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At least 541 records · Page 30

X-rays from massive black holes

Tidal disruption of nondegenerate stars is shown to provide an important heat source for gas accreting onto massive black holes (about 10 to 100 million solar masses) in galactic nuclei. Turbulent dissipation by accreting gas streams can also be significant, and the heat input suffices to give rise to temperatures above about 1 billion K, resulting in an appreciable hard X-ray luminosity.

Meszaros, P.↗

Galactic distribution of X-ray burst sources

Data on X-ray bursts recorded by the OSO-8 and SAS-3 satellites and criteria (rise time, duration, recurrence) for X-ray bursts are examined in a study of possible correlation between the galactic longitude distribution of X-ray burst sources and globular clusters. Correlations are weak, with only two X-ray bursts sources (NGC6624 and the rapid burster) coinciding with globular clusters, another seven possibly coinciding, most not correlated. Ad hoc explanations (globular clusters obscured by dust clouds, bursts associated with remnants of disrupted globular clusters evolved into supermassive black holes) are considered briefly.

Lewin, W. H. G.↗

Apollo 17 KREEPy basalt - A rock type intermediate between mare and KREEP basalts

The Apollo 17 KREEPy basalt is a unique lunar volcanic rock, observed only as clasts in the light friable breccia matrix (72275) of Boulder 1, Station 2 at Taurus-Littrow. Its status as a volcanic rock is confirmed by the absence of any meteoritic contamination, a lack of cognate inclusions or xenocrystal material, and low Ni contents in metal grains. The basalt was extruded 4.01 + or - 0.04 b.y. ago, approximately contemporaneously with the high-alumina mare basalts at Fra Mauro; shortly afterwards it was disrupted, probably by the Serenitatis impact, and its fragments emplaced in the South Massif. The basalt, which is quartz-normative and aluminous, is chemically and mineralogically intermediate between the Apollo 15 KREEP basalts and the high-alumina mare basalts in most respects. It consists mainly of plagioclase and pigeonitic pyroxene in approximately equal amounts, and 10-30% of mesostatis.

Ryder, G.↗

Noise effects on passenger communication in light aircraft

This paper considers the effect of noise on conversation between two persons seated in a close, side-by-side position such as in a small aircraft. Twelve pairs of subjects were required to converse while being exposed to noises of various levels and spectra similar to those currently found in general aviation aircraft. After a period of noise exposure, subjects rated the disruptive effect of the noise on conversation and judged the acceptability of the noise. Subjective estimates of the maximum times for pleasant conversation in the noises were also obtained.

Rupf, J. A.↗

Arousal from sleep - The physiological and subjective effects of a 15 dB/A/ reduction in aircraft flyover noise

The present research was concerned with whether or not a 15 dB(A) reduction in overall noise level would lessen the sleep disturbing properties of jet aircraft flyover noise and, if less disturbing, whether this would be subjectively appreciated by the sleeping individual. The results indicate that a reduction of 15 dB (A) does result in less sleep disruption but only during sleep characterized by fast-wave electroencephalographic activity. During sleep characterized by slow-wave electroencephalographic activity, such a reduction in the sleep-disturbing properties of jet aircraft noise has little effect. Moreover, even when effective during fast-wave sleep, the decreased arousal produced by the lower noise levels is not subjectively appreciated by the individual in terms of his estimate of the quality of his night's sleep. Thus, reducing the overall noise level of jet aircraft flyovers by some 15 dB(A), is, at best, minimally beneficial to sleep.

Levere, T. E.↗

Pre-mare cratering and early solar system history

An evaluation of the application of the high extralunar flux in pre-mare times to more general problems of early solar system history is attempted by combining the results of dynamic studies with lunar chronological data. There is a twofold to fourfold contrast in the integral impact flux between the Apollo 14 and 16 sites and the older mare surfaces. This is judged insufficient to account for the contrasting lithology between these two sites: basalts and soil breccias in the maria, annealed breccias and impact melts in the highlands. Therefore, these rocks and their ages (3.9-4.0 b.y.) are thought to predate the surfaces in which they are found. Estimation of the flux needed to produce these lithologies, and difficulties associated with extrapolating this further back in lunar history give support to the "cataclysm" hypothesis of Tera, Papanastassiou, and Wasserburg. Dynamical studies permit separate evaluation of the possible sources for both the "normal" flux during the first 600 million years of lunar history and the "peak" that apparently occurred 4.0 billion years ago. The most likely sources for the normal flux are comets from the vicinity of Uranus and Neptune. The most promising source for the peak is tidal disruption by Earth or Venus of a Ceres-size asteroid initially in a Mars-crossing orbit. Alternative possibilities are suggested.

Wetherill, G. W.↗

Side-force alleviation on slender, pointed forebodies at high angles of attack

A new device was proposed for alleviating high angle-of-attack side force on slender, pointed forebodies. A symmetrical pair of separation strips in the form of helical ridges are applied to the forebody to disrupt the primary lee-side vortices and thereby avoid the instability that produces vortex asymmetry. Preliminary wind tunnel tests at Mach 0.3 and Reynolds no. 5,250,000 on a variety of forebody configurations and on a wing-body combination at angles of attack up to 56 degrees, demonstrated the effectiveness of the device.

Rao, D. M.↗

Compression of rehydratable vegetables and cereals

Characteristics of freeze-dried compressed carrots, such as rehydration, volatile retention, and texture, were studied by relating histological changes to textural quality evaluation, and by determining the effects of storage temperature on freeze-dried compressed carrot bars. Results show that samples compressed with a high moisture content undergo only slight structural damage and rehydrate quickly. Cellular disruption as a result of compression at low moisture levels was the main reason for rehydration and texture differences. Products prepared from carrot cubes having 48% moisture compared favorably with a freshly cooked product in cohesiveness and elasticity, but were found slightly harder and more chewy.

Burns, E. E.↗

Friction and wear of carbon-graphite materials for high-energy brakes

Caliper type brake simulation experiments were conducted on seven different carbon graphite materials formulations against a steel disk material and against a carbon graphite disk material. The effects of binder level, boron carbide (B4C) additions, SiC additions, graphite fiber additions, and graphite cloth reinforcement on friction and wear behavior were investigated. Reductions in binder level, additions of B4C, and additions of SiC each resulted in increased wear. The wear rate was not affected by the addition of graphite fibers. Transition to severe wear and high friction was observed in the case of graphite-cloth-reinforced carbon sliding against a disk of similar composition. The transition was related to the disruption of a continuous graphite shear film that must form on the sliding surfaces if low wear is to occur.

Bill, R. C.↗

Plasma density mapping in the solar wind through use of VHF radio to measure electron content

How the electron content between the Solar probe and the earth can be observed with a minimum of equipment and give a quantitative rationale for the use of a signal near 400 MHz to supplement the telecommunications signal is described. The emphasis is on the method of making content observations and on their value. While far from the Sun, the electron content is so low that the S-X dual-frequency system is insufficiently sensitive and a UHF system is optimum. As the probe approaches the Sun, the UHF may be disrupted by scintillation and the variations of the telecommunications signal must be used for the content measurement. By operating the suggested system in different modes as the solar distance changes, operation during the entire mission is possible.

Croft, T. A.↗

Adaptation to delayed auditory feedback

Delayed auditory feedback disrupts the production of speech, causing an increase in speech duration as well as many articulatory errors. To determine whether prolonged exposure to delayed auditory feedback (DAF) leads to adaptive compensations in speech production, 10 subjects were exposed in separate experimental sessions to both incremental and constant-delay exposure conditions. Significant adaptation occurred for syntactically structured stimuli in the form of increased speaking rates. After DAF was removed, aftereffects were apparent for all stimulus types in terms of increased speech rates. A carry-over effect from the first to the second experimental session was evident as long as 29 days after the first session. The use of strategies to overcome DAF and the differences between adaptation to DAF and adaptation to visual rearrangement are discussed.

Katz, D. I.↗

The rings of Saturn

Consideration is given to the development of theories concerning the rings of Saturn. Particular attention is given to ring structure, noting its thinness, the separations between rings, and observed variations in brightness. Data gathered via infrared, radio and radar techniques are described in terms of ring particle composition and size. Hypotheses about ring origin and evolution are outlined, including the tidal disruption model, calculations of Saturn's gravitational contraction history, grazing, and meteoroid bombardment. Prospects for future observations of Saturn's rings are reviewed, such as the variation in their radar reflectivity as a function of the tilt of the ring plane.

Pollack, J. B.↗

Thermal limit for spherical accretion and X-ray bursts

A mechanism is described whereby the rate of spherical accretion on a collapsed object and the resulting X-ray luminosity can be limited by thermal heating and evaporation of the accreting gas. The luminosity limit can be a factor of the order of 100 below the corresponding Eddington limit. Steady accretion flow is not possible within a range above this limit, and X-ray bursts can be produced by accretion surges resulting from the cooling and collapse of a heated gas shell above a critical optical depth. The luminosity and approximate recurrence rate of the bursts from NGC 6624 and other burst sources may then be understood. A general model for bursters is proposed in which massive (about 10 to 100 solar masses) black holes, from massive stars and the cores of disrupted globular clusters, undergo supercritical spherical accretion in interstellar clouds. Both X-ray and gamma-ray bursts are predicted to have similar hard X-ray (about 200 keV) spectra, though high average accretion rates and central optical depths also yield a comparable luminosity at around 5 keV from a Comptonized blackbody spectrum in the X-ray bursts and associated steady sources.

Grindlay, J. E.↗

Satellite formation. II

A satellite formation model is extended to include evolution of planetary ring material and elliptic orbital motion. In this model the formation of the moon begins at a later time in the growth of the earth, and a significant fraction of the lunar material is processed through a circumterrestrial debris cloud where volatiles might have been lost. Thus, the chemical differences between the earth and moon are more plausibly accounted for. Satellites of the outer planets probably formed in large numbers throughout the growth of those planets. Because of rapid inward evolution of the orbits of small satellites, the present satellite systems represent only satellites formed in the last few percent of the growths of their primaries. The rings of Saturn and Uranus are most plausibly explained as the debris of satellites disrupted within the Roche limit. Because such a ring would collapse onto the planet in the course of any significant further accretion by the planet, the rings must have formed very near or even after the conclusion of accretion.

Harris, A. W.↗

Enhancement of the jets in NGC 1097

Plates of NGC 1097 taken in four spectral bands have been digitized and processed at JPL's Image Processing Laboratory. The processing has revealed that (1) there is a fourth jet, R4, counter to the L-shaped jet, R1; (2) the area density of point sources in the jets is no different from that found on the sky; (3) two of the jets, R1 and R2, are bluer than the night sky, while one of the jets, R3, is redder than the night sky; (4) the nonstellar objects situated on the jets are noticeably bluer than the night sky; and (5) color-enhanced images of the spiral structure illustrate the distribution of both gaseous and spiral-arm stellar population disrupted from symmetry by an apparent companion elliptical.

Lorre, J. J.↗

Some consequences of a liquid water saturated regolith in early Martian history

Flooding of low-lying areas of the Martian regolith may have occurred early in the planet's history when a comparatively dense primitive atmosphere existed. If this model is valid, the following are some pedogenic and mineralogical consequences to be expected. Fluctuation of the water table in response to any seasonal or longer term causes would have resulted in precipitation of ferric oxyhydroxides with the development of a vesicular duricrust (or hardpan). Disruption of such a crust by scarp undercutting or frost heaving accompanied by wind deflation of fines could account for the boulders visible on Utopia Planitia in the vicinity of the second Viking lander site. Laboratory and field evidence on earth suggests that under weakly oxidizing conditions lepidocrocite (rather than goethite) would have preferentially formed in the Martian regolith from the weathering of ferrous silicates, accompanied by montmorillonite, nontronite, and cronstedtite. Maghemite may have formed as a low-temperature dehydrate of lepidocrocite or directly from ferrous precursors.

Fuller, A. O.↗

On the origin of the moon, with emphasis on bulk composition

A new analysis of altimetric, gravimetric, and seismological results, together with petrological and thermal history constraints, obtains an estimated Al2O3 content of 5.0%, 2.1 times chondritic. Hence the moon definitely has a refractory lithophile excess as well as an iron deficiency. In addition, the lunar surface is characterized by refractory siderophile depletions. The combination of these properties appears to require a previous stage of differentiation in a planetary body or bodies. Siderophile and chalcolphile depletions and dispersions in eucrites suggest that these bodies are not necessarily large. Possible mechanisms of lunar formation include impacting of a very large body into the earth; tidal disruption of sizeable differentiated planetesimals by the earth; and selective capture of differentiated planetesimal material by small moonlets. Each mechanism has its difficulties; the major unknown affecting all of them is the size distribution of planetesimals.

Kaula, W. M.↗

Side-force alleviation on slender, pointed forebodies at high angles of attack

A new approach of alleviating high angle-of-attack side force on slender, pointed forebodies comprising a symmetrical pair of helical separation trips to disrupt the lee-side vortices, has been demonstrated. Subsonic wind tunnel measurements on two axi-symmetric pointed bodies, a fuselage of non-circular cross-section and a wing-fuselage combination, at angles of attack up to 56 degrees are presented. Also included are water-tunnel flow visualization results portraying the action of helical trips in rapidly diffusing the leeward vortices and preventing vortex-wake asymmetry.

Rao, D. M.↗