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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

The abundance and distribution of water vapor in Jupiter's atmosphere

The atmospheric transmission window between 1800 and 2250 cm(-1) in Jupiter's atmosphere was observed from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) and by the infrared spectrometer (IRIS) on Voyager. The vertical distribution of H2O was derived for the 1 to 6 bar portion of Jupiter's troposphere. The spatial variation of H2O was measured using IRIS spectra of the Hot Spots in the North and South Equatorial Belts, the Equatorial Zone, and for an average of the North and South Tropical Zones. The H2O column abundance above the 4 bar level is the same in the zones as in the SEB Hot Spots, about 20 cm-amagat. The NEB Hot Spots are desiccated by a factor of 3 with respect to the rest of Jupiter. For an average between -40 to 40 deg latitude, the H2O mole fraction, qH2O, is saturated for P less than 2 bars, qH2O = 4x10 to the -6 in the 2 to 4 bar range and it increases to 3x10 to the -5 at 6 bars. A similar vertical profile applies to the spatially resolved zone and belt spectra, except that H2O falls off more rapidly at P less than 4 bars in the NEB Hot Spots. The massive H2O cloud at 5 bars, T = 273 K, proposed in solar composition models, is inconsistent with the observations. Instead, a thin H2O ice cloud would form at 2 bars, T = 200 K. The O/H ratio in Jupiter, inferred from H2O measurements in both belts and zones at 6 bars, is depleted by a factor of 50 with respect to the Sun. The implications for the origin of Jupiter of globally depleted O/H, but enhanced C/H and N/H, are discussed.

Bjoraker, Gordon L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The abundance and distribution of water vapor in Jupiter's atmosphere

The atmospheric transmission window between 1800 and 2250/cm in Jupiter's atmosphere was observed from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory and by the IR spectrometer (IRIS) on Voyager. The vertical distribution of H2O was derived for the 1-6 bar portion of Jupiter's troposphere. The spatial variation of H2O was measured using IRIS spectra of the Hot Spots in the North and South Equatorial Belts (NEB, SEB) and the Equatorial Zone and for an average of the North and South Tropical Zones. The H2O column abundance above the 4 bar level is the same in the zones as in the SEB Hot Spots, about 20 cm amagats. The NEB Hot Spots are desiccated by a factor of 3 with respect to the rest of Jupiter. For an average between -40 and +40 deg latitude, the H2O mole fraction, qH2O, is saturated for P less than 2 bars, qH2O = 4 millionths in the 2-4 bar range, and it increases to 3/100,000 at 6 bars. A similar vertical profile applies to the spatially resolved zone and belt spectra, except that H2O falls off more rapidly at P less than 4 bars in the NEB Hot Spots. A massive H2O cloud at 5 bars, T = 273 K is inconsistent with the observations. Instead, a thin H2O ice cloud would form at 2 bars, T = 200 K. The O/H ratio in Jupiter, inferred from H2O measurements in both belts and zones at 6 bars, is depleted by a factor of 50 with respect to the sun.

Bjoraker, Gordon L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Graphics and Flow Visualization of Computer Generated Flow Fields

Flow field variables are visualized using color representations described on surfaces that are interpolated from computational grids and transformed to digital images. Techniques for displaying two and three dimensional flow field solutions are addressed. The transformations and the use of an interactive graphics program for CFD flow field solutions, called PLOT3D, which runs on the color graphics IRIS workstation are described. An overview of the IRIS workstation is also described.

Kathong, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Description of the mean behaviour of ionospheric plasma temperatures

A status report on the empirical modeling of ionospheric electron and ion temperatures is given with special emphasis on the models used in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). Electron temperature models have now reached a state where reliable prediction of the mean altitudinal, latitudinal and diurnal variations is possible. These models are largely based on satellite measurements, but comparisons with incoherent scatter radar measurements have shown excellent agreement. Variations with season and magnetic and solar activity seem to be small and are not yet included consistently in these models. Similar to the electron temperature, the ion temperature shows the largest variations with altitude, latitude and local time. But due to the larger mass, these variations are smoother and more steady in the case of the ions and therefore easier to model. Nevertheless, very few ion temperature models exist. The IRI model takes advantage of the observed concurrence of the ion temperature with the neutral temperature at low altitudes and with the electron temperature at high altitudes.

Bilitza, Dieter↗
NASA NTRS1988

Study of ionospheric models for satellite orbit determination

Means of improving the accuracy of the ionospheric correction of two empirical ionospheric models, the Bent (Schmid et al. 1973) and international reference ionosphere (IRI) models, have been evaluated. An improved IRI topside formula is found to minimize the tendency for the electron density profile to decrease too sharply with increasing altitude, and is shown to produce results which compare well with satellite data and ground-based incoherent scatter measurements. A model for the effective parabolic thickness is proposed for the bottomside. Comparison with results from a Meteosat tracking exercise demonstrates that the present changes improve the overall accuracy of ionospheric delays calculated using the two models.

Bilitza, D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Very Large Array observations of Uranus at 2.0 cm

Radio observations of Uranus obtained at 2.0 cm with the B configuration of the VLA during April 1985 are reported. The calibration and data-reduction procedures are described in detail, and the results are presented in tables, maps, and graphs and compared with IRIS 44-micron observations (Hanel et al., 1986). Features discussed include highest brightness centered on the pole rather than on the subearth point, a decrease in brightness temperature (by up to 9 K) at latitudes between -20 and -50 deg (well correlated with the IRIS data), and disk-center position (corrected for the observed radio asymmetry) in good agreement with that found on the basis of the outer contours of the image.

Berge, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Evaluation of the international reference ionosphere with the large AE-C and DE2 data bases

Empirical models such as the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) are synthesized from large data bases. They can be viewed as analytical tools to facilitate accessing information stored in the data banks. However, in establishing the models, one has to apply smoothing and averaging procedures that in effect reduce the original information content. This study evaluates the agreement between the data base and the model at two opposite extremes of time resolution. Electron densities and temperatures in the altitude range of 300 to 400 km predicted by the IRI and measured by the AE-C and DE 2 satellites on the level of individual orbits as well as on the level of mission averages are compared. Whereas the averages show excellent agreement, the comparison for individual measurements indicates the limitations of empirical models.

Bilitza, D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Wide band data collection system

The Incorporated Research Institutes for Seismology (IRIS) approached NASA Headquarters in 1986 about the need to collect data daily from seismic stations around the world as part of the Earth Observing System (EOS) mission. A typical IRIS Seismic Station generates 16 Megabytes of data per day when there is seismic activity. The Preliminary Design Parameters of the Wide Band Data Collection System are summarized.

Turkiewicz, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Triton - Stratospheric molecules and organic sediments

Continuous-flow plasma discharge techniques show production rates of hydrocarbons and nitriles in N2 + CH4 atmospheres appropriate to the stratosphere of Titan, and indicate that a simple eddy diffusion model together with the observed electron flux quantitatively matches the Voyager IRIS observations for all the hydrocarbons, except for the simplest ones. Charged particle chemistry is very important in Triton's stratosphere. In the more CH4-rich case of Titan, many hydrocarbons and nitriles are produced in high yield. If N2 is present, the CH4 fraction is low, but hydrocarbons and nitriles are produced in fair yield, abundances of HCN and C2H2 in Triton's stratosphere exceed 10 to the 19th molecules/sq cm per sec, and NCCN, C3H4, and other species are predicted to be present. These molecules may be detected by IRIS if the stratosphere is as warm as expected. Both organic haze and condensed gases will provide a substantial UV and visible opacity in Triton's atmosphere.

Thompson, W. Reid↗
NASA NTRS1989

Electron density profile description in the international reference ionosphere

Problems encountered during efforts to reformulate the IRI description of the electron density profile are examined. Consideration is given to Booker's (1979) proposal that the unique, analytic profile functions should cover the entire ionospheric height range. The IRI topside model is reviewed and the electron density profile of the middle and lower ionosphere are discussed. Rawer's (1983) procedure for combining the topside, middle, and lower ionospheric profiles into one analytic profile is reviewed.

Rawer, K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

International reference ionosphere 1990

The International Reference Ionosphere 1990 (IRI-90) is described. IRI described monthly averages of the electron density, electron temperature, ion temperature, and ion composition in the altitude range from 50 to 1000 km for magnetically quiet conditions in the non-auroral ionosphere. The most important improvements and new developments are summarized.

Bilitza, Dieter↗
NASA NTRS1990

Global models of Ne and Te at solar maximum based on DE-2 measurements

Newly developed global models of the electron density of (Ne) and (Te) in the F-region at solar maximum, based on Langmuir probe measurements from the Dynamics Explorer-2 satellite, are compared with solar minimum models that were developed earlier from Atmosphere Explorer data. Spherical harmonics are used in both models to describe the variations with geomagnetic latitude and local time, but the solar maximum model also includes longitudinal variations. The solar minimum models were for the fixed altitudes of 300 km and 400 km, while the solar maximum model covers all altitudes between 300 and 1000 km. In this paper, the global patterns of Ne and Te at 400 km at solar maximum and minimum are compared with the IRI model for the corresponding parts of the solar cycle. In most respects, the IRI model describes the empirical models quite well at both solar maximum and solar minimum.

Brace, L. H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Empirical modeling of ion composition in the middle and topside ionosphere

The paper reviews the efforts to represent the global and temporal variations of the ionospheric ion composition in the altitude range from 100 km to 1000 km. The ground and space data sets that have been collected for the ion densities over the past decades are listed. Empirical models are discussed including models for the densities and compositions of O(+), H(+), He(+), O(2+), and NO(+) ions, and for the characteristic transition heights from light ions to atomic oxygen ions and from atomic oxygen ions to molecular ions. The status of the ion composition model in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) is reviewed, and shortcomings are pointed out. Possible improvements of IRI with the help of recent modeling studies are summarized.

Bilitza, Dieter↗
NASA NTRS1992

Panel Library And Editor

Panel Library and Editor computer program is grapical-user-interface builder program for use on workstations of Silicon Graphics IRIS family. Program creates "widgets" manipulated by user. Appearance similar to X-Windows System. Used by programmers to write user-friendly mouse-driven application programs for IRIS workstations. Panel Library (v9.8) and Editor (v1.1) written in C Language and Scheme.

Raible, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1991

Optically thin cirrus clouds over oceans and possible impact on sea surface temperature of warm pool in western Pacific

Over the convectively active tropical ocean regions, the measurement made from space in the IR and visible spectrum have revealed the presence of optically thin cirrus clouds, which are quite transparent in the visible and nearly opaque in the IR. The Nimbus-4 IR Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS), which has a field of view (FOV) of approximately 100 km, was utilized to examine the IR optical characteristics of these cirrus clouds. From the IRIS data, it was observed that these optically thin cirrus clouds prevail extensively over the warm pool region of the equatorial western Pacific, surrounding Indonesia. It is found that the seasonal cloud cover caused by these thin cirrus clouds exceeds 50 percent near the central regions of the warm pool. For most of these clouds, the optical thickness in the IR is less than or = 2. It is deduced that the dense cold anvil clouds associated with deep convection spread extensively and are responsible for the formation of the thin cirrus clouds. This is supported by the observation that the coverage of the dense anvil clouds is an order of magnitude less than that of the thin cirrus clouds. From these observations, together with a simple radiative-convective model, it is inferred that the optically thin cirrus can provide a greenhouse effect, which can be a significant factor in maintaining the warm pool. In the absence of fluid transports, it is found that these cirrus clouds could lead to a runaway greenhouse effect. The presence of fluid transport processes, however, act to moderate this effect. Thus, if a modest 20 W/sq m energy input is considered to be available to warm the ocean, then it is found that the ocean mixed-layer of a 50-m depth will be heated by approximately 1 C in 100 days.

Prabhakara, C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) is a remote sensing instrument to be flown on the Cassini orbiter. It contains two Fourier transform spectrometers covering wavelengths of 7-1000 microns. The instrument is expected to have higher spectral resolution, smaller field of view, and better signal-to-noise performance than its counterpart, IRIS, on the Voyager missions. These improvements allow the study of the variability of the composition and temperature of the atmospheres of both Saturn and Titan with latitude, longitude and height, as well as allowing the possibility of discovery of previously undetected chemical species in these atmospheres. The long wavelengths accessible to CIRS allow sounding deeper into both atmospheres than was possible with IRIS.

Calcutt, Simon↗
NASA NTRS1993

PLOT3D/AMES

Interactive graphics program helps scientists visualize computational fluid dynamics grids and solutions. PLOT3D/AMES offers multitude of functions and features and adapted for more types of computers than any other CFD graphics program. Other versions available are: SGI IRIS, UNIX Supercomputer and SGI IRIS, DEC VAX using DISSPLA, Generic UNIX using DISSPLA, and Apollo UNIX using GMR3D.

Buning, Pieter G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Thermal structure and dust loading of the Martian atmosphere during late southern summer - Mariner 9 revisited

Thermal emission spectra recorded by the Mariner 9 IR interferometer spectrometer (IRIS) are used to investigate the temperature structure and dust loading of the Martian atmosphere. The analysis is restricted to a subset of the IRIS data consisting of approximately 2400 spectra in a 12-day period extending from LS of 343 to 348 deg, corresponding to late southern summer on Mars. The largest column-integrated 9-micron dust optical depths (about 0.4) occur over the equatorial regions. The highest atmospheric temperatures (greater than 260 K) are found at low altitudes near the subsolar latitude (about 6 deg S), while the coldest temperatures (less than 150 K) are found at levels near 1.0 mbar over the winter pole. The existence of a net zonally averaged meridional circulation with rising motion at low latitudes, poleward flow at altitudes above 40 km, and subsidence over the poles is suggested.

Santee, Michelle↗