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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
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NASA NTRS1993

Why does the earth spin forward?

The spins of the terrestrial planets likely arose as the planets formed by the accretion of planetesimals. Depending on the masses of the impactors, the planet's final spin can either be imparted by many small bodies (ordered accretion), in which case the spin is determined by the mean angular momentum of the impactors, or by a few large bodies (stochastic accretion), in which case the spin is a random variable whose distribution is determined by the rms angular momentum of the impactors. In the case of ordered accretion, the planet's obliquity is expected to be near 0 or 180 deg, whereas, if accretion is stochastic, there should be a wide range of obliquities. Analytic arguments and extensive orbital integrations are used to calculate the expected distributions of spin rate and obliquity as a function of the planetesinal mass and velocity distributions. The results imply that the spins of the terrestrial planets are determined by stochastic accretion.

Dones, Luke↗
NASA NTRS1992

The meteorology of Titan

Current knowledge of Titan's meteorology is reviewed, including diagnostic inferences of the large scale wind field and prognostic studies of thermal and momentum balances. Titan's winds were largely inferred from temperature maps whose spatial coverage is incomplete. The inferred winds are cyclostrophic, approximately 75 m/s in the upper stratosphere. The direction of the winds is ambiguous from the temperature data, but arguments based on the spin up of a planetary atmosphere from an initial state of rest strongly suggest that Titan's winds blow predominantly in the direction of the planetary rotation. Stratospheric temperatures exhibit a north-south asymmetry, suggesting that seasonal variations are controlled by a dynamical inertia associated with the need to transport angular momentum as well as heat. A consideration of the global angular momentum balance indicates that the zonally averaged winds near the surface are approximately 0.3 m/s.

Flasar, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

AO/NAO Response to Climate Change: Respective Influences of Stratospheric and Tropospheric Climate Changes - 1

We utilize the GISS Global Climate Middle Atmosphere Model and 8 different climate change experiments, many of them focused on stratospheric climate forcings, to assess the relative influence of tropospheric and stratospheric climate change on the extratropical circulation indices (Arctic Oscillation, AO; North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO). The experiments are run in two different ways: with variable sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to allow for a full tropospheric climate response, and with specified SSTs to minimize the tropospheric change. The results show that tropospheric warming (cooling) experiments and stratospheric cooling (warming) experiments produce more positive (negative) AO/NAO indices. For the typical magnitudes of tropospheric and stratospheric climate changes, the tropospheric response dominates; results are strongest when the tropospheric and stratospheric influences are producing similar phase changes. Both regions produce their effect primarily by altering wave propagation and angular momentum transports, but planetary wave energy changes accompanying tropospheric climate change are also important. Stratospheric forcing has a larger impact on the NAO than on the AO, and the angular momentum transport changes associated with it peak in the upper troposphere, affecting all wavenumbers. Tropospheric climate changes influence both the A0 and NAO with effects that extend throughout the troposphere. For both forcings there is often vertical consistency in the sign of the momentum transport changes, obscuring the difference between direct and indirect mechanisms for influencing the surface circulation.

Rind, D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Bar-spheroid interaction in galaxies

N-body simulation and linear analysis is employed to investigate the secular evolution of barred galaxies, with emphasis on the interaction between bars and spheroidal components of galaxies. This interaction is argued to drive secular transfer of angular momentum from bars to spheroids, primarily through resonant coupling. A moderately strong bar, having mass within corotation about 0.3 times the enclosed spheroid mass, is predicted to shed all its angular momentum typically in less than about 10 exp 9 yr. Even shorter depletion time scales are found for relatively more massive bars. It is suggested either that spheroids around barred galaxies are structured so as to inhibit strong coupling with bars, or that bars can form by unknown processes long after disks are established. The present models reinforce the notion that bars can drive secular evolution in galaxies.

Hernquist, Lars↗
NASA NTRS2004

A New Approach to Attitude Stability and Control for Low Airspeed Vehicles

This paper describes an approach for controlling the attitude of statically unstable thrust-levitated vehicles in hover or slow translation. The large thrust vector that characterizes such vehicles can be modulated to provide control forces and moments to the airframe, but such modulation is accompanied by significant unsteady flow effects. These effects are difficult to model, and can compromise the practical value of thrust vectoring in closed-loop attitude stability, even if the thrust vectoring machinery has sufficient bandwidth for stabilization. The stabilization approach described in this paper is based on using internal angular momentum transfer devices for stability, augmented by thrust vectoring for trim and other "outer loop" control functions. The three main components of this approach are: (1) a z-body axis angular momentum bias enhances static attitude stability, reducing the amount of control activity needed for stabilization, (2) optionally, gimbaled reaction wheels provide high-bandwidth control torques for additional stabilization, or agility, and (3) the resulting strongly coupled system dynamics are controlled by a multivariable controller. A flight test vehicle is described, and nonlinear simulation results are provided that demonstrate the efficiency of the approach.

Lim, K. B.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Gravitational scattering of zero-rest-mass plane waves

The Feyman-diagram technique is used to calculate the differential cross sections for the scattering of zero-rest-mass plane waves of spin 0, 1, and 2 by linearized Schwarzschild and Kerr geometries in the long-wavelength weak-field limit. It is found that the polarization of right (or left) circularly polarized electromagnetic waves is unaffected by the scattering process (i.e., helicity is conserved) and that the two helicity (polarization) states of the photon are scattered differently by the Kerr geometry. This coupling between the photon helicity and the angular momentum of the scatterer also leads to a partial polarization of unpolarized incident light. For gravitational waves, on the other hand, there is neither helicity conservation nor helicity-dependent scattering; the angular momentum of the scatterer has no polarizing effect on incident unpolarized gravitational waves.

De Logi, W. K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Bias Momentum Sizing for Hovering Dual-Spin Platforms

An atmospheric flight vehicle in hover is typically controlled by varying its thrust vector. Achieving both levitation and attitude control with the propulsion system places considerable demands on it for agility and precision, particularly if the vehicle is statically unstable, or nearly so. These demands can be relaxed by introducing an appropriately sized angular momentum bias aligned with the vehicle's yaw axis, thus providing an additional margin of attitude stability about the roll and pitch axes. This paper describes a methodical approach for trading off angular momentum bias level needed with desired levels of vehicle response due to the design disturbance environment given a vehicle's physical parameters. It also describes several simplifications that provide a more physical and intuitive understanding of dual-spin dynamics for hovering atmospheric vehicles. This approach also mitigates the need for control torques and inadvertent actuator saturation difficulties in trying to stabilize a vehicle via control torques produced by unsteady aerodynamics, thrust vectoring, and unsteady throttling. Simulation results, based on a subscale laboratory test flying platform, demonstrate significant improvements in the attitude control robustness of the vehicle with respect to both wind disturbances and off-center of gravity payload changes during flight.

Lim, Kyong B.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Bias Momentum Sizing for Hovering Dual-Spin Platforms

An atmospheric flight vehicle in hover is typically controlled by varying its thrust vector. Achieving both levitation and control with the propulsion system places considerable demands on it for agility and precision, particularly if the vehicle is statically unstable, or nearly so. These demands can be relaxed by introducing an appropriately sized angular momentum bias about the vehicle's yaw axis, thus providing an additional margin of attitude stability about the roll and pitch axes. This paper describes an approach for specifying the appropriate size of such angular momentum bias, based on the vehicle s physical parameters and its disturbance environment. It also describes several simplifications that provide a more physical and intuitive understanding of the dynamics. This will enhance the possibility of practically applying this technology to a flying vehicle.

Lim, K. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Formation of the prelunar accretion disk

The collisional origin of the Moon is considered. The angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system is less than sufficient to spin the Earth to rotational instability; nevertheless the mass of the body striking a tangential blow to the protoearth, imparting the angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system to the protoearth is examined.

Cameron, A. G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Modeling the classical nova outburst. I - Exploring the physics of a new mechanism

Model calculations were performed to describe a mechanism that produces classical nova outbursts on white dwarfs of 1 solar mass or less and for accretion rates of 4 x 10 to the -10th solar mass/yr or greater, i.e., the parameters corresponding to observed data of nova systems. Calculations point to four factors that can induce nuclear runaways of sufficient strength to eject about 0.0001 solar mass at speeds of several hundred to a few thousand km per second, as is observed in classical novae. These are (1) the effects of storage of angular momentum in the star's envelope during the accretion phase; (2) the reduction of centrifugal forces in the star's outer layers during the early nuclear runaway phase, through the inward transport of angular momentum; (3) the inward movement of the zone of peak nuclear burning through the convectively induced shear instability during the runaway phase; and (4) the mixing of original CO stellar matter and H-rich matter, also through the convectively induced shear instability.

Kutter, G. Siegfried↗
NASA NTRS1993

The evolution of protoplanetary disks

Accretion disks evolve by transferring angular momentum outwards, which allows mass to flow inwards onto the central object. The radial structure and time-dependent behavior of low-mass, Keplerian, viscous disks is analyzed. Potential mechanisms for the angular momentum transport in disks are reviewed. An evolutionary model of a low mass disk around a pulsar is presented.

Ruden, Steven P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Resonant excitation of internal gravity waves in cluster cooling flows

Orbital motions of galaxies in X-ray clusters will resonantly excite internal gravity waves (g-waves) that propagate in the plasma. The resonance corresponds to a match between the local Brunt-Vaisala oscillation frequency in the plasma and the appropriate Fourier component of the galactic gravitational potential. Radiated internal waves have an inward group velocity that carries them to the central region of the flow where they become tightly wrapped, geometrically amplified, and eventually dissipated. Waves transport energy and angular momentum, but probably not in amounts large enough to grossly alter the structure of a cooling flow, should one be present. All physical flow variables are finite at the resonance, and all energy and angular momentum deposited by a galaxy is carried inward by the waves. Nonlinear density and velocity fluctuations are likely to result from wave amplitude growth in the central regions of the flow, and a connection with the formation of emission-line filaments is a possibility.

Balbus, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Activity-driven structure variations as a cause of period changes in RS Canis Venaticorum-like systems

Magnetic activity cycles of a convective star in a close binary system may lead to orbit period changes through tidal spin-orbit coupling. An increase in the mean magnetic field throughout the convection zone provides an additional pressure support and increases the star's moment of inertia. In order for the system to conserve angular momentum instantaneously, the convective star must reduce its rotation rate. When this happens, the system is no longer synchronous; in particular, the equilibrium tide now suffers a phase lag. A tidal torque must act, transferring angular momentum from the star's rotation to the orbit, lengthening the period. When the field decays, these events reverse and the period shortens. Observed period changes in RS CVn-like systems are of the order delta p/p = 10 to the -6th, implying variations in the mean field strength at the base of the convection zone of approximately 1000 G over time scales of 10-30 yr. It is predicted that the strength of magnetic activity indicators will track orbital period changes in a given system: the period will be largest during the active portion of the magnetic cycle and smallest during the quiescent part.

Van Buren, D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Was the millisecond pulsar in SN1987A spun up or born spinning fast?

It is argued here that the millisecond pulsar in SN1987A has been spun up by accretion. The accreted angular momentum in this case comes from the mixed mantle and helium core of the ejecta, of which roughly 0.1 solar mass fell back during the first day after the explosion. This sizable mass, and hence angular momentum, of the reimploded material is at least partly a consequence of the blue supergiant nature of the progenitor star.

Woosley, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Steering law for parallel mounted double-gimbaled control moment gyros. Revision A

Mounting of double-gimbaled control moment gyros (CMG's) of unlimited outer gimbal angle freedom with all their outer gimbal axes parallel allows drastic simplification of the CMG steering law development hardware. The advantages of the parallel mounting for the CMG steering law development are such that a law could be developed which is applicable to any number of CMG's with arbitrary angular momentum. Parallel mounting of the CMG's in conjunction with the steering law can therefore be considered a CMG kit suitable for many missions of differing momentum requirements. It also means that increasing momentum demands during the design phase of a space vehicle can be easily met by the addition of one or more CMG's of the original momentum capacity rather than a redesign to a larger momentum capacity. Another advantage of the parallel mounting is that the failure of any CMG can be treated like any other, i.e., only one failure mode is possible. The CMG steering law distributes the CMG momentum vectors such that all inner gimbal angles are equal which reduces the rate requirements on the outer gimbal axes. The steering law also spreads the outer gimbals which ensures avoidance of singularities internal to the angular momentum envelope.

Kennel, H. F.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Event Rate for LISA Gravitational Wave Signals from Black Hole-Massive Black Hole Coalescences

Earlier work under a previous grant had been mainly on investigating the event rate for coalescences of white dwarfs or neutron stars with massive black holes (MBHs) in galactic nuclei. Under the new grant, two studies were undertaken. One was an approximate extension of the earlier study to stellar mass black holes as the lighter object, with masses in the range of roughly 3 to 20 solar mass rather than about 1 solar mass. The other was an improved estimate of the confusion noise due to galactic binaries against which the signals from BH-MBH coalescences would have to be detected. In the earlier work, the mass of the white dwarfs (WDs) and neutron stars (NSs) was assumed to be about the same as that of the evolved stars in the density cusp around the galactic center MBH. However, with the BH mass being substantially larger, the sinking down of pHs toward the center (mass segregation) became important, and was included in the model. A single representative mass of 7 solar mass was used. The other main difference involved what happened after the compact object got scattered in close enough to the MBH to start losing appreciable energy and angular momentum by gravitational radiation. For WDs or NSs, it had been found in most cases that the object would be perturbed considerably by other stars in the cusp before much energy had been lost. Thus the angular momentum would either increase enough so that gravitational radiation would be cut off, or would decrease enough so that the WD or NS would plunge into the MBH in just a few revolutions. The latter event would mean that the signal-to noise ratio would not have time to build up, and the event would not be detectable. The ratio of gradual energy loss events to plunges was found to be roughly one to a few percent, and thus substantially decreased the expected rate of detectable events.

Bender, Peter L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A quasi-Lagrangian diagnostic case study of the effect of satellite sounding data assimilation on model cyclone prediction

A quasi-Lagrangian diagnostic study was performed to compare weather forecast accuracy with and without use of satellite data. Attention was focused on the mass and angular momentum budgets of the cyclone. The diagnostic study isolated the effects of physical processes within a cyclone and the effects of transport processes moving with the cyclone. Satellite data furnished different initialization values for horizontal mass and eddy angular momentum. Colder temperatures and weaker stabilities in the NW quadrant lower layers in the budget volume and increased stability in the middle and lower layers of another quadrant were obtained when the satellite data were considered. The addition of satellite data was concluded to have enhanced the accuracy of the forecast.

Vergin, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Rapidly rotating polytropes in general relativity

We construct an extensive set of equilibrium sequences of rotating polytropes in general relativity. We determine a number of important physical parameters of such stars, including maximum mass and maximum spin rate. The stability of the configurations against quasi-radial perturbations is diagnosed. Two classes of evolutionary sequences of fixed rest mass and entropy are explored: normal sequences which behave very much like Newtonian evolutionary sequences, and supramassive sequences which exist solely because of relativistic effects. Dissipation leading to loss of angular momentum causes a star to evolve in a quasi-stationary fashion along an evolutionary sequence. Supramassive sequences evolve towards eventual catastrophic collapse to a black hole. Prior to collapse, the star must spin up as it loses angular momentum, an effect which may provide an observational precursor to gravitational collapse to a black hole.

Cook, Gregory B.↗