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At least 91 records · Page 5

Boundary value problems with incremental plasticity in granular media

Discussion of the critical state concept in terms of an incremental theory of plasticity in granular (soil) media, and formulation of the governing equations which are convenient for a computational scheme using the finite element method. It is shown that the critical state concept with its representation by the classical incremental theory of plasticity can provide a powerful means for solving a wide variety of boundary value problems in soil media.

Chung, T. J.↗

Light beams and radiation patterns in random media

The purpose of this paper is to apply a numerical technique in solving problems involving light beams in a random medium. The technique starts by generating numerically sample media with prescribed statistical properties. Rays are then traced in these sample media, and the ray statistics are compiled. These statistics are utilized to find the mean square displacement and distribution of a beam. Problems on beam broadening and distortion of radiation patterns are considered. Fluctuations in wave amplitude and phase are also investigated. When possible, the numerical results are compared with the analytical results and experimental results.

Youakim, M. Y.↗

Optimal design of mixed-media packet-switching networks - Routing and capacity assignment

This paper considers a mixed-media packet-switched computer communication network which consists of a low-delay terrestrial store-and-forward subnet combined with a low-cost high-bandwidth satellite subnet. We show how to route traffic via ground and/or satellite links by means of static, deterministic procedures and assign capacities to channels subject to a given linear cost such that the network average delay is minimized. Two operational schemes for this network model are investigated: one is a scheme in which the satellite channel is used as a slotted ALOHA channel; the other is a new multiaccess scheme we propose in which whenever a channel collision occurs, retransmission of the involved packets will route through ground links to their destinations. The performance of both schemes is evaluated and compared in terms of cost and average packet delay tradeoffs for some examples. The results offer guidelines for the design and optimal utilization of mixed-media networks.

Huynh, D.↗

Stability of higher-order Bragg interactions in active periodic media

The stability of waves in unbounded, longitudinally periodic media is studied for index and gain coupling. Time-independent periodic media are found to support both stable and absolutely unstable waves. The wave characteristics depend upon average gain or loss, coupling type, and Bragg order. The extended coupled waves equations provide explicit values of threshold, frequency, and temporal growth rate for instabilities at all Bragg resonances through the dispersion relation. Applications to multiharmonic periodicities and complex couplings are briefly discussed with particular note taken of possible reductions of the stability thresholds and removal of threshold degeneracies. Comparisons are made to the longitudinally bounded case of distributed feedback lasers.

Jaggard, D. L.↗

Nuclear fission fragment excitation of electronic transition laser media

Specific characteristics of the media including density, excitation rates, wavelength, kinetics, fissile material, scale size, and medium uniformity are assessed. The use of epithermal neutrons, homogeneously mixed fissile material, and special high cross section nuclear isotopes to optimize coupling of the energy to the medium are shown to be important considerations maximizing the scale size, energy deposition, and medium uniformity. It is demonstrated that e-beam excitation can be used to simulate nuclear pumping conditions to facilitate the search for candidate media.

Lorents, D. C.↗

Ultrasonic wave propagation in two-phase media: Spherical inclusions

The scattering theory, recently developed via the extended method of equivalent inclusion, is used to study the propagation of time-harmonic waves in two-phase media of elastic matrix with randomly distributed elastic spherical inclusion materials. The elastic moduli and mass density of the composite medium are determined as functions of frequencies when given properties and concentration of the spheres and the matrix. Velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves in two-phase media are determined for cases of distributed spheres and localized damage. An averaging theorem that requires the equivalence of the strain energy and the kinetic energy between the effective medium and the original matrix with spherical inhomogeneities is employed to derive the effective moduli and mass density. The functional dependency of these quantities upon frequencies and concentration provides a method of data analysis in ultrasonic evaluation of material properties. Numerical results or moduli, velocity and/or attenuation as functions of concentration of inclusion material, or porosity, are graphically displayed.

Fu, L. S.↗

Intensity moments by path integral techniques for wave propagation through random media, with application to sound in the ocean

A theory is developed which describes intensity moments for wave propagation through random media. It is shown using the path integral technique that these moments are significantly different from those of a Rayleigh distribution in certain asymptotic regions. The path integral approach is extended to inhomogeneous, anisotropic media possessing a strong deterministic velocity profile. The behavior of the corrections to Rayleigh statistics is examined, and it is shown that the important characteristics can be attributed to a local micropath focusing function. The correction factor gamma is a micropath focusing parameter defined in terms of medium fluctuations. The value of gamma is calculated for three ocean acoustic experiments, using internal waves as the medium fluctuations. It is found that all three experiments show excellent agreement as to the relative values of the intensity moments. The full curved ray is found to yield results that are significantly different from the straight-line approximations. It is noted that these methods are applicable to a variety of experimental situations, including atmospheric optics and radio waves through plasmas.

Bernstein, D. R.↗

Review of approaches to the investigation of the scattering properties of material media

An attempt is made to identify gaps in the current understanding of the backscattering properties of natural media, with attention both to fundamental questions which relate to the physics of scattering from such media, and applications-related considerations of the extraction of data of interest to the user from a given sensor image output. It is suggested that experiments be conducted, and models developed, for the areas of canopy constituents' dielectric and attenuation properties, volume geometry, and emission characteristics, as well as backscattering properties.

Ulaby, F. T.↗

An integral solution procedure for radiative transfer in concentric cylindrical media

A complete integral formulation is developed for radiative transfer in emitting and absorbing media contained between infinitely long, concentric cylinders with black surfaces. The resulting flux equation is used to state both the gray and nongray radiative equilibrium problems that are solved numerically with controlled error. The results are compared with those from other approaches, both approximate and geometrically limiting, to check and put into perspective the present and prior work. The nongray solution is unique for concentric cylindrical media. The independent parameters of optical thickness and radius ratio are varied to study the emissive power (temperature) distribution, total heat flux, and the required computational time.

Pandey, D. K.↗

Experimental methods for quenching structures in lunar-analog silicate melts: Variations as a function of quench media and composition

Compositions analogous to lunar green, organge, and brown glasses were synthesized under consistent conditions, then quenched into a variety of different media when the samples were removed from the furnace. Iron valence and coordination are a direct function of quench media used, spanning the range from brine/ice (most effective quench), water, butyl phthalate, silicone oil, liquid nitrogen, highly reducing CO-CO2 gas, to air (least efficient quench). In the green and brown glasses, Fe(3+) in four-fold and six-fold coordination is observed in the slowest-quenched samples; Fe(2+) coordination varies directly with quench efficiency. Less pronounced changes were observed in the Ti-rich orange glass. Therefore the remote-sensed spectrum of a glass-bearing regolith on the Moon may be influenced by the process by which the glass cooled, and extreme caution must be used when comparing spectra of synthetic glass analogs with real lunar glasses.

Dyar, M. D.↗

Ultrasonic wave propagation in two-phase media - Spherical inclusions

The scattering theory, recently developed via the extended method of equivalent inclusion, is used to study the propagation of time-harmonic waves in two-phase media of elastic matrix with randomly distributed elastic spherical inclusion materials. The elastic moduli and mass density of the composite medium are determined as functions of frequencies when given properties and concentration of the spheres and the matrix. Velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves in two-phase media are determined for cases of distributed spheres and localized damage. An averaging theorem that requires the equivalence of the strain energy and the kinetic energy between the effective medium and the original matrix with spherical inhomogeneities is employed to derive the effective moduli and mass density. The functional dependency of these quantities upon frequencies and concentration provides a method of data analysis in ultrasonic evaluation of material properties. Numerical results or moduli, velocity and/or attenuation as functions of concentration of inclusion material, or porosity, are graphically displayed.

Fu, L. S.↗

Experimental methods for quenching structures in lunar-analog silicate melts - Variations as a function of quench media and composition

Compositions analogous to lunar green, orange, and brown glasses were synthesized under consistent conditions, then quenched into a variety of different media when the samples were removed from the furnace. Iron valence and coordination are a direct function of quench media used, spanning the range from brine/ice (most effective quench), water, butyl phthalate, silicone oil, liquid nitrogen, highly reducing CO-CO2 gas, to air (least efficient quench). In the green and brown glasses, Fe(3+) in four-fold and six-fold coordination is observed in the slowest-quenched samples; Fe(2+) coordination varies directly with quench efficiency. Less pronounced changes were observed in the Ti-rich orange glass. Therefore the remote-sensed spectrum of a glass-bearing regolith on the moon may be influenced by the process by which the glass cooled, and extreme caution must be used when comparing spectra of synthetic glass analogs with real lunar glasses.

Dyar, M. D.↗

The non-Newtonian heat and mass transport of He 2 in porous media used for vapor-liquid phase separation

This investigation of vapor-liquid phase separation (VLPS) of He 2 is related to long-term storage of cryogenic liquid. The VLPS system utilizes porous plugs in order to generate thermomechanical (thermo-osmotic) force which in turn prevents liquid from flowing out of the cryo-vessel (e.g., Infrared Astronomical Satellite). An apparatus was built and VLPS data were collected for a 2 and a 10 micrometer sintered stainless steel plug and a 5 to 15 micrometer sintered bronze plug. The VLPS data obtained at high temperature were in the nonlinear turbulent regime. At low temperature, the Stokes regime was approached. A turbulent flow model was developed, which provides a phenomenological description of the VLPS data. According to the model, most of the phase separation data are in the turbulent regime. The model is based on concepts of the Gorter-Mellink transport involving the mutual friction known from the zero net mass flow (ZNMF) studies. The latter had to be modified to obtain agreement with the present experimental VLPS evidence. In contrast to the well-known ZNMF mode, the VLPS results require a geometry dependent constant (Gorter-Mellink constant). A theoretical interpretation of the phenomenological equation for the VLPS data obtained, is based on modelling of the dynamics of quantized vortices proposed by Vinen. In extending Vinen's model to the VLPS transport of He 2 in porous media, a correlation between the K*(GM) and K(p) was obtained which permits an interpretation of the present findings. As K(p) is crucial, various methods were introduced to measure the permeability of the porous media at low temperatures. Good agreement was found between the room temperature and the low temperature K(p)-value of the plugs.

Yuan, S. W. K.↗

Determination of the Darcy permeability of porous media including sintered metal plugs

Sintered-metal porous plugs with a normal size of the order of 1-10 microns are used to evaluate the Darcy permeability of laminar flow at very small velocities in laminar fluids. Porous media experiment results and data adduced from the literature are noted to support the Darcy law analog for normal fluid convection in the laminar regime. Low temperature results suggest the importance of collecting room temperature data prior to runs at liquid He(4) temperatures. The characteristic length diagram gives a useful picture of the tolerance range encountered with a particular class of porous media.

Frederking, T. H. K.↗

Media independent interface. Interface control document

A Media Independent Interface (MII) is specified, using current standards in the industry. The MII is described in hierarchical fashion. At the base are IEEE/International Standards Organization (ISO) documents (standards) which describe the functionality of the software modules or layers and their interconnection. These documents describe primitives which are to transcent the MII. The intent of the MII is to provide a universal interface to one or more Media Access Contols (MACs) for the Logical Link Controller and Station Manager. This interface includes both a standardized electrical and mechanical interface and a standardized functional specification which defines the services expected from the MAC.

Source record↗

Localized coating removal using plastic media blasting

Steps taken to qualify the use of plastic media blasting for safely and effectively removing paint and other coatings from solid rocket booster aluminum structures are described. As a result of the effort, an improvement was made in the design of surface finishing equipment for processing flight hardware, in addition to a potentially patentable idea on improved plastic media composition. The general arrangement of the blast equipment and the nozzle configuration are presented.

Novak, Howard L.↗

Communications and media services

NASA's internal and external communication methods are reviewed. NASA information services for the media, for the public, and for employees are discussed. Consideration is given to electron information distribution, the NASA TV-audio system, the NASA broadcast news service, astronaut appearances, technology and information exhibits, speaker services, and NASA news reports for internal communications. Also, the NASA worldwide electronic mail network is described and trends for future NASA communications and media services are outlined.

Mcculla, James W.↗

Communications and media services

NASA's internal and external communication methods are reviewed. NASA information services for the media, for the public, and for employees are discussed. Consideration is given to electron information distribution, the NASA TV-audio system, the NASA broadcast news service, astronaut appearances, technology and information exhibits, speaker services, and NASA news reports for internal communications. Also, the NASA worldwide electronic mail network is described and trends for future NASA communications and media services are outlined.

Mcculla, James W.↗