Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “spherical geometry”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

The synchrotron-self-Compton process in spherical geometries. I - Theoretical framework

Both spatial and spectral accuracies are stressed in the present method for the calculation of the synchrotron-self-Compton model in spherical geometries, especially in the partially opaque regime of the synchrotron spectrum of inhomogeneous sources that can span a few frequency decades and contribute a significant portion of the scattered flux. A formalism is developed that permits accurate calculation of incident photon density throughout an optically thin sphere. An approximation to the Klein-Nishina cross section is used to model the effects of variable electron and incident photon cutoffs, as well as the decrease in the cross section at high energies. General results are derived for the case of inhomogeneous sources with power law profiles in both electron density and magnetic field.

Band, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The effects of spherical geometry on baroclinic instability

A baroclinic stability analysis is performed for a simple family of zonal shear profiles over a sphere, using a two-layer, quasi-geostrophic model. The stability properties and the structure of the most unstable waves are qualitatively similar to those on a beta-plane. However, the spherical geometry plays a major role in locating some of the important features of the most unstable waves. In particular, the locations of the maximum wave amplitude, maximum eddy heat fluxes, and maximum convergence of the eddy angular momentum flux are all well correlated with the location of the maximum excess of the vertical shear over the minimum value necessary for local instability on a sphere. Consequently the eddy momentum flux tends to generate a mid-latitude jet even if there is no preexisting mid-latitude jet in the basic state zonal flow. These findings suggest some of the elements needed for parameterizing the meridional variations of baroclinic eddy fluxes accurately.

Moura, A. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Effect of zone size on the convergence of exact solutions for diffusion in single phase systems with planar, cylindrical or spherical geometry

Exact solutions for diffusion in single phase binary alloy systems with constant diffusion coefficient and zero-flux boundary condition have been evaluated to establish the optimum zone size of applicability. Planar, cylindrical and spherical interface geometry, and finite, singly infinite, and doubly infinite systems are treated. Two solutions are presented for each geometry, one well suited to short diffusion times, and one to long times. The effect of zone-size on the convergence of these solutions is discussed. A generalized form of the diffusion solution for doubly infinite systems is proposed.

Unnam, J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Space Radiation Detector with Spherical Geometry

A particle detector is provided, the particle detector including a spherical Cherenkov detector, and at least one pair of detector stacks. In an embodiment of the invention, the Cherenkov detector includes a sphere of ultraviolet transparent material, coated by an ultraviolet reflecting material that has at least one open port. The Cherenkov detector further includes at least one photodetector configured to detect ultraviolet light emitted from a particle within the sphere. In an embodiment of the invention, each detector stack includes one or more detectors configured to detect a particle traversing the sphere.

Wrbanek, John D.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Space Radiation Detector with Spherical Geometry

A particle detector is provided, the particle detector including a spherical Cherenkov detector, and at least one pair of detector stacks. In an embodiment of the invention, the Cherenkov detector includes a sphere of ultraviolet transparent material, coated by an ultraviolet reflecting material that has at least one open port. The Cherenkov detector further includes at least one photodetector configured to detect ultraviolet light emitted from a particle within the sphere. In an embodiment of the invention, each detector stack includes one or more detectors configured to detect a particle traversing the sphere.

Wrbanek, John D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The AGCE related studies of baroclinic flows in spherical geometry

Steady state, axisymmetric motions of a Boussineaq fluid continued in rotating spherical anmulus are considered. The motions are driven by latitudinally varying temperature gradient at the shells. Linearized formulations for a narrow gap are derived and the flow field is divided into the Ekman layers and the geostrophic interior. The Ekman layer flows are consistent with the known results for cylindrical geometries. Within the framework of rather restrictive assumptions, the interior flows are solved by a series of associated Legendre polynomials. The solutions show qualitative features valid at midlatitudes.

Hyun, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The synchrotron-self-Compton process in spherical geometries. II - Application to active galactic nuclei

Observational implications and constraints on spherical nonthermal synchrotron self-Compton models with applications to AGNs are discussed. The Compton optical depth of the source and the synchrotron optical depth are considered, and plausible electron distributions are discussed. The alpha(0x), alpha(rx), and alpha(0r) system of comparing the fluxes in different energy bands is related to the nonthermal models, and sample spectra are presented that show the spectral features the models can produce. The models are applied to radio-quiet AGNs. It is shown that the infrared and X-ray continua of the AGNs can be produced by nonthermal processes.

Band, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A numerical study of the onset of baroclinic instabilities in spherical geometry

The onset of instabilities in a fluid contained in a rotating hemispherical shell, driven by thermal gradients imposed upon the hemispherical boundaries and by a spherically symmetric radial body force, is numerically studied. Computations are presented for a range of Taylor and thermal Rossby numbers. The analysis indicates the presence of an instability dependent upon the spherically radial gravity alone when the warmest temperatures are at the pole and an additional centrifugal buoyant instability for weak imposed gravity and fast rotation when the temperature decreases poleward.

Miller, Timothy L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Geophysical fluid flow model experiments in spherical geometry

An experimental and theoretical program was undertaken to assist in the design of geophysical fluid flow model experiments for Spacelab. Two new nonintrusive measurement techniques were developed. A theoretical calculation was carried out to guide the design of a proposed atmospheric general circulation model experiment.

Fowlis, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Long-wave baroclinic instability in the troposphere and stratosphere with spherical geometry

The most unstable normal modes are obtained for a global, quasi-geostrophic and spectral-form atmospheric model that includes wavenumbers one through six. In a first set of model calculations, the basic state represents Northern Hemisphere winter solstice conditions, whose long waves are deep modes having maximum kinetic energy in the stratosphere. These internal modes exist even in the presence of a stratospheric wind minimum, but propagate vertically into the stratosphere only north of this minimum, at the latitudes of the polar jet. The basic state for a second set of calculations is the axisymmetric solution corresponding to radiative equilibrium, with large vertical wind shear and all modes being essentially external, tropospheric Charney modes.

Straus, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The AGCE apparatus

The atmospheric general circulation experiment (AGCE) apparatus, an instrument to extend previous experimental work on baroclinic flows in cylindrical geometry to spherical geometry was proposed. The instrument must be flown in Spacelab to allow the radial dielectric body force which simulates gravity to be dominant. The essential configuration of the proposed apparatus is shown. Some preliminary values of dimensions and imposed conditions are included.

Fowlis, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Validation of Spherically Symmetric Inversion by Use of a Tomographically Reconstructed Three-Dimensional Electron Density of the Solar Corona

Determining the coronal electron density by the inversion of white-light polarized brightness (pB) measurements by coronagraphs is a classic problem in solar physics. An inversion technique based on the spherically symmetric geometry (spherically symmetric inversion, SSI) was developed in the 1950s and has been widely applied to interpret various observations. However, to date there is no study of the uncertainty estimation of this method. We here present the detailed assessment of this method using a three-dimensional (3D) electron density in the corona from 1.5 to 4 solar radius as a model, which is reconstructed by a tomography method from STEREO/COR1 observations during the solar minimum in February 2008 (Carrington Rotation, CR 2066).We first show in theory and observation that the spherically symmetric polynomial approximation (SSPA) method and the Van de Hulst inversion technique are equivalent. Then we assess the SSPA method using synthesized pB images from the 3D density model, and find that the SSPA density values are close to the model inputs for the streamer core near the plane of the sky (POS) with differences generally smaller than about a factor of two; the former has the lower peak but extends more in both longitudinal and latitudinal directions than the latter. We estimate that the SSPA method may resolve the coronal density structure near the POS with angular resolution in longitude of about 50 deg. Our results confirm the suggestion that the SSI method is applicable to the solar minimum streamer (belt), as stated in some previous studies. In addition, we demonstrate that the SSPA method can be used to reconstruct the 3D coronal density, roughly in agreement with the reconstruction by tomography for a period of low solar activity (CR 2066). We suggest that the SSI method is complementary to the 3D tomographic technique in some cases, given that the development of the latter is still an ongoing research effort.

corona↗
NASA NTRS1986

Modeling of infrared flux spectra from disk-shaped interstellar dust clouds

Although there is growing observational and theoretical evidence for many disk-shaped objects of astrophysical interest, spherical geometry is assumed in most radiative transfer models. Recently we generalized the quasi-diffusion method developed by Leung (1975, 1976) for spherical geometry to solve the problem of scattering, absorption, and reemission by dust grains in a medium of disk geometry. The method is applicable to a variety of astronomical sources whose dynamics are angular-momentum dominated and hence not accurately treated by spherical geometry, e.g., protoplanetary nebulae, circumstellar disks, bipolar-flow molecular clouds, accretion disks and disk galaxies. Using this technique and realistic grain opacities we construct theoretical models to determine self-consistently the dust temperature distribution and infrared emission from disk-shaped, quiescent dark globules heated externally by the intersteller radiation field. The effects of the following parameters on the temperature structure and the emergent spectrum are studied: grain type (graphite and silicate), optical depth, density inhomogeneity, and degree of disk flattening. The disk models are characterized by an aspect ratio and an optical depth at 0.55 microns. For inhomogeneous models, a gaussian density distribution is assumed such that the ratio of central to surface density is 100. To study the effects of source geometry, we also compare results for models with spherical and disk geometry. In this case both models have the same radius and central optical depth, the disk models having a 1:1 aspect ratio. While the dust temperature distributions in the two cases are very similar, the emergent flux for the disk model depends sensitively on the viewing angle. For clouds which are unresolved, one would expect, since the thermal emission is isotropic in the neighborhood of an emitting grain, and since the emission (in the far infrared) is optically thin, that the emergent flux spectrum should be characteristic only of the dust temperature, and independent of viewing angle. However, because of the lack of complete symmetry and the resulting radiation anisotropy, this is found not to be the case for the disk models. Angle is that it implies a large uncertainty in estimating the radiation dust mass.

Spagna, G. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope observations of far-ultraviolet scattering in NGC 7023 - The dust albedo

We have obtained the first sub-Ly-alpha spectroscopic observations of the reflection nebula NGC 7023 and its illuminating star, HD 200775, using the Hopkins UV Telescope during the Astro-1 mission in December, 1990. The ratio of the nebular to stellar flux is virtually flat between 1100 and 1860 A, indicating that sigma(a), the cross section for absorption, must rise sharply with decreasing wavelength. Independent of any model, this means that much of the far-UV rise in the extinction curve is due to an increase in absorption rather than scattering. If, in addition, we assume a spherical geometry, we derive an albedo of 0.5 at 1100 A with somewhat higher values at longer wavelengths. If the geometry is not spherical, lower values of the albedo may be obtained.

Murthy, Jayant↗
DOE OSTI2025

Two-component atomic Fermi superfluid with spin-orbital coupling in thin-spherical-shell geometry

We present a theory of two-component atomic Fermi superfluid with tunable pairing interaction in a thin spherical shell subject to spin-orbit coupling (SOC). By incorporating SOC into the Fermi superfluid in the BCS-Bose Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover, we obtain the energy spectrum and equations of state. While the order parameter and chemical potential are suppressed by SOC on the BCS side, the former remains positive but the latter may be pushed to negative values by SOC.Meanwhile, the compressibility exhibits kinks as the pairing interaction or SOC varies, indicating singular behavior of higher derivatives of the free energy despite the presence of the superfluid order parameter. The minimum of the energy dispersion indicates a decoupling of the energy gap from the order parameter, and the compressibility kinks occur when the energy gap approaches 0. We found the particle-hole mixing in the Fermi superfluid essential for the compressibility kinks since a Fermi gas with the same SOC but no pairing interaction only exhibits complicated dispersions but no singular behavior. Therefore, our results show that a combination of superfluid, SOC, and geometry can lead to interesting phenomena. Here, we also discuss possible experimental realizations and implications.

Fermi gases↗
NASA NTRS1999

Waves in Radial Gravity Using Magnetic Fluid

Terrestrial laboratory experiments studying various fluid dynamical processes are constrained, by being in an Earth laboratory, to have a gravitational body force which is uniform and unidirectional. Therefore fluid free-surfaces are horizontal and flat. Such free surfaces must have a vertical solid boundary to keep the fluid from spreading horizontally along a gravitational potential surface. In atmospheric, oceanic, or stellar fluid flows that have a horizontal scale of about one-tenth the body radius or larger, sphericity is important in the dynamics. Further, fluids in spherical geometry can cover an entire domain without any sidewall effects, i.e. have truly periodic boundary conditions. We describe spherical body-force laboratory experiments using ferrofluid. Ferrofluids are dilute suspensions of magnetic dipoles, for example magnetite particles of order 10 nm diameter, suspended in a carrier fluid. Ferrofluids are subject to an additional body force in the presence of an applied magnetic field gradient. We use this body force to conduct laboratory experiments in spherical geometry. The present study is a laboratory technique improvement. The apparatus is cylindrically axisymmetric. A cylindrical ceramic magnet is embedded in a smooth, solid, spherical PVC ball. The geopotential field and its gradient, the body force, were made nearly spherical by careful choice of magnet height-to-diameter ratio and magnet size relative to the PVC ball size. Terrestrial gravity is eliminated from the dynamics by immersing the "planet" and its ferrofluid "ocean" in an immiscible silicone oil/freon mixture of the same density. Thus the earth gravity is removed from the dynamics of the ferrofluid/oil interface and the only dynamically active force there is the radial magnetic gravity. The entire apparatus can rotate, and waves are forced on the ferrofluid surface by exterior magnets. The biggest improvement in technique is in the wave visualization. Fluorescing dye is added to the oil/freon mixture and an argon ion laser generates a horizontal light that can be scanned vertically. Viewed from above, the experiment is a black circle with wave deformations surrounded by a light background. A contour of the image intensity at any light sheet position gives the surface of the ferrofluid "ocean" at that "latitude". Radial displacements of the waves as a function of longitude are obtained by subtracting the contour line positions from a no-motion contour at that laser sheet latitude. The experiments are run by traversing the forcing magnet with the laser sheet height fixed and images are frame grabbed to obtain a time-series at one latitude. The experiment is then re-run with another laser-sheet height to generate a full picture of the three-dimensional wave structure in the upper hemisphere of the ball as a function of time. We concentrate here on results of laboratory studies of waves that are important in Earth's atmosphere and especially the ocean. To get oceanic scaling in the laboratory, the experiment must rotate rapidly (4-second rotation period) so that the wave speed is slow compared to the planetary rotation speed as in the ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, eastward propagating Kelvin waves eventually run into the South American coast. Theory predicts that some of the wave energy should scatter into coastal-trapped Kelvin waves that propagate north and south along the coast. Some of this coastal wave energy might then scatter into mid-latitude Rossby waves that propagate back westward. Satellite observations of the Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature and height seem to show signatures of westward propagating mid-latitude Rossby waves, 5 to 10 years after the 1982-83 El Nino. The observational data is difficult to interpret unambiguously owing to the large range of motions that fill the ocean at shorter timescales. This series of reflections giving eastward, north- ward, and then westward traveling waves is observed cleanly in the laboratory experiments, confirming the theoretical expectations.

Ohlsen, D. R.↗