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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Alternative hypothesis for the origin of CCF xenon

The relative abundances and origins of the xenon isotopes found in carbonaceous meteorites are discussed. It is proposed that carbonaceous-chondrite-fission (CCF) xenon is not caused by fission, but is the direct result of a modified r-process nucleosynthesis which produces a peak at Z = 54 and N = 82. The xenon produced in this way would have been trapped in dust grains which were subsequently incorporated in the solar system with minimal degassing.

Black, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Solar test of Dirac's large number hypothesis

An investigation is conducted regarding the implications of Dirac's theories (1973, 1974) concerning the creation of new matter. It is found that Dirac's theory of multiplicative creation, but not his theory of additive creation, is not in contradiction with known facts about the sun. According to the theory of additive creation, matter is formed uniformly throughout space. The concept of multiplicative creation implies that existing matter multiplies itself in proportion to the amount of matter already present.

Chin, C.-W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

High-resolution stellar vidicon spectrophotometry. I - Variable mass loss from Arcturus and the hypothesis of giant convective elements

High-resolution spectrophotometry of the variable Ca II K line in the K2 IIIp star Alpha Boo was performed with the McMath Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and an experimental SEC vidicon camera. The results are compared with Copernicus observations of the Mg II h and k lines and with earlier Ca II data. It is found that either of two states may typically occur in the Arcturus chromosphere. From comparison with the results of model calculations for expanding chromospheres, it is concluded that these correspond respectively to a 'normal' state in which the mass loss is less than one billionth of a solar mass per year and an 'abnormal' state in which the mass loss is about 8 billionths of a solar mass per year. In the latter case, the expansion velocity is around 13 km/s at optical depth unity in the K-line, which exceeds the local sound speed. It is suggested that the abnormal state represents the rise to the photosphere of a very large convective element, as hypothesized for red giants by Schwarzschild (1975).

Chiu, H. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Detection of interstellar DNC - Difficulties of chemical equilibrium hypothesis for enrichment

The J = 1-0 transition of DNC at 76.3058 GHz has been observed in emission in NGC 2264. Comparison with previous observations of HN(C-13) indicates that deuterium is enriched in DNC similarly to the enrichment reported for DCO(+) in this source. The DNC/HNC ratio is estimated to be about 1/24. The results cannot readily be interpreted in terms of chemical equilibria relating to the formation of DNC. It is suggested that the explanation must be sought in isotope effects on rates of formation of interstellar molecules.

Godfrey, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The thermoremanence hypothesis and the origin of magnetization in iron meteorites

The intensity, relative stability and directional behavior in alternating field demagnetization of natural, saturation, thermal and spontaneous magnetization were studied for a variety of iron meteorites. Results show that remanence and relative stability increase from the coarser to the finer-grained samples. In addition, natural remanent magnetization coercivity spectra are found to soften with coarsening of the grain size. The link between fine structure and magnetization direction in octahedrites is also discussed. The combined effect of magnetocrystalline- and shape-anisotropy of the crystallographically ordered ferromagnetic kamacite alpha-phase renders the iron meteorites of little use for the study of ancient solar system fields.

Brecher, A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The permuted generator hypothesis for the origin of a genetic code

Protocells had no known means of ensuring that their randomly collected proteins would be duplicated. A possible, albeit inexact, mechanism for protein synthesis in a primitive t-RNA is presented, whereby an oligonucleotide (12 units) in a circular configuration is able to align a generator site with amino acid discriminator sites. In this way, unique anticodons could be specified for each site and replication could occur.

Folsome, C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The Ramsey phase-change hypothesis

Ramsey's (1948, 1949, 1950, 1954) arguments for the phase-change interpretation of the nature of the terrestrial core are summarized. Some of the successes of the phase-change theory in accounting for hitherto unexplained properties of earth's interior are discussed. Evidence in favor of the phase-change theory is reviewed, and calculations are examined which indicate that the liquid-core material is far more compressible at any relevant pressure than is the mantle material. Implications of the phase-change theory for Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the moon are considered.

Lyttleton, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the origin of ringing irregularities - A meteor hypothesis

Isolated ionospheric irregularities produce oscillating diffraction patterns on the ground. In the present study typical physical properties such as density, size, etc. of these irregularities are estimated on the basis of diffraction pattern characteristics. These properties agree well with those of meteor trail ionization and it has been found that most of these oscillating irregularities occur on meteor shower days. It is therefore suggested that the oscillating irregularities are caused by meteor showers.

Deshpande, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Primordial nucleosynthesis and Dirac's large numbers hypothesis

Consideration is given to the analysis of Falik (1979) which attempted to show that the cosmological model proposed by Canuto and Hsieh (1978) in which the gravitational constant varies with time contradicts observations of primordial helium. It is shown that the analysis was based on the assumptions that (1) the energy density of radiation in local thermodynamic equilibrium is approximately equal to the fourth power of the equilibrium temperature, where the product of the equilibrium temperature with the scale factor of the Robertson-Walker metric is constant, and (2) the gravitational constant is approximately equal to the inverse of the time even at early cosmological epochs. These assumptions are demonstrated to be invalid in the scale covariant theory of gravitation used to develop the model, thus negating the conclusion that the Canuto and Hsieh model excludes the primordial synthesis of helium.

Canuto, V.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Origin of Martian outflow channels - The eolian hypothesis

It has been recognized for many years that wind injects dust into the atmosphere on Mars and moves around thin layers of surface material. An investigation is conducted regarding the rates of eolian transport on Mars in the context of eolian channel formation. A model is developed for the formation of an erosional channel by sandblasting with materials transported by wind out of chaotic terrains. This model is applied to the interpretation of topographic measurements made in the chaotic terrain source area and channel of Aromatum Vallis, a small well-preserved channel system southwest of the Chryse basin, and constraints are developed on the eolian mechanism.

Cutts, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Selective decay hypothesis at high mechanical and magnetic Reynolds numbers

Implications of certain applications of turbulence theory to two-dimensional turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic flow are discussed. It is shown that the use of the Navier-Stokes equation (NSE) for measurements of turbulent fluctuations has been effective only for three-dimensional flows. For two-dimensional flows, used for the study of large-scale motions in the atmosphere or ocean, enstrophy is cascaded to high wave numbers and dissipated at a finite rate even at infinite Re. MHD flows are numerically calculated for the two-dimensional case and analytically for the three-dimensional case, for which discrepancies in the relative rates of energy and cross helicity decay lead to a recommendation that numerical calculations for the three-dimensional case be carried out to determine the precise decayed states.

Matthaeus, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Comet nucleus - Some characteristics and a hypothesis on origin and structure

The spectroscopic properties of comets are discussed, and consideration is given to the problems of the cosmic ray irradiation and the origin and structure of cometary nuclei. The classification of cometary spectra as continuum dominant, molecular emissions dominant and CO(+) dominant is examined, and changes in spectral characteristics with heliocentric distance although not with cometary age are pointed out. Spectral evidence for a variety of organic compounds in the cometary nucleus is noted, and a scenario is presented whereby these complex molecules may form as a result of cosmic ray irradiation of cometary ices in the Oort cloud. Finally, a model is proposed for the accumulation of small icy grains to form a cometary nucleus composed of cometesimals of size distribution following a -5th power dependence on mass.

Donn, B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ecological optimality in water-limited natural soil-vegetation systems. I - Theory and hypothesis

The solution space of an approximate statistical-dynamic model of the average annual water balance is explored with respect to the hydrologic parameters of both soil and vegetation. Within the accuracy of this model it is shown that water-limited natural vegetation systems are in stable equilibrium with their climatic and pedologic environments when the canopy density and species act to minimize average water demand stress. Theory shows a climatic limit to this equilibrium above which it is hypothesized that ecological pressure is toward maximization of biomass productivity. It is further hypothesized that natural soil-vegetation systems will develop gradually and synergistically, through vegetation-induced changes in soil structure, toward a set of hydraulic soil properties for which the minimum stress canopy density of a given species is maximum in a given climate. Using these hypotheses, only the soil effective porosity need be known to determine the optimum soil and vegetation parameters in a given climate.

Eagleson, P. S.↗