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At least 415 records · Page 23

Data simulation studies for field programs, satellite system tests, and regional weather prediction

In the present paper, the status of the Drexel/NCAR regional numerical weather forecast system is summarized to show the extent of our experience and our immediate requirements for data within the United States on scales smaller than rawinsonde spacing (approximately 300 km). Preliminary experiments are described, and data assimilation problems are examined. It is shown that data requirements, assimilation methods, and forecast sensitivity differ for regional and large-scale models. Forecast verification statistics suggest that middle-troposphere temperature is well known but relative humidity is not. In some cases, regional forecasts require much better humidity data than available from rawinsondes. Numerics, lateral boundary conditions, model physics, and computing power are adequate for near real-time experimental regional prediction with horizontal mesh sizes down to 35 km. Subsynoptic data and assimilation are the primary challenges facing regional NWP.

Kreitzberg, C. W.↗

Simulation studies of a model of high-density metallic hydrogen

Upper bounds for the ground-state energies of liquid and solid phases of metallic hydrogen and metallic deuterium have been calculated with variational methods and Monte Carlo techniques. At four densities (0.8, 1.2, 1.36, and 1.488) crystalline phases are clearly preferred in the sense that the energy difference, when compared to the liquid, is in excess of the errors inherent in the numerical procedures. At a fifth density (1.6), the energy differences between solid and liquid phases are smaller than these errors.

Mon, K. K.↗

Analytical and simulator study of advanced transport

An analytic methodology, based on the optimal-control pilot model, was demonstrated for assessing longitidunal-axis handling qualities of transport aircraft in final approach. Calibration of the methodology is largely in terms of closed-loop performance requirements, rather than specific vehicle response characteristics, and is based on a combination of published criteria, pilot preferences, physical limitations, and engineering judgment. Six longitudinal-axis approach configurations were studied covering a range of handling qualities problems, including the presence of flexible aircraft modes. The analytical procedure was used to obtain predictions of Cooper-Harper ratings, a solar quadratic performance index, and rms excursions of important system variables.

Levison, W. H.↗

Noctilucent clouds - Simulation studies of their genesis, properties and global influences

A numerical model is presented for testing theories of the physical mechanisms of noctiluminescent clouds. The time-dependent, one-dimensional model describes the formation, evolution, and properties of the clouds as interactive ice crystals, meteoric dust, water vapor, and ionized air. Mesopause temperatures below 140 K are found to be necessary for the formation of the clouds, conditions existing only at high latitudes in the summer. No predominant nucleation particle could be identified for the formation of the clouds, although a time period of up to a day was determined as necessary for materialization, which lasts several days. Several atmospheric and environmental conditions were characterized which enhance the appearance of the noctiluminescent clouds. One conclusion reached is that the numerous launches necessary to build a solar power satellite system would not significantly exacerbate noctiluminescent cloud formation.

Turco, R. P.↗

Simulator study of pilot-aircraft-display system response obtained with a three-dimensional-box pictorial display

The effect of varying the two important display parameters of a pictorial display on pilot opinion performance, and pilot aircraft display system servomechanism response is examined. The display presents a picture of a three dimensional box that moves along the desired path ahead of the aircraft. The two display parameters examined are the field of view of the picture (from + or - 5 deg to + or - 45 deg) and the distance to the box (from 92 m (300 ft) to 6100 m (20 000 ft)). The results show that the pilots prefer a distance to the box of 915 m (3000 ft) and a field of view of + or - 30 deg. The best performance, both in the sense of quickness of error correction and lowest standard deviation, is obtained with a distance to the box of 92 m (300 ft) and a field of view of + or - 15 deg. A pilot model analysis is used to determine the gains used by the pilots and the servomechanism response characteristics of the pilot aircraft display system.

Adams, J. J.↗

Water vapor profile retrieval simulation studies for the HIRS/MSU and AMTS/MSU sounders

A combined physical statistical method for the retrieval of atmospheric water vapor column densities has been developed at the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences. In this method differences between observed and calculated clear column brightness temperatures are used in a regression formalism to obtain estimates of integrated column densities in given atmospheric layers. The physics of the radiative transfer problem is contained in the calculated clear column brightness temperatures and in accounting for the effects of clouds on the observed radiances. The regression matrix is equivalent to a set of empirical sensitivity factors.

Reuter, D.↗

Mature thunderstorm cloud-top structure and dynamics - A three-dimensional numerical simulation study

The present investigation is concerned with results from an initial set of comparative experiments in a project which utilize a three-dimensional convective storm model. The modeling results presented are related to four comparative experiments, designated Cases A through D. One of two scientific questions considered involves the dynamical processes, either near the cloud top or well within the cloud interior, which contribute to organize cloud thermal patterns such as those revealed by IR satellite imagery for some storms having strong internal cloud-scale rotation. The second question is concerned with differences, in cloud-top height and temperature field characteristics, between thunderstorms with and without significant internal cloud-scale rotation. The four experiments A-D are compared with regard to both interior and cloud-top configurations in the context of the second question. A particular strong-shear experiment, Case B, is analyzed to address question one.

Schlesinger, R. E.↗

Simulation studies for surfaces and materials strength

From intermolecular force studies, it is now known that the overall non-additive contribution to the lattice enegy is positive so that analysis based on only pairwise additivity suggests a shallower intermolecular potential than the true value. Two body contributions alone are also known to be categorically unable to even qualitatively describe some configurations of molecular clusters in the gas phase or the general relaxation and reconstruction of fcc crystal surfaces. In addition, the many-body contribution was shown to play a key role in the stability of certain crystal structures. In these recent analyses, a relatively simple potential energy function (PEF), comprising only a two-body Mie-type potential plus a three-body Axilrod-Teller-type potential, was found to be extremely effective. This same parametric PEF is applied to describe the bulk stability and surface energy for the diamond cubic structure. To test the stability condition, the FCC, BCC, diamond cubic, graphite and beta-tin structures were considered.

Halicioglu, T.↗

A simulation study of data link message exchange - Flight deck perspective

Data link message exchange for Air Traffic Control (ATC) offers the potential of increasing flight safety and efficiency by reducing communication errors and enabling more information to be exchanged between aircraft and ground facilities. Digital communication also presents an opportunity to relieve the overloading of air traffic control radio frequencies, which hampers efficient message exchange during peak traffic periods in many busy terminal areas. A study has been completed at NASA Langley Research Center to compare the use of data link, for tactical ATC messages and ATIS reports, to conventional voice communication. The results indicate that flight crews prefer the data link message exchange for routine communication with air traffic control facilities. The data link communication process, however, entailed delays related to the physical characteristics of the link and the nature of the interface explored in this study. Consequently, the crews preferred voice radio when exchanging time critical messages.

Waller, Marvin C.↗

A GCM simulation study of the influence of Saharan evapotranspiration and surface-albedo anomalies on July circulation and rainfall

The influence of surface albedo and evapotranspiration anomalies that could result from the hypothetical semiarid vegetation over North Africa on its July circulation and rainfall is examined using the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres GCM. It is shown that increased soil moisture and its dependent evapotranspiration produces a cooler and moister PBL over North Africa that is able to support enhanced moist convection and rainfall in Sahel and southern Sahara. It is found that lower surface albedo yields even higher moist static energy in the PBL and enhances the local moist convection and rainfall. Modifying the rain-evaporation parameterization in the model produces changes in the hydrological cycle and rainfall anomalies in distant regions. The effects of different falling rain parameterizations are discussed.

Sud, Y. C.↗

Emerging standards for still image compression: A software implementation and simulation study

The software implementation is described of an emerging standard for the lossy compression of continuous tone still images. This software program can be used to compress planetary images and other 2-D instrument data. It provides a high compression image coding capability that preserves image fidelity at compression rates competitive or superior to most known techniques. This software implementation confirms the usefulness of such data compression and allows its performance to be compared with other schemes used in deep space missions and for data based storage.

Pollara, F.↗

A simulation study of impulsive penetration of solar wind irregularities into the magnetosphere at the dayside magnetopause

The impulsive penetration processes that occur when a plasma irregularity in the magnetosheath, modeled as a field-aligned filament, impinges on the dayside magnetopause, are investigated via a 2D magnetohydrodynamic code. It is found that, when the magnetic fields of the magnetosheath and magnetosphere are parallel or antiparallel, even plasma filaments with small initial velocities can eventually penetrate through the magnetopause and enter the magnetosphere. If the magnetic fields are not aligned, penetration will occur only if the initial kinetic energy density of the plasma filament is more than 50 times larger than the magnetic energy density due to the transverse component of the magnetic field.

Ma, Z. W.↗

Simulation studies for surfaces and materials strength

Investigations were carried out in two major areas during the last reporting period. Energy- and structure-related properties of small gold clusters deposited on the GaAs(110) surface were investigated using a molecular dynamics procedure. Additionally, a comparative study of the many-body potentials of silicon systems was performed.

Halicioglu, Timur↗

Simulation studies for surfaces and materials strength

The progress report for the period May 1, 1992 to October 31, 1992 is presented. During this period investigations were carried out in three areas. Binding energies and high energy binding sites were calculated for carbon atoms deposited on a (2 x 1) dimerized Si(100) surface. Structure- and energy-related properties of defects formed on relaxed diamond surfaces were investigated. Tersoff-type model functions for Si were employed to investigate the energetics of the following processes: (1) neutral monovacancy and divacancy formation and migration energies; (2) neutral bond-centered, site sharing, tetrahedral, and hexagonal self-interstitial formation and migration energies; and (3) the variation of these energies with distance from a bulk site of Frenkel defect formation and from (100) and (111) surfaces. Calculations are included in the appendices.

Halicioglu, Timur↗

The dynamics of hydroponic crops for simulation studies of the CELSS initial reference configurations

The goal of this research is to develop a progressive series of mathematical models for the CELSS hydroponic crops. These models will systematize the experimental findings from the crop researchers in the CELSS Program into a form useful to investigate system-level considerations, for example, dynamic studies of the CELSS Initial Reference Configurations. The crop models will organize data from different crops into a common modeling framework. This is the fifth semiannual report for this project. The following topics are discussed: (1) use of field crop models to explore phasic control of CELSS crops for optimizing yield; (2) seminar presented at Purdue CELSS NSCORT; and (3) paper submitted on analysis of bioprocessing of inedible plant materials.

Volk, Tyler↗