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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
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NASA NTRS1974

Physical parameters of the Cen X-3 system

Photographic spectra of Cen X-3 show that the primary star has a spectral type near 06.5 with weak, variable emission at wavelength 4640 and 4686. No orbital motion of the emission or absorption lines is detected; for the latter the upper limit is approximately + or - 50 km/s. Analysis of the available data indicates that the primary is a factor of 2-3 less massive than expected from normal evolutionary models while the X-ray source has a solar mass near 1.5.

Osmer, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mars physical parameters as determined from Mariner 9 observations of the natural satellites

Derivation of values for the Mars gravity field, as well as the mass and spin axis direction, by processing combined radio and optical data taken with the Mariner 9 spacecraft. The optical data consists of 62 TV photographs of Phobos and Deimos taken during the Mars orbiting phase of Mariner 9. The radio data consists of apoapsis state vectors obtained from 195 one-revolution fits of the Doppler data. A first-order analytic theory is used to model both the satellites and the spacecraft's motion. However, the shallow resonance condition of Mariner 9's orbit necessitated development of a partial second-order theory to model the long-period perturbations which derive from Mars even-order tesseral harmonics. Use of an analytic theory allows rapid and inexpensive processing of both data types simultaneously. The results are in good agreement with those previously published from Mariner 9 Doppler and landmark data.

Born, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Some physical parameters of micrometeoroids

Detailed morphological parameters (depth/diameter ratio, circularity index) of microcraters in the 0.2 to 100 micron diameter range were obtained via SEM techniques for three lunar glass surfaces. The depth/diameter ratios are typically 0.5 to 0.8 with a range of 0.3 to 1.3. The circularity index varies from 0.4 to 1.0 with a pronounced maximum at 0.7 to 0.9. These parameters are compared with microcraters produced in the laboratory via electrostatic particle accelerators. The following conclusions are drawn: The great majority of observed crater depths are compatible with micrometeoroid densities of 2 to 4 g/cu cm; crater depths are incompatible for projectile densities less than 1 g/cu cm and greater than 7 g/cu cm. The circularity index of microcrater pits indicates rather equidimensional, if not spherical, projectiles. Needles, platelets and other highly irregular shapes can be excluded. Less than 5% of all craters observed may offer different conclusions.

Brownlee, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Physics of compact nonthermal sources. II Determination of physical parameters

A set of restrictions upon the magnetic field and visible angular size of a canonical nonthermal source (one whose emission is incoherent electron synchrotron) has been obtained in another paper. The degree of electron anisotropy and magnetic field disordering were left as free parameters. In the present paper these restrictions are applied to the variable compact radio sources 3C 84, 3C 120, 3C 273, 3C 279, 3C 454.3, CTA 102, 3C 446, PKS 2134 + 004, VRO 42.22.01, and OJ 287. The theoretically derived angular sizes for these sources are in reasonable agreement with published VLBI sizes, provided that the characteristic pitch angles are not extremely small. The magnetic field strengths determined from the degree of circular polarization are generally compatible with field strengths derived from the self-absorption and synchrotron self-Compton conditions, again provided that the pitch angles are not too small. It is argued that the self-absorption optical depth cannot be much less than unity near the low-frequency turnovers; otherwise, serious discrepancies with observation result.

Jones, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Physical parameters of the Centaurus X-3 system

Photographic spectra of Cen X-3 show that the primary star has a spectral type near O6.5 with weak, variable emission at 4640 and 4686 A. No orbital motion of the emission or absorption lines is detected; for the latter the upper limit is about plus or minus 50 km/sec. Analysis of the available data indicates that the primary is a factor of 2-3 less massive than expected from normal evolutionary models while the X-ray source has a mass near 1.5 times the solar mass.

Osmer, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Morphology and physical parameters of a solar flare

The chromospheric and coronal morphology of the flare of June 15, 1973, (1B/M3) in NOAA active region 131 (McMath 12379) is discussed, and results of quantitative analysis of Skylab soft X-ray observations of the event are presented. H-alpha and white-light observations reveal evidence of emerging flux near the site of the H-alpha flare onset. Preflare and early flare filament activity and its spatial and temporal correlation with the flare are discussed. Spatially resolved soft X-rays are compared with H-alpha and magnetic-field measurements. Full-disk high-temporal-resolution soft X-ray flux measurements and time profiles of the resultant temperature and density calculations are also presented which yield a peak temperature of about 14.2 million K and a peak electron density of approximately 3.5 deg 10 to the -10th power per cu cm and show a preflash-phase temperature rise to about 9 million K. The peak values should be compared with the respective values of approximately 25 million K and 4.5 by 10 to the -10th power per cu cm deduced from the spatially resolved data.

Smith, J. B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Physical parameter analysis of an intense, compact subflare

Results of analysis of Skylab X-ray proportional counter data (10-s averages) and X-ray telescope filtergrams for the August 9, 1973 (SN/M2) subflare from McMath 12474 (NOAA AR 185) are presented. The event flux profiles and profiles of temperature, volume emission-measure, and a quantity equivalent to thermal energy content are shown. Using the proportional counter data, a peak temperature in excess of 20,000,000 K at 1552:05 UT, a peak volume emission measure of 7 x 10 to the 48th per cu cm at 1553:25 UT, and a peak value of thermal energy content of 2 x 10 to the 16th evgs/cm to the 3/2 power at 1552:45 UT were derived. Based on the analysis of spatially-resolved X-ray images during the period near flare-peak through flare-decay, the flare is observed to be both intense and compact and to consist of at least two identifiable loops whose volumes remained essentially unchanged throughout the event.

Wilson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Study of the post-flare loops on 29 July 1973. II - Physical parameters in the X-ray loops

We use the filter ratio method of analysis to determine spatially resolved values of plasma parameters in the X-ray emitting post-flare loop system which developed on 29 and 30 July 1973. We find that the loops were hotter and had higher plasma pressure at their tops than near their footpoints. The loop tops were at nearly the same temperature at different places 3 hr after the flare maximum and were also at nearly this same temperature 3 and 8 hr later. Variations in brightness transverse to the loops were due to variations in emission measure. We show by consideration of radiative losses alone that energy must have been added to the hottest part of the flare, at the tops of the loops, late in the decay phase of the flare.

Petrasso, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Physical parameter profiles of selected X-ray flares

Soft X-ray proportional-counter data for nine X-ray flares of class C1 to M1 occurring during the Skylab mission, have been analyzed to yield temperature, volume emission measure, electron density and thermal energy content. Profiles of these quantities are presented, using 1-min averages of 2.5-s resolution data. The event profiles are discussed and comparisons with previous studies made.

Wilson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An analysis of the effect of biological and physical parameters of a wetlands grass biome on the spectral modeling of phytomass and primary productivity

Aircraft simulated thematic mapper data and field data were acquired in the fall and spring to analyze the relationship of spectral response and biomass for the marsh grass Spartina patens. Regression results indicate no simple relationship exists for TMS spectral response and biomass with a high R sq. However, results show a consistent relationship between spectral response and the percent live vegetation (by weight) and percent interstitial standing surface water (by area) as independent variables. It is suggested that the reflected energy of a pixel represents a mixture of surface constituents. It is recommended that alternative remote sensors be employed to account for the pixel constituents of live and dead vegetation, litter, and standing water.

Butera, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Physical parameters of near-earth asteroid 1982 DV

An account is given of visual and infrared observations made of Amor asteroid 1982 DV during its discovery apparition. Broadband visual and near-infrared photometry shows it to be an S-class asteroid. Narrowband spectrophotometry shows an absorption feature due to olivine or pyroxene or both centered at 0.93 micrometer. The asteroid is either one of the most reflective S-class asteroids known, or a significant amount of bare rock is exposed on the asteroid's surface. For the nonrotating model considered, ellipsoidal dimensions are 3.5 x 1.4 x 1.4 km.

Vilas, F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Improved orbital and physical parameters for the Pluto-Charon system

Analysis of the observations of several Pluto-Charon occultation and transit events in 1985 and 1986 has provided a more detailed knowledge of the system. The sum of the radii of Pluto and Charon is 1786 + or - 19 kilometers, but the individual radii are somewhat more poorly determined; Pluto is 1145 + or - 46 kilometers in radius, and Charon is 642 + or - 34 kilometers in radius. The mean density of the system is 1.84 + or - 0.19 grams/cu cm, implying that more than half of the mass is due to rock. Charon appears to have hemispheres of two different colors, the Pluto-facing side being neutral in color and the opposite hemisphere being a reddish color similar to Pluto.

Tholen, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Physical parameters for 12 planetary nebulae and their central stars in the Magellanic Clouds

Nebular and central star parameters and elemental abundances of C, N, O, Ne, S, and Ar are presented for the planetary nebulae N2, N5, N43, N54, and N67 in the SMC and P2, P7, P9, P25, P33, and P40 in the LMC. The nebular chemical compositions are affected by nuclear processes in the precursor stars, which may not have been sufficiently massive to synthesize Ne, S, or Ar, which appear to be deficient with respect to their solar abundances by factors of roughly four and five for the LMC and SMC, respectively. Even after excluding nebulae formed by stars in which O apparently was destroyed by nuclear processes, O depletion in the LMC and SMC nebulae is significantly greater than in galactic planetaries. The estimated masses of the 12 remnant central stars range from 0.58 to 0.71 solar mass.

Aller, Lawrence H.↗