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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

A biomass map of the Brazilian Amazon from multisource remote sensing

The Amazon Forest, the largest contiguous tropical forest in the world, stores a significant fraction of the carbon on land. Changes in climate and land use affect total carbon stocks, making it critical to continuously update and revise the best estimates for the region, particularly considering changes in forest dynamics. Forest inventory data cover only a tiny fraction of the Amazon region, and the coverage is not sufficient to ensure reliable data interpolation and validation. This paper presents a new forest above-ground biomass map for the Brazilian Amazon and the associated uncertainty both with a resolution of 250 meters and baseline for the satellite dataset the year of 2016 (i.e., the year of the satellite observation). A significant increase in data availability from forest inventories and remote sensing has enabled progress towards high-resolution biomass estimates. This work uses the largest airborne LiDAR database ever collected in the Amazon, mapping 360,000 km 2 through transects distributed in all vegetation categories in the region. The map uses airborne laser scanning (ALS) data calibrated by field forest inventories that are extrapolated to the region using a machine learning approach with inputs from Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR), vegetation indices obtained from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite, and precipitation information from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). A total of 174 field inventories geolocated using a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) were used to validate the biomass estimations. The experimental design allowed for a comprehensive representation of several vegetation types, producing an above-ground biomass map varying from a maximum value of 518 Mg ha -1 , a mean of 174 Mg ha -1 , and a standard deviation of 102 Mg ha -1 . This unique dataset enabled a better representation of the regional distribution of the forest biomass and structure, providing further studies and critical information for decision-making concerning forest conservation, planning, carbon emissions estimate, and mechanisms for supporting carbon emissions reductions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2020

Assessment of SNPP VIIRS RSB detector-to-detector differences using deep convective clouds and deserts

An accurate on-orbit characterization of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite is essential to satisfy the requirements from NOAA, NASA, and the general research community for high-quality operational and research products. NASA’s Land Science Investigator-led Processing System (LSIPS) sensor data records (SDRs) are utilized to assess the stability of the calibrated top of atmosphere reflectance over the deep convective clouds (DCCs) and over the Libya-4desert site. The results from DCCs and desert show detector-to-detector (D2D) reflectance differences in the VIIRS reflective solar bands, 10 moderate-resolution bands (M-bands, M1to M5, M7 to M11), and three imagery resolution bands (I-bands, I1-I3). More importantly, the D2D differences exhibit an increase in magnitude over time for bands M1 to M5 and I1to I2, which induces noticeable striping and higher uncertainties in the downstream data products. The largest D2D difference is observed in bands M1 and M2, with magnitudes greater than1.8% in trends among the 16 detectors and standard deviations less than 0.12% over time. TheD2D stability assessment results over DCCs are consistent with those observed over the Libya-4desert site. To improve the quality of the calibrated SDR reflectance data, NASA’s VIIRS characterization support team has improved the calibration algorithm to incorporate corrections based on these DCC measurements to mitigate the striping (detector differences) observed in the current version of the SDR. These improvements are planned to be included in the next mission reprocessing of the LSIPS land products.

SNPP VIIRS↗
NASA NTRS1994

The downward flux of O(+) over the nightside of Venus

We have constructed a map of the downward flux of O(+) over the nightside of Venus at high and low solar activities through a combination of modeling and analysis of Pioneer Venus ion mass spectrometer data. O(+) density profiles were obtained for almost 40 inbound or outbound segments of orbits from the first 2 years of the mission and about 40 more in the recent reentry phase of the mission. We have determined the nearly linear relationship between the 0(+) maximum density and the downward O(+) flux for several solar zenith angles and local times by constructing models of the nightside ionosphere of Venus for a range of downward ion fluxes at the upper boundaries. We find that the largest downward fluxes occur near the terminators, and the fluxes fall off sharply toward the antisolar point. Although the standard deviations in the data are large, there is a suggestion of a local maximum near 155 deg, and the location of this maximum correlates fairly well with structure in the peak electron density as a function of solar zenith angle reported for the Pioneer Venus radio occulation experiment. The average downward ion flux is inferred to be about 1.7 x 10(exp 8)/sq cm/sec over the nightside hemisphere at solar maximum and a factor of 7 less at moderately low solar activity.

Brannon, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

A Survey of Large-Scale Variations in Thermospheric Oxygen Column Density with Magnetic Activity as Inferred from Observations of the FUV Dayglow

Brightness of the terrestrial far-ultraviolet (FUV) dayglow is dominated by the 130.4-nm emission of neutral atomic oxygen, OI, and variations in the brightness observed from altitudes high above the emitting region reflect variations in thermospheric oxygen density. This paper summarizes the results of an initial survey of the Dynamics Explorer 1 observations of the FUV dayglow through a presentation of 13 representative events selected to demonstrate the spatial extent and short-term temporal stability of the brightness perturbations. The emphasis here is on the morning sector of local time and the polar cap for observations obtained in the time interval from September 23, 1981, through January 19, 1982. An analytic expression is derived for the average response of the FUV photometer to the dayglow during periods of high-latitude magnetic quiescence. The remaining observations in this time interval are then analyzed for their deviations from the established quiet time values. Deviations of -40% to +30% are found following intervals of increased magnetic activity. The most significant decreases (-30% to -40%) are observed equatorward of the instantaneous aurora] oval only after sustained periods (approx. 6 hours) of intense magnetic activity (average AE greater than approx. 700 nT). Decreases extend equatorward from the aurora to geographic latitudes as low as approx. 30 deg N. Decreases of lesser magnitude that do not extend as far equatorward are associated with sustained periods of more moderate activity in which the average value of AE is smaller (approx. 300-400 nT). Also, the spatial extent and magnitude of the decreases in the morning sector appear greater when the IMF B(sub y) component is positive. In both cases, decreases are readily observed within the polar cap. Localized enhancements of +20% to +30% occur much less frequently and are detected at the middle latitudes, well equator-ward of the auroral oval.

Nicholas, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Precipitable water vapor over oceans from the Maritime Aerosol Network: Evaluation of global models and satellite products under clear sky conditions

We present results from an evaluation of precipitable water vapor (W) over remote oceanic areas as derived from global reanalysis models and from satellites against observations from the Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) for cloudless skies during the period of 2004–2017. They cover polar, mid latitude and tropical oceanic regions and represent a first effort to use MAN observations for such evaluation. The global reanalysis model products evaluated in this study are from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim Reanalysis (ERA I), and the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) model. The satellite products evaluated are from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances (POLDER), the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2), the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY), and the Atmospheric Infra-red Sounder (AIRS). Satellite retrievals of W are based on the attenuation of solar reflected light by water vapor absorption bands, except those from AIRS that rely on brightness temperature measurements. A very good agreement is observed between the model estimates and MAN, with mean differences of ~5% and standard deviations of ~15%. These results are within the uncertainties associated with the models and the measurements, indicating the skill of the reanalysis models to estimate W over oceans under clear sky conditions. Mean differences of W between the satellite and MAN products are ~11, 6.7, 12, −7, and 3% for MODIS, POLDER, GOME-2, SCIAMACHY and AIRS respectively, while their standard deviations are 31, 29, 28, 20 and 17%. These differences reveal the need to address inconsistencies among different satellite sensors and ground-based measurements to reduce the uncertainties associated with the retrievals.

Daniel Pérez-Ramírez↗
NASA NTRS2014

Greenland Ice Sheet Melt from MODIS and Associated Atmospheric Variability

Daily June-July melt fraction variations over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) derived from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (2000-2013) are associated with atmospheric blocking forming an omega-shape ridge over the GIS at 500hPa height (from NCEPNCAR). Blocking activity with a range of time scales, from synoptic waves breaking poleward ( 5 days) to full-fledged blocks (5 days), brings warm subtropical air masses over the GIS controlling daily surface temperatures and melt. The temperature anomaly of these subtropical air mass intrusions is also important for melting. Based on the largest MODIS melt years (2002 and 2012), the area-average temperature anomaly of 2 standard deviations above the 14-year June-July mean, results in a melt fraction of 40 or more. Summer 2007 had the most blocking days, however atmospheric temperature anomalies were too small to instigate extreme melting.

Ice Sheet Melt↗
DOE OSTI2019

Kinetic effects on neutron generation in moderately collisional interpenetrating plasma flows

Collisional kinetic modifications of ion distributions in interpenetrating flows are investigated by irradiating two opposing targets, either CD/CD or CD/CH, on the National Ignition Facility. In the CD/CD case, neutron time-of-flight diagnostics are successfully used to infer the ion temperature, 5–6 keV, and velocity, 500 km/s per flow, of the flows using a multi-fluid approximation of beam-beam nuclear fusion. These values are found to be in agreement with simulations and other diagnostics. However, for CD/CH, the multi-fluid assumption breaks down, as fusion is quasi-thermonuclear in this case and thus more dependent on the details of the ion velocity distribution. Using kinetic-ion, hydrodynamic-electron, and hybrid particle-in-cell modeling, this is found to be partially due to a skewed deviation from a Maxwellian in the ion velocity distribution function resulting from ion-ion collisions. This skew causes a downshift in the mean neutron velocity that partially resolves the observation in the CD/CH case. Finally, we note that the discrepancy is not completely resolved via collisional effects alone and may be a signature of collisionless electromagnetic interactions such as the Weibel-filamentation instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

A novel cage for actinides: A 6 W 4 Al 43 ( A = U and Pu)

We report on synthesis and characterization of the compounds A 6 W 4 Al 43 ( A = U and Pu), that form in the hexagonal Ho 6 Mo 4 Al 43 caged-structure family. The A ions reside within W/Al cages where the A – A nearest neighbors form dimers between adjacent W/Al cages, with U–U and Pu–Pu distances of 3.3892 and 3.4080 , respectively. While the W/Al networks provide environments similar to those of other cage-like materials (e.g. filled skutterudites), the atomic displacement parameters from single crystal x-ray diffraction measurements show that the A -ions do not exhibit rattling behavior. We find that there is site interchange disorder on one of the W/Al sites. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that U 6 W 4 Al 43 displays anisotropic Curie–Weiss behavior where it fits to the data yield an effective magnetic moment near 2.0 /U. At low temperatures the magnetic susceptibility deviates from the Curie–Weiss temperature dependence and eventually saturates to a constant value. In contrast, Pu 6 W 4 Al 43 displays nearly temperature independent Pauli paramagnetism for all temperatures, as would be expected if the 5 f -electrons are delocalized. The electrical resistivity for U 6 W 4 Al 43 increases slightly with the decreasing temperature, suggesting that it is dominated by f -electronic hybridization effects and disorder scattering that originates from the W/Al site interchange. Specific heat measurements for U 6 W 4 Al 43 further reveal an enhanced electronic Sommerfeld coefficient that is consistent with a moderately enhanced charge carrier effective mass. Together these measurements expose these materials as hosts for unstable f -electron magnetism, where the novel cage-like structures control the phenomena through the spacing between the A ions. Through this combination of mild magnetism, the low cost elements of the Al–W cages, and chemical tunability that has been shown for related materials in the same structure, the A 6 W 4 Al 43 compounds emerge as promising nuclear waste-forms for transuranics, while the wider family of materials makes an appealing environment for studying f

charge transport↗
NASA NTRS2018

Calibration of the DSCOVR EPIC Visible and NIR Channels using MODIS Terra and Aqua Data and EPIC Lunar Observations

The unique position of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) at the Lagrange 1 point makes an important addition to the data from currently operating low Earth orbit observing instruments. EPIC instrument does not have an onboard calibration facility. One approach to its calibration is to compare EPIC observations to the measurements from polar-orbiting radiometers. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a natural choice for such comparison due to its well-established calibration record and wide use in remote sensing. We use MODIS Aqua and Terra L1B 1km reflectances to infer calibration coefficients for four EPIC visible and NIR channels: 443, 551, 680 and 780 nm. MODIS and EPIC measurements made between June 2015 and 2016 are employed for comparison. We first identify favorable MODIS pixels with scattering angle matching temporarily collocated EPIC observations. Each EPIC pixel is then spatially collocated to a subset of the favorable MODIS pixels within 25 km radius. Standard deviation of the selected MODIS pixels as well as of the adjacent EPIC pixels is used to find the most homogeneous scenes. These scenes are then used to determine calibration coefficients using a linear regression between EPIC counts/sec and reflectances in the close MODIS spectral channels. We present thus inferred EPIC calibration coefficients and discuss sources of uncertainties. The lunar EPIC observations are used to calibrate EPIC O2 absorbing channels (688 and 764 nm), assuming that there is a small difference between moon reflectances separated by approx.10 nm in wavelength provided the calibration factors of the red (680 nm) and near-IR (780 nm) are known from comparison between EPIC and MODIS.

Geogdzhayev, Igor V.↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Physically Based Algorithm for Non-Blackbody Correction of Cloud-Top Temperature and Application to Convection Study

Cloud-top temperature (CTT) is an important parameter for convective clouds and is usually different from the 11-micrometers brightness temperature due to non-blackbody effects. This paper presents an algorithm for estimating convective CTT by using simultaneous passive [Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)] and active [CloudSat 1 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)] measurements of clouds to correct for the non-blackbody effect. To do this, a weighting function of the MODIS 11-micrometers band is explicitly calculated by feeding cloud hydrometer profiles from CloudSat and CALIPSO retrievals and temperature and humidity profiles based on ECMWF analyses into a radiation transfer model.Among 16 837 tropical deep convective clouds observed by CloudSat in 2008, the averaged effective emission level (EEL) of the 11-mm channel is located at optical depth; approximately 0.72, with a standard deviation of 0.3. The distance between the EEL and cloud-top height determined by CloudSat is shown to be related to a parameter called cloud-top fuzziness (CTF), defined as the vertical separation between 230 and 10 dBZ of CloudSat radar reflectivity. On the basis of these findings a relationship is then developed between the CTF and the difference between MODIS 11-micrometers brightness temperature and physical CTT, the latter being the non-blackbody correction of CTT. Correction of the non-blackbody effect of CTT is applied to analyze convective cloud-top buoyancy. With this correction, about 70% of the convective cores observed by CloudSat in the height range of 6-10 km have positive buoyancy near cloud top, meaning clouds are still growing vertically, although their final fate cannot be determined by snapshot observations.

Physical Algorithm↗
NASA NTRS1981

Rotor wake mixing effects downstream of a compressor rotor

An experimental study of rotor wake was conducted in the trailing-edge and near-wake regions of a moderately loaded compressor rotor blade using a rotating triaxial hot-wire probe in a rotating frame of reference. The flow-field was surveyed very close to the trailing-edge as well as inside the annulus- and hub-wall boundary layers. The large amount of data acquired during this program has been analyzed to discern the decay effects as well as the spanwise variation of three components of velocity, three components of intensities and three components of shear stresses. The data set also include extensive information on the variation of the flow properties downstream. The other derived quantities include wake momentum thickness and deviation angles at various spanwise and downstream locations. These data are presented and interpreted, with emphasis on the downstream mixing as well as endwall-wake interaction effects.

Ravindranath, A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of δ-Phase ZrH1.4 to ZrH1.7 Thermal Neutron Scattering Laws Using Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Zirconium hydride is commonly used for next-generation reactor designs due to its excellent hydrogen retention capacity at temperatures below 1000 K. These types of reactors operate at thermal neutron energies and require accurate representation of thermal scattering laws (TSLs) to optimize moderator performance and evaluate the safety indicators for reactor design. In this work, we present an atomic-scale representation of sub-stoichiometric ZrH2−x(0.3≤x≤0.6), which relies on ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) in tandem with velocity auto-correlation (VAC) analysis to generate phonon density of states (DOS) for TSL development. The novel NJOY+NCrystal tool, developed by the European Spallation Source community, was utilized to generate the TSL formulations in the A Compact ENDF (ACE) format for its utility in neutron transport software. First, stoichiometric zirconium hydride cross sections were benchmarked with experiments. Then sub-stoichiometric zirconium hydride TSLs were developed. Significant deviations were observed between the new δ-phase ZrH2−x TSLs and the TSLs in the current ENDF release. It was also observed that varying the hydrogen vacancy defect concentration and sites did not cause as significant a change in the TSLs (e.g., ZrH1.4 vs. ZrH1.7) as was caused by the lattice transformation from ϵ- to δ-phase.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

New insights into the shock tube ignition of H 2 /O 2 at low to moderate temperatures using high-speed end-wall imaging

In this study, the effects of pre-ignition energy releases on H 2 —O 2 mixtures were explored in a shock tube with the aid of high-speed imaging and conventional pressure and emission diagnostics. Ignition delay times and time-resolved camera image sequences were taken behind the reflected shockwaves for two hydrogen mixtures. High concentration experiments spanned temperatures between 858 and 1035 K and pressures between 2.74 and 3.91 atm for a 15% H 2 \18% O 2 \Ar mixture. Low concentration data were also taken at temperatures between 960 and 1131 K and pressures between 3.09 and 5.44 atm for a 4% H 2 \2% O 2 \Ar mixture. These two model mixtures were chosen as they were the focus of recent shock tube work conducted in the literature. Experiments were performed in both a clean and dirty shock tube facility; however, no deviations in ignition delay times between the two types of tests were apparent. The high-concentration mixture (15%H 2 \18%O 2 \Ar) experienced energy releases in the form of deflagration flames followed by local detonations at temperatures < 1000 K. Measured ignition delay times were compared to predictions by three chemical kinetic mechanisms: GRI-Mech 3.0, AramcoMech 2.0, and Burke's et al. (2012) mechanisms. It was found that when proper thermodynamic assumptions are used, all mechanisms were able to accurately predict the experiments with superior performance from the well-validated AramcoMech 2.0 and Burke et al. mechanisms. Current work provides better guidance in using available literature hydrogen shock tube measurements, which spanned more than 50 years but were conducted without the aid of high-speed visualization of the ignition process, and their modeling using combustion kinetic mechanisms.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1992

Contribution of vertebral deformities to chronic back pain and disability. The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group

Among 2992 white women aged 65-70 years recruited from population-based listings, we measured radiographic vertebral dimensions of T5-L4 and calculated ratios of heights: anterior/posterior, mid/posterior, and posterior/posterior of either adjacent vertebra. The degree of deformity for each vertebra was analyzed in terms of the number of standard deviations (SD) that ratio differed from the mean ratio calculated for the same vertebral level in this population. We correlated the severity of each woman's worst vertebral deformity with back pain, back disability in six activities of daily living, and height loss since age 25. Only 39.4% of the cohort had no vertebral deformity; 10.2% had a deformity greater than or equal to 4 SD. Vertebral deformities less than 4 SD below the mean were not associated with increased back pain, disability, or loss of height. In contrast, women whose deformity was greater than or equal to 4 SD had a 1.9 (95% CI, 1.5-2.4) times higher risk of moderate to severe back pain and a 2.6 (95% CI, 1.7-3.9) times higher risk of disability involving the back; they were also 2.5 (95% CI, 2.0-3.2) times more likely to have lost greater than or equal to 4 cm in height. All three types of vertebral deformity (wedge, end plate, and crush) were equally associated with these outcomes. Multiple deformities less than 4 SD did not increase the likelihood of these three outcomes, but multiple deformities greater than or equal to 4 SD tended to be associated with increased back pain, disability, and height loss. This large cross-sectional study suggests that vertebral deformities cause substantial pain, disability, or loss of height only if vertebral height ratios fall 4 SD below the normal mean. Much back pain could not be attributed to vertebral deformities, suggesting other causes.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2014

A New Hybrid Spatio-temporal Model for Estimating Daily Multi-year PM2.5 Concentrations Across Northeastern USA Using High Resolution Aerosol Optical Depth Data

The use of satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) to estimate fine particulate matter PM(sub 2.5) for epidemiology studies has increased substantially over the past few years. These recent studies often report moderate predictive power, which can generate downward bias in effect estimates. In addition, AOD measurements have only moderate spatial resolution, and have substantial missing data. We make use of recent advances in MODIS satellite data processing algorithms (Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC), which allow us to use 1 km (versus currently available 10 km) resolution AOD data.We developed and cross validated models to predict daily PM(sub 2.5) at a 1X 1 km resolution across the northeastern USA (New England, New York and New Jersey) for the years 2003-2011, allowing us to better differentiate daily and long term exposure between urban, suburban, and rural areas. Additionally, we developed an approach that allows us to generate daily high-resolution 200 m localized predictions representing deviations from the area 1 X 1 km grid predictions. We used mixed models regressing PM(sub 2.5) measurements against day-specific random intercepts, and fixed and random AOD and temperature slopes. We then use generalized additive mixed models with spatial smoothing to generate grid cell predictions when AOD was missing. Finally, to get 200 m localized predictions, we regressed the residuals from the final model for each monitor against the local spatial and temporal variables at each monitoring site. Our model performance was excellent (mean out-of-sample R(sup 2) = 0.88). The spatial and temporal components of the out-of-sample results also presented very good fits to the withheld data (R(sup 2) = 0.87, R(sup)2 = 0.87). In addition, our results revealed very little bias in the predicted concentrations (Slope of predictions versus withheld observations = 0.99). Our daily model results show high predictive accuracy at high spatial resolutions and will be useful in reconstructing exposure histories for epidemiological studies across this region.

Air pollution↗
NASA NTRS2013

Estimating Root Mean Square Errors in Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture over Continental Scale Domains

Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) in the soil moisture anomaly time series obtained from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E; using the Land Parameter Retrieval Model) are estimated over a continental scale domain centered on North America, using two methods: triple colocation (RMSETC ) and error propagation through the soil moisture retrieval models (RMSEEP ). In the absence of an established consensus for the climatology of soil moisture over large domains, presenting a RMSE in soil moisture units requires that it be specified relative to a selected reference data set. To avoid the complications that arise from the use of a reference, the RMSE is presented as a fraction of the time series standard deviation (fRMSE). For both sensors, the fRMSETC and fRMSEEP show similar spatial patterns of relatively highlow errors, and the mean fRMSE for each land cover class is consistent with expectations. Triple colocation is also shown to be surprisingly robust to representativity differences between the soil moisture data sets used, and it is believed to accurately estimate the fRMSE in the remotely sensed soil moisture anomaly time series. Comparing the ASCAT and AMSR-E fRMSETC shows that both data sets have very similar accuracy across a range of land cover classes, although the AMSR-E accuracy is more directly related to vegetation cover. In general, both data sets have good skill up to moderate vegetation conditions.

Remotely sensed soil moisture validation↗
NASA NTRS1994

Analysis of cloud top height and cloud coverage from satellites using the O2 A and B bands

Cloud height and cloud coverage detection are important for total ozone retrieval using ultraviolet and visible scattered light. Use of the O2 A and B bands, around 761 and 687 nm, by a satellite-borne instrument of moderately high spectral resolution viewing in the nadir makes it possible to detect cloud top height and related parameters, including fractional coverage. The measured values of a satellite-borne spectrometer are convolutions of the instrument slit function and the atmospheric transmittance between cloud top and satellite. Studies here determine the optical depth between a satellite orbit and the Earth or cloud top height to high accuracy using FASCODE 3. Cloud top height and a cloud coverage parameter are determined by least squares fitting to calculated radiance ratios in the oxygen bands. A grid search method is used to search the parameter space of cloud top height and the coverage parameter to minimize an appropriate sum of squares of deviations. For this search, nonlinearity of the atmospheric transmittance (i.e., leverage based on varying amounts of saturation in the absorption spectrum) is important for distinguishing between cloud top height and fractional coverage. Using the above-mentioned method, an operational cloud detection algorithm which uses minimal computation time can be implemented.

Kuze, Akihiko↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ultraviolet spectral evolution and heavy element abundances in Nova Austrinae 1981

Nova CrA 1981, a moderately fast galactic nova, was systematically observed over a period of seven months with the IUE satellite. The initial evolution of the UV spectrum was similar to that of previously observed novae; however, several months after maximum, weak emission due to very high ionizating forbidden lines of Na, Mg, Al, and Si appeared, eventually decreasing in strength over the next two months. The spectral development of the lines is consistent with the photoionization of an expanding shell; a high-temperature 'coronal' origin is ruled out. Abundances deduced from the spectra show that most of the observed heavy elements in the ejected material are enhanced with respect to helium, with neon the most abundant of these. In addition, there are substantial deviations of the Na/Mg/Al/Si abundance ratios from solar values. This is interpreted as evidence for the mixing of core material with the accreted envelope on a massive O-Ne-Mg (as opposed to a C-O) white dwarf. Furthermore, the proportion of core material in the ejecta implies that the mass of the white dwarf decreased as a consequence of the outburst.

Williams, R. E.↗