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NASA NTRS1982

Determination of surface albedos and aerosol extinction characteristics from satellite imagery

A procedure is developed for calculating atmospheric extinction characteristics (optical thickness, scattering height, single scattering albedo) and surface albedo from radiometric images made at satellite altitudes. The procedure - a fast, computerized method - is suitable for the high-volume processing of satellite imagery data and thus can be used to map temporal and spatial distributions of aerosol parameters. Based on an analytical approximate solution to the equation of radiative transfer in a plane parallel atmosphere, the procedure is primarily applicable to the 0.4-micron to 0.8-micron wavelength range for solar zenith angles from 10 deg to 60 deg, surface albedos between 0.03 and about 0.5, and atmospheric optical thicknesses from 0.2 to 2. With a step-like change in the surface albedo (for example, a seashore or river bank or other similar change of terrain), both surface reflectivity and atmospheric optical thickness can be derived from radiance measurements. In this case, the resultant optical thickness is not based on a known surface reflectivity and is in essence independent of the radiometer calibration.

Kaufman, Y. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Remote sensing of temperature profiles in the atmosphere

Methods of regularized and generalized cross validation can be used to estimate the atmosphere's temperature, moisture, and wind structure from a finite number m noisy measurements by meteorological satellites on the intensity of upwelling radiation in selected channel frequencies. The inversion of the equation of radiative transfer is discussed for data obtained by TIROS N satellite.

Osullivan, F.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Stagnation-point ablation of carbonaceous flat disks. I Theory

The process of ablation is calculated for the stagnation region of a flat disk in a radiation-dominated, massive-blowing environment produced in a ballistic range filled with argon. Flow environments are determined by solving the boundary-layer equations while radiative transfer is calculated through a line-by-line spectral computation. The resulting wall heat-transfer rates are coupled with an existing material's response code to determine surface recession and char thickness. The calculation is performed for six 5-cm-diam models made of carbon-phenolic and carbon-carbon composite launched in the Track-G facility at the Arnold Engineering Development Center. Significant surface recessions are predicted to occur for these models due mostly to radiative heating.

Park, C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Microwave radiances from precipitating clouds containing aspherical ice, combined phase, and liquid hydrometeors

A numerical algorithm based on Eddington's second approximation to the equation of radiative transfer has been developed in order to compute the radiances with horizontal and vertical polarization that emerge from precipitating clouds. This algorithm yields a rapid solution to problems pertaining to clouds with vertically inhomogeneous structure. Precipitating clouds containing liquid, mixtures of phases, and ice hydrometeors are modelled. It is shown that the lower-frequency radiances are sensitive to liquid precipitation at low altitudes while the higher-frequency radiances are more sensitive to the ice hydrometeors at the cloud tops. The extinction coefficients of aspherical hydrometeors are presented as a function of rainfall rates. The fact that vertically polarized radiances are warmer than horizontally polarized ones at high rainfall rates, with the difference diminishing at lower frequencies, is due to aspherical ice hydrometeors in the upper regions of precipitating clouds.

Wu, R.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Line locking and SS 433

The general problem of acceleration by line locking in an optically thin medium is considered. Analytic solutions to the coupled equations of radiation transfer and matter motion are presented. Using these solutions, restrictions on the physical conditions of the accelerated matter are derived. By applying these conditions to SS 433, it is found that if the absorbing ion is light (hydrogen or helium), the matter must be highly clumped, and the acceleration has to begin at approximately 10 to the 12th cm. Line-locking acceleration with a hydrogen-like heavy ion such as iron demands higher than solar ion abundance.

Pekarevich, M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The zonal distribution of hydrogen in the Jovian atmosphere

The Lyman-alpha intensities measured by Voyagers 1 and 2 and by the IUE are used as the bases of deductions for the distribution of atomic hydrogen in the Jovian atmosphere, under the assumption that the sources of the dayside Lyman alpha include resonance scattering of solar Lyman alpha, resonance scattering of the interplanetary Lyman-alpha radiation, and direct excitation by charged particles. The daytime equation of radiative transfer is solved to determine the longitudinal distribution of freely scattering atomic hydrogen that would account for the observed flux. This solution indicates that if the hydrogen bulge is due to localized heating and a consequent increase in scale height, the perturbed region temperature must be about 100 K warmer than that in the normal region. The H distribution derived from the dayside solution is used with the nightside flux to estimate the longitude variation of particle precipitation on the nightside.

Killen, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Saturation and beaming in astrophysical masers

A 'four-stream' model system of equations that are closely analogous to the equations of radiative transfer in a maser spectral line and are amenable to numerical solution are constructed. This model is used to investigate radiative transfer in asymmetric maser clouds. Competition between different beams of radiation for available pump photons is important in both unsaturated and saturated masers. Consequently, the radiation from a typical cloud will be highly beamed, even if the maser is saturated, because the shape of a typical cloud is not symmetric. In addition, it is shown that analysis of maser emission lines formed in expanding envelopes does not reveal the degree of saturation of the maser.

Alcock, C.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Brown dwarfs and Jovian planets: A comparison

The recent detection of a subluminous companion to the M dwarf star VB8 has renewed interest in the characteristics of objects spanning the mass range from Jupiter to hydrogen burning stars. Atmospheric and interior models were constructed for objects in this mass regime, up to 30 Jupiter masses, with emphasis on understanding the relationship of brown dwarfs such as the VB8 companion to the better-studied Jovian planets. The atmospheric model solves the equation of radiative transfer assuming frequency dependent molecular opacity sources H2, He, H2O, CO, and CH4 which are important by virtue of the high cosmic abundance of their constituent atoms. Condensation of cosmochemically important materials, iron and silicates, in the atmosphere is possible, and the effect of such grains as opacity sources is assessed. The luminosity of the object is presumed due to degenerate cooling following a collapse phase and possibly deuterium burning and an interior model is constructed using as an outer boundary condition the temperature and pressure level at which the atmosphere becomes convective. The interior model is analogous to Jupiter, with a large liquid metallic-hydrogen core and a thinner molecular-hydrogen envelope. The oxidation state of carbon in the outer envelope of a brown dwarf of similar age to Jupiter is a function of the object's mass. This makes the wavelength dependence of the atmospheric opacity sensitive to the carbon to oxygen ratio, since the abundance of the primary source of molecular opacity, H2O, decreases as more oxygen is tied up as CO.

Lunine, J. I.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Modified radiative transfer theory for a two-layer anisotropic random medium

The modified radiative transfer (MRT) equations which describe propagation and scattering of the electromagnetic field intensity in a layered anisotropic random medium are derived from the Bethe-Salpeter equation with the ladder approximation and the Dyson equation with the nonlinear approximation. The extinction matrices and scattering phase matrices for both mean and incoherent field intensities are obtained. Backscattering enhancement is observed due to the spatial coherent effect between upward and downward propagating waves. It also occurs for the half-space case, because of coupling between ordinary and extraordinary waves. The depolarization effect is predicted in the first-order renormalization approximation to the MRT equation.

Lee, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Modifications to the relationship between the magnetic field and weak Zeeman features in the spectra of astrophysical masers

Numerical solutions are presented for the equations of radiative transfer for astrophysical masers in a magnetic field to describe the observed weak circular polarization of H2O and SiO masers. Previously unrecognized intensity-dependent effects are found to produce circular polarization which resembles that of the usual Zeeman effect. Astrophysical H2O, SiO, and perhaps other masers are likely to be radiatively saturated with rates for stimulated emission that are within 1-2 orders of magnitude of the Zeeman frequency. Under these conditions, the circular polarization found here tends to be larger (but can be smaller) and may be of opposite sign from that given by the standard treatment for polarized Zeeman spectra.

Nedoluha, Gerald E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Non-LTE analysis of the Ofpe/WN9 star HDE 269227 (R84)

The paper presents the results of a spectral analysis of the Ofpe/WN9 star HD 269227 (R84), which assumes a spherically expanding atmosphere to find solutions for equations of radiative transfer. The spectra of hydrogen and helium were predicted with a non-LTE model. Six stellar parameters were determined for R84. The shape of the velocity law is empirically found, since it can be probed from the terminal velocity of the wind. The six stellar parameters are further employed in a hydrodynamic model where stellar wind is assumed to be directed by radiation pressure, duplicating the mass-loss rate and the terminal wind velocity. The velocity laws found by computation and analysis are found to agree, supporting the theory of radiation-driven stellar wind. R84 is surmised to be a post-red supergiant which lost half of its initial mass, possibly during the red-supergiant phase. This mass loss is also suggested by its spectroscopic similarity to S Doradus.

Schmutz, Werner↗

NASA NTRS1990

Radiative shocks and nonequilibrium chemistry in the early universe - Galaxy and primordial star formation

The nonequilibrium radiative cooling, recombination, and molecule formation behind steady-state shock waves in primordial composition gas is studied. The hydrodynamical conservation equations are solved as well as equations for nonequilibrium ionization, recombination, and molecule formation and the equation of radiative transfer. The shocked gas is found to cool faster than it can recombine; as a result it is able to form an H2 concentration as high as 0.001 or higher via the formation of H(-) and H2(+) intermediaries due to the enhanced nonequilibrium ionization at 10,000 K. With such an H2 concentration, the gas cools by rotational-vibrational line excitation of H2 molecules to well below the canonical final temperature of 10,000 K for a molecule-free gas without metals. It is shown that, as the level of external ionizing and dissociating radiation flux is increased, the formation of and cooling by H2 molecules can be inhibited and delayed.

Shapiro, Paul R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The intergalactic medium - Initial and boundary conditions for galaxy and primeval star formation

New detailed numerical calculations are presented of the evolution of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in a post recombination Friedmann universe, including a solution of the nonequilibrium rate equations for the ionization and recombination of H and He, the energy equation, and the equation of radiative transfer. The implications of this study for the characteristic mass scale and the epoch of gravitational collapse for the average 'first' star-forming clouds are discussed. The star-formation rate and associated metallicity generation implied if the IGM is fully ionized by starlight by redshift greater than 4 as suggested by recent interpretations of the Gunn-Peterson effect are examined. It is shown that the relative strengths of metal lines from a quasar absorption-line Lyman limit system cloud at z = 3 photoionized by the present intergalactic UV radiation background are compatible with the observations, at least for background sources of either AGN-type or star-forming galaxy spectra.

Giroux, Mark L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radiative shocks and hydrogen molecules in pregalactic gas - The effects of postshock radiation

Previous calculations of radiative shocks in pregalactic gas are generalized and substantially improved. The hydrodynamical conservations are solved, along with the rate equations for nonequilibrium ionization, recombination, and molecule formation, and the equation of radiative transfer, for steady-state shocks in a gas of primordial compositions. This calculation self-consistently includes the effects of the diffuse postshock emission as well as a possible external radiation flux on the postshock flow and the preshock ionization levels. A previous result is confirmed that the shocked gas cools faster than it can recombine and, as a result, is able to form an H2 concentration as high as 0.003 via the formation of H(-) and H2(+) intermediaries due to the enhanced nonequilibrium ionization fraction at 10,000 K. It is shown that, as the level of the external radiation flux is increased, the formation of and cooling by H2 molecules can be inhibited and delayed. The detailed radiation spectra and ionizing photon number fluxes emergent from these shocks are presented.

Kang, Hyesung↗

NASA NTRS1992

Magnetic fields and radiative shocks in protogalaxies and the origin of globular clusters

The paper examines the hypothesis that globular clusters formed from gravitational instability in dense sheets of gas produced behind radiative shocks inside protogalaxies, such as those produced by the collision of subgalactic mass fragments partaking of the virial motions within the protogalaxy, in order to determine the differences which result if a magnetic field is present in the preshock medium. The MHD conservation equations are solved along with rate equations for nonequilibrium ionization, recombination, molecular formation and dissociation, and the equations of radiative transfer for steady-state shocks of velocity 300 km/s in a gas of preshock densities of 0.1-1 cu cm, and magnetic field strengths of 0.1-6 micro-G. The magnetic field is found to limit the degree of postshock compression and, thereby, to reduce the level of external radiation flux required to suppress H2 formation and cooling.

Shapiro, Paul R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Rapid time variations and radiative instabilities of astrophysical masers

The time-varying intensities are obtained for astrophysical masers that are radiatively unstable. Numerical integrations of the time-dependent, nonlinear equations of radiative transfer are performed with the usual approximation of a linear maser. At long times after changes in the physical conditions, the intensity of maser radiation reaches an asymptotic behavior and oscillates permanently in these idealized calculations with a period that is related to the length of the maser divided by the speed of light. The intensity varies by more than a factor of 10. These intensities depend upon the same four parameters as we originally found to determine the regime for radiative instabilities based on a stability analysis of the steady state. A detailed comparison is made between the predictions of the stability analysis and the time variations of the intensities. Calculations are performed for interacting pairs as well as isolated, individual masers.

Scappaticci, Gerardo A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Formation of the low-mass solar nebula

We study an accretional stage of the formation and early evolution of the solar nebula with relatively small angular momentum. We investigate the evolution of the disk and its vertical structure, particularly the shock front between disk and infalling material. Calculations start at a moment when a low-mass star-like core surrounded by small embryo disk have been formed at the center of the presolar nebula and the bulk of mass remained in the envelope. The forming solar nebula is approximated as a thin viscous disk surrounded by accreting envelope. The distribution of temperature in the infalling envelope is determined by solving spherically symmetric equations of radiative transfer. As the energy source, we take into account all energy released within the centrifugal radius of the infalling matter. Other aspects of this study are discussed.

Ruzmaikina, T. V.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The chromospheric structure of the cool giant star g Herculis

Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) calculations of semiempirical chromospheric models are presented for 30 g Her (M6 III). This star is one of the coolest (T(sub eff) = 3250 K) SRb (semiregular) variable stars and has a mass perhaps as great as 4 solar mass. Chromospheric features we have observed in its spectrum include Mg II h and k; C II) UV0.01, which is sensitive to electron density; Mg I lambda 2852; Ca II H, K, and IRT; Ca I lambda 4227 and lambda 6573; Al II) UV 1; and H alpha. We pay special attention to fitting the C II intersystem lines and the Mg II resonance lines but use all the other features as constraints to some extent. The equations of radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium are solved self-consistently for H I, H(-), H2, He I, C I, C II, Na I, Mg I, Mg II, Al I, Al II, Ca I, and Ca II with the equivalent two-level technique. To simplify these calculations, a one-dimensional hydrostatic, plane-parallel atmosphere is assumed. We investigate 10 separate 'classical' chromospheric models, differing most importantly in total mass column density above the temperature minimum. Synthetic spectra from these models fit some but not all of the observations. These comparisons are discussed in detail. However, we find that no single-component classical model in hydrostatic equilibrium is able to reproduce both the Mg II line profiles and the relative strengths of the CII) lines. In all these models, chromospheric emission features are formed relatively close to the star (approximately less than 0.05 R(sub *). The circumstellar environment has a thick, cool component overlying the Mg II emission region, which is relatively static and very turbulent. Finally, we find that thermalization in the Mg II h and k lines in the coolest giant stars is controlled by continuum absorption from Ca I 4p 4p3 P0 bound-free opacity and not collisional de-excitation as is the case for warmer K giants.

Luttermoser, Donald G.↗