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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 937 records · Page 52
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NASA NTRS1976

Time-dependent radio fine structure of the quasar 3C 345

Results are reported for VLBI observations of 3C 345 at a wavelength of 3.8 cm with left circular polarization. Sixteen sets of correlated flux densities and three sets of closure phases were obtained from observations made over a three-year period with six independent interferometers formed from up to four antennas. The mathematical models employed to represent the radio brightness distribution of the source are described, and the data are analyzed on the basis of a two-component model. The results show that the compact source in 3C 345 consists of two components whose separation increased by about 0.3 milliarcsec over the observational period, that the smaller and weaker component is to the east and south of the larger and stronger one, and that the apparent expansion velocity would be about 2.5c for a redshift of 0.6, a Hubble constant of 60 km/sec per Mpc, and a deceleration parameter of unity. It is concluded that these findings are difficult to reconcile with the 'Christmas tree' model for the apparent change of separation with time over any given series of observations.

Wittels, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Phase relationship in three-phase composites which include a void phase

The paper shows the relationship among polymer, particles, and voids in a three-phase composite and how some of the properties of a composite may be changed by changing the proportions of the phases. The three-phase composite is an aggregate of microspheres bonded together with a small amount of polymer which may not form a continuous matrix. The void space (third phase) is obtained by limiting the amount of polymer which is mixed with the microspheres. A ternary phase diagram is used to show the proportional relationship among the three phases, with each apex representing a volume fraction of unity for a constituent while the side opposite the apex represents a volume fraction of zero for that constituent. The vertical dimension represents some composite property such as density or strength. The effect of composition on composite properties is shown by plotting them on a binary phase diagram which represents a perpendicular plane coincident with the 0.60 volume fraction microsphere line.

Price, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Sodium D-line emission from Io - A second year of synoptic observation from Table Mountain Observatory

Measurements of sodium D-line emission from Io are reported which were made during synoptic patrols of the 1975 and 1974 apparitions. Corrected equivalent widths of the D lines are plotted against the satelliite's orbital phase reckoned from superior heliocentric conjunction, and quantitative results of selected patrol observations are provided. The results indicate that: (1) resonant scattering is most likely the dominant emission mechanism; (2) the mechanism which injects neutral sodium into the space immediately around Io underwent no major secular variation in the period between the two apparitions; (3) a less pronounced asymmetry between the peak emission rates at 90-deg and 270-deg orbital phases is present in the selected data; and (4) the measured D2/D1 intensity ratios are consistent with a value of 1.6 + or - 0.3, which corresponds to a value of the order of unity for the maximum optical depth possible for resonant scattering the D1 line center. It is suggested that an unexplained scatter of about 20% in the general emission levels is due to a variation in the ionization rate.

Bergstralh, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

High-resolution stellar vidicon spectrophotometry. I - Variable mass loss from Arcturus and the hypothesis of giant convective elements

High-resolution spectrophotometry of the variable Ca II K line in the K2 IIIp star Alpha Boo was performed with the McMath Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and an experimental SEC vidicon camera. The results are compared with Copernicus observations of the Mg II h and k lines and with earlier Ca II data. It is found that either of two states may typically occur in the Arcturus chromosphere. From comparison with the results of model calculations for expanding chromospheres, it is concluded that these correspond respectively to a 'normal' state in which the mass loss is less than one billionth of a solar mass per year and an 'abnormal' state in which the mass loss is about 8 billionths of a solar mass per year. In the latter case, the expansion velocity is around 13 km/s at optical depth unity in the K-line, which exceeds the local sound speed. It is suggested that the abnormal state represents the rise to the photosphere of a very large convective element, as hypothesized for red giants by Schwarzschild (1975).

Chiu, H. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Derivation of an integral equation for transonic flows

It is noted that the nonlinear partial differential equation for the perturbation velocity potential and boundary conditions describing steady inviscid compressible transonic flow past a thin two-dimensional airfoil can be transformed into a singular integrodifferential equation and that differentiation of the latter yields an integral equation. Two forms of this integral equation currently exist: one for the singularity that is enclosed in an infinitely long strip of vanishing thickness and the other for the singularity that is enclosed in a vanishing circle. In the present article, a more general integral equation is derived by enclosing the singularity in a vanishing rectangular cavity of arbitrary aspect ratio. The two existing forms of this equation are deduced as special cases distinguished by the respective values for the aspect ratio (infinity for the first form and unity for the second).

Ogana, W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Technology of GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor solar cells

The growth of an oxide interfacial layer was recently found to increase the open-circuit voltage (OCV) and efficiency by up to 60 per cent in GaAs metal-semiconductor solar cells. Details of oxidation techniques to provide the necessary oxide thickness and chemical structure and using ozone, water-vapor-saturated oxygen, or oxygen gas discharges are described, as well as apparent crystallographic orientation effects. Preliminary results of the oxide chemistry obtained from X-ray, photoelectron spectroscopy are given. Ratios of arsenic oxide to gallium oxide of unity or less seem to be preferable. Samples with the highest OVC predominantly have As(+3) in the arsenic oxide rather than As(+5). A major difficulty at this time is a reduction in OCV by 100-200 mV when the antireflection coating is vacuum deposited.

Stirn, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Lunar magnetic permeability studies and magnetometer sensitivity

A regression of quiet magnetic field components simultaneously measured by the two Explorer 35 magnetometers reveals uncertainties in effective sensitivity factors of up to a few percent in one or both of these instruments. Given this, the validity of previous lunar permeability studies based on Explorer 35/ALSEP regressions, wherein inferences are drawn from regression line slopes differing from unity by the order of one percent, is called into question. We emphasize the need to critically address the question of small deviations in magnetometer sensitivity factors from nominal values as a part of any two-magnetometer lunar permeability study.

King, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Mercury's core - The effect of obliquity on the spin-orbit constraints

Constraints were previously placed on various properties of a Mercurian liquid core for compatibility with Mercury's escape from the stable spin-orbit resonance with the spin angular velocity equal to twice the orbital mean motion (the 2n resonance), under the assumption that the planet's obliquity was nearly zero at the time of resonance passage. Capture probabilities at arbitrary nonzero obliquities for the 2n resonance are determined for the cases where the core is strongly or weakly coupled to the mantle. It is found that the capture probabilities are reduced to below unity for all core-fluid viscosities in the weak-coupling limit, but are almost unchanged in the strong-coupling limit. The reduction in capture probability is attributed to reduction of the mantle's spin angular velocity by the core-mantle interaction, which would also reduce the obliquity to negligibly small values before the 2n resonance was even reached. It is concluded that the constraints on the core may still be maintained since Mercury most likely passed through the 2n resonance with nearly zero obliquity.

Peale, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Reforming of glucose and wood at the critical conditions of water

Reforming of organics in aqueous solutions is being investigated as a potential waste treatment process. Earlier studies showed that glucose in water reacts to form a gaseous mixture of CO, H2, CH4, CO2, C2H6, and C2H4 in the vicinity of the critical conditions of water (374 C, 22 MPa). The earlier work has been extended to determine the effect of variations in temperature and feed concentration on the extent of gasification. The percent gasification decreases with increasing feed concentration, indicating an overall kinetic order less than unity. Surprisingly, the percent gasification decreases with increasing temperature. A number of preliminary experiments were conducted with maple sawdust feed, which was thought to be representative of complex organic wastes from paper and vegetable matter. Once again, no solid products were found under the critical conditions; the percent gasification ranged from 16 to 88 percent, depending on the feed composition and residence time.

Modell, M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The effect of the atmosphere on the classification of satellite observations to identify surface features

The effect of differences in atmospheric turbidity on the classification of Landsat 1 observations of a rural scene is presented. The observations are classified by an unsupervised clustering technique. These clusters serve as a training set for use of a maximum-likelihood algorithm. The measured radiances in each of the four spectral bands are then changed by amounts measured by Landsat 1. These changes can be associated with a decrease in atmospheric turbidity by a factor of 1.3. The classification of 22% of the pixels changes as a result of the modification. The modified observations are then reclassified as an independent set. Only 3% of the pixels have a different classification than the unmodified set. Hence, if classification errors of rural areas are not to exceed 15%, a new training set has to be developed whenever the difference in turbidity between the training and test sets reaches unity.

Fraser, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Significance of vegetation in interpreting thermal radiation from a terrestrial surface

The regions between crop rows are modeled as infinitely long diffuse cavities. Geometrical view factors are calculated, accounting for reflected radiation emanating internal to the cavity and from the background sky. A 'cavity' emissivity dependent on local geometry is defined to allow for correcting apparent temperatures to true temperatures. The total emissivity appropriate for correcting aircraft thermal data is then calculated by averaging all emissivity components to account for soil, crop, and background. It is shown that even for the lowest crop and vegetation emissivities, if the crop height-to-spacing ratio is greater than unity, the composite emissivity is greatly increased, giving rise to a decreased error in remotely sensed temperature data.

Sutherland, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Computation of nonlinear one-dimensional waves in near-sonic flows

A nonlinear analysis is developed for sound propagation in a variable area duct in which the mean flow approaches choking conditions. A quasi-one-dimensional model is used; results of the standard linear theory are compared with the nonlinear results to assess the significance of the nonlinear terms. The nonlinear analysis represents the acoustic disturbance as a sum of interacting harmonics. Numerical results show that the basic signal is unaffected by the presence of higher harmonics if the throat Mach number is not too large, but as the Mach number approaches unity more harmonics are needed to describe the acoustic propagation. The strong interactions among harmonics in the numerical results occur in a region which is generally consistent with the nonlinear inner-expansion region of Callegari and Myers.

Nayfeh, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The effect of a visual/motion display mismatch in a single axis compensatory tracking task

An experiment was performed to determine the effect of a performance mismatch between the visual and motion display systems on a real time piloted aircraft simulation. Pilots performed a compensatory roll tracking task with dynamics typical of medium jet transports. Between 0 and 10 rad/sec, visual and motion system responses were equivalent to either unity or a first order lag at 4.8 rad/sec. Pilot describing functions and error scores were calculated. Results show that the mismatch between visual and motion display systems has no significant effect. It is the absence of high frequency visual and/or motion cues which significantly affects pilot performance.

Shirachi, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Secondary electron emission from a dielectric film subjected to an electric field

An electric field in the range of 0.3,3.3 kV/mm is created normal to a thin film FEP teflon sample which accumulates potential of up to 8.8, 13.7 or 18.3 kV when exposed to an electron beam having energy of 10.0, 15.0 or 20.0 kV, respectively. It is found that the secondary electron emission from the charged sample varies with field. The threshold voltage, at which the secondary electron emission coefficient sigma is unity, drops down from a low field value of 13.73 kV to a high field value of 13.11 kV for a 15.0 kV beam. A computational technique was developed that generates equipotential lines or contours and field vectors above a plane where potential is known. The utilization of conformal transformations allows the extension of the technique to configurations which map into a plane.

Quoc-Nguyen, N.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Photodissociation of CO2 and quenching of metastables

Investigations in four different areas were carried out to further our understanding of the chemistry of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus. CO2 photodissociation quantum yields were determined in the 1300-1500 A spectral region by measuring both CO and oxygen atoms. The O(1S) quantum yield was determined for CO2 photodissociation in the 1060-1175 A spectral region. The measurement resolves the differences between two earlier experiments, and demonstrates that the O(1S) yield is unity throughout most of the measured region. The pathways for the quenching of O(1S) by N2O, CO2, H2O and NO were investigated and the source of the Venus nightglow, detected by Venera 9 and 10, was investigated. What appears to be a new O2 band system, was detected although the identity of the transition is not yet evident.

Slanger, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Interaction between step fuel injectors on opposite walls in a supersonic combustor model

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of perpendicular, hydrogen fuel injection and combustion from opposing walls in a scramjet combustor model using a longitudinally staged laterally inline step-injection configuration. The model represents a portion of the flow in the Langley integrated modular scramjet engine combustor operating at a flight Mach number of 7. When operating at a ratio of jet pressure to free-stream dynamic pressure of 3, the injectors produce a bulk equivalence ratio of unity. This investigation represents part of a continuing study of the modular engine fuel injectors and is specifically designed to eliminate the adverse lateral pressure gradient observed at the injector location in a previous test. Flow survey contours at three axial locations, ranging from one-third of the engine combustor length to the total engine combustor length, are used to determine mixing efficiency and fuel distribution. Wall static pressures are analyzed by using one-dimensional theory to determine the combustion efficiency. Results show a significant improvement over previous injector designs tested in this duct geometry.

Mcclinton, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Hard X-ray spectra of cosmic gamma-ray bursts

Hard X-ray measurements of six gamma-ray bursts observed during the period from October 1969 to April 1971 are presented. The measurements were made with detectors on the OGO-5 and OSO-6 satellites. Spectra for five of the six bursts have been determined using measurements from both satellites in order to reduce ambiguities due to uncertain source locations. A significant fraction, about 20-60%, of the energy of the bursts falls in the hard X-ray range (20-130 keV). The time-integrated spectra have been fitted by power-law, exponential, and thermal-bremsstrahlung functions. They are consistent with power laws which steepen at energies of at least 150 keV, as reported earlier for two other bursts. Evidence for spectral variability from event to event in the hard X-ray region is presented. For a power-law representation, the power-law index has values ranging from approximately unity to 2.5. The hard X-ray spectra of the gamma-ray bursts differ significantly from those of the recently discovered 1-15-keV X-ray bursts.

Kane, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Landsat-D thematic mapper simulation using aircraft multispectral scanner data

A simulation of imagery from the upcoming Landsat-D Thematic Mapper was accomplished by using selected channels of aircraft 24-channel multispectral scanner data. The purpose was to simulate Thematic Mapper 30-meter resolution imagery, to compare its spectral quality with the original aircraft MSS data, and to determine changes in thematic classification accuracy for the simulated imagery. The original resolution of approximately 7.5 meters IFOV and simulated resolution of 15, 30, and 60 meters were used to indicate the trend of spectral quality and classification accuracy. The study was based in a 6.5 square kilometer area of urban Los Angeles having a diversity of land use. The original imagery was reduced in resolution by two related methods: pixel matrix averaging, and matrix smoothing with a unity box filter, followed by matrix averaging. Thematic land use classification using training sites and a Bayesian maximum-likelihood algorithm was performed at three levels of standard deviation - 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 sigma. Plots of relative standard deviation showed that for larger training sites with a normal distribution of data, as the resolution decreased, the distribution range of density values decreased. Also, the classification accuracies for three levels of standard deviation increased as resolution decreased. However, the indication is that a point of diminishing returns had been reached, and 30 meters IFOV should be the best for multispectral classification of urban scenes.

Clark, J.↗