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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Impact of Cirrus Crystal Shape on Solar Spectral Irradiance: A Case Study for Subtropical Cirrus

Profiles of in situ measurements of ice crystal size distribution of subtropical cirrus were used to calculate solar spectral irradiances above and below the clouds. Spheres and nonspherical ice crystal habits (columns, hollows, plates, bullets, and aggregates) were assumed in the calculations. The simulation results were compared to irradiance measurements from the NASA Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer. The microphysical and radiation data were collected by three aircraft during CRYSTAL-FACE. Two cirrus cases (optical thickness of about 1 and 7) from two mission dates (26 and 23 July 2002) were investigated in detail. The measured downwelling and upwelling irradiance spectra above the cirrus could mostly be reproduced by the radiation model to within +/- 5-10% for most ice crystal habits. Below the cirrus the simulations disagreed with the measured irradiances due to surface albedo variability along the flight track, and nonoptimal colocation between the microphysical and irradiance measurements. The impact of shape characteristics of the crystals was important for the reflected irradiances above the optically thin cirrus, especially for small solar zenith angles, because in this case single-scattering dominated the solar radiation field. For the cirrus of moderate optical thickness the enhanced multiple scattering tended to diminish particular shape features caused by nonspherical single-scattering. Within the ice absorption bands the shape-related differences in the absorption characteristics of the individual nonspherical ice crystals were amplified if multiple scattering prevailed. Furthermore, it was found that below the cloud the shape sensitivity of the downwelling irradiance spectra is larger compared to the nonsphericity effects on reflected irradiances above the cirrus. Finally, it was shown that the calculated cirrus solar radiative forcing could vary by as much as 26% depending on the ice crystal habit.

Wendisch, Manfred↗
NASA NTRS1980

The energy balance of the solar transition region

It is shown how the observed distribution of the emission measure with temperature can be used to limit the range of energy deposition functions suitable for heating the solar transition region and inner corona. The minimum energy loss solution is considered in view of the work by Hearn (1975) in order to establish further scaling laws between the transition region pressure, the maximum coronal temperature and the parameter giving the absolute value of the emission measure. Also discussed is the absence of a static energy balance at the base of the transition region in terms of measurable atmospheric parameters, and the condition for a static energy balance is given. In addition, the possible role of the emission from He II in stabilizing the atmosphere by providing enhanced radiation loss is considered.

Jordan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Stratospheric distribution of ClONO2

Balloon-borne infrared solar spectra in the 1292/cm region, at 0.02/cm resolution, obtained during sunset, are used to derive a mixing ratio altitude profile of ClONO2. Portions of the spectra covering the 1292/cm region are shown together with a laboratory spectrum of ClONO2 and HNO3 taken with a flight interferometer. The agreement of the atmospheric absorption feature in shape and position with the ClONO2 spectrum, along with the fact that the feature is not due to other known atmospheric compounds, results in the identification of the atmospheric absorption as being due to ClONO2.

Murcray, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Particle propagation effects on wave growth in a solar flux tube

The evolution of a distribution of electrons is followed after they are injected impulsively at the top of a coronal magnetic loop, with the objective of studying the plasma instabilities which result. At early times the downgoing electrons have beamlike distributions and amplify electrostatic waves via the Cerenkov resonance; the anomalous Doppler resonance is found to be less important. Slightly later, while the electrons are still predominantly downgoing, they are unstable to cyclotron maser generation of z-mode waves with omega(p) much less than Omega, or to second harmonic x-mode waves. The energetics of these instabilities, including saturation effects and heating of the ambient plasma, are discussed. It is suggested that coalescence of two z-mode waves generated by cyclotron maser emission of the downgoing electrons may produce the observed microwave spike bursts.

White, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The cratering record at Uranus: Implications for satellite evolution and the origin of impacting objects

The crater size/frequency distributions on the major Uranian satellites show two distinctly different crater populations of different ages. Any hypothesis on the origin of the objects responsible for the period of heavy bombardment must account for the occurrence of different crater populations (size/frequency distributions) in different parts of the solar system. A computerized simulation using short-period comet impact velocities and a modified Holsapple-Schmidt crater scaling law was used to recover the size distribution of cometary nuclei from the observed cratering record. The most likely explanation for the cratering record is that the period of heavy bombardment was caused by different families of accretional remnants indigenous to the system in which the different crater populations occurred.

Strom, Robert G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

AGB stars as a source of short-lived radioactive nuclei in the solar nebula

The purpose is to estimate the possible contribution of some short-lived nuclei to the early solar nebula from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) sources. Low mass (1 to 3 solar mass) AGB stars appear to provide a site for synthesis of the main s process component for solar system material with an exponential distribution of neutron irradiations varies as exp(-tau/tau(sub 0)) (where tau is the time integrated neutron flux with a mean neutron exposure tau(sub 0)) for solar abundances with tau(sub 0) = 0.28 mb(sup -1). Previous workers estimated the synthesis of key short-lived nuclei which might be produced in AGB stars. While these calculations exhibit the basic characteristics of nuclei production by neutron exposure, there is need for a self-consistent calculation that follows AGB evolution and takes into account the net production from a star and dilution with the cloud medium. Many of the general approaches and the conclusions arrived at were presented earlier by Cameron. The production of nuclei for a star of 1.5 solar mass during the thermal pulsing of the AGB phase was evaluated. Calculations were done for a series of thermal pulses with tau(sub 0) = 0.12 and 0.28 mb(sup -1). These pulses involve s nucleosynthesis in the burning shell at the base of the He zone followed by the ignition of the H burning shell at the top of the He zone. After about 10-15 cycles the abundances of the various nuclei in the He zone become constant. Computations of the abundances of all nuclei in the He zone were made following Gallino. The mass of the solar nebula was considered to consist of some initial material of approximately solar composition plus some contributions from AGB stars. The ratios of the masses required from the AGB He burning zone to the ISM necessary to produce the observed value of Pd-107/Pd-108 in the early solar system were calculated and this dilution factor was applied to all other relevant nuclei.

Wasserburg, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Unusually Long Path Length for a Nearly Scatter-Free Solar Particle Event Observed By Solar Orbiter at 0.43 au

Context. After their acceleration and release at the Sun, solar energetic particles (SEPs) are injected into the interplanetary medium and are bound to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) by the Lorentz force. The expansion of the IMF close to the Sun focuses the particle pitch-angle distribution, and scattering counteracts this focusing. Solar Orbiter observed an unusual solar particle event on 9 April 2022 when it was at 0.43 astronomical units (au) from the Sun. Aims. We show that the inferred IMF along which the SEPs traveled was about three times longer than the nominal length of the Parker spiral and provide an explanation for this apparently long path. Methods. We used velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) information to infer the spiral length along which the electrons and ions traveled and infer their solar release times and arrival direction. Results. The path length inferred from VDA is approximately three times longer than the nominal Parker spiral. Nevertheless, the pitch-angle distribution of the particles of this event is highly anisotropic, and the electrons and ions appear to be streaming along the same IMF structures. The angular width of the streaming population is estimated to be approximately 30 degrees. The highly anisotropic ion beam was observed for more than 12 h. This may be due to the low level of fluctuations in the IMF, which in turn is very probably due to this event being inside an interplanetary coronal mass ejection The slow and small rotation in the IMF suggests a flux-rope structure. Small flux dropouts are associated with very small changes in pitch angle, which may be explained by different flux tubes connecting to different locations in the flare region. Conclusions. The unusually long path length along which the electrons and ions have propagated virtually scatter-free together with the short-term flux dropouts offer excellent opportunities to study the transport of SEPs within interplanetary structures. The 9 April 2022 solar particle event offers an especially rich number of unique observations that can be used to limit SEP transport models.

Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effects of solar magnetic field on cosmic rays

Aspects of the problem of galactic cosmic ray propagation, including inversion of the solar total magnetic field and an analysis of data related to the heliomagnetic cycle are discussed. It is noted that the global structure of the solar magnetic field results in an additional flux of galactic cosmic rays generated by curvature and gradient drifts. An analysis of heliomagnetic cycle data shows that the latitudinal gradient results in a N-S asymmetry, with the amplitude of the effect growing with depth in the atmosphere. The inversion of the solar total magnetic field, drift effects, and other space distributions are found to contribute to a 22-year cycle of solar activity.

Goncher, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Interior structure of Jupiter - Theory of gravity sounding

Using relatively simple interior models and a fourth-order theory of figures, it is found that there are basically two extremes of interior structure which agree with current gravity data. One extreme is a 'solar'-composition envelope with 10 to 15 earth masses of heavy material in a core; the other extreme has nearly uniform 'solar' composition but with approximately an additional 30 earth masses of heavy material distributed essentially uniformly. Thus, Jupiter is not of 'solar' composition. It is shown how additional gravity data and improvement in knowledge of the molecular hydrogen equation of state will permit a significant reduction in the number of possible models.

Hubbard, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Marshall Engineering Thermosphere model atmosphere Statistical Analysis Mode (MET-SAM)

The minimum, mean, and maximum exospheric temperature on the globe were calculated for every three hour period from 1947 through 1989 using the algorithms in the Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET) model and the appropriate solar activity input parameters. Cumulative percent frequency (CPF) distributions were then calculated for each of these temperatures at five levels of solar activity as defined by the 13-month smoothed values of the 10.7-cm solar radio noise flux. Next, the 50, 95, 97.7, and 100 percentile temperature values in each of these five levels of solar activity were curve fit as a function of the 13-month smoothed 10.7-cm flux. The resulting algorithms are used to compute the exospheric temperature in the MET model instead of the technique developed by Jacchia in his 1970 model. These temperatures are then used to enter tables to determine the total mass density and/or the atomic oxygen number density for application to engineering problems. Users can specify the risk level they are willing to accept in the results of analyses that require neutral atmosphere parameters inputs. The model eliminates the guess work in how to combine the solar activity input parameters to insure that the results provide answers at the proper risk levels.

Smith, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Distributions of the interplanetary magnetic field revisited

The adequacy of the power spectrum to characterize the variations of a parameter depends on whether or not the parameter has a Gaussian distribution. We here perform very simple tests of Gaussianity on the distribution. We here perform very simple tests of Gaussianity on the distributions of the magnitudes of the interplanetary magnetic field, and on the distributions of the components; that is, we find the first four cumulants of the distributions (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis) and their solar cycle variations. We find, consistent with other recent analyses, that the traditional distributions of the 1-hour averaged magnitude are not distributed normally or lognomally as has often been assumed and the 1-hour averaged z component is found to have a nonzero kurtosis. Thus the power spectrum is insufficient to completely characterize these variations and polyspectra are needed. We have isolated variations in the 1/f frequency region of the spectrum and show that the distributions of the magnitudes have nonzero skewness and kurtosis, the magnitudes are not distributed lognormally, and the distributions of the components have nonzero kurtosis. Thus higher-order spectra are again needed for a full characterization.

Feynman, Joan↗
NASA NTRS1995

A determination of the thick disk chemical abundance distribution: Implications for galaxy evolution

We present a determination of the thick disk iron abundance distribution obtained from an in situ sample of F/G stars. These stars are faint, 15 less than or approximately = V less than or approximately = 18, selected on the basis of color, being a subset of the larger survey of Gilmore and Wyse designed to determine the properties of the stellar populations several kiloparsecs from the Sun. The fields studied in the present paper probe the iron abundance distribution of the stellar populations of the galaxy at 500-3000 pc above the plane, at the solar Galactocentric distance. The derived chemical abundance distributions are consistent with no metallicity gradients in the thick disk over this range of vertical distance, and with an iron abundance distribution for the thick disk that has a peak at -0.7 dex. The lack of a vertical gradient argues against slow, dissipational settling as a mechanism for the formation of the thick disk. The photometric and metallicity data support a turn-off of the thick disk that is comparable in age to the metal-rich globular clusters, or greater than or approximately = 12 Gyr, and are consistent with a spread to older ages.

Gilmore, Gerard↗
NASA NTRS1982

Quantitative tests of a steady state theory of solar wind electrons

A comparison is made of IMP 6, 7 and 8 electron data with the predictions of a solar wind electron steady state theory in which the control of transport by the macroscopic interplanetary electric and magnetic fields, as well as elastic Coulomb collisions with solar wind protons and thermal electrons, is assumed. While a ratio of forward to backward phase density for field-aligned extrathermal electrons of 6:1 is predicted, electron distribution measurements within the high speed solar wind show this ratio to be typically about an order of magnitude larger. A set of solar wind bulk speed anticorrelations predicted by the theory on the basis of a larger set of assumptions cannot be found in the IMP electron data set, so that improved agreement may require such modifications of the theory's assumptions as the inclusion of inelastic Coulomb and/or wave electron collisions.

Feldman, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The solar ionisation rate deduced from Ulysses measurements and its implications to interplanetary Lyman alpha-intensity

We have developed a computer code which can be used to study 3-dimensional and time-dependent effects of the solar cycle on the interplanetary (IP) hydrogen distribution. The code is based on the inverted Monte Carlo simulation. In this work we have modelled the temporal behaviour of the solar ionisation rate. We have assumed that during the most of the time of the solar cycle there is an anisotopic latitudinal structure but right at the solar maximum the anisotropy disappears. The effects of this behaviour will be discussed both in regard to the IP hydrogen distribution and IP Lyman a a-intensity.

Summanen, T.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Space simulator Patent

Space simulator with uniform test region radiation distribution, adapted to simulate Venus solar radiations

Thiele, C.↗