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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1985

Models of cometary emission in the 18-cm OH transitions - The predicted behavior of Comet Halley

The return of Halley's comet to the inner solar system in 1985-1986 presents an excellent opportunity to study the behavior of a bright comet, since observations may be planned ahead of time to yield the maximum scientific return. Observations of the OH radical in the 18-cm wavelength Alpha-doublet transitions can be expected to yield significant results to cometary science in a number of areas from the measurement of the production rate of OH parent molecules (water) to the elucidation of the kinematics in the coma. Therefore, models of the OH emission from the comae of comets are presented together with predictions of brightness and spectra of Halley's Comet during the current apparition as an aid to prospective observers. The desirability of certain observational programs, including monitoring, mapping, polarimetry, and occultation experiments, are also discussed.

Schloerb, F. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The OH + HBr reaction revisited

Variable-temperature measurements of the rate coefficient /k(1)/ for the reaction OH + HBr yield Br + H2O are presented. The measurements are verified by two techniques: one involved a 266-nm pulsed-laser photolysis of O3/H2O/HBr/He mixtures in conjunction with time-resolved resonance fluorescence detection of OH, the second comprised pulsed laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH following 248-nm pulsed-laser photolysis of H2O2/HBr/Ar mixtures. It is reported that k(1) = (11.9 + or -1.4 x 10 to the -12th (cu cm)/(molecule)(s) independent of temperature. The measurements are compared with other available results.

Ravishankara, A. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Submillimeter observations of OH and CH in M42

The 2Pi(1/2) J = 3/2 to 1/2 transitions of OH at 163.12 and 163.40 microns have been detected, and upper limits have been obtained for the 2Pi(3/2) J = 3/2 to 1/2 transitions of CH at 149.09 and 149.39 microns, in observations of the Kleinmann-Low nebula of Orion. The results indicate emission from a gas cloud at a temperature of roughly 1000 K, having thickness of roughly 5 x 10 to the 14th cm with density about 7 million/cu cm and OH abundance of roughly 12 x 10 to the -6th. The OH column density is about 4 x 10 to the 16th/cu cm in the emitting regions. Optical depth effects play a major role in determining the relative strengths of the observed lines.

Viscuso, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Far-infrared emission lines of CO and OH in the Orion-KL molecular shock

Observations of far infrared rotational emission lines which arise in the shocked gas associted with Orion-Kl are presented, including detections of the CO J = 34 yields 33, J = 31 yields 30, J = 26 yields 25, and OH sup 2 PI sub (3/2) J sup P = 7/2(-) yields 5/2(+) emission lines, as well as improved measurements of the CO J = 22 yields 21 and OH sup 2 PI sub (3/2) J = 5/2 yields 3/2 lines. These lines are observed to have velocity widths of Del V approx. 20 to 30 km/sec, somewhat less than either the 2 micro H sub 2 lines or the high velocity plateau component of the millimeter wave CO lines seen in this object. An H sub 2 column density of aprox. 3 x 10 to the 21st power, a total mass of approx. 1 solar mass and characteristic temperature and density T approx. 750 K and approx. 2 x 10 to the 6th power per cu cm can be derived from the CO intensities. The density is too low by at least an order of magnitude for the observed infrared H sub 2 and far infrared CO emission to be accounted for by a purely hydrodynamic shock, and support is lent to hydromagnetic shock models. From the present measurements, the relative abundance of CO is estimated to be CO H sub 2 = 1.2 x .0001, corresponding to 20 percent of the cosmic abundance of C existing in the form of CO. The average relative abundance of OH in the shocked gas is O/H sub 2 or = 5 x 10 to the -7th power. An upper limit to the intensity of the HD J - 1 yields 0 line is used to derive an upper limit of tau or = 3 for the D/H relative abundance in the Orion cloud core.

Watson, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A 2-lambda laser-induced flurorescence field instrument for ground-based and airborne measurements of atmospheric OH

A number of techniques have been proposed for detecting atmospheric OH radicals. Of these, the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique has been used by the largest number of investigators. One of the problems arising in connection with the implementation of this technique is related to the perturbing effect of the UV (lambda approximately 282 nm) laser beam used for OH monitoring, while another problem relates to signal extraction. Several new LIF approaches have been or are currently under development with the objective to bring both problems under control. The present paper deals with the experimental features of one of these new approaches. The considered approach is referred to as 2-lambda laser-induced fluorescence (2-lambda LIF). It is shown that the 2-lambda LIF system provides significant advantages over earlier 1-lambda LIF OH measurement instruments operating at ambient pressure.

Rodgers, M. O.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Radiative transfer in circumstellar 1612 MHz OH masers

A detailed investigation of radiative transfer in the 1612 MHz OH maser in the expanding envelopes around evolved stars is made in the context of the standard model in which the mass outflow is windlike. The most sensitive diagnostic of the models is the maser emission at the velocity of the star for which VLA and MERLIN data exist. Fully saturated models are analytically eliminated. Detailed numerical modeling also eliminates partially saturated models. The need to examine alternative models for the mass outflow is suggested by this conclusion. A model for the mass outflow from these stars is advocated in which all mass is lost by the ejection of blobs of material. These blobs, acted on by radiation pressure on grains, evolve into platelike structures in the OH maser region. It is shown that the peculiar difficulties of the standard model for the OH masers do not occur in this picture.

Alcock, C.↗

NASA NTRS1986

OH measurement by laser light absorption

Since the first attempt to measure atmospheric hydroxyl radicals by optical absorption in 1975 (Perner et al., 1976) this method has been continuously developed further and its major obstacles and limitations are known today. The laser beam needs to be expanded in order to reduce the beam divergence. At the same time the energy density of the laser beam which produces OH via ozone photolysis is reduced to such an extent that the self-produced OH concentration ranges well below the atmospheric value. Atmospheric absorptions should be observed over a wide spectral range so that not only the OH radicals are properly identified by several rotational lines but their absorption can be corrected for interfering absorptions from other air constituents as SO2, CH2O, CS2, etc., which can be identified in a wide spectral range with more confidence. Air turbulence demands fast spectral scanning or probing on and off the absorption line. Energy requirements should be kept small in field operations. In the experiment frequency doubled dye laser pulses at 308 nm are produced. The picosecond light pulses are expected to show a smooth profile (light intensity against wavelength) which will be broadened to the required spectral width according to the uncertainty principle. The pump laser will be an optoacoustically modulated Nd:YAG laser.

Perner, D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Possible perturbations to atmospheric CO, CH4, and OH

A photochemical model is used to predict temporal trends in atmospheric CO, CH4, and OH. The model is described, including the choice of model inputs and boundary conditions for three cases: low NOx, midlatitude; high NOx, midlatitude; and low NOx, low latitude. Basic features of CO and CH4 perturbation calculations are presented. The model is used to predict CH4, CO, and OH over the next 50 years and to assess possible CH4-CO-OH perturbations from 1860 to 1985. An attempt is made to discern whether increasing global sources of CO or increasing sources of CH4, or both, are responsible for the recent apparent increases of these gases.

Thompson, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Effect of OH content on phase separation behavior of soda-silica glasses

The kinetics of phase separation in a gel and ordinary soda-silica glass are followed by use of small angle X-ray scattering. Also, the influence of OH on the phase separation behavior is studied. It is found that OH accelerates the growth of the secondary phase, and that gel and ordinary glasses of similar composition and OH concentration exhibit similar phase separation characteristics.

Neilson, G. F.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The excitation function of OH(A2Sigma/+/ - X2Pi) fluorescence produced through photodissociation of H2O

The absolute cross section for production of OH(A2Sigma/+/ X2Pi) fluorescence through photodissociative excitation of H2O was obtained using the University of Wisconsin synchrotron radiation source. The absolute fluorescence cross section function shows three broad features, roughly centered at 710, 400, and 240 A; the maximum value fluorescence cross section was found to be 3.4 x 10 to the -20th sq cm at 703 A. The broad features in the 700-A and 400-A regions are considered to be due to the second and the third excited states of H2O, respectively; it is argued that the broad feature at 240 A may have an origin similar to that of the 400-A broad feature. From present and previous data on quantum yields, it is estimated that part of the yield may be attributable to the production of neutral ground state OH(X) and H(1 2S) fragments. Such a process could provide a significant source of high kinetic energy OH and H observed in cometary atmospheres.

Wu, C. Y. Robert↗

NASA NTRS1988

OH(A-X) fluorescence from photodissociative excitation of HO2 at 157.5 nm

The OH(A-X) fluorescence from photodissociative excitation of HO2 by F2 laser photons (157.5 nm) was observed and compared with the OH fluorescence spectra of H2O2 and the O2+CH3OH mixture. The rotational population distributions of OH(A) were obtained from the fluorescence spectra. The most populated levels are J = 4 for photodissociative excitation of HO2, J = 20 for H2O2, and J = 21 for the O2+CH3OH mixture. The fluorescence from the gas mixture is attributed to the O + H recombination for which the atoms are produced from photodissociation of parent molecules.

Suto, M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Interpretation of rotationally excited far-infrared OH emission in Orion-KL

The 2Pi(1/2) OH 163-micron J = 3/2-1/2 rotational transitions in Orion-KL were observed and an upper limit was set to the line strength of the 2II(1/2) OH 56-micron J = 9/2-7/2 doublet in this source. The 163-micron line intensities were modeled, along with the previously measured 2II(3/2) 119 and 84-micron rotational line emission and it is found that the gas in the Orion-KL postshocked region can produce OH 119-micron line emission of the same strength as measured; however, the resultant 84 and 163-micron line intensities would be weaker than observed. Shocked gas plus a second component which experiences strong radiative excitation can reproduce the observations.

Melnick, G. J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Collisional quenching of cometary emission in the 18 centimeter OH transitions

A model of collisional quenching of the OH 2Pi(3/2) J = 3/2 Lambda doublet in cometary comae is presented. It is found that collisions with ions and electrons in the outer coma have a strong quenching effect on the Swings-effect inversion of the Lambda doublet that is responsible for the OH radio emission at 18 cm wavelength. For the conditions of Halley's comet, collisional quenching should lead radio observers to systematically underestimate the OH parent production rate by a factor of approximately 3 relative to its actual value, and in general, radio-derived production rates should always be less than or equal to UV-derived production rates, which are relatively unaffected by this process. The observation that UV production rates exceed those derived by radio techniques is well known; the direct measurement of this ratio, using a consistent coma model, should provide information about the ion and electron content of the cometary coma.

Schloerb, F. Peter↗

NASA NTRS1989

OH A 2Sigma - X 2Pi (0,0) band rotational line emission rate factors

This paper presents the results of the emission-rate factor (g factor) calculations for the (0,0) band of the OH (A 2Sigma - X 2Pi) system, for the temperatures 200.0, 240.0, 296.0, 300.0, and 500.0 K, as well as for the individual g factors for each rotational line of the band. The derived g factor at 240 K for the entire band is 0.00055 + or - 0.00011 photon/sec. The g factor for the entire band was found to decrease with increasing temperature, but the difference in the change was less than 10 percent for the temperature range studied. The data on the individual rotational line g factors are valuable for future work on determining OH concentration profiles in the atmosphere, through the observation of the UV fluorescence in the OH (A 2Sigma - X 2Pi) (0,0) band using high-resolution spectrometers of a low-scattered-light design.

Fennelly, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

High spatial resolution far-infrared scans of W3(OH)

The strong far-infrared continuum source associated with the OH maser-ultracompact H II region W3(OH) was observed from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory in order to determine its size at 50 and 100 microns. Maximum entropy deconvolutions of the slit scans made in orthogonal directions across the source show it to be approximately circular with FWHM sizes of 8 arcsec and 13 arcsec at 50 and 100 microns, respectively. For these sizes, W3(OH) is optically thick in the far-infrared. A spherically symmetric, dusty molecular cloud model is developed to fit the data.

Campbell, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

8-OH-DPAT suppresses vomiting in the cat elicited by motion, cisplatin or xylazine

Vomiting was suppressed in cats pretreated with 8-OH-DPAT and then challenged with an emetic stimulus; motion, xylazine or cisplatin. The antiemetic effect is likely due to stimulation of postsynaptic serotonin-1A receptors. The most parsimonious explanation is that it acts at a convergent structure, presumably at or near the vomiting center. If so, 8-OH-DPAT may block emesis elicited by virtually any other stimulus. A supplementary experiment revealed that lorazepam suppressed motion sickness at a dose that produced ataxia, but did not suppress xylazine-induced emesis. These results do not support the possibility that the antiemetic effects of 8-OH-DPAT were the result of anxiolytic activity.

Lucot, James B.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Balloon borne in-situ detection of OH in the stratosphere from 37 to 23 km

The OH number density in the stratosphere has been measured over the altitude interval of 37 to 23 km at midday via a balloon-borne gondola launched from Palestine, Texas on July 6, 1988. OH radicals are detected with a laser-induced fluorescence instrument employing a 17-kHz-repetition-rate copper vapor laser-pumped dye laser optically coupled to an enclosed flow, in-situ sampling chamber. OH abundances ranged from 88 + or - 3l pptv in the 36 to 35 km interval to 0.9 + or - 0.8 pptv in the 24 to 23 km interval. The stated uncertainty includes that from both measurement precision and accuracy. Simultaneous detection of ozone and water vapor densities was carried out with separate on-board instruments.

Stimpfle, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Perturbations to tropospheric oxidants, 1985-2035. I - Calculations of ozone and OH in chemically coherent regions

A one-dimensional model based on the sensitivity coefficients of Thompson (1990) is used to calculate regional changes in tropospheric O3 and OH due to specified global or regional changes in CH4 and CO emissions over the period 1985-2035. The methods applied are explained, and the results are presented in extensive tables and graphs and characterized in detail. A 10-15-percent increase in global tropospheric O3 and a 10-15-percent decrease in OH are predicted for both (1) global scenarios with continuing increases in CH4 and CO and (2) regional scenarios where emissions are limited in some regions but not in others; significant regional variation in O3 is predicted for (2). If depletion of O3 in the stratosphere and global warming are introduced into (1) or (2), however, they nearly cancel out the tropospheric O3 increases and OH decreases.

Thompson, Anne M.↗