified this unusual boundary layer flow and showed the identical trends.

Frost, W.↗

Windshear detection and avoidance - Airborne systems survey

Functional requirements for airborne windshear detection and warning systems are discussed in terms of the threat posed to civil aircraft operations. A preliminary set of performance criteria for predictive windshear detection and warning systems is defined. Candidate airborne remote sensor technologies based on microwave Doppler radar, Doppler laser radar (lidar), and infrared radiometric techniques are discussed in the context of overall system requirements, and the performance of each sensor is assessed for representative microburst environments and ground clutter conditions. Preliminary simulation results demonstrate that all three sensors show potential for detecting windshear, and provide adequate warning time to allow flight crews to avoid the affected area or escape from the encounter. Radar simulation and analysis show that by using bin-to-bin automatic gain control, clutter filtering, limited detection range, and suitable antenna tilt management, windshear from wet microbursts can be accurately detected. Although a performance improvement can be obtained at higher radar frequency, the baseline X-band system also detected the presence of windshear hazard for a dry microburst. Simulation results of end-to-end performance for competing coherent lidar systems are presented.

Bowles, Roland L.↗

SO2-rich equatorial basins and epeirogeny of Io

Comparison of Io's large scale topography with an SO2 abundance map shows that SO2 is concentrated in equatorial topographic basins. In these basins, about 30 pct. of the surface is covered by SO2 at all elevations above the mean triaxial figure, and SO2 coverage increases with decreasing elevation to as much as 56 pct. at elevations below -1.5 km. The correlation is not good from long 240 to 360 degs where bright areas are covered by red, Pele type plume fallout, and in the polar regions where the topography is poorly known. The histogram of SO2 abundance binned by elevation appears bimodal, with a secondary concentration of SO2 at high elevations, but it is not certain that this is significant. Additional observations suggest that the basins have relatively little higher frequency topographic relief. The distribution of active plumes and hotspots show no obvious correlation with the topography. However, the Pele type plume all erupted from regions higher than the mean figure, and five of the eight Prometheus type plumes are more energetic and are associated with high temperature hotspots, whereas Prometheus type plumes are long lived and require large volatile reservoirs.

Mcewen, Alfred S.↗

Solar radio burst and in situ determination of interplanetary electron density

A few interplanetary electron density scales which were derived from the analysis of interplanetary solar radio burst are discussed and compared to a model derived from 1974 to 1980 Helios 1 and 2 in situ density observations made in the 0.3 to 1.0 AU range. The Helios densities were normalized to 1976 with the aid of IMP and ISEE data at 1 AU, and were then sorted into 0.1 AU bins and logarithmically averaged within each bin. The best fit to these 1976-normalized, bin averages is N(R(AU)) = 6.1 R(-2.10)/cu cm. This model is in rather good agreement with the solar burst determination if the radiation is assumed to be on the second harmonic of the plasma frequency. This analysis also suggests that the radio emissions tend to be produced in regions denser than the average where the density gradient decreases faster with distance than the observed R(-2.10).

Bougeret, J. L.↗

Solar radio burst and in situ determination of interplanetary electron density

A few interplanetary electron density scales which were derived from the analysis of interplanetary solar radio burst are discussed and compared to a model derived from 1974 to 1980 Helios 1 and 2 in situ density observations made in the 0.3 to 1.0 AU range. The Helios densities were normalized to 1976 with the aid of IMP and ISEE data at 1 AU, and were then sorted into 0.1 AU bins and logarithmically averaged within each bin. The best fit to these 1976-normalized, bin averages is in N(R(AU)) = 6.1 R(-2.10)/cu cm. This model is in rather good agreement with the solar burst determination if the radiation is assumed to be on the second harmonic of the plasma frequency. This analysis also suggests that the radio emissions tend to be produced in regions denser than the average where the density gradient decreases faster with distance than the observed R(-2.10). Previously announced in STAR as N83-35989

King, J. H.↗

Structure and Rotation of the Solar Interior: Initial Results from the MDI Medium-L Program

The medium-l program of the Michelson Doppler Imager instrument on board SOHO provides continuous observations of oscillation modes of angular degree, l, from 0 to approximately 300. The data for the program are partly processed on board because only about 3% of MDI observations can be transmitted continuously to the ground. The on-board data processing, the main component of which is Gaussian-weighted binning, has been optimized to reduce the negative influence of spatial aliasing of the high-degree oscillation modes. The data processing is completed in a data analysis pipeline at the SOI Stanford Support Center to determine the mean multiplet frequencies and splitting coefficients. The initial results show that the noise in the medium-l oscillation power spectrum is substantially lower than in ground-based measurements. This enables us to detect lower amplitude modes and, thus, to extend the range of measured mode frequencies. This is important for inferring the Sun's internal structure and rotation. The MDI observations also reveal the asymmetry of oscillation spectral lines. The line asymmetries agree with the theory of mode excitation by acoustic sources localized in the upper convective boundary layer. The sound-speed profile inferred from the mean frequencies gives evidence for a sharp variation at the edge of the energy-generating core. The results also confirm the previous finding by the GONG (Gough et al., 1996) that, in a thin layer just beneath the convection zone, helium appears to be less abundant than predicted by theory. Inverting the multiplet frequency splittings from MDI, we detect significant rotational shear in this thin layer. This layer is likely to be the place where the solar dynamo operates. In order to understand how the Sun works, it is extremely important to observe the evolution of this transition layer throughout the 11-year activity cycle.

Kosovichev, A. G.↗