Engineering topics

Sagan, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Sagan, C..

At least 145 records · Page 8

NASA NTRS1974

An introduction to the problem of interstellar communication

Man's place in the universe is considered, taking into account the earth and the sun as viewed from space. The solar system lies far out towards the edge of the galactic disk, some 30,000 light-years away from the center of a lens-shaped galaxy. Questions concerning a search for extraterrestrial intelligence are discussed. Current radio astronomical techniques make it potentially possible to communicate with 200 million stars. Attention is given to the fraction of stars with planetary systems, the number of planets suitable for life, the fraction of life-bearing planets with intelligence, and the fraction of intelligent communities developing a technical phase.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Planetary engineering on Mars

Some 1 to 10 billion metric tons of low albedo material, transported during the course of a century to the permanent Martian polar caps, may be capable of rapidly transforming Mars to much more earth-like conditions. Alternatively, the introduction to Mars of a dark plant which grows on the polar snows might accomplish the same objective.-

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Red clouds in reducing atmospheres

A dark reddish-brown high-molecular weight polymer is produced by long wavelength ultraviolet irradiation of abundant gases in reducing planetary atmospheres. The polymer is examined by paper chromatography, mass spectrometry, and infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectroscopy. High carbon-number straight-chain alkanes with NH2 and, probably, OH and C = O groups are identified, along with amino acids. There are chemical similarities between this polymer and organic compounds recovered from carbonaceous chondrites and precambrian sediments. The visible and near-ultraviolet transmission spectrum of the polymer shows its absorption optical depth to be redder than lambda(-2) and perhaps similar in coloration to the clouds of Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan. The nitrile content is small, and the polymer should be semitransparent in the 5 micrometer atmospheric window. Such polymers may be a common constituent of clouds in the outer solar system and on the early earth.

Khare, B. N.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Climatic change on Mars.

It is pointed out that Mars is the only known planet with a major atmospheric constituent condensable at typical surface temperatures. The temperatures range from 290 K at equatorial noon to a temperature at the cold pole of 145 K in polar winter. There may be three different periods of climatic variation on Mars. Aspects of reversible climatic instability might possibly explain the channels and other features suggestive of the extensive occurrence of liquid water on Mars. An aqueous epoch on Mars would have important biological and other geological implications. Putative Martian organisms which flourish in the aqueous epoch may now be in cryptobiotic repose.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Sandstorms and eolian erosion on Mars

It is now apparent that windblown sand plays a major role in the Martian environment. The existence of great sand and dust storms implies the lateral transport of large quantities of material on Mars that provide a convenient mechanism for the filling of craters- an event directly implied both by crater frequency-diameter statistics, and by the appearance of Martian craters. Such fast moving sand particles, saltating close to the Martian surface, can produce by collision and subsequent abrasion significant erosion of the Martian terrain.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Variable features on Mars 2: Mariner 9 global results

Mariner 9 observations of time variable Martian dark areas and semi-tone areas are commonly resolved into streaks and splotches caused by sand storm particles. Bright streaks are formed by the smaller particles and require exceptionally high velocities for their formation as compared with the more easily saltated larger particles in dark streak areas.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Liquid carbon dioxide and the Martian polar laminae

One of the most important findings of the Mariner 9 mission was the existence of a set of apparent stacked layers in both the north and south polar regions of Mars. The total thickness of the laminated terrain is approximately several kilometers. Because the Martian atmosphere is composed largely of CO2 and because the frost point of CO2 is known to be reached in both polar regions, it has been assumed that the volatiles in the bright laminae are in appreciable part condensed CO2, although condensed H2O, and a CO2-H2O clathrate are also possible. As long as the ratio of CO2 to H2O is large, the physical properties will be dominated by the CO2.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Mariner 9 television observations of Phobos and Deimos 2

The analysis of the Mariner 9 pictures of Phobos and Deimos includes corrections to the orbits of the satellites, an estimate of their principal axes, additional confirmation of their synchronous rotation, a search for new satellites, photometric evidence for the presence of a regolith, and a discussion of their internal structure.

Pollack, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Sandstorms and eolian erosion on Mars.

Erosion rates are calculated for Mars from first principles and calibrated from wind tunnel experiments. The deduced abrasion rates are higher than eolian erosion rates on the earth because of the higher threshold velocities on Mars but lower than the total erosion rates on the earth because of the absence of aqueous erosion processes on contemporary Mars. The high erosion rates imply that, for scale lengths of less than a few hundred kilometers, Mars may be viewed only part way back to its ancient history. Because the meteorology of Mars is position-dependent, erosion rates may vary greatly from place to place. Martian sandstorms may be characterized by frequent grain-grain collisions, and the grain velocities and cloud height may approach values implied by the Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Variable features on Mars. II - Mariner 9 global results.

Systematic Mariner 9 monitoring of the space and time distribution of Martian bright and dark markings, the streaks and splotches, indicates a range of global correlations. The time-variable classical dark markings owe their configurations and variability to their constituent streaks and splotches, produced by windblown dust. Streaks and splotches are consistent wind direction indicators. Correlation of global streak patterns with general circulation models shows that velocities of about 50 to 90 m/sec above the boundary layer are necessary to initiate grain motion on the surface and to produce streaks and splotches. Detailed examples of changes in Syrtis Major, Lunae Palus, and Promethei Sinus are generally consistent with removal of bright sand and dust and uncovering of darker underlying material as the active agent in such changes, although dark mobile material probably also exists on Mars. The generation of streaks and the progressive albedo changes observed require only threshold velocities of about 2 m/sec for about 1 day at the grain surface.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Mariner 9 television observations of Phobos and Deimos. II.

Analyses of the Mariner 9 pictures of the Martian satellites have yielded much new information: improved ephemerides, estimates of their principal axes, information about the texture of their surfaces, and estimates of the structural strength of their interiors. Both satellites are found to be in synchronous rotation, as was expected from tidal theory. A close examination of the preorbital satellite pictures has failed to show any unknown satellite. The photometric behavior of Phobos and Deimos indicates that they have intricate surface layers consistent with the presence of a regolith. Morphological features on Phobos and the expected collisional history of both satellites imply that both are made of well-consolidated material.

Pollack, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1973

On the detectivity of advanced galactic civilizations.

Even with slow rates of technological advance, extraterrestrial civilizations substantially in our future will have technologies and laws of nature currently inaccessible to us, and will probably have minimal interest in communicating with us. If this communication horizon is about 1000 years in our future, other crude estimates previously published imply that only about .0001 of the technical civilizations in the Galaxy are accessible to us. The mean distance to the nearest such society is then about 10,000 light years. Radio detection of extraterrestrial intelligence seems to imply either (1) much larger telescopes or antenna arrays for the detection of civilizations within our Galaxy than now exist; or (2) attention to the nearer extragalactic systems, with smaller radio telescopes, to detect the very small fraction of very advanced societies which may choose to make their presence known to emerging civilizations via antique communication modes.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Solar neutrinos, Martian rivers, and Praesepe.

Some recent papers on solar neutrinos, Martian rivers, and Praesepe stars are reviewed. Possible causes of solar neutrino detection rates being below theoretical expectations are quoted. The widespread presence of sinuous dendritic channels on Mars is noted. The occurrence of earth-like epochs on Mars is indicated as a plausible explanation for many such channels in terms of surface liquid water flows. The roughly uniform distribution of the Praesepe stars through the main sequence width is viewed as the indication that the excursion time off the main sequence is comparable to the time between mixings.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

The greenhouse of Titan.

Analysis of non-gray radiative equilibrium and gray convective equilibrium on Titan suggests that a massive molecular-hydrogen greenhouse effect may be responsible for the disagreement between the observed IR temperatures and the equilibrium temperature of an atmosphereless Titan. Calculations of convection indicate a probable minimum optical depth of 14 which corresponds to a molecular hydrogen shell of substantial thickness with total pressures of about 0.1 bar. It is suggested that there is an equilibrium between outgassing and blow-off on the one hand and accretion from the protons trapped in a hypothetical Saturnian magnetic field on the other, in the present atmosphere of Titan. It is believed that an outgassing equivalent to the volatilization of a few kilometers of subsurface ice is required to maintain the present blow-off rate without compensation for all geological time. The presence of an extensive hydrogen corona around Titan is postulated, with surface temperatures up to 200 K.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

High altitude infrared spectroscopic evidence for bound water on Mars.

The reflectivity of the Martian surface has been measured between 2.0 and 4.0 microns. A broad absorption band is observed which has a minimum at 2.85 microns. The position and shape of the band is compared to features in numerous terrestrial minerals. Bound water in the Martian surface material is the most likely cause of the observed band. The strength of the observed band suggests a bound water content of approximately 1% by weight. The band is inconsistent with more than a few % limonite or hydrated polymeric carbon suboxide. A mean particle radius of about 100 microns is deduced. The quality of bound water derived has a range of geological, climatic, and exobiological implications.

Houck, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Ultraviolet selection pressure on the earliest organisms

It had been proposed by Sagan (1957, 1961) that UV light, partially penetrating the primitive reducing atmosphere of the earth, posed a major problem for the earliest evolution of life. This argument is now updated and refined. The picture of a secondary reducing atmosphere is presented. It is assumed that an excess of hydrogen from this atmosphere has already escaped to space. The genetic material surrounded itself as a solution to the UV selection pressure with bases or nucleotides having no function whatever in replication or protein synthesis.

Sagan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Experimental interstellar organic chemistry - Preliminary findings

Review of the results of some explicit experimental simulation of interstellar organic chemistry consisting in low-temperature high-vacuum UV irradiation of condensed simple gases known or suspected to be present in the interstellar medium. The results include the finding that acetonitrile may be present in the interstellar medium. The implication of this and other findings are discussed.

Khare, B. N.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Organic chemistry and biology of the interstellar medium

Interstellar organic chemistry is discussed as the field of study emerging from the discovery of microwave lines of formaldehyde and of hydrogen cyanide in the interstellar medium. The reliability of molecular identifications and comparisons of interstellar and cometary compounds are considered, along with the degradational origin of simple organics. It is pointed out that the contribution of interstellar organic chemistry to problems in biology is not substantive but analogical. The interstellar medium reveals the operation of chemical processes which, on earth and perhaps on vast numbers of planets throughout the universe, led to the origin of life, but the actual molecules of the interstellar medium are unlikely to play any significant biological role.

Sagan, C.↗