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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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BOREAS TF-11 SSA-Fen Soil Surface CO2 Flux Data

The BOREAS TF-11 team gathered a variety of data to complement its tower flux measurements collected at the SSA-Fen site. These data are soil surface CO 2 flux data at the SSA-Fen site from 27- May-1994 to 23-Sep-1994 and from 13-May-1995 to 03-Oct-1995. A portable gas exchange system was used to make these measurements. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Arkebauer, Timothy J.↗

High-Contrast NIR Polarization Imaging of MWC480

One of the key predictions of modeling from the IR excess of Herbig Ae stars is that for protoplanetary disks, where significant grain growth and settling has occurred, the dust disk has flattened to the point that it can be partially or largely shadowed by the innermost material at or near the dust sublimation radius. When the self-shadowing has already started, the outer disk is expected to be detected in scattered light only in the exceptional cases that the scale height of the dust disk at the sublimation radius is smaller than usual. High-contrast imaging combined with the IR spectral energy distribution allow us to measure the degree of flattening of the disk, as well as to determine the properties of the outer disk. We present polarimetric differential imaging in H band obtained with Subaru/HiCIAO of one such system, MWC 480. The HiCIAO data were obtained at a historic minimum of the NIR excess. The disk is detected in scattered light from 0".2-1"0 (27.4-137 AU). Together with the marginal detection of the disk from 1998 February 24 by HST / NICMOS, our data constrain the opening half angle for the disk to lie between 1.3 <= Theta <=2.2 deg. When compared with similar measures in CO for the gas disk from the literature, the dust disk subtends only approx 30% of the gas disk scale height (H/R approx 0. 03). Such a dust disk is a factor of 5-7 flatter than transitional disks, which have structural signatures that giant planets have formed.

McElwain, M. W.↗

Interpretation of lidar and satellite data sets using a global photochemical model

The status in the beginning of the report period was that the existing General Circulation Model (GCM) was running with a chemistry module compiled for stratospheric simulation studies. The chemistry simulation was not working sufficiently in the troposphere and any tropospheric trace gas sources or dry deposition sinks were not yet incorporated. The current status concerning the chemistry module is that the chemistry simulation has been modified to also simulate the chemistry in the troposphere with resulting mixing ratios close to other model simulations as described in Olson et al. (1996). The mechanism to incorporate trace gas source and dry deposition sinks, testing for H202, CH300H, 03, HCHO, HN03, and N02, are incorporated and is currently being tested. Existing model and development versions include: the full GCM model, currently still running with the original stratospheric chemistry module; an off-line version of the GCM, i.e. wind and photolysis rates are pre-calculated and prescribed in read-in arrays; a box model version of the modified chemistry module for developments and first tests of new modifications; and a box model with the same chemistry simulated but flexible partitioning and integration methods for test purposes of those. The grantee's work focused mainly on three areas: trace gas sources and dry deposition; method to introduce a NO source instead of a NO(x) source; and investigating integration methods.

Chyba, Thomas↗

NASA and ESA Ground Facility Simulations of Shuttle Orbiter Aerothermodynamics

The paper reviews a combined numerical and experimental activity on the Shuttle Orbiter, first performed at NASA Langley within the OEX workshop and subsequently at ESA, as part of the AGARD FDP WG 18 activities. The study at Langley was undertaken to resolve the pitch up anomaly observed during the entry of the first flight of the Shuttle Orbiter. The facilities used at NASA Langley were the 15-in. Mach 6, the 20-in, Mach 6, the 31-in. Mach 10 and the 20-in. Mach 6 CF4 facility. The paper focuses on the high Mach, high altitude portion of the first entry of the Shuttle where the vehicle exhibited a nose-up pitching moment relative to pre-flight prediction of (Delta C(sub m)) = 0 03. In order to study the relative contribution of compressibility, viscous interaction and real gas effects on basic body pitching moment and flap efficiency, an experimental study was undertaken to examine the effects of Mach, Reynolds and ratio of specific heats at NASA. At high Mach, a decrease of gamma occurs in the shock layer due to high temperature effects. The primary effect of this lower specific heat ratio is a decrease of the pressure on the aft windward expansion surface of the Orbiter causing the nose-up pitching moment. Testing in the heavy gas, Mach 6 CF4 tunnel, gave a good simulation of high temperature effects.

Muylaert, J.↗

Radiation Environment and Surface Radiolytic Interactions at Mimas

Saturn's innermost principal moon Mimas shares the distinction with Europa at Jupiter of being the most irradiated icy moon in its respective planetary system, although the energetic electron energy flux at Mimas is forty times smaller than at Europa. High energy (> 10 MeV) proton fluxes are low in this moon's orbital corridor, likely since slowly diffusing protons from the weak but steady source of cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND) cannot accumulate without impacting the moon surface. Lower energy proton fluxes are also evidently suppressed in this orbital region. Plasma ion and electron fluxes are also low apparently due to cooling by interaction with E-ring dust and neutral gas from Enceladus. Due to energy-dependent effects of longitudinal gradient-curvature drift for the electrons, the trailing hemisphere is mainly irradiated by electrons at energies below 1 MeV that drift relative to Mimas in the prograde direction of orbital motion around Saturn, while higher energy electrons primarily impact the leading hemisphere. Plasma ions in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn are mainly pickup ions forming from the dissociation products of Enceladus plume water molecules, additionally including some contribution from photosputtering of the main rings, and do not introduce new elemental materials at Mimas via surface implantation from the corotating plasma. Thus the primary interaction at the surface is radiolytic chemistry induced in pure water ice by relatively deep penetration of the energetic electrons to millimeter and greater depths, as compared to the micron depths impacted by the corotating plasma ions. If surface erosion by sputtering from relatively low fluxes of the plasma and more energetic ions is indeed ineffective, then molecular products (OH, H2O2, 02, 03) of the radiolytic interactions may accumulate in the meters-deep impact regolith of the surface ices. An effect of regolith trapped gas accumulation could be to increase porosity and reduce thermal conductivity of the ice, potentially contributing to reported thermal anomalies from Cassini infrared map observations. Low amplitude of trailing-leading asymmetry in optical albedo and color maps at Mimas is suggestive of relative weakness of asymmetrical effects from low-energy ions. Greater induced asymmetries are expected and observed for the moons beyond Enceladus in the middle magnetospheric region of hot plasma ions at much greater fluxes than at Mimas. Low density (1.15 g/cc) of this moon indicates paucity of mineral salts and radiogenic heating to maintain subsurface liquids, so Enceladus-like cryovolcanism as a resurfacing process is unlikely despite closer proximity to Saturn, greater tidal forcing, and more intense surface irradiation than for Enceladus.

Cooper, J. F.↗

Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) for polar stratospheric trace gas measurements

The Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) is a grating spectrometer designed to measure vertical profiles of high latitude stratospheric constituents in a solar occultation mode. ILAS measurement gases are ozone (03), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric acid (HNO3), water vapor (H2O), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and CFC-11 using an IR channel. Temperature, pressure, and aerosol are also measured using a visible channel. The IR channel consists of 44 detector elements which cover the spectral range 6.2 to 11.8 microns, and the visible channel is composed of 1024 pixels that cover 753 to 784 nm. ILAS will be installed on the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) which will be launched in 1995. Instrument design data are outlined.

Yokota, Tatsuya↗

Ultraviolet, Optical and X-Ray Imaging of Selected Cygnus Loop Fields

During the Astro-1 and Astro-2 Space Shuttle missions in 1990 and 1995, far ultraviolet (FUV) images of five 40 ft diameter fields around the rim of the Cygnus Loop Super Nova Remnants (SNR) were observed with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT). These fields sample a broad range of SNR conditions including both radiative and non-radiative shocks in various geometries and scales. The UIT B5 band images discussed here sample predominantly ion-C4 lambda 1550 and the 2-photon continuum. Smaller contributions are made by emission lines of ion He-2 lambda 1640 and ion 03 lambda 1666. A unique aspect of the B5 band is its ability to sample the hydrogen 2-photon continuum from regions where the gas is recombining. We present these new FUV images and compare them with optical H-alpha and [ion O13], and ROSAT HRI X-ray images. In non-radiative shocks, existing 2-photon flux measurements from spectra and the H-alpha images suggest we are seeing approximately equal contributions from 2-photon and ion C4 emission. In radiative filaments, however, shock models and our images suggest ion C4 should dominate while spectra of specific locations seem to indicate that 2-photon emission dominates. We surmise that spectral observations on specific bright filaments have decreased locally-observed levels of ion C41 emission due to resonance scattering in that line.

Danforth, C. W.↗

Observations of interstellar HOCO(+) - Abundance enhancements toward the Galactic center

The 4(04)-3(03) and 1(01)-0(00) transitions of HOCO(+) toward several molecular clouds have been monitored. Of the molecular clouds considered, the HOCO(+) molecule has been detected only in Sgr B2 and Sgr A. The results suggest that gas phase CO2 is not a major carbon reservoir in typical molecular clouds. For Sgr B2, the column density of HOCO(+) at the northern peak is found to be about 3 x 10 to the 14th/sq cm, and a fractional abundance relative to H2 is obtained which is about 2 orders of magnitude greater than recent theoretical predictions.

Minh, Y. C.↗

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III instrument proposed for EOS - A conceptual design

This paper describes the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) instrument proposed for the Earth Observing System (EOS), which is designed to monitor the vertical distribution of stratospheric aerosols, ozone, water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, and temperature by measuring the extinction and scattering of solar radiation in the 03 to 1.6 micron range through the atmosphere. The SAGE III employs proven concepts which have evolved from the SAM II, SAGE, and SAGE II programs. The launch is scheduled for the summer of 1996. The SAGE II block diagram is included.

Mauldin, L. E.↗

A Monte Carlo Uncertainty Analysis of Ozone Trend Predictions in a Two Dimensional Model

We use Monte Carlo analysis to estimate the uncertainty in predictions of total O3 trends between 1979 and 1995 made by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) two-dimensional (2D) model of stratospheric photochemistry and dynamics. The uncertainty is caused by gas-phase chemical reaction rates, photolysis coefficients, and heterogeneous reaction parameters which are model inputs. The uncertainty represents a lower bound to the total model uncertainty assuming the input parameter uncertainties are characterized correctly. Each of the Monte Carlo runs was initialized in 1970 and integrated for 26 model years through the end of 1995. This was repeated 419 times using input parameter sets generated by Latin Hypercube Sampling. The standard deviation (a) of the Monte Carlo ensemble of total 03 trend predictions is used to quantify the model uncertainty. The 34% difference between the model trend in globally and annually averaged total O3 using nominal inputs and atmospheric trends calculated from Nimbus 7 and Meteor 3 total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) version 7 data is less than the 46% calculated 1 (sigma), model uncertainty, so there is no significant difference between the modeled and observed trends. In the northern hemisphere midlatitude spring the modeled and observed total 03 trends differ by more than 1(sigma) but less than 2(sigma), which we refer to as marginal significance. We perform a multiple linear regression analysis of the runs which suggests that only a few of the model reactions contribute significantly to the variance in the model predictions. The lack of significance in these comparisons suggests that they are of questionable use as guides for continuing model development. Large model/measurement differences which are many multiples of the input parameter uncertainty are seen in the meridional gradients of the trend and the peak-to-peak variations in the trends over an annual cycle. These discrepancies unambiguously indicate model formulation problems and provide a measure of model performance which can be used in attempts to improve such models.

Considine, D. B.↗