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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 523 records · Page 29
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NASA NTRS1986

Data inversion algorithm development for the hologen occultation experiment

The successful retrieval of atmospheric parameters from radiometric measurement requires not only the ability to do ideal radiometric calculations, but also a detailed understanding of instrument characteristics. Therefore a considerable amount of time was spent in instrument characterization in the form of test data analysis and mathematical formulation. Analyses of solar-to-reference interference (electrical cross-talk), detector nonuniformity, instrument balance error, electronic filter time-constants and noise character were conducted. A second area of effort was the development of techniques for the ideal radiometric calculations required for the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) data reduction. The computer code for these calculations must be extremely complex and fast. A scheme for meeting these requirements was defined and the algorithms needed form implementation are currently under development. A third area of work included consulting on the implementation of the Emissivity Growth Approximation (EGA) method of absorption calculation into a HALOE broadband radiometer channel retrieval algorithm.

Gordley, Larry L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Lunar occultations of IRAS point sources, 1986-1990

A complete listing is given for objects in the IRAS Point Source Catalog which will be occulted by the moon over the course of 1986-1990. A total of 14,148 ASCII card images is encompassed by the complete listing of objects having geocentric events during this period. The results contained in this complete listing are illustrated in two of the present tables for the brightest objects at 12 and 100 micron wavelengths.

Simon, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Profiling Saturn's rings by radio occultation

The development of reconstruction algorithms that correct for diffraction effects in radio occultation measurements is described. The reciprocal Fresnel transform relationship between the complex amplitude of the observed coherent signal and the complex microwave transmittance of the rings is derived using the Huygens-Fresnel formulation of the diffraction problem. The effects of the finite data segment width, the uncertainties in the Fresnel scale, systematic phase errors in the kernel of the inverse transform, reference oscillator instabilities, and random noise measurements on the resolution of the reconstructed transmittance are analyzed. Examples of reconstructed opacity profiles for some regions of Saturn's rings derived by applying the reconstruction theory to Voyager 1 at Saturn data are presented.

Marouf, Essam A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Occultation determination of Neptune's oblateness and stratospheric methane mixing ratio

The occultation of a star by Neptune on August 20, 1985 was observed at 2.2 micron wavelength with telescopes at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). The detection of a 'central flash' midway between immersion and emersion has allowed the determination of Neptune's oblateness and the atmospheric extinction at 2.2 microns, which is related to the stratospheric methane mixing ratio. An oblateness of (2.08 +0.19 or -0.18) x 10 to the 2nd is found and, assuming a stratospheric temperature of 120 K, a value of 0.6 percent is inferred (with an uncertainty of a factor of 10) for the methane mixing ratio (CH4/H2) at 0.3 mbar. The latter value may indicate supersaturation of methane in Neptune's stratosphere.

Lellouch, E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An analysis of bending waves in Saturn's rings using Voyager radio occultation data

Three oscillatory features in the Voyager 1 radio occultation map of Saturn's rings have been identified as the 5:3, 7:4, and 4:2 spiral bending waves excited by the satellite Mimas. The observations are presented and the wave properties are investigated. It is found that the Mimas 7:4 wave is consistent with the linear theory of bending waves, while the Mimas 5:3 wave may not be. A detailed analysis of the Mimas 4:2 bending wave was not possible due to the large optical depth in the region in which it propagates.

Gresh, Donna L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Observations of the 22 April 1982 stellar occultation by Uranus and the rings

The 1.5 m telescope of Teide Observatory at Teneriffe was used to observe an occultation of the stellar object KME 14 by the Uranus ring system. The telescope was equipped with a two-channel IR flux collector, with one passband centered at 4490 A and the other near 8800 A. Data processing procedures that were used are detailed. The ring profiles were analyzed with a square-well model, which accounted for diffraction and finite source size while treating each ring as sharp-edged and uniformly translucent. An emersion lightcurve was obtained and inverted to yield a temperature profile of the upper atmosphere of Uranus, which displayed a temperature maximum (at 8 microbar) near the equator.

Millis, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Pinhole occulter experiment

Viewgraphs and charts from a briefing summarize the accomplishments, results, conclusions, and recommendations of a feasibility study using the Pinhole Occulter Facility (POF). Accomplishments for 1986 include: (1) improved IPS Gimbal Model; (2) improved Crew Motion Disturbance Model; (3) use of existing shuttle on-orbit simulation to study the effects of orbiter attitude deadband size on POF performance; (4) increased understanding of maximum performance expected from current actuator/sensor set; (5) use of TREETOPS nonlinear time domain program to obtain system dynamics describing the complex multibody flexible structures; (6) use of HONEY-X design tool to design and evaluate multivariable compensator for stability, robustness, and performance; (7) application of state-of-the-art compensator design methodology Linear Quadratic Gaussian/Loop Transfer Recovery (LQG/LTR); and (8) examination of tolerance required on knowledge of the POF boom flexible mode frequencies to insure stability, using structure uncertainty analysis.

Ring, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS1987

Sun sensor boresight alignment testing for the Halogen Occultation Experiment

The boresight alignment testing for the sun sensor assembly on the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) is described. The sun sensor assembly consists of three sensors that provide feedback signals for controlling dual axes gimbals. Two energy balancing silicon detectors are operated as wideband sensors in the azimuth and elevation axes. The third sensor is a silicon photodiode array operated as a narrow-band sensor in the elevation axis. These sensors are mounted on a common Invar structure which is mounted to the HALOE telescope. A blackbody was used as the stimulating source to perform the initial boresight alignment and this was checked with a heliostat solar look and a direct solar look. These tests are explained with a comparison between each source used.

Moore, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Design and performance of the halogen occultation experiment (HALOE) remote sensor

HALOE is an optical remote sensor that measures extinction of solar radiation caused by the earth's atmosphere in eight channels, ranging in wavelength from 2.5 to 10.1 microns. These measurements, which occur twice each satellite orbit during solar occultation, are inverted to yield vertical distributions of middle atmosphere ozone (O3), water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, and methane. A channel located in the 2.7 region is used to infer the tangent point pressure by measuring carbon dioxide absorption. The HALOE instrument consists of a two-axis gimbal system, telescope, spectral discrimination optics and a 12-bit data system. The gimbal system tracks the solar radiometric centroid in the azimuthal plane and tracks the solar limb in the elevation plane, placing the instrument's instantaneous field-of-view 4 arcmin down from the solar top edge. The instrument gathers data for tangent altitudes ranging from 150 km to the earth's horizon. Prior to an orbital sunset and after an orbital sunrise, HALOE automatically performs calibration sequences to enhance data interpretation. The instrument is presently being tested at the NASA Langley Research Center in preparation for launch on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite near the end of this decade. This paper describes the instrumenmt design, operation, and functional performance.

Baker, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Thermal design, analysis and testing of the Halogen Occultation Experiment

This paper briefly introduces the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and describes the thermal requirements in some detail. The thermal design of the HALOE is described, together with the design process and the analytical techniques used to arrive at this design. The flight hardware has undergone environmental testing in a thermal vacuum chamber to validate the thermal design. The HALOE is a unique problem in thermal control due to its variable solar loading, its extremely sensitive optical components and the high degree of pointing accuracy required. This paper describes the flight hardware, the design process and its verification.

Foss, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The size, shape, density, and albedo of Ceres from its occultation of BD+8 deg 471

Photoelectric observations of BD+8 deg 471's November 13, 1984 occultation by Ceres show Ceres to be an oblate spheroid with a 479.6 + or - 2.4 km equatorial radius and 453.4 + or - 4.5 km polar radius. Despite the global appearance of a surface in hydrostatic equilibrium, real limb irregularities are distincly noticeable in the data. Visual geometric albedo is 0.073, and mean density 2.7 (+ or - 5 percent) g/cu cm.

Millis, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Oblateness, radius, and mean stratospheric temperature of Neptune from the 1985 August 20 occultation

The oblateness and equatorial radius of Neptune at the 1-microbar pressure level, together with the position angle of the projected spin axis, are the goals of a general oblate atmosphere model for Neptune employing a data ensemble obtained from the occultation of a bright IR star that provided accurate measurements of the limb position at these and several other stations. The observed reduction in central flash intensity is explained by a 150-135 K temperature decrease as pressure rises from 1 to 400 microbar. Attention is given to the implications of these oblateness results for models of the Neptune interior.

Hubbard, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Zonal winds between 25 and 120 km obtained from solar occultation spectra

Zonal winds between altitudes of 25 and 120 km have been obtained from measurements of the Doppler shifts of lines of atmospheric gases in solar occultation spectra collected with the ATMOS spectrometer flown on Spacelab 3. Wind speeds of about 100 m/s near 100 km and 25 to 50 m/s between 25 and 70 km were observed at latitudes near 30 deg N and 50 deg S. The wind speeds were estimated to + or - 5 m/s and positions of the absorption lines relative to the rest frame of the instrument were simultaneously recovered to 5 x 10 to the -5th/cm.

Van Cleef, Garrett W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The atmosphere of Uranus - Results of radio occultation measurements with Voyager 2

The Uranian atmosphere is investigated on the basis of S-band and X-band occultation observations (including measurements of Doppler frequency perturbations) obtained during the Voyager 2 encounter with Uranus in January 1986. The data are presented in extensive tables and graphs and characterized in detail. The atmosphere is assumed to have an H2/He abundance ratio of about 85/15, but also to contain small amounts of CH4 at above-cloud relative humidity 30 percent, cloud-base relative humidity 78 percent, and below-cloud mixing ratio 2.3 percent by number density. Other parameters estimated include magnetic-field rotation period 17.24 h, 1-bar equatorial radius 25,559 + or - 4 km, polar radius 24,973 + or - 20 km, equatorial acceleration of gravity 8.69 + or - 0.01 m/sec sq, and atmospheric temperature 76 + or - 2 K (assuming 85 + or - 3 percent H2).

Lindal, G. F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Temperature and aerosol structure of the nightside Uranian stratosphere from Voyager 2 photopolarimeter stellar occultation measurements

Voyager 2 UV-photopolarimeter occultation observations toward Gamma Peg, obtained on the nightside of Uranus at planetocentric latitude 68.9 deg N on January 24, 1986, are used to probe the structure of the Uranian atmosphere. The data are presented graphically and compared with the predictions of model atmospheres. The temperature profile for an aerosol-free atmosphere ranges from 85 + or - 2.3 K at 2.7 mbar to 96 + or - 13 K at 370 microbar, and the 1-mbar radius is found to be 25,219 + or - 6.3 km. The extinction coefficient for an aerosol haze layer at 1 mbar or higher is shown to be less than or equal to about 0.0001/km, but it is suggested that a well-mixed haze layer consisting of meteor or ring dust and/or photochemical condensates may well be present below 3 mbar.

West, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The upper atmosphere of Uranus - EUV occultations observed by Voyager 2

EUV (52-170 nm) solar and stellar occultation observations of the Uranian atmosphere from 500 microbar to about 1 pbar, obtained with the UV spectrometer on Voyager 2 during its encounter with Uranus in January 1986, are reported. The data are presented in extensive tables and graphs and characterized in detail. The atmosphere is found to be dominated by H2 (with very small hydrocarbon mixing ratios) out to about 1.25 Uranian radii, where atomic H becomes important. Also noted are a small (relative to Jupiter and Saturn) homopause eddy-diffusion coefficient, little difference between the atmospheres of the day and night hemispheres, high temperatures (800 + or - 100 K) above about 1-10 nbar, and number densities of several hundred H/cu cm at 2 Uranian radii. The implications of the latter finding for ring dynamics and plasma populations are explored.

Herbert, Floyd↗
NASA NTRS1988

Concentrations of carbonyl sulfide and hydrogen cyanide in the free upper troposphere and lower stratosphere deduced from ATMOS/Spacelab 3 infrared solar occultation spectra

This paper presents the results on the volume mixing ratio profiles of carbonyl sulfide and hydrogen cyanide, deduced from the spectroscopic analysis of IR solar absorption spectra obtained in the occultation mode with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) instrument during its mission aboard Spacelab 3. A comparison of the ATMOS measurements for both northern and southern latitudes with previous field investigations at low midlatitudes shows a relatively good agreement. Southern Hemisphere volume mixing ratio profiles for both molecules were obtained for the first time, as were the profiles for the Northern Hemisphere covering the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere simultaneously.

Zander, R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Past and future of radio occultation studies of planetary atmospheres

Measurements of radio waves that have propagated through planetary atmospheres have provided exploratory results on atmospheric constituents, structure, dynamics, and ionization for Venus, Mars, Titan, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. Highlights of past results are reviewed in order to define and illustrate the potential of occultation and related radio studies in future planetary missions.

Eshleman, Von R.↗