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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Illumination of Saturn's ring by the ball. I - Preliminary results

Indirect solar illumination of Saturn's ring via scattering from the ball of the planet provides a new ground-based observational technique for studying the single scattering albedo and phase function of the individual particles. Information concerning optical thickness may also be obtained. Essentially complete phase angle coverage can be achieved by studying the variation with azimuth of the indirect contribution to the surface brightness of the ring. Initial application of the technique is reported. The indirect contribution to the radiation scattered from the ring has been marginally detected by electronographic areal photometry. The results have been interpreted using simple scattering models. The photometric accuracy was insufficient to permit investigation of departures from isotropic scattering. But high single scattering albedos, and an essentially opaque ring, are indicated.

Price, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Saturn's rings. II - Condensations of light and optical thickness of Cassini's division

Condensations of light have been observed when Saturn's rings are seen almost edge on, and the sun and the earth are on opposite sides of the ring plane. These condensations are associated with ring C and Cassini's division. If the relative brightness between the two condensations and the optical thickness of ring C are known, we can calculate the optical thickness of Cassini's division. Using Barnard's and Sekiguchi's measurements, we have obtained a range from .01 to .05 for the optical thickness of Cassini's division. A brightness profile of the condensations which agrees well with visual observations is also presented.

Ferrin, I. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A theory of ring formation around Be stars

A theory for the formation of gaseous rings around Be stars is developed which involves the combined effect of stellar rotation and radiation pressure. A qualitative scenario of ring formation is outlined in which the envelope formed about a star from ejected material is in the form of a disk in the equatorial plane, collisions between ejected gas blobs are inevitable, and particles with high angular momenta form a rotating ring around the star. A quantitative description of this process is then formulated by considering the angular momentum and dynamical energy of the ejected matter as well as those of the ring alone, without introducing any other assumptions.

Huang, S.-S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Photometry of Saturn's rings

A total of 202 photographic plates of Saturn taken from four different locations and in seven different colors have been studied in order to define better the variation in ring brightness with solar phase angle, declination of the earth with respect to the ring plane, orbital phase angle of the ring particles, and wavelength. A major effort has been made to investigate possible differences in the photometric behavior of the A and B rings.

Lumme, K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The rings of Saturn - Two-frequency radar observations

Results are reported for a two-frequency dual-polarization radar-echo study of Saturn's rings which involved monostatic operation at a wavelength of 3.5 cm and bistatic operation at 12.6 cm. The radar observations show that the rings effectively depolarize linearly and circularly polarized incident waves at the two wavelengths; that the ring particles are unusually efficient radar reflectors, yielding approximately the same high total cross section at both wavelengths; and that there is an apparent excess of power at the 'central' Doppler shifts when compared with homogeneous scattering models based on the optically observed ring distributions. Several possible explanations for these three radar properties are considered. It is found that a model which hypothesizes a thick cloud of irregular water-ice chunks a few centimeters or larger in radius and a model which postulates a monolayer of multimeter-sized water-frost-coated metallic chunks both seem capable of explaining the first two radar properties. But no consistent explanation is found for the excess low-frequency spectral power.

Goldstein, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

On the mass of Saturn's rings

This paper presents a statistical estimate of the mass of Saturn's rings, determined to be (6.2 plus or minus 2.4) x 10 to the -6th masses of Saturn. This value was obtained by fitting a gravitational model of the Saturn system which included rings, satellites, and the planet to the observed secular apsidal and nodal rates of the inner satellites. The apsidal commensurability of particles in the rings of Titan was shown to produce no significant effect on the structure of the rings.

Mclaughlin, W. I.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Ring current loss mechanisms and composition as inferred from equatorial pitch angle distributions observed during a storm recovery phase

Explorer 45 measurements of pitch angle distributions (PAD's) of ring current ions were examined for evidence of charge exchange or pitch-angle diffusion as loss mechanisms for the ring current during a storm recovery phase. The observed rounding of the PAD's above a minimum parallel energy is seen as resulting from pitch angle diffusion driven by resonant interactions with ion cyclotron waves. Calculations of growth rates using observed ion fluxes and PAD's have shown that ion cyclotron waves can be significantly amplified by the ring current plasma. However, wave growth off the equator must be taken into account in order to understand the time evolution of the observed PAD's. Isotropic distributions at lower energies remain isotropic at L-values between 3 and 4 despite the presence of charge exchange losses. An explanation for this apparent inconsistency may be that ring current is dominated by some ion species other than protons during recovery phase.

Lyons, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effect of end-ring stiffness on buckling of pressure-loaded stiffened conical shells

Buckling studies were conducted on truncated 120 deg conical shells having large end rings and many interior reinforcing rings that are typical of aeroshells used as spacecraft decelerators. Changes in base-end-ring stiffness were accomplished by simply machining away a portion of the base ring between successive buckling tests. Initial imperfection measurements from the test cones were included in the analytical model.

Davis, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Design and Fabrication of a Ring-Stiffened Graphite-Epoxy Corrugated Cylindrical Shell

Design and fabrication of supplement test panels that represent key portions of the cylinder are described, as are supporting tests of coupons, sample joints, and stiffening ring elements. The cylindrical shell is a ring-stiffened, open corrugation design that uses T300/5208 graphite-epoxy tape as the basic material for the shell wall and stiffening rings. The test cylinder is designed to withstand bending loads producing the relatively low maximum load intensity in the shell wall of 1,576 N/cm. The resulting shell wall weight, including stiffening rings and fasteners, is 0.0156 kg/m. The shell weight achieved in the graphite-epoxy cylinder represents a weight saving of approximately 23 percent, compared to a comparable aluminum shell. A unique fabrication approach was used in which the cylinder wall was built in three flat segments, which were then wrapped to the cylindrical shape. Such an approach, made possible by the flexibility of the thin corrugated wall in a radial direction, proved to be a simple approach to building the test cylinder. Based on tooling and fabrication methods in this program, the projected costs of a production run of 100 units are reported.

Johnson, R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Uranus - The rings are black

An investigation is conducted concerning the possibility that the rings about Uranus discovered during the occultation of star SAO 158687 might have been observed in earlier studies of the planet. It is concluded that in view of a very low estimate for the contrast of the rings seen against the disk, a detection of the rings by earlier visual observers is unlikely. It appears, however, that the Stratoscope II photographs recorded the projection of the rings on the disk of Uranus.

Sinton, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The instability of the thin vortex ring of constant vorticity

A theoretical study indicating that vortex rings at moderate Reynolds numbers are unstable to azimuthal bending waves is presented. Only the case of a thin vortex ring with a core of constant vorticity in an inviscid flow is examined. The disturbance flow and the mean flow of the vortex ring are derived as asymptotic solutions near the core; the stability analysis is developed completely for a certain class of bending waves that are unstable on a line filament in the presence of strain. The vortex ring is found to be always unstable for at least two wavenumbers for which waves on a line filament of the same vorticity distribution would not rotate. Published experimental results are cited to support these conclusions.

Widnall, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Far-infrared spectral observations of Saturn and its rings

The spectrum of Saturn and its rings between 45 and 115 microns has been measured at an average resolving power of 14 from the NASA Lear Jet. The combined brightness temperature of the rings and planetary disk decreases beyond 65 microns, in disagreement with previous results. A brightness temperature of 65 + or - 10 K is obtained for the planetary disk in the 80-110-micron wavelength range if a large-particle, constant-emissivity model is assumed for the rings. The possible effects of small particles in the rings are briefly considered.

Ward, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Signal-to-noise ratios for stellar occultations by the rings of Uranus, 1977-1980

Approximate signal-to-noise ratios are calculated for 12 stellar occultations by the rings of Uranus during 1977-1980. Four of the stars are apparently bright enough to permit observation of the epsilon-ring occultations with a large telescope. For the best of these events, occultations by rings alpha through delta should also be observable with a large telescope, and epsilon-ring occultations should be detectable with smaller telescopes. Formulas for the signal-to-noise ratios are given to aid potential observers in evaluating the quality of the results they can expect to obtain with their own photometric equipment.

Elliot, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The 22.7 micron brightness of Saturn's rings versus declination of the sun

Equatorial scans of Saturn's rings were obtained with the KPNO 4 m telescope in 1977 March to provide ring-brightness data at 22.7 micrometers for B' = 16 deg.3. A comparison of these new results with an earlier measurement by Rieke shows that a specific intensity decrease of about 30% has occurred for the A and B rings since 1973, when B' was about 26 deg. Our results also confirm the existence of a bright infrared C ring component, which has increased in specific intensity by about 35% over the same period.

Nolt, I. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The elastic distortion of the flanged inner ring of a high-speed cylindrical roller bearing

The elastic distortion of the inner ring of an experimental 3,000,000 DN roller bearing is investigated analytically. The geometry of this bearing is unusually complex and for this reason a bearing with an axially symmetric inner ring and shaft is also analyzed. Only the inner ring and shaft are considered using a two-dimensional finite element computer program which enables interference between these components to be accommodated. The results for the experimental bearing suggest that elastic distortions are modest in relation to the design clearances. However, the variation of the radial deflection of the raceway may be significant for some circumstances and the interference fit adopted between the ring and shaft appears to be questionably low.

Taylor, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Uranus and the shape of elliptical rings

It is reported that when the star SAO158687 passed behind the Uranus system, its light was occulted twice by the epsilon (fifth) ring of the planet. The first part of the ring to occult was about 100 km wide and the second part was about 40 km wide. The variable width of the ring is accounted for by differences in the orbital eccentricities of the individual particles composing the ring.

Lucke, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the origin of Uranus' rings

The role of Miranda-Ariel orbital resonances in determining the structure of the rings of Uranus is discussed. In particular, it is argued that the three-body orbital resonances of Miranda and Ariel may function as a mechanism for the formation of narrow rings, rather than as a mechanism for trapping freely orbiting particles; the formation of narrow rings, in this hypothesis, would involve an inelastic collision process. The narrowness of the resonances may account for the sharply defined ring boundaries.

Ip, W.-H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Azimuthal brightness variations of Saturn's rings

It is now well established that near maximum inclination and in the visual band Saturn's A ring exhibits brightness variations with orbital phase of the ring particles. Constraints on possible models to explain this behavior are provided by the variation in amplitude of this effect with changing declination of the earth with respect to the ring plane, by the variation of the effect with solar phase angle, and by its dependence on wavelength. In particular, the amplitude of the azimuthal effect increases as earth's declination with respect to the ring plane decreases from 26 to 16 deg. The effect diminishes at opposition and decreases with decreasing wavelength (and hence with decreasing particle albedo).

Esposito, L. W.↗