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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

On possible interactions between upper and lower atmosphere

Geomagnetic data was compared with data on tropospheric and stratospheric circulation characteristics; a statistically significant shrinking was found in areal extent of the stratospheric vortex from the third to the eighth day following a 'geomagnetic storm' The meridionality of the 30 640-m contour line at 10 millibars increases markedly from 5 to 8 days after the storm. During the contraction of the polar vortex edge, the mean height of the vortex central contour decreases only slightly. This indicates that a stratospheric warming event is associated with a steepening of the contour gradient rather than a warming over the entire area of the stratospheric polar vortex. The troposphere reacts to these weak, but significant, stratospheric warming events by a shrinkage of the area of the 500-millibar cold air pool. This shrinkage commences about 3 days after the stratospheric warming. The investigation indicates that the energy input into the stratosphere that is received in conjunction with the geomagnetic disturbance has to come at a propitious time, when the stratospheric-tropospheric circulation system is not already undergoing a major readjustment because of an inherent dynamic instability.

Macdonald, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A possible correlation between maxima of the far ultraviolet solar irradiance and central meridian passages of solar magnetic sector boundaries

Satellite observations of the sun over almost 5 yrs show that principally two UV active longitudes have persisted over a significant portion of this observational period. A comparison between the position of solar magnetic sector boundaries and UV enhancements of the sun seems to show, at least during the year 1969, that the UV maxima tend to occur near the times when a solar sector boundary is near central meridian. An estimate of the magnitude of the variable UV solar energy input into the atmosphere resulting from the rotation of active solar longitudes is that for wavelengths less than 175 nm and down to H Lyman-alpha it exceeds the annual variation, whereas at longer wavelengths it is less.

Heath, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Future monitoring of charged particle energy deposition into the upper atmosphere and comments on possible relationships between atmospheric phenomena and solar and/or geomagnetic activity

Monitoring of earth's atmosphere was conducted for several years utilizing the ITOS series of low-altitude, polar-orbiting weather satellites. A space environment monitoring package was included in these satellites to perform measurements of a portion of earth's charged particle environment. The charged particle observations proposed for the low-altitude weather satellite TIROS N, are described which will provide the capability of routine monitoring of the instantaneous total energy deposition into the upper atmosphere by the precipitation of charged particles from higher altitudes. Such observations may be of use in future studies of the relationships between geomagnetic activity and atmospheric weather pattern developments. Estimates are given to assess the potential importance of this type of energy deposition. Discussion and examples are presented illustrating the importance of distinguishing between solar and geomagnetic activity as possible causative sources. Such differentiation is necessary because of the widely different spatial and time scales involved in the atmospheric energy input resulting from these various sources of activity.

Williams, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

High intensity solar irradiation testing of UV optics

The Orbiting Solar Observatory-I (OSO-8 in orbit) incorporates two high resolution solar pointing spectrometers operating from 1000 A to 4000 A. Energy from the sun enters a Cassegrainian telescope and is focused on a slit while the solar disk is scanned to one arc-second resolution. The stability of the secondary mirrors reflectance was of concern since they would be exposed to intense focused solar energy up to 27 suns. A test program was initiated to simulate this energy input on sample UV mirrors of the MgF2 and LiF types and to evaluate their performance after irradiation. Tests were conducted to simulate the solar spectrum at high intensities (25 suns) and at a single wavelength near Lyman-alpha, but with twenty times the solar intensity at Lyman-alpha. Post-test measurements after every exposure were made at wavelengths from 1025 A to 1849 A. After 75 simulated 'orbits', reflectance changes due to temperature effects were noted to be less than 10%. Reductions in reflectance under high intensity solar radiation were generally greater than 10%. Polymerization of surface contaminations on the LiF mirrors reduced reflectances at short wavelengths by 40%.

Greyerbiehl, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Non-thermal processes in large solar flares

The paper examines the significance of particle acceleration processes in large solar flares, and the importance of accelerated particles in the generation of other flare phenomena. Comprehensive observations of the August 1972 series of large flares were used to obtain quantitative estimates of the energetic particle populations, the electromagnetic emissions, and the mass ejections. The fluxes of energetic electrons and protons were derived from observed X-ray and gamma-ray emissions, respectively. The energy input into the solar atmosphere from the collisional losses of these energetic particles is computed as a function of overlying column density, under the assumption that particles are accelerated at a point high in the solar atmosphere and then precipitate down to denser layers. The flash phase radiation, soft X-ray flare plasma, and the interplanetary shock wave can be consistently and quantitatively explained as a result of the interaction of nonrelativistic electrons with the solar atmosphere.

Lin, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Heating of the lower thermosphere by the dissipation of acoustic waves

Infrasound of 0.2 Hz known as microbaroms, generated by interfering ocean waves, propagates into the lower thermosphere where it is dissipated between 110 and 140 km. It is shown here that under average conditions in winter the energy input into this region is of the order of 0.33 W/kg, the same as that estimated for gravity wave dissipation, and capable of producing a heating of at least 30 K/day. To arrive at this result different dissipation mechanisms are discussed, with the calculated attenuation compared to previously published observations and observations of natural infrasound at Palisades, N.Y. Increased acoustic attenuation due to the presence of turbulence is not, in general, in evidence.

Rind, D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

On the fragmentation of cosmic gas clouds. III - The initial stellar mass function

Radiation from the first opaque protostellar fragments to form in a nonhomologously collapsing molecular cloud can provide a significant heat source in regions where the matter remains relatively diffuse over the initial free-fall time scale. This energy input provides a negative feedback that gradually inhibits fragmentation as larger protostellar fragments form that are also more effective radiators. A highly simplified model is described that yields an expression for the initial mass function in stellar clusters. Dynamical dissipation, driven by the more massive protostars, tends to decouple the gas and grain temperatures and steepen the mass function. Fragmentation of less massive stars appears to proceed more efficiently when the heavy-element abundance is decreased, indicating the possibility of an inverse correlation between gradients in Z and M/L. Other possible observational tests of fragmentation are also suggested.

Silk, J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Microbial desulfurization of coal

Experiments indicate that several sulfur-oxidizing bacteria strains have been very efficient in desulfurizing coal. Process occurs at room temperature and does not require large capital investments of high energy inputs. Process may expand use of abundant reserves of high-sulfur bituminous coal, which is currently restricted due to environmental pollution. On practical scale, process may be integrated with modern coal-slurry transportation lines.

Dastoor, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The analysis of high spatial resolution UV and X-ray images by computational modeling

Very high resolution stereoscopic images of high temperature loop structures observed at UV and X-ray wavelengths in the solar corona can be used to understand physical processes in the corona. An existing computational model is described and sample results are given to demonstrate that computational modeling of coronal structures can indeed take advantage of very high resolution images. The sample results include the run of temperature and number density along a typical loop and the variation of the differential emission measure with temperature. The integration of the differential emission measure with temperature along a column commensurate with an instrument's spatial resolution is the relevant parameter obtained from UV and X-ray observations. The effects of loop geometry and energy input are examined.

Vesecky, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Magnetic ordering of the polar airglow

The visible airglow experiment on the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite has gathered sufficient data over the earth's polar regions to allow one to map the geographic distribution of particle precipitation using emissions at 3371 and 5200 A. Both of these features exhibit large variations in space and time. The 3371 A emission of N2(C cubed pi), excited by low energy electrons, indicates substantial energy inputs on the dayside in the vicinity of the polar cusp. More precipitation occurs in the morning than evening for the sample reported here, while the entire night sector between magnetic latitudes 65 and 77.5 deg is subjected to particle fluxes. Regions of enhanced 5200 A emission from N(D-2) are larger in horizontal extent than those at 3371 A. This smearing effect is due to ionospheric motions induced by magnetospheric convection.

Frederick, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Spectrophotometry of Seyfert 2 galaxies and narrow-line radio galaxies

Results are reported for a spectrophotometric survey of several Seyfert 2 galaxies, intermediate Seyferts, and narrow-line radio galaxies. The emission-line spectra of the galaxies are analyzed, emphasizing line intensities, reddening, temperatures, densities, line strength correlations, line widths, and redshift differences. The continuous spectra are examined, and possible ionization sources are considered. It is found that: (1) there are no distinguishing differences between the spectra of Seyfert 2 galaxies and narrow-line radio galaxies; (2) the emission spectra are rich in lines from a wide range of ionization levels; (3) the continuum is starlight diluted by an underlying continuous spectrum; (4) the line widths of both classes of galaxies have the same distribution; (5) there appear to be regions of high and low ionization in the Seyfert 2 and narrow-line radio galaxies; (6) photoionization seems quite likely as the energy input to the gas; and (7) all the galaxies show a UV excess in their spectra.

Koski, A. T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Heat capacity mapping mission

A Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM), part of a series of Applications Explorers Missions, is designed to provide data on surface heating as a response to solar energy input. The data is obtained by a two channel scanning radiometer, with one channel covering the visible and near-IR band between 0.5 and 1.1 micrometers, and the other covering the thermal-IR between 10.5 and 12.5 micrometers. The temperature range covered lies between 260 and 340 K, in 0.3 deg steps, with an accuracy at 280 K of plus or minus 0.5 K. Nominal altitude is 620 km, with a ground swath 700 km wide.

Price, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Is the galactic corona produced by galactic flares?

The effect of the differential rotation of the disk of the Galaxy on magnetic field which penetrates the disk is considered. The magnetic field will be progressively distorted from a potential (current-free) form and will at some stage become unstable. It is expected that an MHD instability, a resistive instability, or a combination of the two, will result in the release of the excess magnetic energy and that part of the released energy will be converted into heat. By estimating the energy release and the rate at which this process will occur and by assuming that this energy input is balanced by radiation, estimates were obtained of the parameters of the resulting plasma. It appears that this process alone can heat a galactic corona to temperatures of order 10 to the 6th power K.

Sturrock, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system performance evaluation. Seasonal report for Wormser, Columbia, South Carolina

The Wormser Solar Energy System's operational performance from April 1979 through March 1980 was evaluated. The space heating subsystem met 42 percent of the measured space heating load and the hot water subsystem met 23 percent of the measured hot water demand. Net electrical energy savings were 4.36 million Btu's or 1277 kwh. Fossil energy savings will increase considerably if the uncontrolled solar energy input to the building is considered.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1979

Distortions of the cosmic microwave background spectrum by dust

The effects of dust in the early universe on the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background are considered, taking into account the effects of a pregalactic generation of stars. It is shown that observed distortions of the background spectrum from that of a black body at 3 K could be due to emission by silicate dust grains at a metal abundance of 0.00001 by mass and with a substantial energy input, which represent the remnants of population III stars. Attempts to fit the microwave background spectrum to the model of Rees (1978) in which the entire cosmic background is accounted for by grain emission are shown to require an implausible value for the metal abundance at early epochs, and not to agree with the millimeter and submillimeter spectrum observed by Woody and Richards (1979).

Rowan-Robinson, M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

EUV limb spectra of a surge observed from Skylab

The EUV spectra of a surge observed at plus 8 in. and plus 20 in. above the white light limb from Skylab are examined. The shape of the differential emission measure determined at 8 in. and 20 in. is nearly the same as for a quiet Sun spectrum at 8 in., but the emission measure of the surge at 8 in. is about an order of magnitude greater than for the quiet Sun. At 20 in. the emission measure of the surge is initially close to the quiet Sun distribution, but decreases by a factor of 4 within 6 min. The optically thin lines formed near 10 to the 5th power K show nonthermal broadening at 8 in., and electron densities near this temperature are derived from intersystem to resonance ratios. The volume of the emitting plasma at 8 in. above the limb was determined, concluding that a continuous energy input is required to explain the observations.

Doschek, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Transient solution for megajoule energy release in a lumped-parameter series RLC circuit

A method is developed for optimizing the energy release from a megajoule capacitive discharge in a series RLC circuit with an RL load. Both the resistance and inductance of the load are represented by effective values that characterize their behavior during the discharge. Using Kirchhoff's laws, equations utilizing the load impedance and the external circuit impedance are derived for determining the instantaneous load voltage and energy characteristics. A program (ERES) computes and displays the load characteristics and the circuit current. Use of the ERES program allows a designer to perturbate values of the circuit elements in order to produce the desired time distribution for the load energy input.

Barnes, G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Evidence for a peak in the number of isolated Type III bursts prior to large solar flares

Evidence for a broad maximum in the number of isolated metric-wave Type III bursts prior to the large H alpha solar flares observed between May 1973 and February 1974 is reported. The time distribution of isolated Type III bursts within 12.6 h of each of the 111 solar flares of importance 1 or greater recorded during the period is shown to peak approximately 5 h before the time of flare maximum, most markedly in the case of bursts with projected positions near the solar flare position. The examination of H alpha, X-ray and magnetogram data in the vicinity of the flare implies a purely coronal storage and release mechanism for the flare energy. The peak of Type III burst activity is thus suggested as a good indicator of coronal energy input and storage near the time of a large solar flare, although not a reliable flare predictor.

Jackson, B. V.↗