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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Constraints on the differentiation of the Earth from the coupled Sm-146,147-Nd-142,143 systematics

The coupled Sm-Nd systematics are a powerful (albeit analytically challenging) tool for investigating the geodynamic history of the Earth. We have previously reported evidence for a 33 ppm difference of an Isua sample relative to our terrestrial standard. Interpretation yields a formation age range for the depleted mantle (DM) source reservoir of 4.45-4.55 Ga. This is consistent with an epoch of LREE-enriched melt extraction from the mantle (proto-crust formation), soon after magma ocean freeze-up following the putative Moon forming giant impact.

Jacobsen, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Orthopyroxenes as recorders of diogenite petrogenesis: Major and minor element systematics

As a part of our research to better understand magmatic processes in the Eucrite Parent Body, we have initiated an ambitious program of study of major, minor and trace elements in orthopyroxene from diogenites. This paper reports preliminary results for major and minor elements in orthopyroxenes for a suite of 13 diogenites: Aioun El Atrouss, ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, EET 87530, Ellemeet, Garland, Ibbenburen, Johnstown, Manegoan, peckelsheim, Roda, Shalka, and Tatahouine. A companion paper by Shearer et al. reports new trace element data for ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, Ibbenburen, and Tatahouine. We have presently collected over 800 high quality pyroxene microprobe analyses for Si, Al, Ca, Na, Mn, Fe, Mg, Cr, and Ti. The chemical systematics observed for these orthopyroxenes reflect original magmatic mineral/melt partitioning plus later trapped liquid/mineral equilibration, subsolids, exsolution, and mineral/mineral metamorphic reactions. We have therefore avoided, at this point, any attempt to use statistical analysis to group (e.g. factor or cluster analysis) these orthopyroxenes chemically.

Papike, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

U-Pb isotopic systematics of ferroan anorthosite 60025

Preliminary U-Pb isotopic data from separates of ferroan anorthosite 60025 confirm its antiquity at approximately 4.42 Ga. Three Pb-Pb isochron ages involving different sets of mineral separates vary by only 20 million years, but indicate derivation of the sets from isotopically distinct magma sources. If this anorthosite was a monomict cumulate product formed during the Moon's early primary differentiation stage, then residual liquids of crystallizing magmas were evolving isotopically, even at the cm-scale, over the duration of the crystallization period. Another explanation is that this sample is simply a polymict breccia and that the Pb isotopic results are a result of subsequent mechanical mixing of mineral assemblages from various cumulate piles formed coevally at approximately 4.42 Ga from isotopically distinct magma sources. In our ongoing search for early lunar Pb isotopic compositions, we have analyzed Apollo 16 anorthosites 67075 and 62337 and Apollo 17 high-Mg suite cumulates (troctolite 76535, norite 78235, and dunite 72415). The U-Pb isotopic systematics have been better behaved in the high-Mg suite rocks than in the anorthosites that have shown evidence of mineral assemblages of mixed parentage. Our aim in analyzing anorthosite 60025 was to avoid or minimize this problem as it had been considered essentially monomict, although recent work has shown that not only is 60025 polymict, but shows textual evidence of at least two episodes of deformation. Of five splits studied by James, Lindstrom and McGee, the four mineral splits appeared monomict, whereas the whole-rock split was considered polymict. Previous isotopic work indicate that this anorthosite was quite primitive, a claim that was apparently confirmed by the U-Pb isotopic age of 4.51 +/- .01 Ga on three plagioclase separates. However, a Sm-Nd internal isochron age of 4.44 +/- 0.02 Ga was determined using plagioclase, olivine, and mafic mineral separates, creating some doubt about the anorthosite's true age. It was pointed out that the use of slightly evolved initial Pb values (corresponding to a source-micron value of approximately 35) to correct the U-Pb data can result in an U-Pb age of 4.44 Ga. The need to resolve the age and isotopic nature of this anorthosite is paramount to furthering our understanding of processes of ferroan anorthosite formation as well as the magmatic history of the early Moon.

Premo, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Systematic Propulsion Optimization Tools (SPOT)

This paper describes a computer program written by senior-level Mechanical Engineering students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville which is capable of optimizing user-defined delivery systems for carrying payloads into orbit. The custom propulsion system is designed by the user through the input of configuration, payload, and orbital parameters. The primary advantages of the software, called Systematic Propulsion Optimization Tools (SPOT), are a user-friendly interface and a modular FORTRAN 77 code designed for ease of modification. The optimization of variables in an orbital delivery system is of critical concern in the propulsion environment. The mass of the overall system must be minimized within the maximum stress, force, and pressure constraints. SPOT utilizes the Design Optimization Tools (DOT) program for the optimization techniques. The SPOT program is divided into a main program and five modules: aerodynamic losses, orbital parameters, liquid engines, solid engines, and nozzles. The program is designed to be upgraded easily and expanded to meet specific user needs. A user's manual and a programmer's manual are currently being developed to facilitate implementation and modification.

Bower, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1994

Systematic comparison between the ground based automated Dobson of the Observatory of Haute-Provence and TOMS since 1983

The total ozone quantity has been obtained since September 1983 at O.H.P. using the conventional AD wavelength technique. An average of 180 measurements per year is obtained with the Dobson n deg 85. Each of these daily total quantities is in fact an average of at least 5 measurements. The preliminary comparison with TOMS data show good agreement. We discuss systematic daily and monthly comparisons.

Merienne, Marie-France↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mn-Cr isotopic systematics of Chainpur chondrules and bulk ordinary chondrites

We report on ongoing study of the Mn-Cr systematics of individual Chainpur (LL3.4) chondrules and compare the results to those for bulk ordinary chondrites. Twenty-eight chondrules were surveyed for abundances of Mn, Cr, Na, Fe, Sc, Hf, Ir, and Zn by INAA. Twelve were chosen for SEM/EDX and high-precision Cr-isotopic studies on the basis of LL-chondrite-normalized Mn(LL), Sc(LL), (Mn/Fe)(LL), and (Sc/Fe)(LL) as well as their Mn/Cr ratios. Classification into textural types follows from SEM/EDX examination of interior surfaces.

Nyquist, L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Rare gases systematics and mantle structure

The following points are emphasized: one of the most important ones is certainly the first set of experimental data on the solubility of noble gases in metal phases at intermediate pressures, since the core was certainly not formed at ultra high pressures, as emphasized by Ahrens and confirmed by trace elements systematics Wanke. The experimental data clearly show that the core can not be a major reservoir for terrestrial rare gases; the second point is a more elaborate reconsideration of the (40)K-(40)Ar budget of the Earth. This shows that (40)Ar contained in continental crust plus upper mantle plus atmosphere is at maximum half of the (40)Ar inventory of the whole earth. This implies the existence of a two layered mantle; the third point is the discovery by the Australian noble gases group of the existence of high (20)Ne/(22)Ne and low (21)Ne/(22)Ne isotopic ratios in Loihi seamount samples. This results which are different to the MORB ratios confirm the idea of a two layered model, but suggest the existence of a primordial solar type Ne reservoir. Several possibilities about the origin of this (20)Ne excess in the mantle will be discussed; The high (40)Ar/(36)Ar, (129)Xe/(130)Xe and (134) Xe/(130)Xe, (136)Xe/(130)Xe are confirmed by new data. The corresponding ratios for the lower mantle will be discussed. (40)Ar/(36)Ar ratios up to 6000 can be accepted and will not modify the general model of the mantle. They confirm the atmosphere chronology, about 85 percent of the atmosphere was formed in the first 50 My and 15 percent later on.

Allegre, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Systematic effects of randomness in radiative transfer

In this paper, the authors show how the variability of the water content in individual clouds, the complexity of individual cloud structure, and the lateral and vertical heterogeneity of the distribution of individual clouds can produce systematic effects in the inversion of intensity distributions and the inference of source functions and the vertical temperature profile. This is possibly very significant, even in simple applications of radiative transfer theory where multiple scattering is not very important, in light of the randomness in the water vapor content and geometry associated with the microphysics of clouds. A practical procedure is provided to quantify this effect and to obtain, in certain circumstances, an improved estimate of the vertical temperature profile.

Newman, William I.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Systematic Solution Approach for Neutron Transport Problems in Diffuse Regimes

A systematic solution approach for the neutron transport equation, based on a least-squares finite-element discretization, is presented. This approach includes the theory for the existence and uniqueness of the analytical as well as of the discrete solution, bounds for the discretization error, and guidance for the development of an efficient multigrid solver for the resulting discrete problem. To guarantee the accuracy of the discrete solution for diffusive regimes, a scaling transformation is applied to the transport operator prior to the discretization. The key result is the proof of the V-ellipticity and continuity of the scaled least-squares bilinear form with constants that are independent of the total cross section and the absorption cross section. For a variety of least-squares finite-element discretizations this leads to error bounds that remain valid in diffusive regimes. Moreover, for problems in slab geometry a full multigrid solver is presented with V(1, 1)-cycle convergence rates approximately equal to 0.1, independent of the size of the total cross section and the absorption cross section.

Manteuffel, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Systematic Interpretation of Cosmic Ray Data (The Transport Project)

The Transport project's primary goals were to: (1) Provide measurements of critical fragmentation cross sections; (2) Study the cross section systematics; (3) Improve the galactic cosmic ray propagation methodology; and (4) Use the new cross section measurements to improve the interpretation of cosmic ray data. To accomplish these goals a collaboration was formed consisting of researchers in the US at Louisiana State University (LSU), Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the University of Minnesota (UM), New Mexico State University (NMSU), in France at the Centre d'Etudes de Saclay and in Italy at the Universita di Catania. The US institutions, lead by LSU, were responsible for measuring new cross sections using the LBL HISS facility, analysis of these measurements and their application to interpreting cosmic ray data. France developed a liquid hydrogen target that was used in the HISS experiment and participated in the data interpretation. Italy developed a Multifunctional Neutron Spectrometer (MUFFINS) for the HISS runs to measure the energy spectra, angular distributions and multiplicities of neutrons emitted during the high energy interactions. The Transport Project was originally proposed to NASA during Summer, 1988 and funding began January, 1989. Transport was renewed twice (1991, 1994) and finally concluded at LSU on September, 30, 1997. During the more than 8 years of effort we had two major experiment runs at LBL, obtained data on the interaction of twenty different beams with a liquid hydrogen target, completed the analysis of fifteen of these datasets obtaining 590 new cross section measurements, published nine journal articles as well as eighteen conference proceedings papers, and presented more than thirty conference talks.

Guzik, T. Gregory↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Systematic Methodology for Verifying Superscalar Microprocessors

We present a systematic approach to decompose and incrementally build the proof of correctness of pipelined microprocessors. The central idea is to construct the abstraction function by using completion functions, one per unfinished instruction, each of which specifies the effect (on the observables) of completing the instruction. In addition to avoiding the term size and case explosion problem that limits the pure flushing approach, our method helps localize errors, and also handles stages with interactive loops. The technique is illustrated on pipelined and superscalar pipelined implementations of a subset of the DLX architecture. It has also been applied to a processor with out-of-order execution.

Srivas, Mandayam↗
NASA NTRS1999

Pressure Measurements Using an Airborne Differential Absorption Lidar: Analysis of the Systematic Error Sources - Part 1

Remote airborne measurements of the vertical and horizontal structure of the atmospheric pressure field in the lower troposphere are made with an oxygen differential absorption lidar (DIAL). A detailed analysis of this measurement technique is provided which includes corrections for imprecise knowledge of the detector background level, the oxygen absorption fine parameters, and variations in the laser output energy. In addition, we analyze other possible sources of systematic errors including spectral effects related to aerosol and molecular scattering interference by rotational Raman scattering and interference by isotopic oxygen fines.

Flamant, Cyrille N.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Systematic Study of Black Hole Candidates

The investigation carried out under this grant were: (1) a systematic study of all observations of black-hole x-ray binaries made with the Jappanese satellite Ginga; (2) a study of the hard x-ray variability of black-hole x-ray binaries, using the BATSE data base.

VanParadijs, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Systematic Search for Short-term Variability of EGRET Sources

The 3rd EGRET Catalog contains 170 unidentified high-energy (E>100 MeV) gamma-ray sources, and there is great interest in the nature of these sources. One means of determining sources class is the study of flux variability on time scales of days; pulsars are believed to be stable on these scales while blazars are known to be highly variable. In addition, previous work has led to the discovery of 2CG 135+01 and GRO J1838-04, candidates for a new high-energy gamma-ray source class. These sources display transient behavior but cannot be associated with any known blazars. These considerations have led us to conduct a systematic search for short-term variability in EGRET data, covering all viewing periods through cycle 4. Three unidentified sources show some evidence of variability on short time scales; the source displaying the most convincing variability, 3EG J2006-2321, is not easily identified as a blazar.

Wallace, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1968

A Subsonic Wind-Tunnel Study to Determine the Buffet and Static Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Systematic Series of Wings

A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted in the Langley High-Speed 7- by 10-Foot Tunnel to determine the buffet and static aerodynamic characteristics of a systematic wing series at Mach numbers ranging from 0.23 to 0.94. The results have indicated that for a given Mach number, the wings which display superior aerodynamic efficiency characteristics generally display the highest buffet free lift coefficient. The characteristics exhibited by the wings which were considered have indicated that correlations can be made between the onset of buffet and selected divergences in the static aerodynamic characteristics. Axial force has been found to be the most sensitive static component to the onset of buffeting.

Ray, Edward J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Systematic Identification of Preferred Orbits for Magnetospheric Missions: Single Satellites - 1

This is a systematic attempt to identify and assess near-equatorial, high-eccentricity orbits best suited for studying the Earth's magnetosphere, in particular its most dynamic part, the plasma sheet of the magnetotail. The study was motivated by the design needs of a multi-spacecraft "constellation" mission, stressing low cost, minimal active control and economic launch strategies, and both quantitative and qualitative aspects were investigated. On one hand, by collecting hourly samples throughout the year, accurate estimates were obtained of the coverage of different regions, and of the frequency and duration of long eclipses. On the other hand, an intuitive understanding was developed of the factors which determine the merits of the mission, including long-range factors due to perturbations by the Moon, Sun and the Earth's equatorial bulge.

Stern, David P.↗
NASA NTRS2001

On the Systematics of Lunar Regolith Compositions

Some systematics of lunar regolith composition are discussed in terms of chemical elements measurable from orbit. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Korotev, R. L.↗