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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 55 records · Page 3

Analysis and Interpretation of Synthetic Time Strings of Oscillation Data

Artificial strings of solar oscillation data with gaps and noise, corresponding to the output of different spatial filter functions, were analyzed. Peaks in the power spectrum are identified for values of the degree l from 0 to 18, and rotational splitting is estimated. The filters prove effective in facilitating identification of essentially all the real peaks in the power spectrum. Estimates of peak frequencies and amplitudes and rotational splitting frequencies are in reasonably good agreement with the input values. Spurious peaks in autocorrelation spectra correspond to the frequency spacing between power peaks with the same order n, differing by one or two in the degree l.

Mihalas, B. W.↗

Analysis and interpretation of MAGSAT anomalies over north Africa

Crustal anomaly detection with MAGSAT data is frustrated by inherent resolving power of the data and by contamination from external and core fields. Quality of the data might be tested by modeling specific tectonic features which produce anomalies that fall within proposed resolution and crustal amplitude capabilities of MAGSAT fields. To test this hypothesis, north African hotspots associated with Ahaggar, Tibesti and Darfur were modeled as magnetic induction anomalies. MAGSAT data were reduced by subtracting external and core fields to isolate scalar and vertical component crustal signals. Of the three volcanic areas, only the Ahaggar region had an associated anomaly of magnitude above error limits of the data. Hotspot hypothesis was tested for Ahaggar by seeing if predicted magnetic signal matched MAGSAT anomaly. Predicted model magnetic signal arising from surface topography of the uplift and the Curie isothermal surface was calculated at MAGSAT altitudes by Fourier transform technique modified to allow for variable magnetization. Curie isotherm surface was calculated using a method for temperature distribution in a moving plate above a fixed hotspot. Magnetic signal was calculated for a fixed plate as well as a number of plate velocities and directions.

Phillips, R. J.↗

Constraints on lithospheric structure from satellite potential field data: Africa and Asia. Analysis and interpretation of MAGSAT anomalies over North Africa

Crustal anomaly detection with MAGSAT data is frustrated by the inherent resolving power of the data and by contamination from the external and core fields. The quality of the data might be tested by modeling specific tectonic features which produce anomalies that fall within the proposed resolution and crustal amplitude capabilities of the MAGSAT fields. To test this hypothesis, the north African hotspots associated with Ahaggar, Tibestia and Darfur have been modeled as magnetic induction anomalies due solely to shallower depth to the Curie isotherm surface beneath these features. The MAGSAT data were reduced by subtracting the external and core fields to isolate the scalar and vertical component crustal signals. The predicted model magnetic signal arising from the surface topography of the uplift and the Curie isotherm surface was calculated at MAGSAT altitudes by the Fourier transform technique modified to allow for variable magnetization. In summary it is suggested that the region beneath Ahaggar is associated with a strong thermal anomaly and the predicted anomaly best fits the associated MAGSAT anomaly if the African plate is moving in a northeasterly direction.

Phillips, R. J.↗

Geodesy by radio interferometry: Studies of the forced nutations of the earth. I - Data analysis. II - Interpretation

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of compact extragalactic radio sources collected in North America and Europe between July 1980-December 1984 are analyzed. The nutations derived from VLBI data are compared with the nutations in the Wahr series (1981). Good correlation of the data is observed; however, it is detected that a correction of -1.80 + or - 0.18-i(0.42 + or - 0.18) is required for the amplitude of the retrograde annual nutation in the Wahr series. The change in free core nutation resonance frequency is calculated to explain the derivation in the retrograde annual nutation. It is concluded that VLBI earth nutation measurements have sufficient accuracy to be sensitive to core-mantle boundary properties.

Herring, T. A.↗

Development of data processing, interpretation and analysis system for remote sensing of trace atmospheric gas species

Highly efficient methods were developed for the analysis and reduction of Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite (MAPS) data. Specific attention was directed to analyzing the data from the Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications 3 (OSTA-3) correlative measurements of aircraft research flights and from the OSTA-3 shuttle flight. Methods were developed for error analysis of the aircraft and spacecraft instruments. The LSI 11/23 software system was modified and expanded for future data analysis.

Gormsen, B. B.↗

Data analysis and interpretation of UVSP and other experiments on board solar maximum mission

During the period of this contract (February 1 1980 to February 1987) there were two separate efforts involved: one was programmetric, i.e., the coordination of scientific working groups and the organization of workshops in the solar physics discipline; the second was scientific, i.e., to perform research to investigate the fundamental physical mechanisms of the energy and momentum transport from the solar surface to interplanetary space. In the former, 19 workshops, involving 88 scientists were organized. In the latter aspect, the following were investigated: solar flare energy buildup and release, coronal dynamics, energy and momentum transport from lower solar atmosphere to interplanetary space, numerical methods for the calculation of the nonlinear force-free field, and the evolution of the solar magnetic field.

Wu, S. T.↗

Analysis and interpretation of X-ray pulsars

By careful measurements of the fluctuations in pulsar pulse periods on time scales of days and longer, researchers determined that these fluctuations are caused by changes in the rotation rate of the stellar crust apparently arising from matter accretion. The study of these fluctuations is a particularly promising way to determine the properties of accreting pulsars, because stellar rotation is relatively simple in comparison to much other X-ray source physics and can be investigated in detail. Rotation rates can be determined precisely.

Boynton, Paul E.↗

Analysis and interpretation of satellite fragmentation data

The velocity perturbations of the fragments of a satellite can shed valuable information regarding the nature and intensity of the fragmentation. A feasibility study on calculating the velocity perturbations from existing equations was carried out by analyzing 23 major documented fragmentation events. It was found that whereas the calculated values of the radial components of the velocity change were often unusually high, those in the two other orthogonal directions were mostly reasonable. Since the uncertainties in the radial component necessarily translate into uncertainties in the total velocity change, it is suggested that alternative expressions for the radial component of velocity be sought for the purpose of determining the cause of the fragmentation from the total velocity change. The calculated variances in the velocity perturbations in the two directions orthogonal to the radial vector indicate that they have the smallest values for collision induced breakups and the largest values for low-intensity explosion induced breakups. The corresponding variances for high-intensity explosion induced breakups generally have values intermediate between those of the two extreme categories. A three-dimensional plot of the variances in the two orthogonal velocity perturbations and the plane change angle shows a clear separation between the three major types of breakups. This information is used to reclassify a number of satellite fragmentation events of unknown category.

Tan, Arjun↗

Analysis and interpretation of low gravity boiling experiments in the KC-135

Reduced gravity two phase flow boiling and condensing experiments were conducted in the NASA KC-135. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of two phase flow behavior in reduced gravity, the individual test runs were critically examined to determine their suitability to be taken as representative of two phase flow in microgravity. Selected runs were simulated using the two fluid thermal-hydraulic COBRA/TRAC computer code. The comparisons of these sophisticated codes with the observed flow behavior illustrate the generic shortcomings of current two phase modeling capabilities in application to reduced gravity conditions.

Cuta, Judith M.↗

Analysis and interpretation of observations of airglow at 297 nm in the Venus thermosphere

Data obtained by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter's UV spectrometer for the limb profiles near periapsis, with the instrument's grating set to a bandpass-center wavelength of 297 nm, are analyzed to identify the sources giving rise to the observed signals, which are forbidden O I 2972 A and C I 2967 A. Structure in the forbidden O I 2972 A emission profile in the lower thermosphere is explained in terms of large temperature excursions altering the quenching rate of O(1S) by CO2.

Lecompte, Malcolm A.↗

Analysis and interpretation of diffuse x-ray emission using data from the Einstein satellite

An ambitious program to create a powerful and accessible archive of the HEAO-2 Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) database was outlined. The scientific utility of that database for studies of diffuse x ray emissions was explored. Technical and scientific accomplishments are reviewed. Three papers were presented which have major new scientific findings relevant to the global structure of the interstellar medium and the origin of the cosmic x ray background. An all-sky map of diffuse x ray emission was constructed.

Helfand, David J.↗

Analysis and interpretation of CCD data on P/Halley and physical parameters and activity status of cometary nuclei at large heliocentric distance

The scientific objectives were as follows: (1) to construct a well sampled photometric time series of comet Halley extending to large heliocentric distances both post and pre-perihelion passage and derive a precise ephemeris for the nuclear spin so that the physical and chemical characteristics of individual regions of activity on the nucleus can be determined; and (2) to extend the techniques in the study of Comet Halley to the study of other cometary nuclei and to obtain new observational data.

Belton, Michael J. S.↗

Data analysis and interpretation related to space system/environment interactions at LEO altitude

Several studies made on the interaction of active systems with the LEO space environment experienced from orbital or suborbital platforms are covered. The issue of high voltage space interaction is covered by theoretical modeling studies of the interaction of charged solar cell arrays with the ionospheric plasma. The theoretical studies were complemented by experimental measurements made in a vacuum chamber. The other active system studied was the emission of effluent from a space platform. In one study the emission of plasma into the LEO environment was studied by using initially a 2-D model, and then extending this model to 3-D to correctly take account of plasma motion parallel to the geomagnetic field. The other effluent studies related to the releases of neutral gas from an orbiting platform. One model which was extended and used determined the density, velocity, and energy of both an effluent gas and the ambient upper atmospheric gases over a large volume around the platform. This model was adapted to study both ambient and contaminant distributions around smaller objects in the orbital frame of reference with scale sizes of 1 m. The other effluent studies related to the interaction of the released neutral gas with the ambient ionospheric plasma. An electrostatic model was used to help understand anomalously high plasma densities measured at times in the vicinity of the space shuttle orbiter.

Raitt, W. John↗

Analysis and interpretation of variabilities in ozone and temperature fields

The temporal and spatial variabilities were studied of short and long term fluctuations in stratospheric ozone and temperature at various pressure levels using several years of ozone, temperature, and solar flux data from Nimbus 4, Nimbus 7, and SME satellites. Some results are as follows: (1) the solar UV flux and various indices of solar activity indicate a strong period at about 5 months; (2) satellite total ozone observations were analyzed using 17 years of data from the Nimbus 4 BUV and the Nimbus 7 SBUV experiments, which show very similar seasonal variations and quasibiennial oscillation (QBO) with some indication of a 4 year component; and (3) the zonal characteristics of both the ozone and temperature trends were derived from ten years of total ozone and 50 mb temperature based on the Nimbus 7 TOMS measurements and the NMC analyses respectively.

Chandra, S.↗

Issues in the analysis and interpretation of cyclotron lines in gamma-ray bursts

With reference to recent gamma-ray burst observations by the detector on the Ginga satellite, the importance of the observation of multiple harmonics for extracting physical parameters from cyclotron lines is demonstrated. The cyclotron line signature of neutron star rotation is described, and possible observational evidence is discussed.

Lamb, D. Q.↗