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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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The spectrophotometry (0.3 to 1.1 microns) of visited and proposed Apollo landing sites is presented along with proposals for financial support of the spectral study. The electronic spectra of pyroxenes is investigated along with an interpretation of telescopic spectral reflectivity curves of the moon. Reprints of published articles related to these studies are included.
Determination of metal ion contaminants in food samples is studied. A weighed quantity of each sample was digested in a concentrated mixture of nitric, hydrochloric and perchloric acids to affect complete solution of the food products. The samples were diluted with water and the pH adjusted according to the specific analysis performed. The samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis, polarography, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The solid food samples were also analyzed by neutron activation analysis for increased sensitivity and lower levels of detectability. The results are presented in tabular form.
A review of available information on the photometry, polarimetry, and narrow band spectrophotometry of Titan discusses five major categories: (1) brightness and color as a function of orbital position; (2) brightness and color as a function of solar phase angle; (3) geometric and bond albedo; (4) reflectance as a function of wavelength; and (5) polarization as a function of solar phase angle. It is concluded that a Saturn-like cloud model may be required to explain the sum of polarimetric and photometric observations.
High altitude deposition of energy in Titan's atmosphere can have a significant effect on the spectral distribution of emitted thermal radiation from the satellite. This reasoning led to the prediction of emission peaks at wavelengths corresponding to allowed bands of CH4 and trace photolysis products such as C2H6. Intermediate resolution infrared spectrophotometry has encouraged this interpretation of the infrared properties of Titan, and provided the basis for initial, detailed model.
This report compares results obtained for the determination of nitrogen in a selected group of niobium-base alloys by the inert-gas-fusion and the Kjeldahl procedures. In the inert-gas-fusion procedure the sample is heated to approximately 2700 C in a helium atmosphere in a single-use graphite crucible. A platinum flux is used to facilitate melting of the sample. The Kjeldahl method consisted of a rapid decomposition with a mixture of hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, and potassium chromate; distillation in the presence of sodium hydroxide; and highly sensitive spectrophotometry with nitroprusside-catalyzed indophenol. In the 30- to 80-ppm range, the relative standard deviation was 5 to 7 percent for the inert-gas-fusion procedure and 2 to 8 percent for the Kjeldahl procedure. The agreement of the nitrogen results obtained by the two techniques is considered satisfactory.
Observations of particular faint asteroids of interest, in particular the Trojans, were carried out during an observation run at Kitt Peak National Observatory (1.3 meter telescope) in September 1973, and an attempt was made to study the compositional variation within Hirayama families. A particularly important study was initiated to observe spectrophotometrically certain asteroids which are considered as potential source bodies for meteorites. A program was also undertaken to coordinate the spectrophotometry program with polarimetric and thermal-infrared observation programs being conducted elsewhere.
Review of the physical nature of all of the known satellites except the moon. Following a summary of the basic data regarding the size, mass, and density of satellite systems and a description of models that have been proposed for the composition and structure of these systems, a detailed analysis is made of the satellites of Mars, the Galilean satellites, Titan, the other satellites of Saturn, the rings of Saturn, and the remaining objects, with emphasis on studies of their surfaces by imaging, photometry, spectrophotometry, polarimetry, and radiometry.
The proceedings of a conference on the use of balloons for scientific research are presented. The subjects discussed include the following: (1) astronomical observations with balloon-borne telescopes, (2) orientable, stabilized balloon-borne gondola for around-the-world flights, (3) ultraviolet stellar spectrophotometry from a balloon platform, (4) infrared telescope for balloon-borne infrared astronomy, and (5) stabilization, pointing, and command control of balloon-borne telescopes.
Twenty-five long-period variable stars exhibiting intrinsic variable polarization have been monitored over the range 3.5-11 microns for several cycles. No conclusive evidence for gross changes in amount of circumstellar grains has been found. Thus circumstellar infrared emission is attributed to the total abundance of grains surrounding the star, which does not change by a large amount with time, while intrinsic polarization is attributed to more localized scattering and absorption effects. Spectrophotometry with resolution of about 0.015 over the 8-14 microns wavelength range of several stars with different chemical compositions indicates excess emission characteristic of 3 types of grains: (1) 'blackbody' grains, (2) silicate grains, and (3) silicon carbide grains.
A strong infrared source detected in the AFCRL sky survey is confirmed, and is identified with the binary star HD 44179, embedded in a peculiar nebula. UBVRI and broad-band photometry between 2.2 and 27 microns are combined with blue, red, and near-infrared spectra, polarimetry and spectrophotometry of the star, and a range of direct and image-tube photographs of the nebula, to suggest a composite model of the system. In this model, the infrared radiation derives from thermal emission by dust grains contained in a disklike geometry about the central object, which appears to be of spectral type B9-A0 III and which may be in pre-main-sequence evolution. Two infrared emission features are found, peaking at 8.7 and 11.3 microns, the latter corresponding to the feature seen in the spectrum of the planetary nebula NGC 7027. The complex nebular structure is discussed on the basis of photographs through narrow-band continuum and emission-line filters. The polarization data support the suggestion of a disk containing some large particles. No radio continuum emission is detected.
New spectrophotometry for 31 asteroids, and improved data for nine previously observed, is presented, raising the total sample to 98. Several important new spectral types have been found. Asteroid 349 Dembowska is the first large main-belt asteroid found to resemble ordinary chondritic meteorites in spectral properties (it is similar to LL6 chondrites in pyroxene/olivine content). The first two measured Trojan asteroids show unusual spectra not compatible with carbonaceous chondrites or other known meteorites. The spectrum of Mars-crosser 887 Alinda is compatible with unequilibrated chondrites. Most fainter asteroids (especially those in the outer half of the belt) have flat spectra indicating probable carbonaceous composition. Compositional heterogeneity of Hirayama families is common among the 16 families studied to date. But individual asteroids seem to have remarkably uniform surface compositions, indicated by the usual lack of spectral changes with rotation. Spectra of a preliminary sample of proposed meteorite source-bodies are consistent with derivation of meteorites by proposed mechanisms, but further observations are needed.
The major and minor element compositions of three Apollo 15 mare basalts, four Apollo 16 breccias, one soil, three Apollo 17 soils, one mare basalt, and one breccia have been determined by semimicro combined atomic absorption and colorimetric spectrophotometries. A discussion regarding analysis of small subsamples of coarse-grained lunar materials, such as certain Apollo 15 and 17 basalts, is given in which the suggestion is made that analytical methods designed to determine the bulk 'representative' chemical composition as well as the presence and extent of specimen heterogeneity are fundamentally necessary for a more complete understanding of genesis and history of lunar materials.
New photometric observations on the UBV system are presented for 45 asteroids, bringing the total to 91 for which complete UBV colors are available. The reduced magnitudes B (1, 0) scatter about the adopted catalog values by + or - 0m, 25, with negligible systematic difference. The UBV colors fall into three distinct groups which correspond almost perfectly to the S (silicaceous or stony), C (carbonaceous), and U (unclassifiable) asteroid types recently identified from polarimetry, infrared radiometry, and narrow-band spectrophotometry. It becomes possible to classify asteroids from UBV observations alone. The S asteroids have colors very similar to those of L and LL ordinary chondrites, and some of the U objects are consistent in color with nickel-iron or enstatite-rich meteorites, but no meteorites appear to have the UBV colors of the C asteroids. The asteroid C and S compositional types have no exact counterparts among the surfaces of natural satellites.
High-resolution UV spectrophotometry of the complex close binary system beta Lyrae was performed with a telescope spectrometer on board Copernicus. Observations were made at phases 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 with resolutions of 0.2 A (far-UV) and 0.4 A (mid-UV). The far-UV spectrum is completely dominated by emission lines indicating the existence of a high-temperature plasma in this binary. The spectrum of this object is unlike that of any other object observed from Copernicus. It is believed that this high-temperature plasma results from dynamic mass transfer taking place in the binary. The current results are compared with OAO-2 observations and other observational results. The possibility that the secondary component is a collapsed object is also discussed; the Copernicus observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the spectroscopically invisible secondary component is a black hole.
Twenty-seven samples from Boulder 1 at Station 2 are analyzed for major and trace elements by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and neutron activation analysis. Two types of matrix and several types of clast materials are characterized on the basis of their chemistry. It is shown that one matrix type is a common material at the Apollo 17 site, while the other is probably exotic to that site. The most unusual clast materials found are coarse norite (an old rock no longer found in millimeter fragments at the site) and pigeonite basalt (possibly a highland volcanic rock). It is concluded that the boulder-forming process combined materials from at least two different localities or vertical strata.
Results are reported for IR photometry of nine bright asteroids, including 433 Eros, which was conducted in the J, H, K, and (for Eros) L bands with an InSb photometer on the 1.3-m Kitt Peak telescope. It is found that the J-H and H-K color indices of all nine asteroids are slightly redder than those of the sun and that three C-type objects are somewhat redder in the same color indices than four S-types and an E-type. Eros is shown to have an unusually red J-K index; the shape of its IR spectral reflectance curve is attributed in part to the presence of the weak 2-micron pyroxene absorption band in the spectrum. The results show that JHK photometry is less diagnostic of asteroidal composition than higher-resolution IR spectrophotometry.
A program of asteroid photoelectric photometry is discussed which is designed primarily to obtain UBV magnitudes and colors of most asteroids reaching magnitude 13.3 or brighter at opposition and of asteroids reaching magnitude 14.3 or brighter at perihelic opposition. A two-color plot is presented for asteroids whose compositional classes have been determined by radiometry, spectrophotometry, and polarimetry. A clear separation by color is observed for S and C objects; M and E objects are shown to be colorimetrically similar to C objects. Another two-color plot for about 200 asteroids reveals a continuum between the C and M, E domains and a possible continuum between the C and S domains. A plot of the frequency distribution of asteroid semimajor axes indicates that C objects predominate in the outer part of the asteroid belt while S objects are more numerous in the inner part. Statistics of asteroid phase angles and light-curve amplitudes are examined. It is suggested that the phase coefficient of an asteroid is inversely proportional to its geometric albedo and that S objects may be less spherical than C objects.
A variety of data are presented concerning the spectrum, distance, temperature, and evolutionary state of the hot white dwarf HZ 43, the first extrasolar object to be detected in the EUV band. The data include spectrophotometry of the star and its red dwarf companion (HZ 43B), a trigonometric parallax for the star, its tangential velocity, and results of soft X-ray and EUV observations. The main conclusions are that: (1) the spectrum of HZ 43A is that of a hot DAwk star, (2) HZ 43B is a dM3.5e star, (3) the distance of the system is about 65 pc, (4) the tangential velocity is not atypical of white dwarfs, and (5) the stellar energy distribution of HZ 43A is well fitted by a black body with an effective temperature of approximately 110,000 K. Evolutionary implications of the existence of an object as hot as HZ 43A are briefly considered, and it is suggested that the progenitors of hot DA stars must include objects hotter than spectral type sdB, with logical possibilities being nuclei of planetary nebulae and sdO stars.