Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “vertical oscillations”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Terrestrial mass extinctions, cometary impacts and the sun's motion perpendicular to the galactic plane

An analysis of the data of Raup and Sepkoski (1984) is reported which suggests that the dominant cyclicity in major marine extinctions during at least the past 250 Myr is 30 + or - 1 Myr, with the standard deviation of an individual episode being + or - 9 Myr. This terrestrial cycle is found to be strongly correlated with the time needed for the solar system to oscillate vertically about the galactic plane. It is argued that galactic triggering or forcing of terrestrial biological crises may arise as a result of collisions or close encounters of the solar system with clouds of gas and dust, which would gravitationally perturb the solar system's family of comets and thereby increase the flux of comets and meteorites near the earth, leading to large-body impacts. A dominant cyclicity of 31 + or - 1 Myr is found for the observed age distribution of impact craters on earth, the phase of this cycle agreeing with the shown by the major biological crises.

Rampino, M. R.↗

Cometary impacts, molecular clouds, and the motion of the sun perpendicular to the galactic plane

The stochastic nature of the mass extinction model of Rampino and Stothers (1984), based on the vertical oscillation of the solar system about the plane of the Galaxy, can accommodate a few events with large phase discrepancies. The degree of modulation is crucial in that it depends on the scale height of the population of molecular clouds relative to the amplitude of the solar system and tends to zero if this ratio is large and encounters are entirely random. Here data are presented here from CO surveys of molecular clouds both within and beyond the solar circle which permit explicit calculation of the strength of the modulation. The cloud layer near the sun it too extended and, as a consequence, the modulation of cloud encounters is too weak for a statistically significant period to be extracted from the nine extinctions analyzed by Rampino and Stothers.

Thaddeus, P.↗

Geologic periodicities and the Galaxy

New geologic and astronomical developments are reviewed that have recently led to the proposal of various Galactic theories to explain the temporal pattern of impact craters on earth. Linear and harmonic time series analyses have revealed that two dominant periodicities about equal to 33 + or - 3 Myr and 260 + or - 25 Myr underlie the geologic record of terrestrial impact cratering and global tectonic phenomena. It is argued that purely terrestrial mechanisms cannot account for the cratering cycles as being preservational artifacts; cratering rather appears to influence tectonism, possibly through perturbations of mantle convection. Galactic models proposed to explain the two long-term periodicities are reviewed critically. The most likely explanation for the 33 Myr cycle involves the comparatively stable half period of vertical oscillation of the solar system about the Galactic plane. The 260 Myr cycle may be related to rare encounters with Galactic spiral arms during the revolution of the solar system around the Galactic center.

Rampino, Michael R.↗

Laboratory experiments on stability and entrainment of oceanic stratocumulus. Part 1: Instability experiment

The existence and persistence of marine stratocumulus play a significant role in the overall energy budget of the earth. Their stability and entrainment process are important in global climate studies, as well as for local weather forecasting. The purposes of the experimental simulations are to study this process and to address this paradox. The effects of buoyancy reversal is investigated, followed by two types of experiments. An instability experiment involves the behavior of a fully turbulent wake near the inversion generated by a sliding plate. Due to buoyancy reversal, the heavy, mixed fluid starts to sink, turning the potential energy created by the mixing process into kinetic energy, thereby increasing the entrainment rate. An entrainment experiment, using a vertically oscillating grid driven by a controllable speed motor, produces many eddy-induced entrainments at a surface region on scales much less than the depth of the layer.

Shy, Shenqyang S.↗

Diurnal forcing of planetary atmospheres

The utility of the Mars Planetary Boundary Layer Model (MPBL) for calculations in support of the Mars 94 balloon mission was substantially enhanced by the introduction of a balloon equation of motion into the model. Both vertical and horizontal excursions of the balloon are calculated along with its volume, temperature, and pressure. The simulations reproduce the expected 5-min vertical oscillations of a constant density balloon at altitude on Mars. The results of these calculations are presented for the nominal target location of the balloon. A nonlinear balanced model was developed for the Martian atmosphere. It was used to initialize a primitive equation model for the simulations of the Earth's atmosphere at the time of the El Chichon eruption in 1982. It is also used as an assimilation model to update the temperature and wind fields at frequent intervals.

Houben, Howard C.↗

Role of the vestibular end organs in experimental motion sickness - A primate model

Experimental studies of the role of vestibular end organs in motion sickness experienced by squirrel monkeys are reviewed. The first experiments in motion-sickness-susceptible squirrel monkeys were performed under a free-moving condition with horizontal rotation and vertical oscillation. In the following experiments, the vestibular-visual conflict in the pitch plane was given to the chair-restrained (upright position) squirrel monkeys. Results of this study showed that the existence of otolith afferents, which continually signal the directional change of gravity and linear acceleration vectors, was necessary for the elicitation of emesis by the sensory conflict in pitch.

Igarashi, Makoto↗

Documentation of Atmospheric Conditions During Observed Rising Aircraft Wakes

Flight tests were conducted in the fall of 1995 off the coast of Wallops Island, Virginia in order to determine characteristics of wake vortices at flight altitudes. A NASA Wallops Flight Facility C130 aircraft equipped with smoke generators produced visible wakes at altitudes ranging from 775 to 2225 m in a variety of atmospheric conditions, orientations (head wind, cross wind), and airspeeds. Meteorological and aircraft parameters were collected continuously from a Langley Research Center OV-10A aircraft as it flew alongside and through the wake vortices at varying distances behind the C130. Meteorological data were also obtained from special balloon observations made at Wallops. Differential GPS capabilities were on each aircraft from which accurate altitude profiles were obtained. Vortices were observed to rise at distances beyond a mile behind the C130. The maximum altitude was 150 m above the C130 in a near neutral atmosphere with significant turbulence. This occurred from large vertical oscillations in the wakes. There were several cases when vortices did not descend after a very short initial period and remained near generation altitude in a variety of moderately stable atmospheres and wind shears.

Zak, J. Allen↗

Differences in Otolith and Abdominal Viscera Graviceptor Dynamics: Implications for Motion Sickness and Perceived Body Position

Human graviceptors, located in the trunk by Mittelstaedt probably transduce acceleration by abdominal viscera motion. As demonstrated previously in biodynamic vibration and impact tolerance research the thoraco-abdominal viscera exhibit a resonance at 4 to 6 Hz. Behavioral observations and mechanical models of otolith graviceptor response indicate a phase shift increasing with frequency between 0.01 and O.5 Hz. Consequently the potential exists for intermodality sensory conflict between vestibular and visceral graviceptor signals at least at the mechanical receptor level. The frequency range of this potential conflict corresponds with the primary frequency range for motion sickness incidence in transportation, in subjects rotated about Earth-horizontal axes (barbecue spit stimulation) and in periodic parabolic flight microgravity research and also for erroneous perception of vertical oscillations in helicopters. We discuss the implications of this hypothesis for previous self motion perception research and suggestions for various future studies.

vonGierke, Henning E.↗

Investigation of anti-motion sickness drugs in the squirrel monkey

Early attempts to develop an animal model for anti-motion sickness drugs, using dogs and cats; were unsuccessful. Dogs did not show a beneficial effect of scopolamine (probably the best single anti-motion sickness drug for humans thus far) and the findings in cats were not definitive. The authors have developed an animal model using the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) of the Bolivian phenotype. Unrestrained monkeys in a small lucite cage were tested in an apparatus that induces motion sickness by combining vertical oscillation and horizontal rotation in a visually unrestricted laboratory environment. Signs of motion sickness were scored using a rating scale. Ten susceptible monkeys (weighing 800-1000 g) were given a total of five tests each, to establish the baseline susceptibility level. Based on the anticholinergic activity of scopolamine, the sensitivity of squirrel monkey to scopolamine was investigated, and the appropriate dose of scopolamine for this species was determined. Then various anti-motion sickness preparations were administered in subsequent tests: 100 ug scopolamine per monkey; 140 ug dexedrine; 50 ug scopolamine plus 70 ug dexedrine; 100 ug scopolamine plus 140 ug dexedrine; 3 mg promethazine; 3 mg promethazine plus 3 mg ephedrine. All these preparations were significantly effective in preventing motion sickness in the monkeys. Ephedrine, by itself, which is marginally effective in humans, was ineffective in the monkeys at the doses tried (0.3-6.0 mg). The squirrel monkey appears to be a good animal model for antimotion sickness drugs. Peripherally acting antihistamines such as astemizole and terfenadine were found to be ineffective, whereas flunarizine, and an arginine vasopressin V1 antagonist, showed significant activity in preventing motion sickness.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

Gravitational Effects upon Locomotion Posture

Researchers use actual microgravity (AM) during parabolic flight and simulated microgravity (SM) obtained with horizontal suspension analogs to better understand the effect of gravity upon gait. In both environments, the gravitational force is replaced by an external load (EL) that returns the subject to the treadmill. However, when compared to normal gravity (N), researchers consistently find reduced ground reaction forces (GRF) and subtle kinematic differences (Schaffner et al., 2005). On the International Space Station, the EL is applied by elastic bungees attached to a waist and shoulder harness. While bungees can provide EL approaching body weight (BW), their force-length characteristics coupled with vertical oscillations of the body during gait result in a variable load. However, during locomotion in N, the EL is consistently equal to 100% body weight. Comparisons between AM and N have shown that during running, GRF are decreased in AM (Schaffner et al, 2005). Kinematic evaluations in the past have focussed on joint range of motion rather than joint posture at specific instances of the gait cycle. The reduced GRF in microgravity may be a result of differing hip, knee, and ankle positions during contact. The purpose of this investigation was to compare joint angles of the lower extremities during walking and running in AM, SM, and N. We hypothesized that in AM and SM, joints would be more flexed at heel strike (HS), mid-stance (MS) and toe-off (TO) than in N.

DeWitt, John K.↗

Operational Implications from Field Test Results: Sensorimotor Guidelines for Exploration Missions

Two key sensorimotor objectives of the joint NASA-Russian Field Test (FT) study were (1) to quantify functional performance on long duration crewmembers as close to landing as possible, and (2) to develop a recovery timeline back to preflight baseline. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the FT results and discuss the operational implications for future exploration missions. The NASA and Russian teams conducted a total of 48 Field Tests, including 18 using a reduced Pilot FT (PFT) protocol. The combined PFT/FT cohort included 14 first-time fliers, 4F, and nine cosmonauts who repeated FT during a second mission. The mission durations were 185 ± 42 days, mean ± std. Nominally, the initial postflight session was performed in the medical test at the Soyuz landing site or at the nearby airport (R+2.2 ± 1.3 hrs, mean ± std), and then repeated multiple times throughout the postflight recovery. The common tasks performed across PFT and full FT protocols included sit-to-stand, recovery from fall (prone to stand) and tandem walk, performed in that order of increasing difficulty. The full FT protocol also included seated tasks (eccentric gaze, dysmetria finger to nose, eye-hand coordination on a tablet, grip force discrimination), a standing posture test with an upper body perturbation, a timed up and go mobility test with obstacles, and a dynamic visual acuity task during vertical oscillations. While there was considerable variability in the postflight outcome measures across crewmembers, the level of vestibular/cerebellar and sensorimotor impairment was greater than previously observed during shorter spaceflight missions. Most striking was the higher incidence of motion sickness even without constraining the standard medical interventions. Motion sensitivity prevented some crewmembers from attempting and/or completing the early testing. The recovery timeline varied with task complexity, generally taking longer when either the basis of support was limited (e.g., tandem walk) or visual cues were deprived (eyes closed). Based on this evidence, mission planners need to expect a range of response across individuals and tasks following G-transitions. Individual health assessments are recommended along with development of pre-worked, prioritized content and timelines, with the ability to change roles depending on crew readiness. Handholds and balance aids are recommended to help stabilize the crewmembers to perform specific tasks (e.g., touch screen selection) or to allow the crewmember the ability to rest with onset of symptoms. Based on anecdotal reports and performance on computerized dynamic posturography, multiple testing on landing day appeared to be beneficial for some participants, while others may have pushed beyond their motion tolerance limit in an effort to complete more FT objectives. Instead of delaying planetary surface operations to allow for recovery, our results suggest that early mobility may be important. Early active self-administered retraining, individualized based on the level of initial impairment and motion sensitivity, will enable a more efficient motor learning and enhance crew performance.

S J Wood↗

Surface Instability of Liquid Propellants in Microgravity During Pulsed Settling Operations

Pulsing reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, vent valves, or other propulsion devices can preserve propellant resources in space, but this operation also effectively introduces a vibration to the vehicle. When the vibration is perpendicular to the liquid propellant surface, Faraday waves may be generated at the liquid-vapor interface. These Faraday instabilities can perturb or break up the liquid surface of cryogenic tanks, leading to inefficiencies in thermal management or even ullage collapse. Drawing from theory and experiments, an engineering model defining the allowable design regions for pulsed settling in microgravity was assembled and verified with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A traditional settling metric, the Bond number, was also overlaid in the model to indicate which duty cycles were insufficient to overcome surface tension and aggregate propellant. Mission planners and engineers can consult the tool to rapidly evaluate the stability of a liquid-vapor interface given the pulse frequency and the excitation acceleration. Expressions developed for Faraday waves induced by a sinusoidal forcing input at standard gravity were found to provide excellent predictive capabilities for pulsed, or rectangular, waveforms in the absence of a consistent gravitational acceleration. This study extends the usage of these equations to an alternative forcing function and microgravity environments for the purpose of estimating natural frequencies, surface mode shapes, surface wave amplitudes, and the onset of droplet ejection. CFD simulations with the Loci/STREAM-VoF (Volume of Fluid) solver were initially validated against experimental results in standard gravity. Discrete points on the design map were then investigated with CFD and confirmed that the engineering model reliably indicates surface stability and most Faraday wave characteristics without requiring higher-fidelity tools. The engineering model is highly extensible and can be adapted for various propellant fill fractions, fluid properties, and tank sizes.

Faraday Waves↗

Surface Instability of Liquid Propellants in Microgravity During Pulsed Settling Operations

Pulsing reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, vent valves, or other propulsion devices can preserve propellant resources in space, but this operation also effectively introduces a vibration to the vehicle. When the vibration is perpendicular to the liquid propellant surface, Faraday waves may be generated at the liquid-vapor interface. These Faraday instabilities can perturb or break up the liquid surface of cryogenic tanks, leading to inefficiencies in thermal management or even ullage collapse. Drawing from theory and experiments, an engineering model defining the allowable design regions for pulsed settling in microgravity was assembled and verified with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A traditional settling metric, the Bond number, was also overlaid in the model to indicate which duty cycles were insufficient to overcome surface tension and aggregate propellant. Mission planners and engineers can consult the tool to rapidly evaluate the stability of a liquid-vapor interface given the pulse frequency and the excitation acceleration. Expressions developed for Faraday waves induced by a sinusoidal forcing input at standard gravity were found to provide excellent predictive capabilities for pulsed, or rectangular, waveforms in the absence of a consistent gravitational acceleration. This study extends the usage of these equations to an alternative forcing function and microgravity environments for the purpose of estimating natural frequencies, surface mode shapes, surface wave amplitudes, and the onset of droplet ejection. CFD simulations with the Loci/STREAM-VoF (Volume of Fluid) solver were initially validated against experimental results in standard gravity. Discrete points on the design map were then investigated with CFD and confirmed that the engineering model reliably indicates surface stability and most Faraday wave characteristics without requiring higher-fidelity tools. The engineering model is highly extensible and can be adapted for various propellant fill fractions, fluid properties, and tank sizes.

Faraday Waves↗

Inertial Oscillation of a Vertical Rotating Draft with Application to a Supercell Storm: Video Supplement to NASA-TP-3230

In this video (8 min., color, sound, VHS), animation depicts the inertial oscillation of a new mathematical model ('vertical rotating draft') for spinning up a single supercell storm. The oscillation consists of a long quiescent phase when the draft is large in diameter and rotates anticyclonically and a short intense phase when the draft is small and cyclonic. During the intense phase, the rotating draft resembles a supercell. The physical basis for the oscillation is depicted by tracking air parcels in the draft as they move along inertial circles (projected on a horizontal plane), where the horizontal pressure gradient is zero and the Coriolis force balances the centrifugal force. A side view of the oscillation shows that contraction and expansion are linked, respectively, to buoyantly driven compressible downdraft and updraft. An aerial view tracks the draft as it moves above the surface of the Earth and turns to the right during the intense phase. Radar echoes from a supercell storm are superimposed for comparison. The data appear to support only the intense phase. A critical experiment would measure the predominantly downward flow that theoretically occurs before the right turn in a supercell track and causes contraction and spin-up.

Supercell thunderstorm↗

Inertial oscillation of a vertical rotating draft with application to a supercell storm

An analytic model (vertical rotating draft) which includes the gross features of a supercell storm on an f-plane, undergoes an inertial oscillation that appears to have been overlooked in previous analytic and numerical models. The oscillation is nonlinear and consists of a long quiescent phase and a short intense phase. During the intense phase, the rotating draft has the following features of a supercell: the diameter of the core contracts as it spins up and expands as it spins down; if vertical wind shear is included, the track of the rotating draft turns to the right (an anticyclonic rotating draft turns to the left); this turning point is followed by a predominantly upward flow; and the horizontal pressure gradient is very small (a property of most tornadoless supercells). The rapid spin-up during the intense phase and the high Rossby numbers obtainable establish the ability of the Coriolis force to spin up single cyclonic or anticyclonic supercells by means of this inertial oscillation. This surprising result has implications for numerical supercell simulations, which generally do not rely on the Coriolis force as a source of rotation. The physics and mathematics of the inertial oscillation are given, and the solution is applied to a documented supercell.

Supercell thunderstorm↗

Characterization of ELM pacing via vertical jogs on DIII-D

Edge localized mode (ELM) pacing via vertical plasma oscillations or jogging has been successfully demonstrated on DIII-D. Rapid vertical movement of the plasma toward the X-point has been shown to effectively trigger ELMs. By vertically oscillating the plasma at a rate of 10 Hz, the ELM frequency increased from ~5 Hz, the natural ELM frequency in similar DIII-D discharges, to 20 Hz. Downward jogs have been observed to trigger multiple ELMs in one cycle. ELMs triggered at higher than natural frequencies lead to smaller decreases in stored energy, from 8% to as little as below 1%. As a consequence, the peak heat flux to the divertor has been observed to be reduced by a factor of ~2. In addition, a reduction in the carbon impurity concentration has been observed. During downward jogs in the lower single null (LSN) configuration, the X-point movement is slower and smaller than the top of the plasma. As a result, a reduction in the plasma cross-section and hence volume has been observed. To understand the mechanism of ELM triggering by jogging, a toy model of the edge toroidal current has been built and tested with DIII-D experiment data. The experimental data and model suggest that when the plasma moves down toward the X-point, a net positive toroidal current is locally induced in the edge region. ELITE stability analysis suggests that this current pushes the plasma state across the peeling side of the peeling–ballooning stability boundary into the unstable region triggering ELMs.

ELM pacing↗

Driven acoustic oscillations within a vertical magnetic field

The effects of a vertical magnetic field on p-mode frequencies, line widths, and eigenfunctions, are examined. A solar model, consisting of a neutrally stable polytropic interior matched to an isothermal chromosphere, is applied. The p-modes are produced by a spatially distributed driver. The atmosphere is threaded by a constant vertical magnetic field. The frequency shifts due to the vertical magnetic field are found to be much smaller than the shifts caused by horizontal fields of similar strength. A large vertical field of 2000 G produces shifts of several nHz. It is found that the frequency shifts decrease with increasing frequency and increase with field strength. The coupling of the acoustic fast mode to the escaping slow modes is inefficient. Constant vertical magnetic field models are therefore incapable of explaining the high level of absorption observed in sunspots and plage.

Hindman, Bradley W.↗

The influence of a vertical magnetic field on oscillations in an isothermal stratified atmosphere

The effect of a uniform vertical magnetic field on the modes of an isothermal stratified atmosphere is examined. The general solutions of the wave equation for an isothermal magnetized medium are given. Asymptotic expansions of these solutions are presented in the strong- and weak-field limits. For a weak field, it is found that, to lowest order of the present perturbation expansion, the oscillation spectrum can be analyzed in terms of p- and g-like modes, magnetic Lamb modes, and magnetic or slow modes. The frequency corrections for each of the modes due to coupling with the remaining modes are calculated. It is demonstrated that when the frequencies of different modes are almost identical, strong mode coupling occurs and the waves acquire a mixed character. An analysis of the solutions in the vicinity of the degenerate frequencies is carried out. The solutions reveal the presence of avoided crossings, which occur at the otherwise degenerate frequencies. Examples of different types of avoided crossings are given.

Hasan, S. S.↗