Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Thomas, R. J..
Maps are produced of the atomic oxygen density near 97 km showing a strong variation in latitude, longitude, universal time, and time of year. These densities are deduced from atomic oxygen green nightglow observations carried out from Ogo 6. Meridional wind patterns needed to support the asymmetries observed in local oxygen production and loss rates are deduced.
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The total mixing ratio of an atom, which may be contained in any number of different molecules, is derived as a function of altitude for the earth's mesosphere and stratosphere. It is shown that the total mixing ratio of most atoms is constant; for an escaping gas, such as hydrogen, the ratio decreases with altitude, whereas the mixing ratios of atoms deposited by meteors increase with altitude. The analysis shows that by using total mixing ratios, the individual mixing ratios at a certain altitude can be related to those of another altitude without any restrictions on chemical lifetimes.
The atomic oxygen distribution as a function of altitude between 80 and 120 km and as a function of latitude has been deduced from Ogo 6 557.7-nm airglow photometer data obtained between August 1969 and April 1970. The results indicate that the density ranges from 15 to 50 billion per cu cm at 120 km; that there is a semiannual variation by a factor of 3 in the global average density near 100 km in phase with the satellite drag semiannual effect; and that large latitudinal variations occur with maximums between 40 and 60 deg in the winter hemisphere and sometimes deep minimums in the tropics. The implication of these results for meridional and vertical transport patterns is discussed.
Soft X-ray and hydrogen alpha observations on the structure of a solar flare show the typical flare behavior - a rapid rise to maximum and a gradual exponential decay, with good time correlation between the soft X-rays and H alpha. The emission is identified by Fe XI ion, and the emitting region is contoured on EUV maps.
The OSO 7 scientific findings reveal hitherto unknown processes in solar flares and some remarkable properties of the corona. Gamma-ray emission lines provide evidence of nuclear reactions in solar flares. The measurements were made during the large flares of Aug. 4 and 7, 1972. The data clearly show line emission at energies of about 0.5 MeV (million electron volts) and 2.2 MeV, with weaker enhancements at 4.4 MeV and 6.1 MeV. It appears that the nuclear processes in flares as revealed by OSO 7 are probably thermal reactions. Some flare electron streams also produce bursts of hard X rays. Holes and poles in the corona, and coronal streams and the interplanetary blast were studied.
Atomic oxygen green line data from the horizon scanning photometer on Ogo 6 have been examined. Unfolding the satellite data from the tropical F region yields altitude and latitude variations of the O(1S) emissions. The spatial variations of the tropical F-region electron density are then calculated by assuming dissociative recombination and using a model atmosphere. Where comparisons to ground based data are possible the results are good. Thus, the satellite observations constitute a form of topside sounding of the ionosphere below the F peak and provide synoptic data about this portion of the ionosphere that are otherwise impractical to obtain.
The detection and significance of 300-second oscillations in extreme-ultraviolet lines formed in the solar transition region are discussed. Detection was accomplished with the Goddard extreme-ultraviolet spectroheliograph and the Wolter type II grazing-incidence telescope. The Cooley-Tukey algorithm was used to compute the required Fourier transform of the discrete data. Presence of significant power in the observed lines around 262 sec seems to be the first observational evidence that periodic waves in this frequency range persist at heights where local kinetic temperatures are close to one million degrees K. The observed horizontal extent of the wave fronts appears to be much greater than the extent of coherent oscillating elements at chromospheric heights. Several implications are stated for the problem of heating of the transition region and low corona.
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Atomic oxygen green line data from the horizon scanning photometer on OGO-6 was examined. Unfolding the satellite data from the tropical F-region yields altitude and latitude variations of the O(1S) emissions. The spatial variations of the tropical F-region electron density are then calculated by assuming dissociative recombination and using a model atmosphere. Where comparisons to ground-based data are possible the results are good. Thus, the satellite observations constitute a form of topside sounding of the ionosphere below the F-peak and provide synoptic data about this portion of the ionsphere otherwise impractical to obtain.
The current status of X-ray astronomy is surveyed by reviewing observational results and theoretical conclusions gained within the past two years in areas dealing with the quiet-sun, slowly-varying, and burst components of solar X-radiation and with the features of cosmic X-ray sources. Thermal and nonthermal processes responsible for a wide variety of X-ray emission mechanisms in nature are explained, and characteristics of X radiation from specific solar structures are described. Attention is given to the effects of interstellar and intergalactic matter on cosmic X-rays; the properties of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources; and the specifications of such instruments as gas-filled ionization detectors, proportional counters, Geiger counters, scintillation detectors, photoelectric detectors, polarimeters, collimators, spectrometers, and imaging systems.
Soft X ray bursts involving solar flares from satellite observations, discussing thermal nature and total activity related H-alpha emission rates
Relationships between solar soft X radiation and emissions at other wavelengths based on data from ion chamber phototometer aboard OSO-3
Solar soft X rays observed from OSO-3, correlating to solar flares and radio bursts