SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Saturation of molecular transitions using a tunable diode laser has been demonstrated for the first time using a standing-wave-cavity configuration with the laser beam focused at the sample. Observed saturation effects in NH3 transitions near 888 kaysers include sub-Doppler (Lamb-dip) resonances at the line center.
A bubble of air, trapped at the center of a spherical container of water on the surface of which spherical sound waves are maintained by transducers, may emit light, a phenomenon known as sonoluminescence. The surface of the bubble expands and contracts in obedience to the Rayleigh-Lamb equation, which requires knowledge of the gas pressure on the surface of the bubble. In many investigations of bubble pulsations, it is assumed that the air in the bubble moves adiabatically. To understand sonoluminescence, however, it is necessary to allow for the possibility that shocks are generated within the bubble. We couple the Rayleigh-Lamb equation governing the bubble radius to Euler's equations governing the motion of air in the bubble, and solve the two equations simultaneously. The air is modelled by a van der Waals gas. Results are presented for a number of slightly different conditions of excitation, but in which the response of the system is widely different.
The capability of a three-dimensional dynamic finite element method for predicting far-field acoustic emission signals in thin plates of finite lateral extent, including their reflections from the plate edges, was investigated. A lead break (Hsu-Neilsen) source to simulate AE was modeled and used in the experimental measurements. For the thin plate studied, the signals were primarily composed of the lowest order symmetric (S0) and antisymmetric (A0) Lamb modes. Experimental waveforms were detected with an absolutely calibrated, wideband, conical element transducer. The conditions of lead fractures both on the surface of the plate as well as on the edge of the plate were investigated. Surface lead breaks preferentially generate the A0 mode while edge lead breaks generate the S0 mode. Reflections of developed plate waves from both normal and oblique incidence angles were evaluated. Particularly interesting for the case of the lead break on the plate edge were S0 waves produced by the interaction of a Rayleigh wave with the plate corner and by a bulk shear wave mode converting at the side edge. The Rayleigh wave, in this case, propagated along the specimen edge. For all cases considered, the experimental measurements were in good agreement with the predictions of the finite element model.
Using the imaging X-ray detectors on the Einstein Observatory, what appear to be two overlapping galactic supernova remnants are discovered, one of which is clearly identified with the previously cataloged radio remnant G296.1-0.7. The other feature has no radio or optical counterpart. It is a nearly complete ring with a diameter of 20-25 arcmin, designated 1E 1149.4-6209. Because of its morphology, because there is evidence for supernova events in the vicinity, and because there seems to be no plausible alternative, 1E 1149.4-6209 is classified as a supernova remnant. This remnant and others like it, which may be found first in X-rays rather than radio or optical waves, may have important implications regarding the evolution of supernova remnants and the rate of supernovae in our Galaxy.
The synthesis of Newtonian concept of corpuscles during emission with Huygens’ concept of secondary-wavelets during propagation implies that all EM radiations from quantized atoms and molecules are released as discrete amount of energies. However, they propagate out as time-finite Maxwellian light pulses. Huygens also underscored that his secondary wavelets keep propagating as independent pulses in the absence of any interacting medium, or until intercepted by an interface with a medium or a detector. Then we use the Superposition Principle and the coherence theory to derive Einstein’s photoelectric equation by summing innumerable random time-finite pulses. This process driven approach should yield the characteristic statistical variations of photoelectron current pulses, as generated by photodetectors for different kinds of light sources. Lamb & Scully originally proposed this semiclassical approach without assuming that light actually consists of time finite pulses. The quantumness remains confined within the excitation and de-excitations processes in the material particles.
A finite difference for elastic waves is introduced. The model is based on the first order system of equations for the velocities and stresses. The differencing is fourth order accurate on the spatial derivatives and second order accurate in time. The model is tested on a series of examples including the Lamb problem, scattering from plane interf aces and scattering from a fluid-elastic interface. The scheme is shown to be effective for these problems. The accuracy and stability is insensitive to the Poisson ratio. For the class of problems considered here it is found that the fourth order scheme requires for two-thirds to one-half the resolution of a typical second order scheme to give comparable accuracy.
An experimental investigation was conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel at free-stream Mach numbers from 0.70 to 0.82 and angles of attack from -2.5 to 4.0 degrees to determine the integration effects of pylon-mounted underwing forward and rearward separate-flow, flow-through nacelles on a high-wing transonic transport configuration. The results showed that the installed drag of the nacelle/pylon in the rearward location was slightly less than that of the nacelle/pylon in the forward location. This reduction was due to the reduction in calculated skin friction of the nacelle/pylon configuration. In all cases the combined value of form, wave, and interference drag was excessively high. However, the configuration with the nacelle/pylon in a rearward location produced an increase in lift over that of the basic wing-body configuration.
Breckenridge et al. (1975), Hsu (1985) and Pao (1978) adapted approaches from seismology to calculate the response at the surface of an infinite half-space and an infinite plate. These approaches have found use in calibrating acoustic emission (AE) transducers. However, it is difficult to extend this theoretical approach to AE testing of practical structures. Weaver and Pao (1982) considered a normal mode solution to the Lamb equations. Hutchinson (1983) pointed out the potential relevance of Mindlin's plate theory (1951) to AE. Pao (1982) reviewed Medick s (1961) classical plate theory for a point source, but rejected it as useful for AE and no one seems to have investigated its relevance to AE any further. Herein, a normal mode solution to the classical plate bending equation was investigated for its applicability to AE. The same source-time function chosen by Weaver and Pao is considered. However, arbitrary source and receiver positions are chosen relative to the boundaries of the plate. This is another advantage of the plate theory treatment in addition to its simplicity. The source does not have to be at the center of the plate as in the axisymmetric treatment. The plate is allowed to remain finite and reflections are predicted. The importance of this theory to AE is that it can handle finite plates, realistic boundary conditions, and can be extended to composite materials.
We present some results from three dimensional computer simulations of collisions between models of equal mass galaxies, one of which is a rotating, disk galaxy containing both gas and stars and the other is an elliptical containing stars only. We use fully self consistent models in which the halo mass is 2.5 times that of the disk. In the experiments we have varied the impact parameter between zero (head on) and 0.9R (where R is the radius of the disk), for impacts perpendicular to the disk plane. The calculations were performed on a Cray 2 computer using a combined N-body/smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) program. The results show the development of complicated flows and shock structures in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the disk and the propagation outwards of a density wave in both the stars and the gas. The collisional nature of the gas results in a sharper ring than obtained for the star particles, and the development of high volume densities and shocks.
A dual-frequency acoustic levitator containing water was developed for studying bubble and drop dynamics in low gravity. It was flown on USML-1 where it was used in the Glovebox facility. High frequency (21 or 63 kHz) ultrasonic waves were modulated by low frequencies to excite shape oscillations on bubbles and oil drops ultrasonically trapped in the water. Bubble diameters were typically close to 1 cm or larger. When such large bubbles are acoustically trapped on the Earth, the acoustic radiation pressure needed to overcome buoyancy tends to shift the natural frequency for quadrupole (n = 2) oscillations above the prediction of Lamb's equation. In low gravity, a much weaker trapping force was used and measurements of n = 2 and 3 mode frequencies were closer to the ideal case. Other video observations in low gravity include: (i) the transient reappearance of a bulge where a small bubble has coalesced with a large one, (ii) observations of the dynamics of bubbles coated by oil indicating that shape oscillations can shift a coated bubble away from the oil-water interface of the coating giving a centering of the core, and (iii) the agglomeration of bubbles induced by the sound field.
The complete, time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations are expressed in conservation form and solved by employing an explicit finite difference numerical technique which incorporates artificial viscosity terms of the form first suggested by Rusanov for numerical stability in the vicinity of shock waves. Surface boundary conditions are developed in a consistent and unique manner through the use of a physically oriented extrapolation procedure. From numerical experimentation an extended range for the explicit stability parameter is established. Also employed is an additional convergence parameter which relates incremental spatial steps. Convergence of the transient solution to a steady state flow was obtained after 400 to 500 time steps.
It is noted that the imaging proportional of the Einstein Observatory has been used to search for X-ray emission from eight radio supernova remnants which are near three of the Cos-B unidentified gamma-ray sources: 2CG 311-01, CG 327-0, and CG 333+0. Emissions are observed from three of the remnants and upper limits on the remainder which are consistent with the luminosity expected from a simple blast-wave heated plasma model of the process. Thus none of the remnants are superluminous as might be expected if the pattern of the Crab Nebula were followed. It is thought that the remnant RCW 103 may be Vela-like. It is noted that another of the remnants, Kes 27, has centrally peaked X-ray emission which is unlike the shell-like emission seen for many remnants and which does not correlate well with its asymmetric radio emission.
It is proposed that the dissipative process necessary for rapid accretion disk evolution is driven by hydraulic jump waves on the surface of the disk. These waves are excited by the asymmetric nature of the central rotator (e.g., neutron star magnetosphere) and spiral out into the disk to form a pattern corotating with the central object. Disk matter in turn is slowed slightly at each encounter with the jump and spirals inward. In this process, the disk is heated by true turbulence produced in the jumps. Additional effects, such as a systematic misalignment of the magnetic moment of the neutron star until it is nearly orthogonal, and systematic distortion of the magnetosphere in such a way as to form an even more asymmetric central 'paddle wheel', may enhance the interaction with inflowing matter. The application to X-ray sources corresponds to the 'slow' solutions of Ghosh and Lamb, and therefore to rms magnetic fields of about 4 x 10 to the 10th gauss. Analogous phenomena have been proposed to act in the formation of galactic spiral structure.
This article gives an analysis of the behavior of polarizing grids and reflecting polarizers by solving Maxwell's equations, for arbitrary angles of incidence and grid rotation, for cases where the excitation is provided by an incident plane wave or a beam of radiation. The scattering and impedance matrix representations are derived and used to solve more complicated configurations of grid assemblies. The results are also compared with data obtained in the calibration of reflecting polarizers at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO). From these analysis, we propose a method for choosing the optimum grid parameters (wire radius and spacing). We also provide a study of the effects of two types of errors (in wire separation and radius size) that can be introduced in the fabrication of a grid.
PSR J0740+6620 has a gravitational mass of 2.08±0.07Me, which is the highest reliably determined mass of any neutron star. As a result, a measurement of its radius will provide unique insight into the properties of neutron star core matter at high densities. Here we report a radius measurement based on fits of rotating hot spot patterns to Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer(NICER)and X-ray Multi-Mirror(XMM-Newton)X-ray observations. We find that the equatorial circumferential radius of PSR J0740+6620 is-+13.71.52.6km(68%).We apply our measurement, combined with the previous NICER mass and radius measurement of PSR J0030+0451,the masses of two other∼2Mepulsars, and the tidal deformability constraints from two gravitational wave events, to three different frameworks for equation-of-state modeling, and find consistent results at∼1.5–5 times nuclear saturation density. For a given framework, when all measurements are included, the radius of a 1.4Meneutron star is known to±4%(68% credibility)and the radius of a 2.08Meneutron star is known to±5%. The full radius range that spans the±1σcredible intervals of all the radius estimates in the three frameworks is 12.45±0.65 km for a 1.4Meneutron star and 12.35±0.75 km for a 2.08Me neutron star.
Sources in the THz range are required in order for NASA to implement heterodyne instruments in this frequency range. The source that has been demonstrated here will be used for an instrument on the SOFIA platform as well as for upcoming astrophysics missions. There are currently no electronic sources in the 2 3- THz frequency range. An electronically tunable compact source in this frequency range is needed for lab spectroscopy as well as for compact space-deployable heterodyne receivers. This solution for obtaining useful power levels in the 2 3- THz range is based on utilizing power-combined multiplier stages. Utilizing power combining, the input power can be distributed between different multiplier chips and then recombined after the frequency multiplication. A continuous wave (CW) coherent source covering 2.48 2.75 THz, with greater than 10 percent instantaneous and tuning bandwidth, and having l 14 W of output power at room temperature, has been demonstrated. This source is based on a 91.8 101.8-GHz synthesizer followed by a power amplifier and three cascaded frequency triplers. It demonstrates that purely electronic solid-state sources can generate a useful amount of power in a region of the electromagnetic spectrum where lasers (solid-state or gas) were previously the only available coherent sources. The bandwidth, agility, and operability of this THz source has enabled wideband, high-resolution spectroscopic measurements of water, methanol, and carbon monoxide with a resolution and signal-to-noise ratio unmatched by other existing systems, providing new insight in the physics of these molecules. Further - more, the power and optical beam quality are high enough to observe the Lamb-dip effect in water. The source frequency has an absolute accuracy better than 1 part in 1012, and the spectrometer achieves sub-Doppler frequency resolution better than 1 part in 108. The harmonic purity is better than 25 dB. This source can serve as a local oscillator for a variety of heterodyne systems, and can be used as a method for precision control of more powerful but much less frequency-agile quantum mechanical terahertz sources.
It is shown that seismograms observed at Longmire, Washington, for four eruptions of Mt. St. Helens, those on May 18, June 13, August 7, and August 8, 1980, can be interpreted as Lamb pulses excited by a nearly vertical single force representing the counter force of the eruption. These data furnish reliable estimates of the impulse of the force K (time integral of the force), from which the total momentum and the kinetic energy, E, of the ejecta associated with the eruption can be estimated. The estimates made of K are 1.4 x 10 to the 19th, 1.4 x 10 to the 16th, 3.7 x 10 to the 15th, and 2.8 x 10 to the 15th dynes-sec for the four eruptions (given chronologically). The corresponding estimates for E range from 0.70 to 2.6 x 10 to the 23rd, 0.70 to 2.6 x 10 to the 20th, 1.9 x 10 to the 19th, and 1.4 to 5.3 x 10 to the 19th erg using values of ejecta velocity ranging from 100 to 375 m/sec. The ratio of K to the amplitude of the air wave excited by the eruption is found to be 20 to 40 times larger for the main event on May 18 than for the other events, indicating a significant difference in the eruptive mechanism. A digital seismograph in the vicinity of a volcano is shown to provide a simple means for quantifying the explosive power of a volcanic eruption.
Recent development using compact difference schemes to solve the Navier-Stokes equations show spectral-like accuracy. A study was made of the numerical characteristics of various combinations of the Runge-Kutta (RK) methods and compact difference schemes to calculate the unsteady Euler equations. The accuracy of finite difference schemes is assessed based on the evaluations of dissipative error. The objectives are reducing the numerical damping and, at the same time, preserving numerical stability. While this approach has tremendous success solving steady flows, numerical characteristics of unsteady calculations remain largely unclear. For unsteady flows, in addition to the dissipative errors, phase velocity and harmonic content of the numerical results are of concern. As a result of the discretization procedure, the simulated unsteady flow motions actually propagate in a dispersive numerical medium. Consequently, the dispersion characteristics of the numerical schemes which relate the phase velocity and wave number may greatly impact the numerical accuracy. The aim is to assess the numerical accuracy of the simulated results. To this end, the Fourier analysis is to provide the dispersive correlations of various numerical schemes. First, a detailed investigation of the existing RK methods is carried out. A generalized form of an N-step RK method is derived. With this generalized form, the criteria are derived for the three and four-step RK methods to be third and fourth-order time accurate for the non-linear equations, e.g., flow equations. These criteria are then applied to commonly used RK methods such as Jameson's 3-step and 4-step schemes and Wray's algorithm to identify the accuracy of the methods. For the spatial discretization, compact difference schemes are presented. The schemes are formulated in the operator-type to render themselves suitable for the Fourier analyses. The performance of the numerical methods is shown by numerical examples. These examples are detailed. described. The third case is a two-dimensional simulation of a Lamb vortex in an uniform flow. This calculation provides a realistic assessment of various finite difference schemes in terms of the conservation of the vortex strength and the harmonic content after travelling a substantial distance. The numerical implementation of Giles' non-refelctive equations coupled with the characteristic equations as the boundary condition is discussed in detail. Finally, the single vortex calculation is extended to simulate vortex pairing. For the distance between two vortices less than a threshold value, numerical results show crisp resolution of the vortex merging.