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At least 703 records · Page 39

Water monitor system: Phase 1 test report

Automatic water monitor system was tested with the objectives of assuring high-quality effluent standards and accelerating the practice of reclamation and reuse of water. The NASA water monitor system is described. Various components of the system, including the necessary sensors, the sample collection system, and the data acquisition and display system, are discussed. The test facility and the analysis methods are described. Test results are reviewed, and recommendations for water monitor system design improvement are presented.

Taylor, R. E.↗

Detailed results of ASTP experiment MA-011

This experiment was developed in order to conduct engineering and operational tests of electrokinetic equipment in a micro-gravity environment. The experimental hardware in general functioned as planned and electrophoretic separations were obtained in space. The results indicated the development of satisfactory sample collection, return, and preservation techniques. The application of a near-zero zeta potential interior wall coating to the experimental columns, confirmation of biocompatibility of all appropriate hardware components, and use of a sterile operating environment provided a significant step forward in the development of a biological processing facility in space. A separation of a test of aldehyde-fixed rabbit, human, and horse red blood cells was obtained. Human kidney cells were separated into several components and viable cells returned to earth. The isotachophoretic separation of red cells was also demonstrated. Problems associated with the hardware led to a lack of success in the attempt to separate subpopulations of human lymphocytes.

Seaman, G. V. F.↗

Distribution and concentration of suspended matter in Delaware Bay

The author has identified the following significant results. The problem of remote sensing of suspended matter in water was analyzed in terms of the single-scattering albedo, and a semiempirical relationship between satellite radiance measurements and the concentration of suspended matter in the water was developed. The relationship was tested using data from the 7 July 1973 LANDSAT overpass of Delaware Bay with good results. Suspended sediment concentration maps for the entire Delaware Bay were prepared using radiance values extracted from LANDSAT MSS imagery and correlating them with ground truth samples collected from boats and helicopter.

Klemas, V.↗

Characterization and Distribution of Lunar Mare Basalt Types Using Remote Sensing Techniques

The types of basal to be found on the moon were identified using reflectance spectra from a variety of lunar mare surfaces and craters as well as geochemical interpretations of laboratory measurements of reflectance from lunar, terrestrial, and meteoritic samples. Findings indicate that major basaltic units are not represented in lunar sample collections. The existence of late stage high titanium basalts is confirmed. All maria contain lateral variations of compositionally heterogenous basalts; some are vertically inhomogenous with distinctly different subsurface composition. Some basalt types are spectrally gradational, suggesting minor variations in composition. Mineral components of unsampled units can be defined if spectra are obtained with sufficient spectral coverage (.3 to 2.5 micron m) and spatial resolution (approximating .5 km).

Pieters, C.↗

Studies on the toxic elements and organic degradation products in aquatic bodies and sediments around Kennedy Space Center (KSC) South Mosquito lagoon

A compilation was put together of research work performed on the aquatic systems around Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The report includes a brief description of the study area, field data and analytical results of all the samples collected during the five visits to KSC up to December 17, 1977. The aquatic area selected for the study is the Southern part of Mosquito Lagoon which extends from the Haulover Canal to the dead end boundary of this lagoon southwards.

Ghuman, G. S.↗

Global and regional N2O measurements

Real-time N2O measurements have been made in situ at the South Pole, Antarctica, north and south of the equator from on board the Alpha Helix and over the Pacific Ocean on several aircraft flights from the U.S. to New Zealand, Australia and 90 deg S. In addition, an automated EC-GC has been operated for the past year intermittently monitoring N2O in surface air at a rural site in the wheatlands of eastern Washington state. The data obtained are consistent and in agreement with the data obtained from the analyses of a large number of samples collected both from ground stations and a variety of aircraft flights made in the southern and northern hemisphere. The observed global data show no interhemispheric differences. The present concentration of N2O in the troposphere is measured to be 330 + or - 3 ppbv. Its vertical distribution in the troposphere is very uniform. A small decrease (2-3 percent) across the tropopause is characteristically observed in the high-altitude flights.

Rasmussen, R. A.↗

Shock compression and adiabatic release of a titaniferous mare basalt

A report is presented regarding the dynamic properties of a rock indigenous to the mare basins of the moon. The reported data were obtained in a study of sample 70215, a very titanium-rich basalt (58% pyroxene, 18% ilmenite, 15% plagioclase, 6% olivine, and 3% quartz by weight). This rock is probably representative of a class of the earliest mare-filling extrusive rocks which are exposed on the present lunar surface. Two series of experiments were performed. One set of experiments involved the measuring of Hugoniot and release adiabats to 15.7 GPa with a propellant gun apparatus. In the second set of experiments, a light-gas gun was employed to yield Hugoniot data at about 120 GPa and release states at about 90 GPa. Lunar basalt 70215 appears to be among the densest rocks in the present lunar sample collection, having a crystal density of 3.38 g/cu cm and a porosity of about 1.3%. The results of the experiments have important implications for both the degree of shock metamorphism expected for impact processes and the extent of ejecta transport on mare surfaces with high-titanium basalt composition.

Ahrens, T. J.↗

Impact melt on lunar crater rims

The reported study had the objective to determine the origin, distribution, and modes of occurrence of lava-like deposits and the factors responsible for their emplacement. Lava-like deposits around a large number of lunar craters were investigated in order to obtain information on the variation in morphology and the distribution as a function of crater size. The results should have bearing on lunar and terrestrial impact cratering processes and the provenance of the abundant impact melt rocks in the lunar sample collection. Attention is given to the size range of craters with exterior melt deposits, the morphology of deposits as a function of crater size, the factors responsible for melt deposit asymmetry, the time of melt emplacement, and a model for the formation of impact melt deposits on crater rims.

Hawke, B. R.↗

Measurement of the turbulence in a gaseous rocket combustion chamber

The intensity of turbulence and the Lagrangian correlation coefficient in a gaseous hydrogen (GH2)-gaseous oxygen (GOX) rocket combustion chamber are studied. A helium tracer gas was injected at an upstream point on the combustion chamber centerline. Samples collected downstream were analyzed for the spreading of the tracer gas concentration. Using Taylor's turbulent diffusion theory and Gosman's numerical method, turbulence parameters were found. In order to evaluate turbulence field inhomogeneity in the axial direction, Taylor's theory was extended. An exponential function was used to approximate the Lagrangian correlation coefficient. It was found that turbulence intensity varies from 15% near the injector to 4% at the nozzle entrance, and that the Lagrangian coefficient rapidly decreases when the dispersion time difference increases.

Tou, P. P.↗

The petrogenesis of 77115 and its xenocrysts - Description and preliminary interpretation

77115, a fragment-laden feldspathic pigeonite basalt, is one of four hand specimen-size samples collected from a boulder about 2.5 m across at Station 7, Taurus-Littrow. 77115 crystallized rapidly from a melt at or near the lunar surface and contains a population of xenoliths and xenocrysts which must have come from two or more separate sources. Broad reaction rims present in many of the xenocrysts suggest that cooling of the melt may have been very slow initially and rapid in the latter stage to produce the very fine-grained matrix. If the requirement for two cooling rates can be established, this will favor an endogenous igneous origin rather than an impact origin for the melt. Another interpretation is that the matrix crystallized first, followed by subsolidus reaction between xenocrysts and matrix to form the rims. The Apollo 17 feldspathic pigeonite basalts are postulated to be the dominant rock types of the early lunar crust.

Chao, E. C. T.↗

Inert gases in fines at three levels of the trench at Van Serg Crater

Inert-gas measurements were conducted with three soil samples collected from a trench of about 17 cm depth which had been dug at Station 9, approximately 60-m southeast of the rim of Van Serg Crater on the moon. The particular trench is interesting because it is located in the continuous ejecta blanket of a relatively young crater. The results of the inert-gas measurements are presented in a table. They confirm an earlier conclusion reported by Heymann et al. (1974) that fines from Station 9 are among the most gas rich in the whole landing site. The three fines are agglutinate rich and most of the trapped gas is contained in the constructional particles. Agglutinate contents of fines tend to decrease rapidly for particles greater than about 250 micrometers.

Jordan, J. L.↗

Significant characteristics of social response to noise and vibration

Several surveys made since 1971 to investigate annoyance resulting from noise and vibration, from various sources were studied in order to quantify the relation between annoyance response to noise or vibration and properties of the respondent including factors such as noise exposure, etc. Samples collected by the social surveys and physical measurements were analyzed by multi-dimensional analysis.

Nishinomiya, G.↗

Morphology and elemental composition analysis by size of rocket particulate effluent

Particulate samples collected on six stages of a quartz crystal microbalance cascade impactor mounted in an aircraft traversing the plume of a large solid-fueled rocket are analyzed, postflight, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersed X-ray (EDXRA). The results indicate the morphology and elemental composition of the particles fall into several distinct groups. Those larger than about 0.5 micron in diameter and nearly spherical in shape contain, among elements with atomic numbers of 11 and higher, only aluminum, suggesting they are aluminum oxide formed in the solid rocket fuel combustion. Still larger but less symmetrical particles contain only sodium and chlorine. Particles much smaller than 0.5 micron seem to end up as agglomerates after impaction (or during the impaction process), and show a complex elemental make-up of Na, Al, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe and Zn. The unagglomerated single particles smaller than 0.2 micron, on the other hand, show no evidence of elements above atomic number 11 at all, suggesting they may be carbon or hydrocarbon particles.

Chuan, R. L.↗

A Mars Airplane . . . Oh really

This paper describes the mission design, scientific utilization, and prototypical design of a Mars Airplane. As a scientific platform, the airplane provides an excellent means of obtaining data in a resolution range intermediate to surface vehicles and orbiters. It has great versatility to perform a variety of missions: conduct aerial surveys, land instrument packages, collect samples, and perform atmospheric sounding. The Mars Airplane has many characteristics of a competition glider on earth. Two versions of the plane, a cruiser, and one with soft landing and takeoff capability, have been designed. Maximum range and endurance are 10,000 km and 31.1 hours with a 40-kg payload.

Clarke, V. C., Jr.↗

Chemical alterations of the Holbrook chondrite resulting from terrestrial weathering

Major, minor and trace element analysis as well as noble gas measurements were performed on three Holbrook chondrite samples collected fresh in 1912, in 1931, and in 1968. Decreases in metallic iron and MgO and an increase in total iron were detected. Elemental concentrations of Ti, Ca, Al, P, Mn, Ni, and Cr did not change significantly during weathering. While sodium might have been lost, and K slightly enriched, the trace elements C, Rb, and Sr increased at least two-fold during weathering. Gas abundances decreased, and the concentration ratios of noble gas nuclides varied unpredictably.

Gibson, E. K., Jr.↗

Ground-based measurements of DM-2 rocket exhaust effluents using fixed-flow samplers and electrets

Electret devices were used to collect samples of rocket exhaust products. The samples were analyzed by X-ray spectroscopy. The performance of the electrets was compared with that of Thiokol fixed flow samplers during the static test firing of a solid rocket motor (SRM) demonstration model. A vertical profile of wind speed, wind direction, and air temperature, used as inputs to the multilayer diffusion model for the SRM static test is presented.

Susko, M.↗

Dropping stones in magma oceans - Effects of early lunar cratering

A new methodology is used to calculate the accumulation rate of megaregolith materials for two models of early lunar cratering, both with and without episodes of late cataclysmic cratering. Results show that the pulverization of early rock layers was an important process competing with the formation of a coherent rock lithosphere at the surface of the hypothetical lunar magma ocean. If a magma ocean existed, then its initial cooling was marked by a period of pre-lithospheric chaos in which impacts punched through the initially thin rocky skin, mixing rock fragments with splashed magma. Furthermore, the results show that intense brecciation and pulverization of rock materials must have occurred to a depth of at least tens of kilometers in the first few hundred years of lunar history regardless of whether a 'terminal lunar cataclysm' occurred around 4.0 G.y. ago. The predicted pattern of brecciation and the ages of surviving rock fragments is similar to that actually observed among lunar samples. More reliable dating of basin-forming events and models of rock exhumation and survival are needed in order to understand better the relation between the early intense bombardment of the moon and the samples collected on the moon today.

Hartmann, W. K.↗

Measurements of the absorption coefficient of stratospheric aerosols

The absorption coefficients of stratospheric aerosols are measured using a variation on the integrating plate method. The technique is based on the decrease in the transparency of a substrate when an absorbing aerosol is deposited on it. A Lambert scatterer is placed behind the substrate to integrate forward scattered light and minimize the effect of scattering on the measurement. The low pressure in the stratosphere is used for the direct impaction of particles onto a narrow strip of opal glass. The eight samples collected had a median value of 4 x 10 to the -9th m with an uncertainty of + or - 5 x 10 to the -9th m. If this absorption is due to graphitic carbon, then its concentration is estimated at about 0.4 ng/cu m, or about 0.25% of the total aerosol mass concentration. Estimates of the aerosol scattering coefficients based on satellite extinction inversions result in an aerosol single-scattering albedo in the range of 0.96-1.0.

Ogren, J. A.↗