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At least 361 records · Page 20

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NASA NTRS2009

Electric Field Observations of Plasma Convection, Shear, Alfven Waves, and other Phenomena Observed on Sounding Rockets in the Cusp and Boundary Layer

On December 14,2002, a NASA Black Brant X sounding rocket was launched equatorward from Ny Alesund, Spitzbergen (79 N) into the dayside cusp and subsequently cut across the open/closed field line boundary, reaching an apogee of771 km. The launch occurred during Bz negative conditions with strong By negative that was changing during the flight. SuperDarn (CUTLASS) radar and subsequent model patterns reveal a strong westward/poleward convection, indicating that the rocket traversed a rotational reversal in the afternoon merging cell. The payload returned DC electric and magnetic fields, plasma waves, energetic particle, suprathermal electron and ion, and thermal plasma data. We provide an overview of the main observations and focus on the DC electric field results, comparing the measured E x B plasma drifts in detail with the CUTLASS radar observations of plasma drifts gathered simultaneously in the same volume. The in situ DC electric fields reveal steady poleward flows within the cusp with strong shears at the interface of the closed/open field lines and within the boundary layer. We use the observations to discuss ionospheric signatures of the open/closed character of the cusp/low latitude boundary layer as a function of the IMF. The electric field and plasma density data also reveal the presence of very strong plasma irregularities with a large range of scales (10 m to 10 km) that exist within the open field line cusp region yet disappear when the payload was equatorward of the cusp on closed field lines. These intense low frequency wave observations are consistent with strong scintillations observed on the ground at Ny Alesund during the flight. We present detailed wave characteristics and discuss them in terms of Alfven waves and static irregularities that pervade the cusp region at all altitudes.

Pfaff, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Sensitivity of CO2 Simulation in a GCM to the Convective Transport Algorithms

Convection plays an important role in the transport of heat, moisture and trace gases. In this study, we simulated CO2 concentrations with an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM). Three different convective transport algorithms were used. One is a modified Arakawa-Shubert scheme that was native to the GCM; two others used in two off-line chemical transport models (CTMs) were added to the GCM here for comparison purposes. Advanced CO2 surfaced fluxes were used for the simulations. The results were compared to a large quantity of CO2 observation data. We find that the simulation results are sensitive to the convective transport algorithms. Overall, the three simulations are quite realistic and similar to each other in the remote marine regions, but are significantly different in some land regions with strong fluxes such as Amazon and Siberia during the convection seasons. Large biases against CO2 measurements are found in these regions in the control run, which uses the original GCM. The simulation with the simple diffusive algorithm is better. The difference of the two simulations is related to the very different convective transport speed.

Convection↗

NASA NTRS1965

An experimental investigation of geysering in vertical tubes.

Prediction of geysering considering system geometry, fluid properties and heating rate for application in missile suction line design

MISSILE DESIGN↗

NASA NTRS1976

Effective mie-scattering and CO2 absorption in the dust-laden Martian atmosphere and its impact on radiative-convective temperature changes in the lower scale heights

A time dependent computer model of radiative-convective-conductive heat transfer in the Martian ground-atmosphere system was refined by incorporating an intermediate line strength CO2 band absorption which together with the strong-and weak-line approximation closely simulated the radiative transmission through a vertically inhomogeneous stratification. About 33,000 CO2 lines were processed to cover the spectral range of solar and planetary radiation. Absorption by silicate dust particulates, was taken into consideration to study its impact on the ground-atmosphere temperature field as a function of time. This model was subsequently attuned to IRIS, IR-radiometric and S-band occultation data. Satisfactory simulations of the measured IRIS spectra were accomplished for the dust-free condition. In the case of variable dust loads, the simulations were sufficiently fair so that some inferences into the effect of dust on temperature were justified.

Pallmann, A. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Operational procedures relative to severe weather

Severe weather impact on both safety and the economics of all types of aviation, and reduction of elimination are discussed. The functions and responsibilities of the dispatcher are outlined. All surface weather reports showing inclement weather, SIGMET REPORTS, forecasting turbulence or icing, convective SIGMETS: (1) tornadoes; (2) hail 3/4 of an inch or greater; (3) imbedded thunderstorms; (4) squall lines or (5) an area of level four or greater thunderstorms. This information along with PIREPs of severe weather are relayed to affected flights. It is concluded that operational procedures must be timely and well conceived to assure the least amount of impact on airline operations.

Sullivan, J. F.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Plasma bulk flow in Jupiter's dayside middle magnetosphere

Using the plasma data obtained during the Voyager 1 encounter and the full response function of the Plasma Science (PLS) experiment, convective plasma velocities have been determined in the dayside middle magnetosphere of Jupiter (r = 10-25 Jupiter radii). It is found that temperature anisotropies have very little effect on plasma velocity determination and that the plasma data are well approximated by convected, isotropic Maxwellian ion distribution functions. The insensitivity of the analysis to any thermal anisotropies which may exist allows a good determination of the bulk plasma flow velocity. In addition to the subcorotational azimuthal flow, there exists a substantial nonazimuthal component of plasma flow. This nonazimuthal flow is mostly aligned (antialigned) with the local magnetic field but also exhibits a cross-field component. The velocity pattern is inconsistent with enhanced plasma outflow in the active sector, as suggested by the corotating convection model of plasma transport. The contribution of field-aligned flow along the curved magnetic field lines to the stress on the magnetic field is evaluated. In the region studied, such flow contributes up to one half the stress produced by the azimuthal plasma flow.

Sands, Mark R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Finite element thermo-viscoplastic analysis of aerospace structures

The time-dependent thermo-viscoplastic response of aerospace structures subjected to intense aerothermal loads is predicted using the finite-element method. The finite-element analysis uses the Bodner-Partom unified viscoplastic constitutive relations to determine rate-dependent nonlinear material behavior. The methodology is verified by comparison with experimental data and other numerical results for a uniaxially-loaded bar. The method is then used (1) to predict the structural response of a rectangular plate subjected to line heating along a centerline, and (2) to predict the thermal-structural response of a convectively-cooled engine cowl leading edge subjected to aerodynamic shock-shock interference heating. Compared to linear elastic analysis, the viscoplastic analysis results in lower peak stresses and regions of plastic deformations.

Pandey, Ajay K.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Finite-element thermo-viscoplastic analysis of aerospace structures

Pandey, Ajay↗

NASA NTRS1993

On the generation of sound by turbulent convection. I - A numerical experiment

Motivated by the problem of the origin of the solar p-modes, we study the generation of acoustic waves by turbulent convection. Our approach uses the results of high-resolution 3D simulations as the experimental basis for our investigation. The numerical experiment describes the evolution of a horizontally periodic layer of vigorously convecting fluid. The sound is measured by a procedure, based on a suitable linearization of the equations of compressible convection that allows the amplitude of the acoustic field to be determined. Through this procedure we identify unambiguously some 400 acoustic modes. The total energy of the acoustic field is found to be a fraction of a percent of the kinetic energy of the convection. The amplitudes of the observed modes depend weakly on (horizontal) wavenumber but strongly on frequency. The line widths of the observed modes typically exceed the natural linewidths of the modes as inferred from linear theory. This broadening appears to be related to the (stochastic) interaction between the modes and the underlying turbulence which causes abrupt, episodic events during which the phase coherence of the modes is lost.

Bogdan, Thomas J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Airborne imaging of tropospheric emission at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths

In September 1993, the NASA Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR) flew on board the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft during CAMEX, and obtained the first wideband millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength images of tropospheric emission. The MIR is a cross-track radiometer with channels at 89, 150, 183 +/- 1, 3, 7, 220, and 325 +/- 1, 3, 8 GHz. This set provides upwelling brightness information at the two strong rotational water vapor lines at 183.310 and 325.153 GHz and three nearby atmospheric transmission windows. The wideband MIR images of convective raincells reveal unique cloud and precipitation mapping capabilities that are not available from lower frequency microwave channels. Comparisons between the 183 and 325 GHz spectra also reveal differential brightness temperature modes that are related to cloud water.

Wang, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Analysis of Aerospike Plume Induced Base-Heating Environment

Computational analysis is conducted to study the effect of an aerospike engine plume on X-33 base-heating environment during ascent flight. To properly account for the effect of forebody and aftbody flowfield such as shocks and to allow for potential plume-induced flow-separation, thermo-flowfield of trajectory points is computed. The computational methodology is based on a three-dimensional finite-difference, viscous flow, chemically reacting, pressure-base computational fluid dynamics formulation, and a three-dimensional, finite-volume, spectral-line based weighted-sum-of-gray-gases radiation absorption model computational heat transfer formulation. The predicted convective and radiative base-heat fluxes are presented.

Wang, Ten-See↗

DOE OSTI2023

Turbulent dynamo action and its effects on the mixing at the convective boundary of an idealized oxygen-burning shell

Convection is one of the most important mixing processes in stellar interiors. Hydrodynamic mass entrainment can bring fresh fuel from neighboring stable layers into a convection zone, modifying the structure and evolution of the star. Because flows in stellar convection zones are highly turbulent, multidimensional hydrodynamic simulations are fundamental to accurately capture the physics of mixing processes. Under some conditions, strong magnetic fields can be sustained by the action of a turbulent dynamo, adding another layer of complexity and possibly altering the dynamics in the convection zone and at its boundaries. In this study, we used our fully compressible S EVEN -L EAGUE H YDRO code to run detailed and highly resolved three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of turbulent convection, dynamo amplification, and convective boundary mixing in a simplified setup whose stratification is similar to that of an oxygen-burning shell in a star with an initial mass of 25 M ⊙ . We find that the random stretching of magnetic field lines by fluid motions in the inertial range of the turbulent spectrum (i.e., a small-scale dynamo) naturally amplifies the seed field by several orders of magnitude in a few convective turnover timescales. During the subsequent saturated regime, the magnetic-to-kinetic energy ratio inside the convective shell reaches values as high as 0.33, and the average magnetic field strength is ∼10 10 G. Such strong fields efficiently suppress shear instabilities, which feed the turbulent cascade of kinetic energy, on a wide range of spatial scales. The resulting convective flows are characterized by thread-like structures that extend over a large fraction of the convective shell. The reduced flow speeds and the presence of magnetic fields with strengths up to 60% of the equipartition value at the upper convective boundary diminish the rate of mass entrainment from the stable layer by ≈20% as compared to the purely hydrodynamic case.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2004

Dryline on 22 May 2002 During IHOP: Convective Scale Measurements at the Profiling Site

A unique set of measurements of wind, water vapor mixing ratio and boundary layer height variability was observed during the first MOP dryline mission of 22 May 2002. Water vapor mixing ratio from the Scanning Raman Lidar (SRL), high-resolution profiles of aerosol backscatter from the HARLIE and wind profiles from the GLOW are combined with the vertical velocity derived from the NCAR/ISS/MAPR and the high-resolution FMCW radar to reveal the convective variability of the cumulus cloud-topped boundary layer. A combined analysis of the in-situ and remote sensing data from aircraft, radiosonde, lidars, and radars reveals moisture variability within boundary layer updraft and downdraft regions as well as characterizes the boundary layer height variability in the dry and moist sides of the dryline. The profiler site measurements will be tied to aircraft data to reveal the relative intensity and location of these updrafts to the dry line. This study provides unprecedented high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of wind, moisture and backscatter within a dryline and the associated convective boundary layer.

Demoz, Belay↗

NASA NTRS2019

InSight's Reconstructed Aerothermal Environments

The InSight Mars Lander successfully landed on the surface on November 26, 2018. This poster will describe the methodologies and margins used in developing the aerothermal environments for design of the thermal protection systems (TPS), as well as a prediction of as-flown environments based on the best estimated trajectory. The InSight mission spacecraft design approach included the effects of radiant heat flux to the aft body from the wake for the first time on a US Mars Mission, due to overwhelming evidence in ground testing for the European ExoMars mission (2009/2010) [1] and 2010 tests in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility [2]. The radiant energy on an aftbody was also recently confirmed via measurement on the Schiaparelli mission [3]. In addition, the InSight mission expected to enter the Mars atmosphere during the dust storm season, so the heatshield TPS was designed to accommodate the extra recession due to the potential dust impact. This poster will compare the predicted aerothermal environments using the reconstructed best estimated trajectory to the design environments. Design Approach: The InSight spacecraft was planned to be a near-design-to-print copy of the Phoenix spacecraft. The determination of the heatshield TPS requirements was approached as if it was a new design due to the new requirement of flying through a dust storm. The baseline for aftbody was build-to-print, and all analyses focused on ensuring adequate margin. This proved to be a challenge because the Phoenix aftbody was designed to withstand only convective heating and the InSight aftbody was evaluated for both convective and radiative heating. Aerothermal environments were predicted using the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (LAURA) and the Data Parallel Line Relaxation (DPLR) CFD codes, and the Nonequilibrium Radiative Transport and Spectra Program (NEQAIR) utilizing bounding design trajectories derived from Monte Carlo analyses from the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2). In all cases, super-catalytic flowfields were assigned to ensure the most conservative heating results. Two trajectories were evaluated: 1) the trajectory with the maximum heat flux was utilized to determine the flowfield characteristics and the viability of the selection of TPS materials; and 2) the trajectory with the maximum heat load was used to determine the required thicknesses of the TPS materials. Evaluation of the MEDLI data [4], along with ground test data [5] led to the determination of whether or not the flow would transition from laminar to turbulent on the heatshield, which also determined the TPS sizing location for the heatshield. Aerothermal margins were added for the convective heating and developed for the radiative heating. TPS material sizing was determined with the Reaction Kinetic Ablation Program (REKAP) and the Fully Implicit Ablation and Thermal Analysis program (FIAT) using a three-branched approach to account for aerothermal, material response, and material properties uncertainties. In addition, the heatshield recession was augmented by an analysis of the effect of entry through a potential dusty atmosphere using a methodology developed in References [6] and [7]. These analyses resulted in an increase to the Phoenix heatshield TPS thickness. Reconstruction Efforts: Once the best estimated trajectory is reconstructed by the team, the LAURA/HARA (High-Temperature Aerothermo-dynamic Radiation model) and DPLR/NEQAIR code pairs will be used to predict the as-flown aerothermal conditions. In these runs, fully-catalytic flowfields will be assigned because it is a more physically accurate description of the chemistry in the flow. Once again, determination of the onset of turbulence on the heatshield will be evaluated. The as-flown aerothermal environments will then be compared to the design environments.

Beck, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1974

30- to 100-keV protons upstream from the earth's bow shock

Protons of 30 to 100 keV are found upstream from the bow shock whenever interplanetary magnetic fields connect the spacecraft and bow shock. The protons do not appear upstream of a boundary determined by the solar wind speed (the speed at which the interplanetary field is being convected) and an effective upstreaming velocity of 2.5 to 3 times the solar wind speed along the field lines. It is believed that (1) the lower-energy (3-4 keV) protons accelerated and reflected by the bow shock and (2) the Alfven waves observed upstream are in some way responsible for the origin of the 30- to 100-keV protons in very large regions upstream from the bow shock.

Lin, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Approximations for the study of drift boundaries in the magnetosphere

An approximate relation between energy and equatorial radial distance for a particle of given equatorial pitch angle moving adiabatically in a dipole magnetic field is used to describe the Alfven layer for particles of arbitrary pitch angle. The convection electric field is assumed to be uniform in the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere, and magnetic field lines are taken to be equipotentials in the region traversed by the magnetospheric particles being studied. Approximate solutions in the high- and low-energy limits are given in a form directly applicable to the interpretation of measurements at fixed particle energy and pitch angle. These results are particularly useful for electrons, since the approximations provide lower bounds to the exact solutions. The results are used to interpret recent Explorer 45 electron measurements of Williams et al. (1974).

Kivelson, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The electric field and global electrodynamics of the magnetosphere

The conception of the electrodynamics of the quiet-time magnetosphere obtained during the last four years of magnetospheric study is presented. Current understandings of the open magnetosphere, convective plasma flows in the plasma sheet, the shielding of the inner magnetosphere from the convective magnetospheric electric field, the space charge produced when injected electrons drift towards dawn and injected ions drift towards dusk, the disruption of the flow of the Birkeland current by plasma instabilities and the shielding of the convective electric field by the dayside magnetopause are discussed. Attention is also given to changes of magnetic field line topology magnetic storms and substorms. Unresolved questions and new tools which may play a role in the further understanding of magnetospheric electrodynamics and the role of the magnetospheric electric field are presented.

Stern, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Advanced Microwave Moisture Sounder (AMMS) for WB-57F CCOPE mission

The AMMS, flown on the WB-57F Cooperative Convective Precipitation Experiment (CCOPE), collected data at three bands on either side of the 183.3 GHz water vapor line at + or - 2.25, + or - 5.00, and + or - 8.75 GHz. Data were also collected simultaneously at a single low-loss atmospheric window channel near 94 GHz. The AMMS scanner imaged the scene below the WB-57F over an angular range of + or - 45 degree about nadir with beam-widths of 2 degree and 1 degree for the 94 GHz and 183 GHz sensors, respectively. The radiometer system operated under control of the onboard microcomputer used to: store radiometric data on the AMMS flight recorder, operate the stepper motor driven scanner, and collect pertinent housekeeping data for the system. A portable ground support system was used following each CCOPE flight to provide quick-look data analysis. The CCOPE flight logs and tape of the AMMS data were delivered to NASA.

Gagliano, J. A.↗