Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Pasachoff, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Pasachoff, J. M..

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Global Warming on Triton

Triton, Neptune's largest moon, has been predicted to undergo significant seasonal changes that would reveal themselves as changes in its mean frost temperature. But whether this temperature should at the present time be increasing, decreasing or constant depends on a number of parameters (such as the thermal properties of the surface, and frost migration patterns) that are unknown. Here we report observations of a recent stellar occultation by Triton which, when combined with earlier results, show that Triton has undergone a period of global warming since 1989. Our most conservative estimates of the rate of temperature and surface-pressure increase during this period imply that the atmosphere is doubling in bulk every 10 years, significantly faster than predicted by any published frost model for Triton. Our result suggests that permanent polar caps on Triton play a c dominant role in regulating seasonal atmospheric changes. Similar processes should also be active on Pluto.

Elliot, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

IUE and the search for a lukewarm corona

The use of the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) to search for stars having neither a hot corona nor a cool outer atmosphere, but a lukewarm corona is outlined. An interactive computer system permits extensive analysis of the data immediately after transmission to earth, allowing the results of one exposure to influence the taking of subsequent exposures. The observation program is illustrated for the star HR 1099, noting that observations were taken while previous spectra were being analyzed. Observations of many stars of spectral types G and K lead to the construction of a border region on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram between stars with hot coronas and those with cool outer atmospheres. Stars lying near this border region were then observed, however none with lukewarm coronas were found. The interactive control facility in the satellite control room is considered an important factor in the efficient implementation of the search procedure.

Pasachoff, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Spatial structure in lines in the 3398-3526 A region at the extreme limb - Observation, identification and interpretation

Spectrograms of high spatial and spectral resolution have been obtained of the extreme solar limb, using the vacuum tower telescope of Sacramento Peak Observatory. Emission lines in the range 3398-3526 A have been identified and classified according to intensity, spatial structure (intensity variation), and profile. Some lines show spatial intensity variation; others do not. It is shown that this effect is related to the abundance of the element responsible for the line and the mean lower-level excitation potential of interlocked lines. This effect is explained in terms of radiative interlocking with other lines, as well as the characteristic size of the volume contributing to the mean intensity.

Canfield, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Possible detection of interstellar deuterium

The abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen is an important parameter in constructing models of the early expansion of the universe in Big-Bang cosmologies. Calculations by Wagoner et al. (1967) and by Wagoner (1973) show that the deuterium abundance would be very sensitive to the density of baryons in the fireball and hence to the present mean mass density of the universe. Reeves et al. (1973) use data on the abundance of deuterium in the solar system to deduce a ratio of n sub D/n sub H = 1.8 plus or minus 0.8 x 10 to the minus 5 power, and note that other authors have pointed out that processing of matter in stars slowly reduces the deuterium abundance in the galaxy.

Cesarsky, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Detailed correlation of type III radio bursts with H alpha activity. I - Active region of 22 May 1970.

Comparison of observations of type III impulsive radio bursts made at the Clark Lake Radio Observatory with high-spatial-resolution cinematographic observations taken at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. Use of the log-periodic radio interferometer makes it possible to localize the radio emission uniquely. This study concentrates on the particularly active region close to the limb on May 22, 1970. Sixteen of the 17 groups were associated with some H alpha activity, 11 of them with the start of such activity.

Kuiper, T. B. H.↗
NASA NTRS1971

On K-line central reversals

Solar atmosphere vertical temperature and density distribution measurements, using spatially averaged H and K resonance line profiles central reversals

Pasachoff, J. M.↗