Engineering topics

Stettler, W.

Publications and source records attributed to Stettler, W..

2 records

NASA NTRS1979

Solar and terrestrial noble gases in magnetospheric precipitation

Metal-foil collectors were installed on the external structure of Skylab to entrap precipitating magnetospheric particles. The foils were retrieved, and the entrapped helium, neon, and argon were isotopically analyzed in a high-resolution mass spectrometer. Solar and terrestrial helium and neon and terrestrial argon were detected. As expected, the isotopic composition of neon and argon in the high atmosphere was found to be strongly fractionated. Special techniques were used to estimate the initial particle energy of He-3. The measured He-3 flux is consistent with the assumption that precipitating solar He-3 is the major source of terrestrial He-3.

Lind, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Magnetospheric particle composition experiment

Thin foils of aluminum and platinum were mounted on the exterior of the Skylab spacecraft where they were bombarded by particles that penetrate to the 400-km spacecraft altitude, including auroral particles precipitating from the earth magnetosphere. These foils have a high trapping efficiency for both charged and neutral particles above 1 keV and a decreasing but appreciable efficiency below that energy. Some sections of the foils were double layered to obtain an estimate of the energy of the entrapped particles. The foils were retrieved and returned for analysis in an ultrahigh-vacuum mass spectrometer. So far, the noble gas components of the entrapped particles have been analyzed in selected sections of two foils. Helium-4, helium-3, neon-20, and neon-22 have been detected.

Geiss, J.↗