Plane isotropic buildup factors for bremsstrahlung calculations
Gamma ray isotropic dose, energy flux, and energy current buildup factors by Monte Carlo methods for bremsstrahlung calculations
Burrell, M. O.↗
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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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Acoustic characteristics of a high-subsonic jet
Acoustic characteristics of high subsonic model cold jet using imaging technique and measurements of energy flux of flow, calculating energy flux from flowfield measurements
Maestrello, L.↗
The role of proton precipitation in Jovian aurora: Theory and observation
It was proposed that the Jovian auroral emissions observed by Voyager spacecraft could be explained by energetic protons precipitating into the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. Such precipitation of energetic protons results in Doppler-shifted Lyman alpha emission that can be quantitatively analyzed to determine the energy flux and energy distribution of the incoming particle beam. Modeling of the expected emission from a reasonably chosen Voyager energetic proton spectrum can be used in conjunction with International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observations, which show a relative lack of red-shifted Lyman alpha emission, to set upper limits on the amount of proton precipitation taking place in the Jovian aurora. Such calculations indicate that less than 10 percent of the ultraviolet auroral emissions at Jupiter can be explained by proton precipitation.
Waite, J. H., Jr.↗
Application of self-preservation in the diurnal evolution of the surface energy budget to determine daily evaporation
Evaporation from natural land surfaces often exhibits a strong variation during the course of a day, mostly in response to the daily variation of radiative energy input at the surface. This makes it difficult to derive the total daily evaporation, when only one or a few instantaneous estimates of evaporation are available. It is often possible to resolve this difficulty by assuming self-preservation in the diurnal evolution of the surface energy budget. Thus if the relative partition of total incoming energy flux among the different components remains the same, the ratio of latent heat flux and any other flux component can be taken as constant through the day. This concept of constant flux ratios is tested by means of data obtained during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment; the instantaneous evaporation values were calculated by means of the atmospheric boundary layer bulk similarity approach with radiosonde profiles and radiative surface temperatures. Good results were obtained for evaporative flux ratios with available energy flux, with net radiation, and with incoming shortwave radiation.
Brutsaert, Wilfried↗
Flow of superfluid helium in tubes with heated walls
The equations for superfluid helium flowing through a straight tube with heated walls are integrated. The model equations are based on those of Landau as modified for superfluid turbulence by Gorter and Mellink (1949). The model is implemented by the program SUPERFLOW which runs on a personal computer. The effect of the heating level on the mass flux, the energy flux, and the pressure and temperature profiles is investigated. The four types of profiles which occur without sidewall heating are also found with heated walls. The progression through these four types is shown to depend primarily on the dimensionless parameter, defined previously to characterize the unheated profiles, and a dimensionless ratio of heat fluxes. The pressure and temperature maxima which rise well above the boundary values increase significantly with sidewall heating. Approximate design equations for estimating the mass flux and the profiles are presented. The physical basis of the results is discussed. These results are useful in the design of optimal cooling loops and other superfluid flow systems.
Snyder, H. A.↗
What is the Relationship Between Heavy Ion Outflow and High-Latitude Energetic Precipitation?
Second quarter progress report for year 3 on contract NASW-99002 "What is the Relationship between heavy ion outflow and high latitude energetic particle precipitation". In this Project we are studying the relationship between the fluxes, mean energies, and field-aligned flow speeds of escaping suprathermal H+ and 0+ measured by the TEAMS instrument on FAST and the energy flux of precipitating electrons obtained from the LBHL images taken by the UVI camera on POLAR. In this portion of the project we are using UVI images to tell us when substorm onsets occur and how the auroral zone changes during the course of a substorm. We are correlating this information with TEAMS flux measurements made over the auroral zone at times close to these substorms. The goal is to understand how the flux of suprathermal ion outflow varies with substorm phase.
Wilson, Gordon R.↗
Particle precipitaion into the thermosphere (invited review)
A review of research on particle precipitation into the thermosphere is presented. Particle precipitation plays an important role in thermospheric dynamics, often being both the most important ionization source and the most important heat source, comparable to Joule heating rates in the auroral zones and typically exceeding solar ultraviolet as an ionization mechanism in the nightside auroral zones and winter polar caps. Rees (1963) has shown that, roughly speaking, one electron-ion pair is produced by each 35 eV of incident electron energy flux; thus, over half of the incident electron energy flux goes into heating rather than into ionization. Precipitating ions also can produce ionization, also requiring roughly 35 eV per pair; however, since ion energy fluxes are typically much weaker than electron fluxes, they have often been neglected. The particle precipitation into the thermosphere is both an important ionization source and an important heat source; since the globally integrated value can vary over more than a factor of ten, and the instantaneous local rate can vary over nearly three orders of magnitude global, maps of precipitation rates are extremely important for predicting thermospheric weather.
Reiff, P. H.↗
Absolute electron fluxes and energies in the inner radiation zone in 1965.
Electron flux intensities and energy spectra in inner radiation zone, noting decay constants
Chapman, M. C.↗
Conical pitch angle distributions of very low-energy ion fluxes observed by ISEE 1
Observations are presented of conical distributions of low-energy ion fluxes from throughout the magnetosphere. The data were provided by the plasma composition experiment (PCE) on ISEE 1. ISEE 1 was launched in October 1977 into a highly elliptical orbit with a 30 deg inclination to the equator and 22.5 earth radii apogee. Particular attention is given to data taken when the instrument was in its thermal plasma mode, sampling ions in the energy per charge range 0-100 eV/e. Attention is given to examples of conical distributions in 0- to 100-eV/e ions, the occurrence of conical distributions of 0- to 100-eV ions in local time-geocentric distance and latitude-geocentric distance coordinates, the cone angles in 0- to 100-eV ion conics, Kp distributions of 0- to 100-eV ion conics, and some compositional aspects of 0- to 100-eV ion conics.
Horwitz, J. L.↗
Flux and energy spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons at 42 deg north geomagnetic latitude in October 1967.
Cosmic ray electron flux and energy spectrum from balloon data obtained at Palestine, Texas, monitoring proton flux periodically
Frye, G. M., Jr.↗
Lunar ion flux and energy
The dynamics of the lunar ionosphere and resulting flux of lunar ions to the lunar surface are reviewed. In the Lunar rest frame, ions formed from the neutral lunar atmosphere are accelerated by the interplanetary electric and magnetic fields. The trajectories of heavier ions are primarily along the electric field; the ion flux is in a direction perpendicular to the solar wind flow, correlated to the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field, and impacts the surface with energies of tens of electron volts to a few keV. Thus we predict a relatively energetic (compared to thermal energies), highly directional, lunar ion flux but with the possibility that light ions such as hydrogen can execute orbits that return them to portions of the lunar surface not directly exposed to the solar wind. The effects of surface electric and magnetic fields are discussed, as is the ion energy spectrum. We calculate the trapping of atmospheric ions which impact the surface and from this the density of neutral Ar 40 in the lunar atmosphere. We show that using the acceleration model, the lunar atmosphere total neutral number density can be calculated from ion detector data.
Manka, R. H.↗
Radiation and attenuation of waves in a random medium
The physical mechanisms of excess attenuation are analyzed on the basis of a one-dimensional time-independent model of propagation in a random medium. Attenuation is regarded as the rate of decrease in the mean intensity and the mean energy flux within a propagation range. A source function is assumed to be determinate, appropriate statistical properties are chosen for the sound speed, and specified statistical properties are found for the wave functions, i.e., the mean intensity and the mean energy flux. The medium is considered to be weakly homogeneous, and expansions are developed for the intensity and mean energy flux, along with an attenuation coefficient in two parts, the second of which defines the excess attenuation. The mean radiated power is defined, and backscattering by the random inhomogeneities in the medium is modeled as redistributing the mean intensity and energy flux, with a resultant decay which occurs more quickly than with randomness.
Wenzel, A. R.↗
Performance Evaluation of an Offshore Wave Measurement Buoy in Monochromatic Waves
The accurate measurement of waves underpins marine energy resource characterization, device design, and project development. Datawell wave buoys are widely deployed and have long served as a trusted standard for wave measurements. We quantify the measurement performance, including wave elevation and energy flux estimation, of a Datawell DWR-MkIII buoy using prescribed monochromatic heave motions on a large-amplitude six-degree-of-freedom motion platform at the National Laboratory of the Rockies, assuming the buoy behaves as an ideal wave follower. Commanded motions were validated with an optical motion tracking system while buoy elevation and raw acceleration were recorded. Wave elevations were propagated to wave energy flux estimation using four methods, including one frequency-domain method and three time-domain methods. The Bayesian optimization was applied for design of experiments, and records from three test sites were also applied and evaluated in the present study. Results show two error regions within the nominal period range of 1.6 s to 30 s. For wave periods between 5 s and 25 s, the buoy provides accurate wave height measurements. For short periods less than 5 s, the 1.28 Hz sampling frequency induces sub-Nyquist artifacts that bias elevation and can drive maximum energy flux estimation errors above 100%. For long periods exceeding 25 s, the buoy reported elevation is underpredicted with error depending on period but relatively independent of wave height, with maximum wave height and wave energy flux errors reaching 64% and 87%, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of three field-derived cases shows that frequency-domain estimates at 1.28 Hz agree within 2% of the corresponding 100 Hz estimates, while larger method-dependent differences are observed for the Hilbert method.
16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
On the detectability of key-MeV solar protons through their nonthermal Lyman-alpha emission
The intensity and timescale of nonthermal Doppler-shifted hydrogen L alpha photon emission as diagnostics of 10 keV to 10 MeV protons bombarding the solar chromosphere during flares are investigated. The steady-state excitation and ionization balance of the proton beam are determined, taking into account all important atomic interactions with the ambient chromosphere. For a proton energy flux comparable to the electron energy flux commonly inferred for large flares, L alpha wing intensities orders of magnitude larger than observed nonflaring values were found. Investigation of timescales for ionization and charge exchange leads researchers to conclude that over a wide range of values of mean proton energy and beam parameters, Doppler-shifted nonthermal L alpha emission is a useful observational diagnostic of the presence of 10 keV to 10 MeV superthermal proton beams in the solar flare chromosphere.
Canfield, R. C.↗
Contributions to regional precipitation change and its polar-amplified pattern under warming
Abstract The polar regions are predicted to experience the largest relative change in precipitation in response to increased greenhouse-gas concentrations, where a substantial absolute increase in precipitation coincides with small precipitation rates in the present-day climate. The reasons for this amplification, however, are still debated. Here, we use an atmospheric energy budget to decompose regional precipitation change from climate models under greenhouse-gas forcing into contributions from atmospheric radiative feedbacks, dry-static energy flux divergence changes, and surface sensible heat flux changes. The polar-amplified relative precipitation change is shown to be a consequence of the Planck feedback, which, when combined with larger polar warming, favors substantial atmospheric radiative cooling that balances increases in latent heat release from precipitation. Changes in the dry-static energy flux divergence contribute modestly to the polar-amplified pattern. Additional contributions to the polar-amplified response come, in the Arctic, from the cloud feedback and, in the Antarctic, from both the cloud and water vapor feedbacks. The primary contributor to the intermodel spread in the relative precipitation change in the polar region is also the Planck feedback, with the lapse rate feedback and dry-static energy flux divergence changes playing secondary roles. For all regions, there are strong covariances between radiative feedbacks and changes in the dry-static energy flux divergence that impact the intermodel spread. These results imply that constraining regional precipitation change, particularly in the polar regions, will require constraining not only individual feedbacks but also the covariances between radiative feedbacks and atmospheric energy transport.
Bonan, David B. (ORCID:0000000338676009)↗
Studies of velocity fluctuations in the lower atmosphere using the MU radar. I - Azimuthal anisotropy. II - Momentum fluxes and energy densities
Results are presented from a six-day campaign to observe velocity fluctuations in the lower atmosphere using the MU radar (Fukao et al., 1985) in Shigaraki, Japan in March, 1986. Consideration is given to the azimuthal anisotropy, the frequency spectra, the vertical profiles of energy density, and the momentum flux of the motion field. It is found that all of the observed azimuthal variations are probably caused by a gravity wave field whose parameters vary with time. The results show significant differences between the mean zonal and meridional frequency spectra and different profiles of mean energy density with height for different frequency bands and for zonal and meridional components.
Vanzandt, T. E.↗
Global shortwave energy budget at the earth's surface from ERBE observations
A method is proposed to compute the net solar (shortwave) irradiance at the earth's surface from Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data in the S4 format. The S4 data are monthly averaged broadband planetary albedo collected at selected times during the day. Net surface shortwave irradiance is obtained from the shortwave irradiance incident at the top of the atmosphere (known) by subtracting both the shortwave energy flux reflected by the earth-atmosphere system (measured) and the energy flux absorbed by the atmosphere (modeled). Precalculated atmospheric- and surface-dependent functions that characterize scattering and absorption in the atmosphere are used, which makes the method easily applicable and computationally efficient. Four surface types are distinguished, namely, ocean, vegetation, desert, and snow/ice. Over the tropical Pacific Ocean, the estimates based on ERBE data compare well with those obtained from International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) B3 data. For the 9 months analyzed the linear correlation coefficient and the standard difference between the two datasets are 0.95 and 14 W/sq m (about 6% of the average shortwave irradiance), respectively, and the bias is 15 W/sq m (higher ERBE values). The bias, a strong function of ISCCP satellite viewing zenith angle, is mostly in the ISCCP-based estimates. Over snow/ice, vegetation, and desert no comparison is made with other satellite-based estimates, but theoretical calculations using the discrete ordinate method suggest that over highly reflective surfaces (snow/ice, desert) the model, which accounts crudely for multiple reflection between the surface and clouds, may substantially overestimate the absorbed solar energy flux at the surface, especially when clouds are optically thick. The monthly surface shortwave irradiance fields produced for 1986 exhibit the main features characteristic of the earth's climate. As found in other studies, our values are generally higher than Esbensen and Kushnir's by as much as 80 W/sq m in the tropical oceans. A cloud parameter, defined as the difference between clear-sky and actual irradiances normalized to top-of-atmosphere clear-sky irradiance, is also examined. This parameter, minimally affected by sun zenith angle, is higher in the midlatitude regions of storm tracks than in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), suggesting that, on average, the higher cloud coverage in midlatitudes is more effective at reducing surface shortwave irradiance than opaque, convective, yet sparser clouds in the ITCZ. Surface albedo estimates are realistic, generally not exceeding 0.06 in the ocean, as high as 0.9 in polar regions, and reaching 0.5 in the Sahara and Arabian deserts.
Breon, Francois-Marie↗
Particle and Joule heating of the neutral polar thermosphere in cusp region using atmosphere Explorer-C satellite measurements
It is pointed out that thermospheric heating in the auroral zone and polar cap is of great importance to the variations in the high-latitude neutral wind and the resulting global temperature and densities. The considered investigation is concerned with relating in a quantitative manner the energy inputs from the Joule heating and particle inputs with the thermospheric responses, taking into account the cusp region, and the region of the eastward auroral electrojet. The data used in the investigation were obtained by the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite in late December 1974. Attention is given to electric fields derived from ion drift measurements, electric field strength and particle energy flux measured by the low energy electron experiment for AE-C orbit 4708, electron density contours, Joule heating contours, and height integrated Joule heating and particle energy flux.
Griffis, M.↗