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Ainsworth, J. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Ainsworth, J. E..

14 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Error in Dasibi flight measurements of atmospheric ozone due to instrument wall-loss

Theory suggests that in laminar flow the percent loss of a trace constituent to the walls of a measuring instrument varies as P to the -2/3, where P is the total gas pressure. Preliminary laboratory ozone wall-loss measurements confirm this P to the -2/3 dependence. Accurate assessment of wall-loss is thus of particular importance for those balloon-borne instruments utilizing laminar flow at ambient pressure, since the ambient pressure decreases by a factor of 350 during ascent to 40 km. Measurements and extrapolations made for a Dasibi ozone monitor modified for balloon flight indicate that the wall-loss error at 40 km was between 6 and 30 percent and that the wall-loss error in the derived total ozone column-content for the region from the surface to 40 km altitude was between 2 and 10 percent. At 1000 mb, turbulence caused an order of magnitude increase in the Dasibi wall-loss.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

An analysis of the Venus thermal infrared temperature maps

A detailed analysis of the published Venus IR maps has been performed and a number of new results have been obtained. The global contour map of the average temperature variations in the vicinity of 6120 km reveals the existence of saddle points along the equator at dawn, at noon, and just before sunset. The hot spots observed at 4:30-4:40 A.M. at 65 deg to 68 deg S latitude appear to be in the vicinity of the coldest region from which the 8- to 14-micron emissions originate. At large earth zenith angles the limb darkening curves show a hump which is attributed primarily to a single patchy haze layer in the vicinity of 6123 km and with a thickness of the order of 3 km. An average IR source region temperature of 250 K is obtained at the equator. At the poles the same altitude region is 8 K cooler.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Stratospheric nitric oxide and ozone measurements using photoionization mass spectrometry and UV absorption

Nitric oxide has been measured in situ between 38.4 and 29.8 km by a new technique, photoionization mass spectrometry. Data indicate a peak mixing ratio of 5.7 plus or minus 0.35 ppbv at 37.5 km and only 0.2 plus or minus 0.2 ppbv at 32.8 km with a sharp gradient in concentration between 33 and 34 km. Simultaneous in-situ measurements of the ozone concentration show no significant feature at that altitude. The rapid decrease in mixing ratio is not predicted by current theory.

Maier, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

On the reality of the Venus winds

The article presents a rebuttal of Young's (1975) view that the 140 m/sec horizontal wind at 45 km reported by Venera 8 is anomalous or spurious. Some errors are discussed and the largest contribution is attributed to descent probe measurements designed to find the true probe descent rate. Young's suggestion of error in in situ measurement of winds due to selection of a reference speed and to unrecognized oscillator drift is scrutinized. Evidence is seen for a wide band of variable high-grade retrograde horizontal winds girdling Venus at the equator. Mariner 10 evidence (UV photographs) is taken into account. The band of winds at 45 km is seen to extend well beyond the top of the visible cloud, and an upper turbulent region is attributed to vertical convection currents carried along by high-speed horizontal winds.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

On the reality of the Venus winds

The Venera measurements of wind speed along with the Mariner measurements of lower-region of strong turbulence are evidence for a wide band of variable high speed retrograde horizontal winds which girdle Venus at the equator. In one interpretation of the Mariner 10 UV photographs, the 20km region above the top of the visible cloud is characterized by variable high-speed retrograde horizontal winds which orbit Venus with an average period of 4 earth days, and by many features indicating vertical convection. This suggests that the Venera-Mariner band of winds at 45km extends to the top of the UV cloud and beyond, and that the upper-region of strong turbulence detected by the Mariners may result from vertical convection currents carried along by high speed horizontal winds. In another interpretation, the predominate motions are attributed to wavelike disturbances with a 4-day period. For this case the upper-region of strong turbulence may be due in large part to vertical wind-shear resulting from a rapid decrease in wind speed within a relatively short distance about the Venera-Mariner band of high speed winds.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Venus wind and temperature structure - The Venera 8 data

Our analysis of the Venera 8 measurements yields equatorial morning terminator horizontal and vertical winds that are similar in a number of respects to the winds we obtained from our analysis of the Venera 7 measurements. The lower boundary of the horizontal retrograde '4-day' wind is defined by a 50-60% decrease in wind speed in the vicinity of 44 km, and there exists a retrograde wind 'plateau' of 15- to 40-m/s winds extending from 40 km down to the vicinity of 18 km, where the winds decrease rapidly to the order of 0.1 m/s near the surface. Updrafts of 2-5 m/s exist in the vicinity of 20-30 km and are apparently associated with a slightly superadiabatic lapse rate.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An analysis of the Venera 8 measurements

Analysis of the Venera 8 measurements yielded equatorial morning terminator horizontal and vertical winds which are similar to the winds obtained from the Venera 7 measurements. The lower boundary of the horizontal retrograde 4-day wind is defined by a 50-60% decrease in wind speed in the vicinity of 44 km and there exists a retrograde wind plateau of 15 to 40 m/s winds extending from 40 km down to the vicinity of 18 km where the winds decrease rapidly to the order of 0.1 m/s near the surface. Up drafts of 2 to 5 m/s exist in the vicinity of 20 to 30 km and are apparently associated with a slightly super adiabatic lapse rate. The temperature lapse-rate, surface radius, surface topography, and atmospheric structure are discussed.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

An analysis of the Venus measurements

Plots of the Mariner 5 and Venera 4, 5, and 6 pressure vs temperature show that the Venera profiles are essentially congruent with the Mariner 5 day and night profiles, but are displaced 28 percent higher in pressure. Data suggest a variability in the atmospheric water vapor content in the region from 30 to 50 km. The Venera 7 measurements are interpreted as evidence for updrafts, down-drafts, horizontal wind layers, and nonaqueous precipitation. The previously observed band of retrograde winds which circle the equator with an average speed of 110 m/s is found to extend downward to the one atmosphere level at the equatorial morning terminator. The possibility of a low altitude equator-to-pole circulation with warm gas rising at the poles is inferred. Venera 7 temperature data used with radar topography and microwaves interferometer measurements suggest that the variation of surface temperature with altitude in a band about the equator is less than 5 K/km. The available data are used to calculate a model of the structure of the Venus atmosphere for the first 75 km above the equatorial region.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Probing the Venus atmosphere

Venus atmosphere exploration by multiple entry probe, describing spacecraft system design, launch and earth-Venus transfer trajectory, approach and entry sequence, etc

Ainsworth, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Thermistor Pressure Gauge Design

Thermistor pressure gauges are characterized by large pressure range, good accuracy and stability, fast measurement, insensitivity to over-pressure, negligible out-gassing, ease in cleaning, and physical and electrical simplicity and ruggedness. A number of excellent papers have been published describing these gauges. However, a detailed account of design procedure and characteristics for a specific gauge would eliminate much of the trial and error encountered in designing a gauge having prescribed range, sensitivity, and stability.

Flanick, A. P.↗