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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 19 records

Documentation for the machine-readable version of A Library of Stellar Spectra (Jacoby, Hunter and Christian 1984)

The machine readable library as it is currently being distributed from the Astronomical Data Center is described. The library contains digital spectral for 161 stars of spectral classes O through M and luminosity classes 1, 3 and 5 in the wavelength range 3510 A to 7427 A. The resolution is approximately 4.5 A, while the typical photometric uncertainty of each resolution element is approximately 1 percent and broadband variations are 3 percent. The documentation includes a format description, a table of the indigenous characteristics of the magnetic tape file, and a sample listing of logical records exactly as they are recorded on the tape.

Warren, W. H., Jr.

Planet Hunters TESS IV: A Massive, Compact Hierarchical Triple Star System TIC 470710327

We report the discovery and analysis of a massive, compact, hierarchical triple system (TIC 470710327) initially identified by citizen scientists in data obtained by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Spectroscopic follow-up observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph, combined with eclipse-timing variations (ETVs), confirm that the system is comprised of three OB stars, with a compact 1.10 d eclipsing binary and a non-eclipsing tertiary on a 52.04 d orbit. Dynamical modelling of the system (from radial velocity and ETVs) reveal a rare configuration wherein the tertiary star (O9.5-B0.5V; 14–17 M ꙩ ) is more massive than the combined mass of the inner binary (10.9–13.2 M ꙩ ). Given the high mass of the tertiary, we predict that this system will undergo multiple phases of mass transfer in the future, and likely end up as a double neutron star gravitational wave progenitor or an exotic Thorne–Żytkow object. Further observational characterization of this system promises constraints on both formation scenarios of massive stars as well as their exotic evolutionary end-products.

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS

Particles, environments, and possible ecologies in the Jovian atmosphere

The possible existence of indigenous Jovian organisms is investigated by characterizing the relevant physical environment of Jupiter, discussing the chromophores responsible for the observed coloration of the planet, and analyzing some permissible ecological niches of hypothetical organisms. Values of the eddy diffusion coefficent are estimated separately for the convective troposphere and the more stable mesosphere, and equilibrium condensation is studied for compounds containing Na, Cl, or both. The photoproduction of chromophores and nonequilibrium organic molecules is analyzed, and the motion of hypothetical organisms is examined along with the diffusion of metabolites and the consequent growth of organisms. Four kinds of organisms are considered: primary photosynthetic autotrophs ('sinkers'), larger autotrophs or heterotrophs that actively maintain their pressure level ('floaters'), organisms that seek out others ('hunters'), and organisms that live at almost pyrolytic depths ('scavengers'). It is concluded that ecological niches for sinkers, floaters, and hunters appear to exist in the Jovian atmosphere.

Sagan, C.

Natural-Language Parser for PBEM

A computer program called "Hunter" accepts, as input, a colloquial-English description of a set of policy-based-management rules, and parses that description into a form useable by policy-based enterprise management (PBEM) software. PBEM is a rules-based approach suitable for automating some management tasks. PBEM simplifies the management of a given enterprise through establishment of policies addressing situations that are likely to occur. Hunter was developed to have a unique capability to extract the intended meaning instead of focusing on parsing the exact ways in which individual words are used.

James, Mark

Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of the ancient Gneiss complex, southern Africa

In order to shed some new light on the question of the absolute and relative ages of the Ancient Gneiss Complex and Onverwacht Group, a Sm-Nd whole-rock and mineral isochron study of the AGC was begun. At this point, the whole-rock study of samples from the Bimodal Suite selected from those studied for their geochemical characteristics by Hunter et al., is completed. These results and their implications for the chronologic evolution of the Kaapvaal craton and the sources of these ancient rocks are discussed.

Carlson, R. W.

Aeronomical modeling of the outer planets

The purpose is twofold: to report the programmatic issues of the project as to accomplishments and anticipated work statement for the next six months and to report the technical findings of the project. From the programmatic point of view the study was a clear success. Four talks were given on the work: (1) a talk on electron Bremsstrahlung X ray production at the annual American Astronomical Society, Division of Planetary Studies meeting in October of 1990 in Charlottesville, Virginia; (2) a poster on proton precipitation at the May, 1991 American Geophysical Union in Baltimore, Maryland; (3) an invited paper on multispectral time dependent modeling at the International Union of Geodosy and Geomagnetism in Vienna in August of 1991; and (4) a paper at the annual Division of Planetary Studies of the American Astronomical Society held in Palo Alto in November of 1991 entitled 'Jovian Bremsstrahlung X Rays: A Ulysses Prediction' which predicted the Jovian auroral X ray flux that should be measured by the Ulysses Gamma Ray Burst experiment during the Ulysses spacecraft's closest encounter with Jupiter in February 1992. The Ulysses' prediction paper generated much interest from people studying the Jovian aurora and from experimenters on the Ulysses spacecraft. As a result of this interest two things happened: (1) a paper of the same title was submitted and accepted for publication in the January issue of the Geophysical Research Letters; and (2) a massive observing campaign was organized to provide supporting ultraviolet and infrared observations at the time of the Ulysses encounter. This observational interest allowed personnel at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) (Alan Stern, PI; Hunter Waite Co-I) to obtain director's discretionary time on the Hubble Space Telescope to support the Ulysses encounter by obtaining ultraviolet observations. Once the multiple wavelength observations are obtained in February, the auroral model developed under this project will be used to analyze the data with hopes of providing new insight into the physical processes responsible for the Jovian aurora.

Waite, J. Hunter, Jr.

Application of Skylab imagery to resource exploration in the Death Valley region

The Hunter Mountain plateau in the northern Panamint Range, California, exhibits anomalous topographic, vegetative, color and structural features in Skylab and LANDSAT satellite images which have strong correlation with mineralized areas and should prove significant for future exploration. Data observed to date were studied with reference to published geology and is interpreted in terms of greatest probability of ore mineralization. Further study in conjunction with space imagery analysis is recommended for location of potential mineral zones.

Bechtold, I. C.

Numbers of center points appropriate to blocked response surface experiments

Tables are given for the numbers of center points to be used with blocked sequential designs of composite response surface experiments as used in empirical optimum seeking. The star point radii for exact orthogonal blocking is presented. The center point options varied from a lower limit of one to an upper limit equal to the numbers proposed by Box and Hunter for approximate rotatability and uniform variance, and exact orthogonal blocking. Some operating characteristics of the proposed options are described.

Holms, A. G.

Numbers of center points appropriate to blocked response surface experiments

Tables are given for the numbers of center points to be used with blocked sequential designs of composite response surface experiments as used in empirical optimum seeking. The tables also give the star point radii for exact orthogonal blocking. The center point options vary from a lower limit of one to an upper limit equal to the numbers proposed by Box and Hunter for approximate rotatability and uniform variance, and exact orthogonal blocking. Some operating characteristics of the proposed options are described.

Holms, A. G.

A Comparison of Terrestrial Saltation Flux in the Laboratory and the Field

Aeolian transport of surficial material is an important part of the terrestrial geologic cycle. In many areas of geological interest, sand is not transported by the wind at the rate predicted by studies made in idealized conditions. Furthermore, calculated surface-abrasion rates based on laboratory saltation fluxes are often unrealistically high. This work is an attempt to quantify and discuss discrepancies between saltation rates under ideal conditions and in the field under natural conditions. The saltation-flux data persented by Sharp (1) will be used as the field data. Sharp measured saltation flux during four periods in the early 1950's in the Whitewater River drainage. Meteorological conditions at the experiment site were extrapolated from the airport records and from wind speeds measured simultaneously by Hunter. Wind speeds above threshold were sorted into 4-MPH bins and the frequency of observation over each experimental period was calculated. A saltation flux for each bin was calculated and summed to yield a predicted saltation rate for that period. When the predicted fluxes were compared with those measured by Sharp, large discrepancies were found.

Williams, S. H.

Coupled bending-torsion steady-state response of pretwisted, nonuniform rotating beams using a transfer-matrix method

Using the Newtonian method, the equations of motion are developed for the coupled bending-torsion steady-state response of beams rotating at constant angular velocity in a fixed plane. The resulting equations are valid to first order strain-displacement relationships for a long beam with all other nonlinear terms retained. In addition, the equations are valid for beams with the mass centroidal axis offset (eccentric) from the elastic axis, nonuniform mass and section properties, and variable twist. The solution of these coupled, nonlinear, nonhomogeneous, differential equations is obtained by modifying a Hunter linear second-order transfer-matrix solution procedure to solve the nonlinear differential equations and programming the solution for a desk-top personal computer. The modified transfer-matrix method was verified by comparing the solution for a rotating beam with a geometric, nonlinear, finite-element computer code solution; and for a simple rotating beam problem, the modified method demonstrated a significant advantage over the finite-element solution in accuracy, ease of solution, and actual computer processing time required to effect a solution.

Gray, Carl E., Jr.

Report on the multicolor pyrometry session at the Second NASA Non-Contact Temperature-Measurement Workshop

The session met jointly with the other special sessions. Due to time constraints, the concerns of multicolor pyrometry were not addressed in depth. Multicolor pyrometry attempts to determine an object's temperature and emittance as a function of wavelength from simultaneous measurement of the spectral radiance of the object at multiple wavelengths. The main issues are those of the most appropriate model for the wavelength dependence of the emittance, the number of undetermined parameters, and the error in the measured temperature. It has long been known that it is inappropriate to attempt to model the emittance with a functional form that contains as many unknowns as wavelengths. Such attempts will lead to gross errors in the measured temperature. However, more recent work by Hunter and Khan has indicated that emittance can be modeled by a function with many fewer degrees of freedom than sampled wavelengths (e.g., it may be appropriate to use a second order polynomial to fit data from a forty-color pyrometer). In a platform lecture, Khan described algorithms for determination of the parameters by minimization of the errors between the model and the data in a least-squares sense. The first was a linear method and the second was a non-linear method where the emittance could assume any functional form. Both methods were shown to be very sensitive to random noise and non-linearity in the measurement system.

Spjut, R. Erik

The sensitivity of EGRET to gamma ray polarization

A Monte Carlo simulation shows that EGRET (Energetic Gamma-Ray Experimental Telescope) does not even have sufficient sensitivity to detect 100 percent polarized gamma-rays. This is confirmed by analysis of calibration data. A Monte Carlo study shows that the sensitivity of EGRET to polarization peaks around 100 MeV. However, more than 10 (exp 5) gamma-ray events with 100 percent polarization would be required for a 3 sigma significance detection - more than available from calibration, and probably more than will result from a single score source during flight. A drift chamber gamma ray telescope under development (Hunter and Cuddapah 1989) will offer better sensitivity to polarization. The lateral position uncertainty will be improved by an order of magnitude. Also, if pair production occurs in the drift chamber gas (xenon at 2 bar) instead of tantalum foils, the effects of multiple Coulomb scattering will be reduced.

Mattox, John R.

Dicke narrowing of the polarized Stokes-Raman Q branch of the v = 0-1 transition of D2 in He

Results are presented from calculations of several Stokes-Raman Q branch line shapes of the v = 0-1 transition of D2 in He in the low pressure regime where Dicke narrowing is observed. Consideration is given to five different approximations: a form of the generalized Hess theory (Monchick and Hunter, 1987), two high pressure asymptotes of Hess's method, the moment method of Corey and McCourt (1984), and a collision kernel method. It is found that the generalized Hess and the collision kernel methods have the best agreement with experiments.

Blackmore, Robert

Robot welding process control

This final report documents the development and installation of software and hardware for Robotic Welding Process Control. Primary emphasis is on serial communications between the CYRO 750 robotic welder, Heurikon minicomputer running Hunter & Ready VRTX, and an IBM PC/AT, for offline programming and control and closed-loop welding control. The requirements for completion of the implementation of the Rocketdyne weld tracking control are discussed. The procedure for downloading programs from the Intergraph, over the network, is discussed. Conclusions are made on the results of this task, and recommendations are made for efficient implementation of communications, weld process control development, and advanced process control procedures using the Heurikon.

Romine, Peter L.

An algorithm to quantify the performance of the JOVE program

A proposal to the Hubble Space Institute from Hunter Waite, Southwest Research Institute, James Green, GSFC, and the author will be written to examine potential correlations between the Jovian auroral activity as recently discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope UV imaging experiment and Jupiter's decametric radio waves as recorded by two ground-base radio observatories; one at the University of Florida and the other in Japan.

Lebo, George

The Tapanui region of New Zealand: Site of a Tunguska around 800 years ago?

Evidence is discussed that the wide-spread fires ca. 800 years ago which denuded the southern provinces of the South Island of New Zealand of the extensive forests present at that time were due to the entry of a large bolide into the atmosphere, the conflagration being ignited by the intense heat generated as this extraterrestrial projectile ablated/detonated in a similar manner to that of the Tunguska object of 1908. These fires led to the extinction of the giant terrestrial bird known as the Moa, and the end of the archaic epoch of Maori history known as the Moa Hunter period. This interpretation is well attested to in Maori myth and legend.

Steel, Duncan