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At least 433 records · Page 24

Average high latitude magnetic field: Variations with interplanetary sector and with season. 2: Comparison of disturbance levels and discussion of ionospheric currents

Average high latitude magnetic field data from northern observatories are examined for three ranges of magnetic disturbance level, Kp = 1 minus to 1+,2 minus to 3+, and or = 4 minus. Except for 0-8h MLT, 55-78 deg invariant latitude, during away interplanetary magnetic field sectors, the variations between season and sector have the the same characteristics at all Kp ranges. Because the amplitude of sector differences is much larger at sunlit local times than in the midnight sector, it is concluded that the current system of Svalgaard (1973) is not adequate to describe the sector variations in magnetic disturbance, other current systems are discussed briefly. The disturbance morphology and seasonal variation at all Kp levels confirms the results of previous studies which indicate that latitudinally broad current systems and non-ionospheric sources are present in addition to latitudinally narrow electrojet currents. Comparison of data between Kp levels indicates that the Harang discontinuity shifts toward earlier MLT with increasing Kp level.

Langel, R. A.↗

Average daily variations in the magnetic field as observed by ATS-5

Hourly averages of the magnetic field components are determined and analyzed using the measurements of the magnetic field monitor aboard the ATS-5. The data covering the time period of September 1969 through September 1971 are sorted and analyzed for various Kp values, geomagnetic latitude of the subsolar point, and local time. Local time variations are harmonically analyzed, and amplitudes and phases are given up to the fourth harmonic.

Skillman, T. L.↗

Average chemical composition of the lunar surface

The available data on the chemical composition of the lunar surface at eleven sites (3 Surveyor, 5 Apollo and 3 Luna) are used to estimate the amounts of principal chemical elements (those present in more than about 0.5% by atom) in average lunar surface material. The terrae of the moon differ from the maria in having much less iron and titanium and appreciably more aluminum and calcium.

Turkevich, A. L.↗

The average auroral zone electric field

Four hundred and seventy-eight hours of electric field data obtained by the flight of 32 balloons between L = 5.4 and L = 8.2 have been averaged to determine mean properties of the auroral zone electric field. The results are understood in terms of a model in which the two-cell convection pattern is rotated about the sun-earth line by an amount that depends on the sign and magnitude of the y component of the interplanetary magnetic field. This model and the data suggest either that important parallel potential drops exist along auroral zone magnetic field lines or that simple conjugacy between the two hemispheres does not exist along such field lines.

Mozer, F. S.↗

Average high latitude magnetic field - Variation with interplanetary sector and with season. II

Average high-latitude magnetic-field data from northern observatories are examined for three ranges of magnetic disturbance level, Kp = 1- to 1+, 2- to 3+ and greater than or equal to 4-. Except for 0 to 0800 hr MLT, 55 to 78 deg invariant latitude, during away interplanetary magnetic field sectors, the variations between season and sector have the same characteristics at all Kp ranges. Because the amplitude of sector differences is much larger at sunlit local times than in the midnight sector, it is concluded that the current system of Svalgaard (1973) is not adequate to describe the sector variations in magnetic disturbance. Other current systems are discussed briefly. The disturbance morphology and seasonal variation at all Kp levels confirms the results of previous studies which indicate that latitudinally broad current systems and nonionospheric sources are present in addition to latitudinally narrow electrojet currents.

Langel, R.↗

K and U systematics and average concentrations on the moon

The K-U, Th-U, and Th-Al systematics for lunar samples from the Apollo 11-17 missions and the Luna 16 and 20 missions are summarized. With few exceptions (granitic portion of 12013 and the Apollo 17 mare basalts) the Th/U ratio is 3.8 plus or minus 0.2. The K/U ratio for lunar samples is about 2600 and is distinctly different from the K/U ratio found in terrestrial samples and in the majority of meteorites. The K-U systematics are similar to the K-La, K-Sm, K-Ba, and K-Zr systematics, suggesting that the moon accreted approximately homogeneously. Based on a model the moon contains an average abundance of about 80 ppb U, about 200 ppm K, and about 7 times chondritic abundances for all the refractory elements such as Al, Ca, Ti, Zr, Ba, Sr, and REE. The Th-Al systematics of many lunar highland rocks are dominated by the presence of the rock-type KREEP.

Schonfeld, E.↗

Improved determination of the long-term average Fe spectrum from approximately 1 to 460 MeV/amu

It is shown that lunar rock 72315, because of its brief surface exposure age and a geometry which minimizes corrosion, makes it possible to obtain a virtually uneroded Fe spectrum, averaged over several hundred thousand years. The absolute exposure age of the rock is determined by taking into account the intensity of solar flares and galactic cosmic rays. The galactic cosmic ray production spectrum reported by Walker and Yuhas (1973) is used in the determination of the exposure age.

Hutcheon, I. D.↗

A method to account for variation of average compressor inlet pressure during instantaneous distortion analyses

Instantaneous distortion analyses compare a time-varying value of an index (or 'surge margin used up') with a critical level (or 'available surge margin' of the compressor) to determine inlet-engine compatibility. Unless freestream conditions or propulsion system controls are changing, it is generally assumed that the available surge margin of the compressor is accurately determined from the steady-state operating point. Results are presented which show that variations of average compressor inlet pressure may occur without changes in freestream conditions or propulsion system controls. The volume dynamics of the compressor will cause these pressure variations to be attenuated and delayed by the time they reach the exit. This will cause the compressor pressure ratio (and available surge margin) to vary with time. A method is presented to calculate the available surge margin as a function of time and incorporate it into an instantaneous distortion analysis. Results show that inlet pressure variations which cause only a small change at the compressor exit can cause a significant variation in the available surge margin.

Burstadt, P. L.↗

Zonal average earth radiation budget measurements from satellites for climate studies

Data from 29 months of satellite radiation budget measurements, taken intermittently over the period 1964 through 1971, are composited into mean month, season and annual zonally averaged meridional profiles. Individual months, which comprise the 29 month set, were selected as representing the best available total flux data for compositing into large scale statistics for climate studies. A discussion of spatial resolution of the measurements along with an error analysis, including both the uncertainty and standard error of the mean, are presented.

Ellis, J. S.↗

Average latitudinal variation in ultraviolet radiation at the earth's surface

Tabulated values are presented for ultraviolet radiation at the earth's surface as a function of wavelength, latitude, and season, for clear sky and seasonally and latitudinally averaged ozone amounts. These tabulations can be combined with any biological sensitivity function in order to obtain the seasonal and latitudinal variation of the corresponding effective doses. The integrated dosages, based on the erythemal sensitivity curve and on the Robertson-Berger sunburn-meter sensitivity curve, have also been calculated, and these are found to vary with latitude and season in very nearly the same way as 307 and 314 nm radiation, respectively.

Johnson, F. S.↗

The average impulse response of a rough surface and its applications

This paper is concerned with the theoretical model for short pulse scattering from a statistically random planar surface with particular application to current state of the art radar altimetry. A short review of the assumptions inherent in the convolutional model is presented. Simplified expressions are obtained for both the impulse response and the average backscattered power for near normal incidence under the assumptions common to satellite radar altimetry systems. In particular, it is shown that the conventional two-dimensional surface integration can be reduced to a closed form solution. Two applications of these results are presented relative to radar altimetry, namely, radar antenna pointing angle determination and altitude bias correction for pointing angle and surface roughness effects. It is also shown that these results have direct application to the analysis of the two frequency system proposed by Weissman, and a possible combined long pulse altimeter and two frequency system is suggested.

Brown, G. S.↗

Effects of stream-associated fluctuations upon the radial variation of average solar wind parameters

A numerical MHD model in both spherically symmetric time-dependent and corotating equatorial flow approximations is used to compute the effects of nonlinear fluctuations due to solar wind streams upon radial gradients of average solar wind parameters. Significant effects of correlations between fluctuations on the gradients of azimuthal magnetic field, radial velocity, density, and azimuthal velocity are found. It is found that nonlinear fluctuations are a significant effect in determining the radial gradients of the solar wind at distances as small as 0.2 AU; at distances greater than 1 AU, nonlinear fluctuations dominate the behavior of the radial gradients.

Goldstein, B. E.↗

The method of averages applied to the KS differential equations

A new approach for the solution of artificial satellite trajectory problems is proposed. The basic idea is to apply an analytical solution method (the method of averages) to an appropriate formulation of the orbital mechanics equations of motion (the KS-element differential equations). The result is a set of transformed equations of motion that are more amenable to numerical solution.

Graf, O. F., Jr.↗

Aperture averaging effects in stellar scintillation

Stellar scintillation has been measured for apertures as low as 0.012 m by using photoncounting techniques. The scintillation measurements have been made for various aperture sizes in quick succession in order to determine experimentally the effects of aperture averaging. The results of the experiment are compared with the predictions of a model proposed earlier in the literature to quantify the phenomenon.

Iyer, R. S.↗

Moon-Mercury - Large impact structures, isostasy and average crustal viscosity

It is shown that Mercury's surface has only 70% as many large craters (of at least 200 km in diameter) as the moon. The density of Mercurian impact craters having diameters over 400 km is 30% of that of the moon, and for craters with diameters between 400 and 700 km, Mercurian density is 21% of that of the moon. The size-frequency distribution curve of Mercury is the same as the lunar cumulative -2 slope. The Mercurian curve, however, lies well below the 10% surface saturation level of the lunar curve. This may indicate that the old, heavily-cratered Mercurian terrain is not presently in a state of cratering equilibrium. The differences in crater and basin densities observed between Mercury and the moon may be functions of crater-production rates or of different crustal histories. The total isostatic compensation of impact craters having diameters of about 800 km suggests that the average viscosity of the Mercurian crust during approximately the past 4 eons was the same as that of the moon.

Schaber, G.↗

Effects of turbulence on average refraction angles in occultations by planetary atmospheres

Four separable effects of atmospheric turbulence on average refraction angles in occultation experiments are derived from a simplified analysis, and related to more general formulations by B. S. Haugstad. The major contributors are shown to be due to gradients in height of the strength of the turbulence, and the sense of the resulting changes in refraction angles is explained in terms of Fermat's principle. Because the results of analyses of such gradient effects by W. B. Hubbard and J. R. Jokipii are expressed in other ways, a special effort is made to compare all of the predictions on a common basis. We conclude that there are fundamental differences, and use arguments based on energy conservation and Fermat's principle to help characterize the discrepancies.

Eshleman, V. R.↗