Engineering topics

Baker, Daniel N.

Publications and source records attributed to Baker, Daniel N..

27 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1994

Evidence for particle acceleration during magnetospheric substorms

Magnetospheric substorms represent the episodic dissipation of energy stored in the geomagnetic tail that was previously extracted from the solar wind. This energy release produces activity throughout the entire magnetosphere-ionosphere system, and it results in a wide variety of phenomena such as auroral intensifications and the generation of new current systems. All of these phenomena involve the acceleration of particles, sometimes up to several MeV. We present a brief overview of substorm phenomenology. We then review some of the evidence for particle acceleration in Earth's magnetosphere during substorms. Such in-situ observations in this most accessible of all cosmic plasma domains may hold important clues to understanding acceleration processes in more distant astrophysical systems.

Lopez, Ramon E.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Particle and field signatures during pseudobreakup and major expansion onset

The temporal and spatial scales of the onset of two types of substorm events are investigated. These substorms were cases where the expansion onset had precursor localized auroral activation without significant negative bay enhancement, that is, 'pseudobreakup'. High-resolution energetic particle and magnetic field data at synchronous orbit are used for the analysis together with auroral and magnetic field data simultaneously taken from ground-based instrumentation. The auroral structure following the pseudobreakup significantly resembled the major expansion aurora, except in its spatial scale. Typical magnetospheric onset signatures such as tail current diversion, dipolarization, and injection were observed associated with some of the pseudobreakups. The major expansion, on the other hand, consisted of a number of rather localized injections and expansions, each of which had timescales of 2-8 min, a comparable timescale to that of pseudobreakups. This study shows that there does not appear to be any phenomenological differences between pseudobreakups and major expansion onsets. The major difference between pseudobreakups and major expansion onsets would be the number of occurrences, as well as the intensity and the scale size of the magnetospheric source.

Nakamura, Rumi↗

NASA NTRS1993

An overview of the Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) mission

The scientific objective of the NASA Small-class Explorer Mission SAMPEX is summarized. A brief history of the Small Explorer program is provided along with a description of the SAMPEX project development and structure. The spacecraft and scientific instrument configuration is presented. The orbit of SAMPEX has an altitude of 520 by 670 km and an 82 deg inclination. Maximum possible power is provided by articulated solar arrays that point continuously toward the sun. Highly sensitive science instruments point generally toward the local zenith, especially over the terrestrial poles, in order to measure optimally the galactic and solar cosmic ray flux. Energetic magnetospheric particle precipitation is monitored at lower geomagnetic latitudes. The spacecraft uses several innovative approaches including an optical fiber bus, powerful onboard computers, and large solid state memories (instead of tape recorders). Spacecraft communication and data acquisition are discussed, and the space- and ground-segment data flows are summarized. A mission lifetime of 3 years is sought with the goal of extending data acquisition over an even longer portion of the 11-year solar activity cycle.

Baker, Daniel N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

PET - A proton/electron telescope for studies of magnetospheric, solar, and galactic particles

The Proton/Electron Telescope (PET) on SAMPEX is designed to provide measurements of energetic electrons and light nuclei from solar, galactic, and magnetospheric sources. PET is an all solid-state system that will measure the differential energy spectra of electrons from about 1 to about 30 MeV and H and He nuclei from about 20 to about 300 MeV/nuc, with isotope resolution of H and He extending from about 20 to about 80 MeV/nuc. As SAMPEX scans all local times and geomagnetic cutoffs over the course of its near-polar orbit, PET will characterize precipitating relativistic electron events during periods of declining solar activity, and it will examine whether the production rate of odd nitrogen and hydrogen molecules in the middle atmosphere by precipitating electrons is sufficient to affect O3 depletion. In addition, PET will complement studies of the elemental and isotopic composition of energetic heavy (Z greater than 2) nuclei on SAMPEX by providing measurements of H, He, and electrons. Finally, PET has limited capability to identify energetic positrons from potential natural and man-made sources.

Cook, Walter R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Subsurface emissions from Mercury - VLA radio observations at 2 and 6 centimeters

Radio observations of Mercury made with the VLA; once in 1986, and on two dates in February of 1988 are presented. These observations are the first to spatially map both hot regions associated with the theoretical hot poles. These 'hot poles' are separated by 180 deg and are a result of the unusual diurnal heating from Mercury's 3/2 spin-orbit resonance and eccentric orbit. The highest resolution data maps areas of the planet as small as 330 km. Maps of total intensity, brightness temperature, polarized intensity, fractional polarization, depolarization, and spectral index are included. It is found that the subsurface thermal emissions from Mercury are characteristic of blackbody reradiation from the solar insolation over a diurnal cycle. These observations to produce full-disk thermophysical models are used. The one-dimensional, time-dependent heat-diffusion equation for all observed disk elements at each epoch in order to constrain thermophsyical parameters and properties of the subsurface material are solved. Using typical lunar values for several of the parameters, it is possible to reproduce the temperature morphology and most of the observed temperature values. It is found that the best-fit models require a substantial contribution of the heat transport in the subsurface to be radiative in nature. The primary difficulty in the models is in predicting the observed temperature differences as a function of frequency.

Ledlow, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

NASA's Small Explorer program

NASA's Small Explorer program, or 'SMEX', was designed to support disciplines heretofore accommodated within NASA's astrophysics/space physics/upper-atmosphere science Explorer program. Under the aegis of SMEX, a principal investigator proposes an entire mission and its experiments; emphasis is placed on the passing of spacecraft-design experience to a new generation of scientists and engineers. The first SMEX mission selected for implementation is the Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer, which is scheduled for launch on June, 1992.

Baker, Daniel N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Report of the magnetospheric physics panel

Magnetospheric research is a relatively new area in the study of the Earth's environment. The present report attempts to overview past and future research on this topic. The goals of magnetospheric research are numerous, and include: understanding large scale magnetospheres of the Earth and other planets; understanding the plasma physical processes operating within the various magnetospheres; to understand how mass, energy and momentum are transmitted from the solar wind; to understand quantitatively the coupling between magnetospheres and their ionospheres; and to understand the magnetospheric mechanisms which accelerate particles to high energies, as well as the ultimate fate of these particles. The report continues on to summarize a number of proposed space missions aimed at data acquisition. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the theory and modeling of magnetospheres.

Burch, James L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Ozone depletion in the high latitude lower stratosphere - 1979-1990

Archived Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE, SAGE II) and Solar and Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV) data are used to examine lower stratospheric O3 variations at 50 deg latitude in both hemispheres. These data indicate that from 1979 to 1985, 73-90 percent of the total O3 changes have occurred below approximately 25 km in altitude. Significant O3 depletions (up to 15 percent) have occurred in the partial column (127-15.8 mbar) in both hemispheres with indications of a recovery after 1985. Two-dimensional model simulations of O3 changes from 1979 to 1990 have been carried out. Comparisons with O3 data are presented. Model results suggest that by 1985, significant declines in global O3 were caused by destruction by odd nitrogen associated with long-term variations in the flux of precipitating relativistic electrons (2.6 percent); solar UV flux changes (1.8 percent); the dilution effect associated with the Antarctic O3 hole (1.2 percent); and atmospheric increases in CH4, N2O, and chlorofluorocarbons (0.4 percent). Analyses of drift-corrected SBUV and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer data and model calculations indicate that between 1979 and 1985, reductions of 4.3 to 4.8 percent in total column O3 averaged between 65 deg S and 65 deg N have occurred. Calculations indicate a full global O3 decline of 5.2 percent (peak-to-peak) or 6 percent (annual average) between 1979 and 1985 with a partial recovery between 1985 and 1989.

Callis, Linwood B.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Mercury Orbiter: Report of the Science Working Team

The results are presented of the Mercury Orbiter Science Working Team which held three workshops in 1988 to 1989 under the auspices of the Space Physics and Planetary Exploration Divisions of NASA Headquarters. Spacecraft engineering and mission design studies at the Jet Propulsion Lab were conducted in parallel with this effort and are detailed elsewhere. The findings of the engineering study, summarized herein, indicate that spin stabilized spacecraft carrying comprehensive particles and fields experiments and key planetology instruments in high elliptical orbits can survive and function in Mercury orbit without costly sun shields and active cooling systems.

Belcher, John W.↗