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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Radio Emissions Observed by Galileo near Io

The Galileo spacecraft observed spin modulation of radio wave emissions near Io in the frequency range from about 600 kHz to about 1.2 MHz. Assuming transverse EM radiation, we have used the modulation of the high-frequency sweep-frequency receiver signals of the electric dipole antenna over many spins to estimate the plane through the source. The emission has a range of frequencies close to the local upper hybrid frequency of the plasma near Io. We conclude that the emission may be associated with either the plasma torus or magnetic flux tubes in the wake of Io (the Alfven current system). We postulate this emission may be associated with a free-energy source such as density gradients, energetic plasma beams and/or an electron distribution with a temperature anisotropy. All of these free-energy sources are observed or expected in the torus near Io. The observations are the first in the hectometric frequency range that have a source associated with Io or in the Io torus.

Menietti, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Galileo Direction Finding of Jovian Radio Emissions

The Galileo spacecraft, in orbit about Jupiter, has observed distinct spin modulation of plasma wave emissions near the Ganymede (G1 and G2) encounters in the frequency range from about 100 kHz to approximately 6 MHz. Assuming circularly polarized, transverse electromagnetic radiation, we have used the spin modulation of the sweep-frequency receivers of the electric dipole antenna over many spins to estimate the source location in the spin plane of the spacecraft. Hectometric (HOM) and decametric (DAM) emission is observed by Galileo as a general and continuous background with frequent bursts that last tens of minutes and can be separated by minutes or hours. We have analyzed HOM and DAM emissions observed near Jupiter just after the GI and G2 encounters, including two HOM/DAM "arc" signatures observed after the G2 encounter. These latter appear to be low-frequency extensions of DAM arcs, with source regions along either the Io or the Ganymede flux tube. While the uncertainties associated with the data analysis do not allow a precise source location, the HOM/DAM emission observed near the G1 and G2 encounters is consistent with a gyroresonant source region, but it is necessary to require refraction due to the Io torus to understand the results. To explain emission from apparent source regions above a gyroresonant source region, wave refraction from asymmetries in the Io plasma torus that extend along magnetic field lines is postulated. Alternatively, if such torus density asymmetries do not exist, emission with sources above a gyroresonant source region would require another free-energy source such as energetic plasma beams in the presence of density gradients or temperature anisotropies.

Menietti, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Implications of Depleted flux Tubes in the Jovian Magnetosphere

A rare but persistent phenomenon in the jovian magnetosphere is the occurrence of apparently depleted flux tubes, whose magnetic pressures are significantly above ambient levels. These flux tubes occur about 0.25% of the observing time in the region of the Io torus in the Galileo high resolution data. The importance of these tubes is that they can return to the inner magnetosphere the magnetic flux that has been convected radially outward with the iogenic plasma to the tail. The paucity of these tubes is consistent with the expected flux return rates if the tubes are moving inward at an average rate of about 5-10 km/s in the torus. Depleted flux tubes have yet to be observed inside of the lo orbit where the plasma beta is lower than in the hot torus. Estimates of the plasma density outside the tube from plasma wave measurements enable the average perpendicular temperature to be obtained from the magnetic field change. Extrapolating this temperature back to lo, we obtain an average ion temperature of approximately 60 eV. These values are generally consistent with earlier Voyager observations but on the low side of their range of uncertainty, and agree quite well with contemporaneous Galileo measurements where these are available.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Pulsating X-Ray Hot Spot on Jupiter

Previous observations of jovian auroral x-ray emissions provided limited spectral information and extensive but low spatial resolution images. These emissions have been thought to result from charge exchange and excitation of energetic sulfur and oxygen ions precipitating from the outer edge of the Io Plasma Torus; bremsstrahlung emission from precipitating energetic electrons is too inefficient to produce the x-ray emissions. However, new high spatial resolution observations demonstrate that most of Jupiter's northern auroral x-rays come from a hot spot located much further north than the footprint of the Io Plasma Torus and which is even poleward of the main ultraviolet auroral oval. The hot spot appears fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and occurs in a region where anomalous infrared and ultraviolet emissions have also been observed. Interestingly, the hot spot x-rays pulsate with an approximately 40-minute period, a period similar to that reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft. These results invalidate the idea that jovian x-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the region of the Io Plasma Torus. Instead, the x-rays appear to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths.

Gladstone, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The P-Mesh: A Commodity-based Scalable Network Architecture for Clusters

We designed a new network architecture, the P-Mesh which combines the scalability and fault resilience of a torus with the performance of a switch. We compare the scalability, performance, and cost of the hub, switch, torus, tree, and P-Mesh architectures. The latter three are capable of scaling to thousands of nodes, however, the torus has severe performance limitations with that many processors. The tree and P-Mesh have similar latency, bandwidth, and bisection bandwidth, but the P-Mesh outperforms the switch architecture (a lower bound for tree performance) on 16-node NAB Parallel Benchmark tests by up to 23%, and costs 40% less. Further, the P-Mesh has better fault resilience characteristics. The P-Mesh architecture trades increased management overhead for lower cost, and is a good bridging technology while the price of tree uplinks is expensive.

Nitzberg, Bill↗
NASA NTRS1997

Toroidal Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Fullerene Crop Circles

We investigate energetics and structure of circular and polygonal single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using large scale molecular simulations on NAS SP2, motivated by their unusual electronic and magnetic properties. The circular tori are formed by bending tube (no net whereas the polygonal tori are constructed by turning the joint of two tubes of (n, n), (n+1, n-1) and (n+2, n-2) with topological pentagon-heptagon defect, in which n =5, 8 and 10. The strain energy of circular tori relative to straight tube decreases by I/D(sup 2) where D is torus diameter. As D increases, these tori change from buckling to an energetically stable state. The stable tori are perfect circular in both toroidal and tubular geometry with strain less than 0. 03 eV/atom when D greater than 10, 20 and 40 nm for torus (5,5), (8,8) and (10, 10). Polygonal tori, whose strain is proportional to the number of defects and I/D are energetically stable even for D less than 10 nm. However, their strain is higher than that of perfect circular tori. In addition, the local maximum strain of polygonal tori is much higher than that of perfect circular tori. It is approx. 0.03 eV/atom or less for perfect circular torus (5,5), but 0.13 and 0.21 eV/atom for polygonal tori (6,4)/(5,5) and (7,3)/(5,5). Therefore, we conclude that the circular tori with no topological defects are more energetically stable and kinetically accessible than the polygonal tori containing the pentagon-heptagon defects for the laser-grown SWNTs and Fullerene crop circles.

Han, Jie↗
NASA NTRS2002

Observations of the Jovian System with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory

The {\sl Chandra X-ray Observatory) observed the Jovian system on 25-26 Nov 1999 with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), in support of the Galileo flyby of Io, and on 18 Dec 2000 with the imaging array of the High Resolution Camera (HRC-I), in support of the Cassini flyby of Jupiter. These sensitive, very high spatial-resolution X-ray observations have revealed that Jupiter's northern x-ray aurora originates at a spot fixed in a coordinate system rotating with the planet at latitude (60--70 deg north) and longitude (160--180 deg System III). Contrary to previous expectations, this location is poleward of the main FUV auroral oval and the foot of the Io Flux Tube, and is apparently connected magnetically to a region of the outer magnetosphere beyond $\sim$30 Jupiter radii. The northern auroral x-ray emission varies with a period $\sim$45 minute and has a an average power of $\sim$1 GW. The earlier view that Jupiter's x-ray aurora resulted from the precipitation of heavy ions from the outer edge of the lo Plasma Torus is now in doubt. Jupiter's disk also emits x-rays with a power of $\sim$2 GW, perhaps resulting from reprocessing of solar x-rays in its atmosphere. These observations reveal for the first time x-ray emission from the Io Plasma Torus, with a power of $\sim$0.1 Gw. The origin of this emission is not currently understood, although bremmstrahlung from non-thermal electrons may play a significant role. Finally, we report the discovery of very faint ($\sim$1--2 MW) soft x-ray emission from the Galilean satellites Io, Europa, and probably Ganymede, most likely as a result of bombardment of their surfaces by energetic ($ greater than $10 keV) H, O, and S ions from the region of the Io Plasma Torus.

Elsner, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Chandra X-Ray Observations of the Jovian System

High-spatial resolution Chandra x-ray observations have demonstrated that most of Jupiter's northern auroral x-rays come from a hot spot located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the inner magnetosphere. This hot spot appears fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and coincides with a region exhibiting anomalous ultraviolet and infrared emissions. The hot spot also exhibited approximately 45 minute quasi-periodic oscillations, a period similar to those reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft. These results invalidate the idea that jovian auroral x-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the inner magnetosphere. Instead, the x-rays appear to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths. The Chandra observations also revealed for the first time x-ray emission (about 0.1 GW) from the Io Plasma Torus, as well as very faint x-ray emission (about 1-2 MW) from the Galilean moons Io, Europa, and possibly Ganymede. The emission from the moons is almost certainly due to Kalpha emission of surface atoms (and possibly impact atoms) excited by the impact of highly energetic protons, oxygen, and sulfur atoms and ions from the Torus. The Torus emission is less well understood at present, although bremsstrahlung from the non-thermal tail of the electron distribution may provide a significant fraction. In any case, further observations, already accepted and in the process of being planned, with Chandra, some with the moderate energy resolution of the CCD camera, together with simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope observations and hopefully ground-based IRTF observations should soon provide greater insight into these various processes.

Elsner, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Groundbased Observations of Io [OI]6300 A Emission During the Galileo 124, 125, and Cassini Encounters

For the past 12 years, we have conducted a synoptic study of [OI] 6300 A emission from Io using the high-resolution (R 120,000) stellar spectrograph at the National Solar Observatory McMath-Pierce telescope. We showed in a recent paper that this emission allows us to use Io as a localized probe of the three-dimensional plasma torus structure. We report on selected recent spectroscopic observations of Io [OI] 6300 A emission obtained during the Galileo I24 (1999-Oct-11) and I25 (1999-Nov-26) encounters with Io and the Cassini Jupiter encounter (closest approach 2000-Dec-30). The exposure time for each spectrum was 15 minutes, with a 5.2 x 5.2 aperture centered on Io. We obtained over 100 spectra for the I24 encounter during 1999 October 9-13, over 100 spectra for the I25 encounter during 1999 November 24-30, and for the Cassini Jupiter flyby almost 600 spectra from 2000 December to 2001 January 21. We use our database of observations to track long- and short-term variations in torus structure. We compare our results to Galileo, Cassini, HST, and other groundbased contemporaneous observations to gain insight into torus variability and structure.

Oliversen, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Studies for the Europagenic Plasma Source in Jupiter's Inner Magnetosphere during the Galileo Europa Mission

Progress in research to understand the three-dimensional nature of the Europagenic plasma torus is summarized. Efforts to improve the plasma torus description near Europa's orbit have included a better understanding of Europa's orbit and an improved description of the planetary magnetic field. New plasma torus chemistry for molecular and atomic species has been introduced and implemented in Europa neutral cloud models. Preliminary three-dimensional model calculations for Europa's neutral clouds and their plasma sources are presented.

Smyth, William H.↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Geometry of the Infrared and X-Ray Obscurer in a Dusty Hyperluminous Quasar

We study the geometry of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) obscurer in IRAS 09104+4109, an IR-luminous, radio-intermediate FR-I source at z = 0.442, using infrared data from Spitzer and Herschel, X-ray data from NuSTAR, Swift, Suzaku, and Chandra, and an optical spectrum from Palomar. The infrared data imply a total rest-frame 1-1000 micron luminosity of 5.5 × 10(exp 46) ergs/s and require both an AGN torus and a starburst model. The AGN torus has an anisotropy-corrected IR luminosity of 4.9 × 10(exp 46) ergs/s and a viewing angle and half-opening angle both of approximately 36deg from pole-on. The starburst has a star formation rate of (110 +/- 34) Stellar Mass/yr and an age of <50 Myr. These results are consistent with two epochs of luminous activity in IRAS 09104+4109: one approximately 150 Myr ago, and one ongoing. The X-ray data suggest a photon index of Gamma approx. =l 1.8 and a line-of-sight column density of N(sub H) approx. = 5 × 10(exp 23) sq cm. This argues against a reflection-dominated hard X-ray spectrum, which would have implied a much higher N(sub H) and luminosity. The X-ray and infrared data are consistent with a bolometric AGN luminosity of L(sub bol) approx.(0.5-2.5) ×10(exp 47) ergs/s. The X-ray and infrared data are further consistent with co-aligned AGN obscurers in which the line of sight "skims" the torus. This is also consistent with the optical spectra, which show both coronal iron lines and broad lines in polarized but not direct light. Combining constraints from the X-ray, optical, and infrared data suggest that the AGN obscurer is within a vertical height of 20 pc, and a radius of 125 pc, of the nucleus.

galaxies: evolution – galaxies: individual ( IRA↗
NASA NTRS2022

Thermal Imaging of Dust Hiding the Black Hole in NGC 1068

In the widely accepted ‘unified model’1 solution of the classification puzzle of active galactic nuclei, the orientation of a dusty accretion torus around the central black hole dominates their appearance. In ‘type-1’ systems, the bright nucleus is visible at the centre of a face-on torus. In ‘type-2’ systems the thick, nearly edge-on torus hides the central engine. Later studies suggested evolutionary effects2 and added dusty clumps and polar winds3 but left the basic picture intact. However, recent high-resolution images4 of the archetypal type-2 galaxy NGC 10685,6, suggested a more radical revision. The images displayed a ring-like emission feature that was proposed to be hot dust surrounding the black hole at the radius where the radiation from the central engine evaporates the dust. That ring is too thin and too far tilted from edge-on to hide the central engine, and ad hoc foreground extinction is needed to explain the type-2 classification. These images quickly generated reinterpretations of the dichotomy between types 1 and 27,8. Here we present new multi-band mid-infrared images of NGC 1068 that detail the dust temperature distribution and reaffirm the original model. Combined with radio data ( J.F.G. and C.M.V.I., manuscript in preparation), our maps locate the central engine that is below the previously reported ring and obscured by a thick, nearly edge-on disk, as predicted by the unified model. We also identify emission from polar flows and absorbing dust that is mineralogically distinct from that towards the Milky Way centre.

Violeta Gamez Rosas↗
NASA NTRS1969

ELAS: A general-purpose computer program for the equilibrium problems of linear structures. Volume 2: Documentation of the program

A general purpose digital computer program for the in-core solution of linear equilibrium problems of structural mechanics is documented. The program requires minimum input for the description of the problem. The solution is obtained by means of the displacement method and the finite element technique. Almost any geometry and structure may be handled because of the availability of linear, triangular, quadrilateral, tetrahedral, hexahedral, conical, triangular torus, and quadrilateral torus elements. The assumption of piecewise linear deflection distribution insures monotonic convergence of the deflections from the stiffer side with decreasing mesh size. The stresses are provided by the best-fit strain tensors in the least squares at the mesh points where the deflections are given. The selection of local coordinate systems whenever necessary is automatic. The core memory is used by means of dynamic memory allocation, an optional mesh-point relabelling scheme and imposition of the boundary conditions during the assembly time.

Utku, S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The atmosphere and ionosphere of Io

Models for Jupiter's innermost Galilean satellite's atmosphere, ionosphere, and sodium airglow are developed on the basis of recent observational data. The sodium emission detected by Brown (1973) is seen to require a collisional excitation process in Io's atmosphere, while the extended sodium emission measured by Trafton et al. (1974) may require scattering of the planetary radiation by an extended sodium cloud. The sodium is presumably present in bound form on Io's surface, and may be released by a sputtering mechanism proposed by Matson et al. (1974). The ionosphere detected by a radio occultation experiment on Pioneer 10 could be attributed to photoionization of atmospheric sodium, provided Io's atmosphere could sustain significant upward motions during daytime and downward motions during nighttime. The incomplete hydrogen torus observed by Judge and Carlson (1974) in the vicinity of Io appears to require a large supply of hydrogen from the satellite's atmosphere. Implications of the hydrogen torus for the energy and mass balance of Jupiter's magnetosphere are discussed.

Mcelroy, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Design of an offset fed scanning antenna for the shuttle imaging microwave system

A design study is described for a mechanically scanned offset fed parabolic torus reflector antenna having a 4m x 2m aperture for simultaneous use at eleven frequency channels from UHF to millimeter wavelengths. A design for the antenna is presented utilizing dipole and horn feeds at the low frequencies and a Gregorian aberration correcting subreflector system for feeding the torus at the high frequencies. The results and details of a theroetical study based on geometrical optics performed to evaluate the high frequency design and the results of an experimental study involving a one-tenth scale model for evaluation of the low-frequency behavior are given. Beam efficiencies, antenna patterns, beamwidths and cross polarization levels are presented and these results demonstrate that the antenna concept is viable for the Shuttle Imaging Microwave System requirement.

Gustincic, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Optimization of confinement in a toroidal plasma subject to strong radial electric fields

The toroidal ring of plasma contained in the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus facility may be biased to positive or negative potentials approaching 50 kV by applying dc voltages of the respective polarity to 12 or fewer midplane electrode rings. The radial electric fields, which are responsible for raising the ions to high energies by E x B/B-squared drift, then point out of or into the plasma. A preliminary report is given on the identification and optimization of independent variables which affect the ion density and confinement time in the Bumpy Torus plasma. The independent variables include the polarity, position, and number of the midplane electrode rings, the method of gas injection, and the polarity and strength of a weak vertical magnetic field. Some characteristic data taken under conditions where most of the independent variables were optimized are presented. The highest value of the electron number density on the plasma axis is 3.2 trillion per cu cm, the highest ion heating efficiency is 47%, and the longest particle containment time is 2.0 msec.

Roth, J. R.↗