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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Satellite and ground-based observations of a red arc.

Simultaneous observations carried out during the red-arc period of Aug. 8-9, 1970 at Richland, Washington and by the Ogo 6 satellite are examined in the light of the present-day theoretical knowledge. The observed formation of the arc at the electron temperature peak and density trough supports the thermal-conduction theory of red-arc formation. The lack of dc electric fields in the red-arc region rules out these fields as an excitation mechanism. Particle precipitation as a direct source of red-line emission can also be ruled out by the observations presented. The formation of the arc in the plasmapause region and the detection of low-frequency ac fields are consistent with a theory that predicts wave-particle interaction at the plasmapause as a mechanism for supplying thermal energy to the plasmasphere electrons.

Nagy, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An asymptotic theory of supersonic propeller noise

A theory for predicting the noise field of supersonic propellers with realistic blade geometries is presented. The theory, which utilizes a large-blade-count approximation, provides an efficient formula for predicting the radiation of sound from all three sources of propeller noise. Comparisons with a full numerical integration indicate that the levels predicted by this formula are quite accurate. Calculations also show that, for high speed propellers, the noise radiated by the Lighthill quadrupole source is rather substantial when compared with the noise radiated by the blade thickness and loading sources. Results from a preliminary application of the theory indicate that the peak noise level generated by a supersonic propeller initially increases with increasing tip helical Mach number, but is eventually reaches a plateau and does not increase further. The predicted trend shows qualitative agreement with the experimental observations.

Envia, Edmane↗
NASA NTRS1980

Research in particles and fields

The astrophysical aspects of cosmic and gamma rays and the radiation environment of the Earth and other planets investigated by means of energetic particle detector systems flown on spacecraft and balloons are discussed. The theory of particles and fields in space is also addressed with particular emphasis on models of Saturn's magnetic field.

Vogt, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Global Systems Science: A New World View

Global systems science is a new field of study about the interactions between Earth's natural systems and human activities. The people who study global systems science draw on methods and theories of many different fields from chemistry and biology to economics and politics-in order to predict how today's actions are likely to affect the world of tomorrow - our world and our children's world.

Sneider, Cary↗
NASA NTRS1981

Interplanetary Alfvenic fluctuations - A stochastic model

The concept of minimum variance is investigated for nonplanar interplanetary Alfvenic fluctuations in which the field direction varies randomly. The theory of the random wandering of a vector of constant length is developed as a representation of the magnetic field, and it is found that the minimum variance tends to coincide with the mean field directions over the correlation time of the fluctuations. The Fokker-Planck limit of the theory is then developed and used to analyze the statistic distribution of field directions with and without a reflecting barrier. Results suggest that the tendency of the Alfvenic fluctuations to have a direction of minimum variance statistically aligned with the mean magnetic field may be purely a consequence of the randomness of the fluctuation and not imply that the fluctuations are necessarily plane waves. Extensive statistical studies of the observed directional variations of the interplanetary magnetic field are necessary to test this hypothesis.

Barnes, A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Main Geomagnetic Field Models from Oersted and Magsat Data Via a Rigorous General Inverse Theory with Error Bounds

The purpose of the grant was to study how prior information about the geomagnetic field can be used to interpret surface and satellite magnetic measurements, to generate quantitative descriptions of prior information that might be so used, and to use this prior information to obtain from satellite data a model of the core field with statistically justifiable error estimates. The need for prior information in geophysical inversion has long been recognized. Data sets are finite, and faithful descriptions of aspects of the earth almost always require infinite-dimensional model spaces. By themselves, the data can confine the correct earth model only to an infinite-dimensional subset of the model space. Earth properties other than direct functions of the observed data cannot be estimated from those data without prior information about the earth. Prior information is based on what the observer already knows before the data become available. Such information can be "hard" or "soft". Hard information is a belief that the real earth must lie in some known region of model space. For example, the total ohmic dissipation in the core is probably less that the total observed geothermal heat flow out of the earth's surface. (In principle, ohmic heat in the core can be recaptured to help drive the dynamo, but this effect is probably small.) "Soft" information is a probability distribution on the model space, a distribution that the observer accepts as a quantitative description of her/his beliefs about the earth. The probability distribution can be a subjective prior in the sense of Bayes or the objective result of a statistical study of previous data or relevant theories.

Backus, George E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Field dependence of gaseous-ion mobility - Theoretical tests of approximate formulas.

The approximate formulas considered include relations based on the Wannier free-flight theory, the Kihara medium-field expansion, and the Frost-Patterson interpolation formulas. A few accurate theoretical results are available for testing the foregoing formulas. Cases concerning high fields, intermediate fields, and resonant charge transfer are examined. It is found that of the formulas tested, the one based on the Wannier free-flight theory is the most flexible, since it can be used for all fields and all ion-neutral force laws and mass ratios.

Hahn, H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Problems of interior structure, the solar dynamo and the role of SCADM in providing interior diagnostics

What is already known about the structure of the Sun, the motion of its convective zone, and the solar cycle is reviewed. Topics discussed include solar variability, solar 'seismology', velocity patterns, magnetic fields, and the dynamo theory. Observations are needed to determine global properties (solar luminosity and radius), oscillations (p and g models), velocities (variation of rotation with time and depth), and magnetic fields.

Weiss, N. O.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Turbulent Chemically Reacting Flows According to a Kinetic Theory

A review of various methods of calculating turbulent chemically reacting flow such as the Green Function, Navier-Stokes equation, and others is presented. Nonequilibrium degrees of freedom were employed to study the mixing behavior of a multiscale turbulence field. Classical and modern theories are discussed.

Hong, Z. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Sketch of a unifying auroral theory

On the basis of field and particle observations, it is suggested that a bright auroral display is a part of a magnetosphere-ionosphere current system which is fed by a charge-separation process in the outer magnetosphere (or the solar wind). The upward magnetic-field-aligned current is flowing out of the display, carried mainly by down-flowing electrons from the hot-particle populations in the outer magnetosphere (the ambient cold electrons being depleted at high altitudes). As a result of the magnetic mirroring of these downflowing current carriers, a large potential drop is set up along the magnetic field, increasing both the number flux and the kinetic energy of the precipitating electrons. It is found that this simple basic model, when combined with wave-particle interactions, may be able to explain a highly diversified selection of auroral particle observations. It may thus be possible to explain both inverted-V events and auroral rays in terms of a static parallel electric field, and the electric field may be compatible with a strongly variable pitch-angle distribution of the precipitating electrons, including distributions peaked at 90 deg as well as 0 deg. This model may also provide a simple explanation of the simultaneous precipitation of electrons and collimated positive ions.

Lennartsson, W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The theory of an active magnetic regenerative refrigerator

The adiabatic temperature change with field which is limited to about 2 K/Tesla for ferromagnets near their Curie temperatures by the change of magnetization with temperature and the lattice heat capacity is discussed. Practical magnetic refrigerators operate on a regenerative cycle such as the Brayton cycle. This cycle can be executed through the use of an active magnetic regenerator, i.e., a regenerator composed of magnetic material that is cycled in an out of a magnetic field with appropriate fluid flows. The theory of these devices is predicted by solving the partial differential equations that describe fluid and the magnetic solid. The active magnetic regenerator is described along with the method of calculation. Temperature profiles for a normal regenerator and a magnetic regenerative refrigerator are shown.

Barclay, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Synthesis of 3D Model of a Magnetic Field-Influenced Body from a Single Image

A method for recovery of a 3D model of a cloud-like structure that is in motion and deforming but approximately governed by magnetic field properties is described. The method allows recovery of the model from a single intensity image in which the structure's silhouette can be observed. The method exploits envelope theory and a magnetic field model. Given one intensity image and the segmented silhouette in the image, the method proceeds without human intervention to produce the 3D model. In addition to allowing 3D model synthesis, the method's capability to yield a very compact description offers further utility. Application of the method to several real-world images is demonstrated.

Wang, Cuilan↗
NASA NTRS1992

An asymptotic theory of supersonic propeller noise

A theory for predicting the noise field of a propeller with a realistic blade geometry is presented. The theory, which utilizes a large blade count approximation, provides an efficient formula for predicting the radiation of sound from all three sources of propeller noise. Comparisons with full numerical integration indicate that the noise levels predicted by this formula are quite accurate. Calculations based on this method also show that the radiation from the Lighthill quadrupole source is rather substantial when compared with thickness and loading noise for high speed propellers. A preliminary application of the theory to the problem of the sensitivity of the peak noise levels generated by a supersonic propeller to the variations in its tip helical Mach number has produced a trend that is in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations.

Envia, Edmane↗
NASA NTRS1996

On the Origin of Sunspots

It is proposed tha sunspots (and other flux emergence phenomena) originate due ot the presence of fluctuating magnetic fields complementing the regular, mean field in the convection zone. The mean field predicted by dynamo theories is too weak itself to emerge at the surface of the Sun.

sunspots flux emergence solar magnetic fields Sun ↗
NASA NTRS1993

Radar response of vegetation: An overview

This document contains a number of viewgraphs on surface and vegetation backscattering. A classification of vegetation based on general scattering properties is presented. Radar scattering mechanisms are discussed, and backscattering and reflection coefficients for soil back scattering models are given. Radar response to vegetation is presented, with the objectives to discriminate and classify vegetation; to estimate biomass, leaf area index (LAI), and soil moisture; and to monitor changes, including deforestation and growth. Both theory and observation (laboratory, field, air SAR, and European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) observations) are used to present backscatter coefficients and other data for various vegetation types. ERS-1 results include class statistics, comparison with theory, and biomass response and seasonal variation (LAI) for deciduous and coniferous forests.

Ulaby, Fawwaz T.↗