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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

The ARG1-LIKE2 gene of Arabidopsis functions in a gravity signal transduction pathway that is genetically distinct from the PGM pathway

The arl2 mutants of Arabidopsis display altered root and hypocotyl gravitropism, whereas their inflorescence stems are fully gravitropic. Interestingly, mutant roots respond like the wild type to phytohormones and an inhibitor of polar auxin transport. Also, their cap columella cells accumulate starch similarly to wild-type cells, and mutant hypocotyls display strong phototropic responses to lateral light stimulation. The ARL2 gene encodes a DnaJ-like protein similar to ARG1, another protein previously implicated in gravity signal transduction in Arabidopsis seedlings. ARL2 is expressed at low levels in all organs of seedlings and plants. arl2-1 arg1-2 double mutant roots display kinetics of gravitropism similar to those of single mutants. However, double mutants carrying both arl2-1 and pgm-1 (a mutation in the starch-biosynthetic gene PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE) at the homozygous state display a more pronounced root gravitropic defect than the single mutants. On the other hand, seedlings with a null mutation in ARL1, a paralog of ARG1 and ARL2, behave similarly to the wild type in gravitropism and other related assays. Taken together, the results suggest that ARG1 and ARL2 function in the same gravity signal transduction pathway in the hypocotyl and root of Arabidopsis seedlings, distinct from the pathway involving PGM.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Microgravity and clinorotation cause redistribution of free calcium in sweet clover columella cells

In higher plants, calcium redistribution is believed to be crucial for the root to respond to a change in the direction of the gravity vector. To test the effects of clinorotation and microgravity on calcium localization in higher plant roots, sweet clover (Melilotus alba L.) seedlings were germinated and grown for two days on a slow rotating clinostat or in microgravity on the US Space Shuttle flight STS-60. Subsequently, the tissue was treated with a fixative containing antimonate (a calcium precipitating agent) during clinorotation or in microgravity and processed for electron microscopy. In root columella cells of clinorotated plants, antimonate precipitates were localized adjacent to the cell wall in a unilateral manner. Columella cells exposed to microgravity were characterized by precipitates mostly located adjacent to the proximal and lateral cell wall. In all treatments some punctate precipitates were associated with vacuoles, amyloplasts, mitochondria, and euchromatin of the nucleus. A quantitative study revealed a decreased number of precipitates associated with the nucleus and the amyloplasts in columella cells exposed to microgravity as compared to ground controls. These data suggest that roots perceive a change in the gravitational field, as produced by clinorotation or space flights, and respond respectively differently by a redistribution of free calcium.

short duration↗

Vibration characteristics of a deployable controllable-geometry truss boom

An analytical study was made to evaluate changes in the fundamental frequency of a two dimensional cantilevered truss boom at various stages of deployment. The truss could be axially deployed or retracted and undergo a variety of controlled geometry changes by shortening or lengthening the telescoping diagonal members in each bay. Both untapered and tapered versions of the truss boom were modeled and analyzed by using the finite element method. Large reductions in fundamental frequency occurred for both the untapered and tapered trusses when they were uniformly retracted or maneuvered laterally from their fully deployed position. These frequency reductions can be minimized, however, if truss geometries are selected which maintain cantilever root stiffness during truss maneuvers.

Dorsey, J. T.↗

Calculation of the lateral control of swept and unswept flexible wings of arbitrary stiffness

A method similar to that of NACA rep. 1000 is presented for calculating the effectiveness and the reversal speed of lateral-control devices on swept and unswept wings of arbitrary stiffness. Provision is made for using either stiffness curves and root-rotation constants or structural influence coefficients in the analysis. Computing forms and an illustrative example are included to facilitate calculations by means of the method. The effectiveness of conventional aileron configurations and the margin against aileron reversal are shown to be relatively low for swept wings at all speeds and for all wing plan forms at supersonic speeds.

Diederich, Franklin W↗

Gravity, light and plant form

Plants have evolved highly sensitive and selective mechanisms that detect and respond to various aspects of their environment. As a plant develops, it integrates the environmental information perceived by all of its sensory systems and adapts its growth to the prevailing environmental conditions. Light is of critical importance because plants depend on it for energy and, thus, survival. The quantity, quality and direction of light are perceived by several different photosensory systems that together regulate nearly all stages of plant development, presumably in order to maintain photosynthetic efficiency. Gravity provides an almost constant stimulus that is the source of critical spatial information about its surroundings and provides important cues for orientating plant growth. Gravity plays a particularly important role during the early stages of seedling growth by stimulating a negative gravitropic response in the primary shoot that orientates it towards the source of light, and a positive gravitropic response in the primary root that causes it to grow down into the soil, providing support and nutrient acquisition. Gravity also influences plant form during later stages of development through its effect on lateral organs and supporting structures. Thus, the final form of a plant depends on the cumulative effects of light, gravity and other environmental sensory inputs on endogenous developmental programs. This article is focused on developmental interactions modulated by light and gravity.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Uncertainty Analysis of the GeoNEX Top-of-Atmospheric Reflectance Products Generated from the Third-Generation Geostationary Satellite Sensors

The GeoNEX (Geostationary-NASA Earth eXchange) Level-1G products consist of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) and brightness temperature generated with data streams from the latest geostationary (GEO) sensors including GOES-16/17 ABI, Himawari-8/9 AHI, and GK-2A AMI on a global tiled common grid (60oN-60o and 180oW-180oE) in geographic coordinates. With their 16 spectral bands, 0.01o/0.02o nadir spatial resolution, and 10-minute temporal resolutions, these products provide exciting opportunity to monitor Earth surface processes. However, the unique Sun-Target-Satellite geometry of geostationary sensors demands special attention in analyzing/interpreting these datasets. In this study we present a systematic analysis on the relationship between the radiometric uncertainties of the GeoNEX TOA reflectance and the corresponding solar/satellite zenith angles. We show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the BRF are positively proportional to the square roots of the cosine of solar illuminating zenith angles. That is, the BRF data are noisier earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon than in the mid of the day. The cosine of satellite viewing zenith angles do not directly influence the SNR of the TOA BRF. However, they positively regulate the relative importance of the surface component in the TOA BRF. This means that variations in surface reflectance are more difficult to detect for pixels with larger view zenith angles, even when the SNR of the TOA BRF is the same. We are developing metrics to specify such illumination-view geometry related uncertainties in the GeoNEX L1G TOA BRF products so that this key information can be easily accessed by the user community.

Geostationary satellite↗

Increase in nitrate uptake by soybean plants during interruption of the dark period with low intensity light

Diurnal patterns of net NO3- uptake by nonnodulated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Ransom] plants growing in flowing hydroponic culture at 26 and 16 degrees C root temperatures were measured at hourly intervals during alternate days of a 12-day growth period. Ion chromatography was used to determine removal of NO3- from the culture solution. Day and night periods of 9 and 15 h were used during growth. The night period included two 6-h dark periods and an intervening 3-h period of night interruption by incandescent lamps to effect a long-day photoperiod and repress floral initiation. At both root temperatures, the average specific rates of NO3- uptake were twice as great during the night interruption period as during the day period; they were greater during the day period than during the dark periods; and they were greater during the dark period immediately following the day period than during the later dark period that followed the night interruption. While these average patterns were repetitious among days, measured rates of uptake varied hourly and included intervals of net efflux scattered through the day period and more frequently through the 2 dark periods. Root temperature did not affect the average daily specific rates of uptake or the qualitative relationships among day, dark and night interruption periods of the diurnal cycle.

Non-NASA Center↗

Mission load dynamic tests of two undensified Space shuttle thermal protection system tiles

Two tests of undensified Space Shuttle thermal protection tiles under combined static and dynamic loads were conducted. The tiles had a density of approximately 144 Kg/cum (LI900 tiles) and were mounted on a strain isolation pad which was 0.41 cm (.160 inch) thick. A combined static and dynamic mission stress histogram representative of the W-3 area of the wing of the orbiter vehicle was applied. The stress histogram was provided by the space shuttle project. Results presented include: tabulation of measured peak and root-mean-square (RMS) accelerations in both compression and tension; peak SIP stress in compression and tension, peak and RMS amplitude response ratios; lateral to vertical response ratios; response time histories; peak stress distributions (histograms), and SIP extension measured both with and without static tension at various mission times.

Leatherwood, J. D.↗

Cloning higher plants from aseptically cultured tissues and cells

A review of aseptic culture methods for higher plants is presented, which focuses on the existing problems that limit or prevent the full realization of cloning plants from free cells. It is shown that substantial progress in clonal multiplication has been made with explanted stem tips or lateral buds which can be stimulated to produce numerous precocious axillary branches. These branches can then be separated or subdivided and induced to root in order to yield populations of genetically and phenotypically uniorm plantlets. Similarly, undifferentiated calluses can sometimes be induced to form shoots and/or roots adventitiously. Although the cell culture techniques required to produce somatic embryos are presently rudimentary, steady advances are being made in learning how to stimulate formation of somatic or adventive embryos from totipotent cells grown in suspension cultures. It is concluded that many problems exist in the producing and growing of totipotent or morphogenetically competent cell suspensions, but the potential benefits are great.

Krikorian, A. D.↗

Reduction of rms-error in shallow faceted large space antennas

This paper examines the potential for reducing root-mean-square surface error in shallow faceted reflectors by replacing flat facets with membrane facets. Exact solutions are obtained for the small lateral deflections of equilateral triangular and rectangular membranes subject to isotropic tension and parabolic edge deflections. These solutions are used to minimize the rms-error between a facet of a shallow paraboloidal surface and its approximating membrane facet. The resulting optimum placements and edge curvatures yield membrane facets which have significantly lower rms-errors than the corresponding best-fit flat facets. The rms-error reductions are about 55 percent for equilateral triangles and 25 percent to 93 percent for rectangles, depending on aspect ratio. The results suggest that the use of membrane facets conforming to curved structural members could yield reflectors with lower rms-error, or comparable error with larger facets and, hence, fewer structural members.

Fichter, W. B.↗

Comparison of high-resolution airborne soil moisture retrievals to SMAP soil moisture during the SMAP validation experiment 2016 (SMAPVEX16)

The NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission conducted a field experiment with its partners over two 40-km agricultural domains in Iowa and Manitoba in the summer of 2016 to address concerns observed in SMAP soil moisture (SM) retrievals over agricultural areas. The experiment featured airborne Passive Active L-band System (PALS) flights over each domain with intensive ground measurements and dense networks of SM monitoring stations. With two intensive observation periods separated in time (May 28–June 20 and July 14–August 16), the flights captured both early-season/low vegetation and later-season/high-vegetation conditions. The comparison of the PALS brightness temperature (TB) measurements to the SMAP TB observed over the sites resulted in root mean square difference (RMSD) of 2.8 K and 4.0 K for vertical and horizontal polarizations, respectively. The subsequent SM analysis rescaled the PALS TB with the SMAP TB to allow equitable comparisons between the SM retrievals from the two instruments. The PALS SM retrieval algorithm used the SM sampled by the ground teams during the overpass days for tuning, and was parameterized by a high-resolution vegetation water content product calibrated using vegetation samples collected during the experiment. The tuning process was not able to find a satisfactory result with a temporally constant set of parameters in the single channel algorithm for the two intensive observation periods of the experiment. This result indicated that the rapid change in the vegetation structure during the growth stages and likely variation in the surface roughness conditions were not compatible with rigid parameterization over the entire period. However, using seasonally variable parameters we found that it was possible to retrieve soil moisture with satisfactory accuracy. Comparative analysis with the SMAP SM product included aggregation of the PALS SM to the SMAP pixel-scale. The RMSD between the PALS SM and the aggregated manual field samples was <0.04 m3/m3 with Pearson correlation >0.85 for both sites. The comparison between different in situ sources indicated that the soil moisture network measurements were not the source of the large biases observed for SMAP over the sites reported in earlier studies. Therefore, the results suggested the rapidly growing vegetation and the early-season surface condition changes not captured by the SMAP algorithm caused the SMAP retrieval errors. In addition, the significant deviations of the vegetation water content used by the SMAP product from the calibrated vegetation water content obtained during the experiment compounds the problem.

Andreas Colliander↗

A theoretical study of lateral stability with an automatic pilot

The influence of automatic operation of the aileron and rudder controls on the lateral stability of an airplane is discussed. The control deflections are assumed to be proportional to the deviations and to the rates of deviation of the airplane from steady-flight conditions. The effects of changes in the types of deviation governing control application are considered. For one simple method of control in which the aileron deflection is proportional to the angle of bank and the rudder deflection is proportional to the angle of yaw, the effect of lag in control application is studied and regions of stability with and without lag are given. For the simple control with lag, curves are included that show the variations in the roots of the stability equation with changes in the amount of control applied. It is concluded that, although the simple control provides a satisfactory means of varying most of the lateral stability characteristics, the stability in azimuth will always be poor for such a control.

Imlay, Frederick H↗

Analytical study of ride smoothing benefits of control system configurations optimized for pilot handling qualities

An analytical study was conducted to evaluate the relative improvements in aircraft ride qualities that resulted from utilizing several control law configurations that were optimized for pilot handling qualities only. The airplane configuration used was an executive jet transport in the approach configuration. The control law configurations included the basic system, a rate feedback system, three command augmentation systems (rate command, attitude command, and rate command/attitude hold), and a control wheel steering system. Both the longitudinal and lateral directional axes were evaluated. A representative example of each control law configuration was optimized for pilot handling qualities on a fixed base simulator. The root mean square airplane responses to turbulence were calculated, and predictions of ride quality ratings were computed by using three models available in the literature.

Powers, B. G.↗

951 Gaspra - A pre-Galileo estimate of its surface evolution

An effort is made to quantitatively model the collisional environment and surface evolution of asteroid 951 Gaspra prior to the flyby of the Galileo spacecraft later this year. Gaspra's average intrinsic collisional probability is calculated to be 5.4 x 10 to the -18th/sq km per year with a root mean square impact velocity of 5.0 km/sec. The projectile population and impact strength for Gaspra are highly uncertain and a range of values is considered. Based on these models, Gaspra is unlikely to be a primordial object surviving from the beginning of the solar system. It is most likely a second or multiple generation fragment forming about 100 million yr ago. For a low impact flux, the crater size distribution directly reveals the size distribution of the impacting population. For a nonequilibrium surface, model-dependent isochrons for estimating the age of the surface are given. Lower limits are set by the model for Gaspra's age (about 1 billion yr) and flux for the case of a high impact flux producing an equilibrium surface.

Namiki, Noriyuki↗

Transequatorial loops interconnecting McMath regions 12472 and 12474

The paper reviews the life history of one transequatorial loop in a system observed in soft X-rays for at least 1.5 days and which interconnected a newly born active region with an old region. The birth of the selected loop is discussed along with properties of the interconnected active regions, sharpening and brightening of the loop, decay of the loop system, and physical relations between the interconnected regions. It is concluded that: (1) the loop was most probably born via reconnection of magnetic-field lines extending from the two active regions toward the equator, which occurred later than 33 hr after the younger region was born; (2) the fully developed interconnection was composed of several loops, all of which appeared to be rooted in a spotless magnetic hill of preceding northern polarity but were spread over two separate spotty regions of southern polarity in the magnetically complex new region; (3) the loop electron temperature increased from 2.1 million to 3.1 million K in one to three hours when the loop system brightened; and (4) the loops became twisted during the brightening, possibly due to their rise in the corona while remaining rooted in moving magnetic features in the younger region.

Svestka, Z.↗

Are supernovae radio sources - A search for radio emission from young supernova remnants

A search has been conducted for radio emission at 11 and 3.7 cm from 46 recent supernovae having accurately determined positions and ages of a few months to 79 years. None of these supernovae was detected at a flux density greater than 5-10 mJy. These negative results cannot be explained by internal absorption and are thus due to intrinsically weak synchrotron emission in young supernova remnants. There are two possibilities: either (1) relativistic particles are accelerated not by the supernova outburst but by processes occurring much later (at least about 75 years) in the remnant or (2) the magnetic field in the young remnants evolves very slowly, in proportion to the inverse square root of time, so that its value in the remnants observed was no more than about 0.002 gauss. The constraints the observations place on these possibilities and on the energy in cosmic rays in young remnants are discussed. Gamma-ray observations at times of no more than about 1 year following an outburst will allow one to discriminate between the two alternative explanations of the radio results.

Brown, R. L.↗

Overview of the NASA materials processing in space program

The NASA Materials Processing in Space (MPS) Program has roots which go back to early observations of fluid materials behavior in low gravity which were made during the Apollo flights of the late sixties. A few years later the MPS program became established formally in organization and budget. Its goals today are to improve fundamental understanding of the role of gravity in the processing of materials, to provide facilities for low-gravity experimentation with, and low-gravity processing of, candidate materials, and to assist American industry in the early commercialization of space processing. A continuing element of this program is through ground-based research to yield new knowledge, to establish a need for flight experimentation, and to identify the conditions, controls, and data for maximum use of this presently limited resource. To this program element, which must continue, the period of space experimentation has now been joined with the successful inauguration of the Space Shuttle flights.

Testardi, L. R.↗

Recommended Experimental Procedures for Evaluation of Abrupt Wing Stall Characteristics

This paper presents a review of the experimental program under the Abrupt Wing Stall (AWS) Program. Candidate figures of merit from conventional static tunnel tests are summarized and correlated with data obtained in unique free-to-roll tests. Where possible, free-to-roll results are also correlated with flight data. Based on extensive studies of static experimental figures of merit in the Abrupt Wing Stall Program for four different aircraft configurations, no one specific figure of merit consistently flagged a warning of potential lateral activity when actual activity was seen to occur in the free-to-roll experiments. However, these studies pointed out the importance of measuring and recording the root mean square signals of the force balance.

Capone, F. J.↗