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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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Turbulence in electrostatic ion acoustic shocks

Three types of collisionless electrostatic ion acoustic shocks are investigated using a double plasma (DP) device: (1) laminar shocks; (2) small amplitude turbulent shocks in which the turbulence is confined to be upstream of the shock potential jump; and (3) large amplitude turbulent shocks in which the wave turbulence occurs throughout the shock transition. The wave turbulence is generated by ions which are reflected from the shock potential; linear theory spatial growth increments agree with experimental values. The experimental relationship between the shock Mach number and the shock potential is shown to be inconsistent with theoretical shock models which assume that the electrons are isothermal. Theoretical calculations which assume a trapped electron equation of a state and a turbulently flattened velocity distrubution function for the reflected ions yields a Mach number vs potential relationship in agreement with experiment.

Means, R. W.↗

Meteoritic material on the moon

Micrometeorites, ancient planetesimal debris from the early intense bombardment, and debris of recent, crater-forming projectiles are discussed and their amounts and compositions have been determined from trace element studies. The micrometeorite component is uniformly distrubuted over the entire lunar surface, but is seen most clearly in mare soils whereas, the ancient component is seen in highland breccias and soils. A few properties of the basin-forming objects are inferred from the trace element data. An attempt is made to reconstruct the bombardment history of the moon from the observation that only basin-forming objects fell on the moon after crustal differentiation. The apparent half-life of basin-forming bodies is close to the calculated value for earth-crossing planetesimals. It is shown that a gap in radiometric ages is expected between the Imbrium and Nectaris impacts, because all 7 basins formed in this interval lie on the farside or east limb.

Morgan, J. W.↗

Astrometric observations of comets and asteroids and subsequent orbital investigations

The 155-cm reflector of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory was used for observations of comets and minor planets on 35 nights during October l986- April l987. The distrubution was fairly uniform November-February, but poor weather permitted only 21 observations during March. Table I lists the 423 measurements published (in the MPCs) since the last report, two of them actually made at the very beginning of May l987. Forty-six of the observations refer to comets, 193 to numbered minor planets (numbered, that is, by the end of the semester; only 11 of them refer to minor planets already numbered at the time of the last report), and the remainder to unnumbered minor planets.

Mccrosky, Richard E.↗