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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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NASA NTRS1985

Potential applications of multipolarization SAR for pine plantation biomass estimation

This study was conducted as a part of the research tasks under the Radar Land Cover Analysis Program. The Radar Land Cover Analysis objective is, through utilization of multisensor data, to gain a basic understanding of the measurements and data characteristics in the visible-IR-microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum associated with specific surface features and cover types. Since the results of analysis of data acquired by Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) and LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) over the study area were reported (NSTL/ERL Report No. 228, December 1984), this study focused on the analysis and evaluation of the L-band multipolarization airborne SAR data acquired over a southeastern pine forest scene. The data acquisition mission was flown on September 8 and 9, 1983. The HH, HV polarizations and the VV, VH polarizations were used on the first and the second day, respectively. Due to instrumentation difficulties, the digital recorder recorded only the second day's data. Because of this, only the VV and VH polarization data were used in this analysis. However, the HH and HV polarization images were available for visual comparison. It appears that SAR digital numbers correlate with the index of green biomass.

Wu, S. T.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Molecular line emission models of Herbig-Haro objects. I - H2 emission

A comprehensive model for molecular hydrogen emssion in Herbig-Haro objects that are associated with the heads of radiative stellar jets is presented by using a simple representation of the jet head as a comprising a leading bow shock and a trailing jet shock, separated by a dense layer of cool shocked gas. Attention is given to collisional excitation in a nondissociative shock and formation pumping in the molecular reformation zone behind a dissociative shock, employing detailed shock and photodissociation-region emission models that incorporate most of the relevant atomic physics and chemistry. The conditions under which each of these excitation mechanisms may be expected to contribute to the observed emission are discussed, and a general diagnostic scheme for discriminating among them is constructed. Applying this scheme to the HH 1-2 system, strong evidence for excitation by the radiation field of a fast shock is found. It is inferred that FUV pumping contributes a significant fraction of the H2 line emission, and it is shown that this can occur only if the UV pump lines are not strongly self-shielded.

Wolfire, Mark G.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Mass-loss rates, ionization fractions, shock velocities, and magnetic fields of stellar jets

In this paper we calculate emission-line ratios from a series of planar radiative shock models that cover a wide range of shock velocities, preshock densities, and magnetic fields. The models cover the initial conditions relevant to stellar jets, and we show how to estimate the ionization fractions and shock velocities in jets directly from observations of the strong emission lines in these flows. The ionization fractions in the HH 34, HH 47, and HH 111 jets are approximately 2%, considerably smaller than previous estimates, and the shock velocities are approximately 30 km/s. For each jet the ionization fractions were found from five different line ratios, and the estimates agree to within a factor of approximately 2. The scatter in the estimates of the shock velocities is also small (+/- 4 km/s). The low ionization fractions of stellar jets imply that the observed electron densities are much lower than the total densities, so the mass-loss rates in these flows are correspondingly higher (approximately greater than 2 x 10(exp -7) solar mass/yr). The mass-loss rates in jets are a significant fraction (1%-10%) of the disk accretion rates onto young stellar objects that drive the outflows. The momentum and energy supplied by the visible portion of a typical stellar jet are sufficient to drive a weak molecular outflow. Magnetic fields in stellar jets are difficult to measure because the line ratios from a radiative shock with a magnetic field resemble those of a lower velocity shock without a field. The observed line fluxes can in principle indicate the strength of the field if the geometry of the shocks in the jet is well known.

Hartigan, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS1995

Theoretical position-velocity diagrams of flux, electron density, and electron temperature in Herbig-Haro objects

Many features of Herbig-Haro objects can be reproduced using a kinematical bow shock model. We use the model to generate position-velocity (PV) diagrams of flux in H-alpha (O I) lambda lambda 6300+63, (S II) lambda lambda 6716+31, (O III) lambda lambda 4959+5007, and (C I) lambda lambda 9823+50, line ratios of (O I)/H-alpha, (O I)/(S II), (S II)/H-alpha, H-alpha(S II), and (O III)/H-alpha, electron density N(sub e), and electron temperature T(sub e). We show how position-velocity diagrams of N(sub e) and flux vary with shock velocity. By matching the diagrams from single lines, the line ratios, and N(sub e) with observations, we determined a narrow range of shock parameters for HH 1F, 2(A' + H), and 43 (B + C). We model the N(sub e) features of HH 2(A' + H) as a superposition of two bowshocks. We also show that the effects of slight misalignments of the two diagrams to be divided can produce artifacts in the line ratios and N(sub e) which obliterate the physical features. We show that N(sub e) in HH 1 can only be explained using the kinematical model by taking these misalignments into account.

Indebetouw, Remy↗

NASA NTRS2004

The Hydrosphere State (Hydros) Satellite Mission: An Earth System Pathfinder for Global Mapping of Soil Moisture and Land Freeze/Thaw

The Hydrosphere State Mission (Hydros) is a pathfinder mission in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth System Science Pathfinder Program (ESSP). The objective of the mission is to provide exploratory global measurements of the earth's soil moisture at 10-km resolution with two- to three-days revisit and land-surface freeze/thaw conditions at 3-km resolution with one- to two-days revisit. The mission builds on the heritage of ground-based and airborne passive and active low-frequency microwave measurements that have demonstrated and validated the effectiveness of the measurements and associated algorithms for estimating the amount and phase (frozen or thawed) of surface soil moisture. The mission data will enable advances in weather and climate prediction and in mapping processes that link the water, energy, and carbon cycles. The Hydros instrument is a combined radar and radiometer system operating at 1.26 GHz (with VV, HH, and HV polarizations) and 1.41 GHz (with H, V, and U polarizations), respectively. The radar and the radiometer share the aperture of a 6-m antenna with a look-angle of 39 with respect to nadir. The lightweight deployable mesh antenna is rotated at 14.6 rpm to provide a constant look-angle scan across a swath width of 1000 km. The wide swath provides global coverage that meet the revisit requirements. The radiometer measurements allow retrieval of soil moisture in diverse (nonforested) landscapes with a resolution of 40 km. The radar measurements allow the retrieval of soil moisture at relatively high resolution (3 km). The mission includes combined radar/radiometer data products that will use the synergy of the two sensors to deliver enhanced-quality 10-km resolution soil moisture estimates. In this paper, the science requirements and their traceability to the instrument design are outlined. A review of the underlying measurement physics and key instrument performance parameters are also presented.

Entekhabi, D.↗

NASA NTRS2004

A New Look at Stellar Outflows: Spitzer Observations of the HH 46/47 System

We present the Early Release Observations of the HH 46/47 system and HH 46 IRS 1 source, taken with the three instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The optically invisible southwest lobe, driven by the HH 47C bow shock, is revealed in full detail by the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) images and displays a 'loop'-like morphology. Both of the mid-infrared outflow lobes are narrower than those of CO flow. We believe that the combination of emission by H2 rotational lines [S(11)-S(4)] and some atomic lines, which fall within the IRAC passbands, are responsible for the bulk of the observed emission, although contributions from the 3.3, 6.2, and 7.7 micron polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission bands cannot be ruled out. Weak spectral features corresponding to these emitters are present in the Infrared Spectrograph spectrum of the HH 47A bow shock. The spectrum of HH 46 IRS 1 shows remarkable similarities to those of high-mass protostars, which include the presence of H2O, CO2, CH4, and possibly NH3, CH3OH, and ices. The high ice abundances and the lack of signs of thermal processing indicate that these ices in the envelope are well shielded from the powerful outflow and its cavity. Emission from the Bok globule at 24 micron is detected and displays a similar structure to that observed at 8 micron.

Herbig-Haro objects↗

NASA NTRS1998

Pulsations, Shocks, and Mass Loss

This grant provided long-term support for my investigation of the outflows powered by young stars. Several major research results emerged during the course of this research, including: (1) The discovery of giant Herbig-Haro outflows from young stars that can extend for many parsecs from their sources. The first parsec-scale outflow to be recognized led to the realization that Herbig-Haro outflows, even those produced by low mass young stellar objects, can extend orders of magnitude farther from their sources than previously thought. Our preconceptions were to a large extent driven by the narrow fields-of-view then provided by CCD detectors. With the recent advent of large format CCDs and CCD mosaics, we have come to realize that most outflows attain parsec-scale dimensions. Even at the distance of the Orion star forming clouds, such flows can subtend a degree on the sky. Our work has led to the recognition of over two dozen giant. (2) The discovery that outflows are highly clustered. Even regions of relatively isolated star formation such as those in Taurus frequently produce multiple outflows. (3) The discovery of a new family of externally irradiated jets. During the last year of support from this grant, we made the startling discovery that there is a class of jets from young stars that are illuminated by the ionizing radiation field of nearby massive stars. The first four examples were discovered in the vicinity of the a Orionis sub-group of the Orion OB Association which is believed to be at least 2 million years old. Since the jets are photo-ionized, their densities can be reliably estimated. Most HH jets are shock excited, and are therefore notoriously difficult to characterize since their visibility and observed properties depend on the complex and highly non-linear processes associated with shocks. Furthermore, many irradiated jets are one sided rather than bipolar. Thus, irradiated jets may for the first time be used to accurately diagnose jet densities and mass loss rates, and to probe the physics of jet collimation, and may indicate that the jet production phase of certain young stars may last more than a million years. These three discoveries provide us with fundamental new insights into the star formation process, into the physical conditions inside and near star forming clouds, and into new ways to probe the physics and chemistry of such clouds.

Bally, John↗

NASA NTRS2012

NASA Human Health and Performance Strategy

In May 2007, what was then the Space Life Sciences Directorate, issued the 2007 Space Life Sciences Strategy for Human Space Exploration. In January 2012, leadership and key directorate personnel were once again brought together to assess the current and expected future environment against its 2007 Strategy and the Agency and Johnson Space Center goals and strategies. The result was a refined vision and mission, and revised goals, objectives, and strategies. One of the first changes implemented was to rename the directorate from Space Life Sciences to Human Health and Performance to better reflect our vision and mission. The most significant change in the directorate from 2007 to the present is the integration of the Human Research Program and Crew Health and Safety activities. Subsequently, the Human Health and Performance Directorate underwent a reorganization to achieve enhanced integration of research and development with operations to better support human spaceflight and International Space Station utilization. These changes also enable a more effective and efficient approach to human system risk mitigation. Since 2007, we have also made significant advances in external collaboration and implementation of new business models within the directorate and the Agency, and through two newly established virtual centers, the NASA Human Health and Performance Center and the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. Our 2012 Strategy builds upon these successes to address the Agency's increased emphasis on societal relevance and being a leader in research and development and innovative business and communications practices. The 2012 Human Health and Performance Vision is to lead the world in human health and performance innovations for life in space and on Earth. Our mission is to enable optimization of human health and performance throughout all phases of spaceflight. All HH&P functions are ultimately aimed at achieving this mission. Our activities enable mission success, optimizing human health and productivity in space before, during, and after the actual spaceflight experience of our crews, and include support for ground-‐ based functions. Many of our spaceflight innovations also provide solutions for terrestrial challenges, thereby enhancing life on Earth. Our strategic goals are aimed at leading human exploration and ISS utilization, leading human health and performance internationally, excelling in management and advancement of innovations in health and human system integration, and expanding relevance to life on Earth and creating enduring support and enthusiasm for space exploration.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The enigmatic T Tauri radio source

We have analyzed eight high angular resolution images of the prototype low mass pre-main-sequence star T Tauri obtained with the Very Large Array between 1987 and 1990. Our objectives were to confirm a recent report that the radio emission is both variable and circularly polarized, to determine whether this behavior originates in the optical star or in the infrared source lying 0.6 sec to its south, and to identify possible emission mechanisms. No variability or circular polarization was detected in the weak (approximately equals 1 mJy) radio emission associated with the visible star, down to levels of approximately equals 10%. The observed flux can be accounted for by free-free emission from an ionized wind with a mass-loss rate M = 3.7 x 10(exp -8) solar mass yr(exp -1), but a more accurate determination of the spectral index is needed to test the validity of sperical wind models. In sharp contrast, the 3.6 cm emission of the infrared source is variable (approximately equals 4-7 mJy) on time scales less than or equal to 3 days and circularly polarized at low levels of approximately equals 3% - 5%. The polarization was left circular when detected during periods of low radio activity but changed to right circular during a radio outburst, similar to the reversals that have been seen in some RS CVn binary systems. The spectral index is negative during 'quiescence,'and we argue that the emission is nonthermal gyrosynchrotron radiation. The detection of magnetic radio activity in this optically invisible infrared source sparks new interest in clarifying its evolutionary status. Sensitive 3.6 cm images reveal weak emission extending approximately equals 1 sec west of the T Tau system that is probably associated with high-velocity shock-excited gas flowing toward HH-1555. We find no radio evidence for a putative third component north of the visible star.

Skinner, Stephen L.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Highly Collimated Jets and Wide-angle Outflows in HH 46/47: New Evidence from Spitzer Infrared Images

We present new details of the structure and morphology of the jets and outflows in HH 46/47 as seen in Spitzer infrared images from IRAC and MIPS, reprocessed using the 'HiRes' deconvolution technique. HiRes improves the visualization of spatial morphology by enhancing resolution (to subarcsecond levels in IRAC bands) and removing the contaminating side lobes from bright sources. In addition to sharper views of previously reported bow shocks, we have detected (1) the sharply delineated cavity walls of the wide-angle biconical outflow, seen in scattered light on both sides of the protostar, (2) several very narrow jet features at distances approximately 400 AU to approximately 0.1 pc from the star, and (3) compact emissions at MIPS 24 m with the jet heads, tracing the hottest atomic/ionic gas in the bow shocks. Together the IRAC and MIPS images provide a more complete picture of the bow shocks, tracing both the molecular and atomic/ionic gases, respectively. The narrow width and alignment of all jet-related features indicate a high degree of jet collimation and low divergence (width of approximately 400 AU increasing by only a factor of 2.3 over 0.2 pc). The morphology of this jet, bow shocks, wide-angle outflows, and the fact that the jet is nonprecessing and episodic, constrain the mechanisms for producing the jet's entrained molecular gas, and origins of the fast jet, and slower wide-angle outflow.

Herbig-Haro objects↗