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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

Determination of travelling ionospheric disturbances

A total of 35 days of Faraday rotation data was obtained from the ATS-6 radio beacon experiment operating with the closely spaced network of Elbert, Table Mountain, and Fort Morgan. The 140-MHz Faraday bandpass data are uncorrelated in the transmission range from 8 to 45 minutes. There are distinct, well correlated, and time-displaced maxima and minima that allow the calculation of the speed and direction of horizontal motions of plane fronts of disturbances in the ionosphere. For some selected events, velocities between 88 and 278 m/sec were obtained.

Degenhardt, W.↗

The Voyager Cosmic Ray Experiment

The Voyager Cosmic Ray Experiment includes seven dE/dx-E telescopes to measure the energy and charge of particles with atomic numbers from 1 to 26 in the energy range 1-500 MeV/nucleon and to measure electron energy in the range from 3 to 110 MeV. Isotopic composition of hydrogen through sulfur in the range up to 75 Mev/nucleon can also be resolved. The electronic systems include a dual-gain, charge sensitive preamplifier, 4096-channel pulse height analyzers for three parameter analysis of selected events, and an event type readout polling scheme to maximize the use of available telemetry space and to enhance the occurrence of rare events in the data. Details of the detector, electronic and mechanical design are presented.

Stilwell, D. E.↗

The time-of-flight system on the Goddard medium energy gamma-ray telescope

A scintillation counter time-of-flight system has been incorporated into the Goddard 50 cm by 50 cm spark chamber gamma-ray telescope. This system, utilizing constant fraction timing and particle position compensation, digitizes up to 10 ns time differences to six bit accuracy in less than 500 ns. Event selection decisions, discriminating against upward-moving particles, are made prior to spark chamber triggering. The performance of this system during a November 1978 balloon flight is discussed.

Ross, R. W.↗

Elemental composition of solar energetic particles

The Low Energy Telescopes on the Voyager spacecraft have been used to measure the elemental composition (Z = 2-28) and energy spectra (5-15 MeV per nucleon) of solar energetic particles (SEPs) in seven large flare events. Four flare events were selected which have SEP abundance ratios approximately independent of energy per nucleon. For these selected flare events, SEP composition results may be described by an average composition plus a systematic flare-to-flare deviation about the average. The four-flare average SEP composition is systematically different from the solar composition determined by photospheric spectroscopy. These systematic composition differences are apparently not due to SEP propagation or acceleration effects. In contrast, the four-flare average SEP composition is in agreement with measured solar wind abundances and with a number of recent spectroscopic coronal abundance measurements. These findings suggest that SEPs originate in the corona, and that both SEPs and the solar wind sample a coronal composition which is significantly and persistently different from that measured for the photosphere.

Cook, W. R.↗

Evidence for collisionless conduction fronts in impulsive solar flares

The present paper is concerned with an analysis of new observations of impulsive hard X-ray and microwave bursts. The results are compared with predictions of a thermal flare model. A description is presented of the thermal model with conduction-front confinement, taking into account the development and previous applications of the model, the high-energy limit of confinement and its implications for microwave emission, the formation of a test based on the revised predictions of the model, and derived parameters. The observations and the test of the model are discussed, giving attention to instrumentation, event selection, selection of a homogeneous sample of impulsive rises,. observed and derived parameters for each rise, a correlation analysis of observed and predicted rise times, uncertainties in the measurements, consistency checks, and a comparison with results of Crannell et al. (1978).

Batchelor, D. A.↗

Electron plasma waves in the solar wind - AMPTE/IRM and UKS observations

Selected events of plasma wave and electromagnetic emissions in the earth's electron fore-shock region have been studied. Strong emissions are observed in the plasma-wave band when the site of the satellite is magnetically connected to the bow shock. These emissions are generally highly fluctuating. Under certain conditions one observes electromagnetic radiation at the second harmonic produced locally. Electromagnetic emission generated at a position far away from the site of the spacecraft is occasionally detected giving rise to remote sensing of the bow shock. These emissions are related to energetic electron fluxes.

Treumann, R. A.↗

The evolution of energy-transducing systems. Studies with an extremely halophilic archaebacterium

The halobacterial ATPase was labeled with C-14-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and subunit 2 of the enzyme was prepared by electroelution. Subunit 2 was cleaved by several chemical and enzymatic procedures for further preparation of peptides. Immunoreactions (Western blotting) of halobacterial membranes were performed with an antiserum against subunit A of the vacuolar ATPase from Neurospora crassa. A 85 K band (subunit 1) from the membranes of H saccharovorum and from two halobacterial isolates, which were isolated from Permian salt sediments, reacted strongly with the antiserum. The ATPase from the latter isolates resembled the ATPase from H saccharovorum, but had a higher content of acidic amino acids. If it can be verified that the age of the bacterial isolates is in the same range as when deposition of salt occurred, an extremely interesting system for the study of evolutionary questions would be available, since the salt-embedded bacteria presumably did not undergo mutational and selectional events.

Stan-Lotter, Helga↗

The SERENDIP 2 SETI project: Current status

Over the past 30 years, interest in extraterrestrial intelligence has progressed from philosophical discussion to rigorous scientific endeavors attempting to make contact. Since it is impossible to assess the probability of success and the amount of telescope time needed for detection, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Projects are plagued with the problem of attaining the large amounts of time needed on the world's precious few large radio telescopes. To circumvent this problem, the Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emissions from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations (SERENDIP) instrument operates autonomously in a piggyback mode utilizing whatever observing plan is chosen by the primary observer. In this way, large quantities of high-quality data can be collected in a cost-effective and unobtrusive manner. During normal operations, SERENDIP logs statistically significant events for further offline analysis. Due to the large number of terrestrial and near-space transmitters on earth, a major element of the SERENDIP project involves identifying and rejecting spurious signals from these sources. Another major element of the SERENDIP Project (as well as most other SETI efforts) is detecting extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) signals. Events selected as candidate ETI signals are studied further in a targeted search program which utilizes between 24 to 48 hours of dedicated telescope time each year.

Bowyer, C. S.↗

COMPTEL: Instrument description and performance

The imaging Compton telescope (COMPTEL) is one of the four gamma ray detectors aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). COMPTEL is sensitive to gamma rays from 800 keV to 30 MeV with a field of view of approximately 1 sr. Its angular resolution ranges between 1 and 2 degrees depending on the energy and incidence angle. The energy resolution of better than 10 percent FWHM enables COMPTEL to provide spectral resolution in the regime of astrophysical nuclear lines. The effective area varies typically from 10 to 50 cm(exp 2) depending on the energy and event selections made. In its telescope mode, COMPTEL is able to study a wide variety of objects, pointlike as well as extended in space. With 0.125 msec timing resolution, pulsed emission can be studied. In the single detector mode, COMPTEL uses two of its detectors to study the temporal spectral evolution of strong gamma ray bursts or transients.

Denherder, J. W.↗

MIRACAL: A mission radiation calculation program for analysis of lunar and interplanetary missions

A computational procedure and data base are developed for manned space exploration missions for which estimates are made for the energetic particle fluences encountered and the resulting dose equivalent incurred. The data base includes the following options: statistical or continuum model for ordinary solar proton events, selection of up to six large proton flare spectra, and galactic cosmic ray fluxes for elemental nuclei of charge numbers 1 through 92. The program requires an input trajectory definition information and specifications of optional parameters, which include desired spectral data and nominal shield thickness. The procedure may be implemented as an independent program or as a subroutine in trajectory codes. This code should be most useful in mission optimization and selection studies for which radiation exposure is of special importance.

Nealy, John E.↗

Radial expansion of the tail current disruption during substorms - A new approach to the substorm onset region

A new method is used to examine the radial expansion of the tail current disruption and the substorm onset region. The expansion of the disruption region is specified by examining the time sequence (phase relationship) between the north-south component and the sun-earth component. This method is tested by applying it to the March 6, 1979, event. The phase relationship indicates that the current disruption started on the earthward side of the spacecraft, and expanded tailward past the spacecraft. The method was used for 13 events selected from the ISEE magnetometer data. The results indicate that the current disruption usually starts in the near-earth magnetotail and often within 15 RE from the earth.

Ohtani, S.↗

Magnetospheric electric fields and auroral oval

DC electric field variations in a synchronous orbit (GEOS 2) during four substorms in the time sector 19 to 01 LT were investigated. Simultaneously, the imaging photometer on board DE 1 provided auroral images that are also utilized. Substorm onset is defined here as a sudden appearance of large electric fields. During the growth phase, the orientation of the electric field begins to oscillate some 30 min prior to onset. About 10 min before the onset GEOS 2 starts moving into a more tenuous plasma, probably due to a thinning of the current sheet. The onset is followed by a period of 10 to 15 min during which large electric fields occur. This interval can be divided into two intervals. During the first interval, which lasts 4 to 8 min, very large fields of 8 to 20 mV/m are observed, while the second interval contains relatively large fields (2 to 5 mV/m). A few min after the onset, the spacecraft returns to a plasma region of higher electron fluxes which are usually larger than before substorm. Some 30 min after onset, enhanced activity, lasting about 10 min, appears in the electric field. One of the events selected offers a good opportunity to study the formation and development of the Westward Traveling Surge (WST). During the traversal of the leading edge of the WTS (approximately 8 min) a stable wave mode at 5.7 mHz is detected.

Laakso, Harri↗

Variability of Mass Dependence of Auroral Acceleration Processes with Solar Activity

The objectives of this investigation are to improve understanding of the mass dependent variability of the auroral acceleration processes and so to clarify apparent discrepancies regarding the altitude and local time variations with solar cycle by investigating: (1) the global morphological relationships between auroral electric field structures and the related particle signatures under varying conditions of solar activity, and (2) the relationships between the electric field structures and particle signatures in selected events that are representative of the different conditions occurring during a solar cycle. The investigation is based in part on the Lockheed UFI data base of UpFlowing Ion (UFI) events in the 5OO eV to 16keV energy range and associated electrons in the energy range 7O eV to 24 keV. This data base was constructed from data acquired by the ion mass spectrometer on the S3-3 satellite in the altitude range of I to 1.3 Re. The launch of the POLAR spacecraft in early 1996 and successful operation of its TIMAS ion mass spectrometer has provided us with data from within the auroral acceleration regions during the current solar minimum. The perigee of POLAR is at about 1 Re, comparable to that of S3-3. The higher sensitivity and time resolution of TIMAS compared to the ion mass spectrometer on S3-3 together with its wider energy range, 15 eV to 33 keV, facilitate more detailed studies of upflowing ions.

Ghielmetti, Arthur G.↗

A Survey of Large-Scale Variations in Thermospheric Oxygen Column Density with Magnetic Activity as Inferred from Observations of the FUV Dayglow

Brightness of the terrestrial far-ultraviolet (FUV) dayglow is dominated by the 130.4-nm emission of neutral atomic oxygen, OI, and variations in the brightness observed from altitudes high above the emitting region reflect variations in thermospheric oxygen density. This paper summarizes the results of an initial survey of the Dynamics Explorer 1 observations of the FUV dayglow through a presentation of 13 representative events selected to demonstrate the spatial extent and short-term temporal stability of the brightness perturbations. The emphasis here is on the morning sector of local time and the polar cap for observations obtained in the time interval from September 23, 1981, through January 19, 1982. An analytic expression is derived for the average response of the FUV photometer to the dayglow during periods of high-latitude magnetic quiescence. The remaining observations in this time interval are then analyzed for their deviations from the established quiet time values. Deviations of -40% to +30% are found following intervals of increased magnetic activity. The most significant decreases (-30% to -40%) are observed equatorward of the instantaneous aurora] oval only after sustained periods (approx. 6 hours) of intense magnetic activity (average AE greater than approx. 700 nT). Decreases extend equatorward from the aurora to geographic latitudes as low as approx. 30 deg N. Decreases of lesser magnitude that do not extend as far equatorward are associated with sustained periods of more moderate activity in which the average value of AE is smaller (approx. 300-400 nT). Also, the spatial extent and magnitude of the decreases in the morning sector appear greater when the IMF B(sub y) component is positive. In both cases, decreases are readily observed within the polar cap. Localized enhancements of +20% to +30% occur much less frequently and are detected at the middle latitudes, well equator-ward of the auroral oval.

Nicholas, A. C.↗

Ground-Level Solar Cosmic Ray Data from Solar Cycle 19

The purpose of this grant was to locate, catalog, and assemble, in standard computer format, ground-level solar cosmic ray data acquired by cosmic ray detectors for selected events in the 19th solar cycle. The events for which we initially proposed to obtain these data were for the events of 23 February 1956,4 May 1960, 12 and 15 November 1960 and 18 and 20 July 1961. These were the largest events of the 19th solar cycle. However, a severe (more than 50%) reduction in the requested funding, required the work effort be limited to neutron monitor data for the 23 February 1956 event and the three major events in 1960.

Shea, M. A.↗

A Concept for a High-Energy Gamma-ray Polarimeter

We present a concept for an imaging gamma-ray polarimeter operating from approx. 50 MeV to approx. 1 GeV. Such an instrument would be valuable for the study of high-energy pulsars, active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants, and gamma-ray bursts. The concept makes use of pixelized gas micro-well detectors, under development at Goddard Space Flight Center, to record the electron-positron tracks from pair-production events in a large gas volume. Pixelized micro-well detectors have the potential to form large-volume 3-D track imagers with approx. 100 micron (rms) position resolution at moderate cost. The combination of high spatial resolution and a continuous low-density gas medium permits many thousands of measurements per radiation length, allowing the particle tracks to be imaged accurately before multiple scattering masks their original directions. The polarization of the incoming radiation may then be determined from the azimuthal distribution of the electron-positron pairs. We have performed Geant4 simulations of these processes to estimate the polarization sensitivity as a function of instrument parameters and event selection criteria.

Bloser, P. F.↗

LAT Perspectives in Detection of High Energy Cosmic Ray Electrons

The GLAST Large Area Telescope (LAT) science objectives and capabilities in the detection of high energy electrons in the energy range from 20 GeV to approx. 1 TeV are presented. LAT simulations are used to establish the event selections. It is found that maintaining the efficiency of electron detection at the level of 30% the residual hadron contamination does not exceed 2-3% of the electron flux. LAT should collect approx. ten million of electrons with the energy above 20 GeV for each year of observation. Precise spectral reconstruction with high statistics presents us with a unique opportunity to investigate several important problems such as studying galactic models of IC radiation, revealing the signatures of nearby sources such as high energy cutoff in the electron spectrum, testing the propagation model, and searching for KKDM particles decay through their contribution to the electron spectrum.

Moiseev, Alexander↗

Determining the Detection Efficiency and Background Level of ATIC Electron Observation from Flight Data

Observations of Cosmic-ray electrons are difficult due to the large flux of cosmic ray hadrons. The event selection efficiency and background levels can be estimated from flight data for the ATIC instrument. This reduces the dependence upon Monte Carlo simulations, which show differences between different codes, thereby reducing the systematic errors resulting from analyses that only use simulations. This paper discusses some of the methods used in the ATIC analysis to determine the detection efficiency and background level for the flight data.

Chang, J.↗