Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “NUCLEUS”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Concentrations of condensation nuclei in the vicinity of jetstream maxima

Ozone and condensation nuclei were measured on March 29, 1977 (and March 30, GMT) from a Sabreliner in a frontal zone south of Denver, Colo. The ozone served as a tracer for stratospheric air and the condensation nuclei as a tracer for tropospheric air. Both the Langer condensation nucleus counter and the Rich-100 counter can be used to measure condensation nucleus concentrations in the vicinity of the tropopause. However, the former counter is more sensitive to low concentrations. The nuclei measured were found to be almost entirely larger than 0.005 micron in radius, consisting of thousands of molecules. The mesostructure of the ozone and condensation nucleus concentrations agreed well with a double structure of the frontal zone that became apparent from a detailed analysis of radiosonde data.

Cadle, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the Physical Environment in the Galactic Nuclei

Galactic nuclei and quasars emit radiation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. This suggests that concurrent observations over a wide frequency range may provide useful information in determining appropriate models for the physical environment in which the radiation is produced. In conjunction with observations by the high energy spectrometer on OSO-8, four sources have been studied in this manner; the nucleus of the elliptical galaxy, Centaurus A (NGG 5128); the quasar, 30273; the Seyfert galaxy, NGC 4151 and the nucleus of the Milky Way (GCX). Concurrent observations are used to construct the composite spectra (from radio to X-ray) for Cen A and NGC 4151 while the composite spectra of 30273 and GCX are derived from the OSO-8 data and from other observers. A skymap technique used to analyze observations of the galactic center region yielded data consistent with a significant, hard X-ray source at the radio and infrared position of the nucleus of the Milky Way. A theoretical analysis of the temporal variability of the Cen A data is undertaken and its implications discussed. Similarities between the composite spectra of the observed sources suggest that radio-bright and radio-quiet quasars may represent the emission from galactic nuclei with elliptical and Seyfert-like morphologies, respectively.

Beall, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comet Science Working Group report on the Halley Intercept Mission

The Halley Intercept Mission is described and the scientific benefits expected from the program are defined. One characteristic of the mission is the optical navigation and resulting accurate delivery of the spacecraft to a desired point near the nucleus. This accuracy of delivery has two important implications: (1) high probability that the mass spectrometers and other in situ measurement devices will reach the cometary ionosphere and the zone of parent molecules next to the nucleus; (2) high probability that sunlit, high resolution images of Halley's nucleus will be obtained under proper lighting conditions. In addition an observatory phase is included during which high quality images of the tail and coma structure will be obtained at progressively higher spatial resolutions as the spacecraft approaches the comet. Complete measurements of the comet/solar wind interaction can be made around the time of encounter. Specific recommendations are made concerning project implementation and spacecraft requirements.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

Radiative transfer in cometary dust atmospheres: Critique of recent developments

The gas and dust production rates of comets near the sun are intimately linked to the fate of the solar radiation as it is scattered and partially absorbed by the cometary dust envelope or halo surrounding the comet's nucleus. The radiation of nuclear matter (mostly water ice) and the release of dust particles embedded in the ice which are entrained by the escaping gas and subsequently form a dust atmosphere or halo. On the other hand, the interaction of the dust cloud with the solar radiation is in turn responsible for the amount of radiative energy received by the nucleus and thus determines the evaporation rate. It is shown that recent attempts to formulate this problem quantitatively are in error. The correct formulation is given and it is pointed out that negative extinction (enhancement of the primary radiation received by the nucleus due to multiple scattering) may not be as large as predicted.

Vonroos, O.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Structure and origin of cometary nuclei

There is strong evidence that a comet nucleus consists of a single object whose basic structure is Whipple's icy conglomerate. A number of cometary phenomena indicate that the nucleus is a low density, fragile object with a large degree of radial uniformity in structure and composition. Details of the ice-dust pattern are more uncertain. A working model is proposed which is based on theories of accumulation of larger objects from grains. This nucleus is a distorted spherical aggregate of a hierarchy of ice-dust cometesimals. These cometesimals retain some separate identity which lead to comet fragmentation when larger components break off. The outer layers of new comets were modified by cosmic ray irradiation in the Oort Cloud. The evidence for meteorite-comet association is steill controversial. Current dynamical studies do not seem to require a cometary source of meteorites.

Donn, B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Millimeter wave radiometry as a means of determining cometary surface and subsurface temperature

Thermal emission spectra for a variety of cometary nucleus models were evaluated by a radiative transfer technique adapted from modeling of terrestrial ice and snow fields. It appears that millimeter wave sensing from an interplanetary spacecraft is the most effective available means for distinguishing between alternate models of the nucleus and for evaluating the thermal state of the layer which is below the instantaneous surface where modern theories of the nucleus indicate that sublimation of the cometary volatiles actually occurs.

Hobbs, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Outburst and nuclear breakup of Comet Halley - 1910

Computer processing of five plates of Comet Halley taken during the 1910 apparition shows that on May 24 strong asymmetric (with respect to the tail axis) fountain-like parabolic plumes had developed on the sunward side of the nucleus. Visual observations showed that after an initial fading while passing in front of the sun, the brightness increased to about magnitude 1. On the plates taken May 31, the nucleus is clearly divided into at least three parts of nearly equal brightness. However, the last plate on June 3 shows a symmetrical coma with a small stellar-like nucleus.

Wood, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Heat content and evolution of cometary nuclei

The heat flux into cometary nuclei at various distances from the sun, before and after perihelion, is investigated for both the isothermal case and that of the fixed subsolar point. It is found that the heat flux may be a large fraction of the incident total heat input, so that surface temperature and the associated evaporation rate are lower than usually calculated, and that the effect depends on the porosity of the nucleus. An ideal, initially spherical and homogeneous nucleus cannot remain isothermal, so that it must develop surface nonuniformities through localized phase changes, evaporation, and breakaway. The splitting of comets as far as 9 AU from the sun may be explained in terms of the heating of a CO2-rich inclusion in the nucleus.

Smoluchowski, R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

On the dust zoning of rapidly rotating cometary nuclei

The effects of nuclear rotation on the surface of a cometary nucleus (a comet at 1 AU that is H2O dominated and has a radius of 1 km) are considered. It is shown that this dust does not accumulate uniformly on the surface, which here is considered spherical. While dust particles in the two polar cap regions and an equatorial belt remain at rest on the surface, those in two midlatitude bands migrate toward the equator, stopping at the two low latitudes to form dust ridges. As the nucleus spins up, both the polar caps and the equatorial belt shrink in size, and the dust ridges move toward the equator, eventually spinning off the dust from the nucleus when the nuclear rotation period is less than about 3.3 hr. For larger particles for which the gas buoyancy is negligible, migration takes place only if the rotation period is not significantly larger than the critical value of 3.3 hr or if the surface friction is abnormally small.

Houpis, H. L. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Visibility of comet nuclei

Photography of the nucleus of comet Halley is the goal of several planned space missions. The nucleus of a comet is surrounded by a cloud of dust particles. If this cloud is optically thick, it will prevent observation of the nuclear surface. Broadband photometry of nine comets has been analyzed to determine the visibility of their nuclei. Only in the case of comet West near perihelion was the dust dense enough to interfere with imaging. Comparison of the visual brightness of the well-observed comets with that of Halley in 1910 leads to the conclusion that the nucleus of Halley can be imaged without significant obscuration by the dust.

Ney, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Chemical kinetics in the coma

Physical and chemical conditions in the coma of a bright 'new' comet are related to the composition of the nucleus. Chemical and photolytic processes are described and correlated to distance in the coma above the nucleus and to heliocentric distance of the comet. Two classes for the composition of comets are considered based on their place of origin: in the environs of the giant planets or in a companion fragment of the presolar nebula. Comparison of model results with coma observations leads to some restrictions about the nucleus composition. It is expected that these restrictions become more stringent as coma models are developed further and as observations become more detailed. Composition based on an origin of comets in the presolar nebula yields abundances of C2, C3, and CN that are in agreement with observations.

Huebner, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Results from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XLI - Photometry of M31 and M33

Filter photometry observations from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, in six wavelength bands between 1550 and 4250 A, are reported for several positions along the major and minor axes in M31 and at some positions in M33. The spatial resolution is 10 arcmin. The colors along the major axis of M31 within about 20 arcmin of the nucleus are similar to the nucleus; at 45 arcmin the colors are much bluer, indicating a spiral arm population. This behavior is expected from other observations of H I, CO, and early-type stars, which are all concentrated in a ring of material whose inner edge is about 7 kpc (= 35 arcmin) from the nucleus. The center of M33 is bluer than the ring of M31, and the arms of M33 even bluer. There are no colors too blue to be explained (within observational error) by unreddened B stars.

Davis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Cometary ephemerides for spacecraft flyby missions

The determination of cometary ephemerides is considered with reference to proposed missions to Comet Halley. It is noted that the ability of spacecraft without onboard navigation capability to fly close to target comets is limited chiefly by the comet's ephemeris uncertainty. The situation is complicated by nongravitational forces acting on a comet's nucleus and the paucity of observers currently making astrometric observations of comets. The nongravitational forces affecting Comet Halley are consistent with the rocket effect of an outgassing water ice nucleus; the nucleus is apparently rotating in a direct sense about a stable spin axis. It is emphasized that accurate Comet Halley ephemerides for close spacecraft flybys will require continued efforts to refine the existing nongravitational force model. In addition, the flyby mission to Comet Halley will require a well-organized network of astrometric observers. For this purpose, an Astrometry Network is being set up within NASA's International Halley Watch program.

Yeomans, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

X-ray observations of M33 with the high resolution imager on the Einstein Observatory

Three observations, separated by 6 months, of the Local Group galaxy M33 using the high resolution imager (HRI) on the Einstein Observatory are reported. Eight X-ray sources with luminosites ranging from 8 x 10 to the 36th to 1.2 x 10 to the 39th ergs/s have been detected. For seven of these sources, finding charts with positions accurate to less than 5 arcsec are provided. The X-ray properties and possible identifications are discussed for the eight HRI-detected sources and for two other sources, previously described by Long et al. (1981), for which upper limits are provided. It is found that most of the sources are associated with Population I markers. One source may be coincident with an optical supernova remnant. The most luminous source (by a factor of at least 25) is that associated with the optical nucleus. Because the X-ray flux from the nucleus decreased by a factor of 1/2 between the first and second observations, it is most likely that a single, compact object is responsible for the X-ray emission. It is possible that this source may be an active galactic nucleus, a massive binary X-ray source, or a low-mass X-ray binary such as are found in globular clusters within the Galaxy.

Markert, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Infrared properties of extragalactic H II complexes

Infrared observations of relatively isolated giant H II complexes in the LMC and the spiral arms of M33 and M101 are discussed, and complexes which extend over several kiloparsecs near the galactic centers are examined. The 30 Doradus nebula is emphasized, showing the variation of the 50-100 micron color temperature with position in that object. Ten-micron scans through the nucleus of NGC 1097 are compared to a visual photograph, showing the enhanced infrared emission which occurs at the nucleus and at the ring of H II regions about 1 kpc from the nucleus.

Telesco, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Observations on the connectivity of the parvicellular reticular formation with respect to a vomiting center

The intrinsic and extrinsic connections of the parvicellular reticular formation (PCRF) that have been demonstrated by fiber degeneration studies and studied by more recently introduced horseradish peroxidase retrograde cell labeling are reviewed in an attempt to delimit the connectivity of the region in the PCRF where electrical stimulation produced emesis. Evidence is presented that certain specific functional subdivisions in PCRF such as the salivatory nuclei and the cells which give rise to the vestibular efferent projections can be delimited. An attempt is made to differentiate the sources of brain stem afferent connections with the nucleus of the tractus solitarius, the vagal nucleus and the nucleus ambiguus complex. The literature bearing on the histochemistry of the brain stem is reviewed in a search for clues to possible unique histo- or immunochemical cytological subdivisions in the parvicellular reticular formation.

Mehler, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Comet rendezvous

A Mariner Mark II spacecraft rendezvous mission with comet Kopff has been recommended by NASA's Solar System Exploration Committee, and is scheduled for a Shuttle launch in 1990. The spacecraft, which is scheduled to encounter the comet in 1994, will conduct a series of experiments including the study of the cometary nucleus, coma, and tail during perihelion passage; the determination of the nucleus and coma chemical/isotropic composition; the description of the nucleus's size, mass, rotation period, and pole occultation; distinctions of gas and dust hydrodynamics; and distinctions of solar wind interactions with the coma. The three-axis-stabilized spacecraft will be modular in design, and will incorporate a 490-Newton Insat engine, Viking Orbiter propulsion tanks, an Integrated Platform Pointing and Attitude Control Subsystem, and several scientific instruments. The spacecraft's Radio Frequency Subsystem will only use X-band telemetry with a downlink frequency of 8415 MHz, and an uplink frequency of 7161 MHz. The power sources in the present design include one radioisotope thermoelectric generator, three 3 Ah batteries, and a solar panel of approximately 7 sq m.

Draper, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Anatomy of the Vestibulo-automatic Outflow to the Gut

Motion sickness can be induced by vestibular effects on the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system. However, the pathways linking the vestibular and autonomic pathways are unknown. As a first step in this analysis, the locations of preganglionic sympathetic neurons (PSN) and dorsal root afferent ganglionic neurons (DRG) which supply sympathetic innervation to major portions of the gastrointestinal tract in rabbits were identified. The objective of a second series of experiments is to determine which of the brainstem nuclei project to the autonomic regions of the spinal cord that control gastrointestinal motility. To achieve this goal, a trans-synaptic retrograde tracer (3H-tetanus toxoid) is applied to the greater splanchnic nerve. This method allows the labeling of neurons within the brainstem that project only to the preganglionic synpathetic neurons. One structure that has been strongly implicated in mediating vestibulo-autonomic control is the cerebellum (i.e., nodulus and uvula). The outflow of these lobules to the autonomic regions of the brainstem is mediated by the fastigial nucleus. To determine the precise projections of the fastigial nucleus to the brainstem nuclei involved in emesis, anterograde tracer (3H-leucine) was injected into the fastigial nucleus in a third series of experiments.

Torigoe, Y.↗