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At least 271 records · Page 15

The Equilibrium Response of Climate and Composition to Lightning

Climate change can affect atmospheric composition through perturbation of natural processes, leading to complex feedbacks. The primary atmospheric oxidants OH and ozone are very sensitive to emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) from lightning, and therefore so are the subsequent chemical perturbations to long-lived greenhouse gases (e.g., methane) and aerosol chemistry and physics. Meanwhile, cloud electrification responds to both meteorology and composition (aerosol particles). Key to understanding the ultimate impact of lightning on air quality and climate is the long-term methane feedback. Here, we present simulations from the GISS ModelE2.1 chemistry-climate model in which we isolate the response of Earth’s radiative budget and composition to lightning NO x in the present day and at the end of this century by allowing the model to re-equilibrate following removal of the source. Whereas lightning initially contributes to surface ozone enhancements, longer-term responses amplified by the methane lifetime feedback reduce surface ozone on multi-decadal time scales in the northern midlatitudes. Lightning consequently contributes a strong negative radiative effect in the present day (-0.5 W m -2 ), stronger than that estimated for the anthropogenic NOx source. In addition to influencing tropospheric composition, we find significant changes in stratospheric dynamics and composition. We test the sensitivity of our results to multiple parameterizations for global lightning activity.

Lightning↗

Composition of comet Halley dust particles from Giotto observations

Mass spectra of cometary dust particles measured by the PIA dust particle analyzer aboard the Giotto spacecraft show some unexpected and striking features. First, small particles below 10 to the -14th g are much more abundant than anticipated by models. Second, most of the particles are rich in light elements such as H, C, N, and O, suggesting the validity of models that describe the cometary dust as including organic material. Third, the light elements specifically seem to have a low ratio of mass to volume. Three examples of original mass spectra showing typical compositions are given; these have been measured, and are compared with a computer-simulated mass spectrum.

Kissel, J.↗

Silicon isotopic composition in large meteoritic SiC particles and Na-22 origin of Ne-22

Large SiC particles extracted from acid-insoluble residues of carbonaceous chondrites are isotopically anomalous in both silicon and carbon and contain isotopically extreme noble gases. These particles are thought to have originated in mass outflows from red giant stars and to have existed in the interstellar medium at the time the solar system formed from an interstellar cloud. Calculations show that the silicon isotope correlations in those large SiC particles can be generated only in the most massive carbon stars. Consequently, the almost pure Ne-22 in those particles must be interpreted as the condensation of radioactive Na-22 in the particles as they flowed away from the stars. The Na-22 is produced through proton capture by Ne-21 at the base of the surface convection zone. Ne-22 does not exist abundantly in helium shells hot enough to burn magnesium, which is necessary to establish the measured silicon isotopic composition.

Brown, Lawrence E.↗

Wave propagation in composite media and material characterization

Characteristics of wave propagation in an undamaged composite medium are influenced by many factors, the most important of which are: microstructure, constituent properties, interfaces, residual stress fields, and ply lay-ups. Measurements of wave velocities, attenuation, and dispersion provide a powerful tool for nondestructive evaluation of these properties. Recent developments are reviewed for modeling ultrasonic wave propagation in fiber and particle-reinforced composite media. Additionally, some modeling studies are reviewed for the effects of interfaces and layering on attenuation and dispersion. These studies indicate possible ways of characterizing material properties by ultrasonic means.

Datta, Subhendu K.↗

A laser interferometer dilatometer for thermal expansion measurements of composites

A high precision Fizeau type, laser interferometer dilatometer system has been developed for low expansion composite materials. The strain resolution is about 1 microstrain. The system is automated to operate over a large temperature range and record data during the test in real time. A technique has been developed to reduce the fringe data in real time to length changes. The dilatometer system is described and thermal expansion measurements for several fiber-reinforced and particle filled composites are presented.

Tompkins, S. S.↗

Description of Light Ion Production Cross Sections and Fluxes on the Mars Surface using the QMSFRG Model

The atmosphere of Mars significantly attenuates the heavy ion component of the primary galactic cosmic rays (GCR), however increases the fluence of secondary light ions (neutrons, and hydrogen and helium isotopes) because of particle production processes. We describe results of the quantum multiple scattering fragmentation (QMSFRG) model for the production of light nuclei through the distinct mechanisms of nuclear abrasion and ablation, coalescence, and cluster knockout. The QMSFRG model is shown to be in excellent agreement with available experimental data for nuclear fragmentation cross sections. We use the QMSFRG model and the space radiation transport code, HZETRN to make predictions of the light particle environment on the Martian surface at solar minimum and maximum. The radiation assessment detector (RAD) experiment will be launched in 2009 as part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). We make predictions of the expected results for time dependent count-rates to be observed by RAD experiment. Finally, we consider sensitivity assessments of the impact of the Martian atmospheric composition on particle fluxes at the surface.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗

Global Analysis of the Effects of Dust on the Photodissociation Rates

Aerosols scatter and absorb UV radiation and consequently either enhance or reduce the actinic fluxes and photolysis rates. Mineral dust particles are known to absorb UV radiation, but the impact on the photolysis rates is complicated by the optical properties dependency on the particle size, composition and wavelength. The high spatial and temporal variabilities of the dust size distribution add difficulties to the global analysis. The Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model has been used to simulate several years of the global distribution of mineral dust in the troposphere. The optical parameters (extinction efficiency, single scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter) of the seven particle sizes (from 0.1 to 5 microns), transported by the model, have been inserted in the Tropospheric Ultraviolet-Visible (TUV) radiation model version 4. The photodissociation rates of J(N02) and J(03 to O(1D)) have been calculated with TUV-4 with and without dust particles on the global scale. The effects of dust on J(N02) and J(03) will be analyzed with an emphasis on the difference between major dust sources in Africa and Asia.

Ginoux, Paul↗

Compositional analysis and classification of projectile residues in LDEF impact craters

This catalog contains preliminary analyses of residues of hypervelocity projectiles that encountered gold substrates exposed by instrument A0187-1 on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). This instrument was on LDEF's trailing edge where relative encounter speeds should be lowest for any non-spinning platform in low Earth orbit (LEO). Approximately 0.6 m(exp 2) of Au substrates yielded 198 impact craters greater than 20 micrometers in diameter. Some 30 percent of the craters were made by natural cosmic dust particles and some 15 percent by man-made objects. Some 50 percent of all features, however, have residues, if any, that are beyond the detection threshold of the SEM-EDXA method used. The purpose of this catalog is to provide detailed evidence and criteria that may be used to arrive at specific particle types on a case-by-case basis and to group such particles into compositional classes. Clearly this is a somewhat interpretative undertaking. For that reason, we encourage and solicit critique and comments from those interested in the systematic analysis of all impact features on LDEF.

Horz, Friedrich↗

Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Hydrous Minerals in Particles From Bennu

On September 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission delivered to Earth ~121 g of pristine carbonaceous regolith from asteroid Bennu. A first series of mineralogical observations and chemical/isotopic analyses of Bennu aggregate samples (fine to coarse particles up to a few mm) revealed that this material resembles the most chemically primitive chondrites and the samples returned by the JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu. Laboratory studies have confirmed the story gleaned from the spacecraft encounter that Bennu’s rock fragments underwent extensive aqueous alteration and are predominantly composed of hydrated minerals (serpentine, smectite) and other secondary minerals (e.g., magnetite, carbonates). The secondary phases were likely formed under the presence of liquid water on Bennu’s parent asteroid. The isotopic compositions of hydrous minerals and secondary phases can increase our understanding of the source and distribution of water and volatile elements in the protoplanetary disk [e.g., 5-8]. However, direct estimates of the hydrogen isotopic ratios (D/H) in hydrous minerals cannot be obtained easily in primitive rocks due to the difficulty in estimating the organic matter (OM) contribution to the whole H budget. In order to obtain hints on the initial constituents of Bennu’s parent asteroid and to test if Bennu's parent asteroid have formed beyond the snow line (hypothesis 4 of [9]), we measured the D/H and C/H ratios in chondritic matrices by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and obtain information on the D/H ratio of water retained in the hydrated minerals. The method also gives clues on the hydrogen isotope variability among different Bennu rock fragments made available for measurement.

L Piani↗

An interplanetary dust particle with links to CI chondrites

W7013F5 is a chondritic, hydrated interplanetary dust particle whose composition and mineralogy is nearly identical to that found in the CI chondrites. Transmission electron microscope observations show that the phyllosilicates in W7013F5 consist largely of a coherent undergrowth of Mg-Fe serpentine and Fe-bearing saponite on the unitcell scale. This distinctive intergrowth of phyllosilicates has only been observed previously in the CI chondrites. Other secondary minerals in W7013F5 include Mg-Fe carbonates, magnetite, and pentlandite. The mineral assemblage in W7013F5 is generally not as oxidized as that in the CI chondrites. The presence of kamacite in W7013F5 indicates that the particle is extraterrestrial, and a thin amorphous rim surrounding the particle provides evidence that it is not a piece of a meteorite that fragmented during transit through the atmosphere. The apparent lack of hydrated IDPs with CI mineralogy and chemistry may indicate that CI-type dust-producing asteroids are uncommon in the asteroid belt.

Keller, Lindsay P.↗

Particles in the lower troposphere over the High Plains of the United States. I - Size distributions, elemental compositions and morphologies

Airborne measurements of particle size distributions obtained during the spring and summer of 1975-1976 at various locations in the high plains of the U.S. are presented. The instrumentation and techniques used to collect the data are described. Particle number, surface area, and volume distribution are measured; differences in particle concentrations are investigated. Variables in particle size are related to changes in strength of ground sources of Aitken nuclei, age of the particle population, and presence or absence of rain. An accumulation mode between particles diameters of 0.1-1 micron, a coarse particle mode between particle diameters between 10-20 microns, and a nucleation mode at particle diameters less than 0.1 micron are detected. The control of the accommodation and coarse particle modes and their influence on particle concentration are studied. The elemental composition of the particles is analyzed and the morphologies are examined with an electron scanner microscope.

Hobbs, P. V.↗

Infrared Spectroscopy of the Dust in Comets and Relationships to Interstellar Dust

Infrared spectroscopy of the dust in comets reveals a complex mix of silicate materials, including both crystalline and non-crystalline components of both olivine (forsterite) and pyroxene composition. These various components do not necessarily share a common origin. Since comets formed in cold regions of the solar nebula, pre-solar grains in the nebula could have been accreted into comets with little alteration. Some of the cometary silicates may be of circumstellar (formed in circumstellar outflows of evolved stars) or interstellar (formed in dense region of the interstellar medium) origin. Spectral similarities to both circumstellar and interstellar silicates are seen in comet spectra. the short-period Kuiper Belt comets) show weak or no spectral features. The lack of features is generally explained as a particle size effect: the small silicate grains are embedded in larger, optically thick particles. However, compositional differences cannot be ruled out. For example, no unambiguous signature of forsterite has yet been seen in the spectrum of a short-period comet. Thus, the Stardust sample from short-period comet P/Wild 2 will be extremely valuable. Not only grain by grain composition and isotopic ratios but also grain morphology, irradiation history, and evidence of organic refractory mantles are important for understanding their origin. The relative abundance and distinguishing characteristics of the various crystalline and non-crystalline silicate components needs to be established. While some comets, such as Hale-Bopp, display a rich infrared spectrum, others (particularly

Hanner, Martha S.↗

Nonlinear Homogenization of Finitely Deformed Viscoelastic-Viscoplastic Composites Using Mechanics of Structure Genome

The objective of this paper is to develop a micromechanics approach to homogenizing finitely deformed viscoelastic-viscoplastic composites using the mechanics of structure genome. The incremental constitutive relation for glassy polymers, formulated in the spatial configuration, is implemented in the present approach.This involves (1) pulling-back the constitutive model to the material configuration and (2)choosing the deformation gradient tensor and the first Piola–Kirchhoff stress tensor as the strain and the stress measures during homogenization, respectively. An Euler–Newton predictor–corrector method is developed for homogenization. Each step involves formulating a variational statement using the mechanics of structure genome, discretizing the statement in a finite-dimensional space, and solving the problem using an Euler/multilevel Newton method. The present approach is demonstrated by homogenizing fiber- and particle-reinforced composites undergoing uniaxial, biaxial, or shear deformation, at different stain rates.

Multi-scale modeling, High Strain Composites, Visc↗

In Situ Measurements of Angular-Dependent Light Scattering by Aerosols over the Contiguous United States

This work provides a synopsis of aerosol phase function (F (sub 11)) and polarized phase function (F (sub 12)) measurements made by the Polarized Imaging Nephelometer (PINeph) during the Studies of Emissions, Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) and the Deep Convection Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) field campaigns. In order to more easily explore this extensive dataset, an aerosol classification scheme is developed that identifies the different aerosol types measured during the deployments. This scheme makes use of ancillary data that include trace gases, chemical composition, aerodynamic particle size and geographic location, all independent of PI-Neph measurements. The PI-Neph measurements are then grouped according to their ancillary data classifications and the resulting scattering patterns are examined in detail. These results represent the first published airborne measurements of F (sub 11) and minus F (sub 12) divided by F (sub 11) for many common aerosol types. We then explore whether PI-Neph light-scattering measurements alone are sufficient to reconstruct the results of this ancillary data classification algorithm. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reduce the dimensionality of the multi-angle PI-Neph scattering data and the individual measurements are examined as a function of ancillary data classification. Clear clustering is observed in the PCA score space, corresponding to the ancillary classification results, suggesting that, indeed, a strong link exists between the angular scattering measurements and the aerosol type or composition. Two techniques are used to quantify the degree of clustering and it is found that in most cases the results of the ancillary data classification can be predicted from PI-Neph measurements alone with better than 85 percent recall. This result both emphasizes the validity of the ancillary data classification as well as the PI-Neph's ability to distinguish common aerosol types without additional information.

Aerosol phase function↗