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At least 397 records · Page 22

The Forced Annual Wobble in Earth's Polar Motion

The annual wobble in Earth's polar motion is a forced motion, as opposed to an excited natural oscillation which is the Chandler wobble in the case of polar motion. It is forced by the combination of many angular momentum variations in the geophysical fluids that exchange these variations with the solid Earth, hence changing its rotation. Among all forcing sources of the annual wobble the geophysical fluid that has the dominant contribution is the atmosphere, while the oceans and the land hydrology make up the remaining budget together with tidal influences. The latter include that from the solid Earth deformation and that from the ocean tides at the annual period. The combined forcing produces both prograde and retrograde wobbles; the prograde wobble gets magnified substantially by the near-by presence of the natural Chandler wobble resonance. On the other hand, the closeness of the prograde annual forcing power to the Chandler period is an indication that some of the power leakage into the Chandler period band becomes the main excitation source for the Chandler wobble. In this paper we will review our knowledge about annual wobble and show the status in the effort of closing the budget with the annual angular momentum variations from the various geophysical fluids.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

Computer program for supersonic Kernel-function flutter analysis of thin lifting surfaces

This report describes a computer program (program D2180) that has been prepared to implement the analysis described in (N71-10866) for calculating the aerodynamic forces on a class of harmonically oscillating planar lifting surfaces in supersonic potential flow. The planforms treated are the delta and modified-delta (arrowhead) planforms with subsonic leading and supersonic trailing edges, and (essentially) pointed tips. The resulting aerodynamic forces are applied in a Galerkin modal flutter analysis. The required input data are the flow and planform parameters including deflection-mode data, modal frequencies, and generalized masses.

Cunningham, H. J.↗

Sympathetic restraint of respiratory sinus arrhythmia: implications for vagal-cardiac tone assessment in humans

Clinicians and experimentalists routinely estimate vagal-cardiac nerve traffic from respiratory sinus arrhythmia. However, evidence suggests that sympathetic mechanisms may also modulate respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Our study examined modulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia by sympathetic outflow. We measured R-R interval spectral power in 10 volunteers that breathed sequentially at 13 frequencies, from 15 to 3 breaths/min, before and after beta-adrenergic blockade. We fitted changes of respiratory frequency R-R interval spectral power with a damped oscillator model: frequency-dependent oscillations with a resonant frequency, generated by driving forces and modified by damping influences. beta-Adrenergic blockade enhanced respiratory sinus arrhythmia at all frequencies (at some, fourfold). The damped oscillator model fit experimental data well (39 of 40 ramps; r = 0.86 +/- 0.02). beta-Adrenergic blockade increased respiratory sinus arrhythmia by amplifying respiration-related driving forces (P < 0.05), without altering resonant frequency or damping influences. Both spectral power data and the damped oscillator model indicate that cardiac sympathetic outflow markedly reduces heart period oscillations at all frequencies. This challenges the notion that respiratory sinus arrhythmia is mediated simply by vagal-cardiac nerve activity. These results have important implications for clinical and experimental estimation of human vagal cardiac tone.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Galilean covariant harmonic oscillator

A Galilean covariant approach to classical mechanics of a single particle is described. Within the proposed formalism, all non-covariant force laws defining acting forces which become to be defined covariantly by some differential equations are rejected. Such an approach leads out of the standard classical mechanics and gives an example of non-Newtonian mechanics. It is shown that the exactly solvable linear system of differential equations defining forces contains the Galilean covariant description of harmonic oscillator as its particular case. Additionally, it is demonstrated that in Galilean covariant classical mechanics the validity of the second Newton law of dynamics implies the Hooke law and vice versa. It is shown that the kinetic and total energies transform differently with respect to the Galilean transformations.

Horzela, Andrzej↗

Two-dimensional oscillating airfoil test apparatus

A two-dimensional oscillating airfoil test apparatus is presented as a method of measuring unsteady aerodynamic forces on an airfoil or rotor blade section. The oscillating airfoil test rig, which was built for use in NASA Ames Research Center's 11x11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel (speed range M = 0.4 - 1.4), allows determination of unsteady loadings and detailed pressure distributions on representative airfoil sections undergoing simulated pitching and flapping motions. The design details of the motion generating system and supporting structure are presented.

Gibson, F. L.↗

Two-dimensional oscillating airfoil test apparatus

A two dimensional oscillating airfoil test apparatus is presented as a method of measuring unsteady aerodynamic forces on an airfoil or rotor blade section. The oscillating airfoil test rig, which is being built for use in an 11 X 11-foot transonic wind tunnel (speed range M = 0.4 - 1.4), will allow determination of unsteady loadings and detailed pressure distributions on representative airfoil sections undergoing simulated pitching and flapping motions. The design details of the motion generating system and supporting structure are presented. This apparatus is now in the construction phase.

Gibson, F. L.↗

Nonlinear evolution of magnetic flux ropes. I - Low-beta limit

We study the nonlinear self-similar evolution of a cylindrical magnetic flux tube with two components of the magnetic field, axial and azimuthal. We restrict ourselves to the case of a plasma of low beta. Introducing a special class of configurations we call 'separable fields', we reduce the problem to an ordinary differential equation. Two cases are to be distinguished: (1) when the total field minimizes on the symmetry axis, the magnetic configuration inexorably collapses, and (2) when, on the other hand, the total field maximizes on the symmetry axis, the magnetic configuration behaves analogously to a nonlinear oscillator. Here we focus on the latter case. The effective potential of the motion contains two terms: a strong repulsive term and a weak restoring term associated with the pinch. We solve the nonlinear differential equation of motion numerically and find that the period of oscillations grows exponentially with the energy of the oscillator. Our treatment emphasizes the role of the force-free configuration as the lowest potential energy state about which the system oscillates.

Osherovich, V. A.↗

Wave Driven Non-linear Flow Oscillator for the 22-Year Solar Cycle

In the Earth's atmosphere, a zonal flow oscillation is observed with periods between 20 and 32 months, the Quasi Biennial Oscillation. This oscillation does not require external time dependent forcing but is maintained by non-linear wave momentum deposition. It is proposed that such a mechanism also drives long-period oscillations in planetary and stellar interiors. We apply this mechanism to generate a flow oscillation for the 22-year solar cycle. The oscillation would occur just below the convective envelope where waves can propagate. Using scale analysis, we present results from a simplified model that incorporates Hines' gravity wave parameterization. Wave amplitudes less than 10 m/s can produce reversing zonal flows of 25 m/s that should be sufficient to generate a corresponding oscillation in the poloidal magnetic field. Low buoyancy frequency and the associated increase in turbulence help to produce the desired oscillation period of the flow.

Mayr, Hans G.↗

On forced RF generation of CW magnetrons for accelerators

CW magnetrons, initially developed for industrial RF heaters, were suggested to power RF cavities of superconducting accelerators due to their higher efficiency and lower cost than traditionally used klystrons, IOTs or solid-state amplifiers. RF amplifiers driven by a master oscillator serve as coherent RF sources. CW magnetrons are regenerative RF generators with a huge regenerative gain. This causes regenerative instability with a quite large noise when a magnetron operates with the anode voltage above the threshold of self-excitation. Traditionally, an injection locking by a small signal is used for stabilization of magnetrons. In this case CW magnetrons with the injection-locked oscillations generate a high level of noise. This may preclude use of standard CW magnetrons in this operating mode in the Superconducting RF (SRF) accelerators. In this article we described a method developed for forced RF generation of CW magnetrons when the magnetron startup is provided by the injected forcing signal and the regenerative noise is suppressed. The method is most suitable for powering high Q-factor cavities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Solar Cycle Variations and Equatorial Oscillations: Modeling Study

Solar cycle activity effects (SCAE) in the lower and middle atmosphere, reported in several studies, are difficult to explain on the basis of the small changes in solar radiation that accompany the 11-year cycle, It is therefore natural to speculate that dynamical processes may come into play to produce a leverage. Such a leverage may be provided by the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in the zonal circulation of the stratosphere, which has been linked to solar activity variations. Driven primarily by wave mean flow interaction, the QBO period and its amplitude are variable but are also strongly influenced by the seasonal cycle in the solar radiation. This influence extends to low altitudes referred to as "downward control". Relatively small changes in solar radiative forcing can produce small changes in the period and phase of the QBO, but this in turn can produce measurable differences in the wind field. Thus, the QBO may be an amplifier of solar activity variations and a natural conduit of these variations to lower altitudes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments with a 2D (two-dimensional) version of our Numerical Spectral Model that incorporates Hines' Doppler Spread Parameterization for small-scale gravity waves (GW). Solar cycle radiance variations (SCRV) are accounted for by changing the radiative heating rate on a logarithmic scale from 0.1 % at the surface to 1 % at 50 km to 10% at 100 km. With and without SCRV, but with the same GW flux, we then conduct numerical experiments to evaluate the magnitude of the SCAE in the zonal circulation. The numerical results indicate that, under certain conditions, the SCAE is significant and can extend to lower altitudes where the SCRV is inconsequential. At 20-km the differences in the modeled wind velocities are as large as 5 m/s. For a modeled QBO period of 30 months, we find that the seasonal cycle in the solar forcing (through the Semi-annual Oscillation (SAO)) acts as a strong pacemaker to lockup the phase and period of the QBO. The SCAE then shows up primarily as a distinct but relatively weak amplitude modulation. But with the QBO period between 30 and 34 (or less than 30, presumably) months, the seasonal phase lock is weak. Solar flux radiance variations in the seasonal cycle then cause variations in the QBO period and phase that amplify the SCAE to produce relatively large variations in the wind field. These variations also extend to mid latitudes.

Mayr, H. G.↗

Large amplitude forcing of a high speed 2-dimensional jet

The effect of large amplitude forcing on the growth of a high speed two dimensional jet was investigated experimentally. Two forcing techniques were utilized: mass flow oscillations and a mechanical system. The mass flow oscillation tests were conducted at Strouhal numbers from 0.00052 to 0.045, and peak to peak amplitudes up to 50 percent of the mean exit velocity. The exit Mach number was varied in the range 0.15 to 0.8. The corresponding Reynolds numbers were 8,400 and 45,000. The results indicate no significant change of the jet growth rate or centerline velocity decay compared to the undisturbed free jet. The mechanical forcing system consists of two counter rotating hexagonal cylinders located parallel to the span of the nozzle. Forcing frequencies up to 1,500 Hz were tested. Both symmetric and antisymmetric forcing can be implemented. The results for antisymmetric forcing showed a significant (75 percent) increase of the jet growth rate at an exit Mach number of 0.25 and a Strouhal number of 0.019. At higher rotational speeds, the jet deflected laterally. A deflection angle of 39 deg with respect to the centerline was measured at the maximum rotational speed.

Bernal, L.↗

High-Order Simulation of Non-Linear Oscillations and Shocks in the Solar Atmosphere

The solar atmosphere presents a rich source of highly non-linear magneto-hydrodynamic phenomena: strong gradients and forcing terms result in both large shocks and oscillations. The additional requirements of energy balance and initialization in hydrostatic equilibrium compound the challenge of this problem. A wealth of observational data allows us to check the results of our simulations. The problem of simulating the solar atmosphere provides, in addition to an interesting system in its own right, a challenging testbed for high-order shock-capturing methods. We discuss the challenge of simulating solar atmospheric phenomena, concentrating on various high-order central methods ranging from second to fourth order. Our method is based on the central-upwind scheme of Kurganov, Noelle and Petrova, which we extend to high order via various interpolants. We investigate various initial data for our simulations, corresponding to observed conditions in different regions of the solar surface: the normal quiet sun and sunspots. When non-oscillatory using second- and third-order methods, we are able to reproduce non-trivial observational results. In particular we find a correlation between initial data and both the shock speeds and particle oscillation spectra that match observations in the corresponding regions. When using fourth-order WENO interpolants, we find that while the individual shock profiles at any given time appear non-oscillatory, spurious oscillations appear in the fields after long time integrations. The issue of initialization in hydrostatic equilibrium raises difficult issues. Careful treatment of the gravitational source term can reduce violations of hydrostatic equilibrium, but difficulties remain, primarily due to discontinuities in the piecewise-polynomial reconstructions. In the case of the Euler equations in gravity, the use of high-order methods reduces the violation of hydrostatic equilibrium to a sufficiently low level for the above described results to be obtained. Including various energy flux terms in the equations, however, leads to severe instability when hydrostatic balance is violated. We discuss various strategies to address this problem, including adaptive grid methods.

Bryson, S.↗

Tropical Cumulus Convection and Upward Propagating Waves in Middle Atmospheric GCMs

It is recognized that the resolved tropical wave spectrum can vary considerably between general circulation models (GCMs) and that these differences can have an important impact on the simulated climate. A comprehensive comparison of the waves is presented for the December-January-February period using high-frequency (three-hourly) data archives from eight GCMs and one simple model participating in the GCM Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC (GRIPS). Quantitative measures of the structure and causes of the wavenumber-frequency structure of resolved waves and their impacts on the climate are given. Space-time spectral analysis reveals that the wave spectrum throughout the middle atmosphere is linked to variability of convective precipitation, which is determined by the parameterized convection. The variability of the precipitation spectrum differs by more than an order of magnitude between the models, with additional changes in the spectral distribution (especially the frequency). These differences can be explained primarily by the choice of different, cumulus par amet erizations: quasi-equilibrium mass-flux schemes tend to produce small variability, while the moist-convective adjustment scheme is most active. Comparison with observational estimates of precipitation variability suggests that the model values are scattered around the truth. This result indicates that a significant portion of the forcing of the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is provided by waves with scales that are not resolved in present-day GCMs, since only the moist convective adjustment scheme (which has the largest transient variability) can force a QBO in models that have no parameterization of non-stationary gravity waves. Parameterized cumulus convection also impacts the nonmigrating tides in the equatorial region. In most of the models, momentum transport by diurnal nonmigrating tides in the mesosphere is larger than that by Kelvin waves, being more significant than has been thought. It is shown that the equatorial semi-annual oscillation in the models examined is driven mainly by gravity waves with periods shorter than three days, with at least some contribution from parameterized gravity waves; the contribution from the ultra-fast zonal wavenumber-1 Kelvin waves is negligible.

Horinouchi, T.↗

A model El Nino-Southern Oscillation

A coupled atmosphere-ocean model is developed and used to study the ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation) phenomenon. With no anomalous external forcing, the coupled model reproduces certain key features of the observed phenomenon, including the recurrence of warm events at irregular intervals with a preference for three to four years. It is shown that the mean sea surface temperature, wind and ocean current fields determine the characteristic spatial structure of ENSO anomalies. The tendency for phase-locking of anomalies is explained in terms of a variation in coupling strength associated with the annual cycle in the mean fields. Sensitivity studies reveal that both the amplitude and the time scale of the oscillation are sensitive to several parameters that affect the strength of the atmosphere-ocean coupling. Stronger coupling implies larger oscillations with a longer timescale. A critical element of the model oscillation is the variability in the equatorial heat content of the upper ocean. Equatorial heat content increases prior to warm events and decreases sharply during the events. A theory for this variability and the associated transitions between non-El Nino and El Nino states is presented. Implications of the model results for the prediction of El Nino events are discussed.

Zebiak, Stephen E.↗

On the oscillation of the laterally heterogeneous earth, 1

The perturbative effects, as cause by lateral inhomogeneities in the earth structure and by Coriolis force, contaminate the originally toroidal and spheroidal earth's oscillations, making them of mixed type. For this reason, in order to make the computation of the perturbations more uniform and homogeneous, it was suggested that the earth's free oscillations be expanded into a series in terms of generalized harmonics familiar from the theory of angular momentum in quantum mechanics. Making use of Gibbsian symbolism and of some operators from the theory of angular momentum, explicit expressions were deduced for the perturbative terms in the differential equation of the earth's free oscillations. Decomposition of the strain tensor in terms of canonical vectors was also obtained.

Musen, P.↗