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At least 343 records · Page 19

A Million-Second Chandra View of Cassiopeia A

We introduce a million-second observation of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bipolar structure of the Si-rich ejecta (NE jet and SW counterpart) is clearly evident in the new images, and their chemical similarity is confirmed by their spectra. These are most likely due to jets of ejecta as opposed to cavities in the circumstellar medium, since we can reject simple models for the latter. The properties of these jets and the Fe-rich ejecta will provide clues to the explosion of Cas A.

Hwang, Una↗

Mole fraction imaging of transverse injection in a ducted supersonic flow

Laser-induced iodine fluorescence has been used to generate two-dimensional images of the mixing characteristics of air injected transversely as underexpanded jets behind a rearward-facing step into a ducted Mach 2 freestream; the images thus obtained were processed digitally in order to yield planar-injectant mole fraction distributions. The resulting planar images represent a three-dimensional data base of the injectant mole fraction distribution throughout the flowfield which is then used to reconstruct images exhibiting mole-fraction distributions normal to the duct. These images furnish a direct representation of the evolution of supersonic mixing along the duct, and facilitate the development of one-dimensional mixing schedules on the basis of the three-dimensional data base.

Abbitt, John D. Iii↗

Spaceborne Imaging Radar Project

In June of 1985 the Project Initiation Agreement was signed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications for the Spaceborne Imaging Radar Project (SIR). The thrust of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar Project is to continue the evolution of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) science and technology developed during SEASAT, SIR-A and SIR-B missions to meet the needs of the Earth Observing System (EOS) in the mid 1990's. As originally formulated, the Project plans were for a reflight of the SIR-B in 1987, the development of a new SAR, SIR-C, for missions in mid 1989 and early 1990, and the upgrade of SIR-C to EOS configuration with a qualification flight aboard the shuttle in the 1993 time frame (SIR-D). However, the loss of the shuttle Challenger has delayed the first manifest for SIR to early 1990. This delay prompted the decision to drop SIR-B reflight plans and move ahead with SIR-C to more effectively utilize this first mission opportunity. The planning for this project is discussed.

Herman, Neil↗

Optical Flow for Flight and Wind Tunnel Background Oriented Schlieren Imaging

Background oriented Schlieren images have historically been generated by calculating the observed pixel displacement between a wind-on and wind-o image pair using normalized cross-correlation. This work uses optical flow to solve the displacement fields which generate the Schlieren images. A well established method used in the computer vision community, optical flow is the apparent motion in an image sequence due to brightness changes. The regularization method of Horn and Schunck is used to create Schlieren images using two data sets: a supersonic jet plume shock interaction from the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and a transonic flight test of a T-38 aircraft using a naturally occurring background, performed in conjunction with NASA Ames and Armstrong Research Centers. Results are presented and contrasted with those using normalized cross-correlation. The optical flow Schlieren images are found to provided significantly more detail. We apply the method to historical data sets to demonstrate the broad applicability and limitations of the technique.

Image processing↗

Low-speed flowfield characterization by infrared measurements of surface temperatures

An experimental program was aimed at identifying areas in low speed aerodynamic research where infrared imaging systems can make significant contributions. Implementing a new technique, a long electrically heated wire was placed across a laminar jet. By measuring the temperature distribution along the wire with the IR imaging camera, the flow behavior was identified. Furthermore, using Nusselt number correlations, the velocity distribution could be deduced. The same approach was used to survey wakes behind cylinders in a wind-tunnel. This method is suited to investigate flows with position dependent velocities, e.g., boundary layers, confined flows, jets, wakes, and shear layers. It was found that the IR imaging camera cannot accurately track high gradient temperature fields. A correlation procedure was devised to account for this limitation. Other wind-tunnel experiments included tracking the development of the laminar boundary layer over a warmed flat plate by measuring the chordwise temperature distribution. This technique was applied also to the flow downstream from a rearward facing step. Finally, the IR imaging system was used to study boundary layer behavior over an airfoil at angles of attack from zero up to separation. The results were confirmed with tufts observable both visually and with the IR imaging camera.

Gartenberg, E.↗

Earth Observing System - A platform for imaging spectrometers

Several advanced imaging spectrometers will be deployed on the Space Station Polar Platforms as a part of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. Two of these, the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS), will be provided as facility instruments, and currently are under conceptual study at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Goddard Space Flight Center. Other imaging spectrometer concepts, including proposals for a thermal infrared imaging spectrometer, are expected in response to the EOS Announcement of Opportunity scheduled for release in January of 1988.

Vane, Deborah↗

Multi-Axis Fluidic Thrust Vectoring of a Supersonic Jet Using Counterflow

The most common techniques currently used to efficiently vector supersonic jets require external flaps and or pivoting devices. Fluidic thrust vectoring using counterflow eliminates the need for such complex hardware. Thus, the promise of decreases in both weight and drag as well as increased maneuverability makes this technique an attractive alternative. This technique has been successfully employed to achieve single axis fluidic thrust vectoring of a Mach 2 rectangular jet. To better compete with contemporary systems the current study extends this technique to multi-axis thrust vectoring of a Mach 2 diamond-shaped jet by applying counterflow to one of its four sides. To evaluate the performance of this technique the Planar Laser Scattering (PLS) technique is used to show the continuous vectoring of the diamond jet up to 20 degrees. Also, cross-stream PLS images are acquired to show the vectoring can be achieved off all four surfaces of the diamond jet.

Barber, Edward L.↗

Microfilament-Eruption Mechanism for Solar Spicules

Recent studies indicate that solar coronal jets result from eruption of small-scale filaments, or "minifilaments" (Sterling et al. 2015, Nature, 523, 437; Panesar et al. ApJL, 832L, 7). In many aspects, these coronal jets appear to be small-scale versions of long-recognized large-scale solar eruptions that are often accompanied by eruption of a large-scale filament and that produce solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In coronal jets, a jet-base bright point (JBP) that is often observed to accompany the jet and that sits on the magnetic neutral line from which the minifilament erupts, corresponds to the solar flare of larger-scale eruptions that occurs at the neutral line from which the large-scale filament erupts. Large-scale eruptions are relatively uncommon (approximately 1 per day) and occur with relatively large-scale erupting filaments (approximately 10 (sup 5) kilometers long). Coronal jets are more common (approximately 100s per day), but occur from erupting minifilaments of smaller size (approximately 10 (sup 4) kilometers long). It is known that solar spicules are much more frequent (many millions per day) than coronal jets. Just as coronal jets are small-scale versions of large-scale eruptions, here we suggest that solar spicules might in turn be small-scale versions of coronal jets; we postulate that the spicules are produced by eruptions of "microfilaments" of length comparable to the width of observed spicules (approximately 300 kilometers). A plot of the estimated number of the three respective phenomena (flares/CMEs, coronal jets, and spicules) occurring on the Sun at a given time, against the average sizes of erupting filaments, minifilaments, and the putative microfilaments, results in a size distribution that can be fitted with a power-law within the estimated uncertainties. The counterparts of the flares of large-scale eruptions and the JBPs of jets might be weak, pervasive, transient brightenings observed in Hinode/CaII images, and the production of spicules by microfilament eruptions might explain why spicules spin, as do coronal jets. The expected small-scale neutral lines from which the microfilaments would be expected to erupt would be difficult to detect reliably with current instrumentation, but might be apparent with instrumentation of the near future. A full report on this work appears in Sterling and Moore 2016, ApJL, 829, L9.

spicule↗

Quasiperiodic Energy Release and Jets at the Base of Solar Coronal Plumes

Coronal plumes are long, ray-like, open structures, which have been considered as possible sources for the solar wind. Their origin in the largely unipolar coronal holes has long been a mystery. Earlier spectroscopic and imaging observations revealed blue-shifted plasma and propagating disturbances (PDs) in plumes that are widely interpreted in terms of flows and/or propagating slow-mode waves, but these interpretations (flows vs waves) remain under debate. Recently we discovered an important clue about plume internal structure: dynamic filamentary features called “plumelets”, which account for most of the plume emission. Here we present highresolution observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) that revealed numerous, quasiperiodic, tiny jets (so-called “jetlets”) associated with transient brightening, flows, and plasma heating at the chromospheric footpoints of the plumelets. By analogy to larger coronal jets, these jetlets are most likely produced within the plume base by magnetic reconnection between closed and open flux at stressed 3D null points. The jetlet-associated brightenings are in phase with plumelet-associated PDs, and vary with a period of ∼3 to 5 minutes, which is remarkably consistent with the photospheric/chromospheric p-mode oscillation. This reconnection at the open-closed boundary in the chromosphere/transition region is likely modulated or driven by local manifestations of the global p-mode waves. The jetlets extend upward to become plumelets, contribute mass to the solar wind, and may be sources of the switchbacks recently detected by the Parker Solar Probe.

jets↗

Cyanogen jets in comet Halley

Emission-band and continuum data were obtained of Comet Halley with a CCD camera system at the Perth Observatory during the post-perihelion phase. The image processing techniques which were applied and which revealed jets in the CN band are described. The jets had a spiral shape due to nucleus rotation at a rate which was not precisely determined. Estimates are made of the FWHM and half-width half-maximum spatial extent of the jets. Possible parent molecules of the CN jets are discussed.

Ahearn, Michael F.↗

Measurements of the distribution of sound source intensities in turbulent jets.

The spatial distribution of sound source intensities in jets is determined from the sound radiated into the acoustic far field by means of a concave mirror-microphone system. The mirror forms an image of the sound sources in a region far enough from the jet so that near field pressure fluctuations can be neglected. The sound intensity in the image is thus closely related to the strength of the actual sound sources in the jet. Results of measurements with jets of Mach numbers 0.7 to 1.9 emanating from circular nozzles and from slot nozzle-flap combinations demonstrate the influence of Mach number and of other parameters upon the sound source distribution.

Grosche, F.-R.↗

Experimental and CFD Investigation of the Titled Jet Behavior in the Zero Boil-Off Tank (ZBOT) Experiment

Screens are used in cryogenic storage tanks to diffuse the incoming gas or liquid injection/flow into the tank. Meshed screens were also used in the jet mixing pressure control tests of the Zero Boil-Off Tank (ZBOT) Experiment which was recently performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The ZBOT pressure control studies used a liquid jet that was intended to be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tank. A cartridge consisting of a honeycomb flow straightener and two screen diffusers, one upstream of the honeycomb, and one downstream, were designed to obtain the desired velocity profile in a manner that would be consistent in all the tests and could also be used as an input to the CFD simulations. Unfortunately, during the flight operations, the Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) measurements indicated that the jet actually exited the nozzle at an angle to the main axis. This unexpected tilt affected the motion and deformation of the ullage during the pressure control tests, influencing the initial pressure drops. Upon disassembling the experiment hardware, it was discovered that the screen diffuser upstream of the honeycomb was clogged with debris. Since this behavior is important, not only to the follow-on ZBOT-NC experiment, but also to the operation of cryogenics storage tanks in general, a series of ground-based experiments and parametric CFD model simulations were performed to understand and characterize the tilted flow in terms of the clogged area of the upstream screen and the jet velocity. The experimental and CFD results surprisingly and non-intuitively showed that although the modification of the flow originated from the clogging of the upstream screen, the presence of the downstream unclogged screen was also necessary to produce the tilted jet. Two different CFD models were used for the numerical simulations, and only the one using a porous media formulation to capture the screen pressure drop was able to produce the correct tilting behavior. Parametric runs with the porous media CFD model were used to characterize the jet tilt in terms of the blockage area and jet velocity for both the future ZBOT-NC Experiment and other propellant tank applications. Supported by NASA Biological & Physical Sciences (BPS) Division, Physical Sciences Research Program, NASA HQ, USA.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗

Hubble illuminates the universe

Latest observations by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are described, including the first 'parallel' observations (on January 6, 1992) by the two of the Hubble's instruments of two different targets at the same time. On this date, the faint-object camera made images of the quasar 3C 273 in Virgo, while the wide-field and planetary camera recorded an adjacent field. The new HST images include those of the nucleus and the jet of M85, the giant elliptical galaxy at the heart of the Virgo cluster, and what appears to be a black hole of mass 2.6 billion solar masses in M87, and an image of N66, a planetary nebula in the LMC. Other images yield evidence of 'blue stragglers' in the core of 47 Tucanae, a globular cluster about 16,000 light-years from earth. The Goddard spectrograph recorded the spectrum of the star Capella at very high wavelength resolution, which made it possible to measure deuterium from the Big Bang.

Maran, Stephen P.↗

Image Acquisition in Real Time

In 1995, Carlos Jorquera left NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to focus on erasing the growing void between high-performance cameras and the requisite software to capture and process the resulting digital images. Since his departure from NASA, Jorquera s efforts have not only satisfied the private industry's cravings for faster, more flexible, and more favorable software applications, but have blossomed into a successful entrepreneurship that is making its mark with improvements in fields such as medicine, weather forecasting, and X-ray inspection. Formerly a JPL engineer who constructed imaging systems for spacecraft and ground-based astronomy projects, Jorquera is the founder and president of the three-person firm, Boulder Imaging Inc., based in Louisville, Colorado. Joining Jorquera to round out the Boulder Imaging staff are Chief Operations Engineer Susan Downey, who also gained experience at JPL working on space-bound projects including Galileo and the Hubble Space Telescope, and Vice President of Engineering and Machine Vision Specialist Jie Zhu Kulbida, who has extensive industrial and research and development experience within the private sector.

Source record↗

Industrial X-Ray Imaging

In 1990, Lewis Research Center jointly sponsored a conference with the U.S. Air Force Wright Laboratory focused on high speed imaging. This conference, and early funding by Lewis Research Center, helped to spur work by Silicon Mountain Design, Inc. to break the performance barriers of imaging speed, resolution, and sensitivity through innovative technology. Later, under a Small Business Innovation Research contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the company designed a real-time image enhancing camera that yields superb, high quality images in 1/30th of a second while limiting distortion. The result is a rapidly available, enhanced image showing significantly greater detail compared to image processing executed on digital computers. Current applications include radiographic and pathology-based medicine, industrial imaging, x-ray inspection devices, and automated semiconductor inspection equipment.

Source record↗

Subsonic Round and Rectangular Twin Jet Flow Effects

Subsonic and supersonic aircraft concepts proposed by NASAs Fundamental Aeronautics Program have integrated propulsion systems with asymmetric nozzles. The asymmetry in the exhaust of these propulsion systems creates asymmetric flow and acoustic fields. The flow asymmetries investigated in the current study are from two parallel round, 2:1, and 8:1 aspect ratio rectangular jets at the same nozzle conditions. The flow field was measured with streamwise and cross-stream particle image velocimetry (PIV). A large dataset of single and twin jet flow field measurements was acquired at subsonic jet conditions. The effects of twin jet spacing and forward flight were investigated. For round, 2:1, and 8:1 rectangular twin jets at their closest spacings, turbulence levels between the two jets decreased due to enhanced jet mixing at near static conditions. When the flight Mach number was increased to 0.25, the flow around the twin jet model created a velocity deficit between the two nozzles. This velocity deficit diminished the effect of forward flight causing an increase in turbulent kinetic energy relative to a single jet. Both of these twin jet flow field effects decreased with increasing twin jet spacing relative to a single jet. These variations in turbulent kinetic energy correlate with changes in far-field sound pressure level.

Jet↗

Application of Time-resolved PIV to Supersonic Hot Jets

This presentation lays out the ground-breaking work at bringing high-speed (25kHz) particle image velocimetry (PIV) to bear on measurements of noise-producing turbulence in hot jets. The work is still in progress in that the tremendous amount of data obtained are still be analyzed, but the method has been validated and initial results of interest to jet noise modeling have been obtained. After a brief demonstration of the validation process used on the data, results are shown for hot jets at different temperatures and Mach numbers. Comparisons of first order statistics show the relative indifference of the turbulence to the presence of shocks and independence to jet temperature. What does come out is that when the shock-containing jets are in a screech mode the turbulence is highly elevated, showing the importance of removing screech phenomena from model-scale jets before applying findings to full-scale aircraft which typically do not contain shocks.

Bridges, James↗

Direct imaging of extra-solar planetary systems with the Circumstellar Imaging Telescope (CIT)

In a joint study conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Perkin-Elmer Corporation it was found that an earth orbital, 1.5 meter diameter low scattered light coronagraphic telescope can achieve a broad range of scientific objectives including the direct detection of Jupiter-sized planets around the nearby stars. Recent major advances in the understanding of coronagraphic performance and in the field of super smooth mirror fabrication allow such an instrument to be designed and built within current technology. Such a project, called the Circumstellar Imaging Telescope (CIT), is currently being proposed.

Terrile, Richard J.↗