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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
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NASA NTRS1972

ISIS-B spacecraft magnetic tests

Magnetic tests of the ISIS B spacecraft were conducted to determine the various magnetic moments of the spacecraft, evalute its spin and attitude control systems, and calibrate the six onboard magnetometer probes. Test procedures and equipment are described. Techniques for evaluting the data are discussed, and test results are presented. The spacecraft's magnetic characteristics were found to be satisfactory. Proper threshold values for gating the torquing coils were obtained. The onboard magnetometers were satisfactorily calibrated.

Boyle, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Thin highly conducting layer in the moon - Consistent interpretation of dayside and nightside electromagnetic responses.

The vacuum transient response of the moon to a time-varying spatially uniform magnetic field is determined for a lunar electrical conductivity model that was based on the harmonic analysis of Apollo 12 and Explorer 35 dayside magnetometer data. The transient response of the model is found to provide a plausible explanation of the behavior of the local vertical-surface magnetic field for an Apollo 12 magnetometer darkside transient event. A model containing a conducting core and a highly conducting thin subsurface layer is presented, and its transient behavior is discussed.

Schubert, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mie scattering of the interplanetary magnetic field by the whole moon

It is known from the Apollo magnetometer experiments that significant electromagnetic induction takes place in the lunar interior. This induction is excited by fluctuations of the interplanetary magnetic field and is detected by the induced fields on the surface of the moon. These results are reviewed briefly and the formal properties of the theory are discussed. It is shown that the mathematical treatment parallels that for classical electromagnetic scattering. Further the wavelength spectrum of the fluctuations of the interplanetary magnetic field include scales consistent with the radius of the moon. The consequence is that the moon is excited in several modes. Quadrupole and possibly octupole magnetic multipoles are found in the data. The electric type radiation corresponding to transverse magnetic excitation appears suppressed and far below the detection threshold of the magnetometers.

Sonett, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Nightside electromagnetic response of the moon

The electromagnetic response of the Moon to excitation by the time dependent fluctuations of the interplanetary magnetic field is given for the dark or antisolar hemisphere of the Moon. Six hours of time series data from the Explorer 35 magnetometer and the lunar surface magnetometer on Apollo 12 are used to obtain the Fourier spectral amplitudes of the surface and interplanetary fields from which transfer functions are calculated for the east-west, north-south, and vertical directions at the Apollo site. A critical discussion of lunar conductivity profiles derived from night side radial magnetic field data and vacuum scattering theory is presented. Limitations are shown that there is no evidence for a lunar core as conducting as 0.01 mhos/m.

Schubert, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Measurement of auroral Birkeland currents and energetic particle fluxes.

A rocket-borne experiment containing a vector magnetometer and a set of charged-particle detectors was launched from Poker Flat, Alaska, at 2217 LT on February 13, 1971, over a single auroral arc. Particle data in the energy range 0.5-20 kev, obtained during part of the flight, show a peak incident flux of 40 millions electrons per sq cm sec ster kev in the energy range 1-2 kev. The pitch angle distributions of these precipitating electrons were found to be fairly isotropic from 0 to 60 deg and to decrease from 60 to 90 deg. The results of the vector magnetometer indicate the existence of a system of Birkeland currents with magnitudes of 5 microamperes/sq m in the vicinity of the auroral arc. Two different models that fit the data are discussed.

Cloutier, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Induced magnetosphere of the moon. II - Experimental results from Apollo 12 and Explorer 35.

The asymmetric lunar electromagnetic induction theory of Schubert et al. (1973) is tested by using data from the Apollo 12 Lunar Surface Magnetometer and from the Ames magnetometer on Explorer 35. The comparison of data and theory shows that the moon displays an induction asymmetry due to the flow of the solar wind and the formation of the diamagnetic cavity on the darkside. It is inferred that the induced field forms a magnetospheric-like configuration, with the field confined mostly to the crust of the moon. Although the magnetospheric spectrum is time-dependent for all frequencies examined, the distance traveled by the solar wind is so large that a quasi-static magnetospheric configuration can be assumed. The differential power spectrum of the interplanetary magnetic field that excites the moon is compared with the resulting induction spectrum, which has a linear differential power frequency dependence over the frequency range from .0002 to .02 Hz, falling off on either side of these limits. The integrated power in this band is about 5 gamma squared for the interplanetary field local north-south component and about 12 gamma squared for the induced spectrum of this component on the lunar surface.

Smith, B. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effects on the geomagnetic tail at 60 earth radii of the geomagnetic storm of April 9, 1971.

A geomagnetic storm beginning with an sc occurred on Apr. 9, 1971. During the storm the charged particle lunar environment experiment at the Apollo 14 site, the solar wind spectrometer experiment at the Apollo 12 site, and the Ames magnetometers on Explorer 35 took data in the magnetosheath, at the magnetopause, in the plasma sheet, and in the high-latitude geomagnetic tail. The MIT Faraday cup and Ames magnetometers on board Explorer 33 monitored the solar wind. The data show that the storm was caused by a corotating tangential discontinuity in the solar wind, the magnetopause position is strongly dependent on the attack angle of the solar wind, and the tail field strength was indirectly measured to increase from 10 to 14 gamma after the sc. During the main phase the field strength in the tail was observed to increase to between 28 and 34 gamma. This increase is consistent with a thermal and magnetic compression of the tail radius from about 26 to about 16 earth radii.

Burke, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Magnetic-heading reference device

Inexpensive and reliable device is used in conjunction with fluidic-electronic wing-leveler system. Single magnetometer is placed so pilot can make adjustments in aircraft heading simply by rotating magnetometer itself.

Garner, H. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

GSFC magnetic field experiment Explorer 43

The magnetic field experiment flown on Explorer 43 is described. The detecting instrument is a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer which is mounted on a boom with a flipping mechanism for reorienting the sensor in flight. An on-board data processor takes successive magnetometer samples and transmits differences to the telemetry system. By examining these differences in conjunction with an untruncated sample transmitted periodically, the original data may be uniquely reconstructed on the ground.

Seek, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Temperature and electrical conductivity of the lunar interior from magnetic transient measurements in the geomagnetic tail

Magnetometers were deployed at four Apollo sites on the moon to measure remanent and induced lunar magnetic fields. Measurements from this network of instruments were used to calculate the electrical conductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance of the lunar interior. Global lunar fields due to eddy currents, induced in the lunar interior by magnetic transients in the geomagnetic tail field, were analyzed to calculate an electrical conductivity profile for the moon: the conductivity increases rapidly with depth from 10 to the minus 9 power mhos/meter at the lunar surface to .0001 mhos/meter at 200 km depth, then less rapidly to .02 mhos/meter at 1000 km depth. A temperature profile is calculated from conductivity: temperature rises rapidly with depth to 1100 K at 200 km depth, then less rapidly to 1800 K at 1000 km depth. Velocities and thicknesses of the earth's magnetopause and bow shock are estimated from simultaneous magnetometer measurements. Average speeds are determined to be about 50 km/sec for the magnetopause and 70 km/sec for the bow shock, although there are large variations in the measurements for any particular boundary crossing.

Dyal, P.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Iron abundance and magnetic permeability of the moon

A set of simultaneous data from the Apollo 12 lunar surface magnetometer and the Explorer 35 Ames magnetometer are used to construct a whole-moon hysteresis curve, from which a new value of global lunar permeability is determined to be mu = 1.012 + or - 0.006. The corresponding global induced dipole moment is 2.1 x 10 to the 18th power gauss-cucm for typical inducing fields of .1000 gauss in the lunar environment. From the permeability measurement, lunar free iron abundance is determined to be 2.5 + or - 2.0 wt. %. Total iron abundance is calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior: a free iron/orthopyroxene lunar composition and a free iron/olivine composition. The overall lunar total iron abundance is determined to be 9.0 + or - 4.7 wt. %. Other lunar models with a small iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer are discussed in light of the measured global permeability. Effects on permeability and iron content calculations due to a possible lunar ionosphere are also considered.

Parkin, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Iron abundance and magnetic permeability of the moon

A larger set of simultaneous data from the Apollo 12 lunar surface magnetometer and the Explorer 35 Ames magnetometer are used to construct a whole-moon hysteresis curve, from which a new value of global lunar permeability is determined to be mu = 1.012 + or - 0.006. The corresponding global induced dipole moment is 2.1 x 10 to the 18th power gauss-cu cm for typical inducing fields of .0001 gauss in the lunar environment. From the permeability measurement, lunar free iron abundance is determined to be 2.5 + or - 2.0 wt. %. Total iron abundance (sum of iron in the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states) is calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior: a free iron/orthopyroxene lunar composition and a free iron/olivine composition. The overall lunar total iron abundance is determined to be 9.0 + or - 4.7 wt. %. Other lunar models with a small iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer are discussed in light of the measured global permeability.

Parkin, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Lunar electromagnetic scattering. II - Magnetic fields and transfer functions for parallel propagation

Magnetic field and transfer function amplitudes, resulting from a transverse electromagnetic wave in the interplanetary medium scattering from the moon and its diamagnetic cavity, are presented. Calculations are made using an asymmetric scattering theory for a spherical two-layer model of the lunar electrical conductivity profile and a nonconducting cylindrical model of the downstream lunar plasma void. Both the field and transfer function magnitudes are calculated as functions of position on the surface of the moon for frequencies relevant to the observations of the lunar surface and orbiting magnetometers. The amplitudes of the magnetic field components on the cavity boundary are also computed as functions of frequency and distance downstream from the lunar limb. Comparisons of the results are made with those of (1) spherically symmetric descriptions of lunar electromagnetic scattering, (2) the quasi-static approximation to asymmetric scattering theory, and (3) observations of the scattering phenomenon by lunar surface and orbiting magnetometers.

Schubert, G.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A relationship between synchronous altitude electron fluxes and the auroral electrojet

Simultaneous observations during four substorms are reported from the Lockheed auroral particle spectrometer on ATS 5 and the University of Alberta meridian magnetometer chain. During the four events studied there was a good correlation between the magnitude of the trapped electron fluxes in the energy range from 1.8 to 53 keV and the magnitude of the electrojet current as measured by a station in the magnetometer chain at a latitude close to that expected for the ATS conjugate point. A model electrojet is constructed based on the work of Coroniti and Kennel (1972) which gives a good absolute agreement between the two measured quantities. The results are consistent with the convection electric field's remaining approximately constant during a substantial portion of each of the substorms studied. The temporal variations of the electrojet were apparently controlled by conductivity changes in the ionosphere as determined by the precipitating auroral electrons.

Sharp, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Iron abundance and magnetic permeability of the moon

A larger set of simultaneous data from the Apollo 12 lunar surface magnetometer and the Explorer 35 Ames magnetometer are used to construct a whole-moon hysteresis curve, from which a new value of global lunar permeability is determined to be mu = 1.012 + or - 0.006. The corresponding global induced dipole moment is 2.1 times ten to the eighteenth power gauss-cu cm for typical inducing fields of one ten-thousandth gauss in the lunar environment. From the permeability measurement, lunar free iron abundance is determined to be 2.5 + or - 2.0 wt %. Total iron abundance (sum of iron in the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states) is calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior: a free iron/orthopyroxene lunar composition and a free iron/olivine composition. The overall lunar total iron abundance is determined to be 9.0 + or - 4.7 wt %. Other lunar models with a small iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer are discussed in light of the measured global permeability. Effects on permeability and iron content calculations due to a possible lunar ionosphere are also considered.

Parkin, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A relationship between synchronous-altitude electron fluxes and the auroral electrojet, appendix A

Simultaneous observations during four substorms are reported from the Lockheed auroral particle spectrometer on ATS-5 and the University of Alberta meridian magnetometer chain (Canada). During the four events studied, there was a good correlation between the magnitude of the trapped electron fluxes in the energy range from 1.8 to 53 keV and the magnitude of the electrojet current as measured by a station in the magnetometer chain at a latitude close to that expected for the ATS conjugate point. The Hall effect was studied and a model electrojet was constructed which gave a good absolute agreement between the two measured quantities. The results are consistent with the convection electric field remaining approximately constant during a substantial portion of each of the substorms studied. The temporal variations of the electrojet were apparently controlled by conductivity changes in the ionosphere as determined by the precipitating auroral electrons.

Sharp, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The Rome-GSFC magnetic field experiment for Helios A and B /E 3/

The Rome-GSFC magnetic field experiment utilizes a triaxial fluxgate (saturable inductor) magnetometer. The sensor unit is mounted on the end of a boom approximately four meters from the spacecraft spin axis. The three analog outputs of the magnetometer are converted into three 9 bit digital words. The experiment utilizes an automatic inflight range switch to select the optimum dynamic range out of 4 ranges. A nonmagnetic thermally oscillating actuator is used to reorient the sensor unit by 90 deg to determine all three axes zero levels. The accuracy should be approximately plus or minus 0.1 gamma. The vector measurements are made at equal intervals in time ranging from 16 per second down to 1 per second depending on the telemetry bit rate.

Scearce, C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A vector autopilot system

Current technology has evolved low cost, highly reliable solid state vector magnetometers with excellent angular resolution. This paper discusses the role of a three-axis magnetometer as a new instrument for aircraft attitude determination. Using flight data acquired by an instrumented aircraft, attitude is calculated using the earth's magnetic field vector and compared to measured attitudes. The magnetic field alone is not adequate to resolve all attitude variations and the need for a second reference angle or vector is discussed. A system combining the functions of heading determination and attitude measurement is presented to show that both functions can be implemented with essentially the same component count required to measure heading alone. It is concluded that with the correlation achieved in calculated and measured attitude there is a potential application of vector magnetometry in attitude measurement systems.

Pietila, R.↗