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At least 415 records · Page 23

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NASA NTRS1986

Milky Way halo gas kinematics

Measurements of high resolution, short wavelength absorption data taken by IUE toward high latitude O and B stars are presented in a discussion of the large scale kinematic properties of Milky Way Halo gas. An analysis of these data demonstrates that: (1) the obsrved absorption widths (FWHM) of Si II are very large, ranging up to 150 Km/s for the most distant halo star; this is much larger than is generally appreciated from optical data; (2) the absorption is observed to be systematically negative in radial velocity, indicating that cool material is, on the whole, flowing toward the disk of the galaxy; (3) there is some evidence for asymmetry between the northern and southern galactic hemispheres, in accordance with the HI 21 cm data toward the galactic poles; (4) low column density gas with highly negative radial LSR velocity (V less than -70 km/s) can be found toward stars beyond 1-3 kpc in the northern galactic hemisphere in all four quadrants of galactic longitude; and (5) only the profiles toward stars in the direction of known high velocity HI features show a clear two component structure.

Danly, L.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Kinematics and dynamics of the Uranian rings

The self-gravity model of apse alignment was tested by comparing its predictions about structure within the epsilon ring with an extensive set of observed occultation profiles covering a wide range of ring longitudes. The self-gravity model as presently constructed is inconsistent with the observations. The Lindblad resonance survey and Shepherd satellite ring perturbation are discussed. The kinematic model of the Uranian ring orbit was enhanced to accommodate Voyager observations as well as ground-based occultation observations.

French, Richard G.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A kinematic model of southern California

A kinematic model for southern California, based on late-Quaternary slip rates and orientations of major faults in the region, is proposed. Internally consistent motions are determined assuming that these faults bound rigid blocks. Relative to North America, most of California west of the San Andreas fault is moving parallel to the San Andreas fault through the Transverse Ranges and not parallel to the motion of the Pacific plate. The velocities of the blocks are calculated along several paths in southern California that begin in the Mojave Desert and end off the California coast. A path that crosses the western Transverse Ranges accumulates the accepted relative North America-Pacific plate velocity, whereas paths to the north and south result in a significant missing component of motion, implying the existence of a zone of active deformation in southern California.

Weldon, R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

In situ measurements and radar observations of a severe storm - Electricity, kinematics, and precipitation

Electric field measurements made inside a multicell severe storm in Oklahoma in 1983 with a balloon-borne instrument are presented. The properties of the electric charge regions, such as altitude, thickness, and charge concentrations, are studied. These measurements are analzyed with meteorological measurements of temperature and humidity, and balloon tracking and radar observations. The relation between the electric charge structure and the precipitation and kinematic features of the storm is examined. The data reveal that the cell exhibits a bipolar charge structure with negative charge below positive charge. The average charge concentrations of the two regions are estimated as -1.2 and 0.15 nC/cu m, respectively; the upper positive charge is about 6 km in vertical extent, and the lower negative charge is less than 1 km in vertical extent.

Byrne, G. J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Kinematic tests of exotic flat cosmological models

Theoretical prejudice and inflationary models of the very early universe strongly favor the flat, Einstein-de Sitter model of the universe. At present the observational data conflict with this prejudice. This conflict can be resolved by considering flat models of the universe which posses a smooth component of energy density. The kinematics of such models, where the smooth component is relativistic particles, a cosmological term, a network of light strings, or fast-moving, light strings is studied in detail. The observational tests which can be used to discriminate between these models are also discussed. These tests include the magnitude-redshift, lookback time-redshift, angular size-redshift, and comoving volume-redshift diagrams and the growth of density fluctuations.

Charlton, Jane C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Shepherding of the Uranian rings. I - Kinematics. II - Dynamics

The possible kinematical relationships between the Uranian rings and all ten newly discovered satellites of Uranus are examined. Observational evidence is presented for interactions between 1986U7 and 1986U8 and the epsilon, delta, and gamma rings. The likelihood that these two satellites are shepherding the epsilon ring and are responsible for some of its internal structure is assessed, and the results are used to propose a reduction in the ring radius scale. It is also proposed that 1986U7 and 1986U8 are the inner and outer shepherds for the epsilon ring, that 1986U7 is the outer shepherd for the delta ring, and that 1986U8 is an outer shepherd for the gamma ring. The results of theoretical investigations of planetary ring dynamics are then applied to these associations, and their dynamical significance is evaluated. The resonant torques which the satellites exert on each ring are calculated and compared to the viscous torque which transports angular momentum outward through the ring and to the atmospheric-drag torque which causes the ring's orbit to decay.

Porco, Carolyn C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Rotation and kinematics of the premain-sequence stars in Taurus-Auriga with Ca II emission

Radial velocities and v sin i values for the stars in the Taurus-Auriga region that were found to have strong Ca II H and K emission by Herbig, Vrba, and Rydgren 'HVR', (1986) are reported. Most of the velocities are determined to better than 2 km/s precision. The kinematic properties of the Ca II emission stars with strong Li are found to be indistinguishable from conventional T Tauris in Taurus-Auriga, contrary to HVR. These Li-rich stars also rotate like T Tauris. Most of the stars that lack Li are probable or possible members of the Hyades, in the foreground, and are among the brightest and most active stars in that cluster for their spectral types. It is suggested following Jones and Herbig (1979), that the apparent absence of low-mass stars older than 10 Myr in Taurus-Auriga is real, and is due to the finite lifetime of the cloud.

Hartmann, Lee W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Kinematic observers for active control of helicopter rotor vibration

A simple scheme for estimating the state variables of a helicopter rotor is presented. The method incorporates the use of blade-mounted accelerometers and/or position transducers to reconstruct modal displacements and velocities. The design of the observer structure and feedback gains is simplified by the fact that the method requires only knowledge of basic kinematic relationships between the various modal quantities. The observer structure described is particularly well-suited to control problems where the use of a traditional Kalman Filter approach would be too complex or costly. The technique can be viewed as decreasing the requirements on observer complexity while increasing the need for an enhanced sensor complement.

Mckillip, Robert M., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Downdrafts within High Plains cumulonimbi. I - General kinematic structure

Results from a comprehensive investigation in which observations from several case studies are integrated with three-dimensional cloud model results to examine the general kinematic structure of downdrafts associated with High Plains precipitating convection are presented. One particular downdraft type, the low-level precipitation-associated downdraft, is the focus of this paper. General airflow and trajectory patterns within low-level downdrafts are convergent from 0.8 km upwards to downdraft top, typically less than 5 km AGL. Observed mass flux profiles often increase rapidly with height as a result of strong buoyancy forcing below the melting level. Inflow to the low-level downdraft, although vertically continuous can be separated into two branches. The up-down branch originating within the planetary boundary layer initially rises up to 4 km and then descends within the main precipitation-associated downdraft. The midlevel branch, usually more pronounced during early downdraft stages, originates from above the PBL and transports low-valued theta sub e air to low levels. The depth of the low-level downdraft can be approximated by the environmental sounding transition level, defined as the vertical height interval separating conditionally unstable to neutral air below from roughly stable air above. The low-level downdraft is most frequently located along the upshear storm flank relative to the updraft, although a downshear downdraft may become common under higher environmental wind shear.

Knupp, Kevin R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Recursive inverse kinematics for robot arms via Kalman filtering and Bryson-Frazier smoothing

This paper applies linear filtering and smoothing theory to solve recursively the inverse kinematics problem for serial multilink manipulators. This problem is to find a set of joint angles that achieve a prescribed tip position and/or orientation. A widely applicable numerical search solution is presented. The approach finds the minimum of a generalized distance between the desired and the actual manipulator tip position and/or orientation. Both a first-order steepest-descent gradient search and a second-order Newton-Raphson search are developed. The optimal relaxation factor required for the steepest descent method is computed recursively using an outward/inward procedure similar to those used typically for recursive inverse dynamics calculations. The second-order search requires evaluation of a gradient and an approximate Hessian. A Gauss-Markov approach is used to approximate the Hessian matrix in terms of products of first-order derivatives. This matrix is inverted recursively using a two-stage process of inward Kalman filtering followed by outward smoothing. This two-stage process is analogous to that recently developed by the author to solve by means of spatial filtering and smoothing the forward dynamics problem for serial manipulators.

Rodriguez, G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Trajectory control of robot manipulators with closed-kinematic chain mechanism

The problem of Cartesian trajectory control of a closed-kinematic chain mechanism robot manipulator, recently built at CAIR to study the assembly of NASA hardware for the future Space Station, is considered. The study is performed by both computer simulation and experimentation for tracking of three different paths: a straight line, a sinusoid, and a circle. Linearization and pole placement methods are employed to design controller gains. Results show that the controllers are robust and there are good agreements between simulation and experimentation. The results also show excellent tracking quality and small overshoots.

Nguyen, Charles C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Goal driven kinematic simulation of flexible arm robot for space station missions

Flexible arms offer a great degree of flexibility in maneuvering in the space environment. The problem of transporting an astronaut for extra-vehicular activity using a space station based flexible arm robot was studied. Inverse kinematic solutions of the multilink structure were developed. The technique is goal driven and can support decision making for configuration selection as required for stability and obstacle avoidance. Details of this technique and results are given.

Janssen, P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Kinematic support using elastic elements

The design of kinematic supports using elastic elements is reviewed. The two standard methods (cone, Vee and flat and three Vees) are presented and a design example involving a machine tool metrology bench is given. Design goals included thousandfold strain attenuation in the bench relative to the base when the base strains due to temperature variations and shifting loads. Space applications are also considered.

Geirsson, Arni↗

NASA NTRS1988

Base reaction optimization of manipulators with redundant kinematics

A trajectory generation method for space manipulators is introduced. The approach developed employs a manipulator with redundant kinematics. The method is implemented in two steps. First, the end-effector trajectory is developed to satisfy motion requirements. Next, the joint trajectories are developed to minimize base reactions. The analytical development of this method is described and an example illustrating the method is presented.

Chung, C. L.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Kinematics of Hooke universal joint robot wrists

The singularity problem associated with wrist mechanisms commonly found on industrial manipulators can be alleviated by redesigning the wrist so that it functions as a three-axis gimbal system. This paper discussess the kinematics of gimbal robot wrists made of one and two Hooke universal joints. Derivations of the resolved rate motion control equations for the single and double Hooke universal joint wrists are presented using the three-axis gimbal system as a theoretical wrist model.

Mckinney, William S., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A kinematic model for the evolution of the Gorda Plate

The magnetic lineation pattern produced by the Gorda Rise reflects a complex tectonic history marked by propagating ridges and nonrigid deformation of the Gorda plate. The Pacific-side lineation pattern is matched using a kinematic model which incorporates northward and southward propagating ridge segments and ridge rotation. By superimposing flexural-slip style deformation on the resulting Gorda-side lineations, and allowing convergent motion at the Mendocino Fracture Zone, the Gorda magnetic pattern is also successfully predicted. A similar model, but one which does not allow convergence at the Mendocino Fracture Zone, fails to produce the observed lineation pattern. Model predictions of the amount of material that would be 'obducted' at the Mendocino due to convergence between the Gorda and Pacific agree with bathymetric and density estimates of the amount of material located along the Mendocino Ridge.

Stoddard, Paul R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Evolution of large-sclae plasma structures in comets: Kinematics and physics

Disconnection Events are the dramatic part of the periodic morphology involving the separation of the entire plasma tail from the head region of the comet and the growth of a new plasma. The coordinated observations of Comet Halley recorded approximately 30 DEs during the 7 months of plasma activity; 19 of these are obvious. The plasma physics of these events were approached via a detailed, kinematic investigation of specific DEs and the solar-wind environment associated with it. As the detailed investigations are completed, researchers should be able to answer the question of a single or multiple mechanism(s) for DEs and determine which mechanism(s) are important. At present, the mechanism of sunward magnetic reconnection caused by interplanetary sector boundary crossing in consistent with the data available.

Brandt, John C.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Kinematics at the Intersection of the Garlock and Death Valley Fault Zones, California: Integration of TM Data and Field Studies

Kinematic relationships at the intersection of the southern Death Valley and Garlock fault zones were examined to identify and delineate the eastern structural boundary between the Mojave and the Basin and Range geologic terrains, and to construct a model for the evolution of this boundary through time. In order to accomplish this, satellite imagery was combined with field investigations to study six areas in the vicinity of the intersection, or possible extensions, of the fault zones. The information gathered from these areas allows the test of various hypotheses that were proposed to explain the interaction between the Death Valley and Garlock fault zones.

Verosub, Kenneth L.↗