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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 91 records · Page 5
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NASA NTRS1976

Comparison of neutral temperatures inferred from instruments on the AE-C satellite

Determinations of neutral thermospheric temperature from data taken with instruments aboard the AE-C spacecraft have been compared during the circular orbit phase in late December 1974 and January 1975 when the satellite altitude was near 260 km. These temperatures are found to be in overall agreement to within about 10% during periods of low magnetic activity. The methods are based on: analysis of the satellite spin modulation of N2 density; analysis of the ion temperature; and the calculation of the temperature needed to match measured N2 and Ar densities assuming fixed boundary conditions at 120 km.

Hedin, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Electron and ion temperatures - A comparison of ground-based incoherent scatter and AE-C satellite measurements

The paper presents the results of comparisons of AE-C electron temperature of the ionosphere determined from the cylindrical electrostatic probe and the ion temperature of the ionosphere determined from the planar retarding potential analyzer with electron and ion temperatures determined from four incoherent scatter facilities: Arecibo, St. Santin, Millstone Hill, and Chatanika. Good agreement was obtained between the in situ and remote measurements of electron and ion temperatures. Longitudinal variations are found to be very important in the comparison of electron temperatures at some locations.

Benson, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Significance of large-scale circulation in magnetic storm characteristics with application to AE-C neutral composition data

Theoretical analysis of a magnetic storm in February 1974 leads to the following conclusions: (1) Wind-induced diffusion leads to depletion of O and He and enhancements of Ar at high latitudes. (2) The same process increases O and He and decreases Ar at low latitudes. (3) There is substantial agreement between theory and neutral composition data from the AE-C closed source neutral mass spectrometer; the low-latitude enhancements of O and He, in magnitude comparable to or even larger than those of N2 and Ar, are observed, which is characteristic for the circulation mechanism. (4) To achieve agreement with the composition measurements, a heat input rate of 1.7 ergs/sq cm s is required above 120 km. (5) Changes in the neutral composition associated with the annual variations have significant effects on the magnetic storm dynamics.

Mayr, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Auroral energy deposition and neutral composition changes observed simultaneously by ESRO 4 and AE-C at different altitudes

Neutral composition data obtained simultaneously from ESRO 4 and AE-C during geomagnetically disturbed conditions at different altitudes (160 and 230 km) are used to investigate the atmospheric response to geomagnetic storms and to infer information regarding the excitation mechanism. The data are compared with a theoretical model that estimates the composition effects in terms of wind induced diffusion. A parametric study was conducted bearing on the influence of energy deposition at different altitudes and with varying latitudinal extent. In one of the observed events the composition effects at 160 km are substantially smaller than at 230 km for which we inferred by comparison with the theory that the energy mainly was deposited at 150 km altitude over a wide latitude range. Another event required energy deposition at somewhat lower altitudes near 120 km with a more localized energy source. Significant variations of the turbopause level were not necessary to explain the observed variations.

Trinks, H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Nighttime thermospheric winds at low latitudes deduced from AE-C ionospheric measurements

The paper describes a method for determining the height of the F2 peak and of neutral wind velocities in the tropical nighttime ionosphere from measurements of ionospheric plasma parameters. The ratio of the O I 6300-A column density, observed above the AE-C satellite, to its volume emission rate, at the satellite, was shown to be dependent on the satellite height, the exospheric temperature, and the height of the F2 peak. The analysis of simultaneous nighttime measurements of the electron density, the O2(plus) density, and the 6300-A vertical column intensity has led to the values of the height of the F2 peak. The sum of the neutral wind velocities in the magnetic meridian at magnetically conjugate points has been inferred from the height difference in the F2 peak at the conjugate points.

Bittencourt, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Twilight ozone measurement by solar occultation from AE 5

The BUV on AE 5 was used for a solar occultation measurement of atmospheric ozone. An observation was carried out during the morning twilight near 5 deg N, December 17, 1976, at the fixed wavelength of 255.5 nm, and a profile between 49 and 82 km was obtained. The number densities determined by this measurement were 3.7 x 10 to the 10th cu cm at 50 km, 5.1 x 10 to the 9th at 60 km, 3.9 x 10 to the 8th at 70 km, and 3.0 x 10 to the 7th at 80 km. No evidence of a high altitude secondary maximum was found. These concentrations are between a factor of 4 and 20 smaller than those midnight results reported from a Copernicus measurement, and similar to the values from the Krueger-Minzer Mid-latitude Model above 55 km. These values may be as much as a factor of 2 less than the Krueger-Minzer model below 50.

Guenther, B.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Measurement of the daytime photoelectron energy distribution from AE-E with improved energy resolution

A substantial improvement in energy resolution for photoelectron energy spectra in the 150-320 km altitude range is reported. The spectra were obtained with the AE-E satellite. The improvement is based on a data analysis technique which makes use of spectra obtained from the spinning spacecraft when the potential of the sensor varies slightly with respect to the ionospheric plasma as a consequence of the v x B induced voltage in the spacecraft body. The results permit determination of the line shape and area of the O and N2 304A solar radiation-produced photoelectron lines as a function of altitude. The photoelectron lines are found to be essentially unbroadened by coulomb scattering below 200 km, but substantial broadening occurs by 250 km. At 300 km, the characteristic line shape due to coulomb scattering with a degradation to low energy and a sharp high energy side can be observed readily.

Lee, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

AE-C observations of low-energy particles and ionospheric temperatures in the turbulent polar cusp - Evidence for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

Particle observations at 283 km acquired with the AE-C spacecraft during the large geomagnetic storm of May 16, 1975 indicate that the polar cusp was displaced to 71 deg invariant latitude between 1020 and 1244 MLT. Three regions of low-energy particle fluxes were determined which may be indentified with regions of field-aligned current flow in the dayside auroral zone and cusp. It is suggested that the low-energy electrons are scattered and that their pitch angles are isotropized by magnetic fluctuations associated with the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability caused by shear in the proton flow into the cusp.

Potemra, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The high-latitude winter F region at 300 km - Thermal plasma observations from AE-C

Results are presented for a comprehensive survey of thermal ion composition and electron temperature (Te) variations in the southern high-latitude winter F region near 300-km altitude. The data are obtained from the Atmosphere Explorer (AE-C) satellite during a magnetically quiet period centered on the June 1976 solstice. Prominent ionospheric features, including the nightside main trough, a high-latitude ionization hole, and the dayside auroral zone-cusp region, are characterized in terms of composition and Te variations. The structures under study are qualitatively interpreted in terms of known processes.

Brinton, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

About the influence of electron temperature and relative ionic composition on ion depletion in the wake of the AE-C satellite

Data from the cylindrical electrostatic probe and from the Bennett ion mass spectrometer on board the AE-C satellite were examined in order to determine the influence of electron temperature (Te) and ion composition on the amount of ion depletion in the wake of an ionospheric satellite. It is observed that both electron temperature and ionic composition significantly influence the amount of ion depletion in the near wake zone, as measured by the ion current collected by the cylindrical probe mounted about 32 cm from the surface of the satellite. The ion current in the wake in an O(+) dominated plasma decreases with respect to ambient by about two orders of magnitude at a Te of about 1000 K and by a factor of about 30 at a Te of about 3000 K. For a plasma where the O(+) density equals the H(+) density, the ion current decreases by a factor of 6 in the wake at a Te of about 1000 K and by a factor of 2.3 at 3000 K.

Samir, U.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Observations of low-energy electrons from AE-C in the south polar cusp during the geomagnetic storm of September 21, 1977

The present paper deals with the characteristics of low-energy electrons measured onboard the Atmosphere Explorer C (AE-C) satellite above the south polar cusp during the intense geomagnetic storm of September 21, 1977. The low-energy electron fluxes measured with the Photoelectron Spectrometer experiment indicate that the dayside polar cusp was displaced down to 69-72 deg invariant latitude during the storm. A region of intense fluxes of precipitating electrons was observed in the region near 1700 MLT between 66 and 69 deg invariant latitude, which statistically coincides with that of ascending field-alignment currents in the disturbed afternoon auroral region.

Potemra, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The semidiurnal and terdiurnal tides in the equatorial thermosphere from AE-E measurements

Measurements of neutral composition and temperature aboard the near-equatorial AE-E satellite are analyzed to determine the semidiurnal and terdiurnal variations from 145 to 295 km. The amplitudes and phases of the semidiurnal variation are approximately the same for N2, O, He, and Ar at the lowest altitude, and the amplitude increases with decreasing altitude. Except for He, the phase undergoes a 180 deg shift around 200 km. The behavior of the terdiurnal variation is in many respects similar to the behavior of the semidiurnal variation. These characteristics suggest that the semidiurnal tide and (to a lesser extent) the terdiurnal tide have an origin primarily in the lower thermosphere or below.

Hedin, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Correlations between neutral meridional winds and ion densities observed on AE-E

The southward directed neutral meridional wind and the nighttime ion density simultaneously measured on AE-E for altitudes from 250 to 290 km are compared and found to correlate when the magnetic field inclination is negative and anticorrelate when the inclination is positive. This effect is attributed to neutral winds transporting the ions up or down a field line depending upon the sign of the field-aligned wind and the inclination. Model calculations for the ion density in the presence of a field-aligned wind and ambipolar diffusion are presented. Six examples of this ionospheric response are analyzed and found to be in qualitative and approximate quantitative agreement with the theoretical results.

Wharton, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Modelling of equatorial phase and amplitude scintillations from OGO-6 and AE irregularity data

The technique of modelling equatorial phase and amplitude scintillations from in-situ measurements of irregularity amplitude, ambient ionization density and irregularity power spectrum is outlined. The in-situ measurements do not directly provide information on irregularity layer thickness for which radar backscatter observations are utilized. The equatorial scintillation models developed from OGO-6 and AE-C in-situ measurements during the two solstices are presented. Considerable differences in the longitude variation of scintillations are predicted during the two solstices. The model estimates are in good agreement with the available ground based phase and amplitude measurements. Problems associated with the use of bottomside spread-F data for transionospheric propagation modelling at VHF/UHF are also discussed.

Basu, S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

33 second X-ray pulsations in AE Aquarii

The discovery of 33-s pulsations in the 0.1-4.0 keV light curve of the nova-like variable AE Aquarii is reported. These pulsations agree in period and phase with the optical pulsations. The periodicity probably originated from an accretion-induced hot spot on a rapidly rotating, magnetized white dwarf. It is possible that transient pulsations at nearby periods, similar to those seen in the optical light curve, are also present in the X-ray light curve.

Patterson, J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Infrared observations of AE Aquarii

Broadband infrared observations of the cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii are reported. The observations were obtained in the J, H, K and L filters with the InSb photometer attached to the 1-m telescope of the European Southern Observatory. The infrared energy distribution observed from 0.35 to 3.5 microns for phase 0.5 suggests a spectral type of K5 V for the secondary and a distance to the system of approximately 70 pc if an absolute magnitude of 7.3 is assumed. Monitoring of the flux at 2.2 microns reveals a variability with an amplitude of approximately 0.3 magnitude over one third of the orbital period, the nature of which is under investigation.

Tanzi, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Image tube spectroscopic studies of rapid variables. IV - Spectroscopic and photometric observations of AE Aquarii

Photoelectric and time-resolved spectroscopic observations of the short-period eruptive binary AE Aqr are presented. The system has a period of 0.4116537 days, and emission and absorption-line components equal to 135 km/sec and 159 km/sec, respectively. The spectral type of the absorption-line component is found to be K5V, from which M1 = 0.82 solar mass, M2 = 0.69 solar mass, and i = 64 deg. A predominantly Ca II emission region occurs on the hemisphere of the K5V star facing the broad emission-line component, whose center of light is located 0.64 of the way from the inner Lagrangian point to the center of mass of the K star. This emission appears to be associated with the transfer of mass from the K5V star to the accretion disk surrounding the primary. In the absence of flare activity, the light of the system is variable in the orbital period with a range in V of about 0.16 mag; maxima occurs near the times of maximum recession velocity and during the approach of each of the two components of the system (0.25 P and 0.80 P).

Chincarini, G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Gravity waves in the thermosphere observed by the AE satellites

Atmospheric Explorer (AE) satellite data were used to investigate the spectra characteristics of wave-like structure observed in the neutral and ionized components of the thermosphere. Power spectral analysis derived by the maximum entropy method indicate the existence of a broad spectrum of scale sizes for the fluctuations ranging from tens to thousands of kilometers.

Gross, S. H.↗