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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 361 records · Page 20

Horizontal eddy diffusivities in the northern hemispheric stratosphere and lower mesosphere

Meteorological rocket soundings, representative of low, middle, and high altitudes, are employed with the use of the statistical theory of diffusion, to determine the zonal and meridional component of eddy diffusivity between 30 and 55 km as a function of season, latitude, and altitude. A comparison is also made between annualry-averaged eddy diffusivities above and below 30 km. It is shown that the zonal component of eddy diffusivity is approximately three to five times as large as the meridional component, in most cases. Both components of eddy diffusivity varied greatly with season, latitude, and altitude. Highest eddy diffusivities occurred in the vicinity of the winter westerly jet located near the tropopause and in the stratosphere at 35 km, 40 deg N. Annually, a minimum of eddy diffusivity occurred near 20 km. In most cases, the zonal component of the eddy diffusivity was approximately three to five times as large as the meridional component. The meridional cross-sections of the zonal and meridional components of the eddy diffusivity in the northern hemisphere are presented.

Kao, S. K.↗

Draining characteristics of hemispherically bottomed cylinders in a low-gravity environment

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the phenomenon of vapor ingestion during the draining of a scale model, hemispherically bottomed cylindrical tank in a low-gravity environment. Where possible, experimental results are compared with previously obtained numerical predictions. It was observed that certain combinations of Weber and Bond number resulted in draining-induced axisymmetric slosh motion. The periods of the slosh waves were correlated with the square root of the draining parameter, the ratio (Weber number)/(Bond number plus one), as was the quantity of liquid remaining in the tank when vapor was ingested into the outlet line.

Symons, E. P.↗

Soft diffuse X-rays in the southern galactic hemisphere

A map is presented of the soft X-ray diffuse background flux in the C band (approximately 0.13-0.28 keV) covering almost all of the southern galactic hemisphere. A comparison at constant galactic latitude of both C band and B band (about 0.1-0.18 keV) soft X-ray data with neutral-hydrogen maps shows that the intensity does decrease with increasing neutral-hydrogen column density but in a manner that is inconsistent with photoelectric absorption. It is suggested that the inverse correlation is a displacement effect. X-ray emission regions appear to be where the cool gas is not. Further, the evidence against photoelectric absorption implies that the bulk of the cool gas is beyond the X-ray emitting regions. Fewer than 10 to the 20th power H atoms per sq cm can be between the sun and the X-ray emitting regions. The sun appears to be surrounded by a soft X-ray emission region consisting of gas at a temperature of about 1 million K.

Sanders, W. T.↗

Lubricating and wear mechanisms for a hemisphere sliding on polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride film

Friction, wear life, rider wear, and film wear for a 440 C high-temperature-stainless-steel, hemispherically tipped rider sliding against polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films were evaluated in a moist-air atmosphere at 25 C. Optical microscope and surface profilometry observations were made at various sliding intervals to determine how film thickness affected the lubricating and failure mechanisms of the films. Two lubrication regimes operated for the same load. In the first, the film supported the load and the lubricating mechanism consisted of the shear (plastic flow) of a thin layer of the lubricant between the metallic rider and the film surface. In the second, the film did not support the load (it was worn away) and the lubricating mechanism consisted of the shear of very thin lubricant films between flat areas generated on the rider and on sandblasted metallic asperities in the film wear track. Lubricant was supplied from the valleys between the asperities or from the sides of the wear track. With thicker films, wear life increased since a greater lubricant supply was available from the sides of the wear track.

Fusaro, R. L.↗

Search for H2 emission at 2.1 microns in ten southern hemisphere sources

The 2.12-micron line of molecular hydrogen was searched for in emission from a variety of southern hemisphere objects, including infrared sources associated with molecular clouds and H II regions, the galactic center, and three external galaxies. Negative results are reported for all sources.

Scoville, N. Z.↗

A history of Mars atmospheric opacity in the southern hemisphere during the Viking extended mission

A history of developing opacity in the Mars southern hemisphere during the Viking extended mission has been compiled using orbiter images obtained at high altitude. Observations of changing contrasts under similar viewing conditions have been modeled by multiple-scattering intensity transfer equations that have produced a temporal description of changes in optical depth and particle-scattering properties within a network of control points. The results are presented in the form of Mercator and perspective plots for various dates.

Thorpe, T. E.↗

The 'Little Ice Age' - Northern Hemisphere average observations and model calculations

Numerical energy balance climate model calculations of the average surface temperature of the Northern Hemisphere for the past 400 years are compared with a new reconstruction of the past climate. Forcing with volcanic dust produces the best simulation, whereas expressing the solar constant as a function of the envelope of the sunspot number gives very poor results.

Robock, A.↗

Photometry of Southern Hemisphere red dwarf stars

Results are presented for a photometric investigation of a spectroscopically selected sample of red dwarf stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Absolute magnitudes and distances for the stars are estimated from broadband red colors. Three stars which may be subluminous are identified, as are several stars which may be within 25 pc. The tangential velocity and velocity dispersion of the sample are similar to values found in other studies of nearby late-type stars.

Weistrop, D.↗

Stratospheric ozone response to a solar proton event - Hemispheric asymmetries

Large-scale stratospheric ozone reduction due to precipitating energetic solar protons is examined, based on the backscattered ultraviolet experiment on the Nimbus 4 satellite during the 1972 solar flare. Some chemical equations for the processes are outlined. Distinct asymmetries in the columnar ozone content, the amount of ozone depression, and their temporal variation above 4 mb level (about 38 km) were observed between the two hemispheres. These asymmetries are ascribed to the differences mainly in dynamics and partly in the solar illumination and the vertical temperature structure between the summer and the winter polar atmospheres.

Maeda, K.↗

Quasi-linear blocks forced by orography in a hemispheric, quasi-geostrophic barotropic model

Stationary linear perturbation responses to Northern Hemisphere orography are calculated in a quasi-geostrophic barotropic model in solid-body rotation. The stationary mountain torque induced by these perturbations is then used to construct graphical solutions to the steady-state wave, mean-flow interaction problem. It is shown that multiple solutions exist in the system and are near either the forcing equilibrium of the zonal forcing or near the resonance points in the system. Some of these near-resonance solutions have block-like configurations with a confluence zone upstream from a large-amplitude structure consisting of a high at high latitudes and a low at low latitudes. These block-like configurations are shown to be near stable solutions of the system. Time-dependent calculations show that the initial state and the zonal forcing equilibrium are important in determining the long-term time evolution of the system.

Roads, J. O.↗

Large amplitude stationary Rossby waves in the Southern Hemisphere

Large Amplitude stationary waves downstream of South America, and in the lee of Australia were investigated using Tiros N photographs. These waves appear to be Rossby lee waves associated with anomalous poleward flow over the Andes and by continental heating over Australia. The waves have a maximum amplitude near 300 mb between 20 and 40 deg S and correlate well with observed precipitation bands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The orientation of these waves is such that they transfer zonal momentum to the roaring forties latitudes. Stationary Rossby waves, in the Northern Hemisphere, have a characteristic wavelength of the order of 120 deg longitude. In January the observed stationary wavelengths have a wavelength of less than 60 deg longitude with an amplitude in the upper tropospheric meridional wind of more than 15 m sec E-1.

Kalnay, E.↗

Seasonal cycle of heights, temperatures and sea level pressure over the Northern Hemisphere

The annual and semiannual cycles of sea level pressure and surface temperature over the Northern Hemisphere are documented. The annual cycles in the geopotential height fields for several levels are also examined. It was found that the continental winter maxima in the sea level pressure field extended upward to near the 700 mb level. At 500 mb and above, however, they found that the annual cycle exhibits summertime maxima over both sea and land.

Doty, B.↗

Trends of atmospheric methane in the Southern Hemisphere

Atmospheric observations spanning the past three years show that methane increased at 1.2 (plus or minus 0.3)% per year at Cape Grim in Tasmania (41 deg S). This rate of increase can be compared to the 1.9 (plus or minus 0.4)% per year observed at Cape Meares in Oregon (45 deg N) over the past two years. Over the corresponding period the concentration at Cape Grim increased by 1.4 (plus or minus 0.4)% per year. The Southern Hemisphere data also suggest seasonal variations with minimum concentrations in March and maximum in September. These results are based on 26 large-volume stable air samples collected cryogenically in stainless steel flasks and 75 smaller-volume air samples collected in glass flasks, all analyzed by a gas chromatograph using a flame ionization detector.

Fraser, P. J.↗

Natural and anthropogenic trace gases in the southern hemisphere

The complexity of the global environment makes it necessary that many important trace gases in the earth's atmosphere be measured on a global scale before predictions can be made regarding the effects of human activities on the environment. A description is presented of measurements of 14 atmospheric trace gases in the lower atmosphere (0-4 km) of the southern hemisphere. Concentrations are considered of CCl3F, CCl2F2, CHClF2, C2.Cl3.F3, CH3CCl3, CCl4, C2.Cl4, CH3I, CHCl3, CO, CH3Cl, CH4, N2O, and OCS. The obtained data are analyzed and interpreted to statistically quantify the possible differences of concentrations in and above the boundary layer, to model the vertical profile of CH3I, and to use the data in support of previous findings that CH4 is increasing in the atmosphere.

Rasmussen, R. A.↗

Volcanoes and volcanic provinces - Martian western hemisphere

The recognition of some Martian landforms as volcanoes is based on their morphology and geologic setting. Other structures, however, may exhibit classic identifying features to a varying or a less degree; these may be only considered provisionally as having a volcanic origin. Regional geologic mapping of the western hemisphere of Mars from Viking images has revealed many more probable volcanoes and volcanotectonic features than were recognized on Mariner 9 pictures. These abundant volcanoes have been assigned to several distinct provinces on the basis of their areal distribution. Although the Olympus-Tharsis region remains as the principle center of volcanism on Mars, four other important provinces are now also recognized: the lowland plains, Tempe Terra plateau, southern highlands (in the Phaethontis and Thaumasia quadrangles), and a probable ignimbrite province, situated along the highland-lowland boundary in Amazonis Planitia. Volcanoes in any one province vary in morphlogy, size, and age, but volcanoes in each province tend to have common characteristics that distinguish that particular group.

Scott, D. H.↗

Large-scale energy transformations in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere

The kinetic energy balance and kinetic energy sources are studied for high latitudes north of 55 deg N with twice daily upper air observations during a seven-year period from 1973 to 1979. Energy variables are presented for 5 deg latitudinal zones from 55 to 75 deg N and for the polar cap north of 75 deg N. Spatial distributions of important energy variables are also presented. The upper level maximum of the cross-isobaric generation in high latitudes is observed in th lower stratosphere above the tropopause level in the winter and becomes insignificant during the summer. The flux convergence of potential energy from the source in lower latitudes is identified as the single major source for kinetic energy in higher latitudes. The contribution of the baroclinic conversion is minor. Examination during the First GARP Global Experiment winter indicates that the cold air outbreaks of the Asian winter monsoon are associated with noticeable changes in the hemispherical distributions of the fields of vertical motion and energetics in the high latitudes.

Kung, E. C.↗

Interannual variability and predictability of 500 mb geopotential heights over the Northern Hemisphere

The interannual variability of monthly mean 500 mb heights in a 15-year sample of observed data is compared to the variance expected from sampling errors associated with high-frequency fluctuations using the analysis of variance approach. The monthly mean 'signal' stands out significantly from the 'noise' over a substantial fraction of the Northern Hemisphere during the winter. The expected spectrum of variance at very low frequencies is assumed to be white at frequencies lower than per (30 days) rather than the per (96 days) cutoff used by Madden. This difference is justified by observing that the effective time between independent samples T(0) is relatively insensitive to changes in the maximum lag over which the local autocorrelation is integrated to calculate T(0). Further non-randomness in the variance of 500 mb heights is evidenced by the correlation between monthly mean height and contemporaneous daily variability.

Shukla, J.↗

Estimates of the seasonal mean vertical velocity fields of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere

Indirect methods are employed to estimate the wintertime and summertime mean vertical velocity fields of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere and intercomparisons are made, together with comparisons with mean seasonal patterns of cloudiness and precipitation. Twice-daily NMC operational analyses produced general circulation statistics for 11 winters and 12 summers, permitting calculation of the seasonal NMC averages for 6 hr forecasts, solution of the omega equation, integration of continuity equation downward from 100 mb, and solution of the thermodynamic energy equation in the absence of diabatic heating. The methods all yielded similar vertical velocity patterns; however, the magnitude of the vertical velocities could not be calculated with great accuracy. Orography was concluded to have less of an effect in summer than in winter, when winds are stronger.

White, G. H.↗