Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “column experiments”

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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Temporal and latitudinal variations of stratospheric trace gases - A critical comparison between theory and experiment

Global calculations of stratospheric HOx, Clx, and NOx are presented which include the effects of planetary albedo and diurnal and seasonal variations of the insolation. Comparisons are made with a wide range of atmospheric measurements at different latitudes and altitudes. Agreement between theory and observations is generally within a factor of 2. The theory appears to explain adequately the major features of latitude and seasonal distributions of NO2 and HNO3. The results indicate that mesospheric OH makes an appreciable contribution to the total OH column abundance and strongly suggest that nitrogen oxides exist principally in the form of HNO3 at high latitudes in winter. There are difficulties in reconciling OH, ClO, and O3 observations in the upper stratosphere.

Wofsy, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Dynamics Explorer 1 SOI images of the Antarctic ozone hole

The Dynamics Explorer (DE) satellite carries an Auroral Imaging Package which contains filters designed for performing backscatter ultraviolet measurements to measure total column ozone in the Earth's middle and lower atmosphere. Measurements are obtained at 317.5 mm (to measure ozone absorption) and 360 nm (to measure scene reflectivity). In October 1985 and 1986, measurements were obtained near apogee of the Antarctic ozone hole. The only other high spatial resolution measurements were obtained from the Nimbus 7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) experiment. In October 1987, the Dynamics Explorer apogee had precessed into the Northern Hemisphere preventing measurements of the ozone hole. However, measurements should be obtained from DE of the ozone hole in both 1988 and 1989. Considering that the Nimbus 7 TOMS instrument has long exceeded its expected lifetime, the DE Spin Scan Ozone Imager (SOI) experiment could easily play a crucial role in studies of the ozone hole over the next few years.

Keating, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling Stratospheric Constituents: Reactive Species That Regulate Ozone

Photochemical loss of stratospheric ozone occurs primarily by catalytic cycles whose rates are limited by the concentration of OH, HO2, NO2, ClO, and/or BrO as well as the concentration of either atomic oxygen or of ozone itself. Once the concentrations of these gases are established, the photochemical loss rate of O3 depends on the rate coefficient of only a handful of key reactions. We have developed a method for testing our understanding of stratospheric ozone photochemistry by comparing measured and modeled concentrations of reactive hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine and bromine radicals using a photochemical steady state model constrained by observed concentrations of long-lived precursors (e.g., NO(y), Cl(y), Br(y), O3, H2O, CH4) and environmental parameters such as ozone column, reflectivity, and aerosol surface area. We will show based on analyses of observations obtained by aircraft, balloon, and satellite platforms during the POLARIS campaign that our overall understanding of the processes that regulate these radical species is very good. The most notable current discrepancies are the tendency to underestimate observed NO2 by 15 to 30% for air masses that experience near continuous solar illumination over a 24 hour period and the tendency to underestimate observed OH and H02 by about 10 to 20% during midday and by much larger amounts at high solar zenith angle (SZA > 85). Possible resolutions to these discrepancies will be discussed. This study was carried out in close collaboration with many members of the POLARIS science team.

Salawitch, Ross J.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Radiative Heating Rate Profiles over the Southeast Atlantic Ocean during the 2016 and 2017 Biomass Burning Seasons

Marine boundary layer clouds, including the transition from stratocumulus to cumulus, are poorly represented in numerical weather prediction and general circulation models. Further uncertainties in the cloud structure arise in the presence of biomass burning carbonaceous aerosol, as is the case over the southeast Atlantic Ocean where biomass burning aerosol is transported from the African continent. As the aerosol plume progresses across the southeast Atlantic Ocean, radiative heating within the aerosol layer has the potential to alter the thermodynamic environment and therefore the cloud structure; however, limited work has been done to quantify this along the trajectory of the aerosol plume in the region. The deployment of the First Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Mobile Facility in support of the Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds field campaign provided a unique opportunity to collect observations of cloud and aerosol properties during two consecutive biomass burning seasons during July through October of 2016 and 2017 over Ascension Island (7.96 °S, 14.35 °W). Using observed profiles of temperature, humidity, and clouds from the field campaign, alongside aerosol optical properties from MERRA-2 as input for the Rapid Radiation Transfer Model, profiles of the radiative heating rate due to aerosols and clouds were computed. Radiative heating is also assessed across the southeast Atlantic Ocean using an ensemble of back trajectories from the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model. Idealized experiments using the Rapid Radiation Transfer Model with and without aerosols and a range of values for the single scattering albedo demonstrate that shortwave heating within the aerosol layer above Ascension Island can locally range between 2 and 8 K per day depending on the aerosol optical properties, though impacts of the aerosol can be felt elsewhere in the atmospheric column. When considered under clear conditions, the aerosol has a cooling effect at the TOA and based on the observed cloud properties at Ascension Island, the cloud albedo is not large enough to overcome this. Shortwave radiative heating due to biomass burning aerosol is not balanced by additional longwave cooling, and the net radiative impact results in a stabilization of the lower troposphere. However, these results are extremely sensitive to the single scattering albedo assumptions in models.

Allison B. Marquardt Collow↗
NASA NTRS1996

Effects of Purification on the Crystallization of Lysozyme

We have additionally purified a commercial lysozyme preparation by cation exchange chromatography, followed by recrystallization. This material is 99.96% pure with respect to macromolecular impurities. At basic pH, the purified lysozyme gave only tetragonal crystals at 20 C. Protein used directly from the bottle, prepared by dialysis against distilled water, or which did not bind to the cation exchange column had considerably altered crystallization behavior. Lysozyme which did not bind to the cation exchange column was subsequently purified by size exclusion chromatography. This material gave predominately bundles of rod-shaped crystals with some small tetragonal crystals at lower pHs. The origin of the bundled rod habit was postulated to be a thermally dependent tetragonal- orthorhombic change in the protein structure. This was subsequently ruled out on the basis of crystallization behavior and growth rate experiments. This suggests that heterogeneous forms of lysozyme may be responsible. These results demonstrate three classes of impurities: (1) small molecules, which may be removed by dialysis; (2) macromolecules, which are removable by chromatographic techniques; and (3) heterogeneous forms of the protein, which can be removed in this case by cation exchange chromatography. Of these, heterogeneous forms of the lysozyme apparently have the greatest affect on its crystallization behavior.

Ewing, Felecia L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar Laser Transmitter

The Global Ecosystems Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar, is an Earth Science remote sensing instrument aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Its core mission is to measure the global carbon balance of Earth's forests by using a set of three solid state laser transmitters in a multibeam waveform capture lidar technique. GEDI's laser transmitters and precision optical system transmits over 3.4 million laser pulses to the Earth every hour, each pulse producing an individual 3-D biomass column measurement. To enable a successful two-year mission, the lasers had to be reliable, highly repeatable in performance with each measurement power cycle, and designed with minimal part count for reduced manufacture complexity and cost. These transmitters are in-house products; developed, constructed, qualified, and fully integrated into the GEDI instrument at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. We will present the lasers' path from initial design to flight operation, with emphasis on the major milestones, critical issues, and lessons learned. Full credit goes to the excellent team effort that led to the successful commissioning and initiation of full-time science operations in March 2019.

Coyle, D. Barry↗
NASA NTRS1979

The X-ray spectrum of 3C 273

An X-ray spectral measurement of the quasar 3C 273 with the HEAO-A2 experiment in June/July 1978 is reported. The best power law fit to the photon flux over the range 2-60 keV gives a slope of 1.41 + or - 0.02. However, structure is observed, indicating a slope of 1.52 between 2 keV and 9 keV and a slight flattening between 9 keV and 30 keV. Observations with the same experiment in December 1977 and OSO-8 in June 1976 allows confirmation of 40% intensity variability on the time scale of months, although within limits provided by the poorer statistical quality of the additional data no spectral change is discerned. Absorption from the source is found to be low, with the 1978 data yielding a 90% confidence upper limit to the hydrogen column density of 4.5 x 10 to the 21st power atoms/sq cm.

Worrall, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Ozone depletion in the high latitude lower stratosphere - 1979-1990

Archived Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE, SAGE II) and Solar and Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV) data are used to examine lower stratospheric O3 variations at 50 deg latitude in both hemispheres. These data indicate that from 1979 to 1985, 73-90 percent of the total O3 changes have occurred below approximately 25 km in altitude. Significant O3 depletions (up to 15 percent) have occurred in the partial column (127-15.8 mbar) in both hemispheres with indications of a recovery after 1985. Two-dimensional model simulations of O3 changes from 1979 to 1990 have been carried out. Comparisons with O3 data are presented. Model results suggest that by 1985, significant declines in global O3 were caused by destruction by odd nitrogen associated with long-term variations in the flux of precipitating relativistic electrons (2.6 percent); solar UV flux changes (1.8 percent); the dilution effect associated with the Antarctic O3 hole (1.2 percent); and atmospheric increases in CH4, N2O, and chlorofluorocarbons (0.4 percent). Analyses of drift-corrected SBUV and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer data and model calculations indicate that between 1979 and 1985, reductions of 4.3 to 4.8 percent in total column O3 averaged between 65 deg S and 65 deg N have occurred. Calculations indicate a full global O3 decline of 5.2 percent (peak-to-peak) or 6 percent (annual average) between 1979 and 1985 with a partial recovery between 1985 and 1989.

Callis, Linwood B.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Daily Kilometer-Scale MODIS Satellite Maps of PM2.5 Describe Wintertime Episodes

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) suffers from severe health-endangering episodes of PM2.5 aerosol loadings in wintertime; episodes last approximately 5 days and differ in geographical distribution and composition. PM2.5 stations are scattered; consequently the use of remote sensing to map variable regional patterns of these varying respirable aerosol concentrations is desirable. High-precision AOT retrievals can capture column particulate loading. However,PM2.5 mapping is challenging due to several reasons: particularly thin mixed layers (ML) and thus relatively low aerosol optical thickness (AOT) close to current measurement limits, variable and a typical composition of the aerosols, and complex surface bidirectional reflectance. However, the West does present some advantages in analysis. Air basins are isolated from long-distance transport, and experience predominant strong meteorological subsidence. Thus these Western basin regions have fewer problematic cases of overriding aerosol layers detached from the surface. To counter such local overriding, Chu et al. have described an approach for the Eastern US, and He et al have described a synoptic classification approach useful in Shanghai. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) expands our experience with the use of AOT, with lower PM2.5 and several isolated sub-basins. We have prepared daily maps of episodes in each region. We present also a sequence of increasingly detailed statistical models, AOT initially appears to contribute little information; however, inclusion of weather information reveals its utility. Lyapustin and Wang's MultiAngle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) retrieval for AOT provided the most useful operational remote sensing information for these regions. It provides high (1-km) spatial resolution maps and a high percentage of availability. Empirical regression methods have found that random effects regression models (aka mixed effects models, ME) employing AOT provide good estimates of ground PM2.5 concentrations.Here, we attempt to extend these methods and evaluate the usefulness of AOT with greater physical analysis, based on DISCOVER-AQ4 experience.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS1976

X-ray observations of the Vela pulsar: Statistics and spectrum

The Vela pulsar was observed in the range 2-60 keV by the GSFC proportional counter experiment onboard OSO-8 with temporal resolution sufficient to make possible a sensitive search for pulsed X-rays at the radio pulsar period. A statistical analysis yielded 8 per cent as the 3 sigma upper limit on the pulsed fraction. The energy spectrum is fit well by a structureless power law with number index 2.21 + or - 0.2 and absorption by a hydrogen column density of N sub H equals 2.9 + or - 2.0 times ten to the twenty-second power per sq.cm.

Pravdo, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

X-ray observations of the Vela pulsar - Statistics and spectrum

The Vela pulsar (3U 0833-45) was observed in the range 2-60 keV by a proportional-counter experiment on board OSO-8 with temporal resolution sufficient to make possible a sensitive search for pulsed X-rays at the radio pulsar period. A statistical analysis yielded 8 percent as the 3-sigma upper limit on the pulsed fraction. The energy spectrum is fitted well by a structureless power law with number index 2.2 (+ or - 0.2) and absorption by a hydrogen column density of 2.9(+ or - 2.0) by 10 to the 22nd power per sq cm.

Pravdo, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Detailed results of ASTP experiment MA-011

This experiment was developed in order to conduct engineering and operational tests of electrokinetic equipment in a micro-gravity environment. The experimental hardware in general functioned as planned and electrophoretic separations were obtained in space. The results indicated the development of satisfactory sample collection, return, and preservation techniques. The application of a near-zero zeta potential interior wall coating to the experimental columns, confirmation of biocompatibility of all appropriate hardware components, and use of a sterile operating environment provided a significant step forward in the development of a biological processing facility in space. A separation of a test of aldehyde-fixed rabbit, human, and horse red blood cells was obtained. Human kidney cells were separated into several components and viable cells returned to earth. The isotachophoretic separation of red cells was also demonstrated. Problems associated with the hardware led to a lack of success in the attempt to separate subpopulations of human lymphocytes.

Seaman, G. V. F.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Aerosol-associated changes in tropical stratospheric ozone following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo

The large amount of sulfuric acid aerosol formed in the stratosphere by conversion of sulfur dioxide emitted by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (15.14 deg N, 120.35 deg E) in the Philippines around June 15, 1991, has had a pronounced effect on lower stratospheric ozone in the tropics. Measurements of stratospheric ozone in the tropics using electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sondes before and after the eruption and the airborne UV differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system after the eruption are compared with Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) measurements from several years before the eruption and ECC sonde measurements from the year prior to the eruption to determine the resulting changes. Ozone decreases of up to 33 % compared with SAGE II climatological values were found to be directly correlated with altitude regions of enhanced aerosol loading in the 16- to 28-km range. A maximum partial-column decrease of 29 +/- Dobson units (DU) was found over the 16- to 28-km range in September 1991 along with small increases (to 5.9 +/- 2 DU) from 28 to 31.5 km. A large decrease of ozone was also found at 4 deg to 8 deg S from May to August 1992, with a maximum decrease of 33 +/- 7 DU found above Brazzaville in July. Aerosol data form the visible channel of the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and the visible wavelength of the UV DIAL system were used to examine the relationship between aerosol (surface area) densities and ozone changes. The tropical stratospheric ozone changes we observed in 1991 and 1992 are likely be explained by a combination of dynamical (vertical transport) perturbations, radiative perturbations on ozone photochemistry, and heterogeneous chemistry.

Grant, William B.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Tropospheric Ozone Changes, Radiative Forcing and Attribution to Emissions in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP)

Ozone (O3) from 17 atmospheric chemistry models taking part in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) has been used to calculate tropospheric ozone radiative forcings (RFs). All models applied a common set of anthropogenic emissions, which are better constrained for the present-day than the past. Future anthropogenic emissions follow the four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios, which define a relatively narrow range of possible air pollution emissions. We calculate a value for the pre-industrial (1750) to present-day (2010) tropospheric ozone RF of 410 mW m−2. The model range of pre-industrial to present-day changes in O3 produces a spread (+/-1 standard deviation) in RFs of +/-17%. Three different radiation schemes were used - we find differences in RFs between schemes (for the same ozone fields) of +/-10 percent. Applying two different tropopause definitions gives differences in RFs of +/-3 percent. Given additional (unquantified) uncertainties associated with emissions, climate-chemistry interactions and land-use change, we estimate an overall uncertainty of +/-30 percent for the tropospheric ozone RF. Experiments carried out by a subset of six models attribute tropospheric ozone RF to increased emissions of methane (44+/-12 percent), nitrogen oxides (31 +/- 9 percent), carbon monoxide (15 +/- 3 percent) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (9 +/- 2 percent); earlier studies attributed more of the tropospheric ozone RF to methane and less to nitrogen oxides. Normalising RFs to changes in tropospheric column ozone, we find a global mean normalised RF of 42 mW m(−2) DU(−1), a value similar to previous work. Using normalised RFs and future tropospheric column ozone projections we calculate future tropospheric ozone RFs (mW m(−2); relative to 1750) for the four future scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5) of 350, 420, 370 and 460 (in 2030), and 200, 300, 280 and 600 (in 2100). Models show some coherent responses of ozone to climate change: decreases in the tropical lower troposphere, associated with increases in water vapour; and increases in the sub-tropical to mid-latitude upper troposphere, associated with increases in lightning and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport. Climate change has relatively small impacts on global mean tropospheric ozone RF.

climate change↗
NASA NTRS2015

Impact of Improvements in Volcanic Implementation on Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate in the GISS-E2 Model

The representation of volcanic eruptions in climate models introduces some of the largest errors when evaluating historical simulations, partly due to the crude model parameterizations. We will show preliminary results from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)-E2 model comparing traditional highly parameterized volcanic implementation (specified Aerosol Optical Depth, Effective Radius) to deploying the full aerosol microphysics module MATRIX and directly emitting SO2 allowing us the prognosically determine the chemistry and climate impact. We show a reasonable match in aerosol optical depth, effective radius, and forcing between the full aerosol implementation and reconstructions/observations of the Mt. Pinatubo 1991 eruption, with a few areas as targets for future improvement. This allows us to investigate not only the climate impact of the injection of volcanic aerosols, but also influences on regional water vapor, O3, and OH distributions. With the skill of the MATRIX volcano implementation established, we explore (1) how the height of the injection column of SO2 influence atmospheric chemistry and climate response, (2) how the initial condition of the atmosphere influences the climate and chemistry impact of the eruption with a particular focus on how ENSO and QBO and (3) how the coupled chemistry could mitigate the climate signal for much larger eruptions (i.e. the 1258 eruption, reconstructed to be approximately 10x Pinatubo). During each sensitivity experiment we assess the impact on profiles of water vapor, O3, and OH, and assess how the eruption impacts the budget of each.

aerosols↗
NASA NTRS1979

HEAO-1 spectra of X-ray emitting Seyfert 1 galaxies

The A-2 experiment on HEAO-1 determined spectral parameters for seven Seyfert 1 galaxies: NGC3783, NGC4151, NGC5548, NGC6814, MK509, MCG8-11-11, and ES0141-G55. The X-ray spectra above 5 keV can be well fit by power laws of energy index alpha between .3 and 1.0 and, with the exception of MK509, by a high temperature (kt 15 keV) thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum. The column densities, with the exception of NGC4151, are less than 5 x 10 to the 22nd power at/sq cm with only the low luminosity objects having measurable columns. Galaxy ES0141-G55 showed a strong soft X-ray excess in March 1978 similar to that seen in the BL lac object MK421. Variability on a six month time scale was exhibited by MCG8-11-11, NGC3783, and possibly NGC6814. Various correlations between optical and X-ray properties are discussed. Using the typical Seyfert 1 spectrum their contribution to the diffuse X-ray background above five keV is computed.

Mushotzky, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Evaluation of spatial, radiometric and spectral Thematic Mapper performance for coastal studies

A series of experiments were initiated to determine the feasibility of using thematic mapper spectral data to estimate wetlands biomass. The experiments were conducted using hand-held radiometers simulating thematic mapper wavebands 3, 4 and 5. Spectral radiance data were collected from the ground and from a low altitude aircraft in an attempt to gain some insight into the potential utility of actual thematic mapper data for biomass estimation in wetland plant communities. In addition, radiative transfer models describing volume reflectance of eight water column containing submerged aquatic vegetation were refined.

Klemas, V.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Joint ROSAT-Compton GRO observations of the X-ray bright Seyfert galaxy IC 4329A

We report a simultaneous ROSAT and Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) observation of the X-ray-bright Seyfert galaxy IC 4329A. For the GRO Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) detector, we also present the sum of the data for this and earlier observations. The overall spectrum is very well described as a power law with an energy spectral index of approximately 1 absorbed at low energies plus a strong Compton reflection component, typical for Seyfert 1 galaxies. The low energy absorption can be well described by a sum of a neutral column density of approximately 3 x 10(exp 21)sq cm, most of which is associated with the edge-on galactic disk of IC 4329A, plus an edgelike feature at approximately 700 eV; this feature implies either complex absorption (due to additional ionized material, or due to a partial covering), or a soft excess. The data only weakly constrain the presence of a high-energy cutoff in the underlying power law; they are compatible with an exponential cutoff at any energy E(sub c) approximately greater than 100 keV. The relative steepness of the OSSE data, with the power-law energy index of 1.6 +/- 0.2, can be accounted for entirely by the contribution of the high-energy tail of the reflection component when E(sub c) approaches infinity. (We find that the definite cutoff at an energy E(sub c)approximately 130 keV suggested in the recently published analysis of the OSSE data for this subject is due to a data reduction error.) Including nonsimultaneous Ginga observations with 2 keV fluxes matching well that of ROSAT gives us likely broad-band X-ray/gamma-ray spectra of the object from approximately 0.1 keV up to several hundred keV. We also report the ROSAT spectrum of the companion object to the Seyfert galaxy, the elliptical galaxy IC 4329.

Madejski, G. M.↗