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At least 325 records · Page 18

Subsonic and transonic pressure distributions around a bluff afterbody in the wake of a 120 deg cone for various separation distances

A wind-tunnel investigation was conducted at free-stream Mach numbers from 0.20 to 1.00 and Reynolds numbers, based on maximum afterbody diameter, from 2.25 million to 6.90 million on solid models of an attached inflatable decelerator (AID) concept. Tests were conducted to obtain static and ram surface pressure distributions about the basic shapes and at various separation distances between the 120 deg conical forebody and the inflated afterbody shape. The resulting data were used to study the feasibility of extracting a payload from a conical forebody by means of an AID.

Sawyer, J. W.↗

Long distance tracking of birds

The application of radio telemetry techniques to the long distance tracking of birds is discussed. The types of equipment developed and methods for attachment to a bird are described. The operating range of the radio transmitter receiver system is examined, and methods for acquiring and analyzing the data are explained.

Cochran, W. W.↗

The relation of QRS amplitude to the frontal QRS axis and the heart-electrode distance.

The relation between QRS amplitude, QRS axis deviation and heart position was studied in 360 subjects, using the 12-lead EKG. The height of the V sub 6 R wave was used as the measure of QRS amplitude. The distance from the left lateral border of the heart was used to indicate heart position. The frontal and horizontal QRS axes were determined by noting the isoelectric limb and precordial leads, measured according to Schmitt's values.

Dougherty, J. D.↗

Plasma sheet at lunar distance - Structure and solar-wind dependence.

Analysis of Explorer 35 observation of low-energy (0.1 to 3 keV) electrons in the distant geomagnetic tail at 60 earth radii, and comparison with the solar-wind conditions monitored simultaneously by Explorer 33. The plasma sheet extends to the lunar distance with almost the same characteristics as those observed in the near tail region; the thickness is several earth radii, and the flux, density, and energy are of the order of 10 to the 9th per sq cm per sec, 1 per cu cm, and 0.6 keV, respectively. The latitudinal boundaries of the plasma sheet are essentially parallel to magnetic-field lines. Indication is seen of the thinning of the plasma sheet during polar substorms. The average energy of electrons is correlated with the solar-wind velocity in agreement with the view that plasma-sheet electrons originate from the magnetosheath. The flux is correlated with the solar-wind dynamic pressure, reflecting the dynamic balance between the solar wind and the geomagnetic tail.

Nishida, A.↗

Space Shuttle landing navigation using precision distance measuring equipment.

Precision distance measuring equipment (DME) aiding onboard inertial navigation can be used to meet the stringent landing navigation requirements of the Space Shuttle. The required accuracy is achieved by using a ten-state-variable Kalman filter to process the measured range and delta-range data from the DME. The DME transponders are required to meet the accuracy requirements: two are deployed under the final approach path and one is deployed to the side. Failure considerations require deployment of additional redundant transponders. Initialization of the landing navigation after hypersonic entry is accomplished using the transponders at the airport.

Widnall, W. S.↗

A comparison of open and closed loop applications of the minimum distance guidance technique

A comparison is made of open and closed loop applications of a second order guidance algorithm, using the minimum distance strategy. A nonlinear reoptimization procedure is used as the ideal guidance history. The system model used for the comparison is a low-thrust vehicle performing a minimum time, three-dimensional, heliocentric Earth-Mars transfer. For the example problem considered, closed loop guidance proves to be much more accurate on satisfaction of the final state than the open loop procedure. On the other hand, closed loop guidance proves to be much more vulnerable to perturbation by highly nonlinear regions in the trajectory. Finally, the results indicate that for this problem the best loop closure interval is at each integration step, about one day, or more often, if possible.

Lattimore, J. P., Jr.↗

A novel laser ranging system for measurement of ground-to-satellite distances

A technique was developed for improving the precision of laser ranging measurements of ground-to-satellite distances. The method employs a mode-locked laser transmitter and utilizes an image converter tube equipped with deflection plates in measuring the time of flight of the laser pulse to a distant retroreflector and back. Samples of the outgoing and returning light pulses are focussed on the photocathode of the image converter tube, whose deflection plates are driven by a high-voltage 120 MHz sine wave derived from a very stable oscillator. From the relative positions of the images produced at the output phosphor by the two light pulses, it is possible to make a precise determination of the fractional amount by which the time of flight exceeds some large integral multiple of the period of the deflection sinusoid.

Golden, K. E.↗

Curve fits of predicted inviscid stagnation-point radiative heating rates, cooling factors, and shock standoff distances for hyperbolic earth entry

Curve-fit formulas are presented for the stagnation-point radiative heating rate, cooling factor, and shock standoff distance for inviscid flow over blunt bodies at conditions corresponding to high-speed earth entry. The data which were curve fitted were calculated by using a technique which utilizes a one-strip integral method and a detailed nongray radiation model to generate a radiatively coupled flow-field solution for air in chemical and local thermodynamic equilibrium. The range of free-stream parameters considered were altitudes from about 55 to 70 km and velocities from about 11 to 16 km.sec. Spherical bodies with nose radii from 30 to 450 cm and elliptical bodies with major-to-minor axis ratios of 2, 4, and 6 were treated. Powerlaw formulas are proposed and a least-squares logarithmic fit is used to evaluate the constants. It is shown that the data can be described in this manner with an average deviation of about 3 percent (or less) and a maximum deviation of about 10 percent (or less). The curve-fit formulas provide an effective and economic means for making preliminary design studies for situations involving high-speed earth entry.

Suttles, J. T.↗

On the distance to Cygnus X-1

Interstellar extinction of 50 stars in the immediate vicinity of Cyg X-1 is compared with color excess of HDE 226868. The fact that HDE 226868 has extinction drastically exceeding that of all stars in the field at less than 1 kpc is believed to be in conflict with the model of Trimble et al. (1973) in which the primary is a luminous undermassive star and with other similar models. Uniform extrapolation of the reddening yields a distance estimate of (2.5 plus or minus 0.4) kpc for Cygnus X-1, in agreement with the spectroscopic modulus for an O9 star.

Margon, B.↗

Plasma sheet at lunar distance - Characteristics and interactions with the lunar surface

The plasma sheet at lunar distance is investigated with the use of data from the charged particle lunar environment experiment (CPLEE), complemented with data from the Explorer 35/ARC magnetometer. It is shown that the presence of the lunar surface does not appreciably affect measurements of the plasma sheet characteristics by the lunar-based CPLEE instrument. In particular, the lunar surface generally does not shadow plasma sheet particles. This may be due to rapid random passage (greater than 40 km/sec) of magnetotail field lines with respect to the lunar surface or to diffusion of plasma sheet electrons into the flux tubes in contact with the lunar surface. The plasma sheet is generally observed as a rapid increase in observed particle fluxes and a simultaneous decrease in field strength. A statistical analysis of the CPLEE data shows that the plasma sheet in the midnight sector has a thickness of 5 R sub E plus or minus 2 R sub E. Geomagnetic activity reduces the probability of encounters between the moon and the plasma sheet.

Rich, F. J.↗

The distance of BL Lacertae

Spectrophotometric observations of the extended object around BL Lacertae have been conducted from August 1969 to October 1973 using circular apertures of various diameters as well as an annular aperture with an outer diameter of 10-in. and an inner obscuring disk of 5 in. All observations were carried out with a multichannel spectrometer attached to the 200-in. Hale telescope. The annular-aperture spectrum shows the absorption lines normally seen in spectra of ordinary giant galaxies; these lines yield a redshift (z) equal to 0.07. The central source shows a power law spectrum with the exponent (alpha) equal to -1.55. The underlying galaxy energy distribution is consistent with that of a normal giant elliptical galaxy. If a Hubble constant of 60 km/sec per Mpc is used, the absolute visual magnitude of the galaxy is -22.9, and the distance is 350 Mpc.

Oke, J. B.↗

Calculation of a realistic gradient as a function of radial distance from the sun

Numerical calculations of radial gradients of galactic cosmic ray protons have been performed for a model of the interplanetary cavity which includes processes of diffusion along the spiral interplanetary magnetic field lines, convection, and adiabatic energy change. The increasing spiral nature of the field lines with increasing distance from the sun results in the bulk of the modulation region being beyond the earth. The radial gradients for this model are found to be small near the earth and out to a few AU, increasing as one approaches the boundary.

Lezniak, J. A.↗

A general algorithm for relating ground trajectory distance, elapsed flight time, and aircraft airspeed and its application to 4-D guidance

A general solution using an elliptic integral approximation which relates flight time, aircraft airspeed, and ground distance on straight-line and circular-arc trajectory segments is developed. The solution procedure is applicable to both constant and accelerating aircraft flight. In addition, wind shear including both magnitude and heading change is incorporated in the solution. The solution equations are used in a four-dimensional (4-D) control algorithm where both flight time and final airspeed are specified. The results show that the algorithm converges rapidly and accurately.

Foudriat, E. C.↗