Engineering topics

Church, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Church, C..

5 records

NASA NTRS1978

The occultation of Epsilon Gem by Mars as observed from Agassiz Station

Observations of the April 8, 1976, occultation of Epsilon Gem by Mars made at the Agassiz Station of the Harvard College Observatory have been analyzed to yield temperature profiles of the Martian atmosphere for number densities between 10 to the 13th and 10 to the 15th power per cu cm. Pronounced wavelike structure is evident in both immersion and emersion profiles, with a peak-to-peak variation of up to 50 K and a vertical scale of 20 km.

Liller, W.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Occultation of Epsilon Geminorum by Mars. II - The structure and extinction of the Martian upper atmosphere

The occultation of Epsilon Geminorum by Mars on April 8, 1976, was observed at three wavelengths and 4-ms time resolution with the 91-cm telescope aboard NASA's G. P. Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Temperature, pressure, and number-density profiles of the Martian atmosphere were obtained for both the immersion and emersion events. Within the altitude range 50-80 km above the mean surface, the mean temperature is about 145 K, and the profiles exhibit wavelike structures with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 35 K and a vertical scale of about 20 km. The ratio of the refractivity of the atmosphere at 4500 A and 7500 A is consistent with the atmospheric composition measured by Viking 1. From the 'central flash' - a bright feature in the light curve midway between immersion and emersion - an optical depth at 4500 A of 3.3 + or - 1.7 per km atm (about 0.23 per equivalent Martian air mass) is found for the atmosphere about 25 km above the mean surface near the south polar region. This large value and its weak wavelength dependence rule out Rayleigh scattering as the principal cause of the observed extinction.

Elliot, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Occultation of Epsilon Geminorum by Mars - Evidence for atmospheric tides

Epsilon Geminorum occultation data obtained on April 8, 1976, with the aid of a 91-cm telescope aboard the NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory have provided a basis for the determination of temperature, pressure, and number density profiles of the Martian atmosphere. The results concerning the temperature profiles are compared with those of Viking 1 reported by Nier et al. (1976) and with theoretical predictions of thermally driven tides in the Martian atmosphere made by Zurek (1976).

Elliot, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1976

The lightcurve and rotation period of asteroid 139 Juewa

Results of broadband photoelectric photometry of 139 Juewa during five consecutive nights in March 1974 are presented. The synodic period found is 20.9 hr. A linear phase coefficient of about 0.080 is determined between phase angles of 0.9 to 1.5 deg. This value is similar to that for the lunar highlands and for three other asteroids (4 Vesta, 20 Massalia, 110 Lydia) at similar phase angles, indicating that these surfaces have comparable porosities. The composite light curve presented covers 80% of the rotational period; short-timescale features in the light curve are seen which correspond to topography a few kilometers in size.

Goguen, J.↗

NASA NTRS1976

A unique airborne observation

The occultation of 3rd magnitude Epsilon Geminorum by Mars was observed using a 36-inch telescope equipped with a photoelectric photometer at the bent Cassegrain focus, carried aboard the Kuiper Airborne Observatory at altitudes up to 45,000 feet. Scintillation from the earth's atmosphere was greatly reduced in comparison with ground observations. The observations clearly show the central flash, caused by the symmetrical refraction of light by the atmosphere of Mars. The data are being analyzed to obtain temperature profiles and to assess the relative abundance of argon and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the planet.

Elliot, J. L.↗